The friends were silent again and across the plain the clicking subsided.
‘They’re coming on,’ whispered Haarg.
The ranks of the Sgorrla were advancing towards the mound. Not all of them came. Some three hundred. Walking at first. Then trotting. Then breaking into a charge.
‘Captain Bankfoot,’ said Tain, lifting his antlers.
‘Captain Tain,’ answered Bankfoot proudly.
‘If this is the last story, Bankfoot, then let’s make certain it’s the best.’
Bankfoot nodded and drew himself up. The Outriders were gathered in concentric rings around the rowan tree, and as the Sgorrla came on, Tain and Bankfoot, Braan and Haarg stepped forward through their ranks, to each side of the stand.
The Sgorrla drew nearer and now the Outriders could see the livid scars on the stags’ foreheads and the points of their sharpened antlers. Then they hit, rushing up the sides of the hillock like a tidal wave. Even within the rings of Outriders, Willow and Peppa felt the shock of it. All around the hinds, stags were suddenly fighting, bellowing and lashing out. The little hill dissolved in a frenzy of thrusting haunches. Sgorrla was pitted against Outrider. Antler against antler. The Outriders seemed to rock to and fro, pushed this way and that by the impact from all sides.
The battle raged on, but in the midst of the desperate melee neither Peppa nor Willow could be sure how the Outriders were faring. Now and then they would catch sight of Bankfoot or Tain, Braan or Haarg, scything with their heads or rising up on their haunches, rallying the Outriders or rushing to the aid of another stag. They saw deer fall around them but could not tell which side they belonged to. The one thing the hinds were sure of, though, was how hopeless their plight was.
Suddenly, through the Outriders nearest to them, a stag came hurtling straight at Willow.
‘Look out,’ cried Peppa, and Willow just managed to step aside to avoid his antler thrust. He swung round again and Willow caught the surprise in his eyes to see a hind in the midst of the Outriders. But he dropped his antlers again and lunged.
From the left came Haarg, who had seen the stag break through the Outriders and abandoned his position at the front of the fight. He was just in time. He thrust the Sgorrla aside and brought his trez tines up and under the deer’s muzzle, tearing his throat open in a single slash.
But as the Sgorrla fell, Haarg felt himself knocked sideways in turn and a stabbing pain tear into his chest. Another Sgorrla had broken through and was goring him.
‘Help him,’ cried Willow desperately to the surrounding Outriders. ‘Help Haarg.’
Three Outriders came to their aid and the Sgorrla paid the price for his courage. The Outriders were on him.
‘Thank Herne,’ whispered Willow, for although he was wounded, Haarg was still on his feet. But as the hind turned back to her sister she cried out in agony.
Peppa was lying among the rocks, blood streaming over the ground.
‘No, Peppa, not you too,’ sobbed Willow, her front legs buckling before her.
Willow’s head came down above her sister’s and she saw the fatal gash in Peppa’s throat that the Sgorrla must have inflicted on her only moments before he had charged Haarg. Peppa’s blood was already sinking into the grass.
The hind’s eyes were still open but they were beginning to stare.
‘No, Peppa, no,’ cried Willow bitterly.
Peppa tried to lift her head but it was no good.
‘I should never have allowed you to come with us. . .’
‘Quiet, Willow,’ whispered Peppa, ‘look to yourself, for I will soon be with Herne.’
‘Peppa!’ cried Willow again.
But it was already over. The hind closed her eyes and laid her head on the earth.
Willow staggered to her feet and now she could see that around her the fighting had died down. The Sgorrla were retreating and through the thronged Outriders, who were beginning to regroup on the mound, Tain and Bankfoot were coming towards her.
‘We held them,’ cried Bankfoot, ‘we held them all right. But it was close, when they—’ Bankfoot stopped. ‘No!’ he cried. ‘No!’
The three friends stood over Peppa’s corpse by the rowan tree, their heads bowed. Around them on the mound the grass was littered with bodies. Along with many Sgorrla, forty Outriders had fallen in the fight. But while that first terrible charge had very nearly overwhelmed the Outriders, across the plain the Great Herd was virtually unaffected and already two other groups of stags, two hundred in each, were advancing again.
‘It’s finished,’ said Tain, shaking his head. ‘We’ll never survive another attack.’
Bankfoot stamped the ground furiously.
‘Th-th-th-then the Sgorrla will die with us to avenge Peppa.’
But now Tain drew Bankfoot aside.
‘Bankfoot,’ he whispered, looking back towards Willow, ‘will you do something for me?’
‘Anything, Tain.’
‘Will you stay with Willow to the end and give your last to protect her?’
Bankfoot stared at Tain. They both knew that they would all die in the next assault, Willow too, but Bankfoot nodded.
‘Gladly,’ he said.
The two old friends clicked their antlers and prepared themselves. By the birch trees Sgorr was nodding approvingly as he watched the final assault on the mound. It had been almost too easy. The Sgorrla came on as Tain and Braan and the wounded Haarg ran to the front of the Outriders. Once more the mound was submerged in a sea of fighting. By the rowan tree Bankfoot stood with Willow and they waited quietly together.
The ring of Outriders around them began to weaken and then the Sgorrla broke through. Three of them. This time they came straight for Bankfoot.
‘Get behind me, Willow,’ cried Bankfoot, ‘with your back to the tree.’
The hind did as she was told.
‘To me,’ cried Bankfoot, rising up on his haunches and pounding the air with his hoofs. ‘To me.’
But there was no one to help him.
‘Come on then,’ he shouted furiously, ‘Sgorrla f-f-filth.’ The Sgorrla paused, momentarily held at bay by the fury in Bankfoot’s eyes. But then they advanced and lowered their heads. Bankfoot dug in with his back feet and readied. On the first charge only one Sgorrla came at him and Bankfoot held the blow on his antlers. The Sgorrla seemed unnerved but now they all came at him together. Bankfoot knocked aside the first blow with his head, but the second Sgorrla locked his antlers and as he did so the third dipped towards his chest. The brow tine went in and Bankfoot gasped.
‘Swine,’ he cried.
But now he felt another antler gouge him and suddenly the strength went out of his legs.
‘Forgive me, Willow,’ he cried as his legs gave way. Bankfoot’s head hit the ground. He looked up to see the three Sgorrla standing above him, dipping their antlers, poised for the kill. Bankfoot turned his head away.
But as he did so, his eyes came in line with the eastern forest. His vision had been impaired by the blow to his head and, as his head began to swim and he finally lost consciousness, he fancied he saw a strange sight. In the distance, through the fighting deer, Bankfoot saw a light glowing through the day and as he closed his eyes he heard, very faintly, a voice.
‘The forest, look to the forest.’
At the forefront of the battle, Tain had heard the shout too and suddenly the fighting deer were disengaging, turning in amazement towards the woods. Now, across the ground, came the bark of terrified deer and the Sgorrla on the edge of the trees were running left and right in confusion and terror, out onto the plain. Tain gasped.
The trees. The trees behind the deer. Their branches were glowing. A strange smoke furled up from the dry branches and everywhere a bright orange glow began to fleck through the woods. A furious crackling sound came to Tain’s ears. Across the plain the Great Herd was watching in wonder as the Sgorrla nearest to the trees fled.
Whatever was happening Tain knew it could not save the Outriders, b
ut at least the attacking Sgorrla had been distracted and had temporarily lost the advantage.
‘Outriders,’ cried Tain. ’Outriders, drive them back. It’s your only chance.’
The Outriders had heard the call and instantly they were fighting again, a new hope filling their hearts. The sight of the light and their fellow Sgorrla fleeing in terror had discouraged the Sgorrla on the mound, and in their own confusion they found themselves being driven back off the little hill. Their ranks wavered and then, suddenly, they turned and ran.
‘Bankfoot,’ cried Willow desperately as Tain ran over to her. But Tain was gazing towards the trees. The glow was growing stronger and stronger.
‘What is it, Tain? What’s going on?’ panted Haarg as he reached the rowan.
‘I don’t know,’ whispered Tain fearfully.
Now all the deer on the plain fell silent as they watched the furious sparks leap from the trees. The bark was unusually dry from the lack of rain and the strange warmth, and already the flames were catching and jumping from branch to branch.
The Sgorrla that had been lining the forest had fled back to the main body of the Great Herd, and the attacking Sgorrla had reached it too. Among the stags a frightened whispering went up as they watched the glow eat away at the branches. Only in the centre of the trees was there no orange light and now, from the shadows, stepped a single, twelve-pointed stag.
In his mouth he carried a branch. It was glowing too. As the Herla watched, the stag suddenly reared up on his hind legs and cast the branch into the air in a shower of sparks. He bellowed furiously and brought his hoofs crashing to the earth.
Tain came forward from the rowan tree.
‘Rannoch,’ he gasped. ‘Rannoch has come.’
In the heavens there was a grumble of thunder, for on the edges of the horizon storm clouds were beginning to gather.
All their eyes were trained on Rannoch as he stepped forward. The stag, his antlers cutting through the air, walked slowly, surely, his head held high, towards the birch trees where Sgorr was standing with Narl. When he was about four trees away he bellowed and rose on his haunches again.
Sgorr’s heart tightened.
‘Sgorr,’ cried Rannoch, his voice like thunder, ‘I told you I would come. And I am here. I have summoned man’s light to avenge my father and the Outriders.’
Now a furious murmur went up among the Sgorrla, for they had heard his words and some had seen the fawn mark on his head.
‘Herla,’ cried Rannoch again, ‘you did not believe in me, or in Herne, but now you will pay the price. For I am the Marked One that you drove from the herd and now I have come to fulfil the Prophecy.’
Many of the assembled deer looked at each other in wonder. Next to Sgorr, Narl stirred fearfully.
‘It’s true,’ whispered Narl. ’It’s true.’
Sgorr’s eye seared into Narl and then he snorted in disgust and stepped forwards himself. The Sgorrla guards around him were looking nervously at their master, but Sgorr pushed angrily past them.
‘Rannoch,’ he shouted scornfully across the plain, ‘you cannot frighten me with your human trickery or the tricks you used on Herne’s Herd. For the orange light must feed on the trees and can do us no harm here. As I told you, I too know the mind of man.’
Again the stags looked nervously to their master, for the sight of the fire in the forest and the smell of burning wood had terrified them. But Sgorr’s confidence and his knowledge of the orange light seemed to reassure them.
Rannoch stamped the ground.
‘Yes, Sgorr, you know something of the mind of man. But you only know of his violence. So why don’t you tell them, Sgorr, what you did? Why don’t you tell them that you killed a human fawn and ate his heart?’
Some of the deer gasped and looked with horror at their leader. Sgorr felt a thousand questioning eyes on his back.
‘What of it, Rannoch?’ he spat. ‘That is past. Now we are here to face each other.’
‘Very well then, Sgorr,’ cried Rannoch. ‘Then come out to fight me. On your own if you dare. Enough stags have died already this day and I am loath to kill any more.’
Sgorr smiled coldly.
‘How can you harm a thousand stags, Rannoch?’ he cried.
‘No. You had your chance last night and you should have taken it. But now you are on your own and you must pay the price for your belief. You’re a pretty sacrifice, Rannoch. Sgorrla,’ shouted Sgorr suddenly, ‘take him. Take him now.’
But the Sgorrla held their ground. All of them.
‘Obey me,’ cried Sgorr furiously, swinging round. The deer looked back nervously.
‘You needn’t fear him,’ cried Sgorr. ’Look at him. He’s just a stag. Any one of you could take him.’
But still the stags hesitated. It wasn’t just fear that held them now, but the thought of what Sgorr had done.
‘You,’ cried Sgorr to one of the older Sgorrla. ’You will obey me.’
The stag dropped his eyes.
‘Herne is with him,’ he whispered, ‘and you. . . you. . .’
‘Herne is not with him,’ spat Sgorr. ’He’s a Lera, nothing more.’
Sgorr turned to another stag.
‘You. I command you.’
The stag shook his head too. He was looking at Rannoch and in his eyes shone the light of devotion. It was Quaich.
But suddenly another stag stepped forward from the ranks of the Sgorrla. It was the Sgorrla commander who had been inspecting the herd the night before.
‘I’ll face him, Lord Sgorr,’ he said.
A Sgorrla stepped up behind him. Then another and another. They nodded to Sgorr and he smiled coldly.
‘Very good,’ he said. ‘You will be rewarded. Now bring me his antlers.’
Suddenly twenty stags were running towards Rannoch. He rose on his haunches for a third time and boxed the air as he bellowed again, and then he turned and ran towards the mound and the Outriders. As the Sgorrla saw him and thought he was fleeing the forest and the terrible light, their fear began to subside and suddenly others were breaking away to join the chase.
‘He’ll never make it,’ whispered Willow desperately as Rannoch raced towards them.
The Outriders were all transfixed as Rannoch made for their ranks, but as they watched him they could see that the Sgorrla were gaining on him. There were nearly thirty at his back and Tain shuddered as they saw another group of Sgorrla coming from the right.
‘We’ve got to help him,’ cried Willow.
‘What can we do?’ gasped Tain. The Sgorrla were nearly on him.
But Tain suddenly stood stock-still. Around him a shadow was spreading across the grass.
‘What is it, Willow?’ he whispered.
Then they heard it. In the sky. A furious cawing and flapping. The Outriders looked up and gasped. The sky was turning black. Above them hundreds and hundreds of black shapes were moving through the air. The sound was deafening.
‘Ravens,’ cried Willow, ‘they’re ravens. Crak is here.’
‘Then his wrath shall cloak the sun,’ whispered Tain gravely. ‘Willow, it is the Prophecy.’
As the Sgorrla reached Rannoch they suddenly began to bark in fear and dropped their heads. Others rose up and lashed at the air, boxing the sky and the swarming birds. The black cloud was descending on them. The ravens were pecking at their eyes and flapping at their antlers. The chasing deer came to a stop as Rannoch ran on. He had made it to the Outriders.
The Great Herd watched in horror as their comrades fought off the birds. The Sgorrla were lashing at the air, driven to a frenzy by the pecking.
The Outriders dipped their heads as Rannoch reached the rowan tree and looked aghast at the scene of devastation. Bankfoot’s eyes were closed. He lay on the ground next to Peppa. Around them both the ground was covered in blood.
‘Then I’ve come too late,’ cried Rannoch bitterly.
‘Thank Herne you have come at all,’ said Tain.’Rannoch, it’s good to see yo
u again.’
Rannoch looked helplessly at Peppa and Bankfoot. Then he looked around at the Outriders.
‘Where is Thistle?’ he asked. Willow shook her head.
‘I am sorry,’ said Rannoch quietly, ‘but I had to make sure my mother was safe.’
‘Your mother, Rannoch?’ said Willow with surprise.
‘Bracken is here too?’
‘No, Willow, Bracken is dead. And she was not my mother.’
Tain and Willow gasped.
But suddenly Rannoch stepped further forward. He was looking keenly at Bankfoot. The stag twitched, stirred painfully in the grass and opened his eyes.
‘Rannoch,’ he whispered dreamily.’Rannoch, you’re here.’
‘Stay still, Bankfoot,’ said Rannoch, ‘there will be time to heal you. If there is time at all.’
‘But Herne is with us now,’ said Braan. He too was badly wounded.
‘Herne may be with us,’ said Rannoch gravely, ‘but years of wandering have taught me how strange his ways can be. For if Herne is a healer, he is a hunter too, and he may yet demand the ultimate sacrifice.’
The Outriders stirred and above them now another dark shadow passed across the fading sun. The ravens had done their work and now they were returning home – those that would fly again, for many of them had died in the fight.
‘Thank you,’ whispered Rannoch, ‘thank you all. But now we have need of a stronger help than yours. Our only hope is if they come in time.’
‘They?’ said Tain.
Suddenly there was another bellow from the plain and the friends turned. Although they couldn’t hear what he was saying now, they knew that Sgorr was once more addressing the Great Herd.
‘You see,’ cried Sgorr, ‘they are just Lera. Nothing more than pecking birds. But we are stags. Sgorrla. Invincible. Look at him and his Outriders. There can’t be more than sixty left.’
Sgorr was working himself into a frenzy.
‘But we, we are an army. Those marks I put on your heads will protect you and this time I will lead you myself. Although I am old and I have no antlers, I will show you that I am not afraid.’
The Sgorrla watched their lord, and though fear was stirring through their ranks, for years they had been trained to do his bidding and, in the fading light, Sgorr looked strangely magnificent. He turned and began to move towards the mound; Narl followed him. The Great Herd stirred, then they came on, a thousand deer heading towards the Outriders. More Sgorrla were crossing the stream and moving out from the pass too. Their training had won. Now the sky was full of heavy rain clouds, swollen by days of evaporation in the unearthly heat.