XVII

Fearing Prince Odabek’s escape, Kaewyn and the others left behind the chaos of battle and ran toward the woods to the north. Despite being tired, he knew that he had to press on. Capturing Odabek was their best chance at claiming victory against the barbarian invaders. If he were to escape, the enemy’s overwhelming numbers would certainly mean their doom. Kaewyn believed the best way to break the invader’s morale was to bring their prince before them in chains.

After running further and further from the battle, the sounds of the fighting faded into the background. They then came across the tree line where the open ground gave way to the woods. They had last spotted Odabek fleeing in this direction only minutes ago, but the prince’s bodyguards, though now slain, had bought their leader the time he needed to disappear. Worryingly, it seemed at first glance that there was no other option other than to blindly choose a direction and hope for the best. Rhys shook his head and cursed loudly, turning an accusing eye toward Kaewyn. Before the Lord of Vinum could open his mouth, however, Yohren tilted his head and then knelt down by a patch of grass that had grown in an area otherwise covered by dirt. After a brief examination, he pointed out that some of the grass had been crushed flat. Kaewyn followed the direction of the tracks and soon discovered what he believed to be footprints. Giant ones.

Kaewyn clapped Yohren on the shoulder and thanked him for his keen eyesight, then gave the order for the men to move into the woods. It did not take them long to catch up to their quarry, whom they came upon in the middle of crossing a fast-flowing creek. Eight large men clad in heavy armour surrounded their prince. Almost immediately, Kaewyn could tell that Odabek was not the same man he had seen battling Arlan before the battle had started. He held his stomach with one hand and allowed his other to hang limply by his side. His head was held low and he stood with a hunched-over posture. Kaewyn suspected that when Yohren’s arrow felled his horse, Prince Odabek had sustained an injury that must still be causing him trouble. Probably another reason why we caught up to them so quickly, he mused.

Despite his beleaguered appearance, the prince still eyed them with a look of ferocious defiance. The prince barked some orders and his bodyguards quickly moved to block where the stream of water was most narrow as Odabek himself hobbled over to the other side and onto a dirt path that led east-west. Two of them crossed and joined him a moment later, while the other six seemed determined to stop them from making a crossing of their own. Another attempt to stall us? Kaewyn thought to himself as he took a moment to survey the ground. Though this time there are six of them and we must cross the stream.

Rhys did not hesitate, nor did he wait when General Alaric shouted out for him to do so. With his sword still clasped firmly in his hand, he and what remained of his personal silver-clad guard, rushed down the slope and attacked across the stream. Before Kaewyn could say a word, Yohren loosed an arrow from his bow toward Odabek. The shaft flew through the air and across the creek within a single blink of an eye, but rather than find its mark, the arrow bounced harmlessly off of the shoulder plate of one of the two bodyguards who had reacted in time. Yohren let out a frustrated groan as he nocked another arrow and took aim for the second time. Kaewyn shook his head in frustration as he watched Prince Odabek begin to hobble off further north, all the while Rhys and his men fought four versus six. And it wasn’t looking good. Kaewyn left Yohren to his archery and called for the five Greystone soldiers as well as General Alaric to follow him and assist Rhys. By the time Kaewyn and his men found their way down the slope, two of Rhys’s men had already been slain. Their lifeless bodies served to dam the gentle trickle of water, turning the stream red with blood. It was a sickening sight and Kaewyn couldn’t help but take a few seconds to steady himself. Rhys however, was undeterred by the sight of his fallen guardsmen.

The Lord of Vinum Province and his one remaining guard forced themselves onto the other side of the creek through sheer force of will combined with a risky leaping manoeuvre. He had outflanked the six bodyguard’s position and was now on level footing with the enemy. Pressing his newfound advantage, Rhys advanced on the six giant bodyguards from the side. Initially, the prince’s bodyguards seemed unfussed about Rhys’s manoeuvre and simply kept him at bay with wide, careless swings of their oversized weapons. Rhys however, fought like a madman. With little regard for his wellbeing, the Lord of Vinum Province threw himself at the giant armoured men with reckless abandon. When Kaewyn and his Greystone soldiers rushed in to assist, two of the prince’s men turned to face them and tried to reposition themselves, but one of them slipped on the wet rocks and tumbled into the shallow, rocky water. General Alaric and the other Greystone soldiers took advantage of the enemy warrior’s misfortune and fell upon him savagely, puncturing his armour a dozen times over, mostly in the armpits and neck and wherever else his heavy plate could not protect him. Only when they were certain he was dead, did Kaewyn’s men stop in their savage attacks.

The five remaining bodyguards did not seem to be intimidated by their comrade’s horrible fate. Rather, they seem only more resolved to hold their ground to buy their prince yet more time to escape. With the sound of battle so distant that it could only just be heard over the gentle trickle of the blood-reddened stream, Kaewyn knew they couldn’t afford to be delayed further. Kaewyn and his men cautiously advanced across the stream of water, suddenly aware that a misplaced boot could cost them their lives. He didn’t dare take his eyes off the five enemy warriors in front of him, knowing that a single lapse in concentration could be deadly. But a shout from behind caught his attention.

HE’S GETTING AWAY!

Yohren’s warning turned his head to the other side of the creek. There, he saw Odabek and his two bodyguards getting further away, heading further north. It wouldn’t be long before they had completely disappeared into the cluster of trees and greenery. Kaewyn shouted for his men to attack and desperately rushed forwards. Just before coming within range of the enemy’s blades, he realised something was wrong. In the corner of his eye, he saw that Rhys had abandoned them to battle the bodyguards preventing them from crossing the creek, alone. He and his single guard had heeded Yohren’s warning and were rushing after Odabek and his two bodyguards. He didn’t have time to worry about how Rhys was going to fare against three opponents, two of them being giant hulking masses wielding oversized swords, and the other, a warrior prince whom even Arlan could not defeat alone. Instead, his mind focused on the daunting task in front of him. The five enemy warriors.

Kaewyn gripped his family longsword firmly in both hands and pointed the blade out in front of him. He then crept closer to the enemy warriors knowing that General Alaric and the other four Greystone soldiers were with him, but every time he tried to move in, the enemy’s massive weapons, both swords and hammers, threatened to crush or cleave him in two. Two of his men risked decapitation and stormed forward into the range of their enemy. Kaewyn and the others moved in quickly to assist them, starting the brawl in earnest.

Immediately, Kaewyn ducked low to avoid an ambitious swing from the opponent closest to him. While he was fortunate enough to have reacted fast enough and felt the enemy warrior’s massive hammer sail over his head, the soldier beside him was not so lucky. With a cry and sickening crunch, he heard what had happened to the soldier beside him before he ever saw it. Before his opponent could withdraw his bloodied weapon, Kaewyn thrust his blade's point at his enemy's exposed armpit. The barbarian warrior lurched backwards as the blade’s sharp point slipped between the shoulder and chest plates, piercing mail and flesh. It was by no means a fatal strike, but it was enough to force the warrior to withdraw. Capitalising on his success, Kaewyn advanced and attacked again.

The five giant men were determined to hold their ground to buy time for their prince to escape, but their stubborn refusal to withdraw meant that Kaewyn and his men easily surrounded them. One of them tried to break out of the encirclement by threatening to advance and attack, but all his effort gained him was one of Yohren’s arrows bouncing off of his helmet, just narrowly missing his visor. General Alaric and the others coordinated their movement and attacked from multiple directions at the same time. While large, armoured and strong, the prince’s bodyguards were also slow and somewhat predictable. Kaewyn and his men took down one of the five by baiting him into a reckless swing, then attacking him all at once. They repeated this technique several times, stinging like angry wasps every time an opportunity presented itself to them.

With only three of the five still standing, Kaewyn feinted an attack. His opponent took the bait and committed himself to a strike, missing completely as Kaewyn pulled out of his own attempt and leapt backward in time. With the opponent’s weapon at the end of its deadly swing, Kaewyn moved in to attack for real this time. Just as he was aiming for the exposed gap between the plates, a shadow loomed over him from the side. A second enemy, unknown to him, had moved to assist his overstretched ally. Unable to withdraw a second time, Kaewyn panicked as he caught a glimpse of the steel now coming toward him. With his weapon pointed forwards, he had little hope of parrying the blow in time. He tensed as he prepared to receive the blow full flush, hoping his armour would save his life, but then he heard a thrum and then a heavy thud. The opponent who was about to strike him screamed and dropped his oversized weapon to the ground. Kaewyn looked up and saw the feather and shaft of an arrow lodged right in the small visor gap of the screaming man’s helmet as his hands searched for a way to pull it out.

Now an easy target, General Alaric dispatched the unfortunate victim of Yohren’s archery with a decisive thrust in the gaps of his armour. The man’s screaming was silenced, but the horror of the moment had affected his two remaining comrades. One of them paused, then suddenly turned tail and fled, leaving the other surrounded by Kaewyn’s men to his fate. Surrounded, the abandoned bodyguard tried in vain to fight off Kaewyn’s men, but he was eventually brought down without much effort. Kaewyn then told his men to let the one who fled go and turned his attention back to Rhys and Prince Odabek. He called for General Alaric and his men to follow and climbed up and out of the creek and onto the dirt trail where he had last seen Odabek.

Kaewyn looked west down the path and saw nothing but shrubs and trees, but when he looked east, he saw bodies on the trail. Feeling his heart beating faster and faster, he put his boot on the trail and ran as fast as his tired legs would allow. The closer he came to the bodies, the more certain he was of whom they belonged. One armoured silver, the other a giant of a man. Not Rhys or Odabek then…

His suspicions were confirmed when he and the others reached the two lifeless bodies on the trail. Rhys’s man had his breastplate caved in from the impact of a hammer. The other man, still holding the hammer that he had used to crush the other dead man, lay on his back in a pool of his own blood. General Alaric scoffed and kicked the corpse, then explained that he had been stabbed through the neck. Other than the bodies, Kaewyn saw no indication of where Rhys or the Prince and his remaining bodyguard could have gone. He knelt and looked for footprints in the dirt or any sign of crushed grass, but nothing spoke to him. He was about to give the order for the men to spread out and begin searching when he heard shouting coming from the north, off the trail. Without a word, Kaewyn and General Alaric rushed off in the direction of the noise with the men following close behind.

Pushing their way through bushes and slipping past hulking trees, Kaewyn and General Alaric eventually came to a large clearing. Standing in the middle were two bloodied figures. One was Odabek and the other was his remaining bodyguard. The pair loomed over a third person who sat upon his backside and covered himself protectively with both hands. Before he could act, Kaewyn saw Odabek raise his sword and cut…

Rhys collapsed backwards and disappeared from view into the tall grass. Kaewyn realised he was screaming out for them to stop, but even he was not sure what he was actually saying. General Alaric ordered the men to attack and together, they rushed forward. Prince Odabek turned his head to face them, the look on his face was one of fear and panic. The prince pushed his bodyguard toward Kaewyn and then hobbled north toward the opposite tree line. Without thinking for his safety, Kaewyn ran toward him. He was the first to reach the last bodyguard and engage him. He ducked the bodyguard’s predictable swing and tucked it into his shoulder, crashing into the giant of a man and knocking him backwards and off balance. Before he could recover, the General and the others arrived and dog piled him. It was over in seconds.

Kaewyn frantically searched the tall grass where he had seen Odabek and Rhys, but he couldn’t find his old friend no matter how hard he looked. General Alaric called out to him and he knew by the tone Alaric had used, that it was not going to be good. Kaewyn jogged over as quickly as he could and saw the Lord of Vinum Province laying on his back and covered in blood. General Alaric had removed his armour and helmet, placing it beside Rhys as they examined him. His armour was bloodied and caked in dirt and there was a massive dent in the right side of his breastplate under the arm where a hammer had smashed into him. His open-faced helmet was mangled and bore evidence of a blade cut right across the middle where the steel had bitten into it. Rhys himself looked no better than his armour. Blood had already begun to seep out from his tunic and a deep, almost black bruising had taken hold across most of his torso. Rhys’s face bore a deep cut from just to the left of his nose and across half of his cheek, covering most of his face and neck with blood. His eyes were closed and he was unresponsive, leading Kaewyn to fear the worst.

“Why are you all just standing around?” Yohren said as he ran up behind them. “Odabek is getting away!”

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Kaewyn turned to face his retainer. The look on his face must have told Yohren something was wrong because he immediately stopped in his tracks. He watched Yohren’s face change from confusion to curiosity, and finally, to understanding.

“Is he…?”

“No, Yohren.” General Alaric said with a shake of his head. “He lives, but only barely.”

Kaewyn looked across the clearing and saw Odabek disappear between two thick trees. The prince was alone and slowed by his injuries. If they didn’t pursue him now, he knew there was little chance they’d find him again.

“…Leave him,” Kaewyn said. “Have one of the men stay here with him. The rest of us must capture Odabek or all is lost.”

“My lord, he will surely die if we do not get him to a physician.” General Alaric said. “I want to get the bastard as badly as anyone, but… are you certain?”

Kaewyn reluctantly nodded, knowing fully what following his order meant for Rhys. He felt terrible, even despite what he had done to Camilla. If he could help Rhys and capture Odabek, he would, but the reality was that a decision had to be made. Rather than deliberate and ponder it over and over in his head, he chose to be decisive. Odabek had to be captured otherwise both armies, Greystone and Vinum, as well as the provinces they were sworn to protect, were doomed.

“Hurry, before we lose him in the woods!” He called out.

Kaewyn, followed by Yohren and all but one of their remaining three soldiers set out to where Odabek had disappeared only moments ago. Putting the image of a broken and blooded Rhys out of his mind, he moved toward the tree line at pace, but as the small group got closer and closer, he came to slow his run. Between the trees ahead, he saw movement. For the briefest of moments, he thought his mind might be playing tricks on him, but then he spotted a single figure emerge from the tree line, followed quickly by another, and then a third…

“Kaewyn…” Yohren warned.

“I see them. Keep moving forward.” He shouted.

But even as the words left his lips, his legs refused to move. More and more figures revealed themselves in the tree line. There must have been dozens of them, perhaps even a hundred. Several figures emerged from out of the cover of the trees, revealing themselves to be exactly what Kaewyn hoped and prayed they were not. Barbarian warriors. They were clad in iron and wielding curved blades and began to cackle and point. Kaewyn felt something catch in his throat as despair came over him. His two soldiers put themselves between their lord and the swarm of enemies slowly emerging out of the woods and into the clearing. Yohren had nocked an arrow, but he soon relaxed his bow arm and put away his arrow. General Alaric swore loudly, a fitting summation of their current situation.

“Run.”

Kaewyn and the others turned and sprinted as fast as their exhausted legs would allow. Behind them, a chorus of cries and barbarian chanting rang out loudly. Not looking back, he continued to run toward where they had left the incapacitated Rhys, quickly coming upon the single soldier they had left behind. No one had to say anything for the soldier to realise what was happening. The barbarian warriors were so loud that birds abandoned their trees and took to the skies, covering the entire clearing with a fleeting, shadowy wave. Without thinking, Kaewyn knelt by Rhys and then lifted his battered body from under the armpits. He struggled for a moment, but thankfully General Alaric helped him by grabbing Rhys’s legs so that the two of them could move him faster. Kaewyn noticed Yohren’s look of disapproval and chose to ignore it. Going after Prince Odabek at Rhys’s expense was one thing, but he was not about to abandon him to save his own skin.

Yohren nocked an arrow and loosed it in the direction of the barbarian swarm, to what effect was anybody’s guess. The three soldiers drew their swords and placed themselves behind Kaewyn and the General as they hauled Rhys as quickly as they could manage. The tree line from which they had entered the clearing was not far, and the stream where they had battled the prince’s bodyguards was not much farther than that. Kaewyn believed their only hope was that they could cross the stream and make their way back to their army, provided it had not been completely wiped out.

“They’re coming fast!” Yohren shouted as he loosed another arrow.

“Make for the tree line! We can cross the stream!” He shouted back, taking care not to lose his footing.

Kaewyn felt his muscles strain and ache as he continued to carry Rhys. It took all of his willpower and concentration to keep moving forward without dropping him. General Alaric looked about as flustered as he felt and he could hear his heavy and laden breaths with each step they took. He didn’t dare look back to see how close the barbarian warriors were to coming upon them. He could hear their war cries and chants getting louder and louder and that was plenty enough motivation for him to dig deep and keep pressing forward, despite his protesting body.

Hoping that they were almost to the tree line from which they had originally come, Kaewyn peered past General Alaric who was helping haul Rhys by his legs. A wave of relief washed over him as he realised they were nearly there, but his joy was short-lived. Yohren shouted at them to stop and pointed ahead with a warning. Kaewyn was confused. Weren’t the barbarians behind us, he thought to himself. Trusting in his retainer, he stopped and gently lowered Rhys to the ground. That was when he saw them. Barbarian horsemen blocked their way, and not just a few, but a whole army of them. Kaewyn felt his breath leave him as though he’d been kicked in the stomach. They’d had a chance to outrun the barbarian warriors on foot, maybe. Even with them carrying the wounded Rhys he still felt like they had a small chance of escape, but he knew in his heart that there was absolutely no hope of them outrunning horsemen. To make matters worse, they were also surrounded.

Kaewyn lowered his head and bit his lip. His gambit had failed. He cursed under his breath, lamenting that Prince Odabek had gotten away from them. If they had succeeded in capturing him, maybe they could have bargained for their lives. Or if they had killed him and doomed themselves, then at the very least the army might yet have won the battle. But with the barbarian leadership alive and well, it seemed inevitable that the combined Greystone and Vinum army would be destroyed. He felt tears forming in his eyes as he thought of those he had let down. They were counting on him, trusting in him to lead them down the right path. But all that remained now was death and defeat.

He drew his longsword with a shaky hand and took a deep breath. Yohren nocked an arrow and asked him for orders. When he didn’t respond, his retainer walked over to him and shook him by the shoulder, begging him to not give up. He admired Yohren for his spirit, but what more could he do? General Alaric on the other hand seemed rather calm. He nodded his head and chuckled to himself, saying that he didn’t expect to be joining his father so soon. The General mentioning his late father brought Kaewyn’s thoughts to his own departed father. His hand reached for the Token of Ohnix around his neck as thoughts raced through his mind.

The barbarian warriors closing in from behind announced their presence once more with battle cries in their foreign tongues. They were so close now that if he understood their language, he would have been able to make out what they were saying. He turned to face them and squeezed the hilt of his blade with both hands. He looked down at Rhys who was still unconscious and shook his head, thankful that at least he had the chance to defend himself.

One warrior rushed in at them wide-eyed and reckless, but he was easily cut down by the Greystone soldiers without any trouble. A second came within range of Yohren’s bow and was immediately downed with an accurate arrow. Three more then came at them waving their curved swords in the air as they did so. One slipped past the Greystone soldiers at came straight for him, swinging his blade in a wide arc. Kaewyn met the attack with his sword and parried it away, then countered with a firm downwards strike. The barbarian warrior collapsed before him, writhing on the ground and still very much alive as more of his comrades rushed in.

General Alaric shouted a warning, prompting Kaewyn to look behind them. The barbarian horsemen were charging toward them at full speed, their painted horses and faces blending together into a blur. Unlike the warriors coming at them from the front, the horsemen did not wield curved swords, nor did they wear heavy armour. Some of them were clothed in not much more than simple riding garments with only basic protection for their arms and legs. But it didn’t matter what weapons they used or what armour they wore. There were hundreds of them. The thunder of hooves grew louder as they approached.

General Alaric and Yohren rushed to Kaewyn’s side and the three of them formed a protective triangle around Rhys. The Greystone soldiers fought like lions behind them, but there was nothing they could do against the barbarian warriors. Their numbers continued to grow as they flooded in, eager for the kill.

Kaewyn held his longsword with the point forward and prepared for the end. He shut his eyes for a second and said a prayer to his ancestors. When he opened his eyes, he expected to be skewered by a spear from the closest barbarian horsemen, but instead, to his complete surprise, they rode right past him. He looked around and saw that all around him, the barbarian horsemen continued to ride past him as if some force compelled them to avoid where he stood. Behind him, he heard screams and frantic shouting as the sounds of battle began in earnest.

“The bastards are killing each other!” General Alaric shouted in amazement.

If Kaewyn’s own eyes were not seeing it, he would not have believed it. General Alaric was right. The horsemen had completely ignored Kaewyn and the others, their only focus it seemed was the barbarian warriors streaming in across the clearing. He watched as they were ridden down and slaughtered by the painted warriors on their painted horses. He could not believe what he was seeing.

“My lord.” A voice called to him. “I did not expect to find you all the way out here. Are you well?”

Kaewyn turned his head and saw none other than General Falke. The tall, broad-shouldered general sat in the saddle of his horse with a self-satisfied smile visible through his open-faced helmet. Behind him, Kaewyn noticed dozens of Greystone cavalrymen. The five hundred of which had been placed under his command before the battle.

“General Falke? You survived?” Kaewyn asked.

The General cocked his head and narrowed his eyes. “Survived? Yes, my lord, but I do not quite know why you are so concerned with my safety when it is you who have been battling the enemy all day. If you are here, then where is Lord Callidus?”

Kaewyn stepped aside and gestured to Rhys on the ground. A mortified look appeared on the General’s face, but he calmed when Kaewyn told him that his lord still lived. General Falke called out for some soldiers to tend to Lord Rhys who hurried surrounded him and began to go over his wounds.

“I know you fear for Rhys, but you must explain… all of this.” Kaewyn said with a wide gesture.

General Falke smiled. “I believe there is someone more qualified to answer your questions, Lord Edderfield. Besides, my duty is to attend to Lord Rhys. I bid you farewell.”

General Falke dismounted his horse and joined the soldiers tending Rhys’s wounds, leaving his questions unanwered.

“Who was he talking about?” Yohren asked.

“He was referring to me, young spirit.” Sir Darius said, making himself known. The old knight rode toward them on a barbarian horse and dismounted, smiling meekly as he bowed his head.

“Young spirit?” Yohren replied.

“My Lord Edderfield,” Sir Darius said, ignoring Yohren for the moment. “I need to apologise to you. For my deception, and for everything else.”

“Sir Darius?” General Alaric said angrily. “The last we heard you broke out of camp and injured several of our men in the process.”

“I am indeed guilty of what you speak. All I ask is that you allow me to attempt to justify my actions.”

Kaewyn nodded.

“I have not been entirely truthful with you, especially regarding my relationship to the Ralerai.” He began. “You see, I was their prisoner a very long time ago, as I told you, but that was not the whole truth.”

“Evidently,” Kaewyn remarked. “How have you managed to convince them to fight Prince Odabek?”

“I have lived with the Ralerai for some time. They… are my people now.”

Sir Darius spoke softly and slowly, almost wistfully as he continued. It was clear that what he was saying was significant to him.

“The Ralerai are peaceful. Yes, they do know war, but they do not seek it out as Prince Odabek and his ilk do.”

“They are invaders.” Yohren protested. “Even if they help us now when it suits them, they have still slaughtered villages and killed innocents!”

“No!” Sir Darius protested. “When the Ralerai first heard that Prince Odabek was coming to launch an invasion, they sent me away. They knew I’d be put to death or tortured for information on the Empire the moment the prince got his hands on me. When the invasion started, the Ralerai found me again escorting your villager friends Yohren and they let us go in peace.”

“Why do they serve Odabek then?” Kaewyn asked.

“They do not serve him. The Ralerai are distantly related to Odabek’s people it is true, but they are simpler and prefer to live their own way. It is not a matter of servitude, but slavery. The Ralerai want no part in this war, but to defy Odabek and his father means death for the whole tribe, at least until now.”

“What changed? Why do they choose now to go against the prince?”

Sir Darius smiled. “Because of you.”

General Alaric and Yohren looked at each other in confusion, but said nothing.

“Listen, my lord. When I broke out of custody and fled the camp, I appealed to the Ralerai Chieftain and told him of your plan to defeat Odabek. I know this was an act of treason, so for that, I am truly sorry.” Sir Darius said. “But I refuse to allow the Ralerai to be wiped out due to the ambition of a madman like Prince Odabek. When General Falke and your five-hundred cavalry arrived, they did not find a hostile unprepared camp of enemies, but a prepared allied force willing to fight the prince! With General Falke’s gracious assistance, we defeated Prince Odabek’s lackeys and freed the Ralerai from his domination. The Ralerai come now to return the favour and to finish off Odabek once and for all.”

“I barely know what to say, Sir Darius. I am at a loss for words. I thought you had betrayed us. I had convinced myself that your flight from our camp meant General Falke and the cavalry would be slaughtered.”

“You and the people of the Empire are not the Ralerai’s enemy. I consider myself a member of both groups and I believe our mutual enemy is Odabek.” Sir Darius said with a smile. “Thankfully, I managed to convince the Ralerai Chieftain of the same.”

“So we kill the bastard Odabek together and the Ralerai just pack up and go home like nothing ever happened?”

“…Not quite, I am afraid, but we can discuss the specifics after the battle.” Sir Darius said. “I would very much like you to meet the Chieftain yourself. I believe you will become fast friends.”

“Odabek was just here!” Kaewyn suddenly remembered. “We were pursuing him and almost had him, but he escaped to the tree line just over there.” He said, pointing.

“I will tell the Ralerai. If we are lucky, he hasn’t gotten far.” Sir Darius explained.

“What of our army fighting the bulk of the enemy outside the fort?” General Alaric asked.

“Do not fear General, most of the Ralerai cavalry were sent there already. Odabek’s warriors are the ones who are surrounded now. Once we have Odabek himself, they should capitulate.”

Kaewyn excused himself from the group and wandered off to be by himself. He found a grassy spot that was relatively flat and not soiled by blood or bodies and allowed himself to sit. He sat there for some time and just watched the cavalry ride by. The constant rumble of hooves that had been so menacing before now served to calm him. He couldn’t believe just how lucky they had been. He had been truly fearful that he was going to die only minutes ago, but now it seemed that the battle had been won and the invasion halted. Vinum Province, and by extension, the Empire, had been saved. Suddenly he was overcome with an intense thirst for something strong to drink. Perhaps even, some Vinum Province wine.