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- I felt as if I were walking with destiny,
- and that all my past life had been but a preparation
- for this hour and this trial.
-Winston Spencer Churchill
Hunted
Kadin stood atop the wall of the city of Caemlann, staring out across the thousands of orcs and goblins who had encamped on the fields surrounding the walls of Caemlann, cutting it off from the surrounding countryside and the rest of Kronar. They had laid siege to the city, forcing the entire population of the foulburgh, as well as many of the surrounding farms, into the protective embrace of the thick city walls. Kadin thought back on how, shortly after the winter solstice, the Forest of Erinor was virtually overrun with orcs and goblin warriors, all apparently searching for him.
The dark creatures had surrounded the homestead, kept from the buildings by the wards he and Alaric had constructed. The only consolation was that the few practitioners of magic the dark beings possessed had only succeeded in getting themselves killed while attempting to breach the wards around the cabin and outbuildings. He and Alaric had been out running their outlying trap lines when the forces of the dark had moved in, and were immediately alerted to the fact dark creatures were attempting to breach the wards surrounding their home. Alaric and Kadin had quickly broken camp and scouted back towards the cabin. They were astounded to find near to ten thousand creatures surrounding their home. Alaric and Kadin quickly fell back and agreed there was no chance they could break the siege surrounding their home and that their best chance lay in making best time to Caemlann, where they could consult with Baron Kovak and Captain Evan.
The trip to Caemlann, which normally took half a day, took Kadin and Alaric nearly two full days, so badly were the woods of Erinor overrun with dark creatures. Once inside the stout walls of Caemlann, they had met with the Baron and Captain Evan, outlining what they had seen. Neither exactly doubted the word of Kadin and his father, but it was evident they doubted the numbers he and Alaric had provided. Accordingly, Captain Evan had sent teams of scouts out to get a bigger picture of what was happening in the forest. The full picture, when about half the scout teams made it back, was even more dire than the picture Kadin and Alaric had painted.
The scouts who made it back to the protection of the walled city made it clear that Farwalker Redbush had committed a major army against the Forest of Erinor and its surrounds. By their count, the forces in the city were outnumbered at least four to one, and that the high road to Wildon was firmly in the control of the forces of darkness. A force of at least twenty thousand orcs and goblins had encamped in the woods just north of the city, and that force had besieged the city itself, once it became apparent to the forces around Alaric’s cabin that their prey was not at home.
The general in charge of the army had sent in a demand that Baron Kovak hand over Kadin in exchange for lifting the siege of the city. The Baron’s reply had been returned via an arrow from the top of the north gate. The answer tied to the shaft was short and to the point: “No.” This was followed up with dispatches to Wildon and Kelandra, advising the Marshal of Wildon, the king, and the Marshal of Kelandra of what was going on.
The orcs and goblins had attacked the walls twice in the past week, and had broken like a wave against the solid walls of the old city. They had then resorted to burning the buildings in the foulburgh, the developed area just outside the walls of the old city and its heavy armored gates. The stench of smoke was still strong in the air, days later.
Accordingly, Kadin had volunteered to serve under his friend, Captain Evan. Evan had made him a lieutenant, and given him command of the day watch over the north wall, while his father was made the watch captain and had command of the east wall during the day, so that they could compare notes and plan strategy as a group. They were not able to let their guard down at night either, as the cover of night was the favored time of the dark creatures to work mischief, and several groups of orcs and goblins were killed attempting a covert entry every night.
At long last, eighteen of the clock arrived and Kadin briefed his night watch counterpart, a young regular army officer named Stefan, on what they had seen during the day, before heading to the central keep to brief Baron Kovak and Captain Evan.
Kadin entered the great hall, and turned right at the first corridor, following the hallway to the large sitting room that had been converted to a command center, with maps tacked neatly to the walls and covering the table in the middle of the room. The table was dominated with a detailed map of the surrounding countryside, and held little lead goblins and orcs in direct proportion to the known strength of the force outside the walls. Kadin approached and stood silently while Alaric and Evan attempted to change Baron Kovak’s mind.
“Gentlemen, enough!” Kovak said forcefully, “My mind is made up on this matter! We cannot sit here and hope the dark creatures will go away. We haven’t heard back from the Marshal of Wildon and have no idea if they are riding to our aid or are as overwhelmed as we are!”
Alaric tried one last time in a pleading tone of voice, “Kovak, my friend, we cannot lose you to a display of force. Let your garrison commander lead this assault, please.”
“Alaric, I learned my leadership skills from the same person you did, and he taught that we should lead from the front. Could you sit here doing nothing and allow your son to act alone, without your leadership?” Kovak asked.
“That’s different, my friend, and you know it,” Alaric replied.
“No, it isn’t, Alaric. I’ll lead this assault in the morning. If something happens to me, well, we have leadership in depth here, which is why I feel comfortable attempting this with my armored cavalry. As the commander of this city, my decision is final. The subject is closed,” and with that, Baron Kovak pivoted on his heel and strode towards the family quarters of the keep.
Kadin was confused by the source of the argument and asked, “Dad, Evan, what was that all about?”
Evan answered, saying, “Kadin, the baron is convinced that if he leads his armored cavalry against the dark creatures, he can clear the high road to Wildon. We know that there are a number of trade caravans stalled in Wildon with trade goods we need badly. If Kovak can open the road and hold it, the caravans can move through the forest.”
At this, Alaric chimed in, “What good does it do to open the road? I have no doubt that Kovak can blast through the lines of our foes, but I also know they will flow together again as soon as he passes through. A thousand mounted knights in armor is a powerful weapon, but without support, it could get cut off and isolated, which would allow the orcs and goblins to slowly cut our most powerful force to pieces a little at a time. They would pay a huge price, but they have thousands more troops than he can possibly destroy.”
Kadin followed up with another question, “When is the baron going to attempt this?”
Evan whispered in reply, “Dawn.”
Kadin accepted command on the north wall at six of the clock, musing that when he had been a boy in Beli Mawr, six of the clock was considered an ungodly hour in his opinion. Still, knowing that it was about to get interesting, he strode the walls, checking with every man in his command; passing a word of encouragement or a simple hand on the shoulder to each of the men in his command; asking they be extra vigilant and prepared for anything this morning.
Kadin returned to his command position, in the area above the north gatehouse, and scanned the quiet encampments of their enemy, spreading out into the morning dark. As it neared daybreak, Kadin and his team began to hear the familiar sounds of horses being led into the castle bailey, the clink of harness and armor, and the steely sounds of swords being checked and readied for battle. Baron Kovak climbed up the steps to the gatehouse, joining Kadin at the viewing slits.
“Good morning, Kadin, my young friend. What do you see this morning?” Kovak inquired.
Kadin turned to his commander and replied, “It’s very quiet this morning, my lord baron. The night watch only reported two attempts to sneak up on the wall last night: One here that was probably a diversion, and another at the south wall. Neither group got within a hundred paces of the walls.”
Baron Kovak was quiet for a moment, as Alaric and Captain Evan joined them over the gatehouse. Kovak turned to his officers, and placed a companionable hand on Kadin’s shoulder before he addressed his senior officers.
“Gentlemen, I asked you here this morning to witness my orders concerning my successor, should anything happen to me this day. I have given it a great deal of thought, and it is clear to me that the senior person amongst the three of you is Kadin, in his role as crown prince of the Greenwood.”
As Alaric began to protest, Kovak held up a gauntleted hand to forestall the inevitable protest. “Alaric, I do not name Kadin as commander without reason. He is a symbol to many of the men here, a symbol that shows the commitment of friends and allies. A symbol that shows even one of such tender years knows what is at stake here. He will give heart to those in the city, should something happen to me.”
Baron Kovak turned to Kadin, “Kadin, I trust that as commander you would give much weight to the advice of your father, and Captain Evan. They are wise men, and will serve you well if it should become necessary. Do I have your consent in this matter?”
Kadin considered everything that Baron Kovak had said before he squared his shoulders and faced the three other men. “My lord baron, you have my consent, as long as my father and Evan will agree to advise me.”
Alaric and Evan quickly agreed to advise Kadin, freeing the baron to descend to the bailey and mount his warhorse, just as the first rays of morning began to streak the eastern sky. Kadin ordered a troop of his men to the gate to cover the gate area, while the drawbridge was being raised and lowered to prevent orcs and goblins from entering the keep. When Baron Kovak judged the sun high enough in the sky to light the battlefield, at a signal from his gauntleted hand, the drawbridge was released, the sound of the winch releasing and chain clattering, shockingly loud in the quiet morning air.
Baron Kovak stood tall in his stirrups, raised his right arm and, as it swung forward, the entire cavalry force surged forward, the sound of hooves beating against the drawbridge sounding like a hundred drums pounding in the clear morning air. Kadin watched as the force charged into the confused and milling mass of orcs and goblins, who were abandoning their breakfast for armor and weapons, but not quickly enough, as a thousand warhorses broke into a canter and then a full-on charge. The massive armored horses and their riders rode anything in their path into the earth, ground beneath hooves the size of dinner plates.
With seemingly no effort at all, the force charged through the massed enemy, opening the way north, when the force suddenly wheeled, half facing west, and half facing east with a precision that was breathtaking. Lances were lowered towards the enemy, sunlight glinting from the steel points like water on a breaking wave as, above the chaos, the voice of Baron Kovak rose clear and unafraid, “Men of Caemlann, at the charge, advance!”
With that command, the pair of cavalry lines rode forward towards their respective foes, with Baron Kovak pulling ahead of the balance of his force, his charger accelerating to his utmost to enable his rider to crash through the hastily arranged lines of the enemy. Contact was made with the loud crashing of lances splintering, as they were driven into the bodies of the largest and most dangerous orcs, opening holes the horses madly charged through, kicking out and biting at their enemies even as their riders drew their swords in a loud, steely hiss.
The riders struck out to either side of them, felling their enemies by the score, as they swung back to reform their lines for yet another charge. As Kadin watched, the cavalry force hurled itself into their foe again and again, each time, leaving a trail of death and devastation deeper and deeper into the body of the force arrayed against them, driving the enemy back by main force.
Gradually though, the field began to be littered not only with the twisted bodies of orcs and goblins, but here and there was dotted the brilliantly glittering body of a knight and his horse. Just when Kadin felt the baron had been right, that his attack would yield the desired result, just when it appeared the orc and goblin force would break and run, a surge was seen from the northeast, thousands of fresh orcs and goblins were streaming onto the battlefield. This surge distracted Baron Kovak for only a moment, but that moment was long enough that a massive orc on his right was able to thrust up under the waist joint in Kovak’s armor, driving his weapon deep into the baron’s midsection.
The knights to either side of the baron retaliated immediately; the orcs head sailing into the milling mass of orc and goblins, as the cavalry force began to withdraw as their baron collapsed in the saddle. Kovak’s deputy commander pulled back from the fighting long enough to assess the tactical situation. Seeing the entire eastern plain covered with thousands more orcs and goblins, he judged that the opportunity had been lost and that their only remaining tactical option was to retreat to the protection of the keep, while that option was still available, thereby saving the majority of the force to fight another day.
Rising in his stirrups, the acting commander bellowed, “Retreat to the keep, retreat to the keep, pass the order along!” With the order given, he began organizing a rear guard to slow and harry the approaching orcs to enable the other knights to reach the keep in safety. The hastily assembled force slowly withdrew, keeping close eyes on the approaching force, wheeling into a charge every time their pace began to hasten after the retreating cavalry force.
Kadin, seeing what was happening and knowing that it was likely the dark creatures would rush the gate as the rear guard approached, turned to his sergeant, “Sergeant McIlvain, I want you to pull every other man from the walls and meet me with them in the gateway, tell the other men on the walls to be prepared to cover us with their bows after the rear guard rides into the keep; hurry!” With that, and knowing his orders would be carried out quickly, Kadin raced down the stairs to the gateway to await his reinforcements.
Sergeant McIlvain, a practical man who was well used to making troops move quickly under the stress and confusion of battle conditions, rapidly passed the necessary orders and rounded up the force Kadin had requested, meeting his commander as ordered in mere moments. Running up to Kadin, he said, “I have the forces you ordered, lieutenant, what are your orders, sir?”
“Sergeant, take half the men and cross the left side of the drawbridge, I’ll take the other half down the right side. Have them be prepared to cover the rear guard with rapid arrow fire as soon as the enemy is in range. Once the rear guard is across, we will fall back across the bridge, firing as we go, until we reach the sally port; then the men on the walls will begin adding the weight of their fire, enabling us to scramble back up to our fighting positions on the wall. Let’s move!” Kadin ordered.
With that, the two forces, hugging the side of the tunnel to avoid being trampled by nervous warhorses, quickly moved outside the keep and across the drawbridge, each forming half a crescent facing the east and west, arrows nocked and bows held at the ready. As they watched, the cavalry hurled themselves at the surging forces of the dark one final time, swords slashing madly to either side, the maddened warhorses kicking out at any orc or goblin unlucky enough to be caught in range of their deadly hooves. At last, the rear guard wheeled their horses and made a mad dash for the keep.
Kadin, seeing the remaining cavalry riding hell-bent for the gate, ordered, “Make ready to fire! Select your targets and make every shot count! Steady, steady, wait for the order!”
When the last rider had passed and he judged the enemy in range, Kadin bellowed at the top of his lungs, “Fire!”
The strumming twang of bowstrings was a physical, tangible thing, followed immediately by the swoosh of hundreds of arrows winging their deadly way towards the enemy. As the arrows thudded home into the unprepared front rank of orcs and goblins, the entire front line collapsed and died under the weight of their first salvo of arrows.
Kadin ordered his team to begin backing across the drawbridge, after ordering a second volley, whose grisly results gave the orcs and their goblin allies pause for long enough to make it halfway across. Ordering his men to hold, he stood his ground with his men and ordered them to make another flight ready. Again, the men on the walls added their fire to the team covering the withdrawal, destroying yet another rank of evil creatures. As his team began backing into the keep and while his men were still on the bridge, Kadin ordered, “Volley fire, and raise the drawbridge!”
After one final volley, Kadin ordered his men into the keep and back onto the walls, knowing they would need every bow to break up the oncoming attack. Once the bridge was clear, Kadin rushed back to his command post above the gatehouse to observe what happened next. As he reached his command post, he found that the dark creatures were advancing slowly, despite the enormous losses they were taking. Seeing they were unlikely to stop, and that they were carrying siege ladders, Kadin sent a runner for the city reserve force to bolster the defense on the walls, just in case the archers were unable to break the attack.
Kadin stepped out onto the wall, with bow in hand, and watched as the reserves ran to augment his normal force, naked steel in hand, prepared to repel the assault should any gain the walls, as others stood ready with poles to push the ladders away from the walls, sending their occupants crashing back into their fellows. As the range closed, Kadin signaled the men manning the mangonels and trebuchets to launch their deadly cargo of melon-sized rocks over the wall and into the tightly packed mass of orcs and goblins with deadly results. The stones tore massive holes in the ranks of the enemy, crushing dozens with each load fired.
As the orcs reached the moat and tried bridging the expanse of water, the courage and anger of the orcs and goblins finally faltered under the withering arrow fire. They broke and began running for the safety of their encampment beyond the reach of arrow fire. Kadin’s sharp Alvar eyes spotted a massive orc and armored goblin shouting orders at the force of creatures flowing to safety around them. Taking them for officers of some kind, and seeing they were in range of his elvin longbow, he quickly reached for a clothyard shaft, nocked the arrow, and pulled it to full draw. The men around him gasped in awe as they realized just how long a shot their commander was attempting, and all eyes were riveted to Kadin as he angled his bow for the shot, adjusted his aim for the wind, and let the arrow fly. Before the first arrow had even made it halfway to its orcish target, a second arrow was on its way to the goblin. Spotting a richly dressed goblin to their side, a third arrow was quickly on its way.
Immediately after the third arrow had been fired, the first reached its target, striking the orc in the throat, killing it immediately. The goblin, seeing motion out of the corer of his eye, turned towards his fellow officer, but Kadin had anticipated the move, and the second arrow took the goblin general in his right eye, dropping the creature, who was dead before he hit the ground. The last goblin, wearing the fresh facial scars of a clan chieftain, was shocked to his core at the sight of the leaders of the force being killed at such a range, and with such ease. The shock deprived him of his sole opportunity to duck the arrow sent winging his way, and it punched into the side of his head, ramming through his temple and exploding from the ear on the other side of his skull, a spray of gore clearly visible from the keep.
A great cry of exultation rose from the walls of the city, as the men on the north wall saw the amazing shots Kadin had made, and seeing the leadership of the enemy taken down in one fell swoop. What was not widely known was that the third target was the creature responsible for the siege of Caemlann, the latest and last chieftain of the Raven clan, Scragix Ravenclan. The men near by Kadin slapped him on the back and hoisted him onto their shoulders in congratulation.
Those who had been unsure of being placed under the leadership of a mere boy were suddenly convinced that Kadin was far more than met the eye, as they had seen him fearlessly defend the cavalry, and the rest of the keep, as well as a masterful series of shots at an inhuman speed that took out three important targets at extreme range, beyond the reach of most bows; making it look easy in the process. The now-leaderless dark creatures were further demoralized to hear a chant from the city walls, the name of their primary target being shouted by hundreds of voices, the chant growing in volume as more and more voices took up the chant: “Kadin, Kadin, Kadin, Kadin!”
As quickly as circumstances would allow, Kadin turned over command of the north wall to Sergeant McIlvain and made his way to the keep to check on the condition of Baron Kovak. On entering the family wing of the castle, Kadin found Captain Evan conferring with the battle surgeon who had attended Baron Kovak. Kadin approached and asked after the baron and his present condition.
The surgeon turned to Kadin and reported, “The baron is unconscious, and will likely be that way for some time, having lost a great deal of blood before I was able to get to him. Wounds to the gut are always dangerous, and carry a very high risk of infection.” Seeing Kadin’s horrified look, he continued, “Kadin, Kovak is a skilled fighter, and knew better than to eat last night and this morning; as a result, the normal agents of infection are not present. Still, it will be touch and go for some time. If he makes it through the night, I think he’ll have a good chance of a full recovery, but it will be a long time before he is back on his feet again.”
The surgeon turned to look in on his other patients, leaving Kadin alone with Evan. Evan looked his young friend in the eye saying, “Kadin, it will be some time before Kovak can resume command here. In the meantime, what are your orders, my prince?”
Kadin hesitated starting, “Evan, I….”
Evan rested his hand on the youth’s shoulder. “Kadin, I heard what you did this morning. It was inspired, and exactly the right thing to do. Since then, things have changed. You are now in command of the city and its garrison, and in that role, you need to be in overall control. No more charging out into the enemy anymore, at least not until the baron is back on his feet. For the time being, I have this for you from Kelandra.” With that, Evan handed Kadin a parchment bearing the signature of the king over the royal seal of Kronar.
Kadin scanned the document, his jaw dropping in disbelief as he read that he had been named commanding general over all kingdom forces in Caemlann, and that the higher rank was at the request of Evan, Alaric, and Kovak, to make it perfectly clear who was in command. Alaric suddenly strode in at that time, accepted something from Evan, who showed Kadin what was in his hand.
“Kadin, in Kronar, the silver cross mounted on a golden maple leaf signifies the rank of knight general, and it is with great honor that your father and I pin these to your collar.”
Matching action to words, both men leaned in and affixed the insignia to the newest general officer in the army of the Kingdom of Kronar.
So Ends Volume One