Over the Dunes a Rider Comes Page 5

  They struck the column head on vale's troops spread out on both sides coming around in a half moon to trap the enemy. Pushing them in on theirselves. Numbers were on the enemy's side, and Vale knew his best ally now was panic and confusion.

  Clip was several lengths ahead of the others when he reached the column of men. The few arrows that came his way were poorly aimed, none coming close to him. He drew his swords. Trusting Topper to hold her course as he charged into the first of the riders. He was the best swordsmen in Ashes' army. The problem was, that he knew it.

  The first riders that he met went down under his blades before they even got their guard up. Three more tried to box him in to bring him down. Topper sank her teeth into the closest man's leg dragging him off his horse. fighting with both swords at once, Clip blocked a swing from one man using the momentum from the swing to help drive his sword into the other man's chest. Topper shoved her way through the other horses as Clip used a backhanded swing to knock the last man from his mount.

  Neither man or horse saw the spear thrower before he shoved his spear deep into Topper's shoulder. Topper let out a squeal of rage and pain as she went down. Clip hit the ground hard. rolling over several times before he stopped. He got to his feet quickly to see Topper trying to get her hooves back under her the spear-shaft broken off, in her shoulder, jutting out like a misshapen bone.

  "No, Topper!.” Clip's yell rose above the sound of the battle. He was beside the mare, in seconds, both fending off attacks and trying to help her to hooves. The mare shoved herself up onto three legs, and stood blowing hard, blood running thickly from her shoulder. As clip ran a worried hand across the mare's flank, he heard Vales yell. "Behind you, you fool!"

  Even as Clip started to turn, he knew that it was too late. One of Libbors men was already swinging his axe. He only had time to bring his sword down. he managed to deflect the swing downwards away from his chest but not stopping it. The axe head severed his leg just below the knee.

  Vale leaped over Clip`as he fell to the ground and shoved his sword through the axeman's throat. Then turned on Clip. "Damn you for a fool! If he had not cut your leg out from under you I would have when this was over! Do! You! Ever! Learn!?"

  Spotting two of their men close by, Vale yelled, to be heard over the battle, "Watch our backs while I tend to him!" The two moved in on either side as working quickly, Vale tore a strip of cloth off a nearby body and tied it around Clip's leg just above the knee. Shoving the broken spear shaft through, he twisted the makeshift bandage tight till the blood flow slowed and then stopped.

  "Hold on to this." Vale grunted. Looking around, he spotted a torch still burning. Grabbing it, he blew on it until the flame burned hot. "Sorry about this pup, but it is the only sure way to keep you from bleeding to death." He placed the handle of his dagger to Clip's mouth. "Bite on this." Clip bit down just as Vale shoved the torch against the severed stump then Clip's vision went dark.

  When he opened his eyes the air was filled with the smell of burnt flesh, and Clip saw Vale pulling the spear-shaft from Topper's shoulder. A third man was holding the mare's reins tight, keeping her head still. "Don't let her move" Vale said. Vale shoved the torch onto the mare's gaping wound. "this is going to make you mad mare.”

  Topper let out a squeal of anger, her ears pinned flat against her head as Vale brushed away the burnt hair to look at the wound. satisfied, he grunted, "Going to leave one hell of a scar mare and you are going to have a limp, but you will live." Reaching down, Vale got an arm around Clip's shoulders and helped him to his one good foot. clip staggered and leaned heavily on the other man for a second. "Do you think you can stay on your horse if we get you up there?"

  Clip nodded weakly "I will be ok, help me on and I can still fight.”

  "I used to think you kept your brain in your ass, now I know it was in your foot, pup, this fight is over for you and Topper. I admire bravery but stupidity is another thing." despite his hard words, Vale was very gentle, as he helped the younger man on his mount. Clip's severed stump still seeped blood. Vale knew that it would not take much for the leg to break open again and if that happened Clip would surely bleed to death. Vale tore another strip of cloth from a body and despite Clip's protest tied the younger man's good leg tight, to the saddle, to keep him in place.

  "How am I supposed to ride properly like this?!" Clip shot.

  "You're not! In case you did not notice, some arrogant fool, In a foolish move cost you your leg and your mare damn near her life, be grateful that I don't tie you down like a sack of grain and have you ponied off, now get going! Go slow! We have your back. I will talk to you when this is over." Vale watched as glaring down at him Clip headed Topper away from the fighting, even limping badly, the mare was pulling at the bit. "Just like her rider,” Vale mused, "sometimes too proud and too stubborn for her own good." As Vale had been tending to Clip's wounds the fighting had moved on. Vale grabbed his sword and hurried to join the battle.

  Ashes had expected Libbor’s men to at least try to pursue them as they pulled back. A few arrows and spears came their way, but their foes seemed to have little interest in continuing the fight. "With good reason" Ashes thought. The valley was littered with enemy bodies.

  With Diego riding beside him, they headed out of the valley. "I am going to take some men and help Vale. You stay here and keep an eye on Libbor’s troops. I don't think that they will do anything right now but be ready."

  Ashes did not wait for an answer before he spurred China to hurry faster and gather the men he needed. The men and horses were tired. He knew that, but they would have to wait a little longer to rest too many lives had been lost already.

  The battle was over before they got there. The only proof that there had been a battle was the burning wagons and the bodies that were here and there. Most of Libbor's reinforcements had fled into the hills. Vale met them, as they rode up. "The fighting is over here we were just about to head back to help you, seeing as how you are here I take it the battle is over?"

  "For now,” Ashes answered, "we pulled back. Libbor chose not to pursue; this battle has cost him far more than it has us. Still, we need to regroup and see to the wounded and we need to make a plan. We won't need to worry about Libbor's men for a few days. Recall your men."

  Taking off his helmet, Vale ran a hand through his hair. "Uhhh, there is one more thing. I am not sure how you want to deal with it." turning Calco, Vale called over his shoulder, "Come on, the men found something in one of the wagons that you should see."

  A little annoyed by Vale's elusiveness Ashes followed, as Vale lead them to a small group of people standing under a tree. Even before they got to them Ashes could see what Vale meant.

  The women seemed to vary in age from their mid-teens to early forties, and varied in both height and weight, but they all had one thing in common. All of them were covered with cuts and bruises and all of them were wearing what once might have been dresses tied as best as they could around them. And all of them looked very frightened.

  Ashes could not help the anger that he felt when he saw them. "They were tied and gagged in the last two wagons,” Vale explained, "It was a good thing that the men looked inside before they burned the wagons."

  Sliding out of his saddle, Ashes, walked closer to the women. Seeing the fear in their eyes he stopped. "You don't have to fear us, we are not going to harm you. Who are you? What land did Libbor take you from?"

  The oldest of the women put herself between him and the others. "I am called Roxie. We come from different lands. Libbor's mercenaries killed our families and burned our homes weeks ago when we told them that we wanted no part of this war. They have been keeping us alive for his troops every since. We tried to fight them and escape -- more than once!" She looked around at the others. "You can see how we paid for our disobedience."

  "To try, more than once, knowing what would happen to you, should you fail was brave." Fredrex swung down off his horse, as he spoke, "But you are safe now, as my king ha
s said. You have nothing to fear from us."

  Ashes had been studying the women thoughtfully as Roxie told their story. They all were scared, dirty, and worn; but they looked healthy. The cuts that marked them did not look life-threatening. Ashes tried to think of a way that he could help these women. "You said that you lost your homes?" Ashes asked.

  Roxie nodded, so Ashes continued. "I could help you, either to return to your lands, when this war is over, or to start a new life here. We could use your help with the wounded, care for the horses, cook, help set up camp. There are a lot of things that you could do. That would be a great help to us. If you are willing, and I give you my word that no man in my service will touch you or even speak to you in a disrespectful way.”

  "You do not have to. if you don't want to, If you prefer, we will send you back to Zlrora when the next supply wagons get here. I will still see to it that you are taken care of, but if you do stay, I will give each of you a hundred gold weight, when the war is over and a plot of land to start a new home."

  Ashes walked from woman to woman, as he was talking, trying to ease their fears. He could see both the hope and uncertainty in their eyes. They had been treated worse than slaves by Libbor's men. And Ashes knew it was a hard thing to ask them to trust him.

  A second woman stepped forward, dipping her head to him as she spoke. "I am Shamrock. My home was at the base of the Cheto Mountains far from here, but even there we heard the stories of Zlrora and its great king. We heard that he was a good man who cared for all his people. My home was burned -- like the others -- it is no more. My family is dead. I have nothing to return to. I will take your offer "Lifting her head, she brushed a hand at her dirty red hair as it fell across her shoulders. "If you will allow first I would like to wash and try to mend my clothes"

  One by one the other women all accepted Ashes' offer. "Take them back to the supply wagons. Let them rest, and give them whatever they need. Make sure that you tell the men to mind their manners not even a joke, these women have been through enough! "

  Ashes was in a foul mood. The snow came early, and with it the cold. A month had passed since Ashes had first found the jewel, three weeks since the first battle with Libbor's armies yet it seemed like years. They had slowed their enemy advance to a crawl but they could not stop them. No matter how many of Libbor's men they killed in battle, there seemed to be more to replace them and while their losses were far less than Libbor's the losses were still telling.

  Ashes sat in a farmhouse that they had made a camp around. Zloara was still a day’s ride away but that was still far too close, and he was having a very hard time not giving in to his anger at the fact that Libbor had laid claim to their lands.

  Telling the others that he wanted to be left alone, Ashes closed himself up in one of the rooms taking his saddle bags with him. Looking to make sure no one else was in the room, he sat the bags on the table and opened the flap .

  Even in the daylight, Ashes could see the glow coming from the gem. Reaching to take it out of the bag, he thought again of the day that he found it. Was that life a dream or was this one? Staring into the gem, he could see his own reflection on its surface taunting him.

  "You promised me anything that I wished for, I asked for peace. I have seen nothing but war since I found you! Too many have died because of my wish! Why are you doing this? What am I doing wrong? Tell me -- damn you! How Do stop the killing?!" Silence answered him. "Did you really think that it was going to answer you?" He thought bitterly, still holding the jewel, he stared out the window at the tents and campfires glowing in the dim light he could see men huddled around the fires to keep warm.

  A cold breeze blew through the window, past his ear. "These are your people, they knew what could happen when this started and they trust you. They would follow you into hell. You have to trust them! Nothing comes without a price -- not even peace!"

  A knock at the door startled him looking around, he saw Fredrex standing in the doorway behind him Shamrock was waiting with a tray of food. Fredrex entered the room and stood to one side, as Shamrock put the tray on the table. "You should eat sire." None of the women that they had rescued had left. They had all chosen to stay and help. Ashes was grateful for that. He thanked her, as she left the room.

  "If I might have a word with you sire?" Fredrex ask, nodding Ashes walked to the table, and he sat the jewel next to the saddle bag. Fredrex crossed over to the table. "May I?,” he asked, Ashes nodded again and watched closely as Fredrex reached down and picked up the jewel to study it.

  "Not the first time that I saw you with this thing. Where did you get it? I have never seen anything like it, it is not a diamond or a emerald. Still beautiful, though. a gift for the queen?"

  "Yes." Ashes lied. His friend would think him insane if he told him the truth. "I meant to give it to her before we left. I found it in a stream in the valley below the North wall. She loves shiny things."

  Laughing, Fredrex tossed the jewel back to Ashes. "You had best hope that she never hears that you said that. I don't think that you will like where she puts it."

  Fredrex laughter lifted Ashes spirits. He put the jewel back into the bags and buckled them shut. "You need something?"

  The smile left Fredrex's face. "Yes, Ashes we need to talk, I know how you feel about running from Libbor. I feel the same way -- all of us do. These men would fight and die, to the last man, if you asked them to, but it is wrong to throw their lives away."

  Anger flashed in Ashes eyes. "If you think that I don't care about these men's lives!!"

  Fredrex put up a hand "I am not saying that you don't care, or that you are doing that now, what I am saying is that fighting in the open is costing us."

  "Ashes turned back to stare out the window, as Fredrex went on." It is harder on the men and the horses. Zlarora is only a day's ride away. If we pulled back to the city, we could rest and recover. There is no way that Libbor's army could breach her walls. Let the fool think he has gained something. He will think different in a month when the real cold hits, and his supplies are low." Fredrex crossed the room to stand next to Ashes, and looked out the window.

  "I have seen Libbor's catapults,” Ashes said, "They may not have them here, now, but they can build them. The catapults are self-loading and fast; not a lot of range, or very heavily load. They would have to get within arrow shot if they wanted to strike past the city walls, but enough hits would take its toll. The walls are marble -- ten feet thick -- the gate is not! As strong as ironwood is, it wouldn't take a barrage like that forever."

  Fredrex scratched, at a healing gash, on the side of his neck. Ashes remembered when Fredrex had gotten the gash. Fredrex had been dragging one of his men out from under a fallen foe and did not see when a man that he thought was dead lunged with a dagger. Had the lunge been two inches closer, Fredrex would not be here beside him now.

  "It won't have to,” Fredrex said, "Zlarora catapults may be old but they stand ready if needed and the city is not defenseless. Let the men see their homes again Ashes and let them be with their families The farmers and villagers are safe now, there is no real need to continue the fight in the open."

  "He is right." Ashes thought. "It is time to go home,” nodding at Fredrex. "Alright tell the men, in the morning that we ride for Zlrora.”

  Fredrex started out the door, to give the order then stopped, as Vale stepped into the room, with a man behind him. both Ashes and Fredrex stared in surprise at the newcomer, Casper, the King of the Hillibs.

  Casper was as big as Fredrex and covered with scars. Both of his ears were cauliflowered and his nose sat crooked on his face having been broken many times. His shoulder-length brown hair was thinning. But the man carried himself with pride. Ashes noticed that he still had his sword.

  "He rode in with some of his men, just now." Vale said, "He said that it was important that he talk to you so I brought him here."

  Casper stepped forward. "I am not here as an enemy Ashes I come with news, if you will listen to
it.”

  Ashes sat on the table next to the saddle bag." I will listen to what you have to say but know this, if this is a trick, you will not leave this room, under your own power."

  Casper nodded, "Fair enough. I will be brief. I am leaving with my men Ashes, we are going home. Too many of us have died for Libbor's greed -- we will lose no more."

  Fredrex gave the other man a questioning look. "And Libbor had nothing to say about this?" Casper's eyes darkened "Libbor can go to hell -- for all I care! The only reason we joined forces with him in this war, was because of his veiled threats. We are a small, landlocked country. Without trade we would starve. And Libbor's lands border us on three sides. I don't bear you, nor your people, any ill will Ashes, but I have to think of my own people. I did what I thought was best for them."

  Vale snorted, "And how much of our lands did Libbor promise you? Or would you have us think otherwise."

  Casper gave Vale a hard stare before answering. "I made no claim otherwise. Much was promised if we joined in this foolishness and at the time I believed that I was doing the right thing for my people. I know now that it was a mistake."

  We joined with three thousand men. Now, we are less than half that number. My men and I want nothing more than to return home. Grant us safe passage, and we will leave your lands.”

  Ashes picked up one of the mugs that Shamrock brought in, and handed it to Casper. "Half your men remain?"

  Taking the mug from Ashes hand, Casper nodded. "We number just over thirteen hundred now and about seventy-five of them probably won't survive the trip home, maybe more. Libbor knew that the only way to stop us from leaving was a battle and he cannot afford to lose any more men but he did keep us from taking any supplies. We left with only what our horses can carry, and it is a very long journey."

  Drinking from his own mug, Ashes thought for a moment, before looking over at Diego, "There are seven fully-loaded supply wagon now, Right?"