Legends Lost Tesnayr

  Chapter XI

  A Rude Awakening

  Tesnayr pored over the map as the flickering candle light caused the lengthy shadows to dance. He released an exasperated sigh. There was little he could do except ride out and meet the orcs head on. He planned to meet them in the valley just outside of Swalya. At this moment Arnin was leading the people of Swalya to the keep. It would provide some protection, but he did not want to fight the battle there. Though the outer walls were fortified, the rest of the keep was incomplete.

  The orcs approaching them numbered at least ten thousand. Tesnayr knew he did not have anywhere near that amount even with the addition of Hemίl’s army. There was little chance of any of the other kings being able to summon their forces. They were trapped. So it begins, thought Tesnayr.

  Tesnayr continued to study the map. There would be little cover where he planned to stage the defense.

  “You should sleep.” Nigilin stepped into the room.

  “I only have hours to plan a battle,” replied Tesnayr, groggily. “Blast the heavens I hate this. I do not like being put on the defense. But we’ve no time to lead them away from the city.”

  “Then we will do what we can and must,” said Nigilin. “You need to sleep. You are little use to us half dead. Besides, with some rest you will be able to think more clearly.”

  “Perhaps you’re right.” Tesnayr pulled himself away from the map and stretched out on a nearby cot. “The only way to meet them is head on. But there must be a better strategy.”

  “I’ll wake you before dawn.” Nigilin snuffed out the lamp and left.

  Idӕas concealed himself in the shadows watching as a man snuck through the out buildings that Tesnayr had placed the army in. The elf had never trusted the man since the day he had joined them in the mountains. Something about him did not feel right. His constant sneaking around and evasiveness told the elf all he needed to know. The man darted between the wooden structures taking great pains not to wake anyone. Too great.

  Suspicious, Idӕas followed him. He kept close to the shadows and outer walls as he crept along. The man paused in front of a structure, the very place where Tesnayr slept. Idӕas slipped behind cover as the man looked about him. He peered around a corner watching as the man entered the building. Quickly, Idӕas ran for the same room making no sound.

  Silently, the man entered the room where Tesnayr slept. Perfect, he thought. He had spent that last few weeks attempting to complete his mission, but that stupid elf kept a close eye on him. But tonight he had been careful.

  He listened as the steady breathing of Tesnayr told him the man was asleep. He tiptoed toward the bed. Slowly, he pulled a dagger from his belt. His heart pounded from the excitement, but he steadied it with measured breaths. He towered over the bed and the sleeping man. Raising his dagger high, the assassin brought it down in a perfect stroke.

  A clang echoed as the dagger struck another blade in midair. The assassin’s arm throbbed as strong hands wrenched the knife from him. Idӕas flung the man against the wall pinning him.

  Waking from the commotion, Tesnayr jumped from the cot snatching his sword. He had just unsheathed it when he noticed Idӕas holding a man against the wall. The man struggled to break free, but the elf’s grip held firm. “What is going on here?” demanded Tesnayr as he sheathed his sword.

  “This man is an assassin,” replied Idӕas as guards burst into the room. “I have been watching him for the past few weeks.”

  “Stupid elf,” spat the man, “If I don’t kill him someone else will.”

  “What is your name?” demanded Tesnayr.

  “Felznic,” replied the man.

  Tesnayr took a closer look at the man. “I know you. You came here with King Shealayr.”

  “Very good, General,” sneered Felznic. “I couldn’t believe my luck when that stupid elf stumbled upon me and happened to be searching for you.”

  “Is the man with you also in on this?”

  “No. He was just one of the many who fled to the mountains. I simply used him like I used the elf king.”

  “Why did you want to kill me?” asked Tesnayr. “Why would you work with the orcs?”

  “You think you know everything,” spat Felznic, “But you know nothing. There are many of us who willingly align ourselves with the orcs. They will conquer this world and we will inherit our just reward for helping them.”

  “You’re right about that,” said Tesnayr. “The penalty for betrayal is death. Take him away.”

  Idӕas handed the man to the guards. They hauled him outside with little protest.

  “Thank you, Idӕas,” said Tesnayr. “I don’t know how I can repay you.”

  “Win the battle,” replied Idӕas. “You go back to sleep. I will stand watch.” The elf left the room and stood just outside the door in the shadows once more.

  The sun rose that morning but no one really knew it had as a dingy gray light spread across the land. Dark clouds loomed above them as the army awaited the approaching orcs. Thunder rolled in the distance as Tesnayr eyed the gloomy sky. Fitting, he thought, nothing like a thunderstorm to welcome the approach of war.

  Clanging metallic armor announced the approach of the orcs. His soldiers squirmed uneasily as they listened to the marching feet and battle cries of the beasts. Gradually, they appeared on the hill opposite them.

  “Steady,” said Tesnayr as he noticed those near him shift on their feet.

  Raucous noise rose up the hill as the orcs beat their chests and roared in an effort to instill terror in their enemy.

  “Lock your shields,” yelled Tesnayr.

  Instantly, hundreds of shields were thrust before the group of soldiers and overlapped. Those holding the shields braced themselves for the attack. Thunder exploded overhead and drowned out the cry of the orcs. Another crack of thunder echoed. Tesnayr felt wet drops of rain land upon his skin. Ignoring it, he kept his eyes fixed upon the orc commander on his larog, the orcs’ morbid version of a horse.

  A horn blew in the distance. Instantly, the orcs charged down the hill heading straight for Tesnayr and his men. “Brace your selves,” he yelled.

  Those holding the shields held fast as arrows beat against them. Calmly, Tesnayr watched the oncoming mass of armed orcs. Inwardly, his heart tried to burst out of his chest, but he kept his composure for his men.

  “Spears!” he yelled when the orcs were only yards away.

  The second row of men lowered their spears just as those with the shields shrank back. Chaos loomed as orcs and their larogs crashed into the shields and spears. Cries of pain echoed across the battlefield as they were skewered. Those behind the first line of orcs attempted to slow down but their momentum caused them to crash into the one before them. They too were struck by the spears.

  “Spread out!” ordered Tesnayr.

  Obeying his command, the soldiers ditched their formation and ran in every direction placing themselves strategically among the orc army.

  “Give the signal,” Tesnayr said to Arnin.

  Quickly, Arnin raised a bright gold flag and brought it down. Arrows rained down upon the field from those placed on the edges of the valley. Swords clanged as they collided. Tesnayr kicked his horse and rode out onto the field to give his men courage. With expert ease he swung his sword cutting down orcs that charged him. He felt the muscles of the beast as he trampled over those before him.

  Suddenly, his horse reared up throwing him off. Tesnayr crashed into the ground. He glanced over to see a larog chomping on his horse’s neck. The crunching bones filtered through the mayhem to his ears. Tesnayr and the beast stared at each other. The orc upon the larog flapped the reins and charged toward Tesnayr. Gripping his sword tightly, he felt the surge of power from the blade as it sizzled up his arm. Believe in the sword.

  The larog’s massive paws pounded the mud as it ran for Tesnayr. Just before the creature was upon him, Tesnayr reared up and slashed his blade across the tender flesh of the larog’s neck. The animal crashed in
to the slime as rain continued to pour from the sky. Wasting no time, Tesnayr raced to the orc on the beast and rammed his blade through it. He straightened and spotted Arnin awaiting his command. “Now,” he yelled.

  Arnin heard Tesnayr’s command. He raised the gold flag again and waved it from side to side. An orc appeared behind him. Instantly, Arnin whirled around dodging the killing blow of the orc’s weapon. He twisted again skewering the orc with the flag pole before tossing the creature aside. Dropping the flag, Arnin pulled out his sword and charged into the fray.

  Nelyn stood on the edge of the trees overlooking the scene. She scanned the battle awaiting the signal from Tesnayr. There! Immediately she darted off to where King Edrei was. “The signal has been given,” she said as she leaped on her horse.

  “Very well,” said King Edrei. “Forward!”

  The king kicked his horse and raced toward the battle followed by Nelyn and the rest of his cavalry. King Edrei felt the heavy breathing of the horse as it charged toward the turmoil. Focusing intently on the orcs before him he never noticed the arrows heading for him.

  An arrow struck his horse in the neck. The horse stumbled and fell. King Edrei slammed into the ground. Pain shot through him as the horse pinned him down. King Edrei struggled under the dead weight of the animal trying desperately to get free. A horse leaped over him and thundered on in its charge. Mud oozed over him as he continued to fight to get out from under his horse.

  An orc snuck up behind King Edrei. Slowly, it inched forward with its axe raised. King Edrei noticed the orc too late. He reached for his sword, but could not grab it. Preparing for the end, King Edrei accepted his fate. Suddenly, a lion burst from the trees and tackled the orc. The king watched dazed as the beast clawed relentlessly at the orc. Ferocious roars echoed around him as he watched the lion kill its prey.

  “My king,” said a man as he knelt by King Edrei. With immense effort the man freed his king from the animal’s weight. “Are you all right?”

  “Fine, thank you,” replied King Edrei. “I need a horse.”

  “Take mine.” The man handed the reins to the king who accepted them without argument. He jumped on the horse and sped off into the battle.

  Nelyn plowed through the mass of orcs. She swung her sword with great force and agility. None stood a chance who tried to defy her. She steeled herself for facing the enemy that ravaged her home. A larog attacked her. Quickly, Nelyn turned her horse around with ease and ran off. She pushed her horse onward with the larog behind her. A little bit further. Then, she spotted it. Spears stuck out of the ground. Nelyn jammed her heels into the horse forcing it to jump over the javelins. She held her breath as her horse sailed gracefully through the air to land on the other side. A piercing scream echoed behind her. The larog bled profusely as the spikes stuck through its body.

  Nelyn kicked her horse again and headed straight for the thick of the fighting. Her breathing matched that of her mount. She pushed the animal harder. Its labored breathing came in snorts. Leaning low in the saddle, Nelyn headed straight for her goal. She trampled over a group of orcs. Nelyn jumped off her steed.

  She sliced the air with her blade catching one orc in the middle. Instantly, she whirled around and stabbed another orc in the chest. One attempted to back hand her. Nelyn blocked the swing and punched the orc in the face before cutting her sword across the neck. She dropped to the ground and snatched a sword from the slick surface. Springing back to her feet, Nelyn used both swords to destroy the orcs surrounding her. Block. Cut. Slice. She refused to think about her movements using everything that Idӕas had taught. Allowing the swords to dictate her movements, Nelyn became unstoppable.

  More orcs approached. She twisted around crossing her blades in an X stopping a killing blow to her heart. With a flick of her wrists she disarmed the orc. Swiftly, Nelyn cut the beast in the leg bringing it to its knees before bringing the point of her weapons to its neck and chopping off its head.

  In her focused state, Nelyn never noticed the orc in the distance aiming an arrow straight for her chest. But Jarown did. From his vantage point he watched his daughter and saw an orc take aim with its bow. Wasting no time, he charged across the field to the creature. Slipping on the oozing mud, Jarown fought to maintain his balance and momentum. He scooped a discarded shield from the trampled grass and holding it before him, Jarown rammed into an orc knocking it to the ground. Onward he continued. He swung the shield at another orc’s head catching it in the chin before bringing it back and ramming it in the beast’s throat.

  Jarown continued toward the orc targeting Nelyn. He was almost there. Jarown placed the shield in front of him again bracing himself for the impact. With a loud cry he charged for the orc and crashed into it with all his might sending the beast flying. His arms twinged as they took the impact of the collision.

  Quickly, Jarown discarded the shield and unsheathed his sword. He stepped forward bringing his weapon in an upper cut that destroyed the orc’s bow. Furious, the beast brought out a knife with a jagged blade. He flung it at Jarown, but the man blocked it. The orc grunted loudly before snatching a javelin from the mud. He lunged. Jarown stepped into the attack twisting his body before striking the beast in the stomach. His sword poked out of the orc’s back. Jarown tossed the dead creature to the ground with little remorse.

  Jenel stood on the outer wall of the keep overlooking the small canyon that led to the valley and city beyond. Despite the distance from the battle, the rock walls funneled the noise to her ears. She waited in tormented anticipation to know how the battle was going. The waiting drove her insane. She hated it.

  “Staring out there will not end the fight any sooner,” said King Nalim behind her.

  “I can’t stand this waiting,” replied Jenel.

  “You should be below.”

  “What are you doing here? I thought dwarves hated being left out of a fight.”

  King Nalim eyed her for a moment. “We do, but someone has to protect the keep. And only fools corner a dwarf.”

  “I should be out there,” said Jenel.

  “Your father gave you specific orders.”

  Jenel snorted.

  “And so did Tesnayr,” added the dwarf king.

  More cries from the battle beyond caught her attention. Jenel huffed in frustration. “I should be out there.”

  “To what end? Do you know how to use a sword? Are you trained for battle?”

  Shamed, Jenel shook her head. Though she had some lessons on the use of a blade, she had never been trained as a soldier. But the waiting for the army to win or lose raked her nerves. What would they do if the orcs reached the keep? “This fort is not finished. How will we protect ourselves if the orcs make it this far?”

  “Leave that to me. Now get below,” said King Nalim.

  Jenel began to leave, but paused. “King Nalim,” she said, “I never knew dwarves could be so—”

  “Wise?” asked the dwarf when Jenel paused.

  “Understanding.” Jenel trotted down the stone steps to the area below.

  King Nalim looked back out at the gorge. Uneasiness swept over him. He sensed that Jenel planned something. A loud creak echoed as the gates to the keep opened. The dwarf turned toward it about to demand what fool opened the gates, but hesitated. A dark shape on a horse zoomed out onto the canyon road and disappeared into the distance. King Nalim recognized the figure immediately. “Fool of a girl,” he shouted.

  The dwarf dashed down the steps toward the stables. “You, you, and you,” he said pointing at three soldiers standing idle, “Get horses and follow me.” He leaped onto a horse and chased after Jenel with the three soldiers behind him.

  Jenel paused on the ridge of a hill observing the fight below her. She frowned as she watched. It wasn’t going well. Jenel looked about her thinking fast about a way she could help. Desperate, she studied everything. Suddenly, she spotted it. Not far from her stood a catapult manned by ten orcs. She steered her horse in the direction but halted suddenly a
s King Nalim appeared before her.

  “Fool of a girl,” he said. “What do you think you are doing? You’re coming with me.”

  “Look,” countered Jenel as she pointed to the battle below.

  King Nalim followed her gaze and frowned. Instantly, he knew that Tesnayr would lose the battle. There were just too many orcs.

  “There is a catapult just over there,” said Jenel. “Perhaps we can use it to fire upon the approaching orcs. It may not be much, but it could be just enough.”

  “Very well, but follow my lead,” said King Nalim.

  They dismounted and tied the horses up. Carefully, they snuck up on the orcs surrounding the catapult. King Nalim motioned for them to pause. He studied the position of the orcs and their movements. “You three, go around over there and wait for my signal,” said King Nalim to the soldiers with them. “You,” he turned to Jenel, “Stay here. I mean it.”

  Jenel clamped her mouth shut and acquiesced.

  King Nalim scooped up a rock and left the protection of the bushes. He crept toward the busy orcs. Carefully, he tossed the rock overhead. It landed with a soft thump attracting the attention of the orcs. He pulled out his axe yelling, “Now!” King Nalim planted his axe in the back of one orc while the three men charged in.

  The orcs whirled around and met their attackers. The three soldiers dispatched four, while the other six stalked toward King Nalim. The dwarf backed toward the catapult with his axe raised. Jenel watched from her position and soon learned why no one wanted to corner a dwarf.

  One orc charged. King Nalim dodged darting between the beast’s feet. He jabbed another in the face with his axe before striking a second in the chest with the sharp blade. Turning he lopped off the head of the first. A third attacked. Instantly, King Nalim plowed his weapon into the orc’s stomach spilling the creature’s insides. Without losing a beat, the dwarf hacked the fourth before crushing the skull of the fifth. The remaining orc wavered.

  “Come on you coward,” goaded King Nalim.

  Angered, the orc ran for the dwarf. King Nalim darted to the side before striking the creature in the neck. The orc stood still, stunned before dropping to the ground.

  A twig snapped behind Jenel. Startled, she turned around pulling her knife from her belt. Another orc that they failed to noticed leered at her. Without thinking, she pushed her knife into the beast’s windpipe. Warm, thick, black blood oozed over her hand. Stunned, she stood motionless unable to comprehend what had just happened. But Jenel knew that only luck had saved her, not any skill of her own.

  “My lady,” said King Nalim. “Are you alright?”

  “Yes,” whispered Jenel. “It’s just I’ve never killed anything before.”

  “There is a first time for everything,” said the dwarf. “You’ll be fine. Just remember this: in war, kill or be killed. Now, we have a job to do.”

  Pulling herself back to reality, Jenel sheathed her knife and went to the catapult. “Help me turn it.”

  King Nalim snapped his fingers. Each of them grabbed a section of the catapult and pushed. Their feet slid in the greasy mud. Gradually, the catapult moved in the sludge. Sweat dotted their faces despite the cold wind.

  “Stop,” order King Nalim. “Line it up.”

  One of the men leaped into the seat on the weapon. Carefully, he aimed it for the middle of the orc forces. “Ready,” he said.

  King Nalim strode over to the trigger. He gripped his axe tightly, raised it high over his head and sliced through the rope. Instantly, the catapult flung its load. They watched as the boulder slammed into the ground flinging mud everywhere and crushing several orcs. Frightened, many of the orcs below ran away.

  “Reload,” ordered King Nalim.

  They did and released it just like the first. Again, the stone crashed into the ground below them killing more orcs and frightening the others.

  Tesnayr watched as the second boulder slammed into the orcs. He looked about him and knew that they could not win this battle the old way. He sounded the retreat. “Fall Back!”

  Tesnayr grabbed a nearby horse yelling at the others to retreat. Immediately, his army fled the field. They raced away from the orcs and into the rugged hills of Hemίl. Tesnayr pushed them onward making certain that the orcs did not follow. Once safety was assured, he pulled everyone to a stop.

  “Tesnayr,” said Nigilin, “Why did we retreat?”

  “You know why,” replied Tesnayr.

  Tesnayr paced the ground agitated. He thought they could have a head on meeting. He was wrong. The orcs were too many. He needed a plan, a trick. And he needed one quick before the orcs regrouped and came after them, or worse, poured into the city itself. An idea struck him. “Sarwyn,” he called.

  Immediately the fairy appeared before him. “You called?” she said ignoring the battle.

  “Can you sneak into the orc camp?” Tesnayr led her away from prying ears.

  “Yes.”

  Quickly, Tesnayr pulled some parchment and a writing utensil from his pocket. He scribbled on it for several seconds. “I want you to take this and get it to the orc commander. Tell him this is a dispatch from Galbrok. Make certain he reads it immediately. Now go!”

  Sarwyn disappeared. Tesnayr hoped his plan worked.

  “What are you planning?” asked Nigilin.

  “We can’t win this battle the old fashioned way,” replied Tesnayr. “I hope the orcs believe my ruse.”