Chương 11: Chapter III: The Shaman of the Celbriac Horde [1]

THERE WAS A soothing breeze felt in that afternoon blowing from the south, where the expansive greenwood was lain and thick. The trees and bushes oscillated along the shifting wind, fluttering leaves upon the turf. Bardent Bruglond, chief-thane of the Celbriac tribe– one of the four great tribes of Norsmund– puffed a hard breath at the sight of his retreating men. He was a sturdily built man in his fifties, with gaunt and crinkled face and a lengthy beard extending past his chin, mounted in a sinewy and swarthy horse, encompassed by an entourage of warrior subordinates; his honor guard.

Chief-thane Bardent dismounted his horse to greet the returning advance guard. "Good work, men!" he shouted, nodding approval as the men gathered around him.

A red-headed warrior, a man of his early twenties, pulchritudinous and tall, clad in light armor of fur and leather, stepped in close to Bardent eagerly. "I have appraised the defenses of the town, father."

"Do continue, my son," Chief-thane Bardent said proudly, motioning his palm towards the warrior.

He gulped down a drool down his gullet, then proceeded, "As you can see from afar, the town is encircled by a moat, about two or three spear lengths wide, with a depth double or beyond. The wall is as tall as the great house of the clan elders, and the only pathway that leads inside is the long bridge you see at the center. My scouts and I failed to find any other means of entry aside from that, but they are resuming their search even as we speak. Around eight hundred of their warriors guard the walls through battlements. Although a lot of them aren't properly armored like the soldiers we have fought during our previous battles against the Duke, I estimated that we would still need at least three times the number to crush and overwhelm them. However…" he averted his eyes away, letting out a heavy suspiration.

"What is it that bothers you, Eldric? I can always tell when you are distressed."

"It is her, father. She is there at that town."

"She? Whomever do you mean?"

The red-haired warrior clenched his fists together, shuddering. He panted strenuously, clasping and unclasping his grip. His lips were swollen in blood, the iron taste infiltrating his mouth. He wore a defeated face upon the recollection upon his innermost consciousness, petrified to convey his thoughts into solid words.

"By the gods!" the chief-thane ejaculated. "You don't mean the Knight Reaper, do you?"

"Indeed," he replied solemnly. "The female knight who single-handedly defeated hundreds of our good warriors two years ago. I would never forget her armor, all dark and grim. I may not have seen her hideous face inside her helm, but I remember her armor and her weapon very well like it was carved out upon my very being and soul. I confess, if you haven't rescued me, father, I would have joined our brothers in Gushpard's Realm."

"Then it has been fortunate that I made it in time to save you. I shall thank the gods as long as I remain with the living, and be more grateful when they take me. But none of that talk no more. Have you anything to tell me aside the presence of the Knight Reaper?"

"I do, but it shan't prove any significance. A jocose attribute about their army, I would think otherwise if they are serious about stopping us."

"My son, there is not a single thing trivial when it comes down to war. Ignorance to even the most inconsequential things can lead to defeat. We are not as the Ironfolks deemed us to be, mindless brutes who witlessly charge without qualms about ignoring proper war tactics. They call us barbarians yet they commit violence as much as we do. Those whited sepulchers!"

"Very well. I shall tell you about the enemy's leadership."

"I seem to find it difficult that you would judge the matter trivial and make such thing unknown," Chief-thane Bardent frowned, looking askance towards him.

"You see, their commander has not come of age and yet been grown to manhood."

"Do you jest?" The chief-thane narrowed his eyes, projecting a quizzical gaze.

"I do no such thing, father. It is as I said it. The soldiers defending that town is truly commanded by a young boy. It is a curious matter, this system of kings and lords the Ironfolks are fond off."

"That is most certainly interesting. Very well, son. I shall remember your words."

The sound of heavy footfalls had drawn near and a throng of warriors came to a standstill. The chief-thane lurched his body back, turning to see a familiar visage. A burly man carrying a large falchion with a brazen face stood to the fore, zealous and impassioned. He was disrobed down the midriff, exposing his bare chest upon the luminous radiance of the sun. The man cleared his throat, "Chief-thane Bardent, the warriors of my clan are ready to prove their worth in battle. Send us into the fray, and we shall set the seal on our victory!" Behind the warrior stood hundreds of men under his command.

"I am pleased to hear that, Gaudmult. Your courage is truly admirable," Chief-thane Bardent remarked. "I bestow you permission to take charge of the horde upon this incursion. Today we shall drench our blades with the blood of our enemies."

"I am honored. I pledge in the name of our great god Gushpard and the people of Celbriac, I shall conquer the town by all means necessary."

The chief-thane nodded at the response, then reverted back to face the warrior Eldric. "My son, you shall accompany Gaudmult upon vanquishing the Ironfolks. Strain every nerve to achieve victory. Withal, I would ask of you to summon the shaman at once. He should be a tremendous help upon this conquest. Now that we know the enemy has a monster in stored for us, we are in dire need of his help. Together, you and he shall aid our forces upon breaching the town gate."

"I swear to make certain of our victory, father. I shall fetch Elder Zerith with no de–" he stopped mid-sentence, sensing a soft shiver down his spine. Cold and hot sweat drizzled from his nape to his back, recognizing a puissant presence that made his body instinctively turn back and forth.

"That would not be necessary, young Eldric," reverberated an augmented voice that resonated inside his mind rather through his ears. "I am already here, after all."

bình luận bình luận của 1

Bình chọn

GỬI QUÀ TẶNG

Load failed, please RETRY