Sea of Souls, page 30
‘And would that place be at Roth’s Doom?’
A grim smile crossed Elodi’s lips. ‘The land narrows at that point. We’d have the chasm to our left, and the hills to our right. That is where I wish to confront them. We may have a chance, a slim chance at that, but it’s preferable to engage them at Roth’s Doom than elsewhere in the open. I will need to station a force at Borrund. If they skirt the forest to the east, they could yet come up against our rear.’
Nyomae returned the smile. ‘How fitting we exploit the supposed damage caused by Ormoroth’s great axe. And not forgetting he was injured in the act.’ She laughed. ‘Not that a word of it can possibly be true.’
Elodi secured her pack to Sea Mist. ‘True or not, I hope the irony is not lost on our enemy. And of course, Draegelan won a decisive battle there.’ She looked over her shoulder to the column of knights. ‘But I imagine he led a far greater and better skilled force than I.’
Nyomae mounted. ‘Yet I believe the numbers still favored the enemy on that day. After expelling Ormoroth from Vortimo, Draegelan pursued him. Ormoroth summoned a great army through the pass to waylay him, but a large force of Amayans rode to his aid from the east. Together they routed the enemy, forcing Ormoroth to make his last stand at Talaghir.’
Elodi glanced down to her mother’s sword. ‘Yet now the Amayans number so few. Even if they all rode to our aid it would make little difference.’
Nyomae drew her horse level with Sea Mist. ‘Take heart, Elodi. The legend alone may still cause unease among our enemy.’
The captain returned with a large bird upon his forearm. Elodi took the quill and chose her words carefully. She would summon Aldorman and all his knights, Cubric with half his Archonians, and finally, Ruan and his spearmen. Elodi knew a double line of Broon’s trusty spears would be worth twice that of her other forces. If a position had to be secured, Ruan would be the captain to hold the line. Elodi watched with her heart hammering into her chest as the bird gained height and flew towards the Kolossos.
She leaped onto Sea Mist’s back, drew her sword, and turned to the assembled company. ‘Ride! Our allies are in danger.’ She kicked on. Sea Mist obliged, leading close to four hundred horses; Elodi hoped the aralaks to the north could also feel the ground tremble.
41. A GRIM PROSPECT
Toryn and the Amayans raced north to Ormsk. Eryn sensed while many spiders headed to the Kolossos Pass, greater numbers scuttled towards the forests of Ormsk. Elodi had stressed the importance of keeping Nordryn away from the vital source of wood for their ships. Toryn had convinced the Amayans that the Archonians defending the forests would need their support. But word of the aralaks escape had traveled fast and far. Hundreds fled along the roads from the Galan Hills with their carts laden with belongings, slowing Toryn’s progress. While the people of the Galafan region had been prepared to defend their homes against the Ruuk, the threat of an aralak invasion had convinced them to flee. Toryn had spoken to an old guard on the road. He told of the aralaks occupying much of the North Forest. A desperate defense had failed, and many had died, or worse, had been captured and kept alive for a source of fresh food. Toryn’s insides turned. It seemed the long years of confinement in the gorge had served only to whet their appetites for the sweet meat long denied them.
Midnight slowed as Eryn raised her hand. From the northern slopes of the Galan Hills, they could see into Ormsk. Eryn turned to Toryn. What do you see? He slowed his breathing, relaxed his shoulders, and let the farsight lead him to the forests. The tall, dark spikes of the trees came to meet him. The borders of the South Forest appeared calm. Toryn ventured farther and arrived at the stockade of Omstrad. The road leading to the woodland town was packed with Archonians, riders, and more carts hauled by frightened horses. Many hurried east along the main road to Borrund — Toryn did not have to look far to see the cause of their panic. Not far into the North Forest, the trees were already strewn with thick webs. Toryn recoiled, despite the distance. Spiders the size of large dogs, scampered over a line of recent victims. Their long, spindly legs wove strands of silk from their bloated abdomens to bind their unfortunate captives. Dozens already hung from the trees causing the branches to sag with their weight. But to his horror, two large aralaks with red markings on their pods, discharged swollen egg sacs close to the macabre food supply.
Toryn readily retreated. ‘They have taken the North Forest. They’ve enclosed a large area with web, and… it looks like they’re building a nest.’
Eryn grimaced. ‘That is not good news. Not good at all. And Omstrad?’
‘It looks as if a defense will be mounted there.’ His stomach churned. ‘But I can’t see how they can possibly survive.’
Eryn looked to the others. ‘Then that is where we go.’
Toryn was surprised. ‘But what of avenging Amyra?’
‘That will come. Our first duty is to defend the Amanach, and one lies within the South Forest. If those beasts occupy it, the Ul-dalak will come in numbers, and the stone will be weakened and destroyed. I shall inform our sisters and bring them to the forest. Another stone cannot fall.’ She touched Toryn’s arm. ‘And we can’t let those poor souls in Omstrad fight alone. We have experience of the spinners. They do not. As fearsome as those spiders look, they can be defeated if you know how, and which ones to kill. They may appear a leaderless rabble, but the Ul-dalak only need to command a few and the rest will follow. While unruly, when they fight, they fight in clusters. They will soon turn upon each other if we kill those the Ul-dalak influence. It’s not a pretty sight, ghastly to be honest, but they’ll tear a fellow spinner to pieces to get to a supply of meat. Even more so if softened and made juicy by their poison.’
Toryn’s heart raced. The prospect of taking another step closer to these foul beasts caused his insides to revolt. But he had not backed down from a challenge for many months, and he was not going to start now.
◆◆◆
Eryn gasped. ‘I remember this place.’ They stood upon the last slopes of the hills bordering the edge of the South Forest. She pointed. ‘Down there. We fought a great battle on that plain many years ago.’ Eryn looked back to Arijan and Calestri. ‘Towards Roth’s Doom. Do you see it?’
Arijan’s eyes widened. ‘How many rode that day? It must have been close to a hundred.’
Calestri rose in her saddle. ‘I fought alongside Tanis and Eleni. And Cymori battled like a demon. None could stand before her.’
Eryn waved her arm across the grasslands to their west. ‘We rode to Draegelan’s aid from these very hills. Dorlan led a large company of knights from Calerdorn. I recall their armor glistening in the morning sun. They clashed with the dark masses of Ormoroth’s guard.’ She clasped her sisters’ hands. ‘We were a sight to behold in those days. Unstoppable. We plowed through Ormoroth’s left flank to join Dorlan.’
Toryn tried to imagine the scene. ‘One hundred Amayans? How could even Ormoroth withstand such an assault?’
Eryn grinned. ‘He could not. We trounced them, then chased his fleeing forces to the Kolossos Pass. I caught sight of Ormoroth, but before we could engage them, he brought down the slopes and blocked our way.’ Her jaw clenched. ‘But I would not have willingly faced Ormoroth, not even with Dorlan and my sisters at my side. The very air seemed to shun his presence.’ She straightened. ‘But that was all in the past. What of the present? What do you see, Toryn?’
He reluctantly shook the vision of the great battle and turned to the north. ‘They’ve extended their web wall. Behind, I can see what looks like a funnel… two funnels.’ He shuddered. ‘Aralaks are perched on it like guards.’
Eryn grimaced. ‘Aargh! You were right. It is a nest. They’re claiming a new territory.’
Toryn’s stomach clenched. ‘There’ll be more of them? How long before they hatch?’
Arijan shook her head. ‘Not long enough. Four to five days at most. And while the young are only as big as your fist, they’re as vicious as a full-grown spinner. It may take a year to reach their full size, but they’re hard to kill owing to them being small… and fast.’ She spread her fingers and covered her face. ‘They’ll leap and smother you. Not easy to see or breathe once they latch on.’
Eryn groaned. ‘I’d hoped we’d never have to fight those beasts ever again. But we must get to Omstrad without delay. They’ll strike soon. Their young will require a substantial source of food if they’re to grow.’ Her nose wrinkled. ‘Defending the town against the spiders will be ugly, but that doesn’t compare to what comes next. If we survive the first wave, we’ll have no choice but to enter the North Forest. It’s the last place in the realms you’d wish to visit, but those sacs will have to be destroyed before they can disgorge their foul eggs.’
◆◆◆
The town of Omstrad stood at the edge of the South Forest, giving Toryn the impression the trees shunned its presence. From a distance, he was reminded of the haphazard timber buildings of Drunsberg, but as they drew closer it became apparent the town was designed and constructed by skilled woodworkers. Its stockade stood three times the height of a man, built in the days when the old realms fought each other for the precious timber of Ormsk. Outside the fence, dozens of workers frantically dug ditches while others fashioned large spikes from tree trunks. More townsfolk stacked bundles of hay into the bottom of the trenches and then doused them with lamp oil.
Eryn eyed the activity with pity. ‘It appears they do not fully appreciate what will soon come their way.’
Toryn waited for Midnight to draw level with Eryn. ‘But they must have hope. Their spirit would plummet if they did nothing and just waited.’
Arijan sighed. ‘While it may help raise their hopes, I’m afraid their defenses will do little. Flames will slow them down, but they won’t stop fighting until they’re burned to a crisp. Not a pleasant sight, or smell. And if you hack off their legs, they still won’t give up. They’ll spray their putrid spit into your face, and then try to smother you. Opening their flabby abdomens brings about a slow death, but only removing their tiny skulls will slay them dead. But as Eryn said, taking out the heads of their clusters will achieve the best outcome. But they’re larger and harder to kill.’
Toryn eyed the stockade. ‘Can they mount a defense up there?’
Eryn glanced to Arijan. ‘Possibly. But only if they’re wise to the spinners' devious nature. We can school them on how best to tackle the beasts, but the lessons in themselves may demoralize the defenders.’
Toryn glanced to the North Forest. ‘Do you know much of their history?’
Eryn shrugged. ‘Ormoroth spawned them from harmless spiders. But with his corruption, the aralaks grew to a monstrous size and developed a hatred for all living things, even themselves. Aside from the quite spectacular web structures they spin, they’ve brought nothing but terror and misery to this world. Whether by design or a stroke of luck, confining them to the gorge led them to fight and eat each other. That’s the only reason the fences have held for so long.’ She pointed to the stockade. ‘The villagers have finally seen us. It doesn’t bode well that we’ve gotten so close before they’d noticed.’
Ahead, the workers who had been engrossed in their labor, turned to face the Amayans. They dropped their tools and stared wide-eyed as if seeing mythical creatures from their fireside tales. The Amayans may have numbered just three, but that did nothing to dampen the defenders’ glee at their arrival. But calls from the rear soon took them back to their vital work.
A horn blew from the main tower of the stockade. Eryn halted. ‘Perhaps it’s best we wait to be invited inside.’ Three riders emerged from the gate. Now it was Toryn’s turn to gape. Two wore the livery of the First Horse, the other was clad in black, adorned with the white spear of Broon.
The leader held up her hand to greet them. ‘I am Amyndra, Captain of Lunn, loyal to the true Lord Broon.’ Her head bowed. ‘Though he is lost.’
Toryn spoke first. ‘Then you’ll be gladdened to hear he has returned.’
Amyndra rose in her saddle. ‘Can this be true?’
‘Lady Harlyn met him at the coast of Mund. He leads a thousand spears of the Elites north to halt the enemy advance.’
‘Then this is good news indeed.’ Amyndra looked towards the ridge dissecting the two great forests. ‘And much needed. I fear we’ll soon be facing an overwhelming foe.’
Toryn turned. ‘I wonder why they wait. Surely, the South Forest has more wood to offer, and a quick strike would have prevented Omstrad readying for such an attack.’
Amyndra glanced to the Amayans. ‘And perhaps denied you the open road to come to our aid. I had the pleasure of meeting with Lady Harlyn in Archonholm. For a moment, I thought she rode with you.’ She nodded to Calestri. ‘You have the same flame-red hair.’
Calestri smiled. ‘We have yet to meet our new sister. But we may not have to wait too long. I believe she too rides north.’
Amyndra straightened. ‘Then first we need to secure our position and see off those hairy brutes. Come, I shall arrange for an Archonian to show you the defenses.’
Eryn scoffed. ‘Then it will not take long. Our time will be better spent training you in the ways of our unwanted guests.’
◆◆◆
The Amayans may have been indifferent, but Toryn was impressed by the wooden towers and fences of Omstrad. The builders of Ormsk could have taught those of Darrow how to erect a sturdy border fence that did not shift with the imposition of tree roots. The town bustled with Archonians, First Horse, loyal Broon soldiers and reserves. Food and supplies would soon become a concern, but few realistically believed a siege would happen. Aralaks appeared to have little patience for anything that stood in their way. And all knew, the spiders were not interested in the timber behind them — the people crammed within the town were the prize. Some of the townsfolk had chosen to take their chances and head south through the forest. Yet most decided to put their faith in the defenses, not wishing to present an easier source of food out in the open.
Toryn stood with Amyndra on the parapet. The heavy clouds brought an early end to daylight and the torches struggled to illuminate the ditches in the gloom. He withdrew from the farsight and focused on Amyndra’s face. ‘I sense no movement outside of the North Forest. But they are not idle behind their web wall.’ Toryn shuddered. ‘They’re preparing. And I’m afraid the spiders grow stronger… thanks to the prisoners entangled in their webs.’
Amyndra grasped the stockade. ‘Twelve of my company are among them. I and many here were ready to ride to free our brothers. I cannot abide the thought they live, knowing what ghastly fate awaits those poor souls.’
‘I’m grateful you did not. It must have taken great restraint. But had you gone, you would most likely be sharing the same fate.’
She glared at the horizon. ‘Then let them come. Thanks to the instruction from your Amayan friends, we may stand a better chance here. My blade is sharp, my aim is true. I will make them regret ever escaping from the gorge.’
But Toryn had not finished his report. ‘Be wary. The years of confinement weakened them, but now they feast on their preferred food, they grow bigger and stronger.’
‘Then let us hope our scouts can still outrun them. I would not wish to be out there on this night, but it is a necessary duty.’
Toryn yawned. ‘My use of the farsight drains my strength.’
Amyndra surveyed the ditches. ‘From what the Amayans tell me, I believe your skills may prove decisive in the coming fight.’
He stretched. ‘I will do all I can, but it will be down to every last one of us if we’re to hold the town.’
Eryn strode towards them. ‘The last have completed the training. They fight well and with some skill. We may yet give those creatures a contest.’
Toryn nodded to the north. ‘It’s quiet at present. We have scouts posted along the road for a league.’
Eryn shook her head. ‘I doubt they will attack at night. It’s not their way.’
Amyndra disagreed. ‘Why not use the cover of darkness? We would not see them coming until the last moment.’
‘That is the point. Whoever commands them wants us to see them. The sight of hundreds of those things scuttling towards you, does little for your fighting spirit. Besides, even at night, you would hear them coming a league away. Yes, that also dampens hope, but the sight and sound of their advance works better… for them.’
Toryn sighed. ‘I trust this is not to be your speech before the battle.’
Eryn smiled. ‘Ah yes. Perhaps this is just for your ears. But with a sharp sword, a keen eye, and fast hands, we may hold them. But ensure all defenders have both a long and a short blade. You’ll be needing them both.’ She raised her sword and pointed to the trench. ‘My sisters and I will greet them out there.’
Toryn stared at her. ‘In the open? Is that… wise?’
Eryn’s eyes glowed. ‘We have a few tricks of our own. The first ranks will experience something their ancestors learned to fear. Perhaps we may rekindle a memory of pain buried deep in their puny skulls… and maybe a little doubt. Anything that slows their attack could work in our favor.’
Amyndra threw back her shoulders. ‘Then I would welcome the opportunity to accompany you. And I’m certain others would be honored to stand at your side.’
Eryn held up her hand. ‘I thank you for your offer, but this is something only my kind can execute. We will not be able to maintain our counterstrike for long, but it will reduce the numbers reaching the wall. And I concede your ditches will serve a purpose. A line of burning spinners will slow them a little, giving your archers time to take out a few more. They’ve been instructed to aim at their underbellies if presented, or eyes if not. It’s a waste of a good arrow to aim at anything else. They have a thick shell on the top of their abdomen, and the legs are just as tough.’ She grimaced. ‘But be prepared for the stench of a flaming aralak. It is most disagreeable, although not quite as bad as a droog’s reek.’
