Quest's End: The Broken Key #3 (67 page)

The complete unexpectedness and boldness of it caused the men racing to kill them to slow and then stop.

Haran, with all the pride and bearing of his House, stared the men down. “I asked you a question!” he demanded. “Who among you would care to answer?”

Damn,
thought Chyfe, he’s got a lot of moxie! Racing back down the stream, he reached the stand of trees wherein they had left Kevik.

“Kevik!” he hollered as he hurried closer. When no answer was forthcoming, he hollered, “Soth!” Still no reply. Quickening his speed and fearing the worse, he drew his sword and crashed through the outer layer of branches and bushes. “Kevik!” he hollered again, but when he came to the interior of the stand, he found it completely empty but for Kevik’s stretcher. Kevik and the twins were gone.

From their hiding place within the trees, Seth and Soth were watching their friends battling the five soldiers. “Good one Riyan,” Seth said when Riyan’s bullet dropped a man.

“What’s going on?”

They glanced back and saw Kevik propped up on one elbow looking at them. “Soldiers from Quillim,” explained Seth. “But don’t worry, Chyfe and Riyan are handling the situation.”

“That’s good,” he said.

Seth turned back to watch the unfolding battle while Soth came to the magic user’s side. “How do you feel?” he asked.

“A bit weak,” he replied. “But better.”

Soth nodded. Most of the burns had now healed over and the scar tissue was beginning to disappear. Pretty soon, the only evidence of the toasting Kevik took would be his lack of hair and the tattered remnants of his robe.

“Uh-oh,” Seth said.

“What?” asked his brother.

Seth turned to them and said, “They took out the five soldiers. But now there are more pouring out of the trees.”

“How many?” Kevik asked.

“A lot,” he replied. “A score, maybe more.”

Soth went to stand next to his brother. “They’re outnumbered,” he said.

Beside him, Seth nodded. Then he suddenly turned to Kevik and said, “Wait a minute! Isn’t your spell still binding the rest of the Haran’s men?”

Kevik shrugged. “I don’t know, maybe,” he replied.

“If it was, you could dispel it,” said Soth. “That would give us more men.”

He glanced to the brothers a moment then replied, “I can’t do it from here. I would need to be much closer, within visual range.”

Seth glanced back to the two converging sides and saw that Riyan’s group had come to a stop. The group of soldiers was slowing, almost as if they were coming to parlay. “Good,” he said as he turned to the other two, “it looks like they plan to talk.”

“That would afford us time to get you there and free the men,” Soth observed.

“Hand me my staff,” Kevik said to Seth. Then he grabbed hold of the healing gem and placed it in his undamaged pouch. With Soth’s help he made it to his feet, then leaned heavily upon his staff when Seth handed it to him. “Let’s go,” he said and began shambling toward the back of the copse. Though outwardly it looked as if he was pretty much healed, he was still in a lot of pain and consciousness remained a fragile thing.

Seth was quick to notice how slow Kevik was moving. At this rate, the impending battle would be over before they made it very far. So giving his brother a knowing look, they came to either side of Kevik and lifted him off the ground.

“What are you doing?” Kevik asked as the twins began carrying him quickly through the trees.

“This is faster,” Seth replied. And with the magic user between himself and his brother, they worked their way through the trees.

“Who is your captain?” Daniel demanded.

It had been an unexpected surprise when they came across the camp. Forty men lying on the ground, all immobilized by some sort of sticky substance, were struggling mightily to escape their bonds.

However, the most inexplicable aspect of the situation, was the composition of the men. Half wore the uniform of Byrdlon soldiers, while the other half were clearly Tribesmen of the Orack Tribe. All in all a perplexing state of affairs.

They noticed right away that the shepherd and his crew weren’t among the immobilized men. Also, seeing as how the substance holding the men was identical in nature to that which had affected the soldiers back at the Magistrate’s manor, it would seem the shepherd’s pet magic user was to blame.

One of his men had discovered a trail of footprints leading away alongside the stream. Daniel had Captain Glaver send five of his men to follow the trail to see where it led.

The soldier before him wasn’t being very cooperative. In fact, other than glaring at Daniel, he hadn’t made any other response. “What would bring our soldiers and Tribesmen together out here in the middle of nowhere?” he asked.

“They are probably hunting for the Horde as we are,” Rupert said.

Daniel turned a face red with anger toward him. “Speak again and they will be the last words you utter!” he warned. His patience with the boy was pretty much at an end. And now he just told these men of their search for the Horde!

Rupert choked back the angry retort that came to his lips. He knew Daniel would follow through with his threat. Staring defiantly at Daniel, he kept quiet.

“Now,” began Daniel as he turned back to the soldier, “who is your captain and what business do you have here?”

“He’s not from this area,” Captain Glaver told Daniel. “I know every soldier within riding distance of Wardean.”

“Perhaps from further south?” suggested Tox. “That would explain the Tribesmen.”

“So it would,” agreed Daniel. Then just as he was about to pose another question to the soldier, they heard ‘Attack!’

Instantly, every head turned toward where the cry originated. Before anyone could react, there came further cries of ‘Help!’ and ‘Attack!’

“Seems they’ve found the shepherd,” Daniel said to Captain Glaver.

Captain Glaver drew his sword and with a shout of, “To battle!” led his men forward. Soon only Daniel, Tox, and Rupert were standing with the immobilized men.

Tox gestured to the goo entrapping the man before them and said, “You realize that this stuff isn’t going to last forever.”

Nodding, Daniel said, “Yes I do.”

“Maybe we should join Captain Glaver then,” suggested Rupert.

Shhhhht!

In one motion, Daniel drew his sword and struck. Only by sheer dumb luck was Rupert able to dodge backward in time to avoid being killed. “I think your usefulness to me is at an end, boy.” Daniel informed him as he advanced.

“You can’t kill me!” Rupert cried out. “I’m the Magistrate’s son!” Moving backward, Rupert drew his sword.

“You’re not even that anymore,” Daniel laughed.

“What do you mean?” he asked. Holding his sword at the ready, Rupert couldn’t believe what his one time ally was saying.

Daniel gave him an evil grin and said, “Your father is dead, boy.”

“No!” he exclaimed. “H…he went to Wardean!”

“Ha!” said Daniel. Striking out, he tried to take Rupert through the midsection but had his blade deflected to the side. “You didn’t honestly think he would be allowed to speak with the Duke did you? You really are just a stupid boy from a nothing village aren’t you?”

“I don’t believe you!” Rupert cried out. Anger and hurt filled him and he lashed out with his sword. All the plans he and Daniel had discussed were just lies. Betrayal! Rage lending him strength, he tried to hack through Daniel’s defenses and kill him.

Daniel easily blocked his attacks despite the impetus rage lent him, and then returned with an attack of his own which opened a cut on Rupert’s shoulder.

“Finish it sir,” Tox said. “We don’t have time for this.”

Sighing, Daniel blocked another attack by Rupert then said, “You’re right, of course.” No longer playing with the boy, Daniel’s eyes narrowed and he launched into an attack in earnest.

Hack, thrust, slice, thrust. His attacks came so fast that all Rupert was able to do was defend.

“He’s not going to last much longer,” Seth said when they arrived at the edge of the woods and saw them fighting. “The boy’s not very good.” He and his brother brought Kevik to the edge of the woods, keeping within them just enough so as not to be seen by the men in the clearing.

“Is this close enough?” Soth asked him.

Kevik nodded. “Yes,” he said. Then just before he cancelled his spell, Seth said, “Give me a second.”

“What are you going to do?” his brother asked.

“Something clever,” he replied.

Groaning, Soth watched as his brother raced away back through the trees. When Kevik glanced to him, all he could do was shrug. “Despite what you may have heard about twins,” he explained, “we don’t always know what the other is thinking.”

In the clearing, Rupert was taking a terrible beating. Somehow he had managed to ward off the worst of Daniel’s blows. Now bleeding from half a dozen wounds, Soth could see that it was almost over.

“Go ahead,” he told the magic user.

“Very well,” replied Kevik. Turning his attention to the men trapped by his spell, he cast the spell’s counter and the goo disappeared.

Seth raced to get into position before Kevik freed the men. He was almost where he wanted to be when he saw it disappear. Figuring he was close enough, he drew his sword and emerged from the trees. Shouting at the top of his lungs, he yelled, “They’ve killed Lord Kueryn!” Every head of the recently freed turned in his direction. A stillness hung over the clearing for a moment as if the men couldn’t believe what they were hearing. “They‘re now trying to kill Lord Haran and Lord Hurrin!”

A cry arose from the Tribesmen and Captain Lyrun’s men.

Turning about, Seth raced back into the woods before they had a chance to realize he wasn’t an actual Tribesman. Once within the cover of the trees, he ducked out of sight.

Daniel paused when Seth emerged from the trees and shouted his message.

“Sir!” Tox exclaimed when he saw the men were no longer entrapped. Around them, men began drawing swords and racing for where Seth had stood. A few stayed behind and turned their attention to Daniel.

“So!” the soldier whom Daniel had been questioning hollered.

Turning, Daniel saw him and three of his comrades coming toward him.

“…you kill our captain and think to get away with it?” the man demanded.

“I didn’t kill your captain,” Daniel replied. “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“He was with Lord Kueryn,” the man said. “And if you killed Lord Kueryn…”

Rupert scampered backward out of Daniel’s reach while he was being distracted by the soldiers. Rage still burned within him, but now the madness had diminished and was replaced with something more calculating. Rupert knew he couldn’t best him with swords. Racing off toward the woods, he vowed to find a way to end the life of the man who had killed his father.

Daniel saw him escaping but kept his attention focused on the soldiers before him. “Look,” he tried to explain. “We just arrived. It was probably the shepherd and his friends that killed your captain.”

Not listening, the soldier launched an attack.

Tox stepped forward and caught the blow on his sword. “They’re not going to believe you sir,” he told Daniel. As the other three soldiers moved to join in the assault on Daniel and Tox, Daniel replied, “I think you’re right.” Standing shoulder to shoulder with his man, he raised his sword and the battle was joined.

“Why did you kill my men?” Captain Glaver demanded.

Before him stood seven Orack Tribesmen and several civilians from Byrdlon. Obviously they were part and parcel with the ones they had encountered earlier. There was something about one of the Tribesmen, an air of regalness that was hard to ignore.

“If your men had been trained better,” Haran replied, “perhaps their deaths could have been avoided.” He saw his words striking home. The fact that he dared insult the captain, who at the moment with his men outnumbered them, would throw him off. Hopefully long enough for Kevik to come to their aid. For without the magic user, they weren’t likely to prevail if fighting was to erupt.

Staring incredulously at the man before him, Captain Glaver’s eyes went to Riyan, Bart and Chad. “The shepherd!” he exclaimed when recognition finally came. Turning his gaze back to Haran, he said, “You will turn them over to me.”

“On what authority?” Haran asked.

“By authority of Duke Alric of Byrdlon,” he replied.

“I regret that I am unable to accede to your request,” said Haran.

“What?” exclaimed Captain Glaver.

“They are under the protection of the Orack Tribe,” Haran explained.

“But you are not even on your side of the border,” countered the captain.

“Nevertheless,” stated Haran, “to touch them would be tantamount to a declaration of war.” Without a trace of fear, his eyes bored into those of Captain Glaver.

“Who are you?” the captain asked.

“I am Haran, Warlord of the Orack Tribe,” he stated. Motion from behind the soldiers drew his attention and a smile came to him as he saw his men boiling from out of the trees. Yelling and screaming they raced forward with swords drawn to their lord’s rescue. The magic user had come through.

Captain Glaver glanced behind him at the approaching men charging forward to attack. The added number of men now put the odds against him. “Kill them all!” he shouted. Turning back toward the Warlord of the Orack Tribe, he lashed out with his sword.

Anticipating the attack, Haran easily blocked it.

Chad and Chyfe moved to engage Captain Glaver’s men while Riyan began slinging stones. Bart moved on the fringe of the battle, using his knife wherever he could. As men began to fall, the waters of the stream turned red.

Kevik and the twins watched as Daniel and Tox began taking out their four opponents. It was clear the soldiers were facing two men of exceptional skill.

If it wasn’t for his brother, Seth would have charged in and joined the battle despite his weakened state. But Soth laid a restraining hand on his shoulder and said, “Who would you fight?” he asked. “None of those men are our allies. Wait and let them kill each other.”

Sitting against the bole of a tree, Kevik watched the battle unfold. In his hand he held the gem, its glow indicating that it was still working to repair the damage done to him by Geffen’s fireballs. In the other hand he held his water bottle from which he had just drank the last drop.