Mortalis

'Bruinhelde is not back in Alpinador, either,' the ranger explained, slowly turning his gaze away from Brother Dellman. 'We found the road clear.'

'We heard as much,' replied Agronguerre. 'My brethren returned to us several days ago, and glad we were to learn that Alpinador was spared the trials of the demon dactyl.'

'We fought our share,' Andacanavar informed him. 'But good tidings indeed that the threat to our homeland had ended. And yet it was tidings of further war that brought us back to the south, soon after Prince Midalis and the others left us.'

A shadow crossed over Abbot Agronguerre's chubby face.

'Prince Midalis is here, by the reports,' the ranger remarked. 'Take me to him that I have to tell my tale but once.'

They found Midalis eating his breakfast on the flat top of the abbey's northwestern tower. Predictably, Liam O'Blythe was there as well; and it occurred to everyone there, Liam included, how similar the man and his relationship to Prince Midalis was to that of Brother Haney and his relationship to Abbot Agronguerre. Both had been born peasants, and through deed alone had risen to important, if little recognized, positions, for both were sounding boards for their respective leaders, confidants who first heard the policies the men would institute. Both were younger than the men they followed, proteges of sorts: one the likely successor as abbot of St. Belfour, the other already appointed an earl, and likely in line for the duchy of Vanguard.

Midalis seemed no less surprised by the ranger's appearance than Agronguerre had been. He wiped his mouth quickly and rose from the table, moving fast to greet the man away from the plates of half-eaten food, and subtly motioning for Liam to clear up the mess.

'Tidings of war, so says Andacanavar,' Abbot Agronguerre said immediately. 'And Bruinhelde and some of his warriors have returned, as well.'

'Trouble?' Midalis asked the ranger.

'So says one of our scouts, who spoke with one of your own,' the ranger informed him. 'To the east of here, in a rough bay. A boat put in, a boat full ofpowries.'

'Barrelboat,' Midalis reasoned.

'Not so,' Andacanavar replied. 'A masted ship. They put in to the bay, but did not, it seems, know the waters well, for when the tide went out, their boat came down hard to the rocks and mud. So you have got powries again, my friend, and so we came down to join in the fun of being rid of the wretched bloody caps.'

They rode out in force from St. Belfour soon after, Abbot Agronguerre in his coach leading the same twenty brothers who had just returned from Alpinador, plus Dellman and Haney. Beside them went Midalis, Liam, and Andacanavar. Their numbers swelled five times over when they crossed through the town of Vanguard and the fortress, where Warder Presso and Al'u'met came out to meet them, along with many of the Pireth Vanguard soldiers. After a brief meeting to try to determine the exact location of this bay, Al'u'met returned to the Saudi Jacintha and, after bringing aboard some more of Warder Presso's archers, put out, shadowing the marching army to the east.

With Bruinhelde and his warriors already in place in the east, and another two towns to cross through, where more volunteers would join, it seemed as if this would be one battle where the odds, at last, favored Midalis' side.

'Prop it, pull it, and peg it!' Dalump Keedump roared at his crew, and the powries did just that, tugging the heavy lines, bringing the boat up the ramp an inch, and then pegging the crank to hold it in its new position. They had come in for repairs and supplies, and perhaps a bit of sport, but-curse their luck-the tide had dropped too low for the heavy boat, and had damaged the hull.

'Prop it, pull it, and peg it!' the powrie boss cried again enthusiastically, for they were making progress now in getting the ship repaired and in getting themselves on the way home. Dalump had led a raid upon a nearby village, a few farmhouses clustered together, and though-to the dismay of all the fierce bloody caps-there were no humans about to slaughter, they tore down the walls of the buildings and found enough rope and other supplies to come back and complete their repairs. Now, with the front half of the boat clear of the water, the crack in her hull visible and seeming not too severe, Dalump figured they could be back out to sea with the next high tide.

'Prop it, pull it, and peg it!' he cried again and again, the boat creaking out of the water more and more. 'Yach, but we'll be back to our home in short order, lads, and then we'll turn about with another army to go and pay back the dog Kalas!'

And so it went, the growling, untiring powries bending their backs and pulling hard.

Midalis was not surprised to see them, for his scouts had reported that about three families of refugees were on the road. Still, the image of his people being uprooted yet again by monsters brought a fire into the young Prince. He'd see them back to their homes and give them a few powrie heads to stake about the grounds for decorations.

'Me Prince!' cried the man trotting beside the lead wagon, a sturdy farmer of about forty winters, and he ran forward and fell to one knee before Midalis.

'Have powries so chased you from your homes? ' Midalis asked.

'And would've burned us in our homes, don't ye doubt, had not some o' his kin-' he indicated Andacanavar '- come to rouse us.'

Midalis gave a resigned chuckle. 'It would seem that I, and my people, are in Bruinhelde's debt yet again,' he remarked to Andacanavar.

'Blood-brothering erases all debt,' the ranger replied with a wink.

'Come, and let us be quick,' Midalis said to his men, 'before Bruinhelde and his men take all the fun from us.' He turned back to the farmer. 'You need run no farther,' he explained. 'I will leave some soldiers and brothers with you for your protection. Camp here and wait-and for not too long, I would guess-before we signal you that you may return to your homes.'

'If there's anything left o' them,' the man remarked.

'And if not, then we will help you to rebuild them!' Prince Midalis replied with enthusiasm.

They picked up their pace after that, quick-marching all the way out to the east, to the bay. The Prince, who knew well the region, decided to take a northerly route and approach the bay heading south, where they would come in sight of the place high on a wooded cliff, overlooking the water.

'I will find you there,' Andacanavar promised; and the ranger ran off, seeking Bruinhelde and his kin so that the attack might be coordinated.

'There are the beasts, and what's left of the houses,' Liam O'Blythe remarked when they got to the spot, to see the powries hard at work at their impromptu, but wonderfully constructed, dry dock.

'They are cunning fellows,' Prince Midalis replied, and he looked up and noted that Brother Dellman, in particular, wore a surprised expression.

'You know of them? ' he asked the young monk.

'It may be that we chased this same boat across the gulf,' the brother explained.

'They are trying to get home,' Abbot Agronguerre remarked.

'A pity for them,' Midalis said grimly. There was no argument from the soldiers and the monks or from the Van^uardsmen who had suffered so terribly at the hands of the vicious bloody caps. 'Set your archers all along the cliff,' he instructed Warder Presso. 'Tell them to pick their shots carefully and to wait for the signal.' Midalis turned to Abbot Agronguerre. 'I pray you do the same with your crossbowmen and any gemstone magic you wish to throw at our enemies. I doubt that you will be needing much energy with the soul stone when this battle is finished.'

Abbot Agronguerre nodded his agreement with the tactic and the assessment. As far as they could see, the powries numbered less than a score, and Agronguerre doubted that any would even survive the first volley.

Andacanavar returned to them a few minutes later, explaining that Bruinhelde and his force were in position just to the southwest of the dry dock, in the trees at the western edge of the little bay's mouth, ready to strike.

Midalis looked to Liam, who ran off at once, assembling a force to complement the barbarians'.

'Bruinhelde has more than enough men to finish this task,' Andacanavar assured the Prince. 'When they break from the forest edge, rain your death upon the powries, and it will be finished.'

'This is Vanguard,' the Prince replied. 'My men should be among the attacking force.'

'We've not the time,' the ranger explained, pointing down to the dry dock. 'It seems that we've come upon our enemies at the last moment. They are preparing to leave, and Bruinhelde will not allow that!'