Kalen felt sick at the sight of the force before them. The Fellyrian camp seemed to stretch out for miles. Syxel was surround by a sea of grey tents and smoldering campfires. every hundred yards, a great seige tower or heavy catapult stood, waiting for the final assault. sixty to one. The odds were absurd. Even if all of Syxel took up arms, they didn't have a chance. One glance at his archers' faces told hm that he was not in command. He prayed that they would listen to his orders even if they saw him as no more thn a common soldier. They were more likely to flee. He could see it in their eyes--they were looking for a chance to desert. Kalen looked back towards where he knew Taldyr and the other horsemen were concealed in the denser woods. They were depending on him, and he hadn't a clue what he was doing. Sure, he was good with a bow, but he had never led anything, let alone a surprise attack.
"Kalen," a voice by his ear whispered. He turned back to the enemy camp and saw the first few soldiers emerging from their tents. That was the signal. He took a deep breath, nocked his first arrow, and stood. The men saw him and followed his lead. They fired as one.
"Fire at will!" Kalen commanded trying and failing to sound more like a general than a frightened boy.
The enemy quickly recovered from the initial shock. Kalen saw archers taking positions on their side of the camp. He called the retreat and they began to circle around to the right and a rain of arrows came down on where they had been concealed but minutes earlier. A short while later, a commotion arose on the far side of the camp. Kalen could see the glow of flames in the distance. This was too soon! The distraction was supposed to come after Taldyr's men engaged.
Kalen called a halt and they fired down on the camp again, trying to make the best of this error. Another blaze roared up far to the right of the first. Kalen moved his men back to their original position, but not before the return fire caught three of his men. Two stumbled back, cursing, and one fell instantly without a sound. They fired twice, then ran to the right again, much further this time and began again. At that moment, Taldyr and his men came. They shouted as they rode down on the camp, spears lowered. They plowed into the enemy like a battering ram. But the enemy swarmed in behind and beside them, forming a massive death trap. Desperate, Kalen tried something new. He divided his men into pairs of two and told them to spread out and surround the perimeter and fire constantly from all directions.
Kalen found himself with one of the less-skilled archers, a thin youth with barely enough muscle to draw the bow fully back. He was going on adrenaline, though, so he managed to keep pace with the others.
The Fellyrian archers quickly caught on and began returning fire in all places where arrows came The next morning, well before dawn, Kalen woke to hurried battle preparations. Dallaris and Aethan snuck off with their assigned regiments, and, by the time the first grey streaks of dawn were showing, Kalen found himself at the head of forty archers, hidden in the trees just in range of the Fellyrian encampment.
Kalen felt sick at the sight of the force before them. The Fellyrian camp seemed to stretch out for miles. Syxel was surround by a sea of grey tents and smoldering campfires. every hundred yards, a great siege tower or heavy catapult stood, waiting for the final assault. sixty to one. The odds were absurd. Even if all of Syxel took up arms, they didn't have a chance. One glance at his archers' faces told him that he was not in command. He prayed that they would listen to his orders even if they saw him as no more thn a common soldier. They were more likely to flee. He could see it in their eyes--they were looking for a chance to desert. Kalen looked back towards where he knew Taldyr and the other horsemen were concealed in the denser woods. They were depending on him, and he hadn't a clue what he was doing. Sure, he was good with a bow, but he had never led anything, let alone a surprise attack.
"Kalen," a voice by his ear whispered. He turned back to the enemy camp and saw the first few soldiers emerging from their tents. That was the signal. He took a deep breath, nocked his first arrow, and stood. The men saw him and followed his lead. They fired as one.
"Fire at will!" Kalen commanded trying and failing to sound more like a general than a frightened boy.
The enemy quickly recovered from the initial shock. Kalen saw archers taking positions on their side of the camp. He called the retreat and they began to circle around to the right and a rain of arrows came down on where they had been concealed but minutes earlier. A short while later, a commotion arose on the far side of the camp. Kalen could see the glow of flames in the distance. This was too soon! The distraction was supposed to come after Taldyr's men engaged.
Kalen called a halt and they fired down on the camp again, trying to make the best of this error. Another blaze roared up far to the right of the first. Kalen moved his men back to their original position, but not before the return fire caught three of his men. Two stumbled back, cursing, and one fell instantly without a sound. They fired twice, then ran to the right again, much further this time and began again. At that moment, Taldyr and his men came. They shouted as they rode down on the camp, spears lowered. They plowed into the enemy like a battering ram. But the enemy swarmed in behind and beside them, forming a massive death trap. Desperate, Kalen tried something new. He divided his men into pairs of two and told them to spread out and surround the perimeter and fire constantly from all directions.
Kalen found himself with one of the less-skilled archers, a thin youth with barely enough muscle to draw the bow fully back. He was going on adrenaline, though, so he managed to keep pace with the others.
The Fellyrian archers quickly caught on and began returning fire in all places where arrows came from. An arrow suddenly whistled through the bush past Kalen. His companion yanked him down flat on his stomach on the turf. They lay still until the shooting stopped, then got up. Kalen fired two arrows before any came their way. Kalen dropped again, just in time to see the youth lurch backwards and topple with a feathered shaft in his throat. He crawled over, but there was nothing he could do. The boy was writhing in agony, trying to gasp for air while blood bubbled up in his throat.
Kalen looked away, but the boy seized his hand. He looked back into those wide, frightened eyes, and they locked with his and held. Kalen lay beside him, silently absorbing every spasm in the hand and all the pain and fear in those vividly blue eyes. A thought whispered around the corners of his mind He's a she. She's a girl. It didn't matter. It was too late for anything to matter. She was dying. He searched his mind for some words of comfort for a dying soldier.
"It's okay. I'm here." He began, then shook his head. "I'm sorry. I wish I knew your name. I guess I never will." A certain calmness began to grow in her eyes, so he continued, slowly, in a whisper. "I wish I could carry a message to your friends or family, to tell them how brave you were. But I'll follow you soon. We all will. Most probably already have. I mean they've already gone." He felt her hand go limp. "And you're gone too." He reached out and closed her eyelids. She looked peaceful enough, and there was no time to do her any further honor. He fought to silence the voice in the back of his head saying that she could have lived if they had only switched positions.
Taking up his bow, he crawled back to where he could see the camp. Taldyr and his men were gone. A few riderless horses were still rearing and galloping in the excitement of the battle, but most lay in ruin with their masters. Kalen could see Taldyr's banner, the black hawk on a green field, lying trampled in the carnage, and, a few feet away, Taldyr's black horse, lying twisted and bloody. He had no doubt that Taldyr was with it. The Fellyrian army had turned its attention back to the city. They left their dead and wounded and set to loading the catapults. Horses were being harnessed to the siege towers and the archers had turned their volley to Syxel.
Kalen bent his bow and fired. It was pointless--what could he alone do against so many? But if he was to die here, he would bring as many of them as possible down with him. A few archers returned fire, but he didn't bother ducking or changing position. He didn't take time to aim, but shot as fast as he could in the general direction of the thickest part of their force. They had killed the girl behind him and they had killed Taldyr. He would have revenge if it was the last thing he did.
A powerful blow to his shoulder knocked him off his feet. He caught himself only to collapse again at the searing pain racing through his right arm. He clutched his shoulder; arrow fletches brushed his fingers. He tried to think clearly. The other end of the arrow had to be sticking out his back. He'd bleed to death if he tried to pull it out, but he couldn't move his arm, let alone draw his bow, with it in. He crawled backwards into the brush until his back was to a tree, gritted his teeth and grasped the shaft.
"Stop! You'll kill yourself!" He started and turned at the voice by his ear. The back of the arrow hit the tree and a hand clapped over his mouth to stifle his scream of agony. "Quiet. I'm a friend." The hand freed his mouth and its owner crept over to kneel in front of him. It was a dark haired woman dressed in thick blotchy brown leather. She quickly took off her glove, revealing two missing fingers. "Bite down on this and I'll get that arrow out."
"Why? I'm dead anyways."
"No. It's just your shoulder. Now bite." She stuffed the glove between his teeth. She deftly snapped the tip off the arrow, sending another shock of pain through his arm, then grabbed the shaft. "Ready?" Kalen nodded and closed his eyes. Coming out, the arrow was a thousand times more painful than going in. It felt like his arm was being torn from his body. Involuntarily, he screamed past the glove, only to get the girl's hand over his mouth again. "It hurts like hell, but if you love your life, don't make a sound." She hissed in his ear. "I'm going to bandage you up now. It won't stop the bleeding, but it will slow it until I can get you to somewhere that we can tend it properly. And shut your eyes." Kalen obeyed and, a moment later, he felt the aching, scraping pain of cloth being stuffed into the wound on both sides. A few more stips were bound fast around his shoulder to hold the others in, and a last strip formed a sling. He waited a moment or two after she finished, then opened his eyes. She was lacing up her overcoat over her vest. Her shirt. No wonder she had asked him to close his eyes.
"Don't look at me like that. I just saved your life. We have to go. Here," she placed one arm under his left shoulder and helped him to his feet. "Lean on me as much as you need to. It's not far from here." She was close to Kalen's own height, which helped, and at least as strong. "Who are you? And why are you helping me?" He asked after they had gone a short ways.
"Eldan. My name is Eldan. I'm a Syxelite, and I just saw an Elinite army give their lives for my people. This is the least I can do." She stopped suddenly. "I'm sorry. I am so sorry."
"What? What's wrong?"
"We're surrounded." Kalen looked around and saw nothing but trees and brush. "Can't you hear them?" Kalen listen and heard nothing until the bushes right in front of them rustled and parted. A slender woman with long blonde hair, dressed in white, stepped out in front of them.
"Did I frighten you?" She asked gently. "My servant heard your approach and hid. We thought you might be Fellyrians. My lands! Is he wounded?"
"Yes. And I'm taking him to safety, if you'll excuse us."
"One of my ladies is a healer. Come with me. You can stay at my house tonight." When Eldan hesitated, she added; "He needs immediate help. Come." She raised her voice, "Dessa! Lerranda! Aeddiss!" Two young women and one older, all clad in long, simply cut blue tunics, stepped out of the trees beside them.
"Where are the others?" Eldan asked sharply.
"Others? I and my ladies are alone. If there are others near, they must be..." The woman's voice gradually faded from Kalen's hearing. The last thing he saw before the the black mist gathering at the corners of his vision rolled up and covered the world was Eldan looking at him. Her mouth was moving, but he heard nothing.
. An arrow suddenly whistled through the bush past Kalen. His companion yanked him down flat on his stomach on the turf. They lay still until the shooting stopped, then got up. Kalen fired two arrows before any came their way. Kalen dropped again, just in time to see the youth lurch backwards and topple with a feathered shaft in his throat. He crawled over, but there was nothing he could do. The boy was writhing in agony, trying to gasp for air while blood bubbled up in his throat.
Kalen looked away, but the boy seized his hand. He looked back into those wide, frightened eyes, and they locked with his and held. Kalen lay beside him, silently absorbing every ever spams in the hand and all the pain and fear in those vividly blue eyes. A thought whispered around the corners of his mind: He's a she. She's a girl. It didn't matter. It was too late for anything to matter. She was dying. He searched his mind for some words of comfort for a dying soldier.
"It's okay. I'm here." He began, then shook his head. "I'm sorry. I wish I knew your name. I guess I never will." A certain calmness began to grow in her eyes, so he continued, slowly, in a whisper. "I wish I could carry a message to your friends or family, to tell them how brave you were. But I'll follow you soon. We all will. Most probably already have. I mean they've already gone." He felt her hand go limp. "And you're gone too." He reached out and closed her eyelids. She looked peaceful enough, and there was no time to do her any further honor. He fought to silence the voice in the back of his head saying that she could have lived if they had only switched positions.
Taking up his bow, he crawled back to where he could see the camp. Taldyr and his men were gone. A few riderless horses were still rearing and galloping in the excitement of the battle, but most lay in ruin with their masters. Kalen could see Taldyr's banner, the black hawk on a green field, lying trampled in the carnage, and, a few feet away, Taldyr's black horse, lying twisted and bloody. He had no doubt that Taldyr was with it. The Fellyrian army had turned its attention back to the city. They left their dead and wounded and set to loading the catapults. Horses were being harnessed to the seige towers and the archers had turned their volley to Syxel.
Kalen bent his bow and fired. It was pointless--what could he alone do against so many? But if he was to die here, he would bring as many of them as possible down with him. A few archers returned fire, but he didn't bother ducking or changing position. He didn't take time to aim, but shot as fast as he could in the general direction of the thickest part of their force. They had killed the girl behind him and they had killed Taldyr. He would have revenge if it was the last thing he did.
A powerful blow to his shoulder knocked him off his feet. He caught himself only to collapse again at the searing pain racing through his right arm. He clutched his shoulder; arrow fletches brushed his fingers. He tried to think clearly. The other end of the arrow had to be sticking out his back. He'd bleed to death if he tried to pull it out, but he couldn't move his arm, let alone draw his bow, with it in. He crawled backwards into the brush until his back was to a tree, gritted his teeth and grasped the shaft.
"Stop! You'll kill yourself!" He started and turned at the voice by his ear. The back of the arrow hit the tree and a hand clapped over his mouth to stifle his scream of agony. "Quiet. I'm a friend." The hand freed his mouth and its owner crept over to kneel in front of him. It was a dark haired woman dressed in thick blotchy brown leather. She quickly took off her glove, revealing two missing fingers. "Bite down on this and I'll get that arrow out."
"Why? I'm dead anyways."
"No. It's just your shoulder. Now bite." She stuffed the glove between his teeth. She deftly snapped the tip off the arrow, sending another shock of pain through his arm, then grabbed the shaft. "Ready?" Kalen nodded and closed his eyes. Coming out, the arrow was a thousand times more painful than going in. It felt like his arm was being torn from his body. Involuntarily, he screamed past the glove, only to get the girl's hand over his mouth again. "It hurts like hell, but if you love your life, don't make a sound." She hissed in his ear. "I'm going to bandage you up now. It won't stop the bleeding, but it will slow it until I can get you to somewhere that we can tend it properly. And shut your eyes." Kalen obeyed and, a moment later, he felt the aching, scraping pain of cloth being stuffed into the wound on both sides. A few more stips were bound fast around his shoulder to hold the others in, and a last strip formed a sling. He waited a moment or two after she finished, then opened his eyes. She was lacing up her overcoat over her vest. Her shirt. No wonder she had asked him to close his eyes.
"Don't look at me like that. I just saved your life. We have to go. Here," she placed one arm under his left shoulder and helped him to his feet. "Lean on me as much as you need to. It's not far from here." She was close to Kalen's own height, which helped, and at least as strong. "Who are you? And why are you helping me?" He asked after they had gone a short ways.
"Eldan. My name is Eldan. I'm a Syxelite, and I just saw an Elinite army give their lives for my people. This is the least I can do." She stopped suddenly. "I'm sorry. I am so sorry."
"What? What's wrong?"
"We're surrounded." Kalen looked around and saw nothing but trees and brush. "Can't you hear them?" Kalen listen and heard nothing until the bushes right in front of them rustled and parted. A slender woman with long blonde hair, dressed in white, stepped out in front of them.
"Did I frighten you?" She asked gently. "My servant heard your approach and hid. We thought you might be Fellyrians. My lands! Is he wounded?"
"Yes. And I'm taking him to safety, if you'll excuse us."
"One of my ladies is a healer. Come with me. You can stay at my house tonight." When Eldan hesitated, she added; "He needs immediate help. Come." She raised her voice, "Dessa! Lerranda! Aeddiss!" Two young women and one older, all clad in long, simply cut blue tunics, stepped out of the trees beside them.
"Where are the others?" Eldan asked sharply.
"Others? I and my ladies are alone. If there are others near, they must be..." The woman's voice gradually faded from Kalen's hearing. The last thing he saw before the the black mist gathering at the corners of his vision rolled up and covered the world was Eldan looking at him. Her mouth was moving, but he heard nothing.
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