The Deathless Ones, page 25
The Defenders of Mirrel
Myra stood on top of the ramparts, Vasry at her side. The walls were strong, but Mirrel was a difficult city to defend. It was built close to the mountain of Nadais, and on its east side, it had no wall, only the mountain, and the south led to the ocean. The walls on all three sides were tall and strong, and no attack was likely to come from the south, but no help either. The fishing village of Ehryut was the only settlement near the ocean. To the north were the forests of Andhar, through which Semil had once tried to lead an army to Mirrel with devastating results for him. The forests were full of Vriks and Jatus. The west was the only area which an attack could come from, but to the west of Mirrel was a small plain rising to a large incline. Mirrel was situated in a basin of sorts, and though it had some formidable natural defences, it was more or less a sitting duck from the west. With the right equipment, and enough men, it wasn’t a difficult task to take it, as Syamin himself had already proven.
"We won’t see them until they are on top of us," she said.
"Our spies will bring news, long before that, Lady Myra," Vasry said.
"You seem very calm," she said, gazing at him curiously.
Vasry shrugged. "I've faith in Syamin," He said. "He'll find a way."
"Will he even get back before it starts?"
"I don’t know,” Vasry said. “But even if he doesn’t, I’m sure he put the city in safe hands.”
"He's a strange man," Myra said.
"He's a good one," Vasry said. "Anyway, we can hope that your man would be back with the armies of Rhenon by the time Semil arrives."
"I hope so," she said softly. "Mylwin's a good man too, and a good soldier."
"He's loyal to you."
She nodded. "His family had served mine for a long time." She glanced at him again. "How long have you known Syamin?"
"Quite a long time," Vasry said, not elaborating.
"Did you serve under Lord Kaylas?"
It was perhaps a bold question, and she knew it. If he refused to answer it, or became angry at her, she wouldn’t be surprised. It would be quite natural for him to feel that way too, but she had to know. She had heard the rumours; she had been at her father's knee, listening to his men bringing in news, before she grew old enough to understand it, and she could remember snatches of conversations and discussions. One such piece had come to her two days before Syamin's unexpected visit to her just before he had left for Dell. She remembered one of her father's men talking about the defection of Lord Kaylas' men to a man named Syamin, leaving the young son of Lord Kaylas to fend for himself. When it had come to her, almost like a dream, she had thought that she could understand Syamin. This was what he was really like, after all. From his earliest days, this was what he had done. It might have been good fortune that Aadron, the son of Lord Kaylas was able to do so well for himself. Luck or exceptional ability or both.
Vasry smiled, a smile that was both indulgent and understanding, as they made their way down the stairs to check the preparations elsewhere to protect the civilians. The gate to the south, leading to the ocean was the only safe way out of the city, and they had to ensure that it stayed that way in case the civilians had to be evacuated. Aster had insisted that the city shouldn’t be taken, and they had assured him that they would try their best to ensure it wouldn't be, but the old man hadn't seemed satisfied. Myra wondered if Vasry was being evasive, just smiling and refusing to answer.
He said, "I understand where that question is coming from, Lady Myra. Believe me. It was not like you think."
"How do you know what I think?"
"You think that Syamin lured away your men, while conveniently forgetting that those men wouldn't have been there if not for him. Semil would have captured Rhenon and your armies would now be his if not for Syamin. Even you, Lady Myra, and most of those young men who are with you would've been dead ten times over had Syamin not taught you how to fight, and if he only meant to imprison you, he wouldn't have put you in charge here, today. In spite of all that, you keep thinking that he betrayed your trust, that he stole your men."
"He put both of us in charge," her voice was quiet, though she was shaken by his words. "I hardly think Mirrel's interests could be served if we're to fight."
"You like to think that he put both of us in charge, but we both know who he put in charge," he paused. "And to come to your original question, no, I did not serve under Lord Kaylas though my father did. I only ever served with and under Syamin."
"But your father served under Lord Kaylas."
"As had his father under his father and so on," There was gentle mockery in his tone.
She flushed. "You're saying I shouldn't take it for granted that my men will be loyal to me just because their families had served mine for long."
"No, my Lady Myra. I think you are being unfair to your men when you think their loyalty is because their families have served yours for generations. Why do you think Syamin put you in charge here when his men hardly know you?"
She turned her head away from him, so he wouldn’t see the tears that had sprang to her eyes at his words. She didn’t know what was wrong with her, that she was breaking down so easily these days.
"How did you meet Syamin?" She asked, curiously. Vasry didn’t seem the type of man who would abandon someone he owed loyalty to. So, what made him do that?
"We almost grew up together, and trained in combat together. We fought together in Lord Kaylas' armies, and when Lord Kaylas was killed, Syamin took charge of his armies and drove Semil's men away from the Lord's territories. He consolidated the Lord's holdings, built a temporary headquarters at Farren, fortified the major towns, and strengthened the armies, so when Aadron came of age, he could inherit a land that was in much better shape and armies that were larger and stronger than in his father's time."
"But," she was confused. "Didn't anyone object when Syamin took charge of the armies? He must have been very young at the time."
Vasry smiled at her, this time an amused smile. "I forget that very few people know," he said. "I apologise. I should have told you that Syamin was the ward of Lord Kaylas."
"Oh!" She said. She remembered the fondness in his voice as he told Mylwin he reminded him of his foster-brother.
"Then Aadron and he are-”
"They are foster-brothers," Vasry affirmed. "And as for the tales regarding Lord Kaylas' men leaving Aadron to join Syamin, they are grossly exaggerated. There were less than fifty of us who left Aadron to go with Syamin. At the time, none of us knew what we were going to do, Syamin least of all. That's why he came to Mirrel, to see Aster, in whose household he had grown up until Lord Kaylas made him his ward. The captain of guards here was a man who'd served under Lord Kaylas and he had also been Syamin's first teacher. He opened the gates of Mirrel to Syamin, he and his men placed their swords at Syamin's feet and pledged their loyalty to him, and begged him to take charge of Mirrel. Both Albin and Farren were too far away, and Mirrel needed someone who could be here."
"And he took charge," she said. "Declared himself Lord of Mirrel."
"He did."
They were at the south gate by now, and the men were busy at work.
"Is that the tunnel?" Myra asked, interested.
Vasry nodded. "Yes. And it was a very good idea of yours. No one knows the existence of these tunnels into Ehryut, so once we open up the entrance at our end, and check for cave ins, we can evacuate the people through them, if it happens we cannot keep the gate clear."
"It was Aster who told me," she shrugged it off, though her face was glowing.
A man came running towards them. He was one of Aster's servants, they saw.
"What is it?" Vasry asked sharply.
"Aster wishes to see you both urgently," The man gasped.
"Lead the way," Myra said, wondering what Aster wanted.
She was glad for the chance to be quiet, to reflect on all she heard. It was evident that Vasry idolised Syamin and wasn’t prepared to see anything wrong in what he did, but Myra couldn’t be so blind. Even the way he had become Lord of Mirrel was not honourable in her book, but no doubt it was practical. In spite of how he had treated her, Myra had to acknowledge that there was some truth in Vasry's words. Syamin did save her and Rhenon, and whatever ends he might have had in mind, they did owe him. Which was why she was determined that she would do her best to defend Mirrel.
Aster was waiting for them in the room of one of his patients. The young woman who lay on the bed seemed deeply asleep. A young man in the white robes of a magician sat next to her, his hand holding one of hers.
“How’s the plans for defending the city going?” Aster asked, looking fretful.
“At the moment, we are focussing on evacuating the citizens,” Vasry said. “The walls of Mirrel can hold against most external attacks. You know that.”
Aster nodded. “Yes, yes. But you’ll allow an old man his worries, Vasry. How’s the evacuation going?”
“We’re using the road to Ehryut now,” Vasry replied. “The work of clearing the tunnel is also progressing well, and if it’s all right with you, I would like to evacuate the staff and patients here too, Aster.”
Aster nodded. “The only patients at the moment are Marian and her,” gesturing towards the unconscious woman, “and I’d prefer if Marian were to stay here, but you should arrange to have this one taken to Ehryut. She’s under sedation, and would need to be carried out, I’m sure her brother will help.”
“All right,” Vasry gave the two a confused look, making Myra smile.
The Attack on Mirrel
Semil rode at the head of his army, his banners fluttering in the breeze. The day was cloudless and as his armies crested the hill above Mirrel, Semil was filled with a sense of purpose. He would finally fulfil his destiny and soon. The day was near when would he enter the streets of Mirrel victorious, and Syamin's head would roll at his feet, soon to be followed by Aster's. Marian and Amrose would be waiting for him, and hopefully the two he was searching for would be in Mirrel. Once he had them, he would bring even the Elementals to their knees.
As soon as they reached the top of the hill, Semil halted, staring with a satisfied smile at the city that could be seen nestled at the foot of Nadais. The city looked quite vulnerable from this distance, but his experienced eyes could see the walls that were larger than any he had seen. Obviously Kaylas or Syamin had taken the trouble to fortify Mirrel since taking it from him.
“My lord, shall we make camp here, or go closer to the city?” Tynaw asked, as he stared at the city and the bare plains before it.
“They wouldn’t have seen us,” Semil said curtly, his hard gaze not moving away from Mirrel. “Let’s camp here. Moving closer to Mirrel may not be advisable. We shouldn’t underestimate Syamin.”
“I don’t think even Syamin can find a way to escape from us now.” There was glee in Fropar’s voice.
Semil ignored the remark. He knew he had to be careful. When he held Mirrel, he’d believed that no one could take the city from him, but Syamin had proved him wrong. When he attacked Rhenon, he had thought victory was certain, but out of nowhere some nonentity had come to thwart him. He couldn’t afford another defeat. Not because Mirrel was strategically important, but because Syamin was the most enterprising of his adversaries and whose reputation was most fearsome. Besides, there was also Aster. This was his opportunity for revenge against that old man.
“Let’s not be complacent before we have even reached the city,” he said. “We all need rest now, and tell the scouts to be on the lookout for the rest of our forces.”
“How do we plan to take the city?” Rigan asked, thoughtfully stroking his beard.
“Make camp,” Semil said. “We’ll finalise our plans later.”
The men set about making camp. Semil sat on his horse, staring at the bare plains where no cover was available for miles, the frown deepening on his face. The walls were bound to be enchanted. He knew enough of magic to know that though no spell can be cast in the shadow of Nadais, enchanted objects would work, especially when magic was part of their make-up. Considering every rock, pebble, and grain of sand in Terrin had its own magic, it didn’t require much imagination to realise that the stones that had gone into the construction of that formidable wall might have been strengthened with magic. He could use his catapults on them, but he had little hopes of success. There must be a way of breaching those walls. There was no way to get his men up to the walls, so he would need to come up with a plan to reach the city with minimum losses to his forces.
He dismounted and took a few steps forward, leading his horse, feeling the bitter taste of defeat in his mouth. Despair was filling his mind. Was he destined to lose again? Against his volition, his mind went to his ill-fated expedition to Mirrel when he had attempted to ambush the city from the north, by traversing the forest. Only a handful of men out of his thousands strong army had made it out alive. Some of those who made it out died soon after, while others had been driven insane. He had survived, and had survived with his sanity intact, though not his body. Had it not been for his healers and the magician he had, he probably would have lost his arm. That magician was dead now, but he had Amrose and Hemon. Hemon was young, just out of his adolescence and still learning, which was why Semil didn’t seek his help. He needed a seasoned magician, and should Amrose die, then and only then would he turn to Hemon.
Mirrel had nearly taken his sanity once, but he had survived. Today, he thought he might go insane out of frustration. He turned back and went to his tent, handing over his horse to the grooms. He stripped off his weapons and shoes, and flung himself on to the bed at the corner, gnashing his teeth. He would not let them get to him! He had survived the worst nightmares in Terrin, had lost his mother, his faith in his teacher and in the fairness of the Elementals all in one night, and had nearly lost his arm and his life. Yet, had made it here. No Elemental was going to be able to take away his sanity as well. He would find a way to take that city!
His mind went to his lessons with Aster. Wasn’t there something about tunnels underneath Mirrel? He went outside and stood staring at the city. If there were tunnels, where would they open? From what he remembered, there was a system of underground passages. Only one of them led outside, the one which opened on the eastern side, on the road to Ehryut. He tapped his chin with his finger. He could turn east and reach the road to Ehryut without coming in range of the city’s archers. In fact, if he did that without leaving the hill top, and climbed down the hill only after in sight of the eastern road, he might well avoid being seen by those in the city. Even if someone from up the walls had seen him, they wouldn’t be able to make out anything from the distance, not even through a spyglass. Semil was smiling as he called his captains to him.
His captains arrived. They looked cheerful, which was justified, and yet, Semil wasn’t sure they understood fully the difficulty facing them. He smiled at them.
"I know how we can take Mirrel.”
He outlined his plan, and watched as they thought about it.
“It’s a good plan, my Lord,” Rigan said. “But it does have one drawback. We have a long way to go, and once we are coming down the hill, we will be plainly visible from the city. If they know of these tunnels, they are likely to collapse them.”
Semil nodded. “That’s true, and Syamin probably knows that city like the back of his hand, including the underground passageways. We can’t assume he isn’t aware of them.”
“My Lord,” Tynaw said. “Why don’t we split our forces? I don’t think we’ll be able to take our cavalry into the tunnels anyway. So, why don’t you and Rigan lead the infantry on to these tunnels while Fropar and I’ll take the cavalry and the siege engines and approach the city from the south? That way, the attention of those inside the city will be fixed on us and you’ll have a chance of entering the city. Once inside, all you need to do is lead some men to the gates and open them, and we’ll all be able to come in.”
“We’re still likely to suffer heavy losses,” Semil muttered. “But that’s war. It’s a good plan, and the best chance we have. Do we still have the fire maker that the alchemists prepared for us?”
“In one of the supply wagons,” Tynaw said. “The men won’t even go near it.”
Semil nodded. “Divide the contents of the wagon into two. I’ll take one half with me, and you can see if they’ll cause those walls to be weakened. Put a bottle in the catapult. If it doesn’t have any effect, use them on the archers, and leave the walls alone.”
They nodded, and left to implement his orders and to divide the forces. Semil looked at the city again. It was as if his eyes were drawn to it.
“Soon,” he whispered. “Soon, you’ll be mine!”
The Armies
Even as Semil's armies were surrounding Mirrel, and Myra and Vasry were standing on top of the ramparts, organizing its defence, three armies were coming to the rescue of Mirrel. None of them bothered to conceal their presence. The armies of Rhenon came from the north-west, and made their way to Lykos. The armies of Hardin came from the south, past Sylven, turned west at the Ryven and crossed into the province of Ceatin at Helot where they encountered a troop of Semil's soldiers and engaged them in battle. Whatever they were doing there, they were no match for the larger army of Aadron, and were speedily routed. Trying to escape, they ran into another army to the north, which was led by Syamin, and were slaughtered to the last man. The troops with Syamin were not large enough to be called an army. They were what remained of the separate bands of men who had gone to the succour of the villages around Mirrel. Following the plan, they had each surrounded the villages they had been sent to rescue and had slaughtered the soldiers who were sent to invade them. They had suffered some casualties, and they had banded together afterwards under Syamin and gone in search of Semil's troops who were lying in wait to ambush them. If any of his men thought it odd that two children travelled in a wagon along with them or about the woman who rode at Syamin’s side, they didn’t ask. They all knew she wasn’t a prisoner, and after seeing her in action, they no longer even wondered at her presence.
