Chapter 35

Year 163 – Fall – Quintus Mensis – 3rd day

Avem, town of House Valmai, land of the Vale

A quarter-mile away from the town, Atilos and his men had finished digging the last hole in the ground.

Atilos – “Danovic.”

Danovic – “Yeah?”

Atilos – “Go pick up a hammer and a bunch of nails.”

Atilos went back to his camp with 10 of his men before bringing back the five starving prisoners and five round shields. The prisoners wore their dirty tabards from House Krain. When they arrived, Atilos and his men took the first one and dragged him toward the wooden cross.

The starving soldier was resisting, so Atilos broke his arm. The prisoner was in pain yet too weak to change his fate when Atilos and his men dragged him onto the cross. Danovic held the man’s right hand as Atilos positioned the first nail between the two bones of his wrist.

The prisoner tried to escape, but the grip on his legs and arms was too strong. Atilos raised the hammer and struck the nail. The prisoner screamed so loudly that it could be heard all the way from the walls. Atilos sunk the first nail, hit after hit, letting the man take back his breath before striking again.

As he hung on the cross, Atilos passed the belt of the round shield above the cross and left it to hang above the man’s chest to protect the agonizing prisoner from arrows.

Silas – “His head is still exposed. Should we give him a helmet?”

Atilos – “It’s fine if they kill them. I just want them to fail multiple attempts and hear their screams.”

Atilos – “Ludek, Dasios, get him upward.”

Silas – “Time for the next prisoner.”

In the Silver Lining’s camp, Lanaya and Alphael had barely come back when they heard the screams coming from the prisoners.

Lanaya – “What was that?”

Nelis – “Atilos is probably torturing some prisoners.”

Leo – “Why is he doing this?”

Alphael – “Perhaps to sow fear in his enemy, perhaps to pass the time.”

Leo – “You’re saying it could be a hobby?”

Nelis – “You sound like a frog in a well, Leo. Not everyone has a good heart.”

Jurren – “Perhaps you could teach him how to not to be a frog in a well?”

Nelis – “Like how you teach him to hold his sword?”

Jurren – “He’s learning.”

Owen – “Hey, Leo!”

Leo – “Yeah?”

Owen – “What did Nelis teach you?”

Leo – “Well, for now, he passed me a book about plants.”

Jurren – “That’s not teaching. Show them how you hold your sword.”

Nelis – “It’s not like there’s a good forest to show it to him. Besides, he needs to know them; it’s the basics for an herbalist.”

Leo placed both of his hands on the blade’s handle, leaving a three-inch gap between them, as he raised his guard high above his head.

Jurren – “See? That’s teaching!”

Lanaya – “It’s a good posture, but if you face someone like Jurren, it won’t do the job. You’ll need more strength in those arms.”

Leo – “Yeah . . .”

Lanaya – “Nelis, Egmond wants you to prepare something to energise those pulling the trebuchet.”

Nelis – “Why don’t they just drink tea?”

Lanaya – “He wants more than tea.”

Nelis – “I don’t have such abilities, and you know it.”

Lanaya – “But they don’t, and I’d rather it stay that way.”

Nelis – “I’ll see what I can do.”

Nelis walked toward his backpack and pulled a tome with strange marks written on it.

Leo – “What are these symbols?”

Nelis – “Runes. They are the voice of the earth, words barely noticeable by an untrained ear.”

Leo – “Could you teach me to use them?”

Nelis – “They are far too dangerous for me to risk it. Even I have injured myself by pronouncing them wrong. Owen, prepare a large amount of tea.”

Owen – “I’ll need a larger pot for a whole army.”

Nelis – “No, they won’t need much of it.”

Lanaya – “What will you serve them?”

Nelis – “I will serve them the closest thing to what he asked out of what I can make.”

Owen began to prepare the large pot of tea.

Nelis – “Get a strong tea; it needs to cover a heavily bitter taste.”

Owen – “Tea is bitter; it won’t help.”

Nelis – “Trust me, tea tastes like something. This will be pure bitterness.”

Owen – “Adding apples would help fight the bitter taste.”

Nelis – “Add it as well then. Anything that helps cover the taste will work.”

Nelis searched in his bag and grabbed three stalks of ephedra, an herbal stimulant with strong side effects. He tied it together into a small circle. Once the apple tea was prepared, Nelis placed the circle of ephedra in the boiling water. He then added a spoonful of salt within the tied circle. Nelis turned each page of his tome slowly until he reached his formula. He muttered to himself while looking at the ephedra. As his lips moved, releasing a nearly imperceptible noise, a frail breeze emanated from under the pot, pushing the burning cinder away from their small firepit.

Mesmerized by the ritual, they watched in silence. Nelis leaned toward the pot and blew slowly on it. At that moment, the circle of ephedra dissolved itself as if it were powder. A strange noise came from the pot, and the flame beneath it vanished.

Nelis – “It’s ready.”

Owen touched it with the tips of his fingers.

Owen – “It’s cold! It’s as if I just gathered it from the river.”

Leo – “Could we have some as well when we fight?”

Nelis – “It won’t make you stronger. Ephedra is a stimulant. It keeps your mind awake. If you have a long guarding shift, it’s better than tea to keep you awake, but it doesn’t give you energy. Once its effects run off, it’ll leave you with a headache so strong you’ll need a full night of sleep to recover. You wouldn’t want its effect to run off while in combat.”

Lanaya – “Thank you, Nelis.”

Lanaya picked up the pot and walked away.

Nelis – “Just one sip each!”

Lanaya – “I’ll tell them.”

As Vatra stepped into the street of the town, she noticed the street seemed emptier. The citizens and the refugees were still there, yet most of them were gone. She walked across the main road and joined the northern fort. Barely had her eyes set into the northern lands when she realised the changed lead by the siege. From the northeast gate to the northwest one, hundreds of men, some of which were barely 14, were holding spears as they waited around the large and open area. About 200 were standing on the wall, spread out from one another. Some were sitting in circles near small firepits, and some were carrying wood around. Many were looking at the sky.

Near the west gate, a few carpenters were assembling the wood into some kind of structure. Not far from them, Ethen was issuing commands. Vatra was walking toward them when she saw something pass through the sky.

A Valmai soldier – “TAKE COVER!”

Many screams resounded, followed by the sound of crashing wood. Vatra turned to her right; a large stone had crashed into the wall, breaking apart the wood. Luckily, no one seemed wounded.

One, two, three, four, and five . . . Five stones in less than a day.

The Eagle – “Are you sure it will hold the rock?”

The carpenter – “Well, it should, but we’ll need to test it to be sure.”

The Eagle – “Hey! You!”

A Krain soldier – “Me?”

The Eagle – “Not just you! All of you! Listen! You see that rock over there? Bring it here.”

The carpenter – “It’s not ready yet.”

The Eagle – “It doesn’t matter; we’ll need those rocks eventually.”

Vatra – “My Eagle! You requested me?”

The Eagle – “Varla, come with me. We’re going to the western wall.”

Vatra – “Yes, my Eagle!”

As they approached the wall, they heard screams of pain.

Vatra – “What’s happening?”

Ethen – “They’ve crucified prisoners from House Krain.”

Vatra – “What? Why?”

Ethen – “To make you lose your temper, to drain your anger, and to tire you. It’s hard to sleep knowing someone’s being tortured next door.”

Vatra – “Can we end their misery with arrows?”

Ethen – “We did; they should die of blood loss soon enough.”

Vatra – “And what do you need me to do?”

Ethen – “To watch. As horrible as it seems, we have to show them we aren’t intimidated.”

Vatra – “Aren’t they launching rocks at the wall as well?”

Ethen – “They are, which is why most of our army isn’t standing on it. You’ll have plenty of space to move if the rock is coming your way. Besides, we’ll deal with it soon enough. They only have one trebuchet. On the wall, no one will look at your face, so your identity should stay hidden. I want you to stay on watch for six hours each day, and then you’ll go back to your cell. I’ll bring you food.”

Vatra – “Yes, my Eagle.”

As they walked up the wall, General Thorkel walked in their direction.

General Thorkel – “They aren’t dying. Morgan missed his shot.”

Ethen – “He didn’t miss. If they aren’t dead, it means they are wearing armour.”

General Thorkel – “Then send more arrows. They are my men. These prisoners fought under my command. I think I recognise their voices and so do my soldiers. They are agonizing. I want to end their misery.”

Ethen – “If they are wearing armour, Morgan’s arrows won’t kill them. That horse was only wearing a surcoat. I understand your anger, but I’m not wasting arrow after arrow. That’s their goal. They want us to waste these arrows because they are a threat to their siege.”

Vatra – “So, they’ll be left to agonise . . .”

Ethen stared at Vatra and took a deep breath before looking at Thorkel again.

Ethen – “I’ll tell Morgan to shoot each of them again, but if it doesn’t work, that’s it.”

General Thorkel – “It will work.”

Ethen – “But you better remember it’s because of her that we’re doing it.”

General Thorkel – “She’s just one of your many soldiers. I know. Now go seek Morgan.”

Ethen turned around and shouted at one of his soldiers.

The Eagle – “Tomir! Go find Morgan! Tell him to bring his bow.”

Tomir – “Yes, my Eagle!”

Ethen then looked at Thorkel.

The Eagle – “You can wait for Morgan here. As of now, don’t follow us.”

General Thorkel – “I won’t. I have no interest in that darling of yours.”

Ethen – “Let’s keep walking, Varla.”

Vatra – “Yes, my Eagle.”

The two of them kept walking on the wall, toward the northwest stairway.

Vatra – “How are Marco and Morgan doing?”

Ethen – “Marco is now in a better world . . .”

Vatra – “I’m sorry . . .”

Ethen – “Don’t be. You’ve done him no wrong.”

Vatra – “But Morgan is fine, right?”

Ethen – “Morgan’s fine, I think . . . I think he’s a bit afraid for the sake of our people. He cares a lot more for them than he admits.”

Vatra – “And you?”

Ethen – “Don’t worry about me; worry about yourself. I need you strong and rested.”

Vatra – “I’m not as weak as you think, and I do care about how you feel.”

Ethen smiled a little and placed his hand on her shoulder.

The Eagle – “You sound exactly like her . . .”

Vatra – “One day, you’ll have to tell me who she was.”

Ethen lowered his eyes toward Vatra.

The Eagle – “Not today, soldier! I’ll be going.”

Vatra – “Yes, my Eagle!”

That day, every two-thirds of an hour, a stone came flying across the sky. The second attempt from Morgan to kill the prisoners seemed to fail, as their moaning could still be heard. Late in the afternoon, the trebuchet from House Valmai launched its first rock. The rock flew like an arrow above the wall in the general direction of the Kalator trebuchet and crashed 40 feet south of its target.

Trygve turned around and saw the rock. It was the shattered pieces of a rock they threw earlier that day.

Trygve – “Friedrich! Go seek Egmond, now!”

Friedrich – “Yes, my general!”

Trygve – “All of you! Help me move the trebuchet 15 feet to the north!”

When Egmond arrived, followed by Friedrich and Lanaya, a second large stone flew through the sky and crashed further south.

Trygve – “Egmond!”

Egmond – “Yeah, I know. It’s not good. They’ll eventually hit the trebuchet. What do you suggest?”

Trygve – “Raise the hill about four feet, but for that, I’ll need many more men.”

Egmond – “We’ll raise the hill during the night. For now, pull the trebuchet back.”

Egmond looked at Lanaya and signaled for her to come closer. She was carrying a large kettle filled with a concoction.

Trygve – “What is it?”

Lanaya – “It’s a stimulant elixir for your men.”

Trygve – “I won’t give some black magic to my men. I care about their soul.”

Egmond – “It’s just like tea, but stronger. Right, Lanaya?”

Lanaya – “Correct.”

Trygve – “This won’t protect them from getting squashed under a rock.”

Egmond – “Later tonight, when the hill is higher, you’ll move it back to where it was, and you’ll start shooting rocks all night on their wall. They won’t be able to see them coming.”

Trygve – “And that elixir is just supposed to keep my men awake?”

Lanaya – “Once you drink a sip, you’ll know it for sure. But don’t take more than one sip because the next day, you’ll have a headache, just like after drinking alcohol.”

Trygve – “How strong of a headache are we talking?”

Lanaya – “About the headache of two pints of beer per sip, but you’ll be more focused than ever before for the whole night.”

The Kalator had pulled away their trebuchet, and the Valmai soldiers were celebrating, as they were patching the few breaches in the wall using dirt and wood.

Vatra was looking at the crucified men when someone grabbed her hand. She turned abruptly and pulled her hand away, afraid of being exposed.

It’s just a kid . . . Oh, he’s carrying food!

Kid – “Are you all right?”

Vatra – “Yes . . . It’s the . . . the crucified.”

Kid – “What’s a crucified?”

Vatra – “Say, how old are you?”

Kid – “Seven.”

Vatra – “Seven . . .”

Kid – “Are you crying?”

Vatra – “No . . . No, I’m not.”

Kid – “You look like you are crying.”

Vatra – “You brought food?”

Kid – “Yes, it’s in my bag. They said one bread per soldier.”

Vatra – “Hey kid, can you do something for me?”

Kid – “What?”

Vatra – “When you have carried all those pieces of bread, tell your father you love him.”

Kid – “Sure!”

Vatra took her bread, and as soon as the kid left, she wiped her tears and grabbed her amber necklace tightly while taking a deep breath. An hour later, Vatra left the wall and walked toward the jail. Avoiding the most crowded route, she eventually reached the jail. The other jail cells were still empty, except for that one rat eating the leftovers.

Vatra – “Woosh! Get out!”

The rat ran away, and Vatra sat on her straw mattress. Strangely enough, this place had begun to feel like home.

Did I dream that man’s voice? Surely it was a dream.

The rat was still there, slowly crawling its way back to the leftovers. As soon as Vatra placed her sight on it, the rat froze.

Vatra – “You won’t give up, will you?”

Vatra rolled her eyes and took a deep breath.

Vatra – “Fine, come on. I’ll let you have them. Don’t be scared.”

Eventually, the rat reached the bits of potato and began eating while sporadically looking at Vatra to see if her mood changed.

Vatra – “I’ll call you Coraly . . . Coraly the Rat! Because you keep crawling! See? Crawly, Coraly?”