The Long War 01 - The Black Guard (65 page)

They helped the old man into a seated position in the back of the cart and Bronwyn watched Haffen and Hasim, waiting for them to come down and sound the evacuation. Instead, however, they were discussing something, and Haffen was gesturing off to the south-east. Hasim was peering into the grey evening and the two men were becoming animated as they spoke.

All of a sudden, Haffen turned sharply and scanned the courtyard. His eyes fixed on Horrock Green Blade standing among the carts and he shouted, ‘Horrock, get up here.’ His voice was urgent.

The people of Wraith stopped their own conversations and craned to look up at Haffen. The captain of Wraith Company appeared concerned as he walked rapidly from the carts to the stone steps. Bronwyn quickly left Stone Dog and moved to join the captain, as she’d decided shortly after arriving that she wasn’t going to let anything happen without her knowing about it. She was still a noble and she felt that the least she could do was to listen to the others and offer counsel if she were able.

Horrock glanced at her as she joined him, but said nothing as the two of them rapidly ascended the steps. Once they reached the battlements, Bronwyn glanced out across the darkening Grass Sea and breathed a little easier when she didn’t see any immediate cause for alarm. No campfires or other indicators of an advancing army were visible and she hoped whatever Haffen had spotted was not a precursor to an imminent attack.

‘We’re ready to leave, Haffen. What’s the alarm?’ Horrock asked wearily.

Haffen was still pointing off towards the south-east, roughly the same direction from which Bronwyn had approached Ro Hail two weeks ago. Hasim was standing next to him and peering along the length of his arm.

‘Look over there, by the first line of trees,’ Haffen said to his captain.

Horrock leant forward over the battlements.

‘Are you sure you’re not just looking for a reason to stay,’ Bronwyn asked Haffen, trying to maintain a light mood.

He glared at her and replied, ‘Just look over there, Bronwyn, and tell me if you see something by the tree line.’

She stood next to Hasim and took a long look out into the twilight. The trees began at the furthest extent of her vision and she could barely make out the area as the sky rapidly darkened.

The small copse was arranged in several lines and blowing gently in the wind. As they blew back, Bronwyn thought she saw something shining in the darkness – a dull, silvery surface which was out of place among the trees. All three involuntarily leant forward and Bronwyn held her breath as she saw, in a gap between the branches, an armoured knight, on horseback. with a red tabard. It was a momentary glimpse, nothing more, but a quick glance at the others’ faces told her they had seen it too.

‘Rowanoco save us,’ said Haffen, ‘that’s a knight of the Red.’

Their eyes remained locked on the tree line as the quickening wind revealed a second knight and then a third and then, with a heavy gust, a full column of knights was briefly visible in the distance.

They remained silent for a moment before Horrock turned swiftly, strode to the inner edge of the battlements, and roared down at the assembled people of Wraith.

‘The time to flee has passed… the men of Ro have come and we must fight for our land.’ He paused for a moment while those below looked up with astonishment on their faces and fear in their eyes. ‘Strength, my friends,’ shouted Horrock. ‘Strength for our sons and our daughters… if we are to die on this ground, defending this land.’ His voice rose. ‘We will make those that take our lives remember the night they fought the free people of Wraith.’ His words carried conviction and Bronwyn could see the people stirred with anticipation, fear and rising bloodlust.

Haffen moved to join Horrock. ‘We defend this ground,’ ordered the captain. ‘Get the wagons out of sight, the women and children into the basement and you lot,’ he pointed to the battle-brothers of Wraith, ‘kill anything that tries to breach the wall.’

‘To your stations,’ Haffen said quietly.

Movement erupted from below as they hurriedly carried out their instructions. The wagons were hastily pulled out of the way and into covered buildings to the north of the ruined town. The women, children and others who couldn’t fight were corralled by Freya Cold Eyes into the basement complex, and Bronwyn saw the axe-men in the courtyard move quickly to the wooden fortifications.

‘Go with Freya,’ Hasim said to Bronwyn as they stood on the forward battlements.

‘You know I’m not going to, so why do you ask?’ she replied petulantly.

He turned to direct a hard stare at her. ‘Because you’re the lady of Ro Canarn and nothing would be served by you dying under a knight’s blade.’ He was deadly serious and Bronwyn noted the real concern for her safety in his words.

 ‘Get the throwing-axes stowed, bundles at every point of the courtyard,’ Haffen was shouting nearby. ‘Stone Dog, you’re up here with me.’

Bronwyn stepped close to Al-Hasim to speak more privately. ‘I know you care, Karesian. Though I’m sure not wanting to annoy my brother has a lot to do with it… but I know you care all the same.’

‘Just go with Freya,’ he repeated tenderly, slowly reaching down to hold her hand.

Bronwyn involuntarily pulled it away. ‘Don’t do that,’ she said. ‘You’re worried about the knights and it’s making your head go soft.’ She smiled at the Karesian scoundrel – a man, far from home, who’d found himself fighting alongside Ranen for a patch of land that was not his own. ‘If the last few weeks have taught us anything, it’s that survival is always possible, no matter what the odds.’

‘This isn’t an adventure, Bronwyn,’ he said with sadness in his eyes. ‘This is a war. I’ve never fought in one before, either. I’ve always gone out of my way to avoid them.’ He reached for her hand again. ‘Look around… look at Haffen, at Horrock, at all those people down there… by morning they will all be dead. If you’re in the basement with the others, they may just spare your life.’

They stood looking at each other for several moments, saying nothing, until Bronwyn saw something bright on the distant horizon and turned. Hasim was still holding her hand and she found that she liked the warmth of it. The two of them moved side by side to look southwards and saw a line of fire in the distance.

‘Haffen,’ Hasim called over his shoulder. ‘The knights mean to bombard us.’ His words were quiet and solemn, and as Bronwyn peered into the twilight she could make out a heavy catapult under each fiery glow.

Haffen looked and swore loudly to the sky before quickly turning and shouting to the courtyard, ‘Catapults, take cover.’

The men below ran for the cover of stone just as the audible sound of wood flexing signalled the release of flaming rocks.

The sky erupted in light as several dozen catapults shot trails of fire from the horizon towards the city. Bronwyn watched with wide eyes as the fire moved slowly through the sky and then thundered over her head. Horrock appeared behind them and dragged her and Hasim behind the battlements.

‘Incoming!’ shouted the captain of Wraith Company.

The men below took cover as the first flaming rock crashed into the courtyard, scattering the remaining carts and lighting up the ruins of Ro Hail. More rocks followed and wood and flame erupted across the courtyard, crushing men and breaking the fortifications. Men aflame ran frantically to find water or dropped to roll on the ground. Most of the wooden constructions were still intact, but some were on fire and Bronwyn gasped as she saw Freya, still above ground, running to a water barrel. The men of Wraith had secreted barrels of flammable pitch around the courtyard in preparation for use against the knights, and they hurried to move them away from the fires.

Then a horn sounded from the Grass Sea and a roar followed, signalling the knights’ advance.

‘To your stations,’ Horrock ordered quietly as he unsheathed his two-headed axe and moved along the battlements.

Haffen took a last deep breath and turned to Bronwyn and Hasim. ‘Let’s die well, shall we?’ he said with a vicious grin.

Hasim and Bronwyn shared a meaningful look and she realized he was still holding her hand.

* * *

The men of Wraith were poised behind the battlements as more rocks thudded into the outer walls and the reconstructed gates. Bronwyn was crouched above the gatehouse next to Al-Hasim, with Haffen and a dozen more members of Wraith Company on guard next to them. The knights were arrayed across the plain to the south, maybe five hundred of them, identified by Hasim as the army’s advance guard. The knights of the Red shouted challenges at the battlements and banged their longswords on their red tabards. The catapults had been wheeled closer but now threw no fire. Instead, they heaved huge rocks into the air, designed to smash the walls and open the gate.

There had been no offer of parley and Bronwyn surmised that the knights simply planned to clear Ro Hail and hold it as a staging area. They had not surrounded the ruined town, but the Ranen made no attempt to escape. The knights had large warhorses and could easily ride down anyone who tried to break free from the barricades. She considered counselling surrender, but the faces of the Ranen warriors around her told of their intention to stay hidden until they saw the chance to kill.

They had no catapults or artillery with which to answer the bombardment and Horrock had quickly ordered them to take cover and remain patient. The knights would not have seen the majority of the Ranen, and Horrock was hoping they would enter the city unaware of those lying in wait for them. His tactical mind was focused on how to cause the most damage to the advance guard of knights and to buy time for the carts to escape via the north, where Freya had led most of the non-combatants through the underground complex.

Bronwyn could barely see down into the courtyard, but she could make out a large space filled only with the burning remnants of smashed carts and a few dead bodies. Patience was clearly not a common trait among the Free Companies and the men were shaking with battle fervour as they waited for the knights to enter the killing ground.

The wall shook as more boulders thudded into the stone and Bronwyn hunkered down behind the battlements. Hasim was still with her and had adopted a protective, crouched position above her, his scimitar held threateningly in his hand.

Then the sound of splintered wood sounded from below and the main gates of Ro Hail flew inwards. The knights of the Red let out a raucous cheer and a horn sounded to signal the charge. In unison, the column of five hundred knights wheeled their horses and rode hard for the open gates.

‘Steady,’ shouted Horrock, as the advance guard formed into a line narrow enough to pass through the gatehouse. ‘Mark your targets well and make your aim true… I want fifty dead in the first volley.’

The Ranen, hidden below raised wooden fortifications, were poised for action. Each man held two throwing-axes, one in each hand, and close to a hundred of the battle-brothers of Wraith had been designated as axe-hurlers. Their job was to thin the ranks in preparation for a second line of Ranen to emerge at ground level and roll barrels of flaming pitch towards the mounted knights. If that didn’t force the knights to retreat, the third rank, which included Hasim, Horrock and Haffen – and Bronwyn – would emerge and engage the knights in close combat.

Horrock held his axe up in readiness and shouted, ‘Hold…’

The knights reached the southern wall and turned sharply to aim their horses at the gateway.

‘Hold,’ roared Horrock a second time, as the knights reached the gate and began to enter the courtyard.

‘Hold,’ he shouted for the last time, his voice raised above the sound of the armoured knights.

The men of Ro flooded in. Bronwyn was taken aback my how many there were. Five hundred fully armoured knights of the Red rode into the courtyard and fanned out in practised fashion. They held longswords aloft and roared challenges and promises of death at the men of Ranen.

‘Now,’ bellowed Horrock, and he stood and turned to face the advance guard of knights.

There was barely a moment between his command and the first volley of axes. The Ranen rose as one from their places of concealment overlooking the courtyard and shouted words of defiance as one hundred axes were hurled at the knights.

The ruined city burst into life as the men of Wraith Company unleashed their pent-up anger against the men of Ro. The sound was deafening and Bronwyn couldn’t hear any of the knights over the shouting of the axe-men, but her vantage point gave her a good view of the courtyard and she saw men and horses hit by razor-sharp throwing-axes.

Horrock’s demand that there be fifty dead in the first volley was close to the mark, as heads were cleaved, armour split, limbs severed and horses lamed or killed.

‘This is the land of Wraith,’ roared Haffen, standing high on the forward battlements and raising his axe above his head. ‘You will not take it while we live.’

The knights had been taken aback by the first volley, but recovered quickly and Bronwyn saw their captain, protected by a circular shield, give orders to storm the barricades and kill the Ranen.

Then the second volley. Their aim was truer now and no few heads were split by the whirling steel of Wraith Company.

‘That’s it, lads.’ Haffen continued to shout from the gatehouse. ‘Show the bastards how the Ranen do things.’

Bronwyn and Al-Hasim were still behind the forward battlements, though less concerned to hide now the trap had been sprung. Bronwyn could still see the catapults across the misty plains to the south, but the bombardment had stopped once the knights had breached the town.

The two volleys of throwing-axes had killed or incapacitated more than a hundred of the knights and riderless horses were loose in the courtyard. Knights who were unhurt but had been unhorsed now pulled themselves to their feet.

‘Fire the bastards,’ shouted Horrock from his position on the stairs.

All around the ground-level barricades, flaming torches sprang into life as the second wave of Wraith Company opened wooden hatchways and rolled heavy barrels at the knights of the Red. Each was lit by a long wick at the end and several had been breached with axes to hasten the spread of the fire, as twenty or so barrels of sticky, flaming pitch raced towards the attackers.