Trial and Glory (9 page)

Soldiers sprinted past Kaz across the catwalks that separated the middle and outer walls. Their heavy footsteps beat the stone beneath them in such a hurried manner, several men fell to the ground while stepping on the heels of the person in front.

Kaz yanked one of those to their feet, pushing him forward while yelling to everyone in earshot. “Slow down, and keep your heads! You’ve been here before.” The steady mass of men continued in a more organized manner.

True, his men had been here before on some level, but not even Nareash’s first assault weeks ago included the use of so many siege towers. The approaching wall of wood and animal hide cast an ever-growing shadow that stretched over the valley floor.

“Commander!”

Kaz stepped out of the path of the men passing. A young messenger ran up.

“Commander, Jeldor wanted me to inform you that his men are in position.”

Kaz craned his neck while studying the left side of the outer wall. “Tell him to switch positions of the third and fifth companies. Otherwise, he’s fine.”

The messenger saluted and took off.

Kaz spared a quick glance over the edge of the catwalk to the killing ground below which separated the outer and middle walls. He had used the down time between attacks over the last few weeks to fill the space with various hazards to obstruct any enemy on their way to the middle wall. Thinking about the approaching horde, he hoped he wouldn’t have to test the effectiveness of those hazards any time soon.

A flash of light reflected off a passing soldier’s helm. Kaz blinked, shielding his eyes from the sun peaking through the rolling clouds. He thought it might rain, but it looked like the weather would hold.

That’ll help the archers and the footing of the men. But the heat will only sap our strength.

Crossing the rest of the catwalk’s span, he made his way to the gatehouse. A lone horseman galloped across the valley toward the fortress with three men in pursuit.

Will he ever learn not to cut it so close?

From the left, Yanasi shouted orders. A small flight of arrows took to the sky. The projectiles engulfed the three riders, felling two. The third pulled away in retreat, hunched in the saddle. Yanasi wore an annoyed scowl.

“Open the gate!” shouted Kaz.

Chains screeched as the portcullis climbed upward. Several deep booms reverberated through the stone wall as the outside doors opened, allowing Rygar in.

Kaz gazed back across the sparse landscape while watching the towers roll over the rough land of dirt and rock.

At this rate, they won’t reach the walls until midday.

He stepped away from the merlons, glancing through the murder holes near his feet as Rygar passed beneath.

Kaz met Rygar at the gatehouse stairwell. The scout held his helm in hand, exposing a head of sweat-soaked blond hair. He pushed aside a clump, revealing bright blue eyes. Red dust clung to his clothes and face. The links to his mail clinked as he took the last few steps.

At least Yanasi won’t have to get on him for not wearing his armor.

“How bad?” asked Kaz.

“Not as bad as it looks, actually,” huffed Rygar as he leaned against a half-wall.

“Are you going blind, or am I imagining those towers coming toward us?”

“Neither. It’s just that those are only half of what they have constructed.”

“Half?”

“Yeah. Because of how they had the equipment positioned in their camp, and the quality of those Kifzo sentries you warned me about, I never got close enough to verify their exact numbers. I had to estimate based on what I saw from one angle. They could easily bring up three rows of those things.”

Then why aren’t they? It’s not like they can use them for anything else. Why not overwhelm us?

“How many men?”

“A lot,” said Rygar. “But again, not as many as they could bring in. I estimated seventy thousand.”

I never thought I’d be happy to see only seventy thousand men. But why not use more?

From the very first moment Nachun had entered his life, he knew the man had a hidden agenda. He had tried to warn his father, and everyone else for that matter, but his efforts appeared to have been fruitless.

He recalled the information Elyse told him about Nareash’s ability to use mind control.
Is that what happened to you, Father?
Kaz shook his head.
Think about those things when this is done.

“Anything else?” he asked.

“They’re finally bringing in more than just a few mages. I can’t give you an accurate number since they’re doing their best to conceal them. It looked like they were focusing on our left side. I didn’t see anyone fitting Nareash’s description among them.”

“I doubt you would. When he’s ready to enter the battle, he’ll come right out front. Good work. I’ll send a runner over to Krytien with your report.”

Rygar looked over Kaz’s shoulder. “I can take care of it.”

He followed Rygar’s gaze. Yanasi stood in the midst of her men, scowling.

“No. I’ll send a messenger.” He slapped Rygar on the shoulder. A cloud of dust took to the air. “You better go smooth things over with her. I don’t want my best captain unable to think clearly because of you.”

“I was afraid you would say that.”

* * *

“I’m sorry.”

Yanasi yanked Rygar off to the side to get some semblance of privacy from the teeming soldiers. “Are you?”

“Of course.”

“Then why do you keep taking such big risks. I know you could have pulled out of there sooner. Yet you keep pushing things.”

“I didn’t push anything.” He grinned. “I knew you had my back.”

Sometimes she hated that smile. Regardless of how angry she was with him, the way he looked at her always softened her feelings. Yanasi leaned in. “We aren’t going to have any future together if you aren’t more careful.”

“I know. But the same goes for you. I want to see that red hair of yours turn gray one day.”

She smiled. “I wish we could go run off now.”

“Soon. Are we good?”

“Yeah, we’re good.”

Rygar kissed her. “Then kill a few dozen for me.”

* * *

Raker swore, kicking the side of the trebuchet.

Senald laughed. “I told you. How much do you owe me now? Ten gold pieces or eleven? I’m losing track.”

Raker swore again. Down to only one hand, he had given up on playing cards due to the difficulty of cheating. However, he couldn’t shake the gambling bug. Most days he took bets on anything and everything. Some he’d win, most he’d lose. He realized the problem with his luck.

It’s too hard to cheat with what I’m placing bets on. I have to rely on someone else.

There was no better example of that than what he had just witnessed. Yanasi had laid into Rygar the last few times he’d done something risky when scouting. After he saw the look on her face, he thought it a sure thing that she wouldn’t hold back this time around. So, he doubled down against Senald, hoping to make up for the heavy losses he took the night before.

Blasted girl is getting soft.

“So,” said Senald, still laughing. “Do you want to cut your losses and pay me now, or are you ready for more punishment?”

A voice called out from behind. “Sir, Kaz sent word that everyone should begin when ready.”

Raker waved the private off, then stared at the approaching siege towers. Despite the uneven, rock-filled terrain, the wide bases lent the structures stability. Still, they had a tendency to drift into each other as they closed. Two actually scraped together, forcing a pause in the advance as teams straightened them out.

Risky. But that could mean a big payoff.

He faced Senald who patiently waited for a response.

“Double or nothing?”

Senald wore a skeptical look. “Can you cover that much?”

Probably not.
“Of course. I got Kroke holding my private stash.”

“Alright. What’s the bet?”

“That I can take out two towers with one round of the trebuchet.”

“That’s impossible.”

“Is it?”

“They’re still out of range.”

“Maybe.”

“You’re just reaching now.”

“Then take the bet. It’s easy money.” Raker looked at the target he had in mind. “But you need to decide quickly. I only have a small window to make it work.”

Senald scratched his neck. “Fine. I know I should feel sorry for you, but I can’t.”

“So you’re taking it?”

“Yeah, I’m taking it.”

Raker turned to the crew around the trebuchet watching the exchange. He began shouting orders. He didn’t have time to explain his reasoning, he just wanted action.

Senald shook his head. “You’re just making this up as you go along, aren’t you? None of this relates to anything you’ve taught us.”

“There are some things you just can’t teach.” Raker licked his thumb and raised it to the wind as he made a couple of minor tweaks. The thumb trick meant nothing in the grand scheme of things, but he thought it looked good. “Some things you just know.”

He walked back to the edge of the wall, judging distance. “On my word,” he barked.

“Ten . . . Nine . . . Eight . . .” When he reached one, he shouted. “Loose!”

The release mechanism turned, the counterweights shifted, and the whole piece of equipment groaned as the bucket swung forward, flinging a large boulder into the air.

Raker followed the stone as it took flight. Its trajectory looked right, but a lot could still happen.

He heard Senald laugh. “It’s too low.”

The rock looked as though it would fall short of the towers. Others joined in laughing.

Work.

Raker tried to appear confident, but he could not stop every muscle in his body from clenching.

If you want a big payoff, you have to be willing to take a big risk.

The boulder struck the ground. It hit a chunk of buried stone that flung it back into the air. Some of the laughing stopped.

C’mon.

It skipped over the valley, twice bouncing until it struck the front inside wheel of the far left tower. The wheel came loose, and the entire structure teetered, crashing into the tower next to it. The second tower leaned. Men on the ground tried to keep it upright, but the structure couldn’t support the weight of the first. Both towers slammed to the ground.

It actually worked.

Silence ran along the entire outer wall. Raker faced Senald. Like everyone else, the man’s mouth hung open.

Raker grinned. “So, triple or nothing?”

* * *

Guwan’s captains yelled at, and in some instances, beat the undisciplined soldiers who came from Thurum’s various territories. The Kifzo forced them to regain their composure lest they face embarrassment before even reaching the wall.

At dawn when they had formed lines behind the rolling towers, the army had acted as though the battle had already been fought and won.

And one lucky boulder shook them back into reality. The fortress’s equipment must have malfunctioned for that to have even worked.

Malfunction or not, the damage to two of the siege towers wiped the smug attitudes from the men.

“Captain, swing that company to the right. We’re too bunched up,” Guwan called, pointing.

“Yes, General.”

Guwan handed a scribbled message to a runner. “See that Colan gets this right away. Tell him new orders have come in from his Master.”

The messenger nodded and rode off carrying the note, oblivious to Guwan’s lie.

I will not suffer through another slaughter because of you, Nareash. If Krytien is someone to fear then let him prove it.

* * *

Nareash stood atop a rise some distance away from the tide of men flowing toward the fortress. The defenders had struck first, forcing the army below to a halt. He eyed the mess through half-interested eyes as his attention drifted back to the walls, wondering where Krytien might be positioned and how he would use the scepter against the attack.

He raised a spyglass to his face, gaze drifting back to his army.

What in the name of the One Above is he doing?

He cursed loudly, and spun around. “You!” he said, pointing a finger.

The messenger’s eyes widened. He tried to speak, but could not find his voice.

Nareash walked over, grabbing the messenger by the collar. “Find Guwan and tell him to stick to the plan! Is that clear?”

The messenger managed an exaggerated nod.

Nareash threw the man back. “Then go!”

The youth took off. Nareash turned his attention back to the field. He chewed the inside of his cheek until he tasted blood.

* * *

The silence on the wall ended, replaced by rhythmic cheering from soldiers looking at the remains of two siege towers. Drake took the opportunity to blink.

He judged the distance of the structures, then squinted across the wall to where Raker stood, smug as ever. The engineer’s yellow-toothed grin shone brightly from across the way.

Unbelievable.

“Do you think we could do that?” Janik asked behind him. Since their success on the last campaign, Krytien had made it a point to pair the green-robed mage with Drake, adding more weight to his attacks and strengthening the defense against direct assaults from the enemy.

Drake took in the approaching horde. Redistributed lines continued their advance. “No one can do that. At least not twice.”

I wonder how much the old fart won.

It seemed that Raker could not do anything halfway. After Kroke managed to talk him into putting the bottle aside, Raker replaced one vice for another.

Drake shrugged.
Better than the alternative, I guess. At least this won’t kill him.

“So, then what do we do?” asked Janik.

Drake glanced over to Raker again who was busy making crude, taunting gestures at them. “Well, we aren’t going to let him gloat. That’s for sure.”

“So you have a plan?”

Drake grinned. “I always have a plan.”

* * *

Kaz wished he could enjoy the cool breeze tickling against his skin, but if he was going to wish, there were other things he would rather wish for.