The First Spark

by T J Trapp

  “Is it alive?” asked one of the Gott soldiers, with some trepidation. “Will it kill us?”

  “Is it true that it is of the dragon’s magic?” asked another. “And that you feed it sharp rocks?”

  “And will we go blind, or deaf, if we see it?” asked a third, uncertainly.

  Thom and a few others of Erin’s riders also leaned forward, anxious to see the magic thing that their Princess’ Consort had defeated.

  “I will show it to you,” said Alec, chuckling. “It will not hurt you while I hold it. It is just made of metal and wood. No, it is not magic, and has nothing to do with dragons.” The Gott soldiers all looked at Alec with disbelieving expressions. They knew that something that powerful had to have used dragon blood.

  Alec fetched the rifle from its sling and held it out before them, the lantern light reflecting off its barrel and scope. Some of the braver troops edged forward for a closer look, and some of the timider retreated to the corners. Alec did not explain how the rifle worked other than to explain that it used a special magic pellet and could kill over a long distance and did indeed make a loud noise that could temporarily deafen a person if they were not careful.

  The next morning, they talked with Captain Levor about the tactical situation. “The Aldermen probably have about twice as many troops as we do,” the Captain estimated. “I have enough men for defending our position, but not enough for retaking ground. They still have several death rods with their force. Any time they deploy a death rod from a strategic position we can lose men rapidly.” He looked at Alec. “I don’t see how we can retake our fortress as long as they have their death rods. I don’t even see how we can stay here. Our camp here is not a defensible position. If they put a death rod on one of the surrounding hills, we will be lost. The fortress, also, is not a defensible position. Even if we retake it, they can put death rods on the hills above it and force us to leave.”

  “Then where is a defensible position?” asked Alec.

  “About half-way between here and the fortress, Winding Road goes over the top of the pass. That would give us the high ground in every direction. In my estimation, it would have been the best place to put the fortress.”

  “Why wasn’t it put there?” asked Erin.

  The Captain was beginning to get used to speaking to her directly, instead of addressing all his remarks to Alec.

  “I think it was because of the wind,” he answered. “The winter wind here is fierce on the mountaintop. They put the fortress in a location that is protected from the winter wind.” He sighed. “And that location worked fine until the death rods.”

  “Then let’s retake that position and build a new base there,” said Erin. “If we can battle them on this side of the pass until reinforcements arrive, we will have done the best we can. You can worry about winter winds when winter arrives.”

  “Reasonable plan,” said the Captain grudgingly, “but how do we do it? Can you destroy their death rods before we start the attack?” he asked Alec.

  Alec had been reluctant to share the limitations of his abilities with anyone other than Erin. The less anyone knew, the less chance of the wrong information escaping. Should I tell the Captain the limits of my abilities? He thought to Erin. I may need to. She agreed – they were going to have to explain the extent of Alec’s abilities to do effective planning.

  “There are limitations on what I can do,” Alec told Captain Levor. “I need to be able to see the death rod fuel to destroy it.” Alec pulled two rifle cartridges from his pocket. “This is the death rod fuel,” he said. The Captain shrank back from the small metal objects. “One of these little cartridges is one death rod shot. Then the death rod needs another for its next shot.” I sound like I’m telling him how to feed a puppy, Alec thought to himself. “After it has been used, it looks like this,” and he showed a spent cartridge. “I cannot destroy them if I do not know where they are. If I can roughly find them, like if I know that they are in a wagon or an ammunition box, I can destroy them. But if they keep their death rods in the fort where I cannot see them, I cannot destroy them.”

  “I see,” said the Captain. Alec suspected that he didn’t.

  “What do we know about how many death rods the Aldermen have?” Alec asked. “We have reduced their number by two.”

  The captain thought a moment. “They had four positions that used their death rods in their engagements with us,” the Captain mused. “So they had at least four death rods. I think they are too precious a weapon for them not to use all the ones they have.”

  “I think the Aldermen also will be protecting their death rods. If I were them, I would leave them at the fort for protection and bring them out only when they plan an attack. For this engagement, I suspect they only brought the two we encountered,” Alec said.

  “That makes sense,” agreed Erin.

  “We can’t retake our fortress,” Captain Levor said, thoughtfully, “but perhaps we could retake the top of the pass. I have sent scouts out to see what the Alder troop disposition is. We should know that status later today. It takes about two hours for a messenger to reach the fort from the top of the pass. So, we can have a half-day lead time before they bring their death rods.”

  ✽✽✽

  Alec and Erin went back to their camp to make sure everything was in working order. Erin inspected her troops and mounts, and sent an update to her mother. Alec had stored the rifle in a container fastened with a stout lock that he had created. Now he extracted the rifle and the bullets and spent some time inspecting them. When Erin returned, he was still looking at them.

  “Oh, Great Wizard,” Erin said, poking him. “I can see you are developing a plan.” He looked at her and smiled.

  “Yes, I am developing a plan.” He beckoned to her. “Come over here. I want you to look at this.” Then he turned over one of the bullets and showed her the bottom.

  “Tiny runes?” she said, squinting, at the very small imprint on the bottom of the bullet. “I have never seen such fine detail,” she said, turning the bullet in his hand to better catch the light. “Are these runes of power?”

  “No,” he said patiently. “The runes don’t add power, but they do say ‘Remington Arms.’ That is a company that makes rifle shells back in my homeland. I don’t know why they are here.” He paused. “It just seems like me being here and other things from my homeland being here cannot be a coincidence.”

  Then they talked about various things they could do and the strategic advantages of each. After a while, Erin started talking about other things they could do, and they retired to their wagon. They would worry about tomorrow when tomorrow came.

  18 – Gott

  Late in the afternoon, Captain Levor sent word that his scouts had returned. “Our scouts were able to travel almost to the Winding Pass Fortress,” the Captain told Erin. “It is about one hour by trogus to the fortress or two hours by foot. The Aldermen are holding the top of the pass with about twenty men. The rest are at the fortress, just beyond the pass. Our scouts thought that the Alder troops at the fortress seem to be preparing for moving forward, but they look like they are waiting for something. Maybe reinforcements.” He looked at Alec. “We could retake the top tomorrow if that will help. Can you destroy their death rods?”

  As they talked, a plan emerged. Erin, Alec, and a small team of Erin’s riders would move into the Alder-held territory, sneaking by the Aldermen situated at the top of the pass. Since there were no death rods with the Alder forces stationed there, the Captain could retake the area with great fanfare. Recapturing the top of the pass by the Gott soldiers would force a response from the Aldermen in the fortress; they would have to send out a reinforcement column from the fortress, with their additional death rods – if any were there. Once the death rods were brought out into the open, even if they were in an armored wagon, Alec would have a chance to destroy them. The only question was when the Alder reinforcement column would arrive. The Captain cautioned that it might be the next day – Erin
’s band would have to be prepared to spend the night out on the mountain.

  Erin’s people were up long before dawn to execute the first part of the plan. They took five riders with them plus one of the Captain’s most experienced scouts and a man to handle their mounts. As daylight broke, they quietly rode into the territory held by the Aldermen, coming as near to the soldiers camped at the pass as they could without being detected. Then they dismounted and the handler took the animals back to the Gott base camp. Erin and her band left the main road and followed the Gott scout along an old game trail that ran roughly parallel. Occasionally they could see Winding Road through the trees – it was quiet with little activity. Erin periodically felt ahead to see if she could sense any hidden guard posts. Near mid-morning, they took a short break from their trek.

  “We are almost to the top of the slope above Winding Pass,” the Gott scout told them. “After that we will be on the other side of the mountain, on the far side of the pass.”

  Just before they reached the crest Erin stopped, and motioned for them all to be quiet. “There is a hidden lookout post in the woods ahead. It has three soldiers in it, and they appear to be awake, but not concerned or attentive. Time for the next part of our plan.”

  Alec nodded. “Time to bend the light. The risk of doing this is that I can’t bend the light on all sides. There are some angles where we could be seen, even if it is only as a fuzzy reflection. We must stay close together.”

  The guard post overlooked a small meadow they would have to cross. Alec felt for his medallion and used the dark energy to create a lens to bend light around them. Then they walked slowly and quietly across the meadow. Erin continued to sense the guard post and detected no increased anxiety from the soldiers. After what seemed forever, they reached the far side of the meadow and Alec released the dark lens as they re-entered the forest. The scene around them changed from blurry to crisp.

  Erin sensed forward.

  “There are no soldiers in the woods ahead. It looks like the only Alder force on this side of the mountain is around the pass. There is some motion on the road, but it appears to be normal travel.” They quietly proceeded for another hour through the woods before the Gott scout stopped them at an opening where the game trail overlooked the main road.

  “This is the place we talked about,” said the scout.

  “We wait here,” Erin told her riders. “Be patient.”

  “It’s almost high noon,” Alec agreed. “The Captain’s attack at the pass should start soon.”

  An occasional figure could be spotted on the road, but there was no sign of a uniformed Alder reinforcement column. It was another half-hour before they heard sounds in the distance – battle horns trumpeting, shouts, and the sound of clashing weapons.

  “The attack has started,” Erin said. Activity on the road picked up. Messengers were riding rapidly toward the fortress, and there were more people on the road, scurrying into action.

  “The plan is for Captain Levor to retake the pass, but not push forward,” Erin explained to her riders. “He shouldn’t have a problem taking it. The Alder have a relatively small force there, and the Captain can bring a larger force to bear. The next portion of our plan depends on the Alder reaction. They will probably regroup, and then either stage a counter-offensive or go into a retreat. If they regroup, the logical place would be a clearing along the road between us and Winding Pass, probably that clearing we can see, an el or so moonward. If they choose that position, then reinforcements will pass by us along the road below, probably later this afternoon. If the Alder do something else, then we will have to change our plans accordingly.”

  Eventually, the sounds of fighting quieted down.

  “The Gott have taken the peak,” Erin said, sensing the outcome.

  As expected, a handful of Alder troops came back from the pass along the road below, with little semblance of order, some obviously wounded. When they reached the clearing several slumped to the ground, exhausted. The Alder officers were working hard to keep their men organized and in fighting array; it looked like they were trying to set up a new defensive position, facing back towards the pass they had just fled. Several messengers left the main group, heading rapidly in the direction of the Winding Pass Fortress.

  “Look,” Erin said, pointing out a mounted rider. “That is the first messenger coming this way, from the direction of fortress.” However, this messenger seemed to be responding to an earlier status report – there would not have been enough time for the soldiers in the fortress to be sending a response back regarding the current tactical situation and the rout on the mountaintop. More than at any other point since his arrival in this world, Alec missed his cell phone. The lack of instant communications on their battlefield was maddening. The time delay necessitated by messengers riding hours to carry information made decision-making fraught with the potential for wrong actions.

  “What can you sense, Erin?” Alec asked.

  “The Alder commander seems satisfied with the messenger’s response. He’s back to organizing his troops.” She watched a moment longer. “He was anxious earlier. Now he seems calmer and more confident.”

  “That sounds like he knows reinforcements are on the way,” Alec said.

  “Seems consistent,” she said.

  Erin’s riders fidgeted as they continued to wait, trying to stay quiet and unobtrusive. The afternoon proceeded slowly. Finally, late in the afternoon under the crossing moons, the first column of Alder reinforcements came along the road, jogging in a rapid cadence. Eventually, more columns of reinforcements streamed past. Then a baggage train came in sight, looking heavily-protected. There were five wagons in the train. The first four wagons looked like standard food and supply wagons. The fifth wagon was built with much heavier sides and a locked door on the back; a squad of ten soldiers were deployed in front of the wagon and about the same number behind.

  Alec pointed to the fifth wagon. “That is our target,” he said, simultaneously feeling relief that their afternoon had unfolded according to plan, and tension that he might have to kill somebody. “What can you sense, Erin?”

  She let her feelings roam out.

  “They feel arrogant and confident. This is your fish.” That was another saying of Alec’s that had no literal meaning to her, but she liked it and could sense that he knew exactly what she meant.

  Here goes nothing, thought Alec.

  “Get down, everyone. Cover your ears.” He reached for dark energy. Focus. He felt the death rod ammunition and let go of the dark energy. There was a huge explosion followed by a long string of sharp blasts. They heard bullets zinging all around, including into the trees behind them.

  Alec stuck his head up and looked at where the baggage train had been. The secured wagon was in fragments – riddled with holes, it lay on its side. Several of the Alder soldiers and their mounts lay on the ground, dead or moaning and bleeding profusely. Others were struggling with their animals. Two pulling teams of drungs were on the ground and bleating, at least one in mortal agony. The third team had run off the road in fright, and that wagon was stuck on the side of the road with a broken axle; the drungs continued to bleat and chafe in panic. The team on the front wagon had bolted; their driver had let the team run until he regained control, but the wagon appeared to have mowed over several riders and foot soldiers before the drungs calmed down.

  “What do you sense, Erin?” Alec was grinning despite himself.

  “They are in disbelief! They have no idea what happened.” Erin took her consort’s arm and smiled at him. “I think that we have finished all we can do here. It is time to try to return before the Aldermen mount an effective perimeter guard.”

  The small band worked their way quickly back along the game path with Erin sensing ahead. Stealth was no longer needed, and they could move with deliberate speed. They arrived at the Gott troops’ new location at the top of the pass just as dark was taking over. Captain Levor wanted a debrief immediately, and both groups we
nt through the events of the day.

  “Do you think that the Aldermen have more death rods?” Captain Levor asked Alec.

  “I do not know. However, the loss of this many weapons should make them reluctant to bring out more any time soon. They will probably leave them in the fortress in case they have to defend it. They probably wouldn’t bring any weapons forward until they receive reinforcement weapons. That would probably take at least a week … maybe longer.”

  “I am confident that my men can defend the mountaintop, at least that long,” Captain Levor said. “We suffered only marginal casualties during our battle this afternoon.”

  “Congratulations, Captain, on a fight well-won,” Erin said, and the two clasped arms.

  ✽✽✽

  Alec and Erin decided that they had accomplished more than they had originally started out to do during their side venture into Gott, and felt it was time to head back down the mountain into Theland to continue their original journey: to show Alec around Theland. The Captain was disappointed but not surprised.

  In the morning, Erin, Alec, their riders, and staff were up early. Erin was very disturbed by the discovery that the death rod that Alec had recovered was missing.

  “Princess, someone broke the lock and took the magic death rod!” one of the riders reported. “We found the broken box behind our wagons.” Alec and Erin followed the rider to the location of the discovery.

  “Well, without any ammunition, it’s not going to do them much good,” Alec said, inspecting the wooden box, and noticing the small pile of cartridges left behind. “It’ll just be a heavy club, and not a very good one at that.”

  “Ah,” the rider said in understanding. “Without it’s dragon’s food, it will not have its magic and cannot throw its teeth.”