Stephen Zimmer - Dream of Legends

Frustration welled up swiftly, as there was no way of discerning which one of the developments presided at the moment. He only knew that he could do little if the enemy had broken through the great shield wall. Three hundred drained, battered warriors could not make a difference against thousands upon thousands of enemy troops, who enjoyed a constant stream of supply and reinforcement.

Even if the shield wall still held, little comfort could be gained. There was always the possibility of another large force being sent to maneuver through the forests to the northeast of the Plains of Athelney, to outflank the main Saxan army. There would be no stout Saxan shield wall to try to stop such a force in the future. The only one that could have been arrayed was now irrevocably broken, the remnants of which had been salvaged by the Unguhur and a lone, reclusive woodsman.

“What do you know of the Unguhur’s willingness to cooperate? They have the strength to hold the channel leading up from that strange forest of theirs, if a mind like yours is lent to them for the sake of strategy,” Edmund suggested. “It is my observation that their khan and khanum, Treas and Vuriant, are receptive to us, and they are certainly hostile towards the Unifier. Perhaps we can make an arrangement with them, to make use of your knowledge of Avanor’s methods. They might even be persuaded to come to the aid of the main army.”

Aethelstan did not feel entirely hopeful about the prospects of being placed in tacit command of another kingdom’s warriors, especially ones that were not human to begin with. Even further, he held little enthusiasm towards the idea, as his heart was burdened enough by the costs of leading his own kind.

As reluctant as he had been to approach the Unguhur about their beliefs and burial practices, there was also the worry that the Unguhur would find the proposition arrogant and presumptuous, if not entirely ridiculous. From their perspective, the Saxans had just been crushed in battle with the Avanorans, and it had been the Unguhur who had emerged victorious in combat with the invaders. They would probably feel that it was the Saxans who needed the Unguhur to guide them.

“Perhaps, Edmund, but it is a far thing to grasp for. We may very well transgress the goodwill of our hosts, even if unintentionally. But what else is left to us?”

“We have to leave here, and I think it would be best to retreat to a higher terrain, perhaps the lands to the north and east,” Edmund said.

The sky warrior’s reply struck a note of harmony inside Aethelstan, as the suggestion was the option that he had been considering the most. The area that Edmund spoke of ran along the northeastern borderlands of Saxany for a considerable distance. It consisted primarily of a broad mountain range, populated with rises that ranged from modest to immense in size.

The mountains were covered with stout trees, thick shrubbery, and dense brush, the latter two elements being significant impediments to the passage of large numbers on foot. Within the high ground, using the sporadic, narrow mountain passes that funneled any marching force into choke points, the Saxans under Aethelstan could easily maintain a defense against an enemy horde many times larger.

“If the enemy is not already trying to navigate that route,” Aethelstan said, after an extended pause.

“No, it is not practical to conduct an invasion there, and our scouts are constantly watching over that region for any sign of a threat. If an enemy force tried to move through there, they would likely be cut to pieces, even by a hastily gathered defense,” Edmund returned. “At the very least, any force moving towards there would have been detected early, and word of their movements would have reached us here quite a while ago.”

“And what of the Unguhur?” Aethelstan queried. “What is your counsel regarding them?”

“We can tell them where we are going, and why we have no other choice. It is their own choice as to whether they would accompany us or not,” Edmund said. “You can do no more than share what you know.”

“I will think on this matter for a time,” Aethelstan said. “I do not wish to bring our new allies an ill-fate.”

“An ill-fate would have befallen them later, if they had not chosen to come to our aid,” Edmund said. “The Unifier does not long suffer those who do not bend their knee to Him, in one form or another.”

Aethelstan quietly listened to Edmund’s wisdom. The sky warrior was correct in his assessment, but it did not negate the fact that the Unguhur had accelerated the Unifier’s direct attention by helping the Saxans. The Unguhur had to be warned about the imminence of the peril that was likely coalescing right at that moment to strike at them.

Already, he had begun to think of the issues that would be raised among the Unguhur. Their kingdom and its subterranean environs served as the only places that they had known for untold generations. The surface world was something very foreign to the underground-dwelling race, in the same way that their world was alien to the Saxans. Additionally, all of their kingdom’s natural advantages and routes were well-known to the Unguhur, and unfamiliar to any surface enemy, giving them a considerable advantage within any pending combat that took place in their demesne.

But they were not familiar with the ways of the Unifier. If anything, they were probably naive about the Unifier, and had no appreciation for the immense power wielded out of Avanor. Aethelstan was not sure that they would blindly trust him, when he informed them of the Unfier’s renowned ability to adapt to any presented obstacle; and come forth with an overwhelming solution. It was that widespread reputation that had made the Saxan decision to stand and fight so bold in the eyes of a few, and so foolish in the eyes of a great many.

The Avanorans were lords of war. In that sense, the Unifier was effectively a god of war, holding the martial reins of the Avanorans, and now many others, in His hands.

When pondering the notion of a journey by the Unguhur to the northeastern mountains, there were also logistics to consider. Access to the ocean waters, and the streams located within the hills, coupled with the small game inhabiting the area, would produce enough food to sustain a larger group of humans.

The enormous Unguhur, with their stature and numbers, were another matter entirely. The vast mushroom forests and underground streams, teeming with fish and other quarry, were certainly adequate for their needs. The Unguhur would find the higher lands to be otherwise. Sparse and challenging in the longer term, the mountainous territory would be unable to sustain any significant numbers of the large creatures.

Aethelstan did not see much hope when it came to pleading with the Unguhur, to get them to avoid the doom that would inevitably fall upon their realm, but he knew that he would have to try. Despite the improbability of convincing them of the mounting danger, and the strong possibility of angering them unwittingly, he resolved himself to make an effort. He had to give the brave souls that had saved him and his men the best explanation of the situation that he could, and pray fervently that they would listen to his words, give them credence, and then heed them.

“Go to their khan and khanum, and petition them for an audience, as soon as possible,” Aethelstan stated. “I must endeavor to open their eyes. I can do no less than that for those who have helped us so unconditionally.”

Edmund nodded. “At once, Aethelstan.”

Turning, his friend headed off with brisk strides towards the heart of the great Unguhur city of Oranim. Athelstan quietly watched his friend depart. Even though a decision had been rendered, regarding a course of action for the Saxan survivors, his hopes were lifted no higher.