This really was not the way she had wanted to leave Sean. She
had truly hoped she could have brought him back to MourningWood Glen with her. She really wasn't sure if she had done the right thing by leaving, but it was to late to change what she had done. Now she would never know if McFadden really was trying to kill her or not.
**************************
Only a few hours into the woods, a small band of men were blocking the path Tanara was on.
"Heads up guys! Someone is coming from the direction of the compound."
Tanara stopped her horse some distance from them. Her peripheral vision was fading in and out so she opted not to try to get around them. "Permission to pass."
"That trail only leads one way," the man in front said as he pointed back the way she had just come, "to the King's compound. Which means you have just come from there."
With her head pounding and chest on fire her mood was deterating also.
"Brilliant deduction. I will ask again permission to pass."
Not paying much attention to what she had said another of the men added,
"Hey, a noble from the King's court. I wonder what price she will fetch?"
"I am NOT a noble nor am I from the King's court"
"Go inform the commander we have a noble wishing to pass," the man in front told two younger scouts.
Tanara tried to suppress any sign of the pain and nausea she is feeling just as Ermot who sensed that they have stopped pushed the pouch he was stuffed in open and stuck his head out. "Ok, woods!? Wait a minute those aren't our woods!" Ermot looks around just as the horse shifts which enabled him to see the man in front. "Hey! Hey you in front! What's the hold up? This ain't home and she's my ride home. The Baron ain't gonna like this."
"A cloth golum!!" he said with his eyes wide. "I only know one group that have cloth golums in service. Come my lady if you would follow me."
Tanara urges her horse to follow the man as he runs ahead of her. "Thanks Ermot."
"For what? I want to get home and you just happen to be the fastest way available at the moment."
***************************
As they approach a clearing, it is obvious now that those men were a patrol for the rebellion. The group they ran into with the King some months ago was small compared to the gathering here.
A half dozen or so men came running toward Tanara and her guide. Three or four of those men she recognized.
"My little dove," Ice said as he always did when he saw Tanara.
"Just catch..." was all she said before she slid of her horse. Fortunately Ice responded quick enough and caught her. When he lowered her to the ground he noticed the blood that had soaked in to the front of her tunic and the knot and swelling on the back of her head.
"What happened!?!?" His face and eyes should the potential anger that would surface if he didn't like her answer.
She tried as best she could to focus on him. She knew there were other people with him, but she had to focus on one to keep from passing out.
"Fight got ugly..." That was all she could say before her ears flooded with noise and her vision failed her.
One of the other men was heard saying, "So this is how the king treats visiting representatives of the barony."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
deep in the woods, the final sounds came......saws and hammers hard at work.
Tearing down ancient trees to make the weapons of war. All manner
of things were being created, from simple spears and pikes to catapults
and ramparts.
Humans were hard at work, felling all mannner of trees, some with tears
in their eyes. Dwarven and Gnomish craftsmen were creating all manner
of wonderous designs. Even elves could be seen, creating their wonderous
longbows and shrieking arrows. Steel would not be necessary as recent
shipments from raiding parties and the elves had provided some of the best
weapons known in the Five Kingdoms.
"soon the seige will begin my Lady" the commander reported. "all
manner of mundane and mystical attack have been accounted for. Mercernary
troops have been obtained, and many levies from local towns have sworn
to you. Entire towns in some cases."
"obvious attacks have been accounted for.....do not underestimate our
foe Commander, nor some of our allies. Soon we shall have to fight
some of those we once called our friends. And some of those people
are the best the kingdom has to offer. Make sure we have compent
healers ready to return them to life.....I wish they would have sided with
me as they had in the past.....their deaths will weigh heavily on my concience.
As soon as possible, begin bombardment of the keep.....the blockade will
have weakened them, but apparently it was not as effective as I had hoped."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
As the darkness fell, men quietly moved the destructive engines into
place. As dawn broke they would begin to hammer the keep....tons
of earth and fire would fall upon their enemies, death would rain from
the heavens, and there was no spell or prayer to prevent it........
the crow of the rooster was the signal to attack, the crews waited
breathlessly, they had trained for months for this moment.
"COCKADOODLEDOO!!!!!!!!!!!!"
the riggings creaked, as the massive rocks and bombs began to fly.
"how long is ya think this is gonna last cap'n?"
"only until the troops attack.....then it'll all be over, we're just
gonna
soften them up a little......make them sweat"
"I'd surrender.....havin all this crap fall on me head....even if I
was 'chanted six ways to sanday, I couldn't deal wif all the noise...."
not too far in the distance the first explosions could be clearly heard.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The officer walked along the lines of seige engines. Each was
preforming well and the morale of the troops was high. Tomorrow would
see the ground troops attacking the keep and probably the end of the attack.
"Sir, catapult number seven is running out of ammo"
"What are they firing soldier?"
"firebombs sir"
"and just what pray tell is in those barrells over there?"
"ummmm, rum sir, the King's private stock if I'm not mistaken"
"and what happens when rum meets fire?"
"it explodes sir"
"well dammit man, give the pretender back his booze!!!!!!!"
"but sir!!!!"
"better yet......keep two barrells, one for the officers and one for
the
men....gotta have something to celebrate with."