Chapter Four - The Esquire’s River

No one had questioned Gawain when he had taken back leadership of the expedition and ordered the day’s duties. Fulgar sat quietly most of the time, watching the others busying themselves with gathering their belongings, tending to the wounded and repairing their arrows. He had winced slightly as Gawain bathed the bite marks on his face and arms but refused to let him near the ones on his body. The knight had shrugged and told him that was his decision but not make a big deal out of it when they swelled up and became infected. The marrentil could help with the infection but it would useless against any poison that may have got in. He needed ground unicorn horn for that and they were highly unlikely to stumble across any unicorns this far north. It was just something else they would have to put in the hands of fate.

The horses had been rounded up quickly, they knew all too well where their food was and maybe catching the scent of further danger they regrouped.

By mid day, everything that could be done had been and the sentries at the river and the tree line reported nothing. They had done so yesterday as well so that meant little more than the fact that they had seen nothing. Gawain ordered everyone to rest and take turns on watch; they had gone three days through wet and treacherous hills, two nights and one day on a long march, and fought a battle on little sleep. Moving now would put them in unfamiliar territory by nightfall, fatigued beyond safety and gain little. They would cross the river the next day, by which time, the water level should have dropped some more to make the pathway slightly safer.

It had been a good move to keep them all busy, including himself. The horror of the vampire was still too recent to forget, the loss of Hammand had affected them all and they needed just a few hours of distraction to help adjust. Not a trace of the boy was to be seen and it was better that way. At least he would be remembered as the young guide he had been, not some lump of half eaten flesh and ripped clothing and after they had collected what arrows they could, Gawain forbade anyone to venture out of the tree line while the sun was up. Few words were spoken and no one complained or commented on the overly large fires that were lit.

The barbarians that had passed this way just two nights earlier would undoubtedly have reinforcements and supply wagons coming through but there really was only so much that could be worried about at one time. Group morale required a decent rest, some decent food and a decent night’s sleep. The horses all walked slowly to the water’s edge and drank deeply from the cold rushing torrent, glad to be free of the trees and the horror of the wolf scent and blood. As the light faded under the trees the decision was taken to move the camp nearer the water. Any further attack by the bats could at least be offset by the river. Bats were no lovers of large open spaces and when there was water involved, they were even more reluctant to venture out. It also meant open space to use conventional weapons while the gnomes had cover to fire from. The enemy were unlikely to try a river crossing at night, not with eagle eyed tree dwellers to cut them down from the river bank so all in all, it was not a bad tactical position.

The guide and his young charge moved more like warriors now, they had tasted combat, they had killed and seen a friend killed. There was a look in their eyes that Gawain knew only too well and at this point of their adventure, he was pleased to see their resolve harden. Maybe guides had a use after all. If only there was time to give them some instruction in the use of arms.

Fulgar finally made the effort to speak to Gawain whilst the others were sorting out temporary shelters from the bushes. Staying up in the trees had not worked out that well and falling into shrubs was one thing, falling onto rocks by the river was quite another. ‘So’ Said the gnome. ‘We cross tomorrow?’ There was little authority in his voice and after what had happened, Gawain couldn’t have cared less. He was calling the shots from now on. ‘We cross as soon as it is twilight. Then we make for the far end of the wood and with luck we will be at the mountains by sunset. It’s a fair way but you have proved yourself a capable traveller Fulgar.’

The comment took the gnome by surprise but he appreciated the sentiment. It was the first time Gawain had said anything positive to him since they had left Ardougne. ‘Right, I’ll post the watches then and see you later’

He walked away and with some words Gawain didn’t catch and arm gesturing, the gnomes went in different directions to their allotted tasks.

Night fell and the horses, tethered firmly to a tree under the protection of the gnome archers stared across the river, trying to catch any trace of danger. They would make a good early warning system.

Gawain had elected to take the first and last watches; he wanted to make sure he was fully awake to strike camp. Slowly and surely, total darkness fell and soon all that could be heard was the water rushing downstream over rocks in it’s eternal journey to the far away sea south of Ardougne. Only now did Gawain think of the invading army and how the people of Kandarin and possibly Asgarnia and Misthalin were faring. There was nothing he could do about it so he decided it was futile to waste time on it. Despite his rest he felt tired. The scratches on his face had begun to itch and the various knocks and bruises were stiffening up again. The dark also brought back the memory of the vampire and he felt a chill in his heart which a prayer to Saradomin and touching his blessed amulet helped to banish. He watched the night silently, ever vigilant until he could stay awake no longer. The guide stirred as if some unseen alarm clock had sounded and without a word, took his place on the river bank while Gawain curled up and fell into a deep sleep.

The boy shook him gently and he stirred quietly, already aware that if it was an emergency, he would not have been so slowly awoken. The boy handed Gawain a piece of dried meat and a cup of fresh cold water which he thanked him for.

That boy was showing a lot of good qualities, maybe if they got out of this he would suggest an apprenticeship to him.

As he stood and stared around, the first faint glimmers of light were beginning to penetrate the trees in the east. The sun wouldn’t rise for another hour by which time he hoped to be over the river and on their way. This was where the fun would start.

The rest of the camp were woken up, the horses given one last draught of fresh clear water and some food, their bags were loaded and everybody was dressed and ready for action. The gnomes had bows and quivers full of arrows again, they had put the previous day to good use. The guide and the boy wore their weapons in full view and without any hint of embarrassment. Fulgar looked as if the rest had done him good and walked more like his old self to the knight and stared at the water.

‘Ready when you are. The water looks to have dropped but I still want the gnomes to ride the horses across . It may look safe but that current could still cause us problems’ Gawain smiled at that.

‘You had best ask the horses first. They let you ride them to the woods but they were being pursued by a dragon. You may not find it as easy this time.’ Fulgar bristled at that. He didn’t need reminding that riding horses was very much a human thing.

‘Well if we mount them here they will have no choice’ He said and marched off. Yes, definitely getting better

Gawain watched as the horses were led by the guide and two Gnomes to the water’s edge where Fulgar made a brave attempt to mount one, being given a bunk up by two of his companions. The horse had other ideas and walked forward slightly so the Gnome very nearly fell into the river. Realising there was pride at stake, Fulgar barked some orders to the gnomes who held onto the reins while another put his hands together for Fulgar to place his foot in and raise himself onto the horse.

Again, the horse decided he wasn’t interested and despite having two gnomes on the reins, easily walked forward and raised his head so that the hapless pair were left dangling in mid air. Gawain and the guide did their best not to laugh but time was getting on and Fulgar was seriously beginning to lose his temper.

Gawain stepped forward and took the horse expertly by the bridle and held it while the still angry gnome was lifted onto its back and wedged in-between some of the baggage. The horse gave Gawain a baleful look but the knight stroked his nose and spoke softly to him.

Three more gnomes were hoisted onto the other horses with the exception of the war horse which gave two gnomes who approached it a look that brooked no argument. Besides, Gawain wanted his own mount free in case of trouble.

They had decided to make the crossing in two stages in case of ambush while the others covered from the bank side. The guide would lead the first party across with his boy and Gawain would lead the second when the horses returned. He also noticed that the box had been removed from the horses and was being held and guarded on this side of the river. Everyone watched as the horses stepped slowly into the water and were led carefully by the guide up front and the boy half way back, stone by stone to the middle of the river. Things had gone well until now and the guide searched long and hard on the other side, watching the horses closely for footing and for any signs they had sensed danger. He then spoke to Fulgar who quickly pulled out his bow and strung an arrow. Gawain feared they had seen something but it was just a precaution. Fulgar was covering the bank and the gnomes behind him did the same.

After what seemed an eternity, they finally made it to the other side, the horses stepping out of the water and up the shallow bank. The tree line was fairly well back from the water and so the gnomes dismounted with little ceremony and ran into the foliage where they were once again at home and at their most dangerous. The guide had his sword in hand now that he no longer needed to steady the horses and was joined by the boy who watched side to side all the time.

When they were happy that the way was clear, the guide waved to Gawain and sent the boy back with the horses who had learned not to fear the water and without gnomes, were more sure footed. Even so, Gawain was tensed like a coiled spring as they picked their way back across the stones. His own horse stirred and stamped at the approach of its friends and Gawain waited until they had reached his side of the river before arranging for the last of the gnomes to be mounted. The two with the box insisted on sharing the same horse and with little time to argue, he checked once more before they all set off into the water.

The force of the current was impressive, even though it only came up to his shins and it was easy to see why Fulgar had insisted on riding across. It was also icy cold and within seconds his toes were beginning to numb.

The crossing reached halfway and Gawain decided he would mount up, partly for tactical reasons but mainly because his feet were sodden and freezing. The boy gave him a knowing look but remained in the water, holding tightly onto the reins of two of the horses. Gawain had the other as they reached a slightly deeper part where the water came over the knees of the horses. Progress was slow but they were making good headway and the riverbank was a mere jump away.

Phwizzzzz

The horse Gawain was guiding suddenly reared up, whinnied in terror and fell sideways. A long black shafted arrow had pierced its neck and stuck out the other side. Its rider and baggage were thrown into the water as it stumbled blindly around, kicking up spray and foam as it died before their eyes.

Gawain had thrown the reins, not wanting to be dragged down with it and with his shield covering his flank, spurred his horse downstream after the gnome who cried out as his head bobbed above and below the surface.

The massive horse powered through the water and Gawain quickly checked behind. The boy was dragging the other two horses out of the water and onto the bank, their gnomes nowhere to be seen. He could do nothing about that, committed as he was to rescuing the one ahead of him. The current was fast but the horse soon had Gawain alongside the gnome. He reached down and grabbed the outstretched hand, pulling hard so that the gnome came out of the water like a rocket and was flung onto the back of the saddle gasping for breath.

Using just his stirrups to control the horse he drew his dragon sword once again and with shield covering his front, charged to the riverbank and back towards the others and past the dead horse which had come to rest amongst some rocks in shallow water.

The sight that greeted his eyes was amazing. The guide and boy were holding off a fully grown troll by throwing large rocks which the troll was thwacking away with his massive bow like it was some sort of game.

The troll was stood in the water, having hid in the bushes far away up river out of sight or scent of the horses. Its bellowing roar shook the ground as it swung at a well aimed rock. The tactic had caught it completely off guard in its rush to grab and kill the second horse and not being the smartest of beasts had bought the company valuable time to regroup and counter attack. To Gawain’s amazement, even the gnomes were joining in and small but powerfully thrown stones were hitting the troll in the head as they all aimed for its eyes. This was about the only place a gnome could hurt a troll. It also meant that the troll was distracted long enough for him to throw his own passenger off the back with a deft push from his sword hand and gallop full speed towards the fight.

Too late the troll turned and saw the massive horse bearing down on him. Its club was dangling from a piece of rope and as it went for it, took a large rock straight in the left eye. It hooted in pain and put one of its massive hands over the injured area. This meant it didn’t see the sword stroke that severed its head neatly and expertly. The body dropped like a stone as the head jumped up slightly and fell with a plop into the water and bounced up and down on the current out of sight.

A general cheer went up from the gnomes but Gawain turned quickly towards the river again. Trolls always hunted in threes and even though it was normal for there to be just one archer, this was no ordinary part of the world. It was just as likely there would be...

Thunk!

His shield was knocked back by the powerful arrow but rune metal could withstand any ranged shot from a troll bow except at very close quarters and this shot had come from quite a way upriver.

He turned the horse back to his companions and shouted instructions. He saw at least four gnomes and then a very wet one appeared. They were all ready for action and Gawain had to admire their courage, the troll arrows could skewer them long before their small bows were within range.

‘Get the horses into the trees, cover them and stand your ground. Whatever happens, don’t run if the trolls break through. Hide and wait until they wander off. ‘Guide, you and the boy stay just inside the tree line and get ready with those rocks again. It worked once it may….’

Another huge black shafted arrow flashed past his head and hit a tree, burying itself halfway into the wood.

He growled and turned his horse to meet the two trolls lumbering through the water. If they wanted to do this where they couldn’t manoeuvre then that was fine with him. The troll bows were slow to reload and he knew he had time to reach them before he could be flung backwards off the horse with an arrow sticking out of his chest. He spurred the horse with a mighty shout and charged once again, taking the trolls down his right side so he could stay on the river bank.

The trolls snarled and bellowed at him, throwing their bows down and reaching for massive metal spiked clubs which they swung around their heads in wide circles. Doing so meant they had to stand far enough apart not to decapitate each other which also meant he could take them on one at a time and that was going to cost them.

The horse was at full speed and at the sight of the dragon sword the troll nearest realised their mistake. It stopped swinging the club and lowered it into a defensive position. It was a waste of time. The blade came in at chest height and cut neatly through the arm holding the club. Gawain didn’t want to risk getting too close in case it got lucky and managed to grab hold of him and pull him off the horse. That would not have been funny. The horse came to a sudden stop, pivoted and dashed wide of the trolls. The second one, angered to the point of exploding made to race after the horse but the water and its own rage meant it was moving half as slow as normal.

Gawain turned once again and seeing the first troll limping up and out of the water, steered towards it, swinging the sword into the back of its head. This move was not so successful and the blade stuck there, severing the troll’s cortex but stopping the knight dead as the horse sped on. He was lifted out the saddle but being a veteran of many fights the horse realised the error and tried to stop quickly. But it was tiring, the charging and fighting had blown its wind and it didn’t manage to keep its footing on the wet stones. Rearing up it threw Gawain off the back before falling sideways to avoid crushing him.

The knight landed with an oomph on the stones but he was quick enough to turn and see where the second troll was. The first had fallen lifeless beside him but was now between him and the horse with the second troll mere steps away and the fires of hell burning in its eyes. With a mighty roar the club swung down and smashed into the rocks where Gawain had lain mere seconds ago. The knight no longer had his sword which was still stuck in the back of the dead troll’s head and his dagger no longer existed. The horse carried his other weapons of which only the axe was any use and he leapt to his feet to avoid a fist which missed his head by mere inches. The trolls smelled as badly as they looked and it wasn’t easy to think with that stench to contend with.

The horse was suddenly in front of the knight and the axe was snatched from its quick release strap faster than the troll could react.

Gawain felt its reassuring power and swung it up to meet the oncoming beast which for a fleeting second was distracted by the fine horse that had just cleared the danger area.

Gawain lost no time and aimed the axe at the troll’s club, knocking it clear out the paw and stunning the owner at the same time. As Gawain completed the stroke he just managed to see the large foot come up and kick him fully in the stomach. He was lifted up and thrown back into the water, the wind knocked clean out of him. He landed with a huge splash and went deep under. Struggling to regain his balance and avoid the troll, he rolled with the current to put as much distance between him and his foe as possible. The trouble was, he needed to breathe but the blow had left him helpless and he started to take in great gulps of water. The pain in his chest was crucifying as he thrashed about in a desperate attempt to surface. Freezing water rushed into his lungs as he tumbled along in the current and it was looking very bad for him.

He felt himself hit something solid and was grabbed by his hair and dragged up, expecting to see the troll about to smash his head to a pulp. He looked up with bleary water filled eyes straight at Fulgar. The gnome shouted something but he didn’t need anyone telling him how desperate the situation was. Forcing air into his lungs and staggering around in the water he saw the troll about ten feet away stop dead in its tracks. Four arrows whizzed past and struck the troll in the face, two finding their mark in its eyes.

The troll roared and fell to its knees, pulling at the shafts in agony and panic. As it thrashed around in the water the young boy raced up from behind and with all the power he had in him and no doubt the vision of his friend being torn apart by wolves still in his eyes, he drove his sword down into the base of the troll’s neck, right up to the hilts. The troll stopped struggling, knelt in the water as its arms dropped to its sides. With a long low moan it toppled forward and fell face first upon some rocks, the sword sticking out of its neck.

Gawain drew in deep breaths, sat down in the water by the corpse and looked up at the young guide.

‘Come here boy’ He wheezed and motioned the young lad forward. The boy stood over him with a puzzled look on his face. Gawain used him to stand up and drew his short rune sword from his horse’s scabbard. It was a perfectly balanced weapon, the pommel being exactly half the weight of the blade.

‘What is your name?’

The boy looked in wide eyed wonder at the sodden knight.

‘K..Karl’ He said nervously, thinking he was to be punished for taking the mighty knight’s kill from him.

‘Wrong’ Said Gawain, regaining some breath ‘You are Esquire Karl and this is your sword of appointment’

The boy took the offered sword, worth more than five years pay to him. The glow on his face said more than any words could.

‘Have we still got everybody?’

‘Yes sir’ The boy said proudly, ‘we managed to hold the troll off’

‘So I saw, here’s your first order esquire. Get the baggage from the dead horse, share it out and get the column ready to move’

The boy rushed off in a daze of delight and excitement. Fulgar walked over, having collected the arrows from the dead troll.

‘I think we should...’

‘I’m not really interested what you think. Get your archers up ahead and clear the way to the edge of the wood. We are not done here yet’

He walked off to collect his own weapons and equipment. The gnome turned and stormed off.

Gawain watched as he reached the tree line called after the him.

‘Hey Fulgar!’ The gnome turned and scowled mightily at him.

Gawain’s face broke into a smile.

‘Thank you for saving me’

It seemed as if Fulgar might actually smile but he nodded curtly and disappeared into the trees.