The Black Sword Trilogy: The Poacher (27 page)

Kayla’s eyes widened as if wanting it and she reached out to grab it.  But then when her fingers touched it, she pushed it back toward Terri.

“No my friend,” She said in her familiar sweet voice.  “It is you who were called to go past the veil.  It was to you the weapon was given.  It is yours.”

             
“But it can’t be.” Terri said in a whine.  “I’m nothing.  I’m nobody.  This is the weapon of a queen; of a hero.  It must be for you.”

Kayla touched Terri’s hand tenderly.

“There is more to you than you know, my dear friend.” She told Terri.  “In the two days you’ve spent with us, I have discovered you to be very intelligent and you have great courage and strength of character.  Though you may not believe it, I believe that you are far more worthy of this weapon than I.”

“But I don’t know how to use it.” Terri exclaimed.

“Neither did the first person to whom it was given five hundred years ago.  She had to learn to use it, just as you will have to learn how to use it.”

              Terri silently sat staring at the bow for a few seconds, not knowing quite what to say or do.  She studied it and gave it a pleading look as if wanting it to say something tangible to her.  Kayla caressed her hand again.

“You’ll be just fine,” She told Terri reassuringly.

“These are great days.” Saab said in his deep, rumbling voice.

“Yeah,” Terri added dryly.  “Great.  Just wonderful.”

“These are also terrible days,” Kayla said somberly.  “The return of this weapon to the world means the coming of another great war; perhaps even a final conflict that may destroy the world as we know it.”

              The table was silent for a moment, then one spoke.

“I still say the affairs of the other nations are none of our concern.” He said.  “We’ve managed to remain untouched by the conflicts outside of our borders for five hundred years.  Why should we become involved now?  Let the rest of the world burn.  We don’t need anything more than what we have around us.”

“You really are a fool, aren’t you?” Kayla asked him.  “This world is more interconnected than you know.”

“With all due respect my lady…”

“Imagine it as a spider’s web.  Every strand connected to each other.”

“I disagree.  We’ve stood alone for…”

“Have we really?” She interrupted.  She then picked up an apple from off of her plate.  “This apple fell from a tree in Walechia.  It came to us on a ship from Sheyron, along with coffee from Masallah.  Walechia has benefitted from the shelter the Blackwoods give against the stormy seas and frozen wastes to the west and north of us.  The snow from the mountains gives water to our trees and to the fields on the mountainsides of Masallah.  And the great ships of Sheyron bring ideas and information to all our lands.  We’ve never been completely isolated and I say we shouldn’t be.  We are as much a part of this world as the world is part of us.  That is why the Blackwoods Bow was given to us in the first place and that it is why it has been found today.”

              “Unfortunately,” Saab added.  “We have no standing army as Walechia and Masallah.”

“We won’t need one.” Kayla answered him.  “Military might hasn’t been the role the Blackwoods has played in the years since the Great War.  This coming conflict will be more than just a clash of armies; but also of ideas and ways of living.  What our trees and animals have to give is far greater than any weapon and it is our courage and conviction that will be tested.  This forest is the home of love and beauty in the world and that is the role we will play in the coming war; not of soldiers and weapons; but of people and hearts.  That is what the world will look to us for and that is what we will offer.”

“But what about the bow?” Saab asked.  “Is that not a weapon of death and destruction?”

“On its own, yes.  But its role along with the other great weapons is something I believe will be more than just to kill and destroy.  I believe that it will serve a far greater purpose than any of us can imagine when the time comes.  That is why, I believe it was given to a young woman whose true potential is a mystery even to herself.”

             
“Unfortunately,” Terri said, jumping in to the conversation.  “That means that I have to go soon.”

“Unfortunately it does,” Kayla added sadly.  She then handed a silver cup to Terri.  “Drink this.” She told her.  Terri drank from the cup and it tasted awful.  Whatever it was tasted bitter and gritty.

“What is this…” and then she lost consciousness.

              Terri awoke with the sun shining on her face through a thick, forest canopy.  Her head felt heavy and her eyes hurt from the bright sunshine.  There were figures standing above her and as her eyes slowly focused, she saw that it was Kayla with a few people (she couldn’t tell if they were men or women) standing around her wearing cloaks and having bows and arrows.  Looking around her, she saw that she had been in a small bed that looked as if it had been carried like a stretcher for a wounded or sick person.  She also saw that she was fully clothed and had her short sword on her equipment belt.

              “What happened?” She groaned.

Kayla looked down at her smiling, but also a serious expression in her eyes.

“I’m sorry I had to do that to you,” she told Terri.  “But at this time, it’s important that you not know how to find the Secret City.”

“What did you do to me?” Terri asked, confused.

“Just gave you a mild sleeping potion.”

“How long have I been asleep?”

“Two days.”

Terri nearly bolted out of the bed; and then, feeling dizzy, nearly fell over.

“Don’t worry,” Kayla reassured her.  “During those two days, we have taken you here.  You’re only a day’s ride through the hills to the Great Plain and then, less than another day to Kallesh.”

“Ride?” Terri asked.

Kayla then motioned over to someone that Terri couldn’t immediately see.  She looked in the direction Kayla had motioned and saw one of Kayla’s guards leading a beautiful, light brown horse that looked somewhat familiar.

“This horse,” Kayla told her, “was a survivor from your battle and we found her in the forest.  We fed her, healed her wounds and now she will take you to The White City.”

Terri looked at the gorgeous animal and saw a look in her eyes that seemed to say that she recognized her.  Terri stepped up to her and the horse stepped closer to her.  She lowered her head allowing Terri to gently stroke her.

             
Terri then felt Kayla’s hand gently touch her shoulder and she looked to her.  Kayla had the bow in her hand and was holding it to her.  Terri looked at it as if looking at something that had come to her out of a dream.  It didn’t seem real and she felt as though she couldn’t take it.  Half reluctantly, she closed her hand around the shaft and she felt the warmth and energy from the bow begin to flow into her again.  She took the bow from Kayla and slung it over her shoulder.  Kayla also gave her a quiver full of arrows.

“Where’s my stuff?” She asked Kayla.  There was a tone in her voice that said that she knew it was time to go.

Kayla gestured to the horse and Terri saw that there were two packs tied onto the horse.  Terri then climbed into the saddle and looked down at Kayla wanting to say goodbye, but not knowing quite how to do it.

“I’ve packed some extra provisions for you in the other pack,” Kayla told Terri.  There was a hint of crying in her voice and Terri saw a tear begin to form in her sparkling brown eyes.  Terri grabbed her hand, which was stroking the horse.

“Thank you for everything.” Terri said gently. 

Kayla looked up with her sweet smile, then took Terri’s hand and kissed it tenderly.

“You are welcome in my city any time.” She said.

“But how will I find it?”

Kayla smiled even brighter and said, “Come to this point in the forest and I will find you.”

The Third Causton War

              Whereas the first two Causton Wars were somewhat slow in developing, the third war came like a thunderstorm.  Several expeditions had been sent to find Causton in the Hills, the Badlands and in the mountains.  King Philas even offered a reward to other three nations if they found him and handed him over; but after five years, there was no sign or story of him.

              Then, a fleet of ships with plain white sails come up the Serpent River and then a force of ten thousand soldiers began attacking and destroying farms and villages along the river.  Causton made sure that it was known that he was in command of the massive force. 

They crossed the bridge at Serace and continued their reign of terror until a force of one hundred met them before the city of Beyton and slowed them down.  Under the command of a young general named Banner, they used hit-and-run tactics to attack from the forests close to the river to continually engage Causton’s troops.  They attacked day and night, never even allowing Causton’s troops one night’s rest.  By the time Causton’s new army reached Beyton, his troops were exhausted.  Facing an army of equal strength near Beyton and still being battered by Banner’s forces, Causton and his army retreated.  However, they were not finished.

They drove north along the same route they had attacked.  However, having destroyed the farms and ranches along this route, Causton’s army soon began to run low on supplies.  In addition, Walechia’s armies were close behind and growing in strength.  Low on food and morale, many of Causton’s troops began deserting and fleeing into the mountain passes.  It was rumored that they were Masallan soldiers sent by the King of Masallah to destabilize Walechia in preparation for his own war of invasion.  This was never proven.  By the time his army reached the Badlands, Causton’s army numbered less than two thousand.

King Philas then entered into a secret arrangement with one of Causton’s generals.  In exchange for capturing Causton, the rest of the army would be spared and allowed to go home.  The unknown general, without Causton’s knowledge arranged for the bulk of the army to disappear in the middle of the night, leaving only Causton and his most ardent supporters to face the massive Walechian Army.  It was believed that Causton would likely surrender and himself be captured.

On the banks of the river, with the rocks and crags of the Badlands at his back, Causton awoke one morning to find only a few dozen soldiers left of his army facing over fifty thousand Walechian troops.  Rather than surrender, he led his troops in one last, suicidal charge in which he and all who followed him were killed.  None allowed themselves to be captured.

The Causton Wars had taken over twenty five years and cost hundreds of thousands of lives.  Farmers lost their farms.  Villages were destroyed and the city of Kasabbah was never rebuilt.  Its ruins were demolished and a huge cemetery dedicated in its place.  Many who supported the former priest scattered into the Badlands, the Hills or disappeared into the other nations.

Many questions remained after the Wars; including who might still be secretly supporting Causton’s beliefs; what happened to his followers and what was Masallah’s involvement in the third war?  Had they really supplied the ten thousand soldiers Causton led?  King Philas emerged as a hero; as did the young General Banner.  But Farraday’s peace, which was supposed to last a thousand years was shattered and an entire generation that had previously never known war became accustomed to armed conflict; expecting the next great war to come at virtually any time.

Chapter Thirty Four

              General Grail sat on a rock staring at the campfire.  There had been nothing from his master since the battle of the “Merchant’s Gate” almost two weeks previous.  No instructions.  No criticism.  No praise.  Neither had there been any word from the Wolfen pack he’d sent into the forest to search for survivors.  He reasoned they had likely just run away.

              His soldiers were becoming more and more difficult to control.  They had passed several farms and villages on their sweep across the south.  The beasts wanted to destroy and pillage, but he and his officers needed to restrain them; needed to keep them focused.  After taking Mobrey, he would need these farms and villages for supplies while the remainder of the army flowed across the flood plain.  The stupid animals didn’t understand that.  They only knew what they wanted; wanton death and destruction.

              Suddenly one of his officers approached him and gave him news he couldn’t believe.  He raced to a single tent in the middle of the camp, entered in and found his brother, Krall seated cross-legged and tied to the center post in the tent.