Tylywoch ~ 30

 Tylywoch ~ 30 Sword-smith V

By Len Morgan

   Terrek looked up from his forge, wiping sweat from his eyes, first with a tattered shirt that had seen better days, and moments later with the back of his large soot encrusted hand.   He smiled, tired but content, as he witnessed the birth of a new dawn.   He glanced over at the finishers' racks and noted with satisfaction the fruits of their day's labour.  Five hundred blades and, Jax had matched him blade for blade.  It would be several hours before the next shipment, of a thousand blanks, arrived from Orden, which would be another two days work for them.   They had been working fourteen hours a day for eight consecutive days, they had produced four thousand blades in all.   It took fire quad and sixteen experienced finishers to keep pace.   But, the strain was telling on them all, the target of five thousand in ten days, had to be achieved in the next two days.   Both Jax and Terrek had every intention of heading for the fort at Stokk with the final shipment and were resolute in their intent to join the fight for the freedom of the West. 

.-…-. 

Three hours passed, during which time they slept, then the final wagons arrived.   In the driving seat of the last wagon was Orden himself.   The short stocky dwarf-like man grinned from ear to ear knowing he would at least be viewed with suspicion by the allies.   In reality, he was surprised at their hostility when he sampled their minds.   Though they stopped short of open aggression their treatment was frosty, to say the least.   Being of generous spirit and magnanimous, he chose to ignore it.   They soon warmed towards him however when they saw the depth of feeling displayed towards him by Terrek and Jax.   But, when it was explained that Orden had single-handedly produced the five thousand blanks they would soon be using against the Bluttlanders, he achieved hero status.

"Are you here to mind the forge while we are gone?"  Terrek asked  playfully. 

Orden smiled and slapped Terrek on the back.   "Jus jesting Yes?   I have to be there to deal with brother Bedelacq should he decide to take a hand."

Terrek physically blanched under the weight of the Jelonans playful tap.

"Terrek!   You always jesting…" he chuckled.   "Hello my young friend," he smiled and clasped the hand extended to him, by Jax, shaking it vigorously.  

Jax forced the smile to freeze on his face, flexing his hand soothingly when at last it was released from Orden’s grasp. 

With Orden's help, they completed the work in less than two days.   They rested, while the finisher's carried out their work, and were refreshed and ready to go when the final wagon was loaded.

The party consisted of Fire, Flood, and Earthquake quads; the latter referred to simply as Quake were responsible for transporting the blanks from Orden's Forge.   When they moved out Quake took up point with Flood as rearguard.   The others either drove or accompanied the wagons. 

Despite the rough terrain, Terrek and Jax slept for a full day and a night, then awoke none the worse for their nine-day forced work schedule. 

Terrek with his innate curiosity and lifelong interest in medicine & healing found himself most often in the company of Galein.   He wanted to learn about the uses she had, for each of the common plants, herbs, and minerals they found on their journey, and to describe the uses he'd discovered for them.    Galein was both a good teacher and a quick learner, whilst Terrek displayed an almost childlike need for answers, he could not stop himself from asking the question…  "Why?"

Bran and Orden got heavily embroiled in debating tactics, the merits, and demerits of this or that maneuver, they would argue the point hour after hour gaining obvious pleasure in each other's company.   Jax with little experience in such matters found himself relegated to the role of spectator occasionally picking up snippets of useful information.   He felt like a dog eating scraps thrown to him by diners at a feast.   Later, Orden would explain their joint role in the expedition, which would be, coordinating and communicating between units, over the wide area of the conflict zone.   They would be attached to different units under Aldor's overall control, as he was the ultimate tactician.

 At midnight, the sky was overcast with low-lying cover and the seas were running high.   Scudding clouds distorted the two moons alternately lighting the drama being played out far below.  Heavy winds made speech impossible and threatened to tear the observers from their cliff tops perches.  Two ships had already foundered on the jagged rocks below, the first failed attempt at landfall.   Orden knew at a glance, that nobody living would be coming ashore at Teel tonight!

He established a mind link with Terrek further upriver at Ricc, and with Jax even further North, far away from the raw power of the ocean, where it may just have been possible to attempt a landing.   But, Jax confirmed Orden's earlier assessment, reporting that seven ships had made an abortive, attempt at landing prior to losing their nerve and running for open water.  

Terrek witnessed three ships attempt to make a safe landing.   One was dis-masted and thrown onto the rocks, like a pile of kindling wood, disappearing without a trace on the ebb of the next heavy waves.   Helpless in the teeth of the elements the other two fought to turn away, from certain destruction, only one survived.   

With the cold grey dawn, came the rough but comparatively calmer weather.  

Several ships were beached in the area close to Jax, but neither their crews or human cargo were in a fit state to put up any resistance, nor were the defending forces inclined to allow them time to recover.   Empire troops moved in on the hundreds who made it to shore and put them to the sword, some were so overcome with sea sickness they were unable even to draw their weapons.   When the ships were fired, hundreds more burned in the hulks, unable to get out.   Those who escaped burning, died jumping from the ship's rails or were carried off by the heavy swell.   Others found themselves trapped in treacherous sinking sands and were sucked down to their deaths.   The smell of death became sickening, a rough estimate of the dead, including the crew, was between five hundred and a thousand from the two ships.   The Empire's losses were minimal.   Remarkably the action took less than half an hour, and neither of the ships appeared badly damaged from a distance. 

Major Morten the officer commanding ordered that their colours should not be struck, and the hulks were to be moored to give the impression of a successful landing to hopefully encourage other ships to beach there.   Three more ships landed and were captured at little cost to the defenders.   It was a cruel deception, but war has no rules; it’s kill or be killed.  

The fourth ship carried one of the brides of Bedelacq.   They came ashore the worse for wear but fought ferociously and fanatically.   When the Empire forces closed in, they immediately came under her scrutiny and power.   Following a kiss from the lady, they fought as fanatically against their own side as did the Blutt warriors.  

The Empire troops were withdrawn and had to watch helplessly as the invaders fortified and consolidated their positions with anything they could drag from their ship.   Morten ordered flights of fire arrows, but the wind and the water put out most of the fires before they became established on the damp oak superstructure.   Damp sand was used to easily smother any fire that took hold.   More importantly, other ships were heading for the shore…

.-…-. 

Major Morten called for Jax.   "We need to know how to deal with this creature, or they will set up the permanent beachhead we have all been fearing, and I don't want it to go down in history as Morten's Folly!" he yelled above the crashing seas. 

Jax closed his eyes… 'Orden.   We need help and advice.   We need to mount a counter attack, but that creature is overpowering our forces and turning them against us…'

'I am not permitted to attack Bedelacq's servants directly unless he intervenes directly by attacking our forces.   You on the other hand can get close enough to confront her, and counter her power, and protect our forces.   She initially controls with eye contact.   If they do not look into her eyes they can get closer.   I am unsure as to how many she can control at the same time, without the physical bond of a kiss.   Her saliva, perspiration, and other body fluids all contain a highly addictive drug which lowers resistance to her will.' 

'Then how do we overpower her?' Jax asked again, 'Is she immortal like us?'

'Nobody is immortal, they simply have increased life expectancy.   If you cut out her heart or your own for that matter, death will follow.' 

They attacked at sunset, a thousand against hundreds.   The attack was successful, but somehow she escaped.   However they had no time to dwell on it, two more ships were approaching the shoreline.   Morten ordered flights of fire arrows laced with pitch and sulphur to be fired into the rigging, from the cliff tops, the sails burned and the ships foundered. 

(To be continued)

 

Copyright Len Morgan