Part Forty-two
Kato looked over the others gathered close on their horses. "If we do ride back, there will only be a prolonged battle, even with our help. Is that not what you are saying? I think...I think we should ride away. If we draw any Orcs toward us, that will help the Riders, will it not? If we truly are the targets, then they will come after us. If we rode back, Riders would have to sacrifice themselves to protect us."
"I think that is a wise decision, Caerig," Beryl said at his ear. "It is courageous in its way."
"Then we make best speed along the road," Dale said. He leaned forward to instruct Nightmare.
"I was thinking we might go another way," Beryl said. "I do not claim to know our final destination, but I know the next area we are to head for, and there is a way we might go apart from the road."
"Across country to the river?" Tsuki asked.
"Yes. It should be no problem for our present company, and it will possibly make it more difficult for Orcs to follow, and, "Beryl added, "though our particular course may or may not bring us to ranches or fishing villages, we should bypass larger settlements along the road, and thus spare those the trouble we would bring."
"When we first set out," Dale said, "I thought I wanted to try traveling by road, but it has caused trouble all the way."
"People risk their lives in simply being friends to us," Kato said.
"The Orcs close in on us," Galadhiel called.
"Beryl, which way would you make our course?" Tsuki asked urgently, "If we go directly north we will come to a river and may follow it approximately east until we need cross the Great River it feeds."
"For now, might we just follow the road and put some distance between ourselves and the Orcs?" Kato asked. "When we have a minute in safety we might consult our maps and plot a proper course."
"That's what I was saying! Take to the road!" Dale called. "I will guard the rear."
"And I," Beryl said, slipping from Brethil, which he called his new mount.
"I shall fight here also," Gwindor said, and turned his horse.
"Please," Kato called, taking up Brethil's reigns that Beryl had loosed. "This is no time for noble princely sacrifice."
Tsuki put Moonhalo in the road to bar Gwindor's path. "Beryl and Dale will not fight more than they are able and Nightmare has no love for Orcs. They will return, even if the horse must stoop to offer his back and carry them both. You and Galadhiel must now be as wings to Kato in his flight. When we have suitable distance between us, Lenaduiniel, Duma and myself will turn and use bows if we see the need. It is enough that Fei witnesses, though I trust he will aid in close quarters."
"And I shall do a spell, so long as I do not endanger myself too greatly in doing so," Laurel offered, anticipating Tsuki's wishes.
"Ride already!" Dale called back to them.
Gwindor put his heel to his horse and turned it back toward the east. "I know you would take on all battle yourself, but it is reckless to battle when you may also choose to fly and save your strength for when there may be no choice but to fight. Galadhiel and Kato are those you must protect now. You must trust that Duma and I would each give our life to protect your sister if we should be overtaken."
"I would prefer not to lose you, Tsuki," Gwindor said.
"Then trust me to protect him, Elf-Prince, Ride on, Galadhiel may have want of your sword," Laurel called.
Gwindor was startled, wondering whether the woman were making a lewd joke or spoke unwittingly.
Tsuki laughed. "Do not ride too slowly as you incant or mix."
"I need not mix," Laurel said. She pulled a packet of ingredients wrapped in yellow cloth from inside her cloak and loosed the string that tied it. The herbs ash and powders floated from the packet and sailed into the sky. "Alkariarien!" Laurel incanted loudly.
Tsuki smiled proudly, as he had worked with Laurel to perfect a voice that would be heard over the greatest distance. Magic had an elegance when spoken in ancient Elven.
"Bows!" Lenaduiniel called. "Dale and Beryl are nearly overcome and the Riders yet occupied with their own battle."
"You do not have to shoot to kill," Tsuki said to Duma as they put arrows to their bows.
Duma nodded once solemnly. "I cannot aim from horseback," he said then. Duma leapt to the ground and took his hand from the string to slap the horse, in hopes that it would run after the others and be safe.
"Duma!" Leanduiniel called, but she did not worry long, as she could see clearly that Dale and Beryl were working hard to put distance between themselves and the advancing Orcs, so as to be able to run.
"Aim for their archers! To the left!" Tsuki called.
Dale could see Marduk coming and he did not want to face him now. He truly wanted the Orcs to just leave him alone and did not ask them to come die on his sword. It was much more difficult to kill Orcs armored in steel than in leather. There was no elegance in this style of Orc combat. They just walked steadily forward shielded in steel and bludgeoned with crude heavy swords. Two Men would likely have died, but two Elves were quick enough and keen eyed enough to spot the narrow gaps in the armor and put their swords there.
It was not easy for Elves, especially being unarmored themselves. Dale had taken wounds, and Beryl had taken a few, but was more mournful over the shredding of his cloak. Nightmare reared and brought large sharp hooves down on Orc heads and collarbones. Dale knew they would have to run soon, so he called to Nightmare and told the horse to move back and be ready to aid his escape.
It seemed Dale and Beryl would be overrun, that even if they attempted to flee they would shortly be attacked from behind. Reif saw them fighting alone from his horse and rode to them. Beryl saw that the Marshal was riding into a Band of Orcs without his Men and cursed him.
"He's going to get himself killed along with us," Dale laughed.
Marduk could see Dale and called out, "Death-shadow is mine!"
The hesitation of other Orcs gave Dale an instant of freedom to move without being attacked. He grabbed Beryl's cloak and started to run.
"Riders," Beryl called loudly, as if in command, "To your Marshal! To the Marshal!" This brought the Orcs attention to the armored rider behind them, but before they could surround him, other Riders came up beside him and continued their battle against the Orcs.
Lenaduiniel and Tsuki launched their arrows at the Orc Archers. Duma kept his bow and arrow aimed at Dale's position. If one came close to Dale and Beryl, close enough to kill them, then it would be OK to shoot the Orc to save them, Duma told himself.
The Orcs were only a pace behind Dale and Beryl as they ran. Their scavenged swords found cloaks or hair when they did not miss, but that was much closer than Dale or Beryl wanted them. They could hear Marduk behind them, barking for his Orcs to assemble as a group and to kill everything that was not an Orc.
"Yellow-face!" One of the Orcs cried out.
Duma's breath was ragged; he aimed his bow at Marduk. If his aim was skilled enough, he could put an arrow in his neck. Around Marduk, Duma's vision seemed veiled, but he could see Orcs cringing and slowing. He felt like there was a furnace against his face and chest. All the sky above and to the west seemed to burn, and all the figures turned into silhouettes. Duma lost his aim. He could not be certain who his arrow pointed toward.
"The Witch!" Marduk called, but even as a Westerner, he suffered. He knew the red-cloaked one was out of range and that his archers were forced to dive from the path of the arrows shot by the Wizard and that female Elf.
Duma could not see what came toward him, but he thought he might just stand where he was; it felt like home, where there were no stars, moon and sun, only darkness below the earth and the light of the furnace fire. This seemed a good place to sleep.
Looking east, Dale could see Nightmare waiting, and he could see Duma standing, swaying in the road. "Did she have to make the spell so strong? It feels like the hottest day of summer!"
"The sun is just where it ought to be, you only think you feel the full glory of it," Beryl called. "The fool sent his horse away," he said then to himself. Beryl whistled and Duma's horse turned and ran back, for Beryl had been the one to train it and she would still follow his commands. Beryl lifted Duma and slung him over his shoulder as he ran. The red-brown mare came to them and Beryl tossed Duma over the saddle before vaulting onto her back. Dale and Nightmare were not far away, and Tsuki and Lenaduiniel were riding along the road ahead of them.
"Is he well?" Dale called.
"Sleeping," Beryl answered.
To the north, three mounted Riders followed their pair of hounds through the hills, dells and grasses, hunting for Orcs. "Should we turn back Captain? I cannot make out the battle, but the Orcs seemed better armed than we expected."
"We have our Orders," the Captain said. "We know they are here and we cannot let them roam our lands free. There are homesteads here, and if they cross the river here all our ranches in the open grasslands will be there prey. Orcs eat anything, our dogs, horses, cattle, even our children."
"They seem clever for Orcs," the other Rider said, "They have shed these filthy garments to throw our hounds off their trail."
"Keep your eyes open. We will find them, with or without the dogs," The Captain told his Riders.
"What was that?"
A dog barked.
"What?"
"That sound."
"Just the dogs."
"Before that. Like a babe crying."
"An animal?"
"Or Orcs trying to lure us into a trap!"
"Quiet the little one," Sarpanit hissed.
"She is hungry," Damkina whispered, "If I feed her and then we run, she will spit it back out and cause a bad smell for the dogs to track."
"Her little one is full of bad smells," Aladima hissed, "we should leave it."
"Stupid little Mine-dweller. We cannot leave a Precious Thing for Men to find, and we will not abandon it." Sarpanit told her.
Ugarit gestured for the others to be quiet, but Sarpanit only flicked her claws at Ugarit's ears.
"I am as much Westerner as you," Aladima growled, "At least spawned Orcs can kill as soon as they are free of their sacs."
"We were all spawned, and we came from the sacs half-grown," Ugarit whispered, "And we grow smarter. Tashmetum will not be small very long, I think."
"Shoot the Riders," Sarpanit told Ugarit.
"They will know our position for certain."
"They are too close now. Shoot at least one. I am ready with my sword."
"Knock one from its horse and I will take its head with my axe," Aladima promised.
"How can we get them off their horses?" Damkina asked. "They will kill us while mounted and holding spears."
"If Tashmetum were bigger, we could escape in the river," Ugarit said. She growled. "Damkina, give her your tit. I will sneak away and let them see me, then Sarpanit and Aladmia must attack them while they are distracted. You must surprise them and come from the side of the horse. The horses will kick you otherwise and spears find you quickly."
Sarpanit growled, disliking taking orders from the younger one. "I will be ready."
Ugarit nodded. She put her bow to her shoulder and then adjusted her clothing, of which their remained only a kilt and barely enough fabric from a torn shirt to sling her breasts. "She does not mean to offer herself to them? Sarpanit, tell her not to," Damkina said.
Ugarit growled.
"No. It is only to confuse them long enough for us to attack."
"Hullo! What is that? Not one of the Orcs?"
"A lost Higlander girl?"
"Man, look at the ears and skin!"
"An Orc, but female!"
Ugarit lifted her head and looked into the face of the Captain. He did not seem prepared for battle. He seemed…undone. Sarpanit and Aladima sprung up from the ground and attacked with sword and axe. The Men and horses resisted, but the female Orcs attacked relentlessly, knowing their lives and their future depended on this small battle.
Ugarit ran. Her knives found the neck of the Captain's horse, then the Man's left leg, and then the horse's hindquarter. And then the dogs were on her. Fighting them was instinct. Ugarit put a elbow in the jaw of one and her knife into the side of the other and she trashed and growled as did the hounds, until both were dead.
"Ugarit! Your bow!"
Two men and horses had fallen around her, but the one that seemed Leader was riding away. Ugarit took her bow from her shoulder and drew an arrow from her quiver. The horse could not run, but it was carrying the Man away.
"Shoot him!" Sarpanit screamed.
Ugarit aimed for the Man. "He is wearing mail!"
"Take the horse!" Aladima called.
Ugarit corrected her aim and loosed the arrow. She reloaded her bow even as she watched the arrow strike the horse's right hindquarter. She shot another arrow. The horse stumbled and then fell. The Man pulled himself from the saddle and limped on. He knew his information was more important than his life. He called out. "Orcs!"
Ugarit had a dog bite on her right calf, but she ran as fast as she could for the Man. One more word, and if his countrymen heard, her battle was pointless. His spear was lost, but Ugarit heard the his of a sword being drawn. She kept running; the sword slashed her arm, but her weight and speed knocked the Man to the ground, and her knives sunk into his chest right through the mail.
The Captain looked into her face. "Our males probably would have killed one of your girls without hesitation, if they did not play with her first."
The Captain choked and coughed blood.
"Your weakness was to my advantage. For that, I will tell the others to take meat only from the horses and to leave you and your Men for your allies to carry away."
The Captain breathed his last.
Ugarit cut the blond braid from the side of his head, the tail from his horse, and then searched the Man and horse for supplies. The sword was too big for her, but she took a knife from his belt and the bags from his horse. She then walked back to the other females. "Cut enough meat from the horses to feed us and take what useful gear you find. We will go to the river to wash and bind wounds and then put distance between us and this place."
"I want this one's heart," Sarpanit said.
"Your plan worked, but do not speak as if you carry a whip," Aladima agreed.
Ugarit growled as she came close and stopped then to take the tails from the dogs. "That one was their leader. I killed him, his horse, and two hounds. I took wounds from teeth, claws and sword for it. Do what I say. If we eat the Manflesh they will send more to hunt us. If we leave the Men's bodies, they may think us more honorable and will not search with determination."
"Maybe you are right. Men take offense to the eating of their fallen," Sarpanit said.
"Take a lock of hair, or some clothes or jewelry if you must have a trophy," Ugarit said. She walked, limping, to the place Damkina was hidden behind a rock. "The river comes from the mountains to the south before turning this way, and so it will be too cold in this season for Tashmetum, but you should come and go in the water as soon as you can. If they send more dogs, going through water will throw them from our trail."
The Riders rallied around their Marshal and the Orcs were scattered. "We have suffered too heavy losses to press the pursuit now," Reif said. He called out the names of some of the remaining Riders who had few injuries and strong mounts. A messenger he ordered to ride back to the city and alert them to use their own King's guard to watch the east side of the city, to be certain Orcs here did not return west to collect reinforcements. A group Reif ordered to tend the fallen and dead. Another group he ordered to seek the Captain he had sent east, as he had not returned. Several other messengers were sent along the road and to points east to take word of the scattered Orcs and the battle to the outlying homesteads. "I will ride to my own estate and collect reinforcements to hunt these remaining Orcs. Alert every settlement in our country. We will not be invaded and driven into hiding as in the war. We will hunt these Orcs and slay them all!"
The Riders, though weary, cheered their approval of the plan. Orcs were fast breeders. If a few were left alive in their country, more would spawn and they might be overrun. The Men here had heard of lands in the west suffering with Orcs running free in their lands. It seemed more than the Rangers could handle.
"You," Reif said to the messenger that would ride to the city and speak to their King, "Alert the King that our allies in the south should hear of the troubles here and in the west. Something must be done with these bands of Masterless Orcs. It would seem from lore that the problem is worse in winter. Orcs do not fear the cold as Men may, and like wolves they will scour the land for what food remains in the barren season. We must deal with them shortly."
There was some cheering, but many were not less hopeful, thinking that it was now autumn and their land was not so far south that it would escape cold and snow come winter.
Kato took some rolled maps from the bags on Brethil's back. They had come to the place where the road took a turn toward the southeast and were considering Beryl's plan to travel away from the road. Beryl were tending their wounds, and so Tsuki counseled Kato, as he knew this region.
To the south lay mountains, and the road followed the path of their foothills, curving somewhat south, though the road traveled mainly from west to east. Almost parallel to the road, but miles to the north, river waters flowed east, where they flowed into a delta that fed the great river. Between the road and the river was the East Country, where Reif Curt was Lord. Further north, beyond the rivers was open grassland where the horse-lords had many ranches and the majority of their cattle roamed. East, beyond the border of the Horse-Lords' country, was farmland belonging to their allies to the south.
Now, their party stood in an area where the distance between the river to the north and the road was small, this was where they had to choose their path. They might follow the road and eventually come to the crossing of Eldsbridge at the Great River, they might break north and follow the river, or else find a means to travel on it, or they might cut through the middle of the east country, away from river or road, where the land presented further country of hills, rocky outcroppings, a few wooded areas, and some suitable farmland.
"The road would seem easiest," Tsuki said, "if you mean to get to Eldsbridge or anywhere east of the Great River. Yet, it is the way that may bring the most danger to others we meet. Also, it is the most expected way. I mean to continue as your escort, but you know that I have had suspicions about this mission from the start."
"And if not the road?" Kato asked. "Beryl seems to mean for us to follow the river to the north."
"Going entirely into the country would put us in the Marshal's domain. I am certain, if I know his tactics, that he will gather reinforcements from his vassals and continue the hunt of the Orcs. Orcs present a great danger to their people, as apart from attacking Men, they have been known to raid ranches for meat and that is another kind of loss these people can ill afford. They are yet recovering from losses in the war."
"You would follow the river?"
"The Orcs are distracted enough that they are not close on our trail. They will come along the road and into the East Country looking for us. We do not need to worry for the people here, as the Marshal will soon send messengers and make patrols through his domain. If we go north, we will be assured to have water and if we run low on stores, there will be fish. As well, we may come across trading barges and pay our way across the river much farther north than Eldsbridge, thus arriving from the most unexpected route. I know a place where there is an island in the river that will aid our crossing. Whatsmore, if we cross there, we will make landing in a province now lorded over by Lenaduiniel and Gwindor's own brother. We will be sure to have aid in the last leg of our journey."
"But, I should travel by road," Kato said slowly.
Tsuki eyed him suspiciously, as Kato's voice had seemed strange to him. "We will have a vote. That is what we do and you have never objected before."
Kato smiled. "Of course. Let us have a vote."
Tsuki called the others together. Dale and Beryl had wrapped their wounds and Duma had woken, so all ten were available to vote. Tsuki presented their options and they made the vote with a show of raised hands. It was decided they would leave the road and follow the river east, though Kato had voted to stay on the road.
Marduk lay atop a rock, in the hills south of the road, watching the Men below collect their fallen and pile the Orc corpses for burning. He had less than half his Orcs now. Some, like Razh-Razh, were fallen and others had run off, pursued by Riders. Marduk tore another hunk of Man flesh from that in his hand and chewed at it. He still had Dog, though his little, pet Mine-Dweller had suffered quite a beating in braving so many horse legs and hooves to bring Riders to the ground where Orcs could face them. Dog had again proved himself very useful, so Marduk was allowing him to rest now, though he shook his pet now and then to make certain he was still alive.
The Easterner that would be their guide was still with them and not badly injured. All Marduk's remaining Orcs were well enough to travel, and as soon as it was dark, he would follow the trail of the females, if he could find it. It would have been easy ordinarily, but if his females were clever enough to evade the hounds, then Marduk's Orcs might not be able to catch their scent.
If the females lived, and Marduk could find Death-shadow, then he might find his females also on his trail, but the road would be patrolled by horse-boys now. Marduk thought the best way was to wait for dark and go in the direction he had last seen the females go.
They had a hiding place in the hills until then, and they had plenty
of meat. Orcs were never very disagreeable when they had meat. Marduk's
Orcs would follow. He now had two whips.