My 13th Warrior
Pairing: Herger/Ahmad(Ibn)
Rating: NC-17, m/m
Archive: CKoS
Disclaimers: not mine, belong to Michael Crichton and Touchstone, written purely for pleasure
Notes: Written from Herger's point of view so there are differences from the
film, which focussed on Ahmad(Ibn)
Summary: An Arab joins a group of Northmen to fight an ancient evil, and finds
love.
Warnings: Newbie alert, unbetaed (eek), author cannot be held responsible for
crappiness of this version, it just had to be written!
A/N 2: I thought I'd lost this a while back, the only copy was on CKoS and it hasn't been put back up yet. But I suddenly remembered the archives and went and found it again. I've checked it over a bit, but I haven't changed it dramatically, so bear in mind that this was one of my first pieces and written in an afternoon from memory!
I looked up in surprise when Edgtho kicked me. He gestured behind him with his
head, and then stalked off.
I watched as two Arabs approached. The younger Arab was unshaven, his eyes lined
and his skin oiled, he looked almost feminine, but there was also something
undeniably masculine about him. I was startled to feel attracted to him. I may
like men as much as women, but he was most definitely not my type.
The older man sat next to me and spoke to me in Greek. I knew enough of the
language to understand what he asked, but I replied in Latin, a language I know
well.
"Our king?" I said, he nodded, "In the other tent, he will not speak to you,"
I said. I paused while he translated for the younger man, then I grinned and
continued, "He will not speak to you, because he is dead, this is his funeral."
"Herger," I turned to Buliwyf, my chieftain, "Who are these strangers?" he
asked.
"A couple of Arabs from Baghdad," I replied, quickly in Latin I told the Arabs
that this was Buliwyf, one of the heirs apparent.
"Tell them, I wish to hear a song, a song of glory," said Buliwyf, I translated
again.
I watched with interest as the younger Arab looked worried and then frowned in
concentration. Finally he nodded and began to speak. It was at this moment that
Thorkel, Buliwyf's rival, decided to attack. Buliwyf dealt with him easily,
knocking him back, then ripping a gaping hole in his chest. I was surprised at
the Arabs' shock and horror, this was a perfectly normal occurance.
That night I sat with them and explained the funeral to them.
"We will burn him, in one moment he and all he owns can be in paradise," I
began, again the older Arab translated, then I continued, "These are our gifts
to our lord, to support his kingdom in paradise," I said referring to the drink,
food, dogs and horses that had been laid on the boat. The girl who had
volunteered to accompany our lord stood on a plank and was raised into the air,
I translated what she said, "Lo, there do I see my father," she was lowered and
then raised again, "Lo, there do I see my mother, my sisters and my brothers,"
I paused, again she was lowered and raised, "Lo, there do I see the line of my
people, back to the beginning. Lo, they do call to me, they bid me take my place
among them, in the halls of Valhalla, where the brave may live, forever."
The girl was lowered one final time and was lifted onto the boat and strangled,
then laid down with our lord. "She will travel with him," I said, "You will not
see this again, it is the old way."
I watched the young Arab's face as he stared at the scene before him, he looked
very slightly horrified, but also awed as the boat was set alight and pushed out
onto the water. There was much feasting and drinking that night in celebration.
The next morning, I woke to the sound of the Arabs' voices. I lifted my head,
grunting, and rested it on the table to look at them. The younger saluted me
with his drink and then asked the older man something, he turned to me and
spoke:
"Another ship arrived during the night, there is a boy standing out there on
the bow, he's as a statue." I glanced outside at the boy.
"He's letting us see him," I said, pausing to allow for translation, the
younger man laughed and said something, "He came in the mist, we find dangers
in the mists, spirits. He is being polite, allowing us time to decide if he is
real," I said, as the morning bowl of water was passed to me. I did not wash out
my mouth as Ragnar and Helfdane had before me, but I splashed my face and
cleared my nose. The Arabs, I think were disgusted, but I offered them the bowl
as was polite.
The new arrival entered the tent with his entourage, "Skeld, Skeld," I called
out, "What's going on?"
"He's a messenger here to see Buliwyf," replied Skeld.
I translated for the Arabs as the boy spoke, "He is Wulfgar, son of King
Rothgar, a king from the North. He comes to ask Buliwyf for help. His father's
kingdom is under attack, their villages destroyed. They are menaced by an
ancient evil, a terror, a terror that has no name, a terror which must not be
named," I trailed off in horror, all around there was silence. The older Arab
asked for clarification, I raised my hands.
"The name cannot be said, it cannot be said," I insisted, shaking my head.
Buliwyf spoke. "He calls for the Angel of Death," I translated.
The old woman approached. "He calls for the bones, she is an oracle," I
continued. The old woman emptied her bag and fell upon the bones.
"She calls for men in number of the moons." The Arab looked questioningly at
me, "Thirteen, thirteen," I said.
"Who will be the first man?" she asked. Buliwyf spoke.
"I will be the first," he said. One by one men volunteered, as people
cheered, clapped and stamped their feet. Helfdane, Ragnar, Edgtho, Rethel,
Halga, Hyglak, Weath, Haltaf then Roneth.
What the hell, I thought and I stood. "I will be the eleventh, send over the
beer now eh!" I said, even the Arabs laughed. Skeld was twelfth, then silence
fell at the old woman's next words.
"The Arab will join us," said Buliwyf.
I spoke quickly the the older man, "The thirteenth warrior must be no Northman, he will join us," I said.
As he translated I saw a look of horror cross the young man's face. This was
going to be interesting.
The next day, we prepared to leave, as I came out of the tent accompanied by the
three woman I had enjoyed the night before, I heard Roneth joking about the
Arab's small horse.
"Only an Arab would bring a dog to war," I shouted the translation with a
laugh.
"What is his name?" asked Buliwyf, I turned to ask him. The young Arab spoke, I
did not understand but he repeated the word Ibn several times.
"Ibn?" I asked. He shook his head and obviously tried to explain, but he said
Ibn again. "Ibn," I said to Buliwyf.
As the others rode away, I turned to him and said, "Hurry to meet death, before
your place is taken." I leant down to kiss one of the girls goodbye and rode
after the others. Ibn soon followed.
@>*~
We rode for many weeks, I was impressed with Ibn, I almost felt proud of him, he
kept up with us and did not complain. He spent most of his time watching us,
especially at night around the camp fire, I became used to having his eyes on
me.
One night we were retelling a story about Roneth, I finished the tale. "Roneth
slept with her, while we took the horses," I said, as the others laughed.
"She probably was some small, coloured camp-girl," said Skeld, "Look like that
one's mother." He pointed at Ibn. I did not join in the laughter.
"My mother," said Ibn, or Ahmad as he preferred, there was silence as he paused
and all eyes turned to him in shock, "Was a pure woman, from a noble family.
And I at least know who my father is..." he paused," ...you pig-eating son of a
whore."
Skeld jumped to his feet and rushed at the Arab, yelling. I got up as Rethel and
Helfdane caught Skeld and held him back, calming him down.
"Where did you learn our language?" I demanded, he stood and faced me.
"I listened," he said fiercely. Again he had impressed me. Delighted, I laughed
and clapped his shoulders. I turned away and went back to my place by the fire.
Later when Ahmad went to feed his horse, I watched as Buliwyf asked him if he
could draw sounds and asked for a demonstration. Ahmad wrote something in the
soil and Buliwyf stared at it. Then he nodded and walked away.
In the morning we saddled up, Skeld bumped hard into Ahmad's horse as he passed
it. Ahmad ran to his horse and calmed it.
"Only an Arab would bring..." started Skeld.
"A dog to war?" said Ahmad, "I heard this the first time," he said. Weath
barked at him and Roneth laughed as several of them began to howl. Suddenly
Ahmad kicked his horse into a gallop. He leapt over a fence as we all turned to
watch. He cleared another fence and then a cart piled high with hay.
"Go, go Arab," said Helfdane with a chuckle. I watched with a small smile, even
Edgtho had a sort of smile on his face. Ahmad cleared another fence and then
rode straight for Weath, jumping over his horse and knocking Weath to the
ground, Weath laughed as he looked up, face covered in mud.
"Come on," said Buliwyf. Ahmad rode around and caught up with us, "The dog can
jump," said Buliwyf, I looked back to see him smiling as the rest laughed, he
was getting used to the teasing already.
@>*~
The remainder of our journey was by boat and fierce storms accompanied us most of
the way. Ahmad was obviously no sailor, but again I felt inordinately proud that
he did not complain, although he prayed a lot. Eventually the storms calmed and
as we approached our destination, we were engulfed in fog. The previously jolly
atmosphere had now turned serious.
Buliwyf stood at the bow and called to Odin. As we approached land we began to
prepare, putting on our armour. Ahmad stood with me as always.
"Down," I said, pushing him out of the way as Rethel shot a lighted arrow over
the bow.
"What are you, what is that?" stuttered Ahmad.
"Be silent," I said. We all watched as Rethel shot another arrow over the bow.
This one stayed lit.
"Land!" called Edgtho. We landed and the horses were led onto the beach.
"Arab," said Buliwyf, "Speak what I draw," he wrote something in the sand.
"There is only one God, and Mohammed is his," Ahmad stopped and added
something, "Prophet," he finished. Buliwyf nodded in satisfaction. I knew it
had been a test and Ahmad had just passed.
I threw a broadsword to Ahmad. "Here, you'll need this," I said. I swung off
the boat and down to the beach.
"I cannot lift this," said Ahmad.
"Grow stronger," I replied with a grin.
Edgtho returned from where he'd scouted ahead. "Rider," he said. Rethel moved
out of sight, preparing his bow.
"Well fed on a light mount," said Edgtho, he sniffed the air, "Perfume."
"Ach, a woman," said Rethel in disgust and walked back to his horse.
"A herald," said Halga as the rider came into view.
"It's a souk-spoiled messenger boy," said Ragnar.
"Tell me your names, quickly," demanded the herald, none too politely.
"I am son to Hyglak, called Buliwyf," said Buliwyf,"We all know your worthy
lord, we come on an errand to serve him."
"My lord Rothgar will want to welcome you himself," said the herald.
We rode after him soon approaching the village.
"No wall, no moat, not even a presentable fence," commented Rethel.
"Couldn't keep a cow out of this place," agreed Helfdane.
"Women, children, barely a man between fifteen and fifty," said Ragnar in
disgust.
We dismounted at the hall and followed the herald inside. We all stood in the
entrance as Buliwyf stepped forward and went down on one knee.
"My lord this is Buliwyf son of Hyglak, come from across the sea..." started
the herald.
"I know the man, I sent for him. Knew him as a boy, knew his father. Know him
now, grown to a man, grown to a fine, fine man," said Rothgar.
Buliwyf rose to his feet and approached the king. "What troubles this place old
man?" he asked, Rothgar gasped, his face fearful.
@>*~
We gathered outside the hall. "You know he might be mad?" I said.
Buliwyf looked at me. "Be in the mist," he said to Egdtho.
"Has anyone seen one? Has anyone seen one in a hundred years?" I said with a
laugh of derision.
"It is said they used to be all over this countryside and worse further North,"
said Skeld. I shook my head, he was always the superstitious one.
"People say many things," said Ragnar.
"Whatever they are, unless we can track them, we'll need a proper fence," said
Buliwyf.
"We can fashion a gate," started Helfdane.
"I don't want to build a fence, I'm not a farmer, let's go track the..." said
Ragnar.
"Gentlemen," interrupted Ahmad, he had wandered apart from the rest of us and
was staring out over the fields below us. I stood behind him and realised that
there was something moving out there. Together we ran to one of the farms, as I
climbed the roof to get a better look, he climbed a tower. We could see a small
child running through the field. I slid down the roof and ran to my horse
followed closely by Ahmad and the others.
Edgtho had already reached the boy when we arrived. Weath jumped from his horse
and ran to him, the child was covered in blood and he was screaming, clasping
his hands to his ears.
"Boy, speak to me boy, who did this, speak to me?" shouted Weath.
"Find someone who knows him," said Buliwyf.
"Wait," called Queen Weilew, "I know him," she dismounted and wrapped the
child in her cloak, handing him to one of the men, "It's a farmstead just up
the glen, I will take you," she said.
We followed her into the forest. On the outskirts, Buliwyf stopped us, gesturing
for us to dismount. Drawing our swords we circled silently round the farm,
approaching with caution. Ahmad went with Rethel and Weilew to stay out of our
way. Halga climbed onto the roof and dropped through a window as Skeld burst
through the door. Weath followed, the rest of us holding back, surrounding the
building. Almost immediately Halga came back out, waving at Rethel so he knew to
stand down. I went inside with Buliwyf. The sight that greeted us was
horrendous. A man's body hung upside down from the roof, headless, blood
flooding the floor. There was not much left of the woman.
We had all left the scene behind us when Ahmad came down and he went in to have
a look. It didn't take long for him to come back out and he leaned over the
fence, vomiting violently. I watched dispassionately, he would soon get used to
it.
"So it's true," I said, leaning back against the fence.
"No horsetracks, they were afoot," said Halga.
"Their heads are missing?" asked Rethel.
"The child must have crawled into a hole to escape," said Ragnar.
Ahmad was leaning heavily on the fence looking very pale, "They have been...
gnawed upon," he said in horror, swallowing hard.
"It is said, they eat the dead," I said, looking straight ahead.
"What kind of a man, could do that?" he asked.
I sighed, he still did not understand, "It was not man, it's the Wendol," I
said, Skeld shushed me in horror.
Rethel approached, holding his sword out in front of him, "They are here," he
said. Ragnar looked at the small statue on his blade and spat in disgust,
stalking away.
"What is it?" asked Ahmad.
"The mother of the Wendol," replied Rethel. Skeld cursed and hit it away from
him. Ahmad picked it up and stared at it. It was a female figure all breasts and
belly, with no head, arms or legs.
Edgtho had returned from scouting. "A trail?" shouted Buliwyf.
"Dies in the rocks, two miles up," Edgtho replied.
"So they are clever," I said.
"And cautious," agreed Edgtho. "And there's more," he continued.
We remounted and followed him out to the fields.
"To the right, the ridge near the watchtower," he said. As we watched deer fled
the trees. "And to the South, the edge of the trees near the first ridge line,"
he said. There too, deer were running out of the forest.
"Something drove them out," I said, Ahmad was shielding his eyes from the sun,
"Put your hand down Little Brother," I said. Not the best nickname for a man
you lust after but it was what came out.
"I believe they watch us, even now," said Edgtho.
"If we chase?" asked Buliwyf, Edgtho shook his head. "Will they come to us?"
said Buliwyf.
"Farmers say they come with the mist," said Ragnar.
"So if there's a fog, they will come," I said thoughtfully.
@>*~
We all sat at Rothgar's table that night, listening as he spoke of old times and
the horror of being hunted in their own homes.
"What of the settlements to the North and up country?" asked Buliwyf.
"Estwick was burned..." Rothgar paused, looking to Weilew for confirmation.
"Two years," she said, her eye caught Buliwyf's.
"Two years ago," continued Rothgar, "And of the others we have had no word,
not for some months."
Ahmad noticed Helfdane refuse some mead, and must have realised that I had not
been drinking, nor had any of us. "You do not drink tonight?" he asked, there
was another question behind his words.
"No, we do not drink tonight," I said seriously.
"This gentleman has the look of a great warrior, no doubt he's very brave. But
to face the Wen, he will need some amazing...luck," said the King's son all of a
sudden.
"Luck, often enough will save a man, if his courage holds," replied Buliwyf
with the force of experience behind his words.
"Who is that one?" whispered Ahmad.
"King's son," I replied, watching Buliwyf intently.
"That's as may be, but wait for the Wen, one night's time, then talk to us of
courage," said the prince.
"I thank the lord for his advice," said Buliwyf, "Though I don't recall
hearing any exploits of his... apart from killing his brothers." The prince rose
to his feet in anger, his stool falling over.
"You sit down and be silent," said Rothgar, "These are guests at what is still
my table." The prince glared at his father and then turned and stalked away,
followed by two of his men. I realised that we would have to keep an eye on that
one.
Rothgar took a deep drink of mead, wiping his beard with his hand, "There is a
man who was at Estwick," he said.
The old man had deep scars on his face and one eye was covered by a patch, "I
saw the thing that did this clear enough. Teeth like a lion, head like a bear,
claws that could tear a plank to kindling. They came in the night, in the mist.
Always in the darkness, like they could see in the black," he said.
"Did they go on two legs or four?" asked Buliwyf.
"It seems they did both, like a thing that was both man and bear. But myself I
cannot..." he paused." I saw the glowworm though, saw it clear. We all did, saw
it on the last night. Saw it come down out of the hills in the mist, slithering
this way and that, long as a hundred sheeps, spitting fire at us as it came. My
father's father always warned of it, said it was a hate from old times."
Edgtho approached Buliwyf. "There will be fog," he said. Buliwyf nodded to us
and then to Weilew who got up to prepare the women.
"Bring me my armour," shouted Rothgar. "I will stand a watch with you," he
said to Buliwyf. I watched Weilew turn and look pleadingly at Buliwyf.
"My lord, the children will need protection, if they get past us, you and yours
must stop them," said Buliwyf. Rothgar looked at Weilew, she was watching
Buliwyf. She glanced at Rothgar and then back to Buliwyf. Rothgar looked at
Buliwyf and smiled.
There was a large cellar under the hall, and the villagers descended, Rothgar
went last. "Luck in battle, boy," he said to Buliwyf. We shut the door behind
them and prepared to bed down for the night, forming a circle on the floor.
"How can you sleep at a time like this?" asked Ahmad.
"The All-Father wove the skein of your life a long time ago. Go and hide in a
hole if you wish, but you won't live one instant longer. Your fate is fixed.
Fear profits a man nothing," I said laying down on my side and closing my eyes.
I may have been a little harsh, but in a way I wanted him to run, so that I would no longer have feelings for him. I could not respect a man who ran from battle.
Ahmad lay close to me, I think he found comfort in my presence, after all he was
about to face his first battle. Despite his fear he actually fell asleep, I was
not sure whether to be impressed that he'd relaxed enough to sleep, or annoyed
with his foolishness at actually sleeping. It did not take long though for him
to wake with a startled cry. He went up on one elbow, staring wildly about him.
I put my hand on his chest, pushing him down and he started again. He looked at
me and then at the others, realising that we were all awake. Then he stared at
the roof and walls as shadows started to move and strange, scrabbling noises
could be heard.
"When they come we form a circle in the centre of the room, backs to one
another," I whispered.
"I am not a warrior," he whispered back.
I grasped my sword. "Very soon, you will be," I replied.
There was a crash and creatures burst through the walls and roof, putting the
fires out as they came. Ahmad yelled and we leapt to our feet, swords drawn. I
immediately ducked under a blow, raising my sword to open the exposed underbelly
of the Wen. Then another came at me. I knocked its claw aside and stabbed it
with my dagger. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Ahmad fending one off, then I
saw one behind Halga and threw my sword across the room, gutting it. I leapt
across to it and dragged my sword free, turning to fight yet more Wen. I'd lost
track of Ahmad, and surprised myself by feeling worried, but I had survival to
think about.
Suddenly, as quickly as they'd come, they were gone, and we all stood panting
heavily. In the dark we could not see who was missing but we were all smiling.
There's nothing like surviving a bloody battle! We got some torches lit to look
for bodies and I looked for Ahmad. I found him buried under some baskets at the
back of the room, just coming back to consciousness.
"Well, he didn't run," I said laughing as I pulled him up. He had blood on his
face where one of the Wen's claws had caught him. "Hey," I said, lifting his
head to take a closer look at his wounds, I felt strangely proud of him, his
first battle scars. "You look none the worse for wear," I said, he didn't look
convinced.
"Ragnar is here," said Halga.
"His head?" I asked.
"No," he replied.
"They take the heads, they always take the heads," I said to Ahmad.
"What about Haltaf?" asked Buliwyf.
"It's the same," said Halga, "And Hyglak."
"I see none of them," said Helfdane suddenly.
"What?"
"None of them, none of the ones we killed," he said.
"Nor do I," said Skeld darkly.
"Not one," said Helfdane.
"I took two at least that could not have lived," said Skeld.
"As did I, as did we all," said Halga.
"Even the Arab gutted one," said Weath.
"There was some life left in him," said Ahmad. The one he'd gutted had also
been the one that had thrown him across the room.
"They carried them off," said Halga, "They must have."
"They are demons," said Skeld.
"Their blood looks real enough," said Buliwyf, looking at his sword which was
still coated.
Ahmad had his wounds cleaned and treated by one of Weilew's women, Olga, while
we carried out the bodies.
"Help me carry Ragnar out," I said to Weath, "Come friend, your head has gone
looking for your hands, they will meet you in paradise." I hefted the body onto
my shoulders and then picked up what appeared to be a claw, " No bodies, but
here perhaps, one of their claws." I said passing it to Weath. He threw it to
Ahmad.
"Let's go Little Brother, we have defences to build," I called to him as we
carried Ragnar out. He followed us outside.
Everyone ablebodied and who could be spared from the farms was put to work on
the defences. Skeld tried to show Ahmad how to sharpen a stake using his sword,
but he found our swords too unwieldy and in the end he had Skeld grind it down
to a sabre, much to Weath's amusement. It seemed as though Ahmad was quite
capable of using the smaller weapon. He may not have faced battle before last
night, but he had definitely had some training.
Later in the day I saw him talking to Olga, as they spoke she looked at his
wounds, but I suddenly realised that I did not like the way she was touching
him. I was actually jealous. It took a while to sink in that I had possibly
fallen for him and as I stood there, he walked over to me and Buliwyf. He told
us what Olga had had to say.
"She says that the peasants believe we will bring the fireworm down on the
village. Also Prince Wygliff is telling the king that you plan to take his
kingdom and she said to be cautious. She would say no more," he said.
"She doesn't need to. Prince, ach!" I spat on the ground in disgust.
"We will need an example," said Buliwyf quietly.
I glanced over to the hall where Wygliff stood with his father and two of his
men. "The red head?" I asked.
"Um hmm," said Buliwyf.
"I'll do it, you shouldn't be involved," I said.
"What should I do?" asked Ahmad.
"Keep your teeth together and go back to work," I said and walked away. I was
perhaps more harsh than was necessary but I knew that he wouldn't understand and
I didn't want him interfering, or getting involved.
I watched the redhead, Angus, as he joined the labour and I went to dig next to
him. Very deliberately I threw a clod of earth at him.
"Argh," he said, "Watch where you throw that." I barely looked at him as if I
hadn't even noticed and he turned back to his work. This time I dug up some mud
and threw it at him.
"Ach, you dig like a dog," he said.
I straightened. "Did you call me a dog?" I said raising my eyebrows.
"I said you dig like one, flinging around carelessly like an animal," he said.
I stuck my spade into the ground. "So now I'm an animal," I said, walking
towards him.
"You're not listening.." he started.
"I'm deaf?" I said.
"You're a fool little man," he said glaring down at me. Next to most men, I was
not little, but he was taller even than Buliwyf.
I stepped right up to him. "That is because boy, your words are as feeble and
twisted as an old woman's," I said.
"This old woman'll send you to the next world, old man," he said.
It was done, the challenge was set. We each prepared three shields and I
sharpened my sword in readiness. Ahmad came up to me looking worried.
"What happened?" he asked.
"Just airing a dispute," I said with a grin.
He stepped forward to look at Angus where he stood waiting. "You notice he's
bigger than you?" he said.
"Yes."
"Younger?"
"Yes." I hit my shield twice with my sword and stepped forward, "Bet on him if
you like," I said with a laugh.
"I may," he shouted angrily.
Angus' first blow took me off my feet, his second broke my shield. He backed off
as I got to my feet.
"Luck," I sneered and went to pick up my second shield. Ahmad was looking very
worried. I hit my shield again and went forward to face Angus. He flew at me,
smashing at me with his sword. I kept my shield up, occasionally managing to
take a swing at him. As the fight continued I began to breath heavily and I was
using my sword less and less. Finally my second shield broke.
He backed away again as I staggered to my third and final shield, dragging my
sword behind me. I bent over and spat, panting heavily. Behind me, Ahmad was
gesturing furiously at Buliwyf, he told me later that he was trying to stop the
fight. I picked up the last shield and hit it weakly with my sword. Slowly, I
staggered to meet Angus. I kept up my shield and just managed to defend myself
against the onslaught. A strong stroke drove me to my knees and my shield broke.
He backed up and I threw the shield to the ground. I forced myself to my feet,
leaning heavily on my sword.
"Stupid fool," I heard Ahmad shout, but I continued to focus on Angus. He
looked at Wygliff, who nodded and then he turned to me. He lunged at me, over
reaching himself. I twisted easily out of the way, lifting my sword as I turned,
bringing it down onto his neck and taking his head. The pretense was over. I
sauntered away from the body, then turned and threw a pouch of coin to Wygliff.
"See to your friend. He was a brave man," I said. He stalked away. I turned and
picked up a bucket of water, dumping it over my head.
Ahamd walked up to me, staring at me accusingly, "You, you could have killed
him at will." It was half a question and half a statement.
"Yes," I said, wiping water out of my eyes.
"But why the deception?" he asked in confusion.
"Deception is the point," I said, "Any fool can calculate strength. That one
has been doing it since the moment he saw us," I gestured at Wygliff's
retreating figure, " Now he has to calculate what he cannot see." I said looking
at Ahmad expectantly. I saw comprehension dawn.
"Or fear what he doesn't know," he said. I hit my head with my hand, again he'd made me proud.
"As you say, foolish, and expensive," said Buliwyf, "We will miss Angus
tonight, we will miss his sword." He walked away, as Ahmad frowned thoughtfully
at me. To give him something else to think about, I gave him some food to take
out to Edgtho at the watchtower. It was approaching nightfall and a sense of
urgency filled everyone.
Suddenly the warning gong was sounded and villagers began to stream in through
the gate, followed closely by Ahmad and Edgtho on horseback. A cart was pushed
across the entrance, spikes lowered and stakes planted to hold it in place. We
all climbed the outer wall to look out.
"The serpent of fire," whispered Ahmad.
"Breathing fire," said Helfdane. The mist was coming down off the hills and
through it came the slithering line of fire.
"What's that in the field below the tower?" said Weath suddenly, we all stared.
"It's a child," said Rethel.
"Look at her," I said in horror.
Ahmad looked back and forth at us, and then shouted, "Open the gate, get the
gate." He ran for his horse as we climbed down to get the gate.
"You need to lift the spikes first, help me," shouted Skeld.
I walked over to him. "Down," I said, pulling him to the ground as Ahmad leapt
over us, clearing the gate. We struggled to get the gate open, pulling it aside
just in time for him to race through with the girl.
I carried my armour over to him. "So you saw the fireworm?" I asked.
"It's cavalry," he replied. I turned to look outside.
"I rather prefer a dragon," I said with a laugh.
"Hundreds, with torches," he said dismounting from his horse.
"Take the North," said Buliwyf.
I nodded, "Let's go Little Brother, it is beginning."
As he followed, Rethel threw him some chainmail. We strapped on our armour as we
ran to the North side of the village. We climbed to the top of the outer wall
and waited. What was it I had said to Ahmad? Fear profits a man nothing, and
yet despite the chance one or both of us might die in the next hour, I said
nothing of my feelings. It was not really the best time.
@>*~
As darkness fell, we watched the torches approach.
"Allah, be merciful," whispered Ahmad, as the lights approached.
The Wendol circled us, throwing spears and torches over the wall. I took up my
bow and shot one.
"Yah, did you see that?" I yelled, "Hold this." I gave the quiver to Ahmad, "Ha, got you, yah!" I screamed. There is is almost nothing quite like the
beginning of battle, the anticipation, the exhileration, not knowing whether you
will live or die. I shot two more, then they were upon us, climbing over the
spikes and the wall. I drew my sword and flew against them. I saw Ahmad backing
away under the onslaught of one, but it went down. Something seemed to change in
him and suddenly he yelled, rushing at a Wen behind me and hacking at it. I
turned to him.
"It's all right Little Brother, there are more," I grinned and pointed behind
him.
With another yell, he flew into the battle and I turned my attention back to the
Wendol. Steadily, I cut my way through them. I was soon covered in blood and my
sword was slipping in my grip. Suddenly the Wen had got through the gate,
chasing down the villagers. I saw Buliwyf gather Weath and Ahmad giving them
stakes to hold in the way of the horses. Ahmad went down, but I saw him pull
himself out and hack at the Wendol. A horn blew and suddenly the Wendol were
turning away. It was over, for now.
I caught my breath for a moment and then went to join Buliwyf in trying to put
out some of the fires. Eventually there was nothing more we could do. I stripped
out of my armour and jacket and found a flask of mead. Taking a horn and the
flask, I went to find Ahmad. He was sitting alone staring out over the fields. I
sat by him taking a swig of mead. I was just glad that he was still alive.
"Skeld, Halga, Roneth and Rethel will be joining them," I said quietly. He
stared at me then turned to look at the fires burning behind us. I offered him
the horn I had refilled.
He shook his head. "I cannot, taste neither the fermentation of grape," he
said, then he looked at me, "Nor of wheat."
I stared at him and started to laugh, it was either that or cry.
"What?" he asked defensively, "Why do you laugh?"
"Honey," I said, choking on my laughter, "It's made from honey." I handed the
horn to him and got up to leave. He put his hand on my arm.
"Stay," he said looking up at me, "Stay with me," he whispered. I sat back
down as he drank deeply. Hesitantly he put his hand in mine and stared into my
eyes fearfully, hopefully. I knew what he was asking, and I wasn't about to
refuse, I had fallen hard for this Arab.
"Come with me," I said, putting the flask down and taking the horn from him. I
pulled him after me to a more sheltered spot as it began to rain. He swayed
towards me and I caught him in my arms, pulling him close. I lifted his chin
then lowered my head and kissed him. He made a startled sound and then groaned,
leaning into me, his mouth opening under mine. I gasped as his tongue snaked out
to meet mine, and they entwined as I tasted him. I pulled him down onto the
straw and then lifted my head.
"Is this what you want?" I asked. He nodded, reaching up to touch my chest.
Then he fisted my shirt and pulled me back down, kissing me fiercely. His mouth
was warm and wet and I could taste blood. He sucked my tongue into his mouth and
began to rip off my shirt. From somewhere I found the will to pull back and take it
off. He lay back on the straw panting heavily. His lips were swollen
from the kisses and his eyes were glazed, dark with passion.
"Oh gods," I groaned. I ripped his shirt open and lay back on top of him,
claiming his mouth quickly, passionately, before sliding down slightly, bending
my head to lap at his chest. His nipples hardened and I sucked one into my
mouth, lapping at it until he groaned. I turned to the other one and nipped it.
His back arched and he cried out, his hands gripping my arms tightly. I could
feel his arousal pressing against my thigh, so I shifted to bring my own into
alignment, pushing my groin into his. He grabbed my hips and pulled me closer,
rubbing his hard length against mine.
I lowered myself still further, kissing and licking at his chest and belly as I
descended. I knelt in between his legs and undid the fastenings of his trousers,
pulling them down and off. I had never seen a circumscised penis before, it was
a thing of beauty, red, swollen and already leaking. Unable to resist, I leaned
down and tasted him.
"Shit," he screamed. It was the first time I'd ever heard him swear. I settled
myself more comfortably between his legs and quickly took his length into my
mouth. His hands grasped my hair as he gasped in surprise. I had to hold down
his hips so that he didn't choke me. I sucked and licked his shaft, pumping
slowly up and down, tasting him, enjoying the smooth, silky texture. He was
writhing beneath me, panting hard, pulling almost painfully at my hair. I knew
he was close, I felt his balls tightening and lifted my head, immediately using
my hand to stroke his length.
"I want you," I said thickly. He looked me in the eyes and nodded, he knew what
I was asking. Then suddenly he threw his head back and his back arched, he
screamed and jerked beneath me, his seed spurting into my hand and onto his
belly. He flopped back against the floor as I hurriedly pulled off my leather
pants. I used his seed on my erection to make entrance easier. I gestured to him
to turn, but he shook his head, pulling his knees, back and apart.
"I want to see you," he whispered. I lay down on top of him, taking my weight
on my elbows and pushed into him. He gasped, the orgasm had relaxed him but he
was still tight. I moved slowly, trying to make sure not to hurt him, but also
trying to hold back from coming. He moaned and gripped my arms as I worked my
way in, easing out and pushing back in, deeper with each movement. I dipped my
head and kissed him gently, licking his lips, before sliding my tongue between
them, thrusting gently into his mouth. Finally, my balls rested against his
buttocks and I held still for a moment so that we could both adjust. Being
inside him was almost more than I could bear. He was hot and tight and I was so
close I could taste it, but I knew that this night was special. It was also
probably the last chance for us to be together for a while, maybe ever if one of
us should die. I pushed such thoughts out of my mind.
His muscles clenched around me and I groaned, pushing into him. He cupped my
face with his hand and looked at me pleadingly, I don't think either of us could
speak. I began to move, agonisingly slowly in and out of him, I tried to angle
myself so that I would hit the spot that would give him so much pleasure, and as
I did, he encouraged me with grunts and groans, hands and hips to move faster
and harder. In the end I was pounding into him, it was as if we were one
creature, I could not tell where he ended and I began, as we gasped and moved in
unison. Finally it was too much and as I felt the warm wetness of his second
orgasm on my stomach, his muscles tightened around my cock pulling my climax
from me. I think I screamed as I felt my seed pumping deep inside him, I jerked
on top of him and he held me close, riding out the tremors.
I collapsed on top of him and his arms tightened around me, we were panting,
trying to catch our breath.
"Thank you," he whispered.
"It. Was. Definitely. My. Pleasure," I panted.
"I..." he stopped. I pushed myself up onto my elbows to stare at him, and saw
in his eyes, what I hoped he saw mirrored in mine.
"I know, so do I," I said and kissed him gently. We pulled our clothes back on,
and Ahmad found a blanket from somewhere. Curling up together in the straw, we
quickly fell asleep.
At dawn Weath woke us. "Come on," he said, nodding his head in the direction of
the hall. He stared at us a moment longer as we rose, then he walked away. I was
not worried about anyone's reaction, love is the business of the gods and not
for any man to judge.
Ahmad was looking at me shyly, hesitantly, so I walked up to him and kissed him
hard, to reassure him. He smiled at me and I wanted to take him straight to bed
again. I pulled myself together and we walked to the hall in silence.
The others had all gathered, Weilew was tending to wounds, which were amazingly
few in those who had survived. I got some food and threw some to Ahmad. Edgtho
brought in a body and threw it to the ground.
"Three more on the fence," he said. Helfdane walked over to it, using his sword
to lever back the bear head.
"Looks like the mating of a man and some beast," said Weath.
"It's a man," said Ahmad, I smiled at him.
"If it is a man, it must sleep. If it sleeps it has a lair and we have a
trail," said Buliwyf.
"Attack them?" I asked in surprise.
"Is there a choice?" he replied.
Weilew looked at us for a moment. "Come with me, there is a woman who can
help," she said. She led us out to a small settlement not far from the village,
where we dismounted. Buliwyf gestured at me to follow.
"Bring the Arab," he said.
"There's one down here who was old when my grandmother was a girl," she said, "She's quite mad."
"The perfect advisor," I said sarcastically to Ahmad.
The old woman lay on the ground in front of the fire, wrapped in blankets.
"Weilew," she said and tutted, "Shame, shame, shame, it's a Queen Weilew that
fronts me now, does she not?"
"We seek your counsel, madam," said Weilew.
"We, or he," asked the old woman, "Step closer Buliwyf." Buliwyf approached
her, "Closer."
"You know me?" Buliwyf asked.
"I have ears. Warrior says the wind, chieftain says the rain. But why seek you
me? Met you your match? Met you your match with the eaters of the dead?" she
said chuckling. Buliwyf glanced at Weilew then looked away disgusted.
"We seek your wisdom," said Weilew.
"Wars are won in the will," said the old woman, "Perhaps you have been
fighting in the wrong field. Have you a token? A thing, a thing of them?" she
asked.
"Yes," said Ahmad, he took the statue he had kept and handed it to Buliwyf, who
handed to the woman.
"They show you the way, you will not see. Slaughter them till you rot, you'll
accomplish nothing," she said, "Find the root, strike the will."
"How?" asked Buliwyf.
"This is the mother of the Wen, she they revere. She is the will," she said.
"Where do I seek her?" asked Buliwyf.
"She is the earth, seek her in the earth," she closed her eyes. Buliwyf sighed
and I turned to Ahmad raising my eyebrows in disgust.
"And Buliwyf," she called as he walked away, "Beware the leader of their
warriors, he wears the horns of power, he too you must kill."
We rode back to the hall to prepare ourselves, I pulled Ahmad aside.
"We may not come back from this," I said, he nodded.
"I know," he said, "Whatever happens, I will be with you, that is enough for
me."
I hugged him hard and then stepped back, holding him at arms length, staring at
him.
"What is it?" he asked. I shook my head and kissed him.
"I love you," I said, then I turned and walked away before he could say
anything.
We all mounted up, and Ahmad rode over to join us. "Have we anything resembling a plan?" Ahmad asked me as the others rode ahead.
"Ah, ride till we find them, kill them all," I replied, I rode away from him,
but I could hear him following behind me.
"I love you," he said. I nearly didn't hear him. I slowed enough to allow him
to catch up, then we rode side by side silently. I watched him out of the corner
of my eye. Suddenly he spoke.
"The fight with Angus," he said.
"Huh?" I said in confusion.
"That's when I realised, I thought you were going to die, and I knew..." he
stopped, staring straight ahead.
"Oh," I said.
"Of course, I was attracted to you before that, I mean, the blond hair, blue
eyes, smile, who could resist?" he snorted suddenly and I realised he was
laughing. I stared at him for a moment, before I started to laugh with him. When
we'd recovered we rode hard to catch up with the others and fell silent as the
rest.
We rode through the trees and the mist, Edgtho scouting ahead.
"A child could follow this," said Helfdane.
"They have no fear, no fear of us at all," I said worriedly.
We stopped at a ridge, waiting for Edgtho to return. In front of us, stakes had
been planted in the ground, topped with skulls. Buliwyf's dog was growling at
them.
"The dog does not approve," said Weath.
"Bearskulls," I said, I turned to Ahmad, "I don't think they like company."
Ahmad began to talk to himself. " Bears, the headdresses, they think they are
bears... they want us to think they are bears." He stopped then turned to me,
"Herger, how do you hunt a bear?"
I stared at him. "Chase it down with dogs, what?" He stopped me.
"How do you hunt a bear in winter?" he asked.
"Go into its cave, with spears," I replied, raising my hands questioningly.
"Where is a cave?" he asked.
"In the earth," said Weath. I understood and I smiled and nodded to him.
Edgtho returned, "The next glen, many fires."
"Is there a cave?" shouted Buliwyf.
@>*~
We crawled up to the edge of the cliff that overlooked the glen. The village was
small, with rough wooden huts, a few fires and not much else. There was almost
no sign of life. Two Wen walked over a bridge to our side of the glen.
"But there's no cave," said Weath.
"Yes," said Ahmad, "There is." He pointed down as the Wendol disappeared into
the cliff.
"It's right into the rock face," said Weath.
"Can we get to it?" asked Buliwyf.
"If they don't keep dogs, maybe," replied Edgtho.
We crept silently through the village, pausing only to knock out and kill a Wen
who crawled out of one of the huts as we passed. At the bridge, Edgtho crossed
wearing a head dress appropriated from a hut. I readied my bow and shot one
guard while Edgtho killed the other.
We ran quickly across the bridge and into the entrance cave, each grabbing a
torch. At the first tunnel, Edgtho stopped us, he tapped his chest and shook his
head, gesturing at those of us with heavier armour. Buliwyf, Weath and myself
stripped down to our jackets. When Helfdane made no move to do the same, Weath
tapped his chest.
"You'd have to kiss me first dearie," he said, Weath shook his head in disgust.
The first cave was filled with Wen, some eating, some sleeping. They were all
half naked, short and broad, with wild matted hair and completely covered with
some black dye, usually streaked with red lines. It was impossible to tell men
from women, assuming that any of them were female.
We crawled on our bellies in a small shallow, which had a high bank, mostly
hiding us from view. As we crawled Helfdane managed to dislodge some rocks and
we all froze. Weath turned to glare at Helfdane who was directly behind him,
Helfdane pulled a face, shrugging slightly. When we felt it was safe, we
continued into the next tunnel where we could stand and relight our torches. It
led down to a huge cavern where we crossed over a bridge.
"How deep in the earth are we?" asked Weath.
"Deep enough to fall out the bottom," said Helfdane.
I stopped to let them pass and looked back to check we were safe. "Come on," I
said and followed after them. In the next cave we stopped, staring in awe and
horror at a giant statue of the Wendol mother. Then I saw something far worse.
"Look at your feet," I said. The floor of the cave was filled with bones,
mostly skulls, piled high up against the walls.
"I was wrong, these are not men," whispered Ahmad. I squeezed his shoulder in
silent agreement.
Buliwyf found another tunnel, and we followed quickly, all of us eager to leave
that place behind. There were lights up ahead, so we put down the torches and
crawled to the edge of a cliff. It overlooked an underground lake, there was a
waterfall to our right. Below and across the lake sat groups of Wendol around
small fires.
"If we cut our way through them, we will have the other lot on us," I said.
"Down the wall and we swim," said Buliwyf.
Helfdane and Edgtho rigged up a rope. Edgtho crawled to the edge of the cliff.
"I go," he said and rolled off the edge, swinging across the waterfall to the
rocks on the other side. Weath followed, as Edgtho rigged up another rope
leading down to the lake. Buliwyf went next, then I crawled over to Ahmad.
"Let's go Little Brother," I said.
He clutched the rope and looked at me. "I do not enjoy heights," he said
shaking his head. I grinned and pushed him off. He hit the rocks on the other
side and Buliwyf helped him up, before descending to the lake after Edgtho and
Weath. I followed him over and Helfdane was last. A noise caused us to freeze
and a group of Wendol passed above us. Ahmad lost his grip and fell over the
side. My heart in my mouth, I looked over the edge. Thankfully he'd grabbed hold
of the rope and was just below me. I held the rope to stop it swinging until the
Wen were out of sight. As soon as it was clear, I looked at him.
"Go," I mouthed. He slid down the rope, not a good idea when you are about to
use a sword. I lowered myself after him and as I'd thought the rope had cut
through his gloves, but luckily had only grazed his hands. We swam across the
lake, our daggers in our mouths in preparation, and quietly pulled ourselves out
of the water behind a group of the Wen. We fell on them, managing to kill
several before the rest raised the alarm. I drew my sword, then turned to
Buliwyf.
"Go," I shouted, "Kill her, do it!" He nodded and went into the next cave as I
turned and joined the battle. As we killed the last one, we could see torches
appearing and hear shouting as more Wen descended towards us.
"Damn it," I said. Ahmad nudged me and I turned to see Buliwyf coming from the
other cave, he looked shaken. I walked over to him anxious to know. "It is done?" I asked.
"It is," he said. He looked up. "A hard fight to get clear of here," he said.
I nodded.
"Hey, there's a passage leading down," said Weath.
We ran down the tunnel, Weath helping Buliwyf part of the way. I was worried, he
seemed weak, yet did not appear injured. I stopped when I realised Ahmad and
Helfdane had fallen behind, as I turned back, Ahmad appeared alone.
"Helfdane?" I asked. I feared the worst. He shook his head. I know I must have
looked worried for a moment, and I was. That only left the five of us, and I
didn't know what was wrong with Buliwyf. I turned away and we followed the
others.
"We'll just keep following this stream, it has to come out somewhere," I said,
as we entered the next cave. And stopped. It was a dead end.
"The stream disappears under the rocks," said Edgtho dourly. I stared for a
moment then moved back to the cave entrance. Buliwyf fell to his knees.
"Buliwyf," I exclaimed.
"I'm all right," he said. I drew my sword.
"We fight by twos, give the other pair a chance to rest," I said, "Here they
come." There was a roar that echoed through the cave.
"Go on, make it worse, now it's gonna rain," said Weath. We laughed, somewhat
hysterically, I admit. Ahmad was muttering to himself again.
"Ahmad, you and me..." I started.
"Wait, wait, wait," he said. "Thunder," he said looking to Edgtho.
"Waves make thunder," said Edgtho, "The thunder cliffs!"
"Surf," said Ahmad, "There's surf out there." He pointed at where the stream
disappeared under the rock face.
"Can we swim it, or do we drown trying?" said Edgtho looking to me. I looked at
Buliwyf.
"Try it," he said.
Weath and Edgtho jumped into the water, and I helped Buliwyf in, they were going
to help him swim. They took deep breaths and dived under. Ahmad and I jumped in,
I kissed him quickly.
"The way we'll know is," I said, "If they don't follow us, it's too far to
swim, haha," I laughed. I took a deep breath and dived under the water, he
followed close behind. We followed a long tunnel, guided by a faint light
source. I could feel my lungs starting to ache, and I wasn't sure I could make
it, but at last there was a hole, where the light was coming from and we swam up
quickly, bursting out of the water, gasping for breath. We swam for shore and
some how made it back to the hall, each of us helping with Buliwyf, who seemed
to be getting weaker.
We were now but five warriors, soon to be four. Weilew tended to Buliwyf in the
hall as we sat and watched in despair.
"Not through the night," I said, hiding my sadness, "His fate is sealed."
"You know that?" said Ahmad.
"The skein is tied, the weave was set down long ago," I replied.
"You wearing that long face for me?" said Buliwyf to Ahmad.
"I cannot help it," he said. I put my hand on his knee under the table and
squeezed it gently, hoping to comfort him in some way. He leaned back so that
his back rested on my chest and I put an arm round him to hold him.
"I have only these hands," said Buliwyf, "I will die a pauper."
Rothgar put his sword into Buliwyf's hands. "You will be buried as a king," he
said.
"A man might be thought wealthy, if someone were to...draw the story of his
deeds, that they may be remembered," said Bulliwyf. Weilew turned and stared at
Ahmad over Buliwyf's head. Ahmad glanced at her and then looked at Buliwyf.
"Such a man, might be thought wealthy, indeed," he said.
I had to get out of there, I couldn't stand it anymore. Ahmad followed me out to
a burnt out farmstead. He held me as I cried. It was a strange feeling, I have
never mourned anyone before, and certainly not before they have even died. Ahmad
made no comment, indeed he was crying himself. I took comfort in his touch, his
presence. When the tears stopped, we sat quietly, each letting the other
recover.
I turned in the circle of Ahmad's arms and kissed him hungrily, forcing his
mouth open, nipping and sucking on his lips. His tongue quested out to join mine
and aggressively we tasted each other. I pushed him back against the floor and
he lay still and compliant as I crawled on top of him, pushing my groin into his
as I hardened quickly, urgently. He widened his legs so that I could lie flat
against him, his hands coming up to grasp my hair, pulling me closer so that he
could suck on my tongue. I was rocking urgently against him and I could feel him
moving with me. I needed him so desperately there was no way I could stop, and
he understood, wrapping his legs around me, holding me as close as he could as
he humped against me. But we didn't want or need it to last long, we needed the
release. I felt myself getting closer and finally lifted my mouth from his so
that I could get in enough air. As I felt him start to jerk against me, he
buried his face in my chest to smother his scream. It was enough to send me over
the edge with him as the pressure exploded from my groin. I bit down on his
shoulder and humped frantically against him until the spasms faded.
I may have lost consciousness for a brief moment but then I was aware that I was
crushing him, and rolled off him onto the floor. He turned onto his side and
laid his head on my chest. I put my arm around him, and gently stroked his hair.
We lay there quietly for a while, recovering our breath and our thoughts.
"I love you," he said suddenly, seriously. He lifted his head to look at me.
"I love you too," I said. He leaned forward to kiss me gently, and I saw blood
on his shirt where I'd bitten him.
"Shit," I exclaimed, "I hurt you." I sat up trying to move his shirt so that I
could see. He took my hand and kissed it.
"You didn't hurt me. It might hurt a little now, but it felt good then, I liked
it," he said quietly. I stared into his eyes, he was all right, I smiled in
relief.
He stood and held out his hand. "We should get back," he said. I nodded and
took his hand, pulling myself up. We straightened our clothes, and washed
ourselves off as best we could from a barrel of water. At the hall I got myself
a drink and went to sit outside, Ahmad went to check on Buliwyf. He came out to
join me a few minutes later.
"He's travelling to the other side," he said with a sigh, shaking his head, "He grips his sword as if afraid he will not wake." Ahmad sat next to me and put his head on my shoulder. I slung my arm across his shoulders and gave him a
brief hug.
"Think no more of these things," I said, kissing the top of his head, "You
must rest now."
"I am not tired," he said.
"Rest. The Wendol will want vengeance for killing the mother," I said, "They
will come soon."
He pulled away and looked at me in horror. "Again?" he asked, he stood up still
staring at me.
"We killed the mother but not the leader, as long as he lives they will come
back to fight us," I said.
"When?" he asked.
"Tonight?" I guessed. He turned away to stare out over the fields.
"The evening lasts so long here, not like home," he sighed, "I do not think
tonight there will be..." Suddenly in the distance horns sounded, "Fog," he
finished in a whisper.
Any heartache I might have felt at his mention of his home was quickly overidden
by horror. I stared out over the fields and stood. They were coming already.
We all rushed to prepare the defenses which were still damaged from the first
battle.
"Kill the mother, she said, kill their leader and they will break," said Weath
in disgust.
"We shall soon find out, if she was right," I replied, as we walked to the next
hole in the wall it began to rain, "At least we don't have to worry about
fire," I said.
"They're all terrified," said Weath looking at the villagers around us, "Ready
to break and run. I wish we had Buliwyf with us," he said.
"It's a small matter," I replied unconvincingly.
At the gate I handed Ahmad some chain mail. "Here," I said, "Prepare
yourselves," I said to them all. As I put on my armour I watched Ahmad as he lay
down his gloves, mail and sword, then he removed his boots and knelt on the
ground. He leaned forward, his forehead almost to the ground, then he sat back
on his heels and began to pray.
"Merciful Father, I have squandered my days with plans of many things. This,
was not among them. But at this moment, I beg only, to live the next few minutes
well," he said. He stood and started to dress, but continued to pray. "For
all we ought to have thought, and have not thought; all we ought to have said,
and have not said; all we ought to have done, and have not done; I pray thee
God, for forgiveness," he finished. He put on his boots and walked over to join
me. He kissed me fiercely, much to the surprise of the others and then walked to
the wall. I followed after him.
As we waited, we heard Buliwyf's dog whining and turned to see Buliwyf stumbling
towards us, trailing his sword along the ground. He fell to his knees and Weath
started to move to help, but stopped. Buliwyf struggled to his feet and came to
stand in front of us. As the leader of the Wen appeared on the ridgeline,
Buliwyf unclipped his cloak and began to speak.
"Lo there do I see my father," he said. One after another, we joined in, "Lo
there do I see my mother, my sisters and my brothers. Lo there do I see the line
of my people back to the beginning. Lo they do call to me, they bid me take my
place among them, in the halls of Valhalla, where the brave may live forever."
As we spoke the Wen were charging towards us. Buliwyf lifted his sword and stood
his ground. He killed several as we fought, and then inexorably the Wen chief
made his way towards him. Buliwyf managed to knock him from his horse but was
struck from behind. Still he stayed on his feet, but the leader had leapt to his
feet and dealt Buliwyf a hard blow to his side. Buliwyf lifted his sword and
swung it round in desperation, knocking the Wen to the ground, then he plunged
it into the chief's body. The Wen's dying scream echoed around us as we all
turned to see.
The horn sounded again, and suddenly the Wendol were riding away, fleeing. I
leant on my sword and turned to look for Ahmad. He stood near me, panting for
breath. I walked slowly over to him and put my arms around him, resting my head
on his shoulder as we watched them ride away.
"It's over," he whispered. A dog howled and we saw Buliwyf sitting motionless
on the wall. We ran over but it was too late, he was gone, I turned away,
holding back the tears, but even Edgtho was crying.
At Buliwyf's funeral, Edgtho, Weath, Ahmad and myself carried him to the boat.
Weilew followed behind, carrying his sword. I suspected she wanted to go with
him, but she was another man's wife and the Queen. A girl had volunteered to go
with him and it was me and Ahmad who strangled her and laid her beside Buliwyf.
The boat was set alight and pushed out onto the water. Ahmad and I held each
other as we watched. We watched long after all the others had gone, until it had
burnt out and floated out of sight.
I did not ask Ahmad to stay, I didn't want him to stay for me, I wanted him to
stay for him, I didn't want him to be unhappy. I was more relieved than he'll
ever know that he decided not to accompany Edgtho and Weath on their mission to
bring Wulfgar home. I knew he would stay with me forever. I held him close the
night after they left and told him I loved him.
The End
13th Warrior Index