The Black Sword Trilogy: The Poacher (37 page)

“How proficient are you with that bow?” He asked her.

“I think a more accurate statement is that this bow has become pretty proficient with me.”

“Have you been practicing?”

“I have and I managed to punch two holes in the back of the barracks at Kallesh with this thing.”

“Two holes through that wall?” He asked in disbelief.

“Yup; like a hot knife through butter.  I still don’t know what happened to the arrows.”

“What about its range?” He asked.

“I’m not sure.”

“What do you mean you’re not sure?” He asked, sounding angry.

“That is to say, General, I’m not sure this bow has a limit to its range.  The farthest target I hit in practice was, at least two miles away.”

Pol nodded approvingly.

“Good.  I need you to hit as many targets as possible.”

“Oh don’t worry about me or any of my archers, sir.  We’ll kill more than our fair share.  Isn’t that right boys?” She shouted to her company.  They all cheered.

             
The army waited tensely for the enemy to come.  Every soldier knew that at any moment, the enemy would come marching over the hill, looking like a wave breaking on to a beach.  Kenner remembered feeling this same kind of tension waiting for the battle at the fort.  He couldn’t take his eyes off of the distant hill over which that same army would be crossing at any moment.

              Terri practiced aiming with the bow.  When she pulled the bow string back, it had a curious effect.  Whatever target she was aiming at appeared to come closer; almost as if the target were right in front of her.  It made her dizzy the first time she tried it and was getting used to it with each pull.  She found a tree on top of the hill that she knew to be, at least three miles away.  Each time she pulled the string back, the tree appeared as if only a step in front.  Then she saw a single Wolfen cross over the hill.  It peered down the hill and turned around.  She couldn’t hear it, but she saw that it looked like it howled.  She loosed an arrow at it and almost the instant it left her bow, the arrow struck the animal in the head.

“One down.” She said with a smile.

             
For the next hour, the army watched in awe and fear as the Wolfen army poured over the hill.  From only a few officers at the head of the formation, they washed over the hill like a wave and eventually filled the plain.

              Kenner heard his soldiers murmuring to themselves in frightful voices.  He pulled Shela around to face them.

“You boys act like you’ve never seen five thousand Wolfen before.” He said, smiling at them.  They laughed and Kenner thought they looked a little more relaxed after that.

             
Captain Krall felt the same excitement and fear he had always felt before a battle.  Even after thirty years of fighting, he never got used to the sight of an army massing before him.  Memories flashed before his eyes of battles fought long ago and of the battle he’d fought less than a month previous.  He remembered the sights, the sounds even the smells of malaise, weapons crashing against one another, screams and yells and the sights of bodies littered on a field.  His horses and those of his company shuffled nervously as the massive army came closer and closer.

              The ground shook and a rumble like an earthquake came nearer as the mass of creatures and men moved slowly forward to the bottom of the hill.  Suddenly they all stopped and three riders approached.  One of the riders carried a white flag.

              The King rode to in front of Terri.

“Should we kill them all now, Your Majesty?” She asked with a confident smile.

“No.” He said seriously.  “I will not dishonor a flag of truce.  If they try anything foolish, then unleash hell.”

Terri turned to her archers and nodded.  All her men then readied arrows and prepared to
loose them on them on the enemy.

              The King, along with General Pol and another General named Vash rode to within a few feet of the riders from the enemy ranks.  When he removed his helmet, The King immediately recognized Grail.

“Captain Grail!” He announced upon seeing him.  “I see you are the traitor at the head of this army.”

“I come to offer terms, Your Majesty.” Grail said calmly.

“As have I, General.  Let us hear yours first and then I will give you mine.”

             
“Our terms are these?” Grail began.  “Lead your army off this field and I will allow you safe conduct back to the city.  I will then give you two days to evacuate the city and lead the citizens safely back to Kallesh.”

“Is that it?” The King scoffed.  “Are those your terms?”

“They are, Your Majesty.”

“Very well then.  Here are mine.  Your officers may lead these foul beasts back the way you came and never return.  You, on the other hand will surrender yourself and face trial for treason by a panel of judges.  You will get a fair trial and then a fair beheading.”

“Is that all?” Grail questioned, looking smug.

“One more thing,” The King added.  “I know you couldn’t possibly have summoned this army together yourself.  So have your officers tell your master, whoever he or she is that if he or she dare send troops into my kingdom again, I will hunt them down from here to the four corners of this world.  I will not rest, nor will any who serves me until his or her head is on a pike at the entrance to the White City.  Do you understand me, traitor?”

“I believe we understand one another perfectly, Your Majesty.”

              The King turned his horse around and began riding back to his army.  Then the entire army watched in horror as General Grail threw the Silver Axe at the King.  It landed in the middle of his back and the King fell to the ground.

Chapter Forty Six

             
Upon seeing the King fall, Terri shot an arrow at General Grail.  It hit him in the middle of his back, but merely bounced off of his armor.

“Damn!” She exclaimed.  She then turned to her company who were ready to shoot their own arrows.

“Wait for the officers to get back!” She shouted at them.

              Generals Pol and Vash returned for the King and found him motionless on the ground.  Pol dismounted his horse and tried to pick up the King, but Grail rode up on his and brought the axe crashing down on his head.  Vash spurred on his horse and tried to return to the Walechian army, but the Silver Axe landed in his back sending him to the ground as well.

              General Grail and his officers then returned to their own ranks and the Walechian army heard the sickening and horrifying howls of the enemy Wolfen.  The Walechian soldiers nearly panicked and several ranks began to break apart.  Kenner then felt a wave of energy flash through him almost like a lightning bolt.  He rode to the very front of the army.

              “Do not give in to fear!” He called in a voice louder than he thought possible.  “Do not give in to fear!” 

He saw every soldier stop in their place and look to him.

“Our leaders are down, but the day is not lost!  I swear to you it is not lost!”

He then pulled the sword from its sheath and it rang like a giant bell.  He rode back and forth at the front of the army, shouting:

“Behold the Black Sword!  The weapon that conquered all the armies of this world and brought five hundred years of peace!  Behold yourselves, an army of men poised to battle the forces of evil!  Behold your enemy!  Five thousand creatures bent on the death and destruction of everything you know and love!  But they will not succeed!  Not today!  Not at this place!  Not at this time!  Today you will charge the enemy and they will fall under your feet!  Today your courage will overcome the dark forces from the deepest dungeons of hell!  Today you and I will face this enemy together!  We will fight will all of our strength and courage and we will tell future generations of our victory!”

He raised the sword high above his head and from the hilt, bright yellow flames burst out and engulfed the blade.  The army cheered and screamed.  Their fear was gone.

             
“Archers!” Kenner shouted.  “Rain death upon their heads!”

The archers all sent a shower of arrows upon the heads of the Wolfen charging upon them.  The creatures stopped in their tracks and retreated, giving Kenner more time.  Terri then began picking off the enemy officers one by one.  With her arrows knocking them off of their horses and dying, they began scrambling around and chaos began to take hold of the Wolfen ranks.  General Grail desperately tried to regain control, but the creatures merely ran around confused on the field.

             
“Captain Krall!” Kenner called.  “Take the cavalry left around their right flank and encircle them!”

Krall rode to the front of the cavalry positions.

“You heard the man with the sword!” He cried out.  He then led the cavalry which thundered into the battlefield.  They kept to the right of the enemy positions and began to circle them, cutting down dozens at a time.

Kenner then called to Terri again.

“Mind your rear!  They may try to attack from behind!”

“I’m glad someone’s watching my ass!” She replied.

             
His sword still blazing, Kenner rode to the very front of the Walechian force now rallying to him.

“The time has come!  The enemy is there!  They wait only for us to cast them down into the abyss!”

He turned Shela around who unleashed an ear-splitting roar.

“Follow me!”

             
Slowly at first, then gaining speed, the infantry followed close behind Kenner who stayed at a trotting pace so as not to go too far in front.  The enemy ranks were almost hidden in a cloud of dust caused by the cavalry and animals running around in confusion.  When he judged to be one hundred yards from the enemy, he softly kicked Shela in the ribs to spur her on and she bolted towards the enemy, leapt high in the air and came down on several panicking Wolfen.  She tore them apart with her teeth and claws and Kenner began swinging the Black Sword at every beast near him.  Everything died that the sword touched.  Yelling and screaming, the Walechian army then crashed into the enemy ranks and began tearing apart the animals they reached.

              Captain Krall and the cavalry continued to circle the Wolfen, preventing them from escaping.  Every animal that came within a spear’s length of a Walechian horseman died.  Not being able to aim accurately anymore, the archers ceased shooting their arrows; all except Terri, who continued picking off enemies.  Within a few moments, she turned her archers around to search for Wolfen coming from behind.  She saw about one hundred of them circling around and she and her archers rained arrows at them, cutting them down and sending them racing towards the river.  She saw one officer try to reorganize them and sent an arrow into his head.  The remaining Wolfen panicked and ran.

              In the dust and confusion of the battle, General Grail was able to rally his confused and nearly beaten troops.  He found a gap in between the infantry and the cavalry and pulled his troops back up the hill.  They were faster than the men and were able to escape.  The men of Walechia shouted and cheered, thinking the Wolfen and their commander were retreating; but then they saw them reform their ranks.

“It’s not over yet, boys!” Kenner yelled above the cheering.

The men reformed their own ranks and readied themselves.

              Kenner felt that Shela was limping.  He climbed off of her and saw that she was wounded.  She looked directly in his eyes as if to say that she was alright, but Kenner rubbed her neck and told her, “Go!”

Her eyes pleaded with him to stay; but he looked directly into her bright, green eyes and told her, “You cannot fight with me tomorrow if you die today.”

She then did something that surprised Kenner.  She licked him lovingly and then limped as fast as she could away from the formation.

              Kenner then turned and addressed his men again.

“No matter what happens!  No matter how tired or hurt you are; you are men of Walechia and you will stand your ground!”

The army cheered again and then braced themselves.

              General Grail, the last man on a horse from the enemy force rode to the head of his army and raised the Silver Axe high.

“Come on!” Kenner screamed and the rest of the men did as well.

Grail and his army then charged down the hill at the men waiting for them.  There was a sound like thunder as the two armies slammed into one another and the battle began again.