Part 18 (1/2)
”That won't last for long,” Jiron says as he comes to join them.
”Just remember you promised to build the temple,” reminds James.
”We will, I a.s.sure you,” Lord Pytherian states. ”Good luck to you.”
”Thank you,” replies James. ”You too.”
Getting their horses moving, they ride toward the open gate. When they pa.s.s through, the men on the walls give them a cheer.
As they cross the bridge, they take note of the men still working to remove the dead from the field. The soldiers of the Empire are being heaped together in one big pile while the men of Madoc are laid out more carefully. Far away from the banks of the river, two work forces are digging out large holes for the bodies, one for the Empire and horses, and the other for the men from Madoc and the alliance. Already a stone plaque has been commissioned to memorialize the men who are to be laid to rest there.
Taking the road south, Illan sends out riders to scout ahead and to their flanks for any enemy presence. After Lythylla disappears behind them, they locate a copse of trees near the road and take a momentary break while Orry is laid to rest.
Unwilling to allow others to dig his grave, Devin, Nerrin and the others who were closest to him take shovels and find a spot beneath a large tree. James and Illan stand nearby until they have it deep enough, then watch as his body is transferred from the wagon and laid within the earth.
Once they cover him with dirt and place rocks atop the mound to prevent animals from digging him up, Brother Willim comes forth and says a few words. While he speaks of life and how death is but another path, each reflects upon how Orry enriched their lives and how he will be missed.
Those standing nearby remain quiet in respect for the dead until Brother Willim winds to a close. Then with a last goodbye, they remount and resume their journey. One of the newest additions to Black Hawk's Raiders is given the duty of taking the wagon back to Lythylla.
From the head of the line, Illan glances back at the rest of the recruits and comments quietly to James, ”Wonder if any of us are going to survive this?”
”I don't know,” he replies. He misses Orry as does the others, though he never really had a chance to get to know him well. Few of the recruits have had much personal dealings with him other than Devin. Glancing back at Corbin's son, he feels saddened for his loss and can see his emotions are barely kept in check.
He spies Scar and Potbelly riding not too far behind him. ”Scar!” he hollers. When he has his attention, he asks, ”Didn't you and Potbelly once face a band of thieves all by yourselves?”
”As a matter of fact,” Scar says, ”we did. It was several years ago during...” As Scar continues on with his narration, Illan glances to James and asks, ”Have you heard this one before?”
Giving him a grin, he shakes his head and says, ”No. But knowing those two, I figured they would have a tale of some sort to go along with it. Besides, this will give everyone something to think about other than Orry.”
Nodding, Illan says, ”Good thinking.”
”No, no you got it wrong,” Potbelly interjects. ”We weren't hired by the Baron of Falsberg, it was the d.u.c.h.ess of Twyst.”
”That's right, now that you remind me,” Scar says. ”We were on our way through...” For the next hour or so, they regal everyone with their tale of daring do and for a brief time, the death of their friend is forgotten.
Not to be outdone, Uther and Jorry begin a tale once they're through of how they single handedly slew some giant that had taken an entire village captive. After listening to the narrative for several minutes, James turns to Illan and asks, ”Are there giants here?”
”Not that I've heard,” he says. Despite the improbability of their story, it is rather entertaining.
They continue following the road for the rest of the day. The scouts would return periodically to give a report then would switch to a fresh mount and ride off again. During one such time when a scout returns, the scout tells of a caravan approaching from the south. ”Looks to be supplies for the army that was at Lythylla,” the scout says. ”It is but an hour away.”
”How many soldiers accompany it?” Illan asks.
”Three score,” the scout replies.
”Keep an eye on it,” Illan says. The scout salutes before changing to a fresh horse and gallops back down the road.
”Ceadric!” he hollers.
”Yes, sir,” Ceadric replies as he brings his horse closer.
”We have an approaching caravan,” he tells him. ”Three score guards. Take your riders and capture it.”
”Yes, sir!” he says.
Before he rides away, James says, ”Don't kill the drivers.”
”What about the soldiers?” he asks.
”Do what you have to,” he states.
Turning to his Raiders, he says, ”We got a caravan to liberate!”
A cheer erupts as he and his men break into a gallop and race down the road.
”So it begins,” James says under his breath as he watches Ceadric and his Raiders disappear down the road.
”Indeed,” comments Illan from beside him.
It isn't long before they arrive at the captured caravan. Off to one side, a pile of dead Empire soldiers riddled with arrows stands testament to the battle which raged here. Many of Hedry's archers still have arrows to string as they keep the drivers from attempting to escape. Several wagons are without drivers and the bloodstains on the benches show they didn't give up easily.
The wagons are filled with food, weapons and supplies needed by an army on the move. A string of horses were also captured, spare mounts for their cavalry.
Ceadric meets them as they arrive and says, ”All secured. No losses.”
”Good,” states Illan. ”Have some of the men escort the caravan back to Lythylla.”
”Yes, sir,” he says and then begins a.s.signing those new to their force to escort the caravan. Some grumbling arises from those who believe they'll miss out on the glory of accompanying Black Hawk, but do as they are told.
As the wagons begin rolling back to Lythylla, their force once again resumes their advance on the Empire.
Over the course of the next several days, that scene is repeated three more times as they capture caravans and send them back to Lythylla. After the first day, James was sufficiently recovered from his fight with the creatures that he could again use his mirror to locate enemy patrols. If they weren't very large, Ceadric and his riders were dispatched to take them out.
During their third day from Lythylla, James locates a force of at least five thousand men heading north, most likely to reinforce the force that used to be at Lythylla.
”Should we take them on?” Jiron asks.
Shaking his head, James says, ”That's not the idea. We are to draw them after us and out of Lythylla, avoiding any direct confrontation with large forces for as long as possible.”
”Besides,” adds Illan, ”the force remaining at Lythylla will be able to handle them.”
By the fourth day, any caravans they raid are no longer sent back. Instead, what they need is transferred to their pack animals and the rest is destroyed. Axes are used to chop the wagons apart, the supplies they aren't taking are destroyed in one manner or another. Nothing is to be left that will be able to aid the Empire. Any civilians with the caravans who aren't killed in the initial a.s.sault are allowed to go free. James simply can't bring himself to slay innocents. Plus, they'll begin to spread the word of what they're doing which is precisely what he wants.
James is surprised at the lack of response from the Empire. He thought there should have been something by now. The only thing he can figure is that the word has yet to reach local officials. Those who they've left alive have been on the fringe of the Empire and communications in this world being as they are, it may take awhile before they get word to the powers that be.
On the fifth day as they approach where the old border used to be between Madoc and the Empire, patrols and troops become more frequent. Still they continue as they have, either taking out the enemy should the force prove small, evading it should it prove large. Anything they come across from this point on, if it can be used by the Empire in the war effort, gets destroyed.
During the midafternoon of the fifth day while using his mirror to find enemy patrols, James discovers a fortress to the southwest sitting along the main road running north and south.