Darkspur

Chapter 31 - The Arrival

It was late afternoon when they heard the first chorus of voices. Far off, out of view, carried on the breeze. The chant ebbed and flowed, all the while gradually growing in intensity as the walls of Darkspur became increasingly crowded, all eyes watching for the fabled Darnach Sor. Caden stood with Keria and Nadred, pulling on the neck of his breastplate, trying to get the heavy, ornate armour into a more comfortable position.

"This thing doesn't fit," he said, flexing his shoulders.

"You really should be saying, it doesn't fit any more, I don't think Ordwin is the only one that's been overdoing the ale," Keria said.

Caden just scowled at her but he had no defence.

"Are we ready for this, Keria?" Caden asked quietly.

"I can't see how we could be in any better shape, Caden. Ordwin has nearly 1200 men and elves outside the city, hunkered down behind the new defences; it'll take some doing getting past them. We also have the elven archers on the secondary city wall and their cavalry waiting in the square just in-case anything goes wrong. We're ready Caden," she assured him.

"And what of the Dark Summoners?" he asked.

"Fifteen groups of Outriders are in the trees out there somewhere," she pointed at the far off tree line, "with orders to remain hidden until they see any Summoner activity. Oh, and we have Nadred here, of course."

Caden nodded, continuing to stare at the horizon.

Nadred, though, wasn't listening, he was trying to stop the tremors that had started in his hands. At that moment fear was his biggest enemy, making his gut twist and cold sweat run down his back; all this and he hadn't even seen the Darnach yet. The Mage was almost consumed by doubt and panic.

In the distance, from the trees, a steady line on figures began to emerge. The column fanning out as more and more soldiers appeared, their voices travelling over the plain. A woman screamed somewhere on the wall and a worried murmur spread through the people gathered there.

"Get the civilians off the wall, now," Caden shouted at one of his officers and he sped away, firing orders at those around him.

Slowly they started to leave, funnelling back into the keep, glancing over their shoulders nervously at the steadily growing army beyond the wall. For over twenty minutes they watched the mass of men grow, the Darnach army forming column after column on the Duraeden Plain. But Keria couldn't help but feel a little let down. She had never seen such a large army mass before but in her imagination it was always accompanied by flags and drums, the crests of knights flown proudly above the advancing men. But the Darnach had none of this; no flags, no heraldry, just a drab horde of dark figures arranged haphazardly in a field. She found herself strangely disappointed.

As the setting sun dropped behind the city it threw out a long, pointed shadow of Darkspur Keep over the soon to be battlefield, the tip lazily inched it's way over the fields towards the still singing Darnach; it was almost like an arrow pointing out the oncoming foe. Caden leaned forward, his hands on the ramparts.

"Only a thousand men, no horse, no siege engines; I don't like this Keria, something doesn't sit right," he whispered.

"I'm getting the same feeling, sire. They must know this is hopeless," she replied.

"Tell the men to be prepared for anything," Caden said. "Because I fear, anything could happen."

Nadred turned, he didn't care what was going to happen, all he knew was he wouldn't be there when it did.

-o-

Grathan slipped quietly through the corridors, taking the servant passageways, bolting the doors behind him as he went; he didn't want to alert Caden to what he was about to do. He paused as he passed the back entrance to the large dining hall, used by the castle guard for festivities and special occasions, throwing the lock on the heavy wooden doors. A couple more minutes and he had reached the dungeon and not for the first time stopped, making sure he was alone, before slipping inside. As he descended the stone stair, the one guard left watching the prisoner briskly stood to attention as her superior entered.