“I need to stay behind to keep the drovers moving,” he argued.
“Penny and James can do that, I need you to rouse the militia. This could take some time and I’m going to need men I can trust to keep the king’s men on the other side of that wall,” I pointed to the wall encircling the duke’s city estate. Despite Joe’s best efforts the wagons filled the yard with a jumbled confusion of men and horses. It might take us more than an hour to get them all through.
Joe climbed back onto the wagon and drove it into the store house. There in the middle of the open space was a large circle over thirty feet in diameter. I had originally drawn it in chalk but knowing that wagons would be rolling over it had made me fearful it would be damaged. Using my staff I had carefully gone over each line and symbol with an intense line of fire. The circle was now deeply etched into the stone of the floor.
Penny and I stood next to the wagon once Joe had positioned it within the circle. If I had made the jump without her she and I would have died before we realized the mistake of separating ourselves by so many miles. I cleared my mind and channeled energy into the circle around us, activating the symbols written there.
For an unsettling moment I thought I had failed, till I realized the walls of the building around us now were wood instead of stone. We were inside the barn I had prepared in Washbrook. I spoke to Joe quickly, “Drive the wagon out, and then go find Dorian. I want as many of the militia as possible armed and ready when I return. Make sure no one stands in the circle. As each wagon comes through I’ll need you to hustle them out of the barn as quickly as possible.”
“No problem, I’ll have the boys here by the time you get back,” he reassured me. I sincerely doubted that. It would take him at least fifteen minutes or more rouse the townspeople.
As soon as the wagon was clear of the circle I concentrated again and we were back in the duke’s store house. James stared at us dubiously from the doorway. “Well it looks like your spell works. I half expected it might kill you,” he said.
I held up my hands, “I still have all my fingers and toes.” He smiled at that. “I need you to keep the wagons coming in… one at a time. Once I have Joe back you can cross with the next wagon,” I told him.
“I’m in no hurry,” he replied. “You men… get that wagon moving!” he shouted back at the man on the seat of the wagon outside the doorway to the store house. Once the wagon was in the circle I repeated the process and it was soon moving through the doors of the barn in Washbrook. Joe had not returned yet (as I expected) so we went back to get the next wagon.
I had moved three more through before I found the militia standing outside barn. Twenty-odd men stood arrayed in heavy leather jerkins and armed with spears and bows. I noted that at some point they had acquired helmets. How my father had found the time for that amidst his other projects I’ll never know. Penny and I brought them back with us when we returned to Albamarl.
“Spread out along the walls outside. I want at least five men by the gate. Let me know the moment you see anyone approaching,” I told them hastily. “Bring the next wagon in!” I shouted to the driver sitting outside. “James you can come with this load,” I added.
“No I’ll wait. You may need me to keep them moving till everyone is clear. Take Lady Rose instead,” he replied.
I didn’t have time to debate matters with him. I took Rose by the arm and guided her over to stand by the wagon. She resisted me but I just put more force into it. “I don’t want to go yet! You need more help here!” she protested.
I ignored her and as soon as we stood in the circle I took us all back to Washbrook. She looked mildly startled at how rapidly our location had changed. “Keep the wagons moving out as soon as they come through,” I told her.
“But! Wait…,” she started to argue. I gave her a push and a slap on the derriere. “Oh!” she exclaimed. Penny and I were gone before she could protest further.
Penny glared at me, “You’re getting mighty free with those hands Mister.”
“Chalk it up to stress. I’m not thinking as clearly as I should be,” I said. I would probably pay for that one later. Fatigue was beginning to wear on me. I had used more power in the last few hours than I was accustomed to. Fear gnawed at me; if I couldn’t move them all there would be serious consequences.
We kept the wagons moving steadily over the course of the next half an hour. Despite my exhaustion I had begun to think we would make it without any more ‘incidents’. A yell from the wall outside put an end to that hope. “Soldiers coming! Lots of them!”
“Shit!” I exclaimed. I was torn, if I went to help ‘discourage’ the king’s men I would have to stop transporting wagons. If I ignored them they might overwhelm my men on the wall. A surge of fear and indecision paralyzed me, and then a hand settled on my shoulder.
It was James. “Keep moving Mordecai. There are only five wagons left. I’ll make sure they don’t get in,” he assured me. I looked at the man who had become almost a second father to me. He looked old, which seemed strange to me. Still, his confidence made me feel better.
“I’m counting on you,” I replied and turned back to move the next wagon. I tried to keep my mind blank; I couldn’t afford to think of anything beyond my immediate task.
Each time we returned I heard things that worried me more. Shouting and voices carried loudly on the cold night air. The duke had tried negotiating briefly; to buy us more time, but it didn’t seem that the king’s soldiers were having any of it. I felt a sense of relief as the last wagon found its place in the circle. One more trip and we would be done. I moved it quickly and Penny and I returned to collect my militiamen.
It was chaos. We left the store house to find the duke’s yard filled with running men. Several were down already and I wondered who else had just died for me. The king’s soldiers had been unable to force the gate and were now climbing steadily over the short stone walls. The house had not been built with defense in mind; the walls were no more than eight feet in height. Not far away I could see one of my men on the ground… an arrow protruding from the face of his helmet.
James stood in the middle of the yard screaming orders. If it hadn’t been for him they might have been lost already. “Get back to the store house! Hurry up!” he shouted. Most of the militia was running in my direction already but I could see some limping behind them. The soldiers crossing the wall were already beginning to follow.
“Lyet ni’Bierek,” I yelled, pointing my staff at the wall behind them. Light and sound assailed my eyes and ears. I repeated the process, pointing at different points along the wall, hoping to slow the men swarming into the duke’s yard. James turned and started for the store house when he stumbled and fell. An arrow was sticking up from his hip. I felt a cry rising from my throat but there were no words in it, just a primal noise full of pain and emotion. More archers were taking aim from various points around the yard.
One of the men that had come with me turned back to grab the wounded duke, hauling him by main force across the yard. The others had by now reached me and were standing within, waiting for me so we could escape. I ran back to help him drag James back to safety.
Before I could reach them more arrows struck. I couldn’t see the man’s face because of his helm, but I wondered at his strength. An arrow had lodged in his shoulder yet he pulled the duke along as though he weighed nothing. I grabbed James’s feet and we ran for the doorway. Arrows fell around us and I felt several hit my shield. Belatedly I thought to extend it to cover James and his unknown savior. I was so tired I could barely manage even that.
We got inside and several hands helped drag him into the circle. A dozen soldiers were charging for us and I knew they would reach us before I could activate the circle. Fear and rage pushed reason from my mind and I stepped out to face them. “Pyrren ni’Tragen!” I screamed. A shockwave of fire and death exploded across the yard. The men charging toward us were incinerated and even those further away near the walls were thrown back. Flames took hold and the single tree in the yard became a bonfire. The duke’s house appeared to have caught fire as well.
My anger had gotten the better of me. I stared at what I had done in shock, despairing at the lives I had just taken. A hand on my shoulder brought me back to myself. “Son we need to go. There’ll be time for regrets later.” It was my father’s voice.
Surprised, I looked at the man who had dragged the duke across the yard with me. Recognition dawned as I saw the beard beneath his faceguard. He tugged at my arm and we started back inside. He jerked and made an odd cry as we started back toward our escape.
In horror I saw a second arrow had appeared between his shoulders. I had released the shield around him
