Chapter 37

Year 163 – Fall – Quintus Mensis – 4th day

Avem, town of House Valmai, land of the Vale

Earlier that day, Vatra was in her cell, sleeping on her straw mat. She woke up and noticed a small bag of food had been placed outside her jail.

Did he come while I was sleeping?

Vatra raised herself and sat against the wall. The first candle had run out. The second one was still in good shape. Vatra pulled her necklace and looked at it. The butterfly was still clear. She hid her necklace back under her tunic and geared up. That morning, no guard stopped her on her way to the wall. Many men were repairing the many breaches in the wall. She reached the wall and stood there for a couple of hours.

She observed the Kalator army.

It’s been thirteen days already . . . I miss you, Harald.

Ethen was walking on the wall to assess the condition of his army when he joined Vatra.

The Eagle – “Varla?”

Vatra – “Yes, my Eagle.”

The Eagle – “How are you doing?”

The girl pointed at the five crucified soldiers.

Vatra – “Better than them.”

They looked to the west as the Kalator were pulling their trebuchet away from the river shore.

Ethen – “Seems like they’re waiting until tonight before launching more rocks.”

Vatra – “How many died last night?”

Ethen – “Three. We were lucky, but it could have been much worse. We’ll prepare fire arrows to mark their position tonight. We’ll know where their trebuchet will be, and we’ll try to riposte.”

Vatra – “I see.”

Ethen – “Did you sleep a bit?”

Vatra – “I’m fine. I like the feel of the wind. It helps me think.”

Ethen – “Think about what?”

Vatra – “What does it take for a man to take another one’s life, to prepare for war, intending to kill his own kind?”

Ethen – “Everyone has their own reason to fight. Be it vengeance, glory, starvation, servitude, or love. In the end, the only thing that matters is not why they fight, but why you do it and what would happen if you didn’t. Responsibilities give us a meaning, not intention.”

Vatra – “Responsibilities, survival, fear . . . Is that why you chose to be a fighter?”

Ethen – “An Eastern raid took someone I loved deeply. I enrolled in the army out of anger.”

Vatra – “It didn’t bring you to such a bad place.”

Ethen – “It’s not anger which brought me here. At the end of the war, I was a renowned general, but I was closer to a lost soul than anything else. The only thing that held me together was the orphans. They enlisted into the militia to eat, and I had to train them. Seeing them grow gave me meaning.”

Vatra – “During the last decade, I almost had a meaning . . . Now all I feel is deprived of sense.”

Ethen – “Look far beyond the sky until you see the light you’re seeking because no matter how dark the night gets, the sun always rises at dawn.”

Vatra – “That’s touching, but it doesn’t sound like your words.”

Ethen – “They were the words of my sister.”

Vatra took Ethen’s left hand and tightened her grip.

Vatra – “I don’t know if I deserve the way you’re acting with me, but thank you.”

Ethen looked at her and closed his grip on her hand. At that moment, they noticed the Kalator army was shifting their position.

Vatra – “What are they doing?”

Ethen – “They intend to attack. Stay here and don’t die.”

Ethen grabbed his war horn and blew in it twice. He then ran toward the closest stairway where he met with Judec, his second-in-command.

Judec – “Awaiting command, my Eagle!”

Ethen – “Take command of the militia. Bring them in three formations. Spears, bows, and 10 arrows each.”

Another war horn resonated, and another. The Krain army was filling the eastern side of the wall. The citizens distributing the food ran back into the town. Derfel, the scout leader, joined Ethen as Judec was running toward their militia.

Derfel – “Are they attacking?”

Ethen – “Yes. Go seek Morgan.”

Derfel – “Do you have enough arrows?

Ethen – “Yes! I’ll be waiting for you on the western flank!”

Ethen ran back up to the top of the wall.

A Valmai soldier – “They are massing their ranks on the eastern flank!”

Ethen – “They’ll be out of range for our trebuchet!”

Ethen looked at the soldier next to him.

Ethen – “Gunbert, go to the fort and wait for Derfel. Tell him to send Morgan to the eastern gate!”

Gunbert – “Yes, my Eagle!”

Ethen – “Dietger!”

Dietger – “Yes, my Eagle?”

Ethen – “Go to the eastern wall and find General Thorkel. Tell him Morgan will be under his command.”

Dietger – “Yes, my Eagle!”

Ethen – “Wait, leave your bow here. Take mine afterward; it’s next to our trebuchet.”

Dietger – “Yes, my Eagle!”

Ethen walked on the wall and looked swiftly at each of his men in the eyes.

Ethen – “I see fear in your eyes, but don’t falter, as this fear will give you the vigour of a rested night!”

Ethen placed his hand on Maelly’s shoulder.

Ethen – “We’ll defend this city!”

Maelly – “For Marco!”

Ethen – “For Marco!”

Over her shoulder, Ethen noticed the militia of House Valmai.

Judec – “WE’RE READY, MY EAGLE!”

Ethen looked north. The first formation of the Kalator army was moving toward the east with their mangonels, shortly followed by six other formations, each made of 200 men. When the last formation of soldiers left their encampment, a war horn resounded across the town. The Kalator militia followed it with a war cry. Their voices reverberated like thunder as shivers crawled under the skin of those defending Avem. Ethen looked around him and saw his frightened men awaiting their fates.

Ethen – “MEN OF THE VALE! MY FRIENDS, MY BROTHERS, ON THIS CLOUDY DAY, I CAN SEE THE FEAR IN YOUR EYES. THE FATE YOU PERCEIVED IN YOUR WORST DREAM. BUT I ASK YOU TO CLEAR YOUR HEART FROM THESE CORRUPT THOUGHTS, AS NEITHER DEATH NOR SURRENDER AWAITS US!”

Ethen’s eyes crossed Vatra’s. He stood there for a second, then kept on walking.

Ethen – “TODAY IS THE DAY WE WILL GIVE BIRTH TO A DREAM CALLED HOPE. ON THIS CLOUDY DAY, I CAN FEEL A STORM COMING! A STORM OF STEEL! TODAY, WE SHALL ENRAGE THE SKY WITH THE SCREAM OF OUR ARROWS!”

Judec – “FOR THE EAGLE!”

The soldiers – “FOR THE EAGLE!”

The Eagle – “FOR THE VALE!”

The militia – “FOR THE VALE!”

The Kalator army was approaching the eastern gate with their shields high to protect those pushing the mangonels as well as those carrying the ladders.

Thorkel – “ARCHERS!”

The archers defending the eastern wall all raised their bows toward the upcoming enemy.

Thorkel – “DRAW!”

When the Kalator soldiers entered a distance of 60 feet from the moat in front of the wall, the Krain general sent the order. The first wave of arrows flew through the air, striking the Kalator army like an earthquake. Yet, of the hundreds struck by their arrows, less than 50 were injured, as most of the infantry wore plate armour.

Following the command of their lord, the Kalator archers answered back with a volley of arrows. Trygve and his men armed the mangonels with tens of small rock boulders the size of a hand. As the mangonels were about to be armed, an arrow the size of a short spear impaled one of the artillerists, shoving him to the ground. Trygve looked to his side, the impact had pierced through both the plate and the gambeson of his soldier.

Trygve – “RELEASE!”

The six mangonels threw a volley of stones onto the wall, clearing a path for the ladders; yet, as the many soldiers reached the moat, they realised some of their ladders weren’t long enough.

Amund – “PLACE THE LADDERS ON THE MOAT TO BUILD A FLOOR.”

Trygve dragged his wounded men behind the mangonels and began arming it again. As the Kalator army laid their ladders above the moat, the soldiers of House Krain released more arrows. Brahmkal stood on the many ladders and placed his against the wall when the Bear of Vale released another arrow. The javelin pierced through Brahmkal’s leg. He could feel the pain through his muscles and bones as he plummeted into the moat and fell under the water. Panicking, he tried to grab onto the ladders, but the current of the Oluja River was too strong and carried him away. His armour made him sink, and as he began to drown, a hand grabbed his shoulder and pulled him toward the shore.

Amund – “DRAG HIM OUT!”

Together with two other soldiers, they pulled him out of the moat before setting down more ladders. Another volley of rocks crashed into the walls as the Kalator soldiers began to climb the ladders. By the time the Bear of Vale pushed the ladder away, three more were settling against the wall.

On the west side, the militia was closing by the gate as Vatra positioned her bow for the second time.

Ethen – “DRAW!”

When she tried to pull the rope, she felt a tremendous pain in her back shoulder.

My god! My arm will break. I can barely pull it, let alone hold it.

She looked at her right and her left and noticed the soldiers holding their arrows drawn about halfway in as they aimed. When the Eagle gave them the signal, they pulled it further, only to release it instantly. Vatra then followed their movements in the second volley. As the Kalator were getting closer, Ethen blew his war horn.

Judec – “ARCHERS! RELEASE!”

Arrows rained upon the Kalator. The sun was partially hiding above the many clouds as the whistling of arrows was heard across the battlefield, from the east gate to the west one, yet with their armour and their shields, the Kalator were advancing through the tempest.

Not far from Vatra, a ladder was settling against the wall. The Valmai soldier in front of it then tried to fight off his opponent when a spear pierced through his shield and body before he was pulled from the wall with such strength that she could barely believe what she had witnessed.

Vatra froze in place when she saw the spear wielder jump onto the wall wearing plate armour with a long silver braid coming out of the helmet. Two Valmai soldiers attacked the intruder. But the silver braided warrior kicked one of the soldiers away before killing the other. A third man of Avem thrust his blade in the warrior’s back, but the armour was too sturdy. Using the spear handle, the warrior hit him in the guts. At that moment, Vatra took both of her swords out to deal with the warrior when their eyes crossed each other.

I know these eyes . . .

Vatra tried to push the spear to the right while closing the gaps, but the warrior smashed her to the ground with such strength that Vatra dropped her blade, gasping and unable to breathe.

The Kalator militia, defended by the warrior, were climbing the ladder and entering the wall. Not far away from them, another ladder had settled against the wall, and the Valmai soldiers were trying to stop it while fighting the militia.

Lanaya – “Such a shame to waste someone like you.”

Lanaya pulled her spear back to finish Vatra when she heard someone dying behind her. She turned around and saw a man pushing the second ladder off the wall. He was wearing an honourific tabard with a golden eagle on it. The soldier looked Lanaya in the eyes.

The Eagle – “Are you the witch I’ve been told about?”

Vatra – “BE CAREFUL!”

Lanaya leapt forward, thrusting her spear at Ethen. Using his blade, he deflected the hit, only to feel the inhuman strength behind the blow. He dropped his blade and grabbed the spear to pivot under it. Lanaya then cleaved her pole arm to the side. Ethen placed his shield in the way only to see it break apart as he got pushed to the edge of the wall. Ethen was about to fall off, so he kept holding onto the spear.

Lanaya raised her leg to push him off, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her with him in his downfall. Both of them fell close to 15 feet before hitting the ground inside the fortified wall. Vatra looked toward the ladder and saw more militia climbing up the wall. She looked down behind her and saw Lanaya getting up as the Vale militia were trying to rescue their commander. Vatra took the closest sword she found and jumped off the wall to land on Lanaya. Seeing her plunge, the warrior stepped backward.

Vatra crashed on the ground next to Ethen. Judec released an arrow toward Lanaya, which she deflected with the tip of her spear.

Nearly a hundred men were charging Lanaya, armed with spears. She looked upward. The fight was still raging, so she sprinted toward the closest stairway to retrieve her companions.

Ethen – “Are you all right?!”

Vatra – “I think!”

Ethen was about to run after Lanaya when he saw her shred apart three of his men as if they were made of butter.

Ethen – “Witchcraft . . .”

Judec – “WE MUST RETAKE THE WALL!”

Ethen – “NO! SHE ISN’T THE KIND YOU CAN FIGHT!”

Ethen then took his war horn and blew it. At the east door, the Krain general was barely holding most of the enemy when he turned around and saw the breach in the west.

General Thorkel – “RETREAT! RETREAT!”

Morgan – “WHY? WE HAVEN’T LOST YET!”

General Thorkel – “IF WE DON’T, WE’LL BE SURROUNDED! KEEPING OUR NUMBERS MATTERS MORE THAN KEEPING THIS WALL!”

The Vale and the Frey soldiers were now retreating from both the west and the east, leaving the first wall in the hand of their enemy.

Ethen – “GET OFF THE WALL AND CARRY THE WOUNDED!”

He turned toward Judec and the militia.

Ethen – “RETREAT TO THE FORT AND BRING MORE ARROWS. WE’LL HOLD THEM HERE. LEAVE A HUNDRED SPEARS NEAR THE CROSSROAD!”

Judec – “YES, MY EAGLE!”

Ethen – “AND GIVE ME YOUR SWORD!”

Judec gave his sword to Ethen before leading the militia away. Ethen looked at Vatra.

Ethen – “CAN YOU FIGHT?”

Vatra – “YES, MY EAGLE!”

Ethen – “THEN COME WITH ME. WE NEED TO HELP AS MANY AS WE CAN TO RETREAT!”

The two of them ran toward the stairway. The Kalator were now in control of the western gate. Ethen and Vatra headed east, both away from Lanaya and toward the rest of the Valmai army.

Ethen – “RETREAT TO THE CROSSROAD!”

Many men still fought as the others ran away. Near the western side, Lanaya was setting up a fifth ladder. Ethen and Vatra forced their way through melee until they reached a Valmai soldier. Ethen grabbed his shoulder and screamed.

Ethen – “WE ARE RETREATING! FOLLOW ME!”

The soldier – “YES, MY EAGLE!”

They kept pushing their way through until they reached the next stairway near the northern gate. Sixteen Valmai’s soldiers were now with them, and many more had already jumped off the wall. Tens of Kalator soldiers were running toward their position.

Ethen – “TO THE STAIRWAY! RETREAT!”

Vatra – “WHAT ABOUT THE OTHERS?!”

Ethen – “WE CAN’T STAY ANY LONGER! RUN!”

They ran through the large dirt land until they reached the crossroad. Tens of the Valmai soldiers were there, and many more were on their way. The House Krain soldiers were running right past them on their way to the fort when Thorkel and Morgan noticed Ethen and ran toward him.

Thorkel – “WHAT HAPPENED!”

Ethen – “THEIR WITCH BREACHED OUR LINE!”

Ethen looked behind him; hundreds of Kalator were flowing through the wall, and they were not about to leave the hunt. The Valmai men were trying to regroup toward the crossroad, about halfway between the wall and the fort, but they were getting surrounded by the Kalator.

Thorkel – “WE NEED TO RUN NOW!”

Ethen – “OUR MEN ARE STILL OUT THERE! WE MUST DEFEND THIS AREA!”

Thorkel – “NONE OF THEM WILL SURVIVE IF WE WAIT!”

Ethen – “I WON’T ABANDON THEM!”

Thorkel – “THEN DIE WITH THEM! I’LL GO DEFEND THE FORT WITH MINE!”

Morgan – “I’M WITH YOU, ETHEN!”

Thorkel joined his men on his way to the fort as the Valmai’s soldiers were still regrouping through the skirmish. Ethen looked around and saw the pile of spears left by Judec.

Ethen – “EVERYONE! TAKE A SPEAR AND FORM TWO ROWS!”

Vatra picked a spear and joined the formation. Tens of Valmai men were coming their way, followed by hundreds of Kalator.

Ethen – “Morgan, when we charge, rescue those you can, but don’t die.”

Morgan – “Count on me.”

The Valmai men were about to reach them, but the Kalator were on their tail.

Ethen – “TO THE EAST! CHARGE!”

They charged with a line of spears, stopping the disorganised Kalator from surrounding them. Morgan ran past the few survivors and cleaved his halberd, cutting three men in half.

Morgan – “TO THE FORT!”

Morgan ran south with four more survivors.

Ethen – “STEP FORWARD!”

Together, the line of spears moved forward onto the enemy, scattering their ranks.

Ethen – “NOW! RETREAT! TO THE FORT!”

As the Valmai men were running over the bridge, the Vale militia stormed the Kalator with arrows. Shortly after, the Kalator blew their war horn three times, signalling their retreat. When the skirmish was over, Ethen walked toward Thorkel and punched him in the face.

Thorkel – “WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU?”

The Eagle – “WE COULD HAVE SAVED MORE OF THEM! WHAT KIND OF COMMANDER ABANDONS HIS MEN ON THE FIELD? YOU LEFT THEM TO DIE!”

Thorkel – “YOU’RE THE ONE WHO COULDN’T HOLD THE WEST. SO DON’T COME WHINING AT ME!”

The Eagle – “YOU DIDN’T TELL ME THEIR WITCH COULD TEAR ARMOUR APART!”

Thorkel – “IF THEY HAD A WITCH, THEY CAN HAVE BLOODY ANYTHING! HOW THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW?”

The Eagle – “DAMN IT!”

The Eagle stormed toward Morgan while trying to regain his composure.

The Eagle – “Where’s Maelly?”

The tall man pointed further away. She was addressing the wounds of the many injured. The Eagle then counted his men to realise he had lost close to half of his trained soldiers. When the night arrived, the rain fell upon the Vale, and the burning forest on the horizon turned into a foggy smoke.

The next day, the ground was soaked, and the water had a tint of red far too intense for the usual iron in the soil. The Far Eastern girl was pondering as she gazed at the battlefield under the mild caress of rain. It was as if the yield of a harvest was being cleaned, yet the view it carried was filled with sorrow.