Wielder's Rising (33 page)

Kalista stared forward as her horse carried her away from her beloved and towards safety.  She was accompanied by her servants and twenty royal guards, yet she felt all alone without Gavin nearby.  She took a deep breath and tried to calm her feelings of worry.  He would be fine, and she would be fine.  She tried to imagine the not far off day when Gavin would ride triumphant into the city, and they could move forward with their wedding plans.

* * * * *

Gavin watched as his beautiful future bride rode away from the army camp.  He was sad to be apart from her but glad that she would be safely on her way to Candus before the battle commenced.  He hadn’t realized how stubborn she could be and was glad that she had kept her promise to leave as soon as they reached the camp.  He watched her ride away until she eventually disappeared from view in the distance.

He then took a deep breath and headed towards the command tent.  The battle would most likely begin in the morning and much needed to be discussed.  His long strides soon brought him to the entrance of the large tent.  It sat on a slight rise that offered an unobstructed view of the large area that sloped slightly down towards the mouth of the pass.  The two guards at the entrance saluted and moved to the side.

He ducked inside the tent and looked around.  It appeared that he was the last one to arrive.  He took the last available chair at the base of the table.  His two generals, Blaize and Kelt, were already seated at his right.  His father sat at the head of the table with his two generals to his right.  All five had been studying the map when he entered.

The huge table in the center of the room was almost completely covered by the large map.  It accurately depicted in detail the area where the battle would occur.  The map covered from just west of the camp all the way to a day’s journey into the pass.  The map was covered with small figurines that represented the different units within the Royal Army.  There were also figurines of a different color to represent the rogue Balthan Army.

“Now that we are all here,” his father began, “let’s discuss the current position of the Balthan Army.  Our scouts report that the army has set up camp for the night here,” he said as he pointed to a spot just inside the entrance of the mountain pass.  “It appears they have no intention of attacking until tomorrow.  We’ll keep a sharp eye on them in case they try any trickery, but I believe they will wait for tomorrow.  They have been marching hard for the last five days and most likely want to rest before the battle begins.

“This is the current position of our troops,” he said, bringing everyone’s focus back to the figurines representing the Royal Army.  “General Handel will explain how we will position ourselves in the morning to prepare for the attack.”

Gavin watched intently as General Handel explained how the troops would form up at the first sign of the enemy approaching.  He detailed which groups would be positioned where, and which groups would most likely take the brunt of the initial attack.  Gavin carefully made mental notes of everything the general was saying.  He could see that his two generals were paying close attention as well.

The defensive strategy was sound.  If the Balthan Army thought that the Kalian Army would crumple when attacked by the Balthan wielder, they were mistaken.  The troops all knew what to expect from the wielder Kadrak.  If he attacked first, as had been the case in the previous battles, the Kalian troops had been commanded to remain completely still.  When the Balthan Army’s soldiers attacked, the Kalian troops would not be scattered or disorganized.  They would remain firm in their positions and be ready to repel the attacking soldiers.

When all of the positions and strategies had been explained thoroughly, General Handel stopped speaking and answered the other generals’ questions.  When everyone confirmed that they understood what was to happen in the morning, Baron Mikel once again took over.  He rose from his chair and pounded his fist against the map.

“We will be immovable,” he said loudly.  “With the arrival of our reinforcements today, we have half again as many troops as the opposing army.  There is no reason for us to budge one inch.  We will stand firm in the face of the wielder Kadrak.  If he thinks he can defeat us by himself, he is greatly mistaken.  We will not wilt when faced with death.  We will show this wielder that there is no place for him in our grand country!”

As soon as his father was done with his speech, all of the generals reaffirmed their commitment and left to finish making the necessary preparations for the morning.  Gavin remained in the tent with his father, looking at the map once again.  While all of the generals had seen battle before, this was a first for him.  His stomach was in knots at the thought of what the morning would bring.

“How are you feeling?” his father asked with a smile.

“Honestly?” Gavin said.  “I feel a little sick.”

“That’s normal,” the baron said with a smile.  “There is always a certain amount of excitement and nerves on the eve of a battle.”  He walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder.  “A battle is never something one looks forward to.  However, you are intelligent, brave, and disciplined.  You will do just fine, and your troops will respect and follow your commands.  We will show the Balthan Army tomorrow that we cannot be defeated.”

Gavin thanked his father and left the tent.  He stood in the cool night air and looked towards the pass.  Towering mountains ran north and south from the narrow pass uninterrupted as far as the eye could see.  Nothing marred the flat landscape that stretched out before him except the highway that wound down the rise and disappeared into the pass.  All was quiet in the large field in front of him.  It seemed strange that with the coming of the sun, the field would soon be full of troops awaiting battle.

He pictured in his mind where the attacking army would come from and where his troops would be waiting in defense.  He ran over the different scenarios of what might occur as he stared out over the empty field.  He wanted to run through all of the scenarios again but decided it would be best if he got some sleep.  The coming day would be long and stressful.  It would be much better if he was rested and had a clear mind.

He entered his tent and prepared to sleep.  As he lay down on his cot, he tried to clear his mind of the worries that kept running through it.  He would have plenty of time to worry about the battle in the morning.  He closed his eyes and pictured the princess.  A smile crept across his face.  She was the reason he was fighting.  Her memory would give him strength.  He would make sure that the Balthan Army never posed any threat to her or her kingdom.

* * * * *

Kalista looked up at the stars.  They had ridden for several hours before finally stopping, and she was exhausted.  She knew she could have avoided the late night ride if she would have turned around earlier, but she didn’t regret her decision to see Gavin all the way to the camp.  It had been worth the extra hours she had been able to spend with him before leaving.

She gazed one last time up into the night sky and ducked into her tent.  She needed to get to sleep.  They would be breaking camp and leaving early in the morning.  She had promised Gavin that she would get as far from the battle as she could before it started.  She supposed that if they left early enough, she would be over half a day’s journey towards Candus before the battle broke.

She quickly got ready and lay down for the night.  She wondered how Gavin was feeling right now.  She knew him well enough to know that he would have a hard time sleeping tonight.  He would most likely be running through everything he had been taught about battle tactics over and over again in his head.  She hoped that he was not too worried about the impending battle.  She knew that he would do fine and be a great leader, but it was his first battle.

As she lay staring up at the roof of her tent, she wondered how much sleep she would be getting.  She couldn’t deny that she was worried for Gavin’s safety.  She reminded herself that he would be safely away from the front lines of the battle.  He was not a common soldier.  He was the commander general and would be directing his troops from the command hill.  There would be numerous soldiers between him and the actual fighting.

She turned over in her bed and tried to get comfortable but couldn’t.  She felt somewhat exposed and vulnerable even though she had twenty royal guards with her.  She had grown used to traveling with the large contingent of troops and having Gavin’s tent nearby.  She knew there was nothing to worry about, but she wished that she had someone she knew to comfort her.

She knew she wouldn’t have Gavin nearby until the battle was over.  Her servants were familiar but gave her no sense of protection.  She longed to have her father nearby or someone else who was strong and caring to comfort her.  Her guards would protect her with their lives, but she didn’t really know any of them.

She sighed and turned over once again.  She knew she would eventually fall asleep, but she couldn’t get the thought of the impending battle out of her head.  She hoped once again that Gavin would stay safely away from the fighting.  As far as she knew, he had never seen death up close.

She shivered as she thought back to her own abduction earlier in the spring.  She had seen death and it had shaken her terribly.  The ordeal still gave her nightmares.  If the young soldier Traven hadn’t been there to save her, she would have been killed.

She smiled at the thought of the brave young soldier.  She wondered once again how he was doing and if he had been able to find what he was looking for.  She wondered where he was.  She supposed it was possible that he had already completed his search and had joined with the main group of soldiers. She wondered if he would be facing death in the morning as well.

She suddenly felt worried for him.  He would not be far removed from the fighting like Gavin.  The young soldier could even be on the front lines.  The thought of him dying bothered her almost as much as thinking about Gavin being killed.  The other troops were just troops to her, but the young soldier Traven had a name and a face imprinted in her mind.  He had comforted her and risked his life to save her when no one else could.

Kalista shook the thoughts of him from her mind.  She had enough to worry about without thinking of him.  At least he was an expert swordsman and would be able to defend himself.  She hoped that if the fighting were to ever reach Gavin, all of his practice would pay off and he would be able to defend himself as well.

She finally reached the point where she physically couldn’t stay awake any longer, and she dropped off to sleep.  Her sleep was restless with memories of her kidnapping and dreams of battle.  She awoke with a start when her chamber maid gently shook her shoulder.  She calmed her breathing as she realized who it was at her bedside.

“Begging your pardon, Princess, but it is dawn.”

Kalista let out a quiet groan and sat up.  She felt like she hadn’t slept at all.  She hurriedly donned her riding clothes and the small party was soon once again on its way down the road towards Candus.  It would be a while before the sun rose, and she wished she was still asleep.  However, she had promised that she would rise early and head towards Candus before the battle started, and she wouldn’t break her promise.

She glanced back over her shoulder and stared eastward down the road.  She hoped that all would go well with the impending battle and that Gavin would remain safe.  She knew that the next week would feel like the longest week of her life as she waited for news of his safety.

28

Kadrak threw back the flaps of his tent and walked out into the cool morning air with a grin.  Today would be a great day.  He had gotten a solid night’s sleep and was feeling wonderful.  He looked out over the encampment.  His troops were finishing their morning rations and preparing for the coming battle.  Armor clinked and echoed off the tall mountains that rose on either side of the camp.  The sky was clear and blue.  It was a good day to conquer.

He strode through the camp exuding confidence.  He made his way past his troops and met Gilrod at the western edge of the camp.  Gilrod was holding the reins to his stallion and patiently waiting for him.  Kadrak took the reins and swung up onto his magnificent horse.  From his perch on top of the stallion, he could see the entire camp sprawled out behind him.  Soon all of the troops would be in their ranks and ready to march.

He looked forward towards the opening of the pass in the distance.  It would take less than an hour to march the rest of the way to the opening.  He knew that the Kalian Army was camped just outside the pass upon a small rise.  There was no doubt they were aware of the position of the Balthan Army as well.  They would think they were ready for the attack, but they had never faced a wielder before.

He knew that the Kalian Army outnumbered his own, but he was confident that his powers would make up for any disadvantage his troops might have.  He also had his secret contingent of galdak warriors waiting nearby.  If he needed them, they would be ready to turn the tide of the battle.  However, he assumed that their help wouldn’t be necessary.  When the Kalian soldiers saw what he could do, they would break and his army would be able to rout them.

He took a deep breath of the fresh mountain air and smiled.  He waited patiently as his troops formed up ranks behind him.  When everyone was in place, Gilrod joined him, and he began leading the army towards the opening of the pass.  Kadrak kept the pace slow and deliberate.  He wanted his troops fresh and ready when the battle finally commenced.

As they neared the mouth of the pass, Kadrak heard a sharp whistle.  Immediately, four arrows came rushing towards him.  He smiled as all four arrows burst into flames and dropped harmlessly a good ten feet away from him on both sides.  He quickly located the four shooters and four bolts of lightning struck the surrounding mountains.  His bolts were perfectly placed, and without delay four bodies rolled down the sides of the pass and came to a rest at the edges of the trail.  He shook his head with a smile.  He supposed he couldn’t blame the Kalian Army for trying.