Chapter 12

Chap 12

Storbenn wood

By the time Gamray’s daughter had departed the sky, Lilly had been fixed up by the hospitalers who had put a thick brown sticky stuff over her wounds and wrapped them in fine gauze. She had eaten some of Morii’s jumper stew, had answered dozens of questions from Edie, who had been in tears herself when she first saw the state of Lilly, and was now feeling almost her normal self.

Lilly pulled a blanket tighter around her shoulders as they sat in a small circle around their camp fire. ‘A fine warrior I am’ she said ruefully, ‘taken in by Ribba, not even attempting to fight back and causing all of you so much worry’.

Morii looked at her, ‘Ye were taken by surprise, ye weren’t expecting no attack, ye had no weapons. From this moment everyone keeps their weapons by their side and everyone be on the lookout for anything unusual’ he told the others.

Wilf added, ‘I would have been just as unprepared as ye Lady Lilly and I doubt I would have fared any better and that be true’.

Lilly surveyed the little band of friends around the camp fire, ‘I am so grateful to you all, you are the best of friends and I swear an oath, to serve and protect all of you as best I can and never to be caught by surprise again. We are the only hope for the continued existence of Norsonia and we should all be on our guard. We are not strong or many in number, but we are brave and true, loyal and honest. Let us join hands now and swear allegiance to each other for as long as we have life in our bodies and as long as there is a foe in the form of the Tarken to fight’.

She stood up and held a hand out on either side. Morii took one and Edie the other. They were joined by Wilf, Pel, Tryp, Godda, the two hospitalers, Leryn and Perl. The loyal Kort workers, Byran, Creel and Somaa and Srix and Storr made up the circle by bowing their heads and letting Somaa and Godda hold onto their mane’s.

The fourteen stood and bowed their heads, making the solemn promise to each other, ending with all of them saying, ‘by Gamray we swear this allegiance‘.

The little band of warriors spent the rest of the evening discussing tactics and how to organize the others when they arrived on the morrow.

At the first rays of Gamray’s daughter the next morn, Lilly, dressed in her ‘journeying’ clothes was out and about, checking the camp perimeters. She was now armed with her dagger and short bow and felt dreadfully aware of every small sound. She had sworn to herself that she would not be caught out again. The wounds on her wrists and ankles and the bump on her head had almost disappeared. Whatever Leryn and Perl had put on them certainly worked, Lilly hoped that they had enough potions and powders for any forthcoming casualties. Leryn had told Lilly that she and Perl would be out early this morn collecting the herbs and berries needed for many of their cures. Sure enough there they were at the edge of the wood, bent over with their willow baskets gathering something green from the ground, their long white hair in plaits falling down their backs.

‘Good morn Leryn, good morn Perl. I trust ye are well?’ Lilly enquired as she walked up to the hospitalers.

‘Aye Lady Lilly, we hope ye are recovered and we be most pleased to find the cheva leaves in such abundance. We do use them for the strongest mending poultice along with the bark of willow and the honey from the comb. We be making up a good many poultice packs with these’. Leryn held out her basket for Lilly to examine.

Lilly knew, because Leryn explained yesterday, that a poultice was a kind of thick gooey mixture put onto gauze and bound gently onto the wound. Left there it would heal cuts and burns very quickly and with no infection.

‘This is very good news Leryn, do ye think you will have enough, if things go badly, that is?’ Lilly enquired.

‘Aye, that we will…when the others get here, later this day, we shall find them work in the making of all we shall need’. Leryn reassured Lilly.

‘I be so much happier knowing our welfare is in yer most capable hands and I thank ye from my heart’ Lilly told the two women, trying to use the Norsonian speak out of respect for these truly good people. She was finding it easier and easier to speak in the Norsonian way, it was beginning to sound much more natural to her than her native speak.

Lilly hugged the two women and went off to find Morii and the others.

In the clearing, the scholar knights were practicing their combat moves and now several of the Wyvern had joined the camp and were watching from the trees.

‘Welcome Vartik and fellow Wyverns’, Lilly called. ‘My Lady, we are most glad to have arrived, my brothers will join us shortly, along with a hoard of hawks and several eagle birds’ Vartik told Lilly. Then realising that Lilly had the gauze bandages over her wrists, Vartik asked, ’what ails ye Lady Lilly, do ye have injuries?’

‘Tis nothing but a scratch Vartik, I will explain to ye later if it please ye, I am well… thanks to the excellent skill of the hospitalers’.

Vartik looked somewhat concerned but realized that the Lady Lilly did not wish to say more just now. Instead he asked, ‘if it please ye Lady Lilly, we Wyverns will fly south to the Tarken camp and see what we can find out, as ye know we can be all but invisible and as silent as a falling leaf’.

‘Thank ye Vartik, that would be very useful and I know ye can be as stone, yay see what ye can find out’ Lilly said gratefully. Vartik hopped off to collect his brothers and sort out which of them were going to spy on the Tarken. 

Lilly spent the next part of the morn greeting folk who arrived in small groups at regular intervals. More hospitalers arrived and helped to make more poultices and potions. A group of sturdy men and women came next and announced that they were on fire fighting duties, Lilly told them to rest up before going on to Storbenn, where they would be deployed around the town in case of fire.

Next came the rest of the scholar knights, bringing with them six carts of arrows and other spare weapons, followed a little later by Gleryn, her supply carts and some of the Kort kitchen staff. They soon had a large tent erected and the smell of Gleryn’s cooking was rapidly spreading through the camp.

Small round tents were appearing in every available space which were then covered in greenery and branches for camouflage. Lilly was beginning to feel that all was going well and went to find Morii.

Morii was helping to put up another hospitaler tent, a few metres off to the south of the woods, they had already established that this was the best place for these tents. Far enough away from the southern road into Storbenn, but still easy to reach for any injured to be brought into.

‘Good morn Morii’ Lilly called. Morii stopped what he was doing and came over to Lilly, put an arm around her shoulders and gave her a gentle hug. ‘Are ye feeling better Lilly, how be yer wounds?’ he asked. ‘Much better thank ye, my wrists are all but healed’ Lilly showed him her wrists under the bandages. ‘I came to tell ye that Vartik and some of the other Wyverns have gone to see what the Tarken are up to, they should return soon and we should then know how much time we have before they attack.

‘That be good news and one less thing for ye to think of doing. I have something to show ye Lilly, if it please ye’ Morii told her with a hint of excitement in his voice.

Lilly followed Morii through the wood to the Storbenn road end. There in front of them was a set of beautifully made wooden steps leading up into an enormous oak tree. About fifteen feet up Lilly could see the base of a platform. On the side of the steps was a carved wooden sign, it said,

Lady Lilly Commander of Battle 

Head Quarters.

No unauthorised admittance.

Lilly looked at Morii in wonder. ‘How on earth…when did you…?’ she was quite speechless. Morii grinned and said, ‘would the Lady Lilly like to examine her quarters?’

Lilly went up the steps and into the tree house. What an amazing achievement, Morii or someone, several someone’s probably, had made a room in the tree. It had a desk and two chairs, a bed and table. The table had what looked like a kind of telescope on it pointing out of a window towards the Mountains of Flax and Storbenn.

‘Oh Morii, I don’t know how to thank you, you must have worked all night to do this, it’s…amazing’.

‘Nothing is too much trouble for our saviour of Norsonia and the Runes’. Morii replied. ‘Now if ye look here, the Rune stones are stored safely in this hiding hole, only ye, Gamray and I know of it’s existence and of the finding glass,’ Morii pointed to the telescope, ‘tis a gift from Gamray, he says ye will know what to do with it’.

‘Do ye know what the finding glass does Morii?’ Lilly asked.

‘No I do not, I only know that Gamray sent it with the Runes box and said I was to find a safe place for both treasures and ye. Gleryn brought them on the provisions cart, Gamray knew they be safe with her’.

Lilly had  to smile at the thought of these precious things travelling in a food cart, but of course Gamray was right, no one would think of looking in a food cart for the Rune stones of Norsonia.

‘Let me show ye Morii’ Lilly moved across to the telescope and  had a quick look through it, she adjusted it slightly and trained it on one of the furthest buildings in Storbenn, which happened to be the windmill. Morii came over and bent his head to the telescope. ‘Now, close one eye and look into that little hole with the other’, Lilly told him.

Morii did as Lilly said. Suddenly he jumped back as if scalded. Morii looked so startled and was looking all around as if he expected some monster to leap out at any moment. He got up and had a look in the other end of the telescope. Lilly watched all this in amusement.

‘Don’t be alarmed Morii, that’s what it does, it makes things look bigger and closer to ye. So that ye can see things in great detail. It will be of great help in our battle against the Tarken’. Lilly explained gently. It was Morii’s turn to be dumbstruck, he slowly examined the telescope and then spent a good few minutes staring into it and adjusting the sights, looking at all of Storbenn. This gave Lilly the chance to look around her tree house head quarters, it had been made extremely well and would suit her needs magnificently.

Lilly took out the Rune box and slowly opened it. She picked out one of the stones and felt it’s dull vibration in her hand. Lilly closed her eyes and thought contacted Gamray.

Are ye well pleased Lilly?, came Gamray’s voice. Ye need to have a place to be thinking in and I knew my brother Morii would make ye such a place…a place to command all ye troops.

Yay Gamray, I be well pleased. Yer Brother is a good person and that be true, Lilly replied. I thank ye also for sending me the Runes and the telescope, the finding glass, it will be of great use to me.

I be glad in my heart to help ye Lilly, remember I am with ye in mind. The evil doer, he be with the Tarken and plotting with them to be elder of Storbenn when the Tarken do invade. Gamray told Lilly.

Just let him try, Lilly replied, Ribba be first on a lot of Norsonians lists for the jail tent and the handcuffs. Lilly told Gamray.

Ah so it will be, I wish ye luck and love Lilly, return to us in Bell-da-Hallan as soon as ye can.

With that, Gamray was gone and Lilly realised that Morii was sitting on the floor in front of her, just watching quietly and waiting for her to finish her mind mardle with Gamray. He smiled as she opened her eyes, ’ye have been with Gamray?’ he asked.

‘Yay Morii, ye have a most extraordinary brother and most charmly just like yerself’. Lilly told him.

Morii grinned and got to his feet, ’I be going to see if Vartik be back, and to bring him here to mardle with ye. I will bring ye some of Gleryn’s tasties too if that please ye’.

‘That pleases me well Morii and I thank ye from my heart’ Lilly replied happily.

Now that she was alone for the moment, Lilly went to look through the telescope. She swept it around so that she was able to have a good look at everything south of Storbenn toward the Tarken camp. The only thing she could see that looked as if it shouldn’t be there was the top of a large wooden construction, a sort of high tower. Lilly was certain that it had something to do with the trap-shun and determined to keep an eye on it over the next few hours.

She went over to the bed and lay down, it was quite comfortable and Morii had thoughtfully brought fur throws and cushions to make it comfortable. A scrabble at the door caught Lilly’s attention, ‘Pel, there you are, I wondered where you had got to’.

‘Pel been busy, Pel mardle with Tisks at Tarken camp’.

‘What?’ Lilly shot up off the bed and rushed to Pel. She knelt on the floor beside him. ‘Pel, you’ve been to the Tarken camp? Oh Pel are you ok?’

‘Pel k, Pel see Tisk friend, all k, Tisk fight for illy‘.

‘Pel you are clever …and brave. You didn’t tell me you were going, what if something happened to you, I would never have forgiven myself’.

‘Nothing happen Pel…Pel good, Pel k’. Pel put a small paw on Lilly’s arm. Lilly picked him up and hugged him. ‘Thank you Pel, you are good, thank you for being such a help.’ Pel had the softest fur Lilly had ever felt and he had his own smell, sort of warm and sweet and dusty all at the same time.

At that moment Morii returned, tapping on the stairs three times and calling up that it was he and Vartik. ‘Can we come up Commander Lilly?’ he asked.

‘Please do, both of you’ Lilly replied.

Vartik looked around the little room and told Lilly he was very impressed, Morii handed out some treats from Gleryn, Pel took a whole tasty and nibbled away greedily. Lilly thought he must be starving after his journey to see the Tisks.

‘Now, Vartik what do you have to report?’ Lilly asked seriously.

‘My Lady, I have seen today a lot of sleeping Tarken, a large wooden tower and another construction. A very angry King Trock and a lot of very hungry Tisks, more miserable creatures I have never seen…those Tarken are so cruel.’ Vartik reported, wiping a tear from his eye with his tail.

‘They are cruel, but that will be part of their downfall’ Lilly replied, ‘could ye describe this other construction to me Vartik?’

‘Yay my Lady, I could. It be made of wood, tis long and low to the ground, it do have wheels like a cart, it do have a large bowl on one end that be covered in some black substance and it do have some device with a winding wheel and some twine. There also be many great cooking pots and giant rocks and barrels of some evil smelling black sticky stuff, did nearly make Vespa and myself sick and that be true my Lady’. Vartik snapped his small jaw and shook his head.

‘I see…’ Lilly replied thoughtfully. ‘Did ye get the feeling that they be ready to come soon?’

‘Yay my Lady, King Trock be there, strutting around and yelling for all he’s worth. He be angry with some of his palace guards, seems they be drinking too much and have fallen into a deep sleep’. Morii winked at Lilly. Vartik continued, ‘King Trock did say that they leave in the morn to march on Storbenn, with or without his palace guards and the ‘trap-shun’ will be ‘fired-up’ by noon, my Lady’.

‘How many Tarken did ye see Vartik?’ Morii enquired of the Wyvern.

‘More than three hundred, my Lord Morii, and just as many Tisks’ replied Vartik.

Morii looked worried, ‘that be plenty of Tarken and Tisks to fight, I do wish we knew what this trap-shun could do’.

Lilly put a hand on Morii’s arm.

‘I think I know what it will do and I want ye to go and fetch Wilf, Edie, Tryp, Godda and Sardor and Vespa, please bring them here. Oh bring Gleryn too, I have something very important to discuss with all of ye’ Lilly told Morii.

Morii left to fetch the others for the final stage of planning.

Lilly asked Vartik if he would help her spread the furs and cushions over the floor for the others to sit on. They made the little command room as ready as they could for the others.

Lilly, Pel and Vartik waited for Morii to return with the others, he did so soon after.

Lilly sat on the bed with Pel and Morii. Gleryn and Sardor had the chairs and the others sat on the furs and cushions on the floor.

Gleryn had brought a large steaming jug of hot chocolate tasting drink and mugs of this were passed round to those who wanted it. Gleryn kept saying that she couldn’t imagine why Lady Lilly would want her at the meeting until Lilly told her that she was needed to provide a vital part of their plans. Everybody stopped mardling among themselves and waited for Lilly to begin.

‘My friends, we have gleaned much information and I need to share this with ye. Firstly, if it please ye Gleryn, you might make three hundred small meat tasties for tomorrow, can ye do that?’

Gleryn looked slightly bemused. ‘Yay, my Lady I can do that for ye. If ye be feeling that hungered, I can get ye something now,’ she replied rather cheekily. Lilly laughed, ‘Gleryn, they be not for me, they be needed to feed three hundred starving Tisks’.

Everybody looked at one another in confusion.

‘I shall explain’ Lilly began, holding up her hands to hush everyone. ‘My dear friend Pel here, has been to mardle with some of the Tisks, they hate the Tarken and will fight for us tomorrow, but seeing as the Tarken do starve them and treat them so badly, it do seem only right and proper that we have some food for them…to thank them.’ Everyone gave Pel admiring looks and raised their eyebrows to one another.

‘Then,’ continued Lilly, ‘I shall need Vartik and Vesper to begin their assault, with their comrades, water bombing the Tarken on their march into Storbenn.

‘Vartik, ye need to be ready with ye flying army at first light.

Godda and Edie, can I leave ye to organise a party of water skin fillers through this eve and get them onto a cart and into one of the buildings on this side of Storbenn. The store house where I was held captive will do nicely. Pel will show whoever is free to cart the skins, where it is in the morn‘. Godda and Edie nodded solemnly.

Lilly looked to Sardor next. ‘Sardor, if we have injuries there are bound to be some burns. Do ye know of hot tar? It’s a black and sticky substance that burns with an evil smell’.

Sardor nodded and looked concerned, ‘we call that pitch my Lady, does smell most evil once it be burning and if ye were to touch it on yer skin it would cause a most grievous injury’.

Lilly nodded ‘yay, that be the very same, do ye have a cure or potion for just such a burn injury Sardor?’

Sardor looked even more worried, ‘we do have a lotion, but it be far from a cure, for a bad burn it would take many day’s of treatment my Lady’.

Lilly sighed, ‘I am very much afraid that what the Tarken have is a catapult. That is a fire throwing machine. They will cover large rocks with pitch, set them on fire and use the fire giver contraption to hurl them at Storbenn and us’.

Everyone in the room looked horrified; Edie and Godda clung to each other, their eyes wide and frightened.

Lilly continued, ‘I believe they have built a wooden tower, which they will climb and use to sight the catapult… to see where to aim it. The catapult can be wheeled along, made stable, wound up, loaded and fired quite easily, but there are several things that could go wrong for them.

For a start they need all of this equipment to go with it…they need to move it around with the catapult, that can’t be easy and we know how clumsy the Tarken are. They will be expecting the Tisks to keep us busy, when in truth the Tisks will be tusking them.

We must make it our priority to disable that catapult as soon as we can. Remember it is made mainly of wood and wood burns. Also Gamray did say that water be the key, so think on that, if it please ye’.

Edie and Godda looked a little more relieved.

‘Wilf and Tryp, can you have a think about how we might sabotage their catapult? I don’t care how, set fire to it, cut its winding ropes, something’

Wilf and Tryp nodded, ‘We’ll think of something’ Wilf said bravely.

Lilly smiled, ‘I know ye will. If ye all stay calm and think about what is likely to happen, I think ye will all feel better. Wilf can ye also choose someone to oversee the fire fighters, they need to know what they will be dealing with, can ye get them into groups of twenty and tell them to take turns to drench the buildings in Storbenn with water all through the night, especially the roofs’.

‘Yay Lady Lilly, I see what ye be saying’, said Wilf with a smile, ‘a wet roof won’t be so likely to burn, yay that be clever’.

‘How many soldiers do we have?’ Lilly asked Morii this question.

‘We have one hundred and twenty, thirty of which are scholar knights’, replied Morii.

‘Good, split them into ten groups of ten with a scholar knight in charge of each, pick your best knights to lead them, they must get themselves and their arrows into position all along the road into Storbenn, find hiding places, ambush the Tarken as they march. Ye four knights will not be leading a group, ye will take any spare knights and ye will follow Morii through the woods this eve, after all else is taken care of and try to get behind the Tarken, get to their camp at the foothills of Flax, half their army are sleeping, Morii knows all about this and will explain to ye on the journey why they are.’ Lilly said with a wry smile. ‘Ye must kill all that are there, ye cannot feel any sorrow for them for they plan to kill us if they get the chance’.

Everyone fell silent at the thought of having to kill anything, sleeping or not.

Gleryn raised her hand. ‘Yay Gleryn, what be it?’ Lilly asked.

‘Would I be able to start me baking of the meat tasties now Lady Lilly or does ye want me for some other purpose?’

‘No, I believe that’s all I need ye to do at the moment. Can ye be ready at first light to go with the water skin carts and Pel? When Pel has shown the cart pullers the store house, ye and he can put all the meat tasties in the school house yard ready for the Tisks arrival, if that please ye Gleryn? Maybe ye might like to look after the Tisks with Pel’.

Gleryn looked slightly alarmed. ‘Do Pel be sure of them Tisks, sure enough that they won’t do Gleryn no harm?’

Lilly looked at Pel, and to everyone’s amazement Pel spoke. ‘Pel know Tisks, Tisks hate Tarken, Pel say safe’.

Lilly looked at Gleryn, ‘do ye trust Pel as I do Gleryn?’

‘Yay my Lady Lilly, I do trust the Squib Pel as ye do’. With that Gleryn left to begin her baking.

Sardor was the next to ask to leave, he told Lilly that he would go and prepare, with the other hospitalers, more of the burn ointment and gauze bandages. He bowed and left.

Lilly looked around at the others. ‘Vartik and Vesper, can ye get all yer flyers together and pass on this news, also can ye pick maybe six of the fastest falcons and ask them to fly between all of these groups and this tree head quarters with updates of what’s happening for me? I need to know how everything is going tomorrow and I think that be the best way to do it’.

Vartik replied, nodding his head wisely, ‘Yay Lady Lilly, that do seem a very good plan, I will instruct the quickest falcons as ye ask. Ye need them to bring ye messages of how the battle do progress?’

‘That be so Vartik, we have no other way and once I be sure that things do go well I can either fly myself to where I might be needed or Srix will carry me. I shall be part of the fight, once I know what is happening’.

Vartik looked thoughtfully at Lilly, ‘I do believe it might be more sensible for ye to remain here Lady Lilly. What if all were to fail and the Tarken do get through? Would we not need ye to save the Runes and Gamray?’

Morii and the others nodded their agreement.

Lilly shook her head, ‘I cannot let everyone else fight and do nothing, I shall be fine, now that we know what to expect. I promise ye if things look bad I shall go straight to Gamray and Bell-da-Hallan. Ye all need to get back to the Kort if that happens…we can hold them from there and think of something else. Anyway we should not even consider that option…we will overcome them, I am certain’.

‘As ye wish My Lady, Vartik and Vesper will prepare all as asked’ replied Vartik.

Morii spoke next, ‘I have had word from my father, King Litan. He brings thirty of the Kort advisors and staff at dawn to help hold the road this side of Storbenn. They have sworn to help all they can.’

‘That’s excellent Morii, we need all the help we can get.’ Lilly replied.

‘Morii can I ask ye some favour?’ she added.

‘Yay Lady Lilly, what be it that ye need?’

Lilly lowered her voice, even though everyone else was now mardling among themselves. ‘Could ye look out the woman Min, ye know, the wife of Ribba, and take her with yer party on the morrow? I have a strong feeling that she should be with ye’.

Morii looked a little surprised but said he would make sure she was with him.

Everybody chatted a little longer and then left to get themselves organised. Lilly and Pel were left alone and they ate the little tasties and fruit that Morii had fetched for Lilly. They spent some time snuggling up to each other and going over the plans, just mardling.

As Gamray’s son started to wane, Lilly and Pel went off to check on the various groups. Everyone was tense and excited in equal measure. Morii’s small group had already left some time before and the Wyverns had been up to Storbenn to check out where best to fly from.

Vartik now caught Lilly’s attention, ‘If it please ye my Lady, we would use the windmill to fly out from. It do have the best view of the road to the Mountains of Flax and we also have a good take off and landing point from there. Be it alright with ye if we ask the cart pullers to take the water skins there?’

‘Yay Vartik, if that be yer choice of course ye must use it’ Lilly replied. ‘Have ye picked out the fast falcons for me?’ she added.

‘Yay lady, they be waiting on yer instructions over yonder’ Vartik told Lilly, pointing his tail towards Gleryn’s food tent. Lily thanked Vartik and wished him luck and Gamray’s protection for the coming battle, then walked over to the food tent.

Perched in a line on the branch of a tree were the six falcons Lilly had asked Vartik to find. Their bright yellow eyes followed Lilly’s path and Lilly heard one of them in her head.

Lady Lilly, I be named Tarn and I say for us all, we falcons be ready to fly for ye and do understand what ye need from us. All the falcons nodded their agreement as they looked down on Lilly.

‘Thank ye Tarn, I be grateful for yer help and wish ye luck and Gamray’s protection on yer journeys’ Lilly told them, ‘can ye begin yer flying as soon as Gamray’s daughter appears?’

The falcons fluttered their wings and nodded their agreement. Tarn thought to Lilly, Gamray’s protection be with ye Lady Lilly.

Lilly nodded to Tarn and left to find Pel and Gleryn.

The carts were all loaded, one with at least three hundred meat tasties and the other four full of filled water skins. Several strong Norsonian men were standing around waiting to be asked to move the carts off into Storbenn. Gleryn came out of one of the smaller tents with Pel and smiled when she saw Lilly.

‘My Lady Lilly’, she called, ‘Gleryn and Pel be ready to leave, we be ready to do what we can for them Tisks and for Norsonia’.

Lilly smiled in return, ‘and do ye feel tired after a night’s baking Gleryn?’ she enquired.

‘By Gamray no…Gleryn do have the strength of an Ehwaz when she needs to’ she laughed in reply.

Lilly thought how good natured this kind lady was, even at a time like this, she was determined to put a brave face on things. ‘I wish ye and Pel luck and Gamray’s protection’ Lilly told her, giving Gleryn and Pel a final hug before their departure.

The cart pullers, Gleryn and Pel left, along with the last four groups of archers, to journey into Storbenn and get themselves set up for battle. Lilly watched them go for as far as she could see and then turned back into the wood to have a final check with the hospitalers.

Here were four large hospitalers tents set up at the far side of the wood. Two of them had low wooden cot beds neatly placed in rows with plenty of sheets, towels and wash bowls stacked on tables. The other two tents were set up with screened off sections and chairs and tables. There were long benches covered in medicine jars, pots, rolled and folded bandages and wash basins. Sardor told Lilly they were as ready as they could be and all they could do now was wait and hope for the love of the Gamray that there would be few casualties. Lilly agreed, hugged everyone and left them to wait.

Leaving the hospitalers tents Lilly headed back around the east side of the wood to her last port of call.

In a clearing, a large pavilion tent stood within a palisade wall made of sharpened willow poles. Piles of chains and handcuffs were stacked in one corner and twenty or so older and more solid looking Norsonian men and women stood around a fire mardling quietly and smoking the long shafted Norsonian pipes.

They looked up from their conversation as Lilly approached.

‘Good eve Lady Lilly. How go the battle preparations?’ called a cheerful looking man Lilly thought was named Jokam.

‘Good eve… Jokam?’ called Lilly hesitantly. ‘Yay, tis Jokam my Lady, we be all done and ready here…ready for them Tarken that be’.

‘I thank ye all in the name of Gamray’ replied Lilly, at which the ‘jailors’ all bowed their heads and murmured ‘Gamray give us protection’.

Lilly mardled with the jailors for a little then left to get back to her command tree house.

The sky was just beginning to turn a pale grey - purple and the outline of the windmill in Storbenn became visible to Lilly from her command post window. A few birds had begun to whistle and sing, but all else was deathly quite this early in the morn.

Training her telescope on the windmill, Lilly could just make out the shapes of Wyvern sitting on its roof. She panned the telescope around and could also see one of the groups of archers holed up in a small clump of willows on the Storbenn road. She was just wondering when it would all begin when there was a strange crack sound, like a tree branch braking, far off in the distance. Before Lilly could do anything there was another almighty crack, and looking toward Storbenn Lilly saw an enormous cloud of sparks, flame and dust rising from the roof of one of the hamlet buildings. At around the same time, a hammering, persistent drumbeat started way off in the distance. It has begun, thought Lilly and her skin felt crawly and tight.

Within minutes the first falcon swooped in through the window.

Lady Lilly, the Tarken have fired the first fire bolt and are on the march. Archer groups one and two are waiting in ambush and are preparing to fire upon them. Are there any orders my Lady?

Lilly told him no and with that the falcon flew off.

Lilly went back to the telescope, thick black smoke was rising from the far side of Storbenn but very little flame. Maybe wetting the roofs did some good, she thought. Another falcon flew in.

My Lady Lilly, I have to report that the bakery have been hit by the fire giver, but all is under control. Pel do send ye word that one or two Tisks are arriving and are truly starved. Do ye have any orders My Lady?

‘Please ask Pel to hold onto the Tisks til he do have a good number of them and to let them attack the Tarken at the moment they reach Storbenn’

Yay My Lady, replied the falcon and off he went.

Lilly could hear Gamray in her head asking if the time was near for their secret plan. Dear Gamray…Leekan, it won’t be long now, she thought back to him.

Morii and his small band of warriors had left camp at around mideve that night and made their way through Storbenn and out the other side. It occurred to Morii that it had only been a few days since he and Lilly rode Srix and Storr through here on their way to Bell-da-Hallan, how things had changed since then.

They had made good time and were soon having to wriggle along on their bellies in the deep gullies by the side of the path in order to avoid the Tarken who were everywhere. They were busy putting together a makeshift camp, erecting tents and unloading food supplies. Morii could see that they had almost finished assembling the fire giver and he calculated that it had been placed a little more than half a mile to the mountains of Flax side of Storbenn. The wooden tower was placed a little way behind the fire giver and three important looking Tarken on the ground were having a discussion with another at the top of the tower on calculations over the distance and range of the firegiver.

Tarken guards were so busy keeping watch on other Tarken soldiers to make sure they didn’t disappear and raid Storbenn for it’s supply of Storbvin before the battle, that they had no idea that Morii’s party were anywhere near. Tarken were getting fires lit under huge cauldrons and the poor Tisks were howling pitifully in their cages, which were strapped onto the back of large carts.

Morii’s group passed through as if they were invisible, so quiet were they.

Now their progress to the foothills of the mountains of Flax had become fairly slow as they kept running into more small groups of Tarken, most of them pulling carts of supplies or cages of howling Tisks. Morii thought there must be well over two hundred of the little tusked creatures and at least four hundred Tarken so far.

Eventually they reached the wooded glades where Srix and Store had met Lilly. Morii whispered to the others that they might rest for a while in the small hut he knew of. Godda, Edie, Wilf and the others went gladly for a rest and to wash some of the dirt and mud off that they had gotten from crawling through the ditch, in the small stream.

‘We can rest here for a little but we need to reach the Tarken camp before the rising of Gamray’s daughter, so don’t make yerselves too comfy’ Morii told the group. He turned to Min, ‘how do ye feel Min, are ye fine enough to go on?’ Min looked dreadfully embarrassed to be singled out, but managed to tell Morii that she was fine and looking forward to catching herself a few stray Tarken. Min had said this with such coldness, that Morii felt a little scared of her himself. Poor woman, he thought, being married to that slimy toad Ribba. Min had been very, very quiet since hearing what her awful husband had done to the Lady Lilly and Morii had a feeling that Min was working on some sort of revenge.

After a short rest, during which Morii explained the reason for the Tarken guards drugged sleep and how brave Mollin had been, the warrior party were off again and headed for the Flax foothills.

Apart from one incident where they had almost been spotted by a small group of Tarken pulling a cart of spears and axes and had just managed to duck into the trees, Morii’s raiding party approached the foothills of Flax without any problems.

Before long they could see the glow of camp fires in the distance, Morii signalled to everyone to be silent and they crept forward. They could see many sleeping Tarken around the fires, with only  a dozen or so seemingly on some sort of guard duty. This guard didn’t look as if they were expecting anything to happen as they were either playing a dice game or eating and drinking.

In the firelight, off to one side, Morii could see a familiar figure slouching over a bowl of food…‘Ribba’, Morii said quietly to himself.

Before he knew what was happening, a soft twang and swish of an arrow flew past him and the already slouched Ribba seemed to sit up with a sudden start and then fall over, an arrow sticking out of his chest and his bowl of soup flying up in the air.

Morii swung round and saw Min, her bow still held in the firing position and a slow grimace appearing on her face, standing just behind him. He grabbed her arm and pulled her down beside him. ‘Min’, he hissed, ‘what are ye doing?’

Min looked vague and said ‘I be doin what someone should have done many turns of Gamray’s son ago. Ribba do deserve it and that be true’.

Morii gave the poor woman a hug, and said, ‘tis done now and that be true. Come Min and ye others… let’s get as many as we can. Wilf, Tryp and me will take the guard party, the rest of ye finish of the sleeping ones, oh… and look out for Mollin’. With that they rushed out of the bushes, swords and bows held high and went to put an end to their share of Tarken.

The Tarken guard didn’t know what was going on and were taken completely by surprise. They threw down their spears and knelt on the ground covering their heads with their arms, surrendering to Morii before they realised that it was only a small raiding party and not a full army that had attacked them.

Morii, Tryp and Wilf found coils of rope and bound the dozen Tarken guards, hands and feet before turning to find Mollin cheering them on. ’Watch this lot Mollin’ Morii called, throwing him a sword and went off to help Edie, Godda, Min and the others who were slitting the throats of anything that drew breath.

Min was shrieking as she ran between the drugged and sleeping Tarken, slashing at them with her sword, Morii could see she was taking her revenge for all the years she had been a victim of Ribba’s cruelty.

Morii rushed to her side. ‘Min, Min it’s me… Lord Morii, stop now dear Min, they are all dead, they cannot hurt ye any more’.

Min, sword held in both hands above her head turned slowly and stared at Morii. Tears were in her eyes and her arms were trembling, her hair was tangled and stuck to her poor dirty face, her clothes were covered in mud and black Tarken blood. Morii took the sword from her and gently put his arms around her. Min started sobbing and sank to the ground. The others came over to where Morii stood, they too were covered in soot, mud and black Tarken blood. Everyone looked shattered and fearful. Slowly the small group began to relax and one by one they sat down in a circle. Min stopped crying and looked around at the others. ‘Have we done it, have we stopped this lot?’ she managed to say. Everyone nodded and Morii knew he should say something at this point. He thought carefully before speaking.

‘My friends, I know this must have been difficult for ye. Norsonia has asked much of it’s young knights and it’s normally peaceful people. It be more than difficult to take the life of another living creature, however terrible they may be. We must ask for strength from Olin and Gamray in these trying times and believe that what we do is not done from choice, but from necessity. If we do not deal with the Tarken now, we and all our families will be in great danger in the future. I deeply respect all of ye and hope that ye can keep strong as ye have more to do yet.’

Nobody spoke for several moments until Min said, ‘tis true, to take the life of a living creature be hard. Why, I do feel sadness when I shoot a jumper but my belly tells me I need to eat. A jumper don’t do me no harm, so I feel sad. I don’t feel sad for them Tarken, I been frightened of them since I be a child, I never heard no one say a good thing about them and they been a dark cloud over my life. I won’t let them be a dark cloud no more. I stabbed them and that be true, but tis like stabbing a crawler that be waiting to give ye a poison bite, tis that and no more and I say we get back and give help to the rest of Norsonia.’

Morii couldn’t believe that Min, who he’d always thought of as very timid and quiet, had just spoken as she had. He took hold of her hand and squeezed it gently. ‘Thank ye Min, I do feel ye have spoke for all our feelings. All of ye must have a rest, find food and drink if ye can while I get the captured Tarken to clean up some of this mess’. With that Morii went to organize the Tarken guard into burying the dead.

Gamray’s daughter was just rising as Morii’s party, plus Mollin and the captured Tarken set off on the road back to Storbenn. The Tarken were sullen and quiet as they had been tied together and had Mollin prodding them with a stick. He too had suffered many years of terrible treatment and insults at the Tarken’s hands and he took on his new task of prison guard with great relish.

Morii’s thoughts now went to Lilly and the other Norsonians. He hoped above all else that Lilly would be safe.