The Chronicles of Tenroha

Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-Six

Matáo and the rest of his company had arrived with the main camp nearly six days passed. Shortly after informing Prince Ködú of his attack, Ködú sent him back to the entrance to the path where the enemy group had turned away from the main road. Leaving the majority of his men behind, Matáo led two others, Twiggy and Sam, to see if the enemy was returning that way or if they ventured forth without the catapult.

They had barely entered the clearing where he had found the broken axle before they spied the enemy coming towards them through the tree on the far side. Matáo silently gestured for the other two to stay low and they quickly returned to the road. When they arrived, they set up a hurried ambush. He placed several archers in the trees overlooking the road and had the rest of the men take cover where they could find it.

After a short wait, the enemy soldiers emerged from the clearing and came into the road. Matáo signaled the archers to fire arrows at the feet of the men that were entering the road. They quickly stopped and raised their shields. There were only about fifty men huddled together. Matáo stepped into the open and called out to their commander who was huddled into the center of the men.

"Lay down your swords and you will not die today," were the words that flowed from Matáo's mouth before he had a chance to think about it. A puzzled commotion went through their ranks until it reached their commander who shouted, "Kill them all, before Claremont feeds you to the beasts!" The puzzled commotion turned into a murmur of confusion and then into a buzz of nervousness.

"Kill them I say! Kill them a...!" Came an order that fell silent. A man from the center of the group shoved his way to the front of the group dragging the slain commander. He stepped towards Matáo and threw his sword at his feet. "To hell with this, I ain't dying today, not for this," said the man that threw a bloody sword on the ground. He then turned and spat towards the commander that laid dead beside him. He began walking away. One by one, the enemy men began to lay down their weapons and walk away.

Matáo had his men stop the weary men and tie them up in a line. After the last man had his hands tied, Matáo said, "I swore to you that you would not die today. I am taking you back to Oaken Meadow where you will be held until this matter with Claremont is resolved. "Good," said the man who killed the commander. "If we were to go back to that mad man, we'd be killed for letting the weapon be destroyed."

Matáo returned from delivering the captives to Oaken Meadow on the sixth day and Ködú and the rest of the regiment had nearly caught up with the enemy ahead of them by that time. Ködú and his men had made camp on the side of a long hill. Matáo found him lying at the top looking into the valley that lay below.

As Matáo neared the top, he began to crawl on his belly until he was at Ködú's side. Stretched out in front of them was the enemy force. Ködú estimated that there were nearly ten-thousand men camped in the valley below. Ködú handed Matáo a spyglass and pointed towards the far side of their camp.

Matáo raised the glass to his eye and saw, in the far distance, two catapults like the one that he had set on fire, only much larger. It was nearing nightfall and Matáo could see Claremont's tent setting between the two catapults. He could also see shadows moving around the tent, and just before the sun slipped over the horizon, he saw the shadows take form and stand next to Claremont. Matáo recognized the shadowy figure closest to him. It was one of the Luna Stala, and it was missing an arm.

Matáo handed back the spyglass and the two of them slipped back into the camp. They were in Ködú's tent before either of them said a word. "We must attack tonight, before they know we are here," said Ködú. Matáo said nothing but took off his shirt. He pointed to the still healing scars from the last time he encountered one of the beasts.