Times Like These Page 15

  "My Prince," Tvivel said, "aren't you worried about losing them?"

  "I'm sure they know we're here now. I'd rather not walk into an ambush unprepared."

  "Yes, my Prince!"

  Prince Talt watched as they formed up. Neither Tvivel nor Enkel were his best; those he had sent to the main gate for the attack King Sladd was planning to avenge the loss of Prince Spis. But they were still both capable lords, and it didn't take them long to get situated. Once everyone was in their place, Prince Talt signaled to the råge in charge of their trackers to be off again.

  For the next several hours, Prince Talt found his patience strained as he had to continually shout orders to either of his lords, and at times even his own guards, to keep the formation together and in good order. Moving this many demons through the dark woods was not an easy task, but he didn't care how hard their jobs were, as long as they did them. Tvivel and Enkel at least were being just as hard on their own bonde and the råge, ridders, and biskops ruling over them. Both knew that drawing their prince's ire would not bode well for their continued wellbeing.

  "Damn, that's a lot of djevels," Sean said softly as he looked at the large group coming up the hill. There were eleven biskops, four on either flank, and each of those had the attendant ridder Sean had grown used to seeing. But the center formation had six ridder, two per biskop, plus six raseri and five mindre. There were also several raseri and mindre scattered among the two groups on the flanks, each of which was obviously being commanded by a lord.

  Both of the flanking groups had hundreds of bonde and gnashers, possibly as many as a thousand each, and too many råge to count. The group in the center had only bonde, hundreds of them, and there were no gnashers to be seen. But they were being commanded by a prince.

  "That would be Prince Talt," Estrella whispered back. "He is the most powerful of Sladd's princes. What he's doing out here is anybody's guess."

  "Great, just great," Sean grumbled as he started casting a magical shield to cover all of them. They'd chosen this spot not just because the ground was favorable, but because a number of ley-lines joined here, and with the main gateway open, it was flush with power. Power Sean was tapping into to power up some serious spells. Peg was also tied into it, and was about to do some spells of her own to help them balance out the odds of the fight.

  "So, eighteen versus three thousand, and they've got a prince and two lords."

  "Ah! But we have repeating rifles!" Roxy said with a grin. "Can I shoot them now, Dad?"

  "Fire!" the First growled, and with the sole exceptions of Sean and Peg, everyone opened up at once.

  "The lords are shielded!" Roxy called out as her first shot was deflected. She immediately targeted a ridder, and was rewarded by it dropping out of the saddle of the beast it was riding. Which immediately stopped and started eating the ridder's still twitching body.

  Cali had skipped the ridders and was targeting the råge, picking them off as fast as she could. She'd learned from both Estrella and experience that the bonde and the gnashers were an unruly lot and did not fight well without a strong hand at their back forcing them to. That was the råge's job in the djevel army, and she was determined to take as much of that link out as quickly as possible.

  Estrella had started on the far-left flank and was targeting biskops. Her mother and two of her aunts were doing the same, starting at other places along the line. They'd discussed this among themselves while preparing. She'd hoped they'd be able to take out the lords; she doubted the prince would be going unshielded. But barring that, she thought going for the next rank down was a good place to start.

  Sean was casting that magic missile spell he'd learned from the other lord. He spent several long seconds pumping it up with as much energy as he could leach out of the ley-line, and then he flung it out there, hundreds and hundreds of those nasty little self-homing missiles taking flight. Taking a moment to catch his breath, he noticed every gnasher that got hit dropped and didn't get back up. The bonde that got hit all dropped, but they didn't appear to be dead, while the råge that were hit slowed considerably. The rest of the demons on the receiving end looked annoyed mostly.

  So he threw fireballs at the raseri and the mindres to try and take their minds off of attacking and make them think more about defending.

  Peg looked around as the lions opened up on the djevels. The biggest problem with black powder was the smoke. There was a lot of it, and while it did make it hard for the enemy to see you after a few shots, it also made it hard for you to see the enemy.

  On top of that, it made it pretty clear where the people shooting were, if the muzzle flashes and the noise weren't already giving you a clue. But she'd figured out a plan to deal with all that.

  First was the smoke. She'd cast a wind spell that was blowing from behind them, pushing the cloud closer to the enemy, while helping to break it up. Second was a pair of illusions to either side of the djevel lines. She'd made a live copy of the lions doing the shooting and had cast it to those two flanking positions. Adding smoke and keeping it from being blown away took a little creativity and an artistic touch. While her phantom shooters might not be able to damage the djevels, it was helping to confuse them.

  The First was picking his targets carefully with his single shot rifle, while keeping an eye on the situation before him. Their iron bullets were dropping the råge, bonde, and gnashers like flies. The larger demons, the raseri, ridders, biskops, and mindre weren't going down as easy. But they were going down.

  The illusion spell Peg had cast was working well at confusing the djevels; their flanks were pulling in and turning to meet that threat. Once they moved forward and attacked it, they'd realize they'd been fooled. But until then, the numbers of those charging to attack them were being seriously diminished.

  One of the mindre caught fire and started a small panic as the bonde around it tried to keep from being set on fire as well.

  "The prince has shielded his remaining biskops and ridders!" Roxy called out.

  "The lords are trying to do the same!" Sean called back and as the First watched, Sean launched all sorts of offensive spells at the lord on the right. He sent several fireballs, followed by something that looked like a spear that did what the fireballs could not and pierced the lord, making him reel in his saddle.

  The First immediately fired at the lord, and it appeared Roxy was as well. Sean's next fireball caught it square on and set it on fire. It didn't last much longer after that, as the iron bullets quickly destroyed its head.

  The First then watched as Sean repeated the attack on the other lord, but he had stopped trying to protect his people and had gone back to solely protecting himself.

  Prince Talt couldn't believe what was happening! He was being ambushed from all three sides, and the weapons of the enemy were using that foul iron the lions had discovered! They needed to get closer; his demons had no ranged weapons, and sitting here, they were just being cut to ribbons. Lord Tvivel had already been cut down, and his more powerful demons were being slowly slaughtered as he watched.

  "Charge!" Prince Talt screamed as loud as he could. "Engage the cowards! They cannot win if we engage them! Charge!"

  Drawing his sword, he spurred his mount forward. If nothing else, it's snapping jaws would get his own people moving forward.

  "Charge! Engage them!" he yelled again and gave a grim smile as he finally heard his biskops and ridders take up the call, followed by his råge as they spurred his bonde on.

  Lord Enkel had also taken up the call and was pushing his people forward to attack one of the groups that was flanking them, while Lord Tvivel's people moved uncertainly. Those closest to his were moving forward with his own bonde, their råge now taking their orders from him. But others were moving to attack the flankers on their side, and even more milled around uncertain of what to do.

  Prince Talt shook his head. He'd clean that mess up later, but right now he had a fight to win, before he lost too many of his own and had to abandon his ta
sk.

  Another of those damnable magical missile spells flew out and took down the entire front line of his bonde. He'd lost at least a third of them; he had to close with this menace and destroy it while he still could!

  Suddenly the fire coming from the ambushers changed. It went from what had sounded like the simple cracking noise he'd grown used to on the field of the hunting ground to a louder, more explosive sound, and small groups of the bonde up front were dropping with each explosion.

  The change in tactics meant they must be close now!

  "Attack! Attack! We have them now!" Prince Talt screamed, and just then a gust of wind blew the smoke past him and he could see who he was fighting.

  It was a long line of lions. There were hundreds of them!

  Peg smiled as she dropped the illusions to the sides of the fight, making it look like the ones fighting there had pulled back into the woods. Shifting her focus as the djevel prince and his demons drew near, she cast a mirroring spell to make it look like he now faced hundreds of lions instead of the baker's dozen it really was.

  The effect was educational. The djevel prince froze in place, pulling up hard on the reins of his demonic mount, which must have picked up on his fear.

  The bonde apparently didn't know what lions were, but the remaining råge did, as well as the three raseri, two biskops, and the one ridder of the prince's that remained alive.

  Almost as one, all the lions roared then, and Peg's spell amplified it into a frightful sound. The two biskops and the single ridder wheeled their mounts around and rode past their petrified prince, who turned and joined them a moment later, with his remaining råge and the three raseri hot on his heels. The bonde, with no one to force them to fight, quickly fell apart, and didn't last much longer under the shotguns of the lions, who quickly dropped them and drew their swords to save ammunition.

  Another mass of magical missiles shot out at the fleeing djevels, dropping all of the råge, as well as the mounts of the two biskops and the ridder.

  Seeing their opportunity, two lionesses, Dienna and Sasha, jumped over the small embankment they'd been using for cover. Bulling their way past the bonde who were being slaughtered by the others, they charged after the three dumped djevels, who were squirming free of their dead mounts and trying to catch up with the others.

  Tvivel's leaderless troops saw the slaughter and immediately turned and fled into the woods, running off in all directions.

  Meanwhile Enkel had been moving his troops forward to support Prince Talt, as the attackers he'd gone after had fled. Seeing that his prince was in trouble, he turned his djevels again, leading them to cut across the back of Prince Talt's retreat to cut off any pursuit. It was just his unfortunate luck to come across two lionesses who had just finished administering the coup de grace to a pair of biskops with their shotguns.

  He never even saw the huge lion who got him by the throat, as the First, seeing two of his wives being attacked by a lord with an army following him, lost any and all semblance of civilization and showed everyone what he was truly capable of when he was pissed.

  Enkel's forces watched as the biggest lion they'd ever seen grabbed their lord by the neck and knocking him out of the saddle, then began shaking him viciously. They then noticed that their prince was fleeing with a number of lions in hot pursuit as the First's other wives joined the battle, along with their children. So they did the only sensible thing they could.

  They fled after him.

  "Damn, he got away," the First growled as he dropped the dead lord on the ground. Keairra had ripped the head of the lord's mount off when it had tried to bite him.

  "And what did you two think you were doing?" The First sighed, looking over at Dienna and Sasha.

  "Playing cleanup, what else?" Sasha said with a saucy grin.

  "You know you could have been hurt!" the First growled at them.

  "Nah, we knew you'd watch out for us!" Sasha said, and coming over, she dropped to her knees and gave him a hug. "Thanks, Sot."

  Dienna came over and hugged him too. "Yes, thanks, Kame, for watching over us."

  The First tried to growl at them again, but his heart wasn't in it.

  "I'm such a sucker for you two," he grumbled.

  "Oh, you're a sucker for all of us!" Keairra laughed. "That's why we put up with you!"

  "So now what?" Sean asked, coming over to the First and the Pride, all of whom were standing around him.

  "I guess we continue on to that blockhouse Mahkiyoc is in. There's a lot fewer of them now than there were when they attacked, so I don't think we'll be seeing them again."

  Estrella shook her head. "I just wonder what they were doing here. This is way out of Prince Talt's realm."

  "Maybe he was grabbing Spis' lords now that Spis is dead?" Sean suggested. "Then when he found the towns we'd wiped out, he came to investigate?"

  "Doesn't matter," the First said. "We won, they lost, and ran off with their tails between their legs. By the time anyone comes back, we'll be long gone. So let's get our stuff together and get a move on."

  Sean nodded. "Sure thing, Dad."

  Retrenching

  It took Prince Talt half of a daer to gather up his forces. Almost half of Tvivel's were still missing, no doubt still running home. Enkel's forces were in much better shape, having joined his retreat as their lord died. In fact, three of Enkel's biskops had survived, as well as two of his ridders.

  All five of them were prostrated before him now in his command tent.

  "As you all know, your lord died in valiant service to me, defending my flank after my own officers were killed. I hope his successor shows as much strength and courage as he did."

  "I beg your pardon, my Prince," one of the biskops said, "but which of us do you intend to raise up to his place?"

  Prince Talt smiled and stood. "That question I will leave to the five of you to debate. The winner can find me when you're done, and I will take the oath. Guards!" The dozen demons that now made up his guard suddenly stood to attention.

  "Come with me; let us leave them to work this out in private!"

  The last guard had barely stepped out of the tent when the sounds of fighting broke out from inside.

  "Half of you stay here, the other half come with me," Prince Talt said as he headed off towards where Tvivel's survivors were gathered. Only one of Tvivel's biskops had survived, or at least come back to him. He was going to bind that one to him next. He regretted setting Enkel's survivors against each other, but he couldn't afford to have any biskops around that weren't sworn to him after the day's failure. He could not afford for word of this to reach King Sladd. The damage to his reputation and his standing could be fatal.

  "My Prince!" the biskop said and prostrated himself as Prince Talt walked up to him.

  "What is your name, biskop?"

  "Höger, my leige!"

  "Are you prepared, Höger, to swear the oath of a lord and bind your self to my crown?"

  "Yes, my Prince!" Höger replied enthusiastically.

  "Good, then let us begin..."

  Prince Talt had been finishing up with Höger when a wounded, but still alive biskop was brought before him by his guards. The winner of the fight in the tent, and he still had his ridder with him as well. The loyalty of the ridder to his biskop impressed Prince Talt, and he elevated him to biskop after he'd sworn in his new lord, Lord Makt. He then gave the new biskop his surviving two raseri to eat, so he might make the physical transformation to his new station.

  Prince Talt had planned on eating those two himself, just as he had already eaten the other survivor. He had little tolerance for cowardice in the face of the enemy,lion or not. But rewarding loyalty was important, especially after the day's events.

  "What are your wishes, my Prince?" Lord Höger asked as they watched the ridder cheerfully consuming his reward.

  "We will go back to Spis' lands and sweep up as many more of his lords as possible. We need to build up our numbers and replace our losses if we
are going to deal with such a large number of invaders."

  Both of his new lords bowed their heads at that.

  "You will not speak of what happened with anyone. You will instruct your followers not to talk of this as well. We survived a fearsome ambush meant to take on far greater numbers than we were. I do not want the rank and file to believe that this was anything other than what it was: a strategic retreat so we may come back in greater numbers to crush our foe."

  "Yes, my Prince," both lords said, bowing before him.

  "Now, see to your troops. After everyone has rested, we will get started."

  "Yes, my Prince," they both said, and after bowing a second time, they took their leave.

  Prince Talt reflected that the only person here that was still alive that knew of his original orders to go up the 'Mountain of the Dead' was himself. Hydda, the head of his guard, was dead, as was the rest of his personal guard, and the two lords. If any of the survivors should be questioned by King Sladd, they would only hear that he had been investigating the destruction of Spis' lords, and come across an army of lions.

  Upon hearing that, he could only hope King Sladd would forget about the original order he had given him.

  Still, it wasn't something Prince Talt wanted to put much credence on. It looked like King Sladd was starting to suspect his plans, and if that were the case, any excuse for King Sladd to be rid of him would be quickly seized and used.

  So he would do as he told his two new lords. He would sweep through more of the dead prince's lands and gather up as many more lords as he could over the next several daers. He would stop by the ones he'd already coopted as well and gather up some of their gnashers and bonde to replace those he'd lost.

  Then he would send a messager to the king, while he himself went after these lions in force. By then, his loss would either be forgotten or overlooked in the panic the knowledge that lions were here would bring. Because he had to keep sight of what was the most important thing in all of this: His life.