Rising From the Ashes: The Chronicles of Caymin (18 page)

Beanna flew ahead and then back to them as they traveled. For what seemed like an age, she reported nothing, but then,
“They are just there.”

She flew to where Enat and Neela were hidden in a dense copse of rowan trees, armed with both their staffs and swords. Breathlessly, Caymin dropped her basket and sat, her legs trembling.

“Where are the others?” Ronan asked, breathing only a little more easily than Caymin.

Neela pointed up. “The other apprentices have all taken positions that will give them vantage points for their bows or spears if the invaders get this far.”

Caymin looked around. “Where is Ivar?”

“He went to the closest village to warn them,” Enat said. “If they’re capable of fighting, he’ll organize them.”

“And if they are not?”

Enat glanced at her. “Then he’ll try to hide them.”

Ronan turned at this. “But that means there’ll be no one to stand between the invaders and the forest.”

Neela nodded. “We don’t yet know if they have mages with them. It may be that the forest will turn them away without our help.”

“Timmin?”

Enat smiled grimly. “Timmin is preparing his own defenses if the invaders make it into the forest.”

“What do you want us to do?” Ronan asked.

“Spread out and take up positions that will allow you to use bows first,” Neela said. “We want you out of harm’s way unless it becomes necessary for you to use swords or spears.”

Caymin and Ronan strung their bows and moved off. Caymin found an aged elm tree that offered her hand and footholds for climbing. She didn’t climb high, but looked for a gap in the leafy branches that would afford her a view of any who might be approaching their position. She settled in the crook of two branches. Beanna flew to the branch beside her.

“Now, we wait,”
said the crow.

All was still eerily quiet, as if the entire forest held its breath. Caymin felt the undercurrent of energy from the tree she sat in.
“The trees know.”

Beanna fluffed her feathers.
“The whole forest knows.”

Hours dragged by. All remained silent. There was no stir of movement, no word from Ivar. Darkness began to fall. Caymin heard Enat’s voice in her head.

“Come down. We will eat and decide who will stand watch through the night.”

Caymin climbed down from her perch to find Diarmit, Cíana and the others already gathered together.

Speaking in whispers, they explained that Daina and Fergus had been the ones to sound the alarm.

“We saw an enormous plume of black smoke in the distance,” Daina whispered.

“Did you actually see the invaders?” Ronan asked, helping himself to some cheese and bread.

Fergus shook his head. “We didn’t wait for them to get that close. We sent word back and waited for everyone to join us here.”

“What do you think is happening with Ivar and the villagers?” Diarmit looked worried as he bit into a strip of venison.

No one replied.

“We’ll need to divide the watch through the night,” said Neela. “The forest will help to sound an alarm if they cross the boundary.”

She assigned Niall, Cíana and Gai to the first watch. “The rest of you get some sleep. We’ll switch at moonrise.”

Caymin spread her cloak on the ground and lay down, listening for any sound. Her eyes snapped open at every creak of a branch. She could feel the animals sheltering as they, too, waited, but none were speaking. She forced herself to close her eyes.

She wasn’t sure what time it was when something pushed through her sleep. She opened her eyes to find the moon high overhead, and realized the first switch of the watch must have been made. As she listened, she felt Péist – his fear and alarm.

She jumped up, searched for Enat and shook her awake.

“They are coming in from another direction.”

Enat sat up. “How do you know this?”

“I heard it.”

“I’ve heard nothing.”

“It woke me.”

Enat reached out to wake Neela and, together, they placed their hands on a tree, listening.

Neela quickly shook Ronan, Méav, Una and Diarmit awake.

“We’ll go to meet them at the place Caymin knows,” she said to Enat. “You and the others stay here in case it’s a trick. Ask Beanna if she’ll carry a message to Ivar.”

Enat gave Caymin’s shoulder a squeeze. “You’re sure?”

Caymin nodded as she gathered her bow, quiver and her sword.

“Take care.”

Neela asked Caymin to lead the way. Shafts of moonlight filtered through the trees to light their way, but Caymin wished it were dark to cover their movements.

“Where are we going?” Neela asked.

“West.”

She told Péist they were coming, and followed the thoughts she sensed from him as she led the others through the forest.

“How does she know where to go?” Diarmit whispered as he tripped over a root.

“Shhh.”

Caymin had never been to this part of the forest, but Péist’s presence drew her surely as an arrow shot from a bow. She slowed her pace and the others followed suit.

Crouching, she peered through the tree trunks. She sensed the boundary of the forest.

“They came across the lake,” Neela breathed in Caymin’s ear.

Below them, they could see five long, wooden boats pulled up on a grassy shore. A score of men gathered there. Puzzled, Caymin wondered why they were standing about, doing nothing. Then she saw them. Two men, their light hair gilded by the moonlight, their shoulders draped in fur capes, walked along the edge of the forest. She saw that their hands were raised and saw their bearded mouths moving, though they were too far away to hear what they said.

She felt a shiver run through the ground beneath her feet. The others felt it, too.

“Move back,” Neela whispered.

They crept back the way they had come.

“The two are mages,” Neela said. “They are using their power, looking for a way through the protections around the forest.”

“Why?” Una glanced at the others. “What do they want here? There are no villages to plunder.”

Neela shook her head. “They may not know that. They may want sacred wood from the forest, or plants we have here that don’t grow in their land. I only know they do not come as friends.”

She looked at the apprentices. “There are too many of them for us to fight with weapons alone. We will watch at first, to see what they do. If they bring any harm to the forest or to us, we must protect what is ours. Use what you know, but only use your weapons if you’ve no other choice.”

They spread out, climbing trees or hiding in clumps of undergrowth. Caymin pushed into a dense thicket and found a position that gave her an opening she could shoot through if needed.

“We are here,”
Caymin said to Péist. She wasn’t certain where he was, but she knew he was near.
“Stay hidden.”

Silently, they waited. Another shudder ran through the earth beneath her, and she knew the strangers had found their way in. Barely daring to breathe, she heard them before she saw them, and listened as they drew near. Their speech was strange, guttural and harsh. They tramped along, not bothering to move quietly.

She glanced right and left, and saw the shadows of Méav and Ronan in neighboring trees readying their weapons. She knew Neela, Una and Diarmit were probably doing the same in other clumps of undergrowth.

The invaders halted their progress at a stand of rowan trees. By shifting just a bit, Caymin could see them as they pulled out knives, collecting berries and cutting branches, tying them in bundles. One of them called out, and the others joined him at a nearby yew – an ancient and gnarled tree. Moonlight flashed of the broad blades of the axes they hefted. A few of them began hacking at stout branches while others used their axes to shave the bark.

Again, Caymin felt a shudder, almost of pain, from the forest. Neela had said not to use weapons, but they were attacking the trees. Caymin drew her bow, took aim at the stranger nearest her and let loose. Her aim was true, and the arrow hit the handle of his axe, causing it to go spinning from his hand. With a cry, he whirled, looking for the one who had shot at him. From all around them, the invaders were suddenly besieged by arrows and balls of flame flying from every direction. Caymin joined in, flinging balls of fire at their feet as they bunched together, shouting and looking for their enemies.

With a raucous screech and the thunder of many flapping wings, a flock of birds swooped down, diving with beaks and talons at the invaders. Caymin saw owls and hawks and other crows. The strangers yelled in fear, covering their heads with their arms as the birds pecked and scratched at them.

A mighty wind whipped the air and a great creaking rose up from the forest floor. What moonlight there was, was obscured. New shouts of terror came from the invaders as the very trees seemed to close in around them. Someone among them roared a word and they all began running back the way they had come. The birds pursued them until all were out of hearing.

Slowly, the wind ceased and the moonlight filtered once more through the leaves of the trees, and all was as it had been. Caymin crawled out of her thicket to join the others who were emerging from their hiding places.

She looked around, staring at the ground around the trees, but all was as before. Nothing looked disturbed; no trees were uprooted. But she could have sworn…

“Did you see that?” Diarmit asked, pointing. “The trees… the trees banded together!”

Neela turned to him. “Don’t be daft. Trees can’t move.”

But Caymin noted that she smiled as she said it.

Suddenly, they heard a harsh cry. They crept through the forest, staying behind trees for cover until they saw that one of the invaders was writhing on the ground. His companions had left him behind. In the distance, the long boats could be seen pushing off from the shore and gliding back across the lake.

Neela approached the stranger, her bow held at the ready, flanked by Méav and Ronan who had spears aimed at him.

Peering around Neela, Caymin saw that the man’s leg was injured, pierced by one of their arrows.

Still aiming an arrow at his heart, Neela said, “Why have you come here?”

The man stared at her, his expression in the moonlight one of panic as he looked hopelessly around for help. Seeing that he’d been left, he calmed himself and faced Neela.

“Vi mener ingen skade.”

She frowned. “I don’t understand you.”

“Do you want me to heal his leg?” Caymin asked.

Neela shook her head. “No. You’ll not use your energy healing the likes of him.” She jerked her bow up, indicating she wanted him to stand. He got up, balancing on one leg, leaving his axe lying at his feet.

“Search him for other weapons,” Neela said, keeping her bow drawn and aimed at him.

Ronan stepped forward and found two knives, one in his belt, the other tucked into his boot. He handed the knives to Una and placed the stranger’s arm over his shoulder.

“Let’s go,” Neela said.

Dawn was tinting the sky to the east with pinks and purples as they got back to the village. Exhausted, the small party collapsed to the ground, the invader grunting in pain as Ronan dropped him. He grabbed his injured leg.

They dug into the food baskets. Caymin handed the injured man a hunk of bread and a piece of cheese. He sniffed them cautiously, and then, seeing that they were all eating from the same baskets, jammed the food into his mouth.

Before long, they were joined by Enat and those apprentices who had stayed with her.

They stopped when they saw the injured stranger on the ground. Enat squatted down next to him, running a hand over the smooth fur of his boots and the rough, thick hair of his cape.

“A northman,” she said. “Can you understand me?”

He looked at her blankly. “Vi mener ingen skade.”

“That’s what he said before,” Neela said. “I don’t know what he’s saying.”

He looked from one of them to the other. “Vi hørte der drager her.”

Enat turned to Daina. “Get the map. The large one.”

Daina was back in a moment. Enat laid the map on the ground. “Show us.” She pointed at him and then at the map again. He nodded his understanding and pointed to a place far to the north.