Sir Kull grabbed Aurelia’s wrist and yanked her close.
“What part did you play in this?” he asked. Harruq was there immediately, ignoring the swords that pointed toward his neck.
“Let go or lose the hand,” the half-orc growled.
The knight paused a moment, then let go.
“I would never have part in something so vile,” Aurelia said. “We’re here to help, but to do that, you people of the Hillock must first open your eyes.”
The men marched on, a bit of urgency returning to their step. The path they took led them between two thick hills, and at the end of its curve they arrived at the massacred town of Auchby. The Eschaton remained on the outskirts as, wide-eyed and horrified, Sir Kull’s army slowly spread throughout the remains.
“Watch your tongues,” Aurelia told them as they waited. “We’re walking on thin branches.”
“Above hungry lions,” Harruq added.
“The analogy worked well enough without your help,” Haern said.
The half-orc shrugged.
After ten minutes, Sir Kull returned, flanked by six of his men.
“Orcs did this,” he said. “How long have you known?”
“We came to warn Lord Sully,” Aurelia said, watching the knight closely. “He would hear none of our warning. When we came to you, we doubted any better a result. So we’ve brought you both north. As for this village, we found out only this morning.”
Sir Kull’s hand drifted down to his sword, and Harruq tensed in case he drew it from its sheath. Haern was already swaying, his hands hidden underneath his cloaks.
“Who loosed the orcs upon the east?” Sir Kull asked. “When did this happen? We’ve heard only outlandish rumors of Veldaren’s fall at their hand. Never once did we take them seriously.”
“They’re real,” Aurelia said. “The orcs crossed the Bone Ditch, and will do so again. They must have a bridge. If we can destroy it, there might be a chance to protect your Hillock, for a time.”
Sir Kull looked south.
“Richard will be here soon. We’ll set up formations beside the village. If he wants to fight amid his own people’s dead, then so be it. The Hillock will be better without him.”
Sir Kull saluted and left.
“Aren’t we messengers of doom,” Haern said, throwing back his cloaks and halting his rhythmic swaying.
“Not much good news to spread lately,” Harruq muttered.
“Let’s go,” Aurelia said. “I’d be shocked if Lord Sully desires to fight after seeing this. We have a bridge to find.”
She whistled, and Seleven trotted over. The Eschaton climbed atop her back and took to the sky. They flew westward, the smoke fading behind them. Harruq looked back, watching for a long time before turning away.
T he sight of the Bone Ditch nearly unhinged Harruq’s jaw from his face. Noticing this, Aurelia asked Seleven to fly lower, directly into its center. Stretching hundreds of feet from side to side, the giant chasm made them seem puny and insignificant. Far below them ran the Rigon River, making its way south across Dezrel. The rock was red and brown, the cliffs sheer. All along the bottom were untold numbers of bones. The creatures of the Vile Wedge had long used the chasm as both a burial ground and an execution method, and it was their name for it that eventually stuck.
“No wonder the orcs can’t get across,” Harruq shouted. “You really think they can build a bridge long enough?”
“It’s been done before!” Aurelia cried.
They swooped higher and followed the Bone Ditch north. Harruq leaned over to one side and watched the chasm twist and curl below them. Sometimes the sides narrowed together, and sometimes they spread wide, but at no point did they seem within even a hundred yards. At no point could he imagine a bridge long enough to span the distance.
And then he saw it.
Hundreds of orcs lined both sides, scurrying like an army of ants. Cut logs and planks were stacked on either side. They hurried about, weaving ropes, smoothing boards, and hacking into the rock. Seleven dipped low, swooping underneath the bridge. Below it were more orcs, hanging from ropes and hammering into the rock to create supports. Ropes had spanned the narrow area, almost two hundred yards in length. So far the middle was empty, just a gap between the supports. Given the work going on, it looked to be finished within days.
At their passing, the orcs shouted and pointed, and a few hurled their hammers or nails, to no avail. Seleven banked higher and out of range of any projectile the orcs might use.
“What do we do now?” Harruq asked.
Aurelia glanced back and winked. Seleven spun them around, and from high above Aurelia closed her eyes to concentrate. Fire burst from her fingers. As they flew overhead, she hurled seven fireballs toward the bridge. Each ball erupted in a great explosion of flame, shattering supports, charring the rope, and destroying the wood planks. They banked around a second time as the bridge collapsed and fell into the chasm amid howls of fury.
That done, she wrapped her arms around Seleven’s neck and shouted orders above the wind. The winged horse turned, flying back toward Auchby.
“They’re trapped now,” Aurelia said. “Without a bridge, they can’t reinforce from the Vile Wedge.”
Harruq grinned. Without a way to retreat, the orcs would be crushed against the chasm by the Hillock’s soldiers… assuming the soldiers hadn’t hacked each other’s heads off in their feud.
When they arrived back at Auchby, it appeared their feud might wait. Lord Sully’s men camped about half a mile south of Auchby, while Sir Kull’s were set up to the east. Aurelia landed in Sir Kull’s camp since they were still uncertain what Lord Sully’s reaction would be to them breaking out and disobeying his orders.
“Welcome back,” Sir Kull said. “Might I ask where you’ve been?”
“The orcs were building a bridge across the Bone Ditch,” Aurelia said. “I destroyed it. They have nowhere to go. If you march now, you might wipe out the whole lot of them before they can scatter north.”
Sir Kull nodded, then turned toward Lord Sully’s camp.
“His men are searching the village,” he explained. “I sent out a messenger with request to parlay. We’ll see if he accepts.”
A soldier arrived, his armor polished and his tunic clean. Evidently Sir Kull had fixed him up a bit before sending him over to Lord Sully’s. The man saluted, then delivered his report.
“He’ll meet you between our camps, in front of Auchby,” the soldiers aid. “Their camp is stirred, and angry, but I don’t feel it directed toward us.”
“Good,” Sir Kull said. “Dismissed. Gentry, fetch me a horse. William, see if you can find me a fresh tunic.”
Sir Kull turned and bowed to the Eschaton.
“Forgive me,” he said. “I have much to do.”
“We’re glad to get out of the way,” Harruq said. “Just make sure I get to kill some orcs by tonight, eh?”
Sir Kull flashed a smile.
“I pray you have your chance,” he said.
The Eschaton ate a bit of food offered by Sir Kull’s soldiers, and then rested while they kept their eye toward Auchby. The two noblemen met, each accompanied by three escorts holding flags waving their family’s coat of arms. For a long while they talked, to the point that both armies became nervous and fidgety. Finally, they saluted and broke. When Sir Kull rode up, he held his sword high.
“Tonight,” he shouted, “we repay the blood spilled this day! Lord Sully has granted me my rights, and shall press no claim until the day our lands are safe! To the west!”
Harruq let out a whoop.
“Time to kill some orcs,” he said.
They rode atop Seleven, but kept to the ground. Following them marched the combined armies of Sully and Kull, their animosity vanishing like the smoke behind them. They followed the inner slopes of the hills, the Eschaton leading them northwest toward the bridge. Aurelia angled them a bit, so that when they were parallel to the bridge they’d have a bit of distance between them in case the orcs had fled either north or south.
