Chapter 8
It was not yet dawn when they halted at the edge of the valley. They took cover and prepared their camp hidden amongst the jumble of boulders. Heather was anxious to see Daniel and had mixed emotions about stopping. If they pushed hard they would have been able to cross most of the valley before morning light. The risk of discovery, however, made her temper her personal wishes. She could wait one more day.
Jeremy asked, “Is it not a proper aspect of war to deprive your enemies of food and supplies?”
Heather replied, “Of course, why do you ask?”
Jeremy said, “There is a Southern army outpost ahead, which I scouted on my way to find you. They had a supply of hams and other provisions which would be easy to remove without detection. I wouldn’t want anyone to accuse me of stealing but if it assisted us in our war effort to confiscate these foods, I would be willing.”
Heather smiled and said, “If our enemy forces were less capable of waging war against us because their food supplies were confiscated it would be a good thing. If those confiscated goods could be used in our own efforts it would be even better. Our packs have grown light.”
Jeremy and a dozen other hunters left the camp with their easy loping gait. Watching them depart so silently still amazed Heather. She knew that without her and the other northern folk that the hunters would travel much faster and leave fewer traces but she was who she was. They had been successful so far but her weapon of surprise had lost much of its potency. She kept picturing the remaining catapult and it’s well protected perch on the side of the cliff. The Southern army would not make it easy for them to reach the second catapult. She must have dozed off because it was light when she sensed the motion around her. Jeremy had returned and each of the hunters was carrying a backpack bulging with supplies.
They had a celebration meal of ham and a type of dried biscuit. The ham was much saltier than Heather was used to but the feeling of a full stomach was wonderful. Jeremy entertained with the detailed account of how they walked right by the sentry who was snoring so loudly that the sound covered up the noise of their activity. The full stomach made Heather sleepy and she withdrew from her hunters to get some rest. Her dreams were sweetened by the anticipation of seeing Daniel again.
Clouds began rolling in with the promise of the first rain of the fall. They waited until almost dusk before departing their camp. Heather viewed the rain as a mixed blessing. Any moisture in this parched land was welcomed. If it rained hard enough to completely obliterate their tracks; then the rain would be doubly welcomed. If the rain was just enough to dampen the dust; then their tracks would be cast and last until the next heavy rain. She decided to follow Daniel’s advice and not worry about those things she could not change.
She broke the group into four sections. They were to weave their way across the valley, crisscrossing their tracks. Each group would take one of the northern folk with them. They were to rendezvous on the opposite side of the valley below a prominent rock butte. All contact with the enemy was to be avoided. If they were detected they were to flee back to this side of the valley and not rejoin the main group until they were sure their pursuers were lost.
Heather set out with her group led by Jeremy. He was always moving ahead with his loping gait and then returning to the group. Heather had learned to watch the stars to maintain her sense of direction but now the clouds were covering the sky. She knew they were changing direction frequently but she had lost her sense of direction after just a few turns. She trusted her hunters and concentrated on following the movement in front of her. Several times they passed close to camps of soldiers and their voices could be easily heard. Their campfires were visible scattered across the valley. They came to a dry stream which they followed for about an hour before again turning. Walking on the loose sand was easier on the feet but more tiring to the legs. The rain started as they turned and began walking uphill. There were far fewer soldiers on this side of the dry stream. Jeremy kept them moving over rocky ground to limit the tracks they would leave. It was still quite dark when they arrived beneath the butte. Heather had sentries posted and scouts sent out to secure the area.
The groups with Elrod and the priest arrived almost simultaneously. The group with Betty didn’t show. The morning light would be showing soon and Heather decided to move on. She could not risk the whole group waiting for part of the group. Jeremy led them up the side of the canyon. The rain continued and made the rocks slippery. Their progress was slow. They were halfway to the top when the message reached Heather that Betty and her group had arrived and were following them. Scouts were positioned to help expedite their movement up the canyon wall. The sky was growing brighter as Heather reached the flatter ground. They moved forward to the shelter of a rocky outcropping.
Heather rested and contemplated their success in crossing the enemy camp. No alarms had been raised. Betty’s group was delayed by a group of enemy soldiers who had wandered down to the dry creek to partake of liquid refreshments which were obviously not government issued. They waited until the liquor had done its job and they passed within a few feet of the soldiers who were then quite intoxicated. The rain was letting up and Heather hoped it had been strong enough to obliterate their tracks. She was covered with mud because the dust quickly turned to the stickiest mud she’d ever seen when wetted. They made camp and she spread her wet clothes out to dry, it would have been nice to have actually washed them.
Heather was awakened by a kiss on the cheek and the soft words, “Time to awaken, Heather of the Northern Palace.”
She opened her eyes to the smiling face of Daniel. She reached up and grabbed him around the neck, pulling him down into a passionate hug. She would have held him forever except for the giggling arising from Betty. She released Daniel and regained some of her composure. She said, “It is good to see you, Daniel of Issip. We are in need of a healer.”
“I have already seen to your injured companion. He will recover. Seeing you makes my heart soar like the mountain eagle.”
Heather’s smile grew even larger. She reached up and touched the side of Daniel’s face saying, “The joy of seeing you again is even greater than I had imagined. Let me prepare for the day and we’ll share a meal.”
Betty could hardly contain herself as they prepared for the day. She kept saying, “He’s even prettier than I remembered.”
Heather let Betty carry on only half listening to what she was saying. Her mind was a jumble of thoughts. She would worry about their mission only to have the image of Daniel gazing down on her, intrude upon her thought process. By the time they rejoined the group she had stabilized her thinking. First they would accomplish their mission, and only then would she allow herself the pleasure of contemplating a future with Daniel.
They shared a meal of the confiscated ham and biscuits. Heather listened as the possible routes to the remaining catapult were discussed. None of the routes could be considered anything but extremely difficult and dangerous. Worse, none of the routes provided for a reasonable chance of escape. Heather said, “I will need to see these routes myself. Let’s hear about the bridge and your success at bringing it down.”
Daniel replied, “I am sure Jeremy has already told that tale many times. We used a variation of the powder that I created while I was in your kingdom to destroy the supporting pillar. It was a shame to destroy such a wonder of man’s creation but it needed to be done.”
Jeremy interjected, “Our healer here created quite a display. He had flames and smoke shooting out of the tower windows all the way to the top. The noise was enough to make our ears ring.”
Before Jeremy could go on Heather asked, “Could this powder be used to destroy the catapult?”
Daniel said, “If it was confined properly, the powder would be capable.”
“Can you make more of this powder?”
“If I had the ingredients yes, but I don’t have to make it.�
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“Why not?”
“I saved one barrel and it would be sufficient.”
Heather began considering a new strategy. They would create a diversion and allow a very small troop to use stealth to plant Daniel’s powder. Her thoughts were interrupted when one of the scouts hurried into camp and reported a large number of Southern troops were moving their way. The details were sketchy, it seemed like several hundred troops were moving along the ridge above them, and they were traveling fast on horses. Heather and her troops needed to get moving so the access to the safety of the high country was not lost. It was not yet dark but Heather ordered the breaking of the camp and a move to higher ground. As they finish their preparations to leave another scout reported that a smaller number of Southern troops were ascending the canyon walls following the trail.
Heather knew they had been betrayed by the rain. All they could do now was flee to higher ground. Her primary weapon of surprise was lost. They moved out walking as fast as the northern folk could. The scouts kept coming and going bringing reports. Her initial assessment was correct; it was now a race between them and the horses carrying the southern troops. She wished more than ever for the ability to match the loping gait of the hunters. Over the course of a day they could outrun a horse but she could not. The terrain above the ridge was too rough for horses so they would be relatively safe once they ascended past the ridge. They pushed hard with the hunters carrying all of their packs. Heather’s legs burned from the exertion. Betty was not able to keep up and they finally began carrying her.
They topped the ridge and began ascending the steep mountainside above the ridge. She could see the dust cloud being raised by the horses and thought she could even feel their hoofbeats. They climbed quickly with the hunters half pulling her and her companions from the North up the steep slope. As they moved across an exposed rock face, arrows began to strike the rocks around them.
It wasn’t until the darkness was complete that Heather felt reasonably safe again. They continued to push on at a slightly slower pace for several hours before Heather called a halt. She used the time to explain what she thought the Southern army would do. She told them, “They know we are here and they know what we’re trying to do. They’ll keep chasing us and forcing us away from the catapult. We need to destroy the remaining catapult before they can rebuild the other one. I’m afraid we’re going to have to split up.”
Jeremy said, “Tell us what we should do, and we’ll do it. War strategy is your department.”
Heather avoided looking at Daniel as she gave her commands. She said, “Jeremy I want you to take Daniel and his powder and work your way down to the catapult. Randy I want you to take seventy-five of the hunters and create a diversionary attack on the road leading to the catapult. It has to be a serious enough attack to draw the defenders of the catapult away so that Jeremy and Daniel can destroy the catapult. It would be ideal if you could start the attack by creating a rockslide to block the access road. As soon as Daniel’s powder has worked you need to retreat to the high ground.”
Heather looked around for Ben who was at the periphery of the group. When she had made eye contact she asked, “Ben, can you get a message to my father and the Army of the Northern Kingdom?”
“I can try, ma’am.”
“Tell them to prepare for an attack to be timed with the explosion which will destroy the second catapult. They must attack quickly.”
Ben nodded silently and turned from the group silently departing on his personal mission. He required no equipment other than what he carried. He needed to traverse the mountains and descend to the valley below before their attack began.
Daniel asked, “What will you and the remaining troops be doing?”
Heather replied, “We will be like the mother bird pretending she has a broken wing drawing the fox away from the nest.”
Daniel objected, “You have chosen the most dangerous role for yourself.”
Heather turned away so that her tears would not be seen in the moonlight. She finally replied, “If we do not destroy the second catapult, the first will soon be rebuilt and my father’s army will remain pinned down. The sacred soil you provided our people will not last long and soon our babies will be borne deformed. This demagogue from the South must be stopped for the sake of our children. We are all taking a risk and anyone wishing not to be involved is free to leave.”
Daniel said, “Heather of the Northern Palace, you are the warrior we have chosen to follow. We will do as you say.”
Heather asked Jeremy, “How long would it take you to reach the catapult?
Jeremy said, “If I can get Daniel to move along we could reach it by midday.”
Heather told them, “The moon will arise a little before midnight tomorrow. Let the attack begin on moonrise tomorrow night.”
She told Randy, “Select your men and have them peel off from the group one at a time leaving no traces. The small cliff above the access road would be the best point for the attack. Remain hidden until you attack and then make them think you are a thousand men. When you retreat, disburse. We will regroup on the bald mountain above us. My prayers go with you.”
Randy just nodded in the affirmative and began quietly talking to individual hunters making his choices. Heather headed the group up and continued their flight away from the pursuers. Daniel walked alongside Heather in silence.
Soon it was time for Daniel to depart the troop. They stood together and Heather gently placed her hand on his cheek saying, “I have just regained you, and now I send you away.”
Daniel reached out and softly held her head between his hands and replied, “This will be but a short separation. Take care and we will soon be together again.” With that he kissed her, a long emotional kiss combined with an embrace which seemed to engulf Heather. Then he was gone.
Heather turned and continued on her way but the tears made following the hunter in front of her difficult. They continued to race upward to the high country. The ground was becoming progressively rougher and the going slower. This meant the enemy would also be slowed and they had more and more cover. It was almost daylight before Heather called a halt. She posted the guards and had scouts sent out. She was exhausted both from the ordeal of their flight and from the emotions of sending Daniel away from her. If things went well they would be together again in forty-eight hours. For now she needed some rest. They ate a cold meal and settled in for some rest, the days were getting short as winter approached and they would need to be on the move again as quickly as possible. She was tired, and despite her emotional status, fell asleep quickly. Her dreams, however, betrayed her with vivid images of Daniel either slipping off the cliff or being assaulted by the enemy troops. When she awoke the sun was sinking in the sky. She woke Betty and they began preparing themselves. Several of the hunters were already up as they moved out of the camp for their morning rituals. They were about 100 yards from camp behind a large boulder and were about to begin when Heather caught the smell of water. She began following the scent towards what she hoped would be a spring of freshwater. They were now several hundred yards from camp and Betty was concerned saying, “Shouldn’t we turn back?”
Heather replied, “I would love to really wash myself. We’ll go a little bit further and if we don’t find the spring we’ll go back.”
They were now walking along a sandy track, which seem to be a dried creek bed. There were huge columns of rock on either side. Heather decided that they would round one more bend and if they didn’t find the water they would return. The rocks were warm from the day’s sun and the late afternoon sunshine made them glow a deep red. As the trail turned towards the left another fork joined it from the right. Heather should have heard the sounds of the enemy soldiers, but her mind was filled with thoughts of Daniel. She and Betty jumped back when they saw the soldiers. The enemy was equally surprised but reacted quickly taking the offensive. There were a dozen of
them and they quickly surrounded Heather and Betty. They began closing in on Heather whose sword flashed. An adventurous soldier rushed at her but she easily parried his thrust and countered with the deadly thrust of her own. A soldier threw a heavy ax at her, but Heather deflected the ax and ducked to the side. Betty didn’t even see the ax coming and the side of the heavy ax struck her on the back of the head knocking her unconscious.
Several of the enemy rushed at Heather and she was forced back. She tripped over the fallen Betty. One of the soldiers brought his sword down as Heather was twisting, trying to regain her balance. She was unable to defend herself from the attack. The sword caught her on the back of her head. It was a forceful blow which would have been immediately lethal if it had landed two inches lower. The concussion was enough to cause Heather to lose consciousness. Blood was spurting from her head wound.
The scouting party quickly decided to return to camp with the prisoner. The soldier who had struck the blow was a huge man and simply picked Heather up and carried her over his shoulder. They made their way up the narrow trail to a ridgeline where the horses were tethered. Heather was thrown over the back of one of the horses and the scouting party made its way back to the base camp along the ridge. The blood vessels which had been cut by the sword wound kept bleeding leaving an obvious blood trail.
The remnant of Heather’s army was getting concerned about her absence. Darkness was upon them and she had not returned. Scouts were sent out and the site of her battle was quickly found. Betty was quite dazed but otherwise healthy. The enemy soldier lay where he had fallen. Tracks leading back up the secondary trail were evident as well as the blood spots from Heather’s wound. One of the scouts continued on following the trail while the other scout returned to the camp with Betty.
In the manner of the forest a consensus council was held with the remaining 30 hunters and the priest. The argument was made that continuing their mission of deception was their primary responsibility. The discussion revolved around this essential theme and the consensus was to track the enemy troop and wait for their entire troop to perform the rescue. Betty had been listening quietly but now she asked to speak. For a half brain to be allowed to participate in any decision-making process would have been unthinkable in the Northern Kingdom but for these hunters it was perfectly acceptable.
Betty said, “The Princess said we were like the mother bird who led the fox away from the nest. Haven’t we done that? We should save the Princess before they take her to far away.”
There was a general murmur of concurrence with Betty’s simple statement. Elrod asked to be recognized and said, “Betty’s right. There’s nothing these enemy soldiers can do now to interfere with the battle plan. Our job is done. We should mount a counterattack as quickly as possible.” When asked how they should do this, Elrod explained, “We need to attack with stealth yet tonight. I propose that we divide the troop in half with the fastest assigned to the rescue mission. The rest of us will provide a backup for the retreat of the rescuers. Surprise and stealth are essential if we’re going to save the Princess.”
Betty spoke up again, “I will go.”
Both Elrod and the priest argued against this but one of the hunters spoke up saying, “The little one should come in case Heather needs care. She also seems destined to play a part in what we’re doing. She is so small that I can carry her without slowing down.”
The consensus was quickly reached and they finished breaking camp. Scouts were sent out to intercept the other parties and tell them of their plans. The route the enemy soldiers had used seemed to be the only reasonable connection between their ridge and the one the enemy soldiers had utilized. This westerly ridge was much more open and allowed enough space for horses which explained the ability of the enemy to move ahead of them. The horses left such an obvious trail that even in the darkness tracking was not an issue. Scouts were sent ahead to secure their passage but no enemy sentries were found. They made good time with the forest gait despite carrying Betty. It was about an hour before moonrise when they came upon the enemy camp. Multiple sentries were posted and a couple dozen horses were in a makeshift rope corral.
The camp appeared to contain about 30 tents. Campfires had burned low and the only activity seemed to be around the cook tent on the edge of the camp. Several half brains were cleaning up and their chatter could be heard above the snoring coming from the tents. The soldiers were tired from pushing so hard, and the normal camp bustle was absent. The hunters tried to formulate a plan but without knowing where Heather was being kept they were unsure how to proceed. Betty spoke up again, “Why don’t I go find out where the Princess is?”
When they asked how she would find out, Betty explained, “Nobody pays any attention to us little folk. I’ll just ask the other little ones where they brought the prisoner.”
Nobody had a better plan so one of the scouts guided Betty to the edge of the camp between the sentries. Betty seemed to fit right in with the other working half brains. The chattering continued at a higher pitch when Betty joined them but no call of alarm was raised. The little folk had a society of their own with its own rules which was independent of the greater surroundings. Betty visited for about a half-hour and helped finish the chores. Everyone drifted off to bed and Betty made her way back to where her scout was waiting. He guided her back between the sentries to the assembled hunters.
Betty gave her report saying, “The little folk are much abused by the soldiers. There are almost 60 soldiers in the camp. The Princess is being held in a guarded tent near the center of the camp. They think she is still alive but they haven’t heard any sounds from the tent.”
The discussion over possible rescue options was cut short when Betty said, “I will lead you to the tent and distract the guard so you can rescue the Princess.”
Nobody had a better idea so two of the hunters went back to the enemy camp with Betty. Betty walked nonchalantly around the camp while the hunters moved as stealthily as possible. Betty walked right up to the guard and said, “I can’t sleep and you’re the only one else awake.”
The guard chuckled and said, “A horny half brain, I can probably help you out.” He eyed Betty up and down and Betty let him fondle her. He said, “Let’s go inside here but don’t make any noise.”
Betty went inside the tent and could hear the labored breathing of the Princess. It was too dark for her to see anything. The guard followed her in and dropped his trousers. He began hungrily fondling Betty. Betty began groaning and the guard laid her down. Betty’s groaning masked the sound of the tent flap opening and her hunters moving in. Just as the guard was positioning himself a muffled thump was heard as the rock was brought down on the guard’s head. He fell heavily on Betty and she let out a quiet exclamation. She had trouble breathing until his heavy weight was rolled off of her. She quickly moved over to the Princess who was unconscious but still breathing. The hunters picked Heather up and they headed out of the camp. Betty was leading the way making sure no one was about when she was accosted by a guard. The guard demanded to know who she was.
She replied, “I’m Betty.”
“What are you doing up so late?”
“I was sent to service the boss man.”
“Figures, doesn’t it? The officers get all of the good stuff.”
The guard must have heard a noise because he looked toward where the Princess was. Betty reacted by saying, “You know, that boss man didn’t use me up. Maybe we should go to your tent.”
That brought the guard’s attention back to Betty. He watched her loosen her blouse in the pale light of the campfire. He was reaching out to fondle her when the thump of the rock striking his head ended the interaction. They left him where he lay and made their way carefully between the remaining sentries. They took a few minutes to examine the Princess. She was so pale in the moonlight; like a porcelain doll. Her pulse was barely palpable, and the large wound was stil
l bleeding a little. Her breathing was regular but seemed very shallow. Betty tore the bottom of her blouse off and used it to bandage the wound the best she could.
The hunter’s began making their way back up the trail carrying both the Princess and Betty. They had not gone far when a roaring sound filled the valley below them. It was emanating from the east and everyone that gave out a quiet cheer because it suggested Daniel had been successful. One of the hunters thought there might be enough confusion that one of the enemy horses would like to accompany them. He left on a run back to the enemy camp. The rest continued as fast as they could back up the trail to the relative safety of the high country.
The fleeing hunters could hear the commotion from the camp as everyone was awakened by the noise followed by the discovery that the prisoner was gone. Orders were shouted by everyone and nobody seemed to take charge. The horses were saddled to pursue the spirits who had made the Princess disappear, but nobody mounted them. During the confusion one of the saddled horses began drifting away from the others. As soon as possible the hunter leading the horse resumed his forest gait leading the horse through the darkness back to his companions. Betty was placed on the horse and then Heather was placed behind her with her arms draped over Betty’s shoulders. They were strapped together for support and then led off in the darkness. Scouts went ahead to make sure the area was secure and sentries were posted behind them to secure their retreat. The confusion was great enough that when pursuit began they had a significant head start.
The pursuers wasted no time once they started. The horses were pushed hard. The moonlight enabled them to move rapidly. The pounding of the horses was easily appreciated by the fleeing hunters. The distance separating them continued to shrink, and it seemed as if they would be overtaken within minutes. As the hunters passed through a narrow section between small rocky cliffs a sudden shower of boulders descended immediately behind them. As the enemy approached the blockade arrows began to descend upon the pursuers from all directions, as if they were being ambushed by hundreds of attackers. As the horses screamed the confusion mounted and soon a retreat was sounded. Elrod’s troops pursued them a short distance before resuming their own retreat. Scouts kept to the rear making sure no other pursuers surprised them.
Half Brains, Sacred Water book 1 Page 11
