Chapter Four- The Beast with the Least
Neerb, Senoj and Nitram stood before the smoking ruin of a
shack. They had come seeking Grainneor the Great, healer, keeper
of Lore and renowned beauty. What they found was destruction. It
had been a large shack, of mud and wattle construction with a
thatched roof, but now all that remained was a pile of rubble
atop a few smouldering embers. "Whoever did this had better
be already dead for his own sake" muttered Nitram, shaking
his head in sorrow and anger. "This was done this morning"
announced Neerb. "There may be survivors. We must find them."
The three heroes returned to their horses to begin their search.
As the others mounted, Senoj paused, took his Feadog from his
shoulder, and said "I sense something wrong, though I know
not what it is. We must exercise extreme caution."
"Stop where you are! If any move, you will die instantly!"
The command came from somewhere in the ring of bowmen who
surrounded them. Around the heroes at a radius of thirty feet or
so were bowmen clad in green, covered in green grasses and
branches. One, dressed like the rest stepped forward. "Who
are you who can detect us when we were hidden by the spell of the
Lady?"
"My name is Nala Senoj, and it is the Lady we seek"
replied Senoj.
"By your accent you are Ylaffian", said the bowmen,
"and Ylaffians are tools of the Dukes, and used as assassins!
Have you come to finish what was started earlier? You will die
here and now!" cried he, raising his bow.
"Wait!" shouted Neerb showing the throwing knife that
appeared in his hand. "He who strikes my friend shall die
first, though I die after!"
"Hold!" cried another, one of the bowmen, pointing at
Neerb. "I know this one! He is a friend of the Lady!"
As the other bowmen lowered their bows, he ran forward and
clasped Neerb's hand. "Well met indeed Neerb, though you
come at a sad time for us."
"Liryc my friend, what evil has befallen the Lady?"
asked Neerb, concern and sorrow and anxiety etched on his brow.
"This morning Neerb, at daybreak, came the forces of the
Duke. They were arrayed for battle and came when the Lady was ill,
else she would have espied them from afar. Those who were here
serving the Lady fought as well they could, but against trained
killers there was but little they could do." He tailed off,
shaking his head in sorrow as the tears welled in his eyes.
"And the Lady?" commanded Neerb.
"I and a few others who were trained as warriors managed to
get her away, but not before she was injured grievously. She lies
not far from here, and now it is she who is in need of healing.
Only the powers of Royal neerb can help her now".
Royal neerb was neerb which had flowered during the coronation of
an Emperor. Given an average Imperial lifespan of five hundred
years or so, Royal neerb was exceedingly rare.
Though his face had paled as he heard of the dire straits of the
Lady, at that news Neerb's visage brightened.
"And what else would a man called 'Neerb' carry around with
him?" he said. Show me to the Lady now!"
The three heroes were led through the surrounding forest to a
small clearing where a small, frail body lay. It seemed as though
she lay merely at sleep, ready to be awakened at any moment,
except that the shaft of an arrow stuck straight from her breast.
Around her were others wounded in that morning's attack, lying
huddled, where they shared their misery and wept for their
mistress.
Neerb opened one of his saddle bags and took from it a small
leather pouch. "Liryc! You must aid me! As I pull forth the
arrow, you must place this on the wound." Neerb opened the
pouch to show a small wad of leaves which he gave to Liryc.
Quickly the two men worked. Neerb smoothly pulled out the arrow
and Liryc staunched the wound with Royal neerb. As the wound was
bandaged, Neerb explained "If we are not too late then the
Lady will be up and about in just a few hours, so great is the
power of Royal neerb. Meantime, let us sweep the surrounding area
for signs of the Duke's men. We will not be surprised again."
With that, the three heroes mounted their horses and left the
clearing.
When they returned a few hours later as the sun was setting, they
found the clearing transformed. Shelters had been constructed,
and welcoming fires blazed and the smell of cooking filled the
air. As their horses were led away to be fed and watered Liryc
joined them. "The Lady bids you welcome, and asks you to
join her!" he exclaimed with a smile. Grinning, the heroes
followed him to the largest shelter. Inside, at a field table sat
the same Lady who had been wounded and had seemed so frail before.
But now she radiated strength and power, and as she rose she
smiled and spread her arms in welcome. Her beauty made Nitram and
Senoj gape in wonder, while Neerb embraced her warmly, as a close
friend. She hugged Neerb close and then held him at arms length.
"You're looking well, Neerb, I'm sorry my bethrothed Declan
is not here to greet you- he travels afar seeking healing plants.
Now tell me who your friends are and what quest brings you here
unlooked-for, yet twice as welcome for that?"
Neerb extended his arm towards his two friends. "Grainneor, I grieve that the Lord Declan is not also here to meet my companions. May I introduce Nala Senoj and Nitram Voc, friends of mine who are aiding me. Senoj is an Ylaffian tribesman who uses his skills to fight injustice and who has saved my life on more than one occassion. Nitram is a gambler, a vagabond and a ruffian, and a good friend to boot. We are on a quest for the Doownek Oidar. The Duke holds it, and we mean to relieve him of it's heavy burden." Now it was the turn of Grainneor to gape in wonder. For a moment her mouth opened and closed slowly and then she gathered herself and smiled radiantly. "But where are my manners? We must sit and eat! Nala Senoj and Nitram Voc, I welcome you as friends, may you know no want while you are in my house, such as it is." she added ruefully.
After they had eaten, they talked of their quest. "What you seek the Duke will certainly have heavily protected. The Doownek Oidar is one of the Seven Treasures of Mars, and can be used to speak to those who are not there." "How can this be, Lady?" asked Nitram. Grainneor smiled and said "I have forgotten more of the old Lore than I remember, but the Doownek Oidar is in the shape of a pendant, to be worn around the neck. It is made from a rock that fell from the sky, and was fashioned long ago when Mars was young and the Twin Empires of Earth and Mars were at their height, and wisdom justice and mercy were as plentiful as neerb. It enables the wearer to 'tune' himself to a recipient, much like a message crystal does, and mindspeak to that recipient. As long as the wearer is 'tuned' properly, the distance between the two matters not." Neerb frowned. "where would the Duke keep it?" "In his castle. I may be able to offer you some help there. The castle is far far older than the Duke and he does not know all there is to know about it. There exists a secret passage whereby a few determined men could gain access to the castle."
The door flap of the shelter was thrown aside and Liryc entered. "My Lady, please excuse me, but there is something you must see outside. There is something all of you must see outside." Grainneor smiled and said "Very well Liryc my friend, we will look." Outside, the clearing was filled with men and women and children. "These people are refugees," explained Lyric. "Ours was not the only village visited today by the Duke's men. They have come seeking refuge and justice." Neerb stepped forward and with a glance at Grainneor said, "And with a little luck they may get both tomorrow!" Gravely, Grainneor replied "Yes, I understand you Neerb. I wish Declan were here, for the Duke must be stopped ere he destroys us all!"
At once preperation were begun. Though none of the refugees wished to die in a battle with the Duke's men, yet they knew that the Duke had given them no choice but to fight or die. Liryc organised his warriors quickly. A few were to take some of the refugees to hidden caches and return with the weapons they would need on the morrow, and the rest organised those who would bear arms the next day into companies. Neerb watched with an expert's eye as the refugee volunteers were put through their paces and turned to Liryc. "Great is their valour, though little is their skill in arms." Liryc replied "Better untrained companies with stout hearts than well-trained cowards." Neerb was silent as he considered Liryc's reply. After a while he said "They'll need more than stout hearts tomorrow, Liryc. The Duke's men are well trained and heavily armed. We who are trained warriors must protect them tomorrow. Our knowledge and experience must help them prevail. The Duke's cavalry is the biggest threat, and must be dealt with first, and I've got just the thing..."
Dawn found the Lady's Army half a mile from the wall of the Duke's castle. Shear and tall were the dark stone walls, festooned here and there with the bodies of those who had displeased the Duke and were executed, their bodies hung from the cold castle walls to act as warnings to others who would risk the Duke's wrath. Above the walls were the banners of the Duke and his cohorts, flapping in the brisk morning breeze, while atop the walls there swarmed the Duke's men, their black plumed helmets showing clearly above the crenellations as they gestured and pointed to the rag-tag army now encamped outside their gates. Facing the Lady's army were the huge black gates of the castle, each oaken door four times the height of a man. One of these opened and a herald came forth on a white horse. he came within shouting distance of the Army and reined in his stallion. He stood in his stirrups and repeated the words of his master. "The Great and Noble Duke of Hyekap has this to say: Who would live will leave the field now or perish." At this Liryc strode forth and answered him. "The Lady Grainneor, whose family ruled here when the ancestors of the so-called Duke ruled only the length of gutter they befouled with the stench of their presence, bids the Duke to yield himself and his castle to her. To him justice shall be done." The herald spun his horse around and returned to the castle with the reply. As he approached the castle, both gates were opened, and the Duke's cavalry rode out onto the plain before the castle walls. Fully two thousand troopers were lined up facing the army of the Lady when the order was given to charge. The heavy cavalry horses of the troopers broke into a trot, and lances were lowered and long wickedly curved sabres were drawn from sheaths. Each trooper wore the black helmet and breastplate bearing the insignia of the Duke over chainmail, and those in the front rows were armed with twelve foot long lances which would break up the front rows of the Lady's army so that the next wave of troopers with heavy cavalry sabres which could chop a man from shoulder to navel could penetrate the massed peasant army and then the red slaughter would begin. Slowly the troopers sped up, first to a canter and then when they were a few hundred yards from the Lady's Army they broke into a gallop, screaming their fury as the very earth thundered under their horses hooves and they closed upon the object of their scorn hatred and anger.
On the other side of the castle Neerb, Grainneor, Nitram and Senoj with a score of warriors stood at the entrance to the secret passage which Grainneor had led them to. Hearing the thunder of the cavalry charge, Neerb motioned to his comrades to hurry. "It has begun already. We must move swiftly now!" Quickly yet carefully they moved along the roughhewn passageway until they were faced by a massive door of granite. It was smooth and featureless except for a small key opening about halfway up. From within the folds of her robes Grainneor produced a large silver key and inserted the key and turned it. The heavy stone door opened smoothly and noiselessly. Before our heroes lay a large feasting hall, with rushes on the floor and elaborate tapestries hanging on the walls. "That way is the treasure chamber" pointed Grainneor, "but the Duke's personal rooms are this way, and it's there I guess he will keep the Doonek Oidar." Slowly, she closed the great door, and it dissappeared back into the wall, matching up perfectly with the stones on either side. With a flash of steel, Neerb and the others unsheathed their swords and set off the way Grainneor had pointed. As they ran they were spotted and the alarm raised by one of the Duke's guards. An arrow from the Feadog of Senoj silenced his squawking and swiftly the heroes sped onwards. Through corridors and passageways they sped, twisting and turning in accordance with Grainneor's directions. Once they came upon a party of the Duke's guards, but they were easily overwhelmed by the valour of Neerb's companions and left sprawled in pools of their own blood as the whirlwind of the Lady and her champions sped onwards seeking it's prey.
Before the murderous onslaught of the Duke's cavalry stood the Lady's Army, silent and unmoving. Two thousand heavy cavalry charged upon them yet still they made no move until Liryc call out "Now!" Suddenly, the front lines fell back, revealing a second line who were holding what looked like wooden javelins. They were long slender stakes made from saplings, twenty feet high, which had been stripped of all branches and twigs. The tips were then fire-hardened. The butt of each one had been driven into the ground, and the tip lowered to about four feet from the ground. The right foot was then placed on the butt so it was secure. The second and third rows also wielded these weapons, the tips of the third row extending beyond the men in the font row, so three layers of spikes protected the army. The tip of each stake was raised and lowered swiftly about a foot or so, giving the impression of an impossibly large angry hedghog. On Earth, the army of Alexander the Great had used such techniques, for no horse would contemplate trying to jump such an obstacle. Instead, they tried to shear off to the side. Too late, for their riders had committed them to a full gallop and the danger was uncovered far too late to avoid. The air was filled with the screams of wounded and dying horses as they helplessly impaled themselves on the fire-hardened spikes, their eyes bulging with terror as their blood stained the ground. But it wasn't only the Duke's horses who died, but his riders also, for many fell victim to the spikes as their forward momentum caused the fire-hardened tip to burst through their chain mail, sending them to the next world impaled on the spike of a peasant. Most were flung wildly from their dying mounts, and as each rider was unhorsed he was met with eager sharpened knives to slit his throat or slip under his mail and his ribs to steal his life.
As the front rows were dealing with the Duke's cavalry, the rest of the Lady's army were streaming around their flanks towards the still-open gates, trying to take advantage of the confusion. On the walls, one of the Duke's captains of war saw this and ran towards the gates screaming for them to be shut. Slowly the great gates swung together, gates which could withstand a well-trained siege force indefinitely. Almost they were closed when the first of the Lady's army reached them. Pushing and heaving they managed to slow the progress of the great gates. As more of their fellows arrived, they began to push the gates open again as inside the keep more of the Duke's soldiers ran forward to throw their weight to the gates to try and keep out the vengeance the peasants of the Duke carried with them. Indeed, the gates were for a while held steady, each side holding the other in equilibrium, until the overwhelming weight of the peasant army forced the gates, and the peasant army of the Lady Grainneor at last entered the lair of their enemy, where the front ranks of the peasants died instantly.
Nitram pulled on the handle of the impresssively stout door that Grainneor had indicated guarded the way to the Duke's rooms. "The door is locked!" he explained to his companions. "And is protected by a powerful spell of forbidding" , added Senoj. "I am impatient to deal with the miscreant who sorely wounded me," rasped the Lady Grainneor. "Just stand back, this door was made of trees stolen from me." Grainneor stood facing the door and slowly, palm outward, extended her right arm. As it extended, the door creaked and groaned, until as Grainneor fully extended her arm, it finally burst asunder. Neerb led his companions through the doorway. Inside, facing them, stood the Duke clad in armour black as his soul, his right hand holding a sword which radiated blackness as the Duke's power flowed through it. "I see your army slaughtering my men" he said softly, indicating with a nod of his head the scene outside his windows; the army of the Lady Grainneor sweeping through the courtyard killing all before them, Liryc standing on a heap of bodies, Duke's men all, screaming his orders to his lieutenants. "You may indeed, defeat my men, but you will never defeat me." The Duke paused, and drew himself up to his full height. "For with the Lady weakened by so brusquely opening my door, there is no-one to stop me from draining the living souls from your bodies." Each word rang with power and evil, falling like stones into the silence of eternity. Instantly, each of the companions felt an intense coldness such as they could not hope to lose. This coldness pervaded their vary existence, driving all thought of life and warmth and hope from them. They felt their lives leaking from their bodies as the Duke laughed, and they knew he was right, they could not win, for they could not hope to match such power. The Lady Grainneor tried valiently to stave off the Duke's attack, but she knew he had spoken aright: she was too weary from the destruction of the door to adequately marshal her resources to deal with this evil. She stood facing the Duke, her right hand on Nitram's shoulder, and knew that weakened as she was she couldn't match his power. So she did something else.
The first peasants through the gates had met a hail of missiles fired from the crossbows of the Duke's men, but the army behind surged over the bodies of the slain and had with knife, scythe and flail set upon their oppressors. The shouts of Liryc carried across the battlefield as he directed some this way and some that, ever seeking the decisive blow which would completely rout the remaining defenders, for although heavily outnumbered they were well-trained and well-equipped, and their shield wall still held, the bodies of the slain lying at their feet proof of their discipline. Finally, he led a charge which carried the flank of the defenders leaving them open to a surge of peasants to their rear. Panic set in amongst the Duke's soldiers and concentration was lost, the shield wall broken, and the last of the Duke's men were dispatched in a matter of seconds.
The Duke of Hyekap laughed as he saw his enemies wilt before him. Already he felt more powerful, and more alive than ever before in his life. Such strength flowed from these specimens! Each filled with full-flowing vitality and lust for life, subsuming their souls was like listening to the finest oratorio ever written, or rather, singing each and every part himself! Of course he shielded himself carefully from the Lady, for her powers were indeed formidable, but not for much longer, thank the Gods. Suddenly, he felt her wilt almost completely, her power no longer arrayed against his, she slumped to the floor and the Duke of Hyekap smiled in triumph.
So he was very astonished to see Nitram's sword plunge through his breastplate and sink into his black heart. So surprised in fact that he lost his concentration, whereupon Nitram's sword through his chest was instantly followed by Neerb's sword through his throat and an arrow from the Feadog of Senoj through his eye. He slumped to the floor wondering at the pain and completely shocked at the turn of events.
Grainneor propped herself up on one elbow and announced "He is dead. It is over." Nitram turned to her and bowed low. "I thank thee Lady for thy gift of healing, else I could not alone have broken Hyekap's evil spell. I am endebted to thee while my life flows." At once, the others understood how Grainneor had outfoxed Hyekap: since she could not break the formidable shield around her that the Duke had built, she healed Nitram, who was closest to the Duke, and infused him with as much power as she dared to give. This had enabled Nitram to cast off the cold spell of enfeeblement that Hyekap had placed on him, and filled with both wrath and fear Nitram had struck surely and swiftly. Neerb came over, a look of concern on his face but Grainneor simply said "Oh, I'm alright Neerb, just give me a hand up will you?" Then she said with a grin, "I think I have a rare tale to tell the Lord Declan when he returns!" "Indeed!", replied Neerb, "for when you take your marriage vows he shall not only gain Grainneor the Great but a Dukedom too!"
Then Neerb knelt by the body of Hyekap and took the Oidar Doownek from his neck. He turned to his fellows with a smile and said "I think it's time to let the Emperor know."
What happened, I hear you ask, to the Lovely Aisling? Is she somehow less lovely? Perish the thought! Nay, rather the burden of introducing two such beauties in one chapter was too much for my frail pen. Aisling's shining hair falls gracefully to her finely shaped waist as usual, her warm eyes glow when she smiles, and she can still entrance the unwary with a mere tilt of her head, just as before. I have a feeling she will play an important part in chapter five. By the way, the wedding of Grainneor and Declan will probably be one heck of a serious party... I can't wait!