Legends Lost Tesnayr

by Nova Rose

  Chapter XIV

  A Dismal Prospect

  “I’ve called you all here to discuss the upcoming battle,” said Tesnayr. “As you know the orcs will be here by morning. We will not be facing them on the open field. This time we will fight them in the canyon.”

  “That is suicide,” said King Telinin. “There is no room for maneuverability.”

  “You asked me to lead your armies. Now I am asking you to trust me,” said Tesnayr.

  “But we barely survived the last encounter,” said King Telinin.

  “Every war has its setbacks,” interrupted King Edrei.

  “But are you certain about the canyon?” asked King Shealayr. “There is no room for maneuvering as Telinin has said. And it puts little distance between the orcs and the people within the keep. And that keep cannot withstand an assault in its current state.”

  “It’s decided,” said Tesnayr. “King Nalim is building a barricade across the canyon to stop the orcs. We will place ourselves upon it and in the surrounding cliffs. The point is to group them together.”

  “Put them in a pen,” muttered King Edrei, “A pen for slaughter.”

  “Exactly,” said Tesnayr. “But once they are confined we will need to close their exit. That is where Rybnik comes in.”

  “Rybnik,” said King Slyamal, startled. “I will sooner trust an orc than him.”

  “Tesnayr, you cannot be serious,” said King Telinin, “The man was banished for trying to kill Slyamal. Surely, you can think of a better man than him.”

  “He’s been grumbling an awful lot and sowing discontent among the men,” said King Edrei. “Are you certain you want to use him?”

  “I know his past and the decision has been made,” said Tesnayr, “As for his discontent, it is no different from what some others are voicing. Defeat does that to men. Everything depends upon Rybnik.”

  “That is what I am afraid of,” grumbled King Slyamal.

  “You will be dispersed here, here, and here,” said Tesnayr as he pointed to his hand drawn map. “Rybnik will close any chance of escape using the cavalry to trap them. Afterwards, we will come out of our hiding places and attack. This tactic has worked in the past and as long as we all do our jobs, it will work again.”

  “We will do as asked,” said King Shealayr.

  “Then it is settled,” said Tesnayr, “Go prepare your men and may luck be with us all.”

  Tesnayr looked over the preparations for the battle. He admired the work of the dwarves. They excelled at building things out of nothing. The rock wall that King Nalim and his dwarves built was solid and sound, despite the fact that it had been constructed within hours.

  “Will this hold?” asked Tesnayr.

  “It will hold,” replied King Nalim.

  “Protect this ground at all costs. Do not let any orcs get past this wall.”

  “It will be done.”

  Tesnayr hiked up the path that took him up the canyon wall where he could await the arrival of the orcs. “They are approaching,” he heard the scout yell.

  Time to see if all his planning was worth it, he thought. He crouched beside Arnin behind some rocks. The ground thundered from the pounding of the orcs’ marching feet. The closer they came, the more Tesnayr’s anxiety grew. He eyed Rybnik in the distance. His stern expression masked his thoughts.

  The sounds grew louder. The shouts of the orc commander reached the soldier’s ears. Tesnayr breathed steadily as he waited for the beasts to take the bait. Come on. Slowly, the orcs entered the trap, cornering themselves. For a moment, Tesnayr thought that their numbers seemed smaller. He rejected the thought forcing himself to concentrate on the matter at hand.

  With anticipation, he watched as the orcs filled the canyon and stopped at the rock wall that the dwarves hid behind. Perfect, he thought. “Arnin,” he whispered, “Give the signal.”

  Arnin blew on his horn. Instantly, battle cries filled the air as the mix of soldiers under Tesnayr’s command burst from their places of concealment and charged into the canyon toward the orcs. The orcs turned to face their opponents as they realized that they had been tricked.

  Tesnayr pulled his sword free of its sheath. He gripped it tightly as he felt the power of the blade surge through his arm. He swung at the first orc he met and sliced it clean through the middle. He raced down the rocky hill path and into the thick of the battle. Another orc charged him. Tesnayr swerved missing the deadly blow by inches. Quickly, he whirled around bringing his sword up. The orc blocked.

  They locked swords as Tesnayr struggled against his muscular opponent. The orc head butted Tesnayr breaking their standstill. Dazed, he stood still shaking his head to clear it. The orc screamed as it attacked. Clumsily, Tesnayr sidestepped the orc. He finally regained his senses and sliced the orc in the back. Enraged, the orc swung a fist at Tesnayr. He blocked ramming his knee deep into the beast’s stomach. As the orc doubled over, Tesnayr brought his sword upward cutting the orc from the groin to the head.

  King Nalim waited for the orcs to get closer before springing out from behind the wall. He burst from behind the rock swinging his giant axe. “Come on you filthy scum,” he yelled.

  Several orcs sneered mistaking his small size as an easy target. King Nalim swung his axe at one cleaving it in two. The other orcs paused momentarily before attacking. King Nalim released a battle cry as he charged the orcs. He smashed one orc in the head with his weapon before lopping off the head of another. With a flurry of movements, the dwarf lined up body after body.

  “Protect the wall,” he called to his dwarves.

  With a ferociousness that matched their king, the dwarves attacked the orcs. No one got past their line.

  A group of orcs charged the wall heaving a battering ram. Noticing it, King Nalim leapt off the wall running for them. “Destroy them,” he shouted.

  Dwarves spilled over the rocky barricade charging the orcs. They hacked with their axes forcing the creatures to drop the battering ram as they feebly tried to defend themselves.

  King Nalim snatched a burning piece of wood and set the log aflame. Once it was engulfed, he directed his dwarves back to the wall.

  Jenel stood atop the canyon watching the battle rage below. Tesnayr and her father had forbidden her to participate in the midst of it. After repeated protests they relented to let her be the flagman. Her palms were clammy as she gripped the flag pole tightly waiting for the signal. Her heart pounded furiously as she waited in nervous anticipation.

  Arnin’s horn sounded again. Her ears perked up at its call. It echoed a second time. Recognizing the signal, she released the flag. She waved the gold flag back and forth with all of her strength. An arrow clinked as it landed two hundred feet below her. She smiled inwardly, confident that she was well out of range. The flag flapped noisily as the wind whipped it about. Jenel continued to wave it and hoped Rybnik was watching.

  Rybnik ignored the clanging of swords around him. He waited just outside the cave that hid the cavalry he was to lead into battle upon Tesnayr’s signal. He saw the gold flag flying in the wind. He remained still as he inhaled deeply.

  “Rybnik, sir,” said one of the young troops, “There’s the signal.”

  “Yes, son, there it is,” replied Rybnik.

  Without warning, Rybnik scooped up a rock and flung it at the top of the cave entrance. A low grumble began and rose in intensity as boulders fell sealing the opening. Terrified, the soldiers tried to flee, but were too late. They were locked in the cavern.

  Rybnik whistled loudly. Out from the shadows appeared orcs on their mounts of desecrated beasts. “It is time,” he said.

  “I do not like following human maggots,” growled one orc.

  “Would you like to tell that to your commander,” spat Rybnik.

  Uneasy, the orc fell in line.

  “Right then,” said Rybnik, “Follow me!”

  The hooves of their animals echoed on the rock walls as they stormed into the fray.

  Tesnayr watche
d as the gold flag upon the top of the canyon billowed in the wind. He turned toward the canyon entrance knowing that at any moment Rybnik would appear with the cavalry. The pounding hooves of beasts reached his ears. All around him soldiers smiled knowing that the battle would soon be theirs. Their grins turned to somber fear as Rybnik appeared with a band of orcs.

  “We’ve been betrayed,” yelled Arnin.

  Tesnayr’s men fled in all directions frightened for their very lives. The battle had been lost.

  “Retreat!” yelled Tesnayr. “Head to the keep!”

  Quickly, a mass of men ran for the keep only to be stopped by the very wall Tesnayr had built to trap the orcs. Now they had been trapped by their own plans. The orcs fought with renewed fervor as they realized that their quarry had become easy prey.

  Men scrambled over the rock structure in an attempt to break free. They trampled each other in their desperation. King Nalim hopped to the top of the wall and knocked any who tried to climb it back to the ground. “Stand your ground you cowards,” he shouted.

  Some of the men stopped their panicked frenzy and regained their composure. They turned to face their enemy.

  “We will make our stand here,” yelled Tesnayr. “King Edrei, archers!”

  King Edrei signaled his archers. Instantly, the sky darkened as it filled with hundreds of flying arrows. Each arrow struck its target. Metal against metal rang through the air as swords clashed. Men and orcs alike dropped to the ground as they were killed.

  The earth rumbled. The low growl moved through the ground. Suddenly, the earth jerked violently. It shook with such force that the ground broke open shooting cracks through the cliff face. Soldiers lost their balance as the ground rocked back and forth.

  Orcs and men panicked. They dropped their weapons and bolted from the ravine. They flattened each other in their attempt to get away from the earthquake. Boulders fell on top of them crushing entire groups as they ran. Their shrieks of terror grew more distant with each passing second.

  King Slyamal spotted Rybnik. Rage filled him. He jumped on a horse and chased after the man. He pushed his mount onward ignoring the shaking ground. Anger fueled his movements as he drew closer. Pain gripped King Slyamal as a lance rammed into him knocking him off the horse. The animal galloped away. Panting, King Slyamal rose to his feet making certain that he had not suffered any permanent injuries.

  An orc jumped him from behind. King Slyamal flung the creature off. The orc kicked dirt into the king’s eyes blinding him momentarily. Quickly, it swept the man’s feet out from underneath him. King Slyamal heard his sword clatter to the ground as it fell from his grasp. He looked up in time to see the orc leer over him in triumph. Then, the blade of a sword poked out from the beast’s stomach. Shock covered its features as it crumpled to the ground.

  Tesnayr pulled his weapon free and reached for the king. Reluctantly, King Slyamal grasped the man’s hand allowing himself to be pulled to his feet.

  Slowly, the ground came to a halt. Silence ensued. Everyone watched as the orcs regrouped with their commander and disappeared over the horizon into the setting sun. Tesnayr stood by King Slyamal’s side watching as a lone horseman followed after the orcs.

  Rybnik had betrayed them all.

  Book Three

  Five Made One

  Long ago in a faraway place

  stood five lands, divided and separate.

  They had neither fortitude nor grace

  Darkness engulfed them and desperate

  they turned to a man named Tesnayr.

  For he alone could merit

  Willingness and strength to bear

  burdens greater than the sun.

  So they made him commander and heir.

  He did what many thought couldn’t be done.

  Victory Tesnayr delivered; and peace.

  They declared him king: five made one.