Knights End Page 5

  Nikki casually glanced around, wondering if any such bears were nearby.

  Kile noticed what Nikki was doing and let out a laugh. “Do not worry, dear princess, these bears do not like Humans, so they will stay far away from our stench. Just don’t get near them when their cubs are around!”

  Nikki let out a low growl. “Don’t dear princess me. I’ll cut out your tongue.”

  Kile laughed harder, and it took only another moment for Nikki to smile. She had proved herself many times over that she was as good a fighter as any man. She had known Kile since they were young kids learning the ways of the Sak’Hurai and had a relationship where they could tease one another. The humor seemed to soften the quiet tension.

  Nikki pointed to the north where they could see the tops of trees in the distance. “Your Bargoroth will be camped in those trees.”

  A moment later, the slow and steady drumbeat of a distant drum was carried to their ears by the northern breeze.

  “Drums of war,” Tys said. “We should prepare for battle.”

  “The only war we are to fight is with the Deceiver’s army,” Nikki said. “We will not interfere with whatever argument the Bargoroth have with the Tarans.”

  The drumbeats increased in volume and intensity.

  “If we continue this course, we may come directly into their path,” Tys said. “We should draw weapons and align into an attack formation.”

  Kile shook his head in disagreement. “We do not know the force that they have out there, nor the weapons they fight with. There is no army that could stand against us, but it may come at a cost that is simply not worth it. This fight is not ours. I agree with the princess. We should avoid fighting unless we are attacked.”

  “Running from battle is not honorable,” Tys grumbled. “If we wait until we are attacked, then we lose any advantage we might have. Surprise and speed may be all that we have.”

  “Running blindly into battle is foolish,” Nikki replied in a harsh tone, which she immediately regretted. Sak’Hurai were supposed to be disciplined enough to not show emotion, but her mind and body were tired, and she let her feelings escape when she should have left them bottled up. She took a deep breath to regain her military bearing. With a steady voice, she said, “We are maneuvering away from the battle to evaluate our position.”

  Nikki let out a low whistle, drew her sword and circled it over her head. Then she thrust it to her right, pointing to the south. As one, the Sak’Hurai warriors turned to the right and marched away from the sounds of drumbeats. Nikki waited until her warriors passed her, and then followed behind. As their leader, she would always remain in the most exposed position. When leading an army into battle, it would be at the front. When retreating, it would be at the rear. If they were to be attacked from behind, it would be her sword that would parry the first blow.

  They marched to the fading sound of the Bargoroth drumbeat for some time when they came over the rise of a low hill to see the Taran army spread out before them. She could not easily estimate how many soldiers there were, but it was undoubtedly in the tens of thousands. Her small army would savagely defend itself, but no amount of skill or training could overcome such a disparity in numbers. It would only be her signal that would cause her Sak’Hurai to bring their weapons to bear and march into battle, but that would not be today. The mass of soldiers was retreating in an orderly fashion. They weren’t running away in panic, as an army in disarray might do, but they also weren’t marching in strict columns and rows that she had known them to fight in. They were moving as one, away from a battle where there appeared to have been no clear victor. There had simply been too many bodies from both sides. Plus, if there had been a victor, they would have been marching towards the other army’s camp, rather than back to their own.

  She called for her warriors to stop their forward march and pushed her way through to the front rank. That was when she noticed a small contingent of horse-mounted Taran Centurions break away from the main force and head towards her.

  She looked at Kile and Tys and said, “It looks like we will have a parley.”

  Princess Nikki waited patiently for the Taran Centurions to approach. There were six of them who walked across the open expanse between the two forces. Four of the Centurions walked with crossbows loaded and cocked, ready to be fired at a moment's notice. The other two walked in front. They were older and carried themselves as leaders.

  Nikki watched them carefully, observing the worn-down looks of the two leaders. There seemed to be little fight left in their eyes. As they reached Nikki, one of the men looked past Nikki to Kile and Tys. He said some words that were obviously in his native language. None of the Hurai could speak Taran, so they remained silent.

  “You understand Commoner?” the Centurion asked, looking from one Sak’Hurai to the next, wondering who the leader was. His black hair was streaked with gray, and his face was lined with wrinkles. “I am General Lucius, command of the Northern Taran Army.”

  “I am Princess Nikki. We speak Commoner.”

  His eyes, however, never fell onto Nikki. His eyes went from Kile to Tys, who stood on either side of Nikki. “Which of you commands your army?”

  Nikki felt the insult of General Lucius ignoring her and took it personally. Her temper was short and ready to explode, but for the moment, she was able to keep her emotions in check. “I am Princess Nikki. I command the Sak’Hurai.”

  General Lucius glanced at his companion, and his lips curled into a smirk. “A woman leading soldiers?”

  The other man let out a slight grunt, which could have been taken either for agreement or disagreement. His name was General Aeneas, and he was second in command of the Northern Taran Army, which is why he let out a neutral response. He was not going to outwardly show disapproval of his commanding officer, but he also had a high enough rank to not fully support him, either. General Aeneas was almost a decade younger than General Lucius but had commanded just as many battles as his superior. Unfortunately, his family was not nearly as connected, else he would be commanding another army in a much warmer climate. Second-in-command had its perks, as he was able to live a life of simple luxury even in the cold environment of the north. Most of the battlefield command was his, which put him closer to harm’s way, but he was never close enough to be concerned with his fate. Eventually, he would be raised to Commander of the Army, but it wouldn’t be until General Lucius died or decided to return to his family’s farm and retire in lavish comfort. In the meantime, he would play the game and follow General Lucius’ lead.

  With his lips still curled into a smile, General Lucius said, “General Aeneas, it is no wonder they fell into the barbarian’s trap.”

  “Yes indeed,” General Aeneas said with a nod.

  “Trap? What trap?” Nikki asked. She instantly despised both of the Tarans, but for different reasons. She despised General Lucius for being a prickly snob, while she despised the other man for being a weak underling.

  General Lucius remained silent, his grizzled and wrinkled face smiling. He would let his subordinates do all the talking for him, especially because it was to a woman.

  General Aeneas replied, “The waters of the river to the east and south have flooded the land. This rain has caused all the snow to melt, sending a torrent of water down from the mountains far to the north and across these plains. The water is too cold, too deep, and too fast to cross.”

  “Then we will return the way we came.”

  “You were allowed to come this far. The barbarians control all the land from the forest to the north and everything to the west. If you got this far, it was because they let you through.”

  Nikki let out a snort of derision. “We will easily cut our way back through them and escape this trap of theirs.”

  General Aeneas looked across the Sak’Hurai before he replied. “There are but a few hundred of you.”

  “And each one of us will kill a hundred of these barbarians,” Nikki growled.

  General Lucius
let out a boisterous laugh. He could no longer keep his words to himself. “Your force will be slaughtered in minutes. The barbarians are countless in number and will easily overwhelm your little band of soldiers.”

  “We are Sak’Hurai!” Nikki’s hands reached up to grab the handle of her swords, but she did not draw them.

  “We know of your kind,” General Lucius said. “Even if each of you could kill a hundred, you would still be left outnumbered. The tribes of the barbarians have been gathering all winter, and they number in the hundreds of thousands. They are waiting in the forest, ready for what they believe to be a final battle to drive us back across the river. We are too strong for them to defeat, which they will soon realize.”

  Kile stepped forward to help calm Nikki down. Before she was able to continue her angry words, he said, “But you said the river cannot be crossed. Too deep, too cold. They must know that, too. They are not attempting to push you across the river. They are surrounding you.”

  General Lucius raised an eyebrow and gave a nod of approval. “You are clearly the leader, as you understand battlefield tactics. Yes, indeed, they are surrounding us, but they do not understand it is us who controls the battlefield. With the river at our back, we cannot be surrounded, which means they must attack us from the front, which is our strength. They will fall upon our swords, and after twenty years of fighting, there will be this one and final battle.”

  General Aeneas said, “We’ve already repelled one of their attacks, and they will be coming soon with another. They will keep coming until either all of us are dead, or all of them are dead. We would retreat if we could, but there is no place to go. We will prepare our forces for this last battle, and with it will come the end of the war.”

  “The way we came from was clear,” Nikki insisted. “The only sign of these barbarians were cold and dead bodies left in the mud of the battlefield. We saw no army behind us.”

  “Return, then,” General Lucius said with a wave of his hand. “Return and go back the way you came. You will see that your way will be blocked by a sea of barbarians.”

  General Aeneas added, “They may be simple-minded, but they do understand how to wage war.”

  Instinctively, Nikki glanced back behind her. Their path was blocked by the rise of a hill. It was certainly possible that the generals were speaking the truth, but they also did not understand the might of the Sak’Hurai. Even if there were these barbarians between them and escape, they would easily cut their way through.

  “You are considering returning the way you came,” General Aeneas said. His tone was friendly and understanding. Nikki’s opinion of him was starting to change. “I can sense your apprehension. You are stuck here with us, now. You can fight with us, or you can try and escape and die.”

  Nikki looked back at the Taran general and replied, “We could also just sit back and watch you fight these barbarians and then slip past you both during the fight and go our merry way. We do not have time to get involved with your war. We have our own battles to fight.”

  General Aeneas raised an eyebrow. “You are heading to war?”

  “Of course,” Nikki snapped. “We are heading west to fight the Deceiver’s army.”

  Both generals returned blank looks. “The who’s army?

  Tys stepped away as soon as Nikki mentioned the Deceiver’s name. He was one of many that did not fully believe her story of the Deceiver and his army, but unlike the rest of the Sak’Hurai, he could not hide his feelings any longer. It was his duty to follow the Princess and do as she commanded, but he was not obligated to believe the incredible tale of Elves, Dragons, and gods from other realms. Rather than let any disrespectful comment slip out, he decided to walk away.

  Nikki watched him step away, irritated at his action. She would have to handle that quickly and quietly but now was not the time. Right now, she needed to figure out a way to get past the Taran army and continue east towards Karmon.

  Doing her best to ignore Tys, Nikki looked at the two generals and said, “The Deceiver’s army. We are heading west to fight the Deceiver and his army.”

  “You mean the mythical anti-god of those who believe in the One God?” General Lucius asked. He tilted his head up and looked down at her over his nose.

  Nikki was momentarily stunned as she had never considered the possibility that someone did not believe in the One God. “The Deceiver is no myth. He is an evil force that has brought his army into this world and is now bringing his wrath upon it. If we do not defeat his army, then he will take over the world, and his magic will destroy all that is good.”

  General Lucius burst into laughter. To Kile, he asked, “Does she really believe this?”

  “She does. As do we all.”

  General Lucius shook his head and said, “I do not know who is crazier. Her for her belief, or you for following her.”

  Kile’s face grew red, and he stepped forward. The Centurion guards lifted their crossbows.

  Nikki put a hand up to stop him. “They are not worth it,” she said. “We will return the way we came and continue eastward to Conner’s land. We have already wasted too much time.”

  While General Lucius continued to laugh, General Aeneas said, “The barbarians will stand in your way. You will not be able to escape without a fight. If you stayed and fought with us, you could continue eastward after the battle is won.”

  “I will not stay here and be insulted,” Nikki said. She nodded towards Kile. “He is highly disciplined, but he will tolerate only so many insults. I will not be able to hold him back much longer if this continues.”

  General Lucius forced himself to stop laughing. “You do not scare us. Your army is led by a woman. How strong can it be?”

  The entire Sak’Hurai force suddenly snapped to attention, and they drew their swords as one.

  “Now you threaten me while we parley?” General Lucius said. “And you say that I insult you?”

  “Your army is quite some distance away,” Nikki said. “Your Centurions only have four crossbow bolts. They may kill four of us, but all six of you will be dead in a single heartbeat. What will your army do without its head?”

  General Lucius smiled. “They will fight you and kill all of you. That is what will happen. This army is not lead by a single man. This army is comprised of several legions, each led by a general. In those legions are regiments led by junior officers. Each of those regiments is comprised of many companies led by an experienced sergeant. You may kill me, or as you say, cut off the head of the army, but this army is comprised of seasoned soldiers that do not need to be told how to fight or when to fight. If they saw me fall, they would not turn and run like your people might. They will charge forward and fight with even more vigor. So, I would suggest that you rethink your attitude, for you are not only surrounded by barbarians who want to kill you, you are surrounded by Taran Centurions who would kill you not because they hate you, but because that is their job.”

  Nikki had no response, so she clenched her jaw shut tight. She did not like it when someone as arrogant as General Lucius got the better of her, but her warriors were clearly outnumbered. There would be many more Taran deaths than Hurai deaths, but her mission was not to fight the Tarans. Her mission was to get east as quickly as possible to help Conner and Glaerion. With a smug smile, General Lucius crossed his arms, waiting for Nikki to respond. The pounding of Bargoroth drums reached their ears, breaking the silent tension. The Sak’Hurai all glanced to the north, curious at the sound that was carried by the light breeze.

  General Aeneas cocked his head, listening to the rhythm of the beat. After a moment, he said, “They are moving their spearmen to the flanks. It will take them time before they are in place and ready to attack. Our preparations must continue.” He glanced at Nikki and then spoke to General Lucius in their own tongue at length.

  Nikki wished that she could understand what was being said, as it was apparently an argument. Their facial expressions showed the passion they each felt for their side of
the debate, and their voices were raised high enough that their Centurion guards became obviously uncomfortable.

  Finally, General Lucius straightened up and glanced at Nikki and then the other Sak’Hurai. Without saying a word, he turned and marched off towards his army. His four guards left with him, but General Aeneas remained.

  Once the other general was far enough away, he turned towards Nikki and said, “General Lucius has agreed to allow your people to stay with us. We will feed you and give you a dry place to bed, but you must fight with us until the battle is over. We have been fighting this war for too long, and I believe that your warriors can help change the tide of the war.” A slight smile came to his face, and he continued, “The reputation of the Sak’Hurai precedes you. I have seen your kind in action up close, and it would be an honor to fight at your side.”

  Nikki relaxed, which caused the other Sak’Hurai to relax as well. Swords were replaced in their scabbards. “We are not here to fight your war,” she said. “We must continue east.”

  “Tell me more of this war that you are going to fight,” General Aeneas asked. “Unlike General Lucius, I am a follower of the One God. Not many of us in Taran are, but I am one. That is one reason why I am stuck in this cold hell. The other is that my family is not from Tara City, but from a small port city to the southwest called Dakara. I don’t have the political connections of someone like Lucius, and it was only through luck that I was able to rise to the rank of general.”

  “It started with two men. Conner, a Hurai, and Glaerion, an Elf.”

  “Elf?” General Aeneas said with a raised eyebrow.

  Ignoring Aeneas’s facial expressions, Princess Nikki told the tale as best she could. She spoke of the Deceiver’s coming and the goblins who attacked and destroyed Conner’s kingdom. She tried to retell Conner’s tale, but she knew many details were being left out. She wished he were here to tell it, for his words were honest and convincing. He not only got her and her people to help, but he had also gotten the Elves to fight for him as well. It would not have taken him long to convince Aeneas to skip this battle and march the Taran Centurions east. They could certainly use such an army.