Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13

The Battle for Storbenn

Lilly was watching the village of Storbenn through her newly acquired telescope in her command head quarters. Falcons were arriving every couple of minutes and giving her reports on every thing that was happening. After a short time, Tarn flew through the little window and told Lilly, ‘the Wyvern have begun their water bomb assault, but do have some problems seeing the targets through all the smoke my Lady Lilly.’

Lilly could see that the air around the far side of Storbenn was indeed thick with smoke and she suddenly felt very sorry for the Wyverns having to fly through it all. ‘I wonder, dear Tarn, if ye would fly to the far side of Storbenn and see if ye can spot the Lord Morii and my friends, I have had no word of them since they left last night and I do feel concerned for their well being.’ Lilly asked the falcon.

‘Yay Lady Lilly, I shall be glad to look for the Lord Morii. Do ye wish to send a message for him when I find him?’ replied Tarn.

‘Yay, I would love to send a message, but I don’t know if Morii can mind talk ye.’ Lilly thought for a moment. ‘Can ye carry a small stone to him?’ she enquired. ‘Of course my Lady, that I can’ Tarn assured her.

Lilly went over to the box with the Rune stones, thought for a moment whilst she looked through them and took out the one that signified hope and courage; it pulsed with power in her hand. She cut a small piece of suede leather from her skirt and wrapped it around the stone, then tied it with one of the leather laces from her hair. ‘There, take this to Lord Morii. Give it to no one else and guard it with your life’ she instructed the falcon.

Tarn nodded and flew from the tree head quarters with great speed.

Lilly sighed and returned to her telescope just as another almighty crack sounded over Storbenn. How long would this go on before the Tarken decided to march into Storbenn? Lilly wondered.

Another falcon flew in. ‘My Lady, there have been some Norsonians injured. When the last fire ball hit Storbenn, it did smash into the windmill and have destroyed much of the top part. Some of the sails did crash down onto the folk helping the Wyvern with their water skin bombs. We be getting them back here now. The Wyvern say they can still attack the Tarken as they do still have some water bombs left.’

Lilly swung the telescope to look at the windmill. Flames were shooting out of the top and she could see no sails at all. ‘If it please ye wait here and tell yer fellow falcons to find me in Storbenn with their news. Ye must especially wait for Tarn to get back for I have sent him on an urgent mission and he will be gone some time. Ye understand? Ye must wait til ye have seen Tarn and tell him to come and find me in Storbenn.’ The falcon promised he would wait and pass on Lilly’s message.

Lilly grabbed her bow and sword and, after yelling to the hospitalers that they had casualties arriving, thought herself up over the trees and flew off to Storbenn.

From the top of the trees Lilly could see just how much smoke and flames were around and there below, she could see two carts crammed with injured Norsonians. She thought herself down and ran up to the carts. ‘Are ye badly hurt?’ she enquired, looking at the poor folk. Some were bleeding from head wounds and a couple looked as if they were unconscious. Three had nasty burns on their arms and others were coughing and choking from inhaling smoke and dust. Lilly pulled out her silver whistle and blew a long high silvery note; a few moments later Srix and Storr game galloping up. ‘Srix, Storr can ye help get these carts to the hospitalers with much speed?’ Lilly asked.

‘Yay Lady Lilly, put the ropes around our necks and we will do as ye ask’ replied Srix, nodding his head as he spoke.

After making sure that she had done all she could to help, Lilly resumed her journey into Storbenn. She flew over the schoolhouse where Gleryn and Pel had a yard full of Tisks and called down that she would be back to see them as soon as she had checked on the windmill. Gleryn and Pel waved that they understood.

Lilly now came upon the windmill, the top section was still on fire and at least twenty men and women had formed a chain with buckets and were doing a good job of tackling the fire. Lilly saw Vartik and flew down.

‘My Lady Lilly, please do be careful, there be fire balls falling all around’, Vartik said worriedly.

Lilly shook her head ‘I am in no more or no less danger than the rest of ye. How goes it with the water skin bombs?’ she added.

Vartik shrugged, ‘we did get one or two hits at first My Lady, but then the smoke became thick and we could not see to aim true. We are still trying our best, but I do believe we are annoying them rather than doing any real damage.’ he replied sadly. 

Lilly smiled reassuringly at Vartik and placed her hand on his small scaly shoulder, ‘I’m sure ye have done yer best, but now I feel ye may better employed dropping some water on the top of the windmill where the fire fighters can’t reach’ she said kindly.

Vartik nodded and went off to drop water onto the windmill.

Lilly then ran around to the edge of the village, dodging bits of burning reed from the roofs of houses and every so often a whistling ball of fire. There was smoke and flame everywhere and it was almost impossible to breathe in some places. She put her fingers in her mouth and blew hard, whistling to one of the ambush parties she knew were hidden just to her left. Ulfwin, one of the scholar knights stood up rather warily and raised his hand, Lilly made her self as small as she could and ran across to where they were hiding. She scrambled down the bank and slid to the bottom of the deep ditch, into the midst of a very shocked looking group of warriors.

‘Gamray be with ye all’ she told the surprised party and they stared back, open mouthed at Lilly. ‘Lady Lilly ye honour us with yer presence’ said Ulfwin, the scholar knight leading this particular ambush party. ‘Thank ye Ulfwin, I come to tell ye that I believe the Tarken will soon be marching on Storbenn and to tell ye also that things may look bad in Storbenn but we are dealing with all the fires and only a few folk have been injured so far. They got struck by falling pieces from the windmill, which has been hit. What I need ye to do now, is to creep towards the Tarken line and pick up the other two ambush parties nearest to ye. Take yer bows and fire on them from any hidden position ye can. The smoke will help ye, they will not see ye through all of that til it be too late. The Lord Morii, with Gamray’s help, is making his way back here from the foothills of Flax, so he should be attacking the Tarken from behind. I shall go back to Storbenn and get all the help I can. I cannot believe that the Tarken have not yet come out to attack us.’ Lilly told the warriors hurriedly. Ulfwin assured Lilly they would do all they could and Lilly flew off back to the school house.

Pel ran up to Lilly the moment she touched the ground and jumped up into her arms. ‘Illy…Illy, Pel happy to see illy’ said Pel. Lilly gave him a hug and a kiss on his furry head. Gleryn came over, with several Tisks at her heels and beamed a smile at Lilly.

‘Gleryn I be so glad to see ye’ said Lilly, ‘how are yer little creatures, were they glad of the meat tasties?’

‘Oh, Lady Lilly, I never did see such poor starving beasts before, all they do need is a bit of care and a bit of feeding’ she replied bending down and giving one of the Tisks a pat. ‘This here be Kiz, he be right friendly and he do tell Pel that he can’t hardly wait to get his tusks into them Tarken’ she told Lilly.

Kiz squinted up at Lilly and nodded his small, scruffy head violently in agreement. In spite of everything Lilly had to smile, the Tisks after all were funny little creatures not unlike small dogs and Kiz looked so cuddly at this very moment, despite his large tusks. ‘I thank all of ye’ Lilly said loudly to all the Tisks, ‘I am glad ye be free of the Tarken and that ye have been fed. I hope ye will help us in the fight against the Tarken and I will make sure that Gamray do give ye protection in the future’. The Tisks all started leaping up and down, like spring lambs and making funny little ‘tisk,tisk’ noises from deep down in their throats. Lilly and Gleryn laughed til they had tears in their eyes. After several moments, Lilly said to Gleryn and Pel ‘I must get going and ye Tisks, ye wait by the village edge until ye see the Tarken coming. Then,’ she added, ‘ye can do with the Tarken as ye see fit.’ Lilly kissed Pel and Gleryn goodbye and with Gleryn’s promise to take Pel safely back to camp as soon as she could, Lilly flew off to find King Litan.

Morii and his archers were making good time returning to Storbenn. They could now walk along the road from the foothills of Mel, as there were no more groups of Tarken to worry about. Morii was trying to talk to the captured Tarken guard and get them to help in return for granting them their freedom when all of this was over. At first, the Tarken named Grodal, who spoke for all the others, would not even consider helping Morii.

‘Tark…ye think Tarken would help stinking…tark…maggots like ye Norsies…tark…we would rather die…tark.’ spluttered Grodal. He received a quick whack on back of his legs from Mollin’s spear, ‘don’t ye speak to the Lord Morii in such a way, he be trying to give ye a chance ye ungrateful creature’, Mollin bellowed at Grodal.

Grodal grunted something and then glanced rather fearfully at Mollin who had raised his spear once again. ‘Tark…I be begging for yer pardon…tark…me Lord Morii. I be not used to…tark…havin to mardle with respect…tark…and that be true.’ he said rather sarcastically.

Morii did not reply but walked off to one side to think, he’d begun to have an idea.

‘Now look what ye have gone and done. Ye have angered Lord Morii and I do be feelin sorry for ye’, Mollin hissed at Grodal. Grodal pretended not to care but kept taking a sneaky glance in Morii’s direction.

After they had journeyed a little further, Morii called out, ‘take a rest everyone, a few moments for some water and a sit down.’

Everyone gladly took the opportunity to sit down in the shade under a large willow to rest. Gamray’s daughter had been shining brightly and it was getting rather warm. Morii asked Wilf to help Mollin keep an eye on the Tarken and told everyone he would not be long and then disappeared into the wood.

The rest of the party were curious to know what Morii was up to, but they knew they had no need to question their leader. If Morii had anything to share with them, he would in good time.

The Tarken were sitting in a huddle and talking quietly among themselves. This in itself was quite unusual; Tarken hardly ever did anything quietly. Eventually Grodal spoke up. ‘Here…tark…Mollin sire, how do Lord Morii get folks to do what…tark…he wants, without beating them first?…tark. King Trock…tark…he do beat ye first, then he do expect ye do as he ask. If ye don’t…tark…ye die, tis simple.’

Mollin looked at Grodal with distaste. ‘Lord Morii do have the respect of all Norsonians because of his kindly ways and because of his way of listening to folks problems. He do never beat no one, our folk chose to do what is asked of them for love of their country and their Hah-rold.’

Grodal nodded slowly, ‘Yay, I do see what ye say be true…tark…and do he be the same…tark…all of the time?’

Mollin made a strangled noise in his throat; he was getting rather fed up with the Tarken questions. ‘Of course he be the same all the time. He be kind and just and so do his parents the King and Queen, and so do the Gamray, long may he protect us. Folk in Norsonia do all try to help others and do try to live in harmony with all others’ replied Mollin crossly.

‘Tark…Grodal can hardly believe a place…tark…can exist…tark…where there be no beating?’ Grodal managed to murmur.

Mollin was about to reply when a rustling in the woods made everyone look round. Wilf and the others jumped to their feet and took up their bows ready to fire.

Morii appeared from the bushes pulling and dragging a large handcart. The archers breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Come on then’, Morii called. ‘Give me a hand with this.’ He waved across to Wilf and the others. ‘There’s another just through here in the woods’ he added. The archers ran to help and soon had two wooden Norsonian handcarts standing on the road to Storbenn.

Min spoke first, ‘what do these be for Lord Morii?’ And then added, ‘if it please ye to tell me sire’.

Although he smiled at Min, Morii said nothing for a moment and then looked at the captured Tarken. ‘That’ he said, looking very serious, ‘depends on our new friends here and whether they have considered my offer of peace and friendship.’

Grodal stood up slowly and gave his feathered head a little shake. ‘Tark…my Lord Morii, we have seen how ye do seem to act with care and thought for all yer folk…tark…this way of being do seem…tark…strange to us and that be true…tark. We Tarken do have very different ways…tark…but ye do impress us with yer bravery…tark…we also believe we have the best chance with ye…tark…and we are agreed…tark…we shall help ye in battle at Storbenn.’

Morii stood for a moment, just looking at Grodal then nodded and bowed slightly and turned back to join his team of archers.

Min said, ‘Lord Morii? Do ye trust them Tarken to do what ye wish?’

Morii shrugged, ‘I would like to trust them. I think we have to give them a chance to help us. We can be extra wary and the plan I have is our best chance of getting close to the main Tarken army without being noticed.’

Min smiled, ‘yay Lord Morii, ye do know best and Min will do as ye ask of her’. Morii smiled back and thanked everyone for going along with his plan. He was about to explain it fully when a fluttering falcon appeared overhead.

Morii held out his arm and Tarn landed gently upon it. ‘Tarn, do ye come from the Lady Lilly?’ Morii asked. Tarn nodded and held up the little leather package in his talons. Morii quickly took the package from Tarn and undid the wrapping. ‘Tis a Rune stone!’ he exclaimed. ‘Why, it do be the stone to symbolize hope and courage, the Lady Lilly have sent it to us and I can feel the power of it in my hand and that be true.’ Morii grinned at the others standing around him and they in return looked happy for him.

Morii looked into Tarns yellow eyes, ‘Is the Lady Lilly well?’ he enquired. Tarn nodded and then turned and stared pointedly at the Tarken prisoners for a second or two, he turned back to Morii with his head cocked to one side as if to ask, ‘what’s going on here?’

‘Ah, ye see the Tarken?’ Morii asked Tarn, Tarn nodded. ‘Well ye can tell the Lady Lilly that they be helping us with a plan of attack in Storbenn, they do see the error of their ways and wish to mend them’, he told Tarn. ‘Do ye wish for a rest of yer wings before ye fly back?’

Tarn shook his head and took off in the direction of Storbenn with one quick and graceful movement which Morii and the others watched with wonder.

Morii soon got the others organized and up to date with his plan. In no time they were pushing the carts on their way to Storbenn.

Lilly was well past Storbenn wood and flying along the road to Bell-da-Hallan looking for King Litan’s party of thirty older Kort knights. She was just wondering what could have delayed them when Lekaans voice came into her head. ‘Lilly, they come for me, help me please…’

‘Leekan, what’s happening, who’s coming for you?’ Lilly replied. There was nothing else, no more messages and Leekan wasn’t answering. In fact Lilly suddenly felt alone, a connection was broken somehow.

Now Lilly was really worried, what could have happened? Had the Tarken managed somehow to get past them and into Bell-da-Hallan?

Below her, in the distance, she could see King Litan making his way toward Storbenn. Lilly flew down and ran towards them. ‘King Litan, Leekan… the Gamray is in danger, I don’t know from whom or what, I’ve lost the connection with him. I will fly as fast as I can back to the Kort. Please make all haste and get there as soon as ye can.’

King Litan’s face went deathly white. He gave instructions to his ten best knights to follow him back to Bell-da-Hallan and for the others to carry on to Storbenn. Looking very shocked, he managed to shout, ‘Yay Lilly’ as he turned his horse and made for Kort.

Lilly flew at top speed towards Bell-da-Hallan, trying desperately to think how any Tarken could have got through without them knowing. She supposed some may have crept through during the night and gone through the woods on the far side of Norsonia.

In no time Lilly could see the Kort ahead of her, she turned and flew quickly around to the gardens where she and Morii had first entered Bell-da-Hallan and where Leekans tent was sited.

Beside Gamray’s tent, an elderly aide was lying on the ground with a large wound to his head; he looked as if he were dead to Lilly. A small, curled brass summoning trumpet had been broken and stamped into the soft earth beside him. No wonder he could not summon help thought Lilly as she looked at it.

She landed just to the side of the elderly aide and put a hand against his face, she could feel no breathe. No one else seemed to be around, where was everyone; they couldn’t all be at Storbenn wood. Lilly rushed into the tent, ripping the soft curtaining aside. There was no sign of Leekan, just his small golden cushion lying on the floor.

Suddenly, Lilly heard a commotion coming from behind the tent, or to be precise she realised, behind the garden wall. She flew up, taking care to keep herself invisible and there on the other side of the wall were six Tarken struggling with a huge metal box. They were trying to lift it onto a small hand cart but they couldn’t quite get it lined up properly, so it kept getting stuck.

‘Tark…watch where ye be putting yer…tark…hands, ye fool. King Trock will have our feathers pulled out…tark…one by one if we do fail to bring…tark…the young lord to him by dark…tark.’

Lilly was furious, did they have the Gamray…Leekan, in the metal box? How could they do such a thing and worse, how could she rescue him?

Lilly needed to think and think quickly if she was going to stand any chance of getting Leekan back unharmed. She wondered if he was still conscious, maybe that’s why she had lost contact with him, because the Tarken had somehow knocked him out or put him to sleep.

Lilly ducked down out of sight behind the wall to try and think of what to do. She leaned her back against the old stone of the wall and took a few deep breaths to clear her head. She could hear the Tarken still arguing and trying to get the box lifted onto the cart. What could she do? she thought as her mind raced through possible scenarios.

Lilly stood up and climbed onto a pile of stones near her and cautiously raised herself up to the top of the wall. The Tarken had succeeded in getting the metal box on the cart, she had to act now.

Lilly now decided that her best chance would be to try and frighten off the Tarken. She did not dare take them all on in case she failed, and the Tarken would have chance to get Leekan away.

 She looked at the stones beside her and had an idea. Making herself invisible she flew up above the Tarken warriors and made a picture in her head of the loose stones from the ground raining down onto the heads of the Tarken. One by one the stones began to fly up from the pile and fling themselves down on the Tarken, as if falling from the sky.

The Tarken screeched and squawked and flung their arms about, but of course it did no good. They could see no enemy nor hear any sound, only stones hurling themselves out of nowhere.

As soon as a stone hit the ground it flew up and threw itself at them again and again. The Tarken were backing away from the cart, trying to fend off the stone attack.

Almost as one they realised that this was some magik, and magik in Norsonia was something they were very afraid of. They turned and ran. Not very far at first, but the stones followed them and kept hurling themselves after them, so the Tarken gave up and disappeared down the lane and out of sight, still shrieking and howling curses.

Lilly materialized next to the cart and banged on the top, ‘Leekan are ye safe, are ye in there?’ she called.  There was no reply. The dark grey metal box was locked with a huge padlock. The corners of the box were reinforced with some yellow coloured metal like gold and there were strange symbols etched into the sides and top. Lilly looked around wildly, what could she do, the Tarken had gone off with the key for the lock and Lilly felt sure Leekan was trapped inside. She closed her eyes, put her hands on the lock and tried with all her might to think the lock open. Nothing happened and Lilly was feeling so tired. What if there was no air inside the box for Leekan to breathe?

She could feel little tingles of panic crawling over her skin like small insects scurrying around and worse still; tears were welling up in her eyes. She didn’t want to start crying now; she needed what little energy she had left to think.

She knew she needed something to prise the lock open, something strong. Her small dagger would be no good but maybe her sword would work. Lilly unsheathed her sword and pushed the blade in between the two prongs of metal holding the lock shut. She twisted her blade sharply, nothing happened. Lilly felt desperate and ran over to pick up one of the smaller stones. She bashed wildly at the lock, but that didn’t work; try as she might, she could not make any impact on the strong metal.