“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.