Wherever I Am

Chapter 24 - Part 3

"I'm not surprised," Boian said. He'd ridden in with five contingents a little before noon, and we were sequestered with him and his cavaliers around his planning table, eating lunch. "As you saw, I'd left extra troops here. From what I understand, your timely arrival turned a pitched battle into a complete rout with over three dozen Sobecks dead and less than a dozen lost on our side."

"With this rout, maybe that will end it." I could hope.

"Maybe," he said. "The dead were mostly the smaller ones who don't fight as well as those bred with humans. I've seen their leader. About as tall as you and as broad as me. He's skilled with his spear, which is iron-tipped. Not many of those around here. What was the sound of his howl? Like our battle when we were coming here?

I shook my head. "Different. Lower pitched, I think, then taken up by a few others."

"This one joins the fight but pulls back after taking out a couple of soldiers or a cavalier. However, he'll let the small ones continue to fight to the death. He's got plenty of them, though we're finding them less and less, so we're getting the upper hand. It might break the rest of them if we could get him."

"That would be nice," Ellie said.

My mind was still somewhat numb this morning, but it was better than last night. I did sleep some, somehow. Oana saw me heading to bed and hobbled behind me until I scooped her up. The Sobeck had twisted her ankle, which the armor didn't protect against much, but at least nothing broke. I pulled her to me, and when I woke, Sorina was pressed against me, and Ellie against her.

This would delay our departure by a couple of days as we needed to be here to lay the dead to rest. Reginar had joined us, though in some pain. He and Cornelia weren't concerned about the delay, so I guessed I shouldn't be, but I was ready to go. I wanted this over.

There was a knock on the door, and Gabriel and Stefan came in with pitchers of beer and a plank of cheese, meats, and bread and poured beer for everyone.

As they went to leave, I waved them to a stop.

"Go sit under the window and listen."

Boian raised his eyebrows, and some of the cavaliers looked them over.

"They'll be out with us, so they can sit quietly, listen, and learn. Now, where were we?"

"Lord Kevin." A cavalier I didn't recognize spoke up. "We're grateful for your arrival. It saved many lives. At the same time, we had prepared. Lord Boian had us bring the women and children within the palisade before the rain started. We'd parked a wagon by the gate to hide the movement and likewise prepared ourselves."

Boian chuckled. "At any hint of storms. This was at least the fourth time we'd done that, but it was worth it. If the Sobecks kept watch, it was from far away because of the burning of the land. Hearths in the homes were cold, so no flames to put everything to the torch."

"Yet all of the troops stayed outside?" I directed that back at the cavalier.

"Not all, Milord. We left a contingent of archers to man the walls if the Sobecks came close and set ambushes to encourage them in that direction."

"Some of the archers are no longer soldiers," Boian continued, "but they'd had the training and occasionally refreshed their training over the years by bringing venison and turkey to the table. We hadn't turned in all our bows and arrows by any means, and the older ones trained some younger ones who could keep their mouths shut." He winked at the boys.

"Lord Boian, that sounds almost seditious," Ellie said, but with humor in her voice.

"To some, it would've been, Maid Elexus," he grinned back, "but I assume I'm in good company based on your training."