Raymond E. Feist - The Serpentwar Saga

De Loungville said, ‘When you hear anything, come running hard. Hit them as fast as you can and numbers won’t mean much. They’ll be so confused they won’t know what’s out here in the dark, but only if you act at once.’

Erik nodded, and moved back in line. He tapped the next ten men on the shoulder, starting with Roo, and motioned for them to follow him. Natombi, the former Keshian Legionary, grinned as they moved into the woods.

Erik was as quiet as he could be, but he was certain at any minute the alarm would sound. When he was approximately one-third of the way around the camp, he halted the men. A couple of sentries stood opposite their position, barely visible through the trees, but obviously more interested in talking to each other than in maintaining vigilance. Erik hoped Calis was right.

He motioned for the men to sit, indicating they should rest. He signaled Roo to take the first watch. Erik sat down and put his hands back over his face. He felt the warmth return to his hands and was glad he had been taught this healing. He decided he would hate to lose those teeth.

At the appointed time, Calis shouted and launched his attack. The camp was slow to come around, as most of the men were asleep.

As they moved to repel the assault from one front, Erik and his ten men raced into their flank.

Erik was on a man coming from a tent before he had his pants on. The man died before he could pull a sword. Another was down before he could turn, then suddenly one faced him, astonishment on his face. He shouted, ‘They’re behind us!’

Erik bashed as hard as he could with his sword and the man went down screaming. Natombi shouted some Keshian war cry, and Biggo let out a bellow to freeze the blood.

Men were scrambling from their low tents and Erik knocked several unconscious with the flat of his blade before they could gather their wits.

Then before he knew it, men were throwing helms, shields, and swords to the ground. De Loungville hurried along, commanding the prisoners be taken to the fire. Half-dressed, dazed, and dispirited, several of them swore openly when they saw how few attackers had routed them.

Erik glanced around, still suspecting treachery, but found only defeated men looking around in amazement. Of Calis’s forty-three men, only thirty-seven had been fit for this fight, and they had almost bloodlessly captured nearly two times their own number.

Suddenly Erik felt like laughing. He tried to fight it, but couldn’t. He let out a chuckle at first, then started laughing aloud. Then others in his company joined in, and soon there were cheers as Calis’s Crimson Eagles had their first victory in a long time.

Calis moved through and said, ‘Get Nahoot over here.’

A man among the captives said, ‘He’s dead. You killed him up the trail yesterday.’

‘Why didn’t Dawar tell us?’ asked de Loungville.

‘He didn’t know, the bleeder. We carried Nahoot down here, and he died at supper. Gut wound. Messy.’

‘Who’s leading?’

‘I guess I am,’ said a man, stepping forward. ‘Name’s Kelka.’

‘You the sergeant?’ asked de Loungville.

‘No, the corporal. Sergeant got his head split, too.’

De Loungville said, ‘Well, that partially explains why there was nothing like a defense.’

‘Beggin’ your pardon, Captain,’ said Kelka. ‘Are you going to offer us service?’

‘Why?’ asked Calis.

‘Well, we haven’t been paid in a while, and as we’ve got no captain and no sergeant … Hell, Captain, you kicked hell out of us with only half our number. I figure you’ve got to be better than anyone else we’re likely to run into if you give us the day’s grace.’

‘I’ll think about it.’

‘Captain, if you don’t mind, you going to take our tents?’

Calis shook his head. ‘Get back over there. I’ll tell you what I’m going to do once I decide.’

Calis motioned for de Loungville and said, ‘Get some food into the men, and send someone up the trail to lead the wounded and Dawar down here. I want everyone here by noon tomorrow.’ He motioned to the captives. ‘We’ll figure out what to do with them in the morning.’

Erik sat down, feeling his legs shake. It had been a very long day and he was exhausted, as he knew everyone else in the company was.

Then de Loungville’s voice cut through the air. ‘What! Who told anyone to rest? We’ve got a camp to make ready!’

Men began to groan as de Loungville ordered, ‘I want a trench and breastwork dug, and I want stakes sharpened. Bring in the horses and stake them nearby. I want a full inventory of stores, and I want to know who’s injured. Then, after we’ve got this camp in shape, maybe I’ll think about letting you get some sleep.’

Erik forced himself to stand, and as he moved, he wondered aloud, ‘Where are we going to find shovels?’

De Loungville shouted back, ‘Use your hands if you have to, von Darkmoor!’

Calis whispered.

Erik couldn’t hear the Captain’s conversation, but he saw Praji and Greylock nodding agreement.

The prisoners had been moved to a small wash, where a handful of men could easily guard them. De Loungville was interviewing them, against what plan of the Captain’s Erik had no idea.

The traditional head start for the losers who surrendered was a day before any hostilities would be resumed. Usually, according to Praji, those who cleared out were left alone, if they kept moving. Erik was lost in thought when Roo approached.

‘How are the horses?’ asked Roo.

‘They’re a little scrawny; the grass is poor this time of year and they’ve been kept too long in the same place. But otherwise they’re fine. If we move them a couple of times over the next week, they should put some weight on, especially if I can find a place to shelter them at night from the wind. It’s the cold takes weight off them as much as anything else. Their heavy coats are starting to come in, so they’ll be all right.’

Roo said, ‘What do you think the Captain has in mind?’

Erik said, ‘I don’t really know. I find it strange he’s talking about heading down for Port Grief loud enough so those prisoners can hear.’

Roo grinned. ‘Not if that’s where we want the Queen’s army to look for us. What next?’

‘We’ve got plenty to do,’ said Erik. ‘And we’d better get on it before de Loungville comes back. He finds us loafing around and there’ll be hell to pay.’

Roo groaned. ‘I’m dying of hunger.’

Suddenly Erik realized he hadn’t eaten except for a quick mouthful the night before. ‘Let’s grab something,’ he said, and Roo’s expression brightened. ‘Then we’ll get back to work.’ Roo’s expression turned dark again, but he followed his friend.

They had done a complete inventory the night before and found that while Nahoot’s men hadn’t been paid in a while, they certainly were well provisioned. Erik and Roo made their way to the tent they shared with Luis and Biggo – Sho Pi and Natombi had moved in with Nakor and Jadow in another four-man tent – and found the other two sleeping inside. Half a loaf of trail bread, baked only a couple of days before, and a bowl of grain and nuts were sitting by the entrance, so Erik sat, let out a sigh, and picked up the bread. He tore it in half and gave a hunk to Roo, and then scooped up a handful of grain and nuts and started to eat.

The air was chilly, but the sun warm, and after eating, Erik felt drowsy. Looking at Luis and Biggo, he felt the urge to follow their example, but fought it off. There was still work to be done and he knew de Loungville would make it harder on them if he had to tell them.

Erik got up and woke Luis and Biggo. They saw Roo and Erik, and Biggo said, ‘It had better be good.’