Bofrost started in his saddle, looking about him with wild eyes and heart racing. Had no-one else seen the arrows flying or Hahlgrima and her warband charging them, screams on their lips and death in their eyes? Around him, his companions rode along without any apparent concern, either deep in conversation, watching the slopes about them or riding in sullen silence as suited their separate natures. None of them appeared alarmed, and for a moment Bofrost opened his mouth to shout a warning. Yet as he looked around, he could see no sign of Hahlgrima, her warband or flying arrows. Seeing that Randel was looking at him quizzically, Bofrost smiled weakly and attempted to cover his confusion with an exaggerated yawn. Before this…this…whatever this was, he’d been lost in thought regarding the problem of Urgnal’s obstinate behaviour and Engizi’s apparent indifference to his people. He was sure that Lhankor Mhy would have the answer; he knew everything, even if he didn’t always share his knowledge. Bofrost planned to perform a Divination when they returned to the Enjossi settlement, beseeching his god for the solution to their dilemna. Then, unbidden, had come the sensation of immediate danger. No, more than a sensation; he had actually experienced it, seen the warriors bearing down on him. He shifted uncomfortably in his saddle. This had happened before, when he’d ignored Gringle’s injunction and…well, when he’d done what he’d done. But what was he supposed to do? Knowledge was his reason to exist, and when faced with such knowledge he could not have acted other than he had. Yet he found he was paying a price, although his companions would not have had it any other way. First had come the vision of the Battle of the Broken Tower. So powerful had been the sensation that he’d raced to Clearwine, roused the Circle and refused to leave the Clan Hall unless Drenyan and his thanes had sworn an oath to accompany him to Idrima’s Shrine. Since that time, he’d had other feelings of being unstuck in time, as though he was seeing things from the past and the future…
Suddenly he realised that he’d stopped, his horse cropping grass from the rich growth at the side of the river. Seeing his friend’s looking at him, he said ‘I think I saw something up ahead’. Gesturing over their shoulders along the path back to the Enjossi stead, the land rose slightly and thick bushes crowded in on either side and ahead. ‘I think I saw a glint of metal in those far trees’. Terrastal stood up in his stirrups, shading his eyes against Yelm’s rays. ‘Can’t see anything; you sure?’ Bofrost nodded vigorously, becoming more convinced of the danger by the moment. Terrastal looked unconvinced. ‘Suppose we could go around the long way’ he grumbled. As they spoke, a tell-tale whistling sounded in the air: bowfire! ‘Down!’ yelled Sandene, as arrows began falling around them. Quickly dismounting, the heroes threw themselves into the broken ground where the land began to rise towards the trees ahead. The bow fire continued from that direction, falling harmlessly around them. Frieda hunched next to them; although she was pale, she also had a determined look that would make any Orlanthi proud. As they took cover, they noticed a group of river dragons had collected in the river at the foot of the bank to their right. They were raising their snouts high in the air, thrashing their tails and hissing loudly, as if in anticipation of a delicious meal.
Sandene made a decision, her Death Rune surging strong within her. Hefting her shield, she began to march stolidly up the bank ahead, moving faster with each step until she was moving at a dead run straight towards the far trees. Seeing this, Yrsa began to move forward on Sandene’s right flank to present two targets and confuse the enemy; Sandene had taught her well. Bofrost likewise readied his sling and crept along just behind Yrsa. The air began to echo with chants and entreaties to their various divine patrons as the heroes readied themselves for battle. Meanwhile, Terrastal had strung his bow and made ready to skewer any fool that dared to show his face. Ever the quiet strategist, Randel formulated a rapid plan. Raising his hands high, he called on Issaries and his bond with Orlanth, conjuring magical fire to kindle in the bushes nearest the river. As the flames took hold, two figures burst from the bushes. Cursing, they leapt across to another bush and took cover. Seeing this, Randel once again caused their assailants’ new hide to burst into flames. With more curses, four bowmen were revealed, stepping forward into a loose firing line.
Seeing Sandene bearing down on them, the bowmen loosed a volley at her. Three of them went wide, but one seemed to be destined for Sandene’s heart. Yrsa held her breath in sudden dread, but then something remarkable happened. Sensing the arrow more than seeing it, Sandene stamped downwards suddenly and seemed to throw herself into the air, turning her whole body so that the deadly bolt skimmed her back as she turned. Without missing a beat, she landed at a dead run towards the bowmen.
Now that the foe had revealed themselves, Terrastal called upon Idrima’s blessings and summoned one of her skull beast emissaries immediately in front of the enemy, causing the warriors to draw back in fear as the earth elemental seemed to coalesce out of the very bones of the earth before them. As it advanced towards them, eyes glowing balefully, Terrastal added to their misery by raining his own arrows upon them.
It seemed as though the ill-considered ambush was all but done, with the victory going to the heroes. Sandene was bearing down on them with Yrsa close behind, whilst Bofrost tormented them with sling shots from the cover of a bush and the others adding bowfire as they could. Sandene finally covered the last few feet to the enemy, having clouded the mind of one of her opponents with spirit magic. Yet even now there was danger, as a mighty blow struck Sandene’s shield arm, causing it to hang uselessly at her side.
Suddenly, Terrastal and Randel stiffened, looking about them as they sensed new danger. From the bushes to the west appeared to come a black miasma, moving with sinister purpose. With a shock, Randel recognised a Death spirit, cousin to the one they had encountered at the Black Oak Shrine outside Runegate. Sinuously, it glided silently across the battlefield towards Bofrost, whose attention was held by the combat to the south. All in a moment, he felt the first cold thought-touch of the apparition, and turned towards it as it reached out with its claws and spirit both. Bofrost clenched his jaw so hard in concentration that he felt one of his teeth crack, but the fiend seemed to sigh in satisfaction as its seemed to gently caress the side of his face. All at once, Bofrost felt himself become as weak as an Alynx kit as his strength was drawn from him.
As Randel and Terrastal cried out, Bofrost fell to his knees, resisting the spirit even now. Yet as they did so, three heavily armed Orlanthi warriors burst from the trees to the west, heading straight for Randel, Frieda and Terrastal. Almost with a sigh of resignation, Randel recognised the leader of the band as Hahlgrima Snaggletooth. Oblivious to this turn of events, Sandene and Yrsa continued forward towards the bowmen, now revealed as a ruse to split the companions and allow them to be defeated piecemeal.
Thinking quickly, Randel called once more on the bond between his god and Orlanth. Feeling his prayer answered, he began to rise smoothly into the air and he shouted to Frieda to take cover with Terrastal. Seeing their nearest foe take flight, no doubt to leave his friends to their fate, the three warriors split up to commence the rout. With a sneer and a shouted curse at Randel for his cowardice, Hahlgrima ran straight on towards Terrastal, who prepared to meet her charge. But Randel had other ideas; as he twisted gracefully in mid-air, he smoothly drew his bow and sighted down the shaft. With a whispered prayer to Issaries, he closed his eyes and let fly…and the bolt struck home in her unprotected neck! From Terrastal’s perspective, it seemed as though Hahlgrima suddenly lost all strength in her legs, her eyes rolling back in her head as she collapsed almost as his feet. Terrastal stepped forward and settled back on his haunches; as he did so, Hahlgrima’s eyelids fluttered and a bloody froth stained her lips as she tried to speak. Studying her tattoos, Terrastal realised that they were those sported by the Black Oak Brotherhood, worshippers of a dark foreign war god they’d encountered at Runegate. After a moment spent trying to decipher her dying words, Terrastal stood with a shrug, leant forward and hacked off her head with a single blow. As he held up Hahlgrima's head, he looked into her eyes as the light faded from them. 'Said you didn't know who you were dealing with...' Then,holding his enemy’s head high, he bellowed a single word across the battlefield: ‘Surrender!’
Though Hahlgrima’s huscarls fought on, it was but a short time before only one remained. Throwing down his axe with a curse, a bearded warrior all but dared them to kill him too. After debating this for a moment, the heroes settled for disarming him fully and tying his hands behind his back. Meanwhile, Randel used the power of flight bestowed by his god to corral the single remaining bowman who had fled from the field after seeing Hahlgrima fall. In contrast to the huscarl, the bowman was almost pathetically grateful that he was still alive. Going by the name of Wyard, he told a tale of being roused out of his bed in far Runegate by Hahlgrima and ordered to give service as a member of the fyrd. Fearing for his life, he and his now-cold companions had joined Hahlgrima, but it was clear he had no love for the Black Oaks. Indeed, when the huscarl cursed him as a coward and an oathbreaker he flew at him and beat him with his fists. Seeing his distress, Yrsa gently pulled him away and sat him down as he began to sob. She recognised in him the same reaction she had experienced after open battle, and wondered again how warriors such as Sandene and Terrastal could seem to welcome it so.
After stacking the fallen into a pyre and setting a flame to release their spirits, the heroes set off once more for the Enjossi stead, accompanied by Frieda and their captives. As they rode, Randel and Bofrost cleverly questioned the huscarl, Hunlaf. Without realising, he revealed that Hahlgrima had indeed been a member of Darsten Black-Oak’s Brotherhood and had travelled to Clearwine at Darsten’s request to support his kinsman, Kangharl. It seemed that Darsten himself was planning to attend Baranthos’ trial when it came. Every canny, Kangharl clearly expected trouble and was ensuring he held the balance of power when it mattered.
Uncharacteristically, Sandene showed a more considerate side of her nature than any of her companions had yet seen. Seeing Wyard’s misery, she approached Yrsa as she rode alongside him and nodded her head towards the unhappy man.
‘He a farmer, d’ya think?’. Yrsa looked at Sandene and then at Wynlaf. ‘She says, are you a farmer?’. Wyard nodded, eyes downcast. ‘He says yes, Sandene’.
‘He any good, d’ya think?’. Yrsa sighed and said ‘She says are you a good farmer?’ Again, Wynlaf nodded. Yrsa turned back to Sandene, who was waiting expectantly. After a moment, Yrsa rolled her eyes and said ‘He says yes’.
Sandene opened her mouth to speak once more, but closed it rapidly when she caught a dangerous look in Yrsa’s eyes just before she rode off, stiff-backed in her saddle. Looking after Yrsa, Sandene leaned over to Wynlaf. ‘When you start work on my stead as a thrall, better watch out for her you know. She’s touchy’. Seeing Wynlaf’s astonishment and delight, Sandene uttered a reassuring ‘If I’d killed you, I’d only have to do the farming myself, see. And that’d only make me unhappy. And you wouldn’t like to make me unhappy, would you Wynlaf?’. Swallowing, Wynlaf shook his head firmly.
Giving him one more stern look, Sandene rode off after Yrsa, calling back over her shoulder ‘Welcome to the circus, Wynlaf. You’ll probably be dead soon, but not today, eh?
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