Knox of the Bloom

Chapter 10: A Bloody Fool

They attacked at dawn, the sky an ocean of blood, crows circling the air, and the warriors spoke of it as an ill omen. But Knox stayed strong as they rushed down the slope, one hundred warriors screaming their battle cry, sending a shiver down his spine.Yew-Bow was beside him, with Clay-Jug and Flint-Blade. Arrows rained down on the attackers, littering the ground with screaming men, but after the second volley they were at the outer palisade, pushing their ladders up against it and the bravest of them climbing first. Knox slipped a stone into his sling, pelted it at the crowd below, it getting lost amongst the press of men and doing little damage.A man appeared above the spiked stakes, wild-eyed and shouting some curse or other. Flint-Blade leapt at him, driving his knife into the man's throat. More were spilling up onto the platform further down, overpowering the defenders there with their sheer numbers. Knox slipped out his dagger as two more men leapt over the palisade. He went for the one with the hatchet, the man's skin was daubed in the blue war paint of the northern tribes, and Knox swung his knife, clashing against the blade of the hatchet. He growled as he kneed the bastard into the groin, making him double over. But the man whipped out with a left fist and caught Knox into the side of the head, knocking him aside.Clay-Jug jumped into the fight before the man could bring down his hatchet making firewood of Knox's head. Jug cracked the side of the man's head open with his axe, sending a spray of blood across Knox's face."Get behind me, lad," growled Jug, as three more men were climbing over the wall. It was four against Flint and Jug, but Knox had a stone in the sling and pelted it at the closest man, catching him in the shoulder harmlessly."Fucking thing," he cursed, loading another stone.Flint dived at the man, blade flashing, clashing against his wicker basket. Jug brought his axe to bare, swinging it right and left, driving the other three back a step. A spear point pierced through the man at the back's chest, an Yew-Bow appeared, dragging the man aside and down below, off the platform, letting go the spear.One of the attackers turned to face Bow, and Jug and Flint battered their weapons against the attacker's shield, driving him back and back, until he was forced over the palisade and he fell onto the men below.More men were spilling onto the platform further along, cutting down the lesser experienced defenders like wheat chaff. Yew-Bow grabbed his discarded bow and nocked an arrow, released, and took one of the attackers in the chest, sending him reeling off the platform."We're not gonna hold them off," warned Jug, looking at the men being cut down."We must," said Flint."Look!" shouted Bow, pointing across the village, to the other side of the wall, where men were appearing on top of the platform also."The bastards had men hiding in the forest on the opposite side." Jug shook his head and took a swig form his jug. "Flint, we're not going to hold them off!""Then we fight until we're dead!" Flint ran at the nearest enemy, knife flashing, once, twice, parrying the man's spear thrust, then stepping in and driving his knife into the man's chest. A hand grabbed Knox from behind and he was pulled down onto his back. He looked up to see a man lifting a spear, about to stab him through the heart.Knox's life flashed before his eyes. The mountains, the lakes, the life he lived in solitude.But then a white blue swept over him, and Tapa was on the man, claws digging into his face, landing on him as he fell, and ripping his throat open with a savage bite.Knox rolled to see another man coming over the palisade. The other were busy fighting, and Knox was on all fours, vulnerable. The man brought up his axe, and Knox acted on pure instinct, jumped and pushed the man back over the wall. His eyes went wide as he fell, and disappeared from view."Fucking fuck," he muttered, looking around. They had made some room now, as Nemain had come in to help, using her shield and spear to make space, ducking and spearing the enemy, when and axe flashed over the brim of the shield and Knox it slam against the side of Nemain's helmet. The man went wobbly legged, and the enemy kicked him, sending him falling back down the ladder he'd come up. Jug stepped in and took the man's head off with one clean swing of his axe, blood gushing up from the gaping wound.Knox felt light headed. Tapa was beside him then, licking at his face.He wasn't cut out for this. He never imagined himself as a fighter."Still alive, mo cailin." He kissed Tapa and wiped the blood from his mouth, the wolf's mask was covered with it."Knox, if your not dead I want you up on your feet!" Flint appeared above him. He grabbed the man's offered hand and was pulled up onto his feet. "We need to get to the ceremonial hut, defend it from the raised platform."Knox looked across the open space to the large hut and nodded.They climbed down the ladder, Knox checked Nemain and found he was still alive. Together he and Jug carried the unconscious man to the hut. Fighting was moving from the platform up on the palisade down into the village now, and the defenders were fighting a running battle as they moved back through the huts and shelters, many being cut down where they fell. There were hundreds of enemies appearing up over the palisade. Flint was right, White-Fang must have hidden the majority of his force.They dragged Nemain up onto the platform where Blue-Moon and the handful of men stationed there with him to defend the entrance to the hut in case anyone should slip through were sending arrow after arrow up onto the wall."We're not gonna last," said Jug, shaking his head."Jug, if I need you to state the fucking obvious I'll bloody well ask for it." Flint went inside the hut, and came back out looking pale. Knox tried to push his way past, but the big man held him back."You don't want to see what's in there, lad."Jug went in and came back out shaking his head. "They're all dead.""A fate better than what's to come." Flint looked around at the men flooding down the ladders and into the village. "Wel, brothers, we fight to the death, like Hornbeard would have wanted us to.""It's been an honor," said Bow."Aye," said Jug, and they each shook hands. "It's been that."Knox readied his dagger, Tapa beside him, Flint-Blade, Yew-Bow, Clay-Jug, Blue-Moon, and five men were what stood at the entrance, guarding their beloved dead inside. One of the men set fire to the hut with tears in his eyes. Better than to leave there sacred ground to the enemy, Knox supposed.They came towards the raised platform like a wave of screaming faces, a forest of waving spears, a wash of anger and hatred.Yew-Bow and his five archers brought down a few, but not enough to even make the slightest difference. Knox kicked a man in the face as he tried to pull himself up onto the platform. Slashed another into the cheek, sending him running away. Flint and Jug were doing the same, fighting, making them bleed for every step they took, every breath they drew.Knox let fear and the love of his brothers beside him flow through his veins, and fought for his life. He was an animal, backed into a corner, teeth bared, dagger dripping blood, spreading death like a plague. He opened the throat of one man, blocked a spear thrust then, lost grip of his dagger, as the handle was slippery from blood. He growled as he grabbed hold of the spear, tugged it out of the boy holding it's hands, and butted him across the face. The boy stumbled, and there was no honour in driving that spear through the boy's back, but her did it anyway. For in times of war and battle, survival and battle-lust make the worst of the best of men.Bodies littered around the platform, three of the remaining defenders were left, and the enemy was gaining a foothold onto the platform, pushing them back to the burning hut. Knox was about to rush in for another attack, a tall, blonde haired Nordner looking man, when something hit him in the side of the head and he stumbled. The world went the wrong way around, and he found himself vomiting, prone on the ground, blood gushing down the side of his head. He looked up to see a man standing there, smiling.White-Fang.He lifted the axe, about to finished Knox off, when Flint-Blade leaped in to block the blow, knocking Fang back a step. The man stumbled back, snarling, and Knox couldn't hear the words that passed between them, but knew they could only be filled with hatred.Knox crawled away, leaving them to kill eachother, he was tired. So tired.Tapa appeared beside him then, liking at the gash across the side of his head. Knox was too afraid to touch it, he might feel brain. It felt that bad.He pushed himself up off of Tapa's back and leaned against his wolf. Tapa's head snapped around then. Hers ears perked up."What is it, mo cailin?" his words were slurred. He followed Tapa, stumbling with every step. He went around a corner, the rear gate stood fifty paces away, a few bodies littered around it. There were voices.Movement sounded behind him, and Knox waited for the killing blow."Are you... Oh, by the Gods, your head!" Knox recognized the voice. He turned to see Eriu standing there, her face was covered in dirt, dress torn."There's someone out there," mumbled Knox."What?" Col appeared beside her, took one look at Knox and put her hand against her mouth."Help me open... Help me open the gate." Knox stumbled over to the two oxen still lashed up against the fence, and together they quickly got the gate pulled aside.Knox thought he was dreaming for a moment, for standing there was none other than Capard Hornbeard.The giant of a man was flanked by Bronze-Shield and Rabbit's Paw."Knox." Hornbeard stepped inside of the gate, his giant war-axe in hand. "Good to see you, lad."Knox fell to his knees, shaking his head. "How?""Not now. Bring him somewhere, see to his wounds." The latter was said to Col and Eriu, who nodded and grabbed Knox by the arms. His vision swam, and the last sight he had before unconciousness took him was of the mountainous figure of Capard Hornbeard leading a crowd of men into the village.*Knox died.His spirit wandered about the realm of the Otherworld. Among the forest did he roam, coming to a pristine lake, where a woman was sat by its edge.Eriu.He sat beside her and they placed hands over each other's hearts. Gone were the fear and the pain of living. They were together. But then a wind blew and the water was disturbed, and overhanging branches blew in the gust, shedding their orange leaves, for the Cold Days were near."Come back to me," Eriu whispered in his ear. "Do not abandon me now."An image flashed in his mind of two women, sitting over a man, and Eriu was there, her hands over his head, stopping the bloodflow with bandages. He floated over his body, Tapa was sitting there, and she had her head tilted, whimpering.And then he was back at the lake. But Eriu had disappeared, and on the lake was a lone flame, hovering on the water's surface."They will come." A woman in white robes appeared beside him, as beautiful as a friend's smile in hard times."Who will?" he asked her."The Dark Ones. They will come, and they will plague the land. Men will die beside their firesides, women will eat their children from want of food.""Is there nothing to be done?""You could go back. Enter the water, and return, or they here and be at peace.Know looked behind him, where the forest was greener, and a wolf made of mist appeared, panting at him. He longed to enter those familiar trees, to roam once more in peace like he had all his life. But then his mind showed him an image of Eriu running through those trees, and the feeling that had overcome him when he'd first laid eyes on her, like a piece of himself had been put back together, a piece until then he'd never knew he'd been wanting.Knox nodded. "I will return. Will it hurt?"The woman smiled, her teeth as white as pearls. "Only living hurts, my child. Death is bliss."Knox entered the water, the flame spread, opening out and unfurling like a leaf and he closed his eyes as he submerged beneath the surface. The water spread warmth through his body, a fire burning through his mind, and he fought not to breathe for a moment. But then the woman was there in the water with him, and she pushed open his mouth.BREATHE!*"I said breathe, you bastard!" shouted Eriu, slamming her fists down on Knox's lifeless body. But it was to no avail.He was gone.She let the tears fall freely, not knowing why the death of someone almost a stranger effected her so. But in the little amount of time, and the few conversations they had together had given her strength, shed on her safety where only an empty space of darkness had been before.She remembered nothing of her life. Nothing of her past before the Druids took her. Who had she been? What memories had the Gods stolen from her? And more than anything, what would they take from her at cost to the gift she'd been given, whatever that may be."It's no good," said Col. The healer had tried mending the wound, but Knox had slipped away before they could help him.The fighting was still ongoing outside, luckily on the other side of the village, and a handful of warriors had been placed outside Eriu's hut by Hornbeard.Eriu stood and hugged Col, and together they cried for the loss of their friend, Knox. Tapa came over and nuzzled her nose against the back of her legs."What in the name of the Gods is going on?" said Knox.Eriu turned to see him sitting up in the pallet. His wound had stopped bleeding, and he looked deathly pale, more than usual, but he was alive!Eriu rushed to him, wrapping him gently in a hug. "Oh, thank the Gods you're alive.""I was... somewhere else." Knox looked around the room, wide-eyed."You passed into the Otherworld." Col nodded. "The Gods have truly blessed you to send you back.""It was the White Lady. She brought me back." Knox smiled. "And I saw you, Eriu, and you were the most beautiful thing besides the White Lady."Eriu blushed, not knowing whether to take it as a compliment or an insult."I didn't mean..." Knox shook his head. "I meant it was nice seeing the face of a friend there, where I was.""I'm your friend?" asked Eriu."Of course you are, mo cailin."Eriu smiled. "Thank you Knox. You don't know how much that means to me.""And look who's here, also back from the dead!"Eriue turned around to see the giant of a man from the gate walk in. He had a large horn twisted into his massive beard, and his war-axe which he leaned against the wall was covered in blood."Knox, lad, it's good to see you alive.""Hornbeard. I thought I'd dreamed it.""No lad, and I'd call myself more a nightmare than a dream. Aye?"Flint-Blade appeared, followed by Clay-Jug and Yew-Bow, then Bronze-Shield and Rabbit's Paw. The room in the hut was sparse and Knox looked ill at ease at the men's compliments in the battle and how glad they were he was alive, so Eriu shooed them all out of the hut and shut the door, leaving her, Col, Knox and Tapa alone once more."Did that really just happen?" asked Knox."I'm afraid it did," said Col, daubing more ointment onto the cut across the side of Knox's head. It would leave a nasty scar."Bet I look pretty," said Knox, noticing Eriu watching him."You're lucky your skull's so thick," jibed Eriu," Or else, White Lady or no, you'd be lost to the Otherworld for sure.""I've always been lucky," said Knox, giving her that cheeky boyish grin of his."You're such a bloody fool, Knox."Knox touched the wound and grimaced. "Aye, I am now."