The Time Before

Trengin : Strangers

Chapter 19: Strangers

"We should probably think about getting back, Sir."

The younger man stared at his superior calmly. Over the last few days rank had been relaxed considerably, but he still couldn't bring himself to call him by name. His captain awkwardly shifted the deer back on to his shoulder before replying.

"Aye, you're right. Staring at a view like this lets me forget where we are and what we have to do, if only for a few minutes."

"It's also past time I took turn with the kill," the soldier mentioned quickly, and not for this first time. The captain laughed.

"I've told you no, Soldier," his tone one of mock seriousness. "I brought this beauty down myself and I'll get it back to camp if it kills me. And it probably will," he finished with another chuckle. With an exaggerated sigh the soldier joined him in the laugh and they both set off down the otherside of the low hill.

They hadn't travelled more than a further hundred paces when the captain lowered his voice and spoke quickly out the side of his mouth.

"Don't look back, but I swear I saw a face in the trees before we started off again. We've got company."

"Friendly?" The soldier asked carefully.

"I don't think the Sempa are the sort to skulk around in woodland Jerins, but he looked more mage than huntsman out for a stroll."

"The gully?"

"Aye, the gully will do nicely."


~


The sound of them laughing drifted down from the hilltop where they stood and I watched them keenly. The taller one hefted the deer back onto his shoulder and a few moments later they turned and walked off. Ideas floated through my head. If I could get them into the trees there was a number of options possible, even if they were both Sempa. But how to do that? Better to just continue following them for now.

I jogged a little through the trees until I thought I would be travelling parallel with them and then headed back to the edge to check. I quickly spotted them approaching the bottom of the low hill. They'd picked up the pace and were no longer talking. What was the sudden urgency? A quick glance at the sun showed it well above the horizon; there was plenty of daylight left.

With a jolt I realised they'd already put a distance between us whilst I'd been thinking, and I headed further back into the trees to try and catch up again. For maybe twenty minutes we played a game of cat and mouse as I raced to get ahead, to then see them for only a few seconds before they disappeared from view. They never went a single step closer to the trees.

I was out of breath and they seemed to show no sign of fatigue, when they suddenly stopped atop an even smaller hill. I saw the deer placed down for a moment and I took the opportunity to run ahead. When I once again appeared at the edge of the treeline and looked behind me to see them, they were gone. Impossible! I scanned the area quickly, and then didn't hesitate to close my eyes; my hands already moving in the accompanying gestures. My awareness floated out, and quickly travelled to the point I'd last seen them. Just beyond, the land dipped down suddenly into a gully I couldn't have seen from the tree line. Before I could investigate any further I felt the pressure that told me I'd reached the limit of my scouting and with a wince I released the spell: idly noting it had worked without me blacking out.

Looking about, and at the map, I tried to get my bearings. The bridge was still some distance off, but I could reach it today if I hurried. The gully stank of ambush which meant they somehow knew I'd been following. The idea of the bridge ahead, and them behind made my decision. I was hardly defenseless. I'd have to take my chances.


~


"Was he still following before we lost sight of the trees?" Jerins asked in a hissed whisper from the cover of a jutted piece of rock.

"I'm not sure, I didn't catch sight of him again."

The captain wasn't happy with such a blind ambush, but it was the best the terrain afforded them. If curiosity was enough to make the fellow follow them, then maybe it would be enough to bring him into the gully. He hoped it was.

Nervously he fingered the light throwing dagger, until he noticed and made his hand stop. Like a green recruit on his first scout, he admonished himself silently. This was no time to let nerves get the better of him. But then, nerves around mages was just common sense. A man can get himself killed quick messing with mages. He thought along wiith a muttered curse at just how much 'messing' with mages he'd done recently. Silently he went back to watching the entrance.

~

I approached the gully from above, carefully. It plummeted for maybe twenty feet to a dry, rock-littered, floor. A variety of mature plants said it hadn't seen water flowing down it in some considerable time. It was deep enough to be cast in thick shadow and I couldn't see any sign of the two men, or a way down. I crawled back, away from the edge, and then stood up carefully and followed it down the small hill to an entrance. As I peered into the gloom I contemplated scouting again, and dismissed the idea just as quick. I had been rash before, if I blacked out I would be at their mercy, mages or not.

With several offensive runes running through my head, and one on my palm ready to cast, I stepped into the shadows and crouched down to let my eyes adjust. After a few moments I could make out more rocks and several larger boulders ahead, any of them potentially hiding the men. I took a few steps forward, sticking to the edges, and stopped behind one of the larger rocks near the wall.

"Halt!"

I froze still. The sound of the shout echoed around the walls and I couldn't tell exactly where it came from.

"We know you've been following us Mage," the voice continued. "If you so much as sneeze, I won't hesitate to see you dead."

I still couldn't tell where it was came from, but it wasn't too far ahead. He likely wasn't a mage either. Sempa spoke of other mages with much more disgust and this was verging on fear, well disguised behind a mask of bravado. It sounded young too; the one without the deer. Where was the other man?

I looked around the shadows anxiously, trying to see just how much bluff was in the threat. How did he intend to see me dead? I decided the risk was too great and stood up, my hands held high, palms backwards.

"I intend no harm. Just wary of strangers on the same path as me."

Silence.

I took a step forward, toward the centre of the path and stopped. Concentrating, and hoping he couldn't see me close my eyes in the dark, I quickly cast the basic rune to feel for nearby mages. It only extended for a few paces around me, but I felt nothing. Remembering their weaponless appearance, and the dead deer, I was still convinced the other was a mage. Where was he hiding?

"I'm in the open. Now I would see you," I called out.

A quick shuffle in the darkness, and what might have been a hurried whisper.

"Ok mage, I'll come out, but my..friend stays where he is. One false move and your throat will be decorated with his knife before you can blink."

I tried not to smile at the slip from him. A knife thrower! I didn't doubt the theat, he must be extraordinarily skilled to bring down a deer with a throwing knife, but at least he wasn't a mage. I noticed the slight hesitation over 'friend' too. Whoever he was, friend wasn't quite true. Ahead of me the darkness parted to reveal the shorter man of the pair. He was indeed young, probably no more than twenty seasons. He strode calmly, with the surety of someone familiar with where he was despite the shadows.

"Your name mage." The voice was tougher sounding than the face let on. He was still scared. I relaxed a little, the rune for a quick defense ready in my head to cast in a few seconds.

"I doubt my name would make any difference. How about we start with why you are out here? I assume you're aware of the bridge crawling with soldiers not more than a dozen miles from here, not to mention Sempa activity in this area. Hardly the place for a pleasant day spent hunting!"

His face creased in thought for a moment and then twisted in annoyance.

"Nevermind that mage, I'm asking the questions."

Irritation flared through me. This was getting us nowhere. Without a word of warning I threw myself sideways, crouched as small as I could, closed my eyes and twisted my palm to cast the prepared rune. As the bright flare of light flashed through the narrow gully I felt myself tense, awaiting the feel of steel hitting me.

Twin cries of surprise mingled with mild yelps of pains as they met my spell and I stood up almost before I'd hit the ground, my hands already tracing another rune.

"I don't intend to harm you, but I don't do well being questioned under threat of a knife in my neck. I'll be on the top of the hill waiting for you. Come quickly and openly and we'll talk."

Casting the rune - a shield around myself - I turned and walked out the gully with my back to them and climbed up to where I'd seen them before they'd disappeared. I sat down and watched for them following behind. A few minutes later I saw them. The younger one who had spoken was still rubbing his eyes, but the knife-thrower walked out in front, striding straight towards me. His hands barely seemed to move but I felt the impact in the ground as two knives thudded either side of me, about a pace away.

"You're right mage." His voice was deeper, and sounded confident. "Much nicer out here. My name is Captain Hunt, this is Soldier Jerins."

I gaped at the news and he suddenly laughed.

"I've seen folk impressed with my throwing before, but I didn't expect such admiration from one like you. Or is it some mage-trick that makes your mouth hang open like that? Catching flies to use in some potion perhaps!"

He continued chuckling at his own joke as I slowly closed my mouth and found myself grinning too. Already I could feel the tension leaving me. The soldier, Jerins, caught up but stayed respectfully a pace behind the captain; the deer, I noticed, slung over his shoulder now.

"Captain Hunt! Fates prick me if that doesn't bring a smile to my face all by itself. I'm travelling to meet you. I was sent here by request of General Stone in Etonreh."

It was their turn to gape, and Jerins did, openly. Hunt's own shock was gone in a flash, his face still creased in the last vestiages of his laugh, before strangely becoming...saddened.

"Aye, that is good to hear. Perhaps now you could favour us with your name before I ruin your day.

I stood up, and extended my hand in greeting, already fearing the worst. "Trengin. Something has happened at the bridge then? The expected Sempa attack?"

"Aye."

The question fell out my mouth. "And the shield, it didn't stop them?"

"A story to tell once this beauty is well roasted and our bellies are full," he replied pointing at the deer. He said no more, a look on his face like he had never laughed and would never laugh again. Wordlessly I followed him.

~

"You tell a grim tale captain."

I was sat in a cosy camp, well hidden from any of the paths on my map, and not quite two leagues from the bridge. We'd marched there in silence, Hunt leading all the way. When we'd arrived Jerins had quickly set about the carcass whilst the captain sat down on a log and began sharpening his two knives. He began the tale with his discovery of the bridge's shield and his race to get there and activate it, confirming much of what I'd discovered about how it worked.

"You were lucky to have a mage with you to link with the shield. I didn't know any had joined to help against the Sempa." I had asked.

"Just the two. One, Borhe, is back in Etonreh as General Stone's advisor. He's worked with the General for many years and stayed loyal when the Sempa began their attacks. The other we didn't know much about. He didn't talk much but he did as he was asked and fought hard. I wouldn't be here talking to you if not for him."

"Do you know his name?"

"Wallis."

A flash of memory. I am a small boy, playing with several friends in my home village. Two strangers appear wreathed in fire. We run and hide, terrified.

"What's the matter, did you know him?" The captain's voice cut through my memory and I snapped back trying to remember what he'd said.

"Erm..Yes, yes I did. His family were killed by Sempa when he was a child."

"That would explain a lot."

Before he could continue Jerins announced food was ready and we ate in silence, each mulling over our own thoughts.

That day had changed all our lives. Only Wallis, Roah and myself had made it out the village to our hiding place near the river. We'd hidden from our parents there numerous times after getting in some trouble or other. Norral never made it, he must have tripped as we ran. I never saw him again.

After the meal Hunt took up the story again.

"The Sempa arrived sooner than we expected but we were about as ready as we could be anyway. What we didn't account for was how they announced their arrival. A few days before their main attack we had a brief assault on the shield, but Wallis was convinced it was no more than a couple of mages. It seems they were testing the shield, throwing different kinds of magic at it. A couple of flights of arrows towards where they were hidden seemed to scare them off.

The next we knew was four days later. I was in the keep with Wallis looking at the defences from the battlements. One moment it was a clear day, the next a sandstorm appeared from the far side. It passed straight through the shield and covered the whole far side. I couldn't see anything, but we heard the screams. Moments later the storm covered the keep and we were blinded too.

It vanished as quickly as it started and there they were. A full squad of them, walking across the bridge as if it were just a festival day and they were out for a stroll. Behind them nothing moved. The catapults were buried in the rocks that we had ready to fire and there were burning bodies everywhere, ...it was... a massacre."

His voice broke for just a second before he continued. His eyes stared straight ahead at nothing.

"Now that we could see, Wallis started giving orders. My men were charging, and firing arrows from all around. They were dying just as quickly. Any arrows that didn't just fly backwards at their firers, burnt to ash on their shield. Wallis sent something towards their shield at the same time he ordered a whole unit to fire directly at them. Whatever he did their shield must have gone down because they suddenly showed signs of panic. The centre Sempa sent a fireball up that incinerated half the arrows, and the rest seemed to hit a new shield. One lucky arrow slipped through and took one of the Sempa in the back of the head."

There was no triumph in his voice, just a heavy bitterness. It was clearly small compensation for the number of soldiers killed.

"It didn't stop them for long though. They burnt the body away and continued moving. Wallis sent a few more surprises at them but they didn't kill any more of them and suddenly he ordered everyone out the keep. We ran as fast as we could but we were only halfway to the exit when Wallis shouted it was too late. He grabbed hold of me, (and Jerins who happened to be running along side of me) and told us to curl up, close our eyes and don't move. We did just that, and he crouched down around us.

Whatever he did saved us, but when he dragged me to my feet the keep was just rubble around us. He pretty much blasted us a way out, constantly shouting at us to hurry. We followed, half blinded and coughing from dust and rubble until we broke free. He didn't stop though. Practically dragged us up to the tree line and left us in a clearing a few hundred paces in. He told us to stay there, and stay out of sight before running back. I don't know what he did but a few hours later we heard explosions near the edge of the trees. We stayed hidden for another hour before creeping back, and found nothing but a chared circle."

"You tell a grim tale captain." It was all I could think of to say. I tried to gather my thoughts. The Sempa had attacked quickly. Four days he'd said between the testing and the main attack. If the scouts had reported back before sending the full squad then the Sempa had a large base within two days of the Bridge at most. Questions suddenly came to mind in a rush.

"What have you been doing since the attack? How long ago was it?"

"It has been seven days. We've expected word from Etonreh in some form and we've used the time to keep watch on the bridge."

"It's guarded I assume."

"Yes they left four of them behind. The rest went back, with Wallis."

Surprise shook me. "They took him captive! How did you find that out?"

The captain shrugged. "We overheard the four remaining bastards talking about it. They made a camp near the trees to be away from the smell on the bridge. It was easy enough to get close to them with the trees for cover."

I reappraised the captain. Brave didn't come close, the man was fearless. "You spied on them! Did you learn anything else?"

"Yes we did," Jerins suddenly put in. He'd been silent all through the story but his eyes were bright in the light of the campfire with an eagerness. "They received reinforcements to hold the bridge properly. A full squad arrived two days ago"

I tried to get my thoughts together with all the information. They captured Wallis! By the sounds of it he'd would have died rather than be captured. How did they keep him contained? If he was drained from the fight perhaps, but it'd only have been a few hours before he would have recharged enough to kill himself and any of them nearby. I hadn't seen my childhood friend since the day his parents had been killed. He'd run off out the village, alone. I hadn't expected to hear he was alive, let alone captured by Sempa. Sympathy washed through me. Could he be rescued?

What about the bridge? A full squad entrenched behind the shield would be near impossible to dig out without many more mages. The shield!

"Captain, the shield, do you know if it is still active?" Without Wallis the link should have been broken by now. And with the keep destroyed the node to establish a new link would be buried under tonnes of rock, if not destroyed.

He shook his head. "I don't know. We have no way of testing and we've heard nothing from the Sempa."

I only half heard as my thoughts whirred. That must be why they captured Wallis, to learn about the shield and how it worked! I shuddered at what they might do to him to learn that. Something else snagged in my thoughts about their camp. The trees. They were camped in the trees.

The Captain's voice broke through my thoughts again.

"Etonreh needs to be told. If there is a nest of these vipers just a few days from here then we need to let them know. Maybe something could be done."

"Without more mages we have no chance. We need an army to even consider it." I declared, already trying to remember mages I used to know between here and Etonreh.

"Or, perhaps, a circle," I whispered to myself.