Over the Dunes a Rider Comes Page 4

  "Abby, I want you to send ten of your most trusted guardsmen to look for them in the morning. I will send the royal seal with them so Ravage knows that they speak for the king. They are to tell no one where they are going or why. Make sure that they know that. If Ravage and his people chose to help us we will welcome them as friends and allies, if not we will fight this war alone."

  Summer pulled her hand out of the tub and flicked the cold water from her hand. "Tell only the men you send about this. Neither of you are to say anything to anyone else." She Paused and then said. "Thank you both of you for coming, go get some sleep."

  Waiting till she was alone Summer closed the chamber door, and walked to the table to read Ashes message again. Then she crossed the room to sit on the large bed and she did something she had not done in many months... Summer prayed.

  Chapter 7

  War

  The night passed slowly for Ashes, a veteran of many wars, he usually had no trouble sleeping. This night though sleep came grudgingly. It seemed that he had just closed his eyes when Fredrex pushed his head inside the tent and woke him. Looking past his friend, Ashes could see the soft light of early morning.

  "The men are breaking camp Sire. We will be ready to march before daylight." Ashes rolled out of his blankets he was fully dressed except for his chain mail that was in a pile at the foot of his bedroll."

  "Any trouble last night? Any sign of any of Libbor's scouts?"

  "No Sire, everything was quiet. Nothing has changed. Our scouts have reported that Libbor is still camped at Spiral Valley. Not sure if that is good or bad."

  "Huh." Ashes grunted. He was not a morning person, a fact that Summer, had pointed out many times.

  "You want something to help you wake up?" Fredrex ask. Ashes glared at the big man not sure if he was being friendly or sarcastic.

  Picking up his chain mail, Ashes pushed past his friend. "What I need is for you to get your ass out of my way. I need to take a piss and you are the one thing stopping me.”

  Giving a deep mock bow, Fredrex stepped aside. "As you wish, my king. Should I get one of the men to assist you?"

  "Kindly go to hell." Ashes muttered over his shoulder as he headed for the nearest trees.

  By daylight, they had left their camp behind, and they were moving towards Spiral Valley. And Libbor's army, by midday the valley was in sight as was Libbor's camp. Ashes reined in China at the top of a rise. Studying the situation, Fredrex and Diego pulled their horses up beside him. The rest of the column halted just out of sight of Libbor's camp.

  "I want to talk to Libbor myself before we do anything else. Send a rider with a white flag to tell Libbor that I will meet him and the other kings at the bottom of the valley."

  "He won't listen to anything that you say," Diego protested. "and you will be taking a very big risk that he won't try to have you killed right there."

  Ashes smiled thinly at the other man. "Oh I am sure he won't listen, but I have to try. I will not throw away so many lives on both sides if it can be avoided,"

  Ashes laughed softly as he went on. "and as far as him trying to have me killed, why, that is why I will have my best friends beside me. To throw yourselves in front of any arrows that come my way."

  From the top of the rise, they watched the messenger ride toward Libbor's camp. A small group of men rode out to meet him. Ashes watched, tensely waiting to see what the other riders were going to do. It took a man with true courage to do such a thing Ashes thought, when this was over he would see to it that the messenger was well rewarded for his bravery.

  The group of riders formed a circle around the rider. Ashes could see them talking. After a moment, one of them galloped his horse back to their camp. A short while later, he returned to the small group. and he could see the men talking to the messenger. Then the circle of men headed back to their camp letting the messenger return the way he had come.

  The man rode up to Ashes and the the others. " Libbor said he would meet you, my king, but only you and him -- no one else. He said he will not put all of their leaders' lives at risk. It has to be just you and him."

  "He invades our lands, kills our people without cause, and questions our honor." Fredrex growled. "I don't trust this, Sire Who is to say he will not have an archer hiding somewhere to kill you the moment you get in range? The man has proved time and time again that he is not to be trusted!"

  "No, he is not to be trusted," Ashes agreed. "but he is not going to put his own life in danger. He knows that our archers are better than his. He would never make it back to his own camp if he tried anything like that, and he knows it!"

  As Ashes spoke, he could see Libbor on horseback, waiting at the edge of his camp. Ashes nudged China forward into the valley. Ashes got to the meeting place first and waited as Libbor rode toward him reining in his horse ten feet away.

  Libbor was a big man heavily muscled and scarred. His blonde beard covered most of his face, and his hair fell to his shoulders. He was in his thirties and had spent twenty years of them fighting in one war or another. Ashes knew that this man enjoyed causing others pain. He had heard him brag more than once about how slowly he had killed a foe. Ashes also knew that one day he would have to kill this man. Something that he was not going to enjoy, but neither was he going to regret it.

  "What do you want Ashes? Are you here to try to talk me into just going home? Or have you grown so weak and old that just the sight of another army frightens you? Do you think that I will feel pity on you and your people and spare you?"

  "I am here to try to talk some sense into you Libbor." Ashes tried not to let the contempt he was feeling for this man show in his voice "A war will cause nothing but pain and death on both sides. Winter is only a few months away children will need their fathers and wives will need their husbands. It is a foolish king who throws his soldier's lives away and put his people at risk."

  Sneering Libbor used one hand to gesture behind him. "Does it look like I am the one throwing his men's lives away, fool? Look hard! Ashes, see your kingdom's end. I have fifteen thousand men now, and seven thousand more on their way. I know that you have -- at best --five thousand men. I don't think it is I who will be throwing his men's lives away!"

  "You sit in your city, like a god, above everyone else. Behind your marble walls, looking down the other lands, handing out favors and gifts when you see fit, to those of us who come begging and are willing to bow down to you."

  "You think that you are untouchable, with your great army. You are wrong! We will not ask or beg for what we need from you old fool, we will take it!

  Four kingdoms have joined together against you to drag you off your throne and burn your city. You stand alone, Ashes, you will fight, but you will fail. Your lands will be ours!" Libbor's sneer broadened. "And your queen will be mine!.”

  Ashes had to fight hard to stop himself from attacking Libbor. he knew that, despite Libbor's size, of the two, he was the better fighter. He had no doubt that he could kill Libbor in a battle. but not right this moment. "Later." He thought. "There will be another time -- but not now."

  "I have never made you, or anyone else, beg for anything Libbor. You have never been turned away. No matter what you asked. If you were sane, you would know that, but you are beyond reason. I had hoped otherwise, for the sake of your men, I will say this one time. Leave! Go back to your lands and we will not take revenge on you for the deaths of the people in the village, but if you wish a war then you will end up regretting it. Numbers do not mean victory Libbor. You will learn that!"

  Ashes could feel China tense under him. The stallion could sense the tension in the air between the two men and knew what was coming. Every muscle in his powerful body waiting for the signal from his rider that would send him slamming into the other stallion. Ashes patted China's withers. "Not yet my friend." The touch said, "Very soon but not just yet.” Feeling a gentle tug on the reins and a nudge in his side China reluctantly turned and headed back up the hill.

  Ashes hal
f-expected to feel an arrow in the back as he rode back to his men. Knowing Libbor was not beyond such a thing, but Ashes knew that Libbor also knew that his own men were watching and ready. If such a thing were to happen neither man would survive this meeting. Confident in his men, he rode back to at an easy trot.

  Fredrex and Diego met him at the top of the rise. "I take it that things went as we thought they would?" Diego grunted. "The fool would not listen to reason?

  Keeping China at a trot, Ashes ordered, "Ready the men and send for Vale. Libbor wants a war and nothing is going to change that, there is no point in waiting for his reinforcements to get here."

  As Diego spurred his horse ahead to find Vale and give him the message, Ashes went on "Libbor brags that he has seven thousand more men on the way. He did not say how far away they are and we do not know if that is true but we are not going to take the chance. We will leave Vale behind with a thousand men. They can watch our flank and if need be, will act as our reinforcements.”

  Vale and Diego met them at the top of the rise and Ashes repeated his orders to Vale. "We will be ready and waiting if you need us my king,” Vale promised. "And if Libbor's reinforcements get here, we will make them wish that they had stayed on their own side of the gorge.”

  Zlaora's troops were known as the best trained, in all of the kingdoms. Even Ashes was impressed with the speed in which the men moved into position. Every man was ready, knowing what was expected of him. He felt a burst of pride in them. Along with a deep sorrow, knowing that not all of these men were going to see their homes again. In wars, both sides lose men. Even in the best .

  In the fading light, he could see the confusion in the other camp, as Libbor's men ran out of their tents and raced for their horses. Even at this distance Ashes could hear yelled orders being given as surprised officers tried to ready their men. Ashes men and horses had traveled all day. Libbor had counted on them being weary from the journey.

  Ashes' army's readiness was the one thing that Libbor had not expected. Libbor had badly underestimated his opponents.

  A night attack was rare. It was hard enough in a battle in the daylight to keep track of who your friend or foe was. In the dark, it was much worse. Mistakes could be made. Ashes was counting on that. He knew his men were trained in such things. Libbor's men were not. They would be confused and would be swinging at anyone they thought was an enemy In the dark, in a crowded battle, superior numbers were a liability.

  Ashes drew his sword raising it high in the air, China rearing under him. Ashes barely heard the trumpets sound on both sides of him, as forelegs, still churning in the air, China lunged forward and the air was filled with the thunder of thousands of hooves striking the ground, as a solid wall of men and horses rode into the valley toward their enemies.

  Chapter 8

  Sometimes, Even the Best Must Retreat

  Arrows, from the enemy camp, rained down on them, as Libbor's men tried frantically to mount a defense. Most of the arrows bounced harmlessly off of both men's and horses' armor and shields, but some of the arrows found their mark.

  Several of Ashes men and horses went down in the charge. Even caught by surprise, Libbor's men were able to meet the charge with a line of their own riders. The two lines collided less than a hundred feet from the outskirts of Libbor's camp.

  Two riders were coming up fast, on either side of Ashes, he felt the shock all the way up his arm as he swung his shield around to knock the closest one off his horse. The man flew off of his horse and disappeared beneath a wall of horse hooves. The second rider took advantage of the opening and tried to separate Ashes' head from his body. Ashes brought up an armored arm to block the swing and shoved his own sword through the man's unprotected neck.

  China stumbled sideways, as another rider drove his horse into his side trying to knock him over. Ashes had to shift his weight quickly as the stallion whirled around and planted both hind feet in two the other horse's shoulder. Both horse and rider went down.

  Few things are more feared in a battle than a calvary charge, a line of men and horses at full gallop can cut an army to pieces. When given the command a warhorse will rear on his hind legs to add its weight to the weight to that of its rider, giving the rider the weight of the horse as well as his own. Behind the swing of his sword, Zlarora's horses and riders worked together, very well. Many stories were told of when a rider went down either wounded or killed, his mount would continue the fight on his own protecting the rider's body.

  The first battle lasted into the morning. When the sky lightened, the bodies of men and horses littered the valley floor, but neither side had gained any ground. Libbor's forces managed to rally enough to slow the charge, but they could not drive the Zlaroran army back, and the Zlaorans, even though they were better trained and armed, were simply too outnumbered.

  All night long, Ashes had tried to find Libbor In the mass of horses and men, Ashes finally spotted Libbor in the first morning’s light on the far edge of the valley watching the battle below." coward" he thought " come down here and fight with your men!.”

  He had hoped to put an end to this man, in the battle. Without him, the other leaders might have decided that they had had enough and leave with what men that they had left, but Libbor was not fool-enough to put himself at such risk, letting other men do the fighting and dying, while he stayed safe.

  Diego charged his horse through the swirling confusion of men and horses, sliding to a stop beside him a bloody bandage was wrapped around one leg and blood was seeping through the side of his armor, "Ashes! Libbor's reinforcements are here. Vale has taken the rear guard to head them off.”

  A quick look around told Ashes what he needed to know. They were winning, but still heavily outnumbered and with Vale going to engage Libbor's reinforcements they had lost their reinforcements. It galled Ashes. He did not like the thought of letting Libbor think that he had won the battle, but too many bodies lay on the valley floor. If they continued this battle, here, there was little to be gained, "Sound the call to retreat!.”

  Diego started to protest then thought better of it. He gave Ashes a quick nod, and he spun his horse around and raced off to give the command. Ashes turned China to follow, stopping long enough to look over his shoulder. He could see Libbor watching him. "I promise that I will make you pay for every life lost, and for every foot of our land that you cross. This war will win you nothing but death."

  Just watching the battle, from the valley rise was not what Vale wanted to be doing. He would far rather be fighting alongside of his king and companions. He knew the reason that Ashes had them held in reserve and he agreed with the reasoning behind his king's decision but that did little to ease the helplessness that he felt.

  Vale could tell from the look on Clip's face that the younger warrior felt the same. "It is almost morning. So far the scouts have spotted no sign of the rest of Libbor's troops. We should ride down there and help our king put an end to this."

  Vale's eyes never left the battle. "We stay here and do as we were ordered by our king. If they need us, they will signal us. Tell then that we wait and watch. Battles have been lost by foolish mistakes, and I do not intend to make one."

  Clip did not comment on Vale's remark, but the older warrior knew that he had struck a nerve, and stirred up an old memory. Two years prior, Clip had been in charge of a patrol to pursue a group of thieves. Clip was young and overconfident.

  He had charged the thieves camp, only to find that he and his men were vastly outnumbered. They had managed to get away with no casualties, but the thieves got away with the goods that they had stolen. Fredrex was not happy about it or about the way that the young warrior had handled things. Fredrex had made that very clear.

  Vale had not intended to remind Clip of this failure, but he knew that even if he said so, The younger man would likely not believe him. At any rate, this was not the time to try to soothe hurt feelings.

  "Something is up!" Clip was looking past Vale's shoulder, tracking tw
o riders coming up fast. Clip and Value were showered with dirt, as the two riders brought their horses to a sliding stop. The horses were blowing hard and dripping sweat. Both men's armor was bloody and battered.

  "Commander!" the closest one yelled after their horses had stopped. "Libbor's reinforcements are coming. They are not two miles away, there are at least seven thousand men! We were ambushed by their scouts just after we saw them. or we would have warned you sooner."

  "You did well,” Vale told the two men. "Go get your wounds tended to, and get fresh mounts. You may be needed!.”

  He gave Clip a thin smile. "Send word to Ashes of what is happening. I will ready the men. You wanted a battle my friend; looks like you are going to get one, maybe more than you wanted."

  Vale took his men quickly, to head off Libbors reinforcements. They were less than a mile from the main battle when they found them. Vale never even slowed his horse when he gave the command to charge. Like his king, he knew that he was outnumbered. Also, like his king, he had great confidence in the men in his command.

  Most of the front of the column of the reinforcements were riders and foot soldiers, with supply wagons bringing up the rear. Vale sent a squad of men to the rear to cut off the wagons from the rest of the column. "We will keep the others busy. The wagons are yours to deal with, Cut the horses loose and set the wagons on fire!"

  Vale rode in, at a full charge, he could see Clip beside him riding a smallish mare named, "Topper" The name always struck Vale as funny. The little mare was very fast and agile. Every time that Clip had won a race, he had always bragged that no one could top her, hence her name.

  As Clip pulled ahead, Vale, on his heavier horse, "Calico,” a powerful stallion, fell behind the smaller mare. "Slow down you fool!" Vale's words were lost in the chaos of the charge.