For a few moments, Jacob wasn’t sure if he was still alive. The world had seemed to turn upside down following the initial attack and he didn’t know where he was any longer. He felt pain from somewhere but he couldn’t tell specifically where it came from. He thought for a moment and figured that it was coming from the general direction of his left side. He concentrated and his vision slowly came back into focus. He wasn’t too pleased with what he saw.
Where there had once been a ceiling was now a gaping hole, letting in a bit of light from the full moon overhead. There were apparently similar holes in the ceiling further down the room, as well as in the walls. He saw lights flickering and it took him a moment to realize that it was a fire. He wasn’t sure what could have caused a fire but he didn’t like the idea all the same. With a groan, he tried to sit and realized that he couldn’t move. Turning his head, he suddenly realized that a large wooden roof beam rested across his shoulder and rubble was piled up upon his legs.
“Aidan…” He coughed and tried again. “Aidan, where are you? Are you okay?”
There wasn’t any response and Jacob’s mind methodically wrapped itself around the idea that Aidan could be dead. It wasn’t really something that he wanted to think about. He was tired, after all, and he just wanted to get some sleep. He was just closing his eyes once more to rest when he felt the pressure leave his left shoulder. His eyes slowly hinged open once more to see Michael standing over him.
“’Lo there. Give me your hand,” Michael said.
Jacob’s hand moved as though under its own power, for he surely wasn’t commanding it to do so. Michael grabbed his hand and started pulling. For a moment nothing happened, but then Jacob’s legs slid free of the rubble and he was pulled to his feet. Consciousness was having another go and Jacob’s mind was starting to work in full once more.
“Michael. What happened?”
“I’m guessing Paredes has something to do with this. That was cannon fire I heard. But we don’t have time for this. Help me get these people out of here.” With that, Michael quickly turned and started calling out, looking for more people to save.
Jacob looked around, trying to find Aidan. He had been right beside him, he was sure. How could someone completely disappear? He didn’t see Noreen, either. The thought of being all alone hit him rather hard. Taking a deep breath, he turned and emulated Michael. He found two women pinned until a table piled upon with debris. With all the strength he could muster, he flipped the table, freeing the women. They ran for a hole in the wall and disappeared into the darkness.
Just as they left, however, a large quantity of men poured through the holes in the walls carrying torches. For a heartbeat, Jacob was afraid. Were they the people who had shot up the hall? But then he realized they were wearing Town Watch uniform and he sighed in relief. They didn’t bring a large quantity of good news, however.
“My Lord Faryden, Easterners managed to cross the Watchguard in force and moved completely undetected all the way here. There are thousands of foot soldiers, a score of ranged men, and…” The soldier glanced around as if just seeing the destruction. “And perhaps
“Questions for later. First, we need to get these people out of this building and put out that fire before it spreads. Get some men in here immediately.”
“But my lord, they could be at the walls in a matter of…”
“They will not breach the Great Wall so quickly, I assure you. Your men are needed here, sir.”
The soldier nodded and began barking orders to the men behind him. Jacob wasn’t sure what to do with himself, but Michael answered that question for him. He waved his hand, calling Jacob over.
“I need someone to check on various things for me as quickly as possible. It appears that my regular runner has gone missing and I know that you can run fast.” Michael smiled reassuringly. “What do you say?”
“I…I am yours. What do I need to do?”
“Get to the eastern gate. I need a report on the situation there. Good luck.”
Jacob wasn’t used to this sort of fast-paced action, but he did the best that he could. He ran outside and took a few seconds to get his bearings. Then he was off again. Occasionally a thump sounded off in the distance, followed a few moments later by a building roof shattering or gravel being thrown violently about from the road. A ball landed not ten feet from him, pelting rocks into his entire right side, sending him sprawling. He propped himself up on his elbows, trying to catch his breath. There were a lot of explosions issuing from the eastern front and most sounded like they were hitting the wall. Jacob didn’t know how safe getting his report would be.
Regardless, he was up and running again in no time. He reached the gate, which was violently shuddering as cannonballs pounded and bounced against it. He frantically looked back and forth, but couldn’t find a single way up onto the wall. He yelled at a passing soldier – whom he had to hail three more times – and was finally pointed in the direction of the stairs.
His breath was coming in short, quick gasps and his chest felt like it was on fire by the time he made it to the top of the wall. Searching, he located a man that seemed to be in charge. He was fairly easy to find as he was one of the few barking orders like mad.
“Sir, Lord Faryden requires a status report.” Jacob mentally patted himself on the back for his official-sounding request.
“And maybe that bloody Lord could summon us up some powder guns. Otherwise we won’t be holding this gate. Damn the Federation.”
“Umm…sir? The report?”
“Right, yes. We have five hundred and thirty-seven men currently manning the main gate here. The counter-siege weaponry is being hauled up and should be firing within the next three minutes. We have four trebuchets and a dozen ballista aligned within the immediate perimeter. With the current firing rate of their cannon, I estimate the gate will buckle in approximately twenty minutes. The portcullis will hold through the night, perhaps, but the gate’ll be useless soon. The walls should hold indefinitely. Most of their balls are bouncing right off; that’s why they’re shooting the gate so heavily.”
The man suddenly turned and walked away, apparently finished with his report. With yet another deep sigh, Jacob turned and started back down the stairs. As he ran back to Michael, he realized the chaos that such an attack had caused. People were running around in the streets, despite the face that stone-roofed buildings were probably safe, unless they were completely flat. Aside from the initial bombardment against the keep – and subsequently the Eastern Hall – there was little serious damage throughout the city. The psychological effect, however, was startling.
He finally made it back to the hall, only to find that Michael had moved into the keep. It took another five minutes before Jacob was able to find him and give his report. Michael stood for a moment in thought, staring off into the distance. Jacob studied him and noticed how strangely calm he appeared. The noise of cannon and the screaming of men didn’t seem to faze him in the least; it was definitely a trait needed in a leader.
“My lords,” Michael said, addressing the other men in the room with him. “I suggest we ride from the northern gate and eliminate these pesky cannon.”
“That would be suicide,” one lord responded. “There are over two thousand men aligned outside the walls. The horsemen will be surrounded and killed.”
“Not the Kyrithian Knights. A hundred knights should be able to hammer their way through the lines and destroy their powder toys. Another five hundred will be used in a frontal assault on the force in order to draw its attention away.”
“Five hundred Knights? It could work, I suppose…”
“We’ll lose the surprise factor the Knights have, using them so early…”
“But we’ll get those cannons off our walls…”
Jacob listened to the men speak and was completely shocked by what he was hearing. There hadn’t been a full-scale war west of the
“It’s decided, then. Jacob…” Michael quickly scratched a note on a piece of parchment. “I need you to give this to Captain Werner. He’ll be at the Knight’s Hold. You know where that is?”
“I think so, my lord.”
“Good. Then go deliver those and then meet me on the eastern wall. This will be a sight to see.” He smiled that reassuring smile once more and Jacob started out.
Jacob found Captain Werner standing calmly on the first floor of the Knight’s Hold; a massive, three-story building that served as stables, smithy, and barracks for the legendary Kyrithian Knights. There were two Knight’s Holds, one in Haden Hill and one in Constagra, but the Knights considered the one in Haden Hill their home. The Knights, themselves, were also moving about rather calmly considering the situation.
Werner read over the order slip twice then nodded to Jacob. “Knights, form up.
Jacob walked out of the building, wishing that he could be as brave or as skilled as the Knights. Historically speaking, the Kyrithian Knights were the finest fighting force ever conceived. Before the Old Empire, two thousand had held off an Ancient Men invasion of over thirty thousand. They also showed their valor in the Great War, scattering entire divisions of men and Gaileon. During the Old Empire, they had retained autonomy and had served under the Dragon Lords by choice. They were the thing that all children, regardless of heritage, wished that they could be.
Jacob’s musing was cut short by a hand suddenly falling upon his shoulder. He winced in pain and spun around to see Aidan standing before him. His clothes were a little dusty and torn but otherwise he didn’t seem any worse for the wear.
“Aidan? You’re okay?”
“Thought a little thing like cannon could hurt me?” He chuckled and Jacob noticed the similarities between Aidan and Michael; neither seemed to be bothered by combat. “I managed to move out of the way from the debris. I grabbed Noreen and got her back to the inn; first floor, she should be safe. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I was just giving the Knights their orders.”
“They have you working for them, then. Very well, but don’t decide to make a career of it. I need to get back to the keep. I’ve been enlisted to help clean the place up.”
“It sounds like I got the better job, then.” Jacob laughed and patted Aidan’s shoulder. “Take care of yourself. I’ll see you back at the inn.”
Jacob quickly made his way back to the eastern gate and by the time he made it to the top of the wall, he wasn’t feeling quite as tired as he had before. Michael and a few of the other lords were standing directly over the gate, pointing and staring out into the darkness. Fires burned out among the army and torches were moving through the ranks, back and forth.
“They’re doing that to intimidate us,” Michael suddenly said to Jacob. “You see, they move the light around just to show us their massive numbers. For all we know, though, most of them are simple farmers. That will not fool the people of Haden Hill.”
The strangest thing Jacob noticed, suddenly, was the lack of noise. He had always thought of sieges as these terribly loud events with people screaming, fires cackling, and siege equipment rumbling to life. But to the contrary, despite the occasional boom from the cannon, there was very little to be heard. That’s why it wasn’t a great surprise when he suddenly heard the sound of horse hooves beating upon the ground en masse. It sounded like thunder and Jacob wondered if the enemy could hear them coming over their powder-guns.
Within moments, a massive body of horse came riding around the northern district and barreled straight toward the major fighting force. The Knights had no banners streaming or trumpets playing as the rode; they simply rode. Jacob was amazed by the speed of their horses, as they almost appeared to be flying they were traveling so quickly. It only took what seemed like a heartbeat for the Knights to cross the field and slam into the front of the opposing army.
It was apparent even from the top of the wall that the easterners hadn’t been prepared for a full cavalry charge. They quickly buckled as the horses and lances pounded into their ranks, driving them back hard. A few spears and pikes were raised in defense, but it was too little too late. The entire center of the enemy line seemed ready to break when another body of horse suddenly appeared off in the distance. It was behind the army – Jacob had no idea how they had managed that – and was riding toward the rear of the cannon virtually unopposed.
With the progress they were making, Jacob didn’t understand why the entirety of the Knights wasn’t being used. To him, it appeared as though the six hundred, all told, may be able to turn the tides all by themselves. Just as he was about to express his thought to Michael, however, things began to change.
The Paredes Army had managed to rally and was driving back against the Knights. The horsemen had lost the momentum of their charge and were now engaged in individual combat from the saddle. The noise that Jacob had been expecting suddenly came welling up as massive amounts of spear and pike were turned to bear upon the Knights, slowly pushing them back toward the walls. Likewise, the ranged soldiers had gotten their equipment together and were firing upon the horsemen at pointblank range. The Knights’ armor was strong, however, and most simply glanced off.
It was impossible to tell from that distance in the dark whether or not the cannon had been eliminated, but Jacob noticed the sudden lack of cannon fire and started to hope for the best as the Kyrithian Knights were given the order to fall back to the walls. He turned and looked to Michael, who had a large grin upon his face.
“Paredes relies too much on his cannon nowadays. They probably don’t have other siege equipment built and that’ll take some time. We’ll be able to harass them with the Knights the entire time, as well. This is good, gentlemen.”
“My Lord, it appears as though you were right,” a lord said.
“Yes,” Jacob said. “How did you know it would work, though?”
Michael simply smiled once more. “You don’t rule two cities for eight years without learning a bit about siege and combat. Besides…”
“Petard!” The word flew down the wall, seemingly from nowhere and cut Michael’s words short. Jacob had no idea what that meant, but the others did; and the looks upon their faces weren’t encouraging.
A man suddenly came sprinting forward out of the darkness that had settled in between the army and the wall. Under his arm was a large bundle of some sort with two support legs coming down from it. Arrows began blossoming in the man’s chest, yet he barreled forward and propped the petard up against the gate. With the pull of a small cord, a fuss suddenly sprung to life and started burning hard as the man fell down dead.
“It’s full of powder. Damn, that’s clever. Wasn’t prepared for that.” Michael and the others cleared the top of the gate as the fuse ran down.
A massive explosion rocked the wall, sending Jacob to his knees. A giant billow of smoke shot from the gate, as well as splinters of wood and metal. Coughing, Jacob crawled to his feet and looked to the others.
“Was that strong enough to break the gate?”
Michael shrugged and looked to Werner. “Captain, report!”
“The gate’s gone, sir. As is the portcullis. We’re wide open.”
“Damn,” Michael muttered to himself. He then stood up tall and raised his voice. “All men to the gate! Prepare to defend the breach!”
Jacob was suddenly rather scared once more and decided that the safest place to be was at Michael’s side. Michael made an attempt to go for the gate but the other lords stopped him.
“My lord, we can’t have you fighting there. It’s dangerous.”
“And it’s dangerous for my men. Get out of my way.”
“But what would happen to the Federation if you were to die? You have no heir.”
That caused him to pause and consider the situation for a moment. Finally he surrendered and they turned to return to the keep in haste. Jacob was once more surprised by war; he was learning it wasn’t at all like he thought it was. For some reason, the Paredes Army had paused before storming the gate as if they weren’t sure if it would fall, either. This gave the town militia and regulars time to form up in the gate and prepare for the attack. Archers rained down waves of arrows as the enemy stormed toward the gate. Jacob simply hoped that it would be enough.
“How do you stop something like this?” Jacob asked as they jogged into the entrance hall of the keep.
“The gatehouse will have an auxiliary portcullis. Hopefully the other was blown off of its tracks so that they can drop it. It only takes about two minutes to move it into place, so they should at least have that up soon.”
Jacob had never thought of that but it made sense. Why have just one portcullis when you could have multiple ones. It would definitely be a surprise to the enemy.
Another massive explosion suddenly shook the ground and caused many within the keep to scream. Jacob looked around but he couldn’t tell where the damage was.
“Lord Faryden, they’ve just blown the northern gate!” a man said as he can running up the stairs.
“The northern gate, too? They’re dedicating a lot of powder into this little siege. What’s the status of the northern gate? How many men do we have over there and how many can we get over there?”
“There were about two hundred there, my lord. I don’t know…” The man started sobbing and stumbled out of the room. Michael just watched and shook his head.
“Some wedding,” he muttered to himself as he looked out the northern window. Jacob walked over and looked as well; sure enough, smoke could faintly be seen rising into the night sky. “Pull the men from the southern and western gates and send them to where they are needed. Everyone, please take a few moments and arm up. We don’t need to be caught unprepared here. Jacob, do you have any weapons to your name?”
“We don’t have much need for such things down south.”
“Then head back to the Knight’s Hold. Go see if anything strikes your fancy in there. If you are challenged, tell them I gave you the order.”
Just as Jacob came out of the front of the keep temple, a group of men came charging around the corner from the direction of the southern gate. They were dressed in bright surcoats and mismatched armor. They were also cutting down anyone who got in their path. He slid to a halt as a force of Town Watch rushed out in front of the intruders and yet another battle was started that night. Without thinking, Jacob ran back into the keep and up to Michael.
“They’re through the southern gate, as well, and are closing on the keep. A group of soldiers are not a thousand yards from the temple entrance.”
“So the city’s been compromised, then,” Michael said as he adjusted a strap on the top of his gauntlets. Within the two minutes that Jacob had been gone, the apparel of those within the chamber had drastically changed. Michael’s dress clothes were now covered in fine leather armor and a long sword hung from his hip. Tough leather gauntlet and greaves were laced up his arms and legs and a small metal-studded buckler rested at his feet. The other men within the room were also bearing swords and axes and a few had even managed to begin putting on plate armor.
“Michael, what do we do?”
“We have a small change of plans,” a tall, skinny lord completely without armor said. “You’re still to go to the Knight’s Hold. But you’ll need to have some horses readied and bring them and a group of Knights to the keep. It appears as though our time here is up.”
“I don’t think so, Craigen,” Michael spoke up. “I’ll not abandon my ancestral home to a bunch of eastern pigs. We can beat them yet. We have an ample supply of men and weapons.”
“This isn’t a time for heroics. Paredes is if nothing else at least kind to the people he conquers. He only takes his wrath out upon the lords of the city. We must escape, my lord.”
“He is kind to the people he conquers, is he? Perhaps you did not hear the reports coming from Qam. He killed a quarter of the people within the city. And that was within his province. How do you think he will treat us Kyrithians? You’ve seen what he does to the border villages. The man is out for glory and territory, nothing else. No, he will not treat the people here gently.”
“Be that as it may,” Craigen persisted, “the fact remains that he managed to knock down three of our gates in a matter of an hour. This city was not equipped to handle cannon. But Constagra is. Let us fall back there and we will call the Federation into council. We must unite if we are to win the war.”
Michael paused to consider the man’s proposal. To Jacob, it made sense. The streets were filling with the soldiers of the Paredes Army. It didn’t look like the men of Haden Hill were going to win the day. He hoped that Michael was able to see it, too.
“Alright, Jacob, see if you can get some Knights over here. We’re going to need a way out. But don’t worry bout our horses, we have some here in the keep. Men, prepare to retreat.” The admission of defeat seemed to pain him greatly.
Jacob once more found himself running through the streets of the old city and he wondered to himself whether he would be able to ever come here again. He mentally kicked himself a moment later, however, because he wasn’t even sure if he was going to survive the night. As he ran, he suddenly realized where he was and stopped cold. Looking about, he quickly found the inn that Noreen should be at. Despite his better judgment, he turned and ran inside.
The room was full of chaos, with women and children screaming, crying, and praying while others tended to those wounded in the attack. It took him a few moments before he saw Noreen, bent over an elderly woman who had taken a blow to the head.
“Noreen!” Jacob cried, slipping through the crowd over to here.
“Jacob! It’s good to see you, boy,” she said, pulling him into a deep hug. “Aidan said that he hadn’t seen you and I feared the worst.”
“Yeah, well I’m fine. But the gates have been compromised and we have to get out of here. Michael’s back at the keep with the remainder of the high lords. Aidan should be around somewhere over there, too. Get the horses and wait for me to get back.”
Noreen just stared at him for a few moments before shaking here head quickly. “Right. To the keep, yes? Where are you going?”
“I need to go get some Kyrithian Knights for an escort. It could be dangerous, though. The easterners have entered the city. Be careful.”
“You too…” Her voice trailed off as Jacob dashed back outside and continued down the road. The Hold was in sight when a man suddenly stepped out in front of him. He was a short fellow dressed in the fashions of the eastern soldiers of the day. A wicked looking short sword was held in his hand and a small stream of blood trickled down from it.
Jacob locked up and stumbled back a few paces as the man turned and looked him over. Moving quicker than Jacob had thought possible while wearing armor; the man raised the sword and dashed up in front of him. Exhaling deeply, the world seemed to slow as the man’s sword began to fall. Without warning, however, the slash stopped as the side of the man’s head was crushed in by a swinging cudgel. Jacob watched in horror as the man’s skull collapsed and couldn’t help but think that he had seen the club before.
“Fancy meeting you here,” Gregory said as the soldier crumpled over at his feet. “So, how was the wedding?”
“Uh…thank you.” Jacob blinked a few times and remembered how to talk and move. “You’re okay. The gates have been taken and the city is going to be surrendered. You have to get out of here. A group of us are meeting at the keep to try and…”
“Thanks, but I think I’ll try my hand at a few more of these easterners before I leave. Its good practice, you know?” He smiled and for the third time, Jacob found someone unaffected by battle. He had thought that it was somewhat of a rare disposition, but perhaps he was mistaken. “Now get going and keep your head down.”
Without waiting for anything further, Gregory took off running down the road, apparently searching for someone else to kill. Jacob thanked the Father for his luck and continued on toward the Hold. Unlike earlier, the Knight’s Hold seemed to be in a similar situation as the rest of the city. People were running around left and right, screaming at one another, clanking weapons together, and generally making a lot of noise. Jacob decided that he had liked it better when it had been quiet. Looking about, Jacob located Captain Werner.
“Captain, Lord Faryden asks that you bring some men to the keep. The lords will be attempting to win free from the city and make for Constagra.”
The Captain thought for a moment and looked over his shoulder. “Melvin, get your unit ready. Lord Faryden and I have a task for you.” He then looked back to Jacob. “Go find yourself a horse and a weapon if you need it. Unfortunately, some of our brothers won’t be coming back for their horses.”
Jacob quickly found himself a horse that was conveniently already saddled. After asking for directions, he then managed to find the armory upon the second floor. He looked through the massive array of weapons and had no idea which one to grab. They were swords of varying length and shape, axes and picks, hammers and pole arms. Finally he grabbed a four-foot-long spear with a six-inch spearhead upon its end. It seemed to be made from a stained oak and Jacob hoped that it was as strong as it was impressive-looking.
Running back downstairs, He hoped onto the back of his horse just as the contingent of Knights rode toward the door with Captain Werner at their head. The Captain looked over and Jacob and beckoned him on. “Come, let’s go save the lords.”
They came out of the Hold and made their way down the road in a slow trot. Jacob thought that they should be moving a lot faster, but decided that the Knights were the master horsemen and they knew what they were doing. On two occasions, men burst into the street ahead of them but the Knights dispatched them without trouble. They rode past the inn in which all of his clothes were sitting and he silently prayed that Noreen had made it to the keep.
He had little to fear, however, as the group came riding up in front of the keep. Michael and the lords were all mounted, looking rather imposing with their armor and swords. A small group of ladies, including Christine, were mounted behind them and they looked markedly out of place. With them he was glad to see Noreen and Aidan. He nodded to them before turning his horse and walking it up along side Michael’s.
“A job well done, Jacob. Now what do you say we get out of here? This town is too small for me, you know?” He smiled like he did and Jacob just shook his head.
“My lord, the Kyrithian Knights are at your disposal.” Captain Werner made a strangely graceful bow from the back of his horse.
“My thanks, Captain. Let’s see if we can all make it through the night. Let’s go.”
With a flick of the reigns the small convey started moving down the main road toward the western gate. The Knights fell in around the group, making Jacob and apparently many others feel a little more secure. As they made their way down the street, just as before, the Knights easily fought off anything they encountered and kept everyone moving. As they rounded the last corner and looked to the western gate, however, Jacob had to gasp.
There was a giant battle taking place before the gate with the soldiers of the Paredes Army struggling to capture it from the Town Watch and the Haden Hill militia. Werner gave the signal and over half of the Knights broke off from the group and charged into battle. For a few moments, the group stalled.
“There is a postern gate a few clicks down from the main one. We’ll be able to get free there and most likely there won’t be fighting there.” The group agreed and Michael took point as he led the group toward a side street.
Jacob looked back to the battle and suddenly recognized Gregory within the mix. His cudgel was swinging wildly and he had picked up a knife from somewhere, which he also hacked away with. Jacob waved his hand, but it was obvious that he wasn’t going to be able to see him. So he stood up on his stirrups and started to call Gregory’s name but was suddenly cut short. An arrow hammered into Gregory’s back and then another slipped through his ribs into his lung. He toppled back and fell to the ground as the battle continued to rage around him. Jacob stared in horror, not moving at all. Aidan grabbed the reigns to his horse, however, and pulled him along.
“He knew what he was doing. He knew he probably wouldn’t survive the night.”
“You talked to him?”
“He stopped by the inn to see if everyone was okay. He had family here, like he said. He was defending them, Jacob. Remember that. Remember what has happened here and how the brave fall. It is one of the most important lessons of war.”
Jacob thought on Aidan’s words as the group wound through the narrow streets of the city before finally emerging beside the wall once more. Only twenty yards further down a small stone door was visible within the wall, being loosely guarded by a few soldiers. Michael called out to them and they started opening the door.
“Alright. There are likely more eastern soldiers out here. Knights, form a wedge. Everyone else, stay within the wedge. We’ll be pushing our way through.”
“With our help, my lord,” Captain Werner said as he and about half of his men rode up behind them. “The gate is lost. I ordered our soldiers to throw down their arms and surrender. Perhaps some will survive.”
Michael nodded and ordered the group to move through the gate. It was little more than a small hole cut in the wall and as such only one person could go through at a time. After the
A line of soldiers, four men deep, stood out before them, apparently waiting for the gates to be opened. They hadn’t seemed to notice the group yet, however, for which Jacob was glad. He looked at the others and saw that, in general, the lords appeared just as frightened as the ladies.
“Prepare to strike,” Michael whispered. “Everyone, when we and the Knights charge, stay right on our heels and follow us through the breach. Men, let’s go.”
A sudden rush of courage swept through Jacob and he rode up beside Michael, hefting his spear. The two men looked at one another before nodding. Jacob wasn’t used to riding at a full gallop, let alone trying to kill someone while he did so, but he decided that he should probably keep that little fact to himself. Perhaps it was something that one could only learn through experience.
Aidan appeared to Jacob’s left, a longsword clenched in his left hand. It was strange; Jacob hadn’t noticed the sword before. It felt good to have the man beside him, however. After everyone was in position and ready, Captain Werner sounded the charge. Jacob kicked the flanks of his horse and sped forward with the rest, his spear held out to his side in a death grip. His heart was pounding and sweat formed upon his brow but all Jacob could see was the line of men before them.
It took only a moment for the horses to cross the distance before Jacob was suddenly face to face with the Paredes Army. He stabbed his spear downward, not really knowing at what he stabbed. He felt the spearhead bight into something and the spear was almost pulled from his hand as his horse continued forward. Holding on as tight as he could, the spear pulled free of what Jacob now saw was some poor fellow’s chest.
As quickly as it had begun, it was all over and Jacob, Aidan, Michael and all the rest were riding out into the field surrounding the city. He looked over his shoulder and saw that all of the women had kept up and were safely surrounded by the Knights once more as the horses slowed to a trot once more. He leaned over and patted Michael on the shoulder and noticed the fellow’s dower expression.
“You saved us, Michael. Thank you.”
“The night is young, as they say. They’ll be sending men after us soon once they form themselves back up. We need to keep moving.” Michael spurred his horse forward, effectively ending the conversation.
“It’d be hard to leave an entire city to the enemy. Give him some space,” Aidan said as he rode up to Jacob. He had a cloth out and was wiping the blood from his blade. “Fighting isn’t quite like what you thought, huh?”
“Not at all,” Jacob said, shaking his head. “It’s too fast.” He held the end of his spear up and realized that he should probably clean the end of it soon, as well.
“Well, it looks like you were faster. Don’t get a taste for killing, though. Such things will destroy a man. Here.” Aidan tossed him is rag, now thoroughly covered in blood. “That’s a fine spear. Wouldn’t want it to rust. I’m going to go back and see to Lady Noreen. You’ll be alright.”
Jacob nodded and Aidan pulled his horse back. He was suddenly all alone and the fear that had somehow been absent during the siege finally caught up with him. He remembered that his father had once told him that Aton Paredes claimed he wouldn’t invade the west until he had the entirety of the east under his control. Jacob had seen the maps and knew that was a large amount of territory and a large amount of people to press into military service. The entirety of the Kyrithian province felt strangely vulnerable all of a sudden.
“You work that spear well, my lord,” Werner said as he rode up. Jacob was glad for company of any kind and he nodded gratefully. “Perhaps I’ll be able to show you a few pointers on how to use the thing once we reach Constagra. What’s your name?”
“I’m Jacob and I would appreciate it, sir.” Jacob paused, considering his words. “Captain…are the easterners strong enough to conquer Kyrithia?”
“I seriously doubt it, my lord. The main force of the Knights is currently in Constagra and that is a formidable fighting force, to be sure. But the Federation has been slow to take the threats of Paredes seriously. Even as he rather quickly united the lands of the east, the lords deliberated. And now it appears as though he is on our doorstep. It will be a long, uphill battle but we will win in the end. It all really depends on if we get any help or not.”
“Help? Who else is there?”
“Why, the Ancient Men. But I am speaking above my station. If you’ll excuse me, I need to see to some things.”
Jacob had never considered that the Ancient Men would come to the aid of Kyrithians. Long before the Great War, they had been allies. During the War they had fought a common enemy, but there had been no love lost between the two peoples. The Dragon Lords of the Old Empire had spent half of their time settling disputes between the Kyrithians and the Ancient Men. He silently wondered what could cause them to ride with them once more.
“It appears as though this is going to be a longer trip than we had first guessed,” a lord suddenly said to the group. “Lord Faryden has spotted a war camp up ahead of us. We’ll be moving to the town of
Michael suddenly rode forward from the dark and rolled his eyes as he passed Jacob.
“It’s going to be a long night. They spotted me.”
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