3 bar menu

Vol.5, Ch.5, P.7

 

Months after, me an’ Dan, we found usselves marchin’ on Déu Tsellin. A great, big battle it were t’be, ’gether with thousands in the alliance. Aye, th’Víly-Gorka alliance, no less.

At dawn, we clash’d with th’Salvators an’ sent ’em scamp’rin’ back up th’slopes. An’ after regroupin’, we follow’d their tail, an’ soon were ’pon th’summit. Then, th’queerest thing, as we went ’long. Th’fog, it b’gan t’clear up. Most o’ it, leastways. Could well-see ’gain, better than further down th’slopes. An’ wot we saw first at yon summit were th’Dēlūbrum.

Big it were, I tells ye. Grand. Fills all yer sight. It were afternoon by then, an’ so it shone like a great, big pearl, there under th’west’rin’ sun. An’ thass when it lamp’d me: we were finally there. Almost, that is. Almost at th’top. At th’nest o’ the en’my.

An’ then, th’sky gloam’d. Gloam’d with arrows. An’ next, it brighten’d. Brighten’d with magicks. All o’ ’em, rainin’ down ’pon us. We took cover. Shrank b’hind us shields. Or pray’d fer palings o’er us pates. An’ then the en’my moved, pourin’ down from o’er th’shoulder o’ the summit. Methinks they’d done some regroupin’ ’emselves, th’Salvators. Aye, they rush’d down an’ crash’d ’pon us van, like waters freed from a sluice. Waters with a keen an’ single mind. An’ us, the alliance, we answer’d th’standard way: deploy’d full us palings, braced usselves, an’ crept us way forwards. Step by bloody step.

“Aegh…! Blummin’ ’ell!” Dan grumbled next t’me. Aye, even with th’palings, it were rough an’ ’ard goin’. Arrows an’ magicks bitin’ th’centre from ’bove. Mad-eyed Salvators snappin’ at th’van. A reight an’ proper ’ell it were. Screams an’ clangin’ an’ bangin’, all at once in the ears. An’ ’undreds o’ blades bristlin’ where’er the eye looks.

Well, with th’Dēlūbrum at their backs, th’Salvators were reight t’be deadly desp’rate, I’ll give ’em that. But we weren’t in no mood fer mercy, either. Me an’ Dan, an’ all the alliance fought back, tooth an’ nail. An’ this went on fer goodness knows ’ow long, till a spell blew up in us faces.

Whether from friend, from foe, we knew not; but ev’rybody anear were lamp’d back, braves an’ Salvators both. I lig’d there, dazed. Eyes swimmin’. Ears screamin’. An’ when me senses were sorted out, I found th’fray now shifted farther up. An’ there was Dan, shakin’ me wild an’ yellin’ breathless:

“O… oy, Tomas! There!”

There? I thought. Thass when I saw ’is finger pointin’ frantic at a ways t’the right o’ the action. Aye, there it were: an outcrop. A great chin o’ stone juttin’ up from th’ground. An’ in its shadow were sat a brave. I reckon’d ’e’d fled after th’first rain o’ arrows. ’Is tummy, ye see, it were in a bad way. Ablood an’ all that. Shot through by a shaft, methinks. Look’d cruel ’nough from jus’ where I were. Evil thing bein’, no other braves were anear ’im ’nough t’pay ’im mind None. Exceptin’ some Salvators. Three, four. Yonder, but creepin’ close. Up t’no good, I gather’d. An’ th’brave, aye, ’e look’d in no condition to ’scape. This were it fer ’im. It really were.

An’ thass why I clamber’d up t’me feet an’ cry’d, “That looks ill…! Come, Dan! With me!”

“Aye!” said me mate, an’ off we shog’d. Low we ran, with all th’speed that lived in us legs. Ten, or ten-an’-five passūs it were. Out from under th’palings. Into the arrows. Into th’magicks. A sprint through ’ell, pure an’ maftin’.

But ’fore long, we were sidlin’ up t’the outcrop. An arrow flashed by. Nick’d me ’cross th’cheek. Close call. But I couldn’t care. Th’Salvators were nearin’. We ’ad t’get th’brave ’way, an’ quick. An’ when we gain’d ’im, aye by gum, ’is belly were a reight mess. All red. All gushin’. Poor lad needed a proper seein’ to. Soon. Lest…

“Oy! Oy, lad! Can ye stand!?” I shouted.

“Come on! Up! Up on ’em trots!” Dan bark’d. An’ like ’e had mine, Dan shook th’lad’s shoulders, who look’d all jigger’d as death, I tells ye. But soon ’nough, th’lad crack’d open ’is eyes. An’ next, ’e gave us a glare. A reight mean glare.

“M…!? Men…!” ’e ’iss’d at us. “Away, you rogues…!”

“’Ow now! We’re mates o’ yers! Alliants!” I said back, an’ then offer’d ’im me ’and. “Come! We’ve got t’shog! On me back now! Quick!”

“Lies! De… devilry! What Man deserves trust…!?” th’lad kept ’issin’, ’fore slappin’ ’way me ’and. An’ thass when I saw it. ’Is eyes, by gum, they were afire with ’atred. Aye, it burnt me brows jus’ t’be gander’d at. “Away, I said! Get you gone!” ’e snap’d at us. “Lay a finger on me… and I swear, I… I…!”

But, I didn’t snap back. Aye, I didn’t. Instead, I said to ’im soft, “I’m Tomas. Me mate ’ere, ’e’s Dan. Wot ’bout ye, lad?”

“Ghh…!” th’lad growl’d. “I am… ‘foe’! A foe to you Men! To all who took her from me! My dear… dear Adelina…!”

Th’poor lad. ’Ere ’e were, blood spewin’, mind fadin’. An’ all ’e could reckon t’do were scream out. Fer someone methinks we Men’d stolen from ’im. Fer ’is “dear Adelina”.

“Tomas! They’re ’pon us!”

Shadows crept up when Dan yell’d that. An’ then I saw ’em. Salvators. Standing nigh an’ tall. An’ after gand’rin’ through us three, they frown’d their faces radged-like.

“What’s this…?” one o’ ’em said. “You—more consorters, is it!?”

“Pish!” said ’nother. “The sin upon your heads!”

A pair depraved, methinks these Salvators reckon’d o’ me an’ Dan. ’Nough t’deserve a reightwise pinkin’, ’pparently, ’cos in a moment, all four o’ ’em came peltin’ at us with their spears.

But a fico fer ’em. Th’spears, they quiver’d wild, they did. Wild with anger. Too wild fer a clean strike. Aye, we ’ad us a chance yet. An’ so I stood an’ put me drills at Hensen t’the test.

“Sseh!”

“Dyah!!”

An’ with me were Dan, ’avin’ th’same grand idea. With us swords, we turn’d ’way th’two nearest spears. An’ then we step’d in nigh, reight up b’side th’two front Salvators, an’ stab’d swift. Not at ’em, though. ’Stead, at their two mates b’ind ’em.

“Hragh!?”

Two down. But no time t’gloat. I turn’d back swift t’the Salvator at me side. Found ’is spear flyin’ reight t’wards me tummy. But I twisted ’way. Miss’d me by a mite, it did. An’ then I swung up me blade, slash’d ’im under the arms, an’ stab’d ’im through th’rib.

“Guhakh!?”

An’ when th’Salvator slump’d dead unto me, I saw o’er ’is shoulder wot th’last o’ ’is lot were up to. ’E weren’t fightin’ Dan. No, not at all. ’E were pointin’ ’is spear ’stead reight down at th’wounded brave. An ill sight. It’s o’er, I thought. But Dan, ’e were ’ready on it. Aye, there me mate went, quick as a squirrel, to wedge ’isself ’tween th’two.

“Khhrrh…!” gurgled Dan in pain. Th’spear, it’d got ’im. Reight on th’left flank. But it weren’t a deep one, thank goodness. Dan’d caught th’weapon when ’e’d come bargin’ in from th’side. Stop’d it mid-thrust. An’ then ’ad th’spearshaft vised under ’is arm. An’ next, ’e tug’d at it, an’ with th’sword in ’is other ’and, ’e stab’d th’Salvator reight through th’throat.

“Ghhuuhgh!”

Th’Salvator fell dead then an’ there. That were all o’ em. All four. We’d done it. But still no time t’gloat. More might come. We ’ad to ’urry.

“Aye, reight, then! We shog! Now!” I said, an’ went t’the brave’s side.

“…Gh… hegh… Da… damn it…”

An’ there, I found ’im all bitter in th’face, cursin’ in shame. Didn’t much like bein’ saved by us Men, methinks. Still, I knelt down an’ put me ’and on ’is shoulder.

“Lad. Yer name?” I ask’d ’im ’gain.

“L-leave me…”

“Not without yer name, I would. Come, lad.”

’E only turn’d ’way. Clench’d ’is teeth. But then, “…K… Kunz,” ’e answer’d. “Satis… fied? Eh? Be gone, already…!”

“All reight, Kunz-lad,” I said. “Ol’ Dan an’ Tomas’ll ’ave ye safe an’ sound. Come—up on me back now.”

“L… leave, I said…”

An’ then, I ’eard a ’ard thump. That was Dan, plantin’ ’isself down b’side Kunz. An’ next, I watch’d me mate snatch up th’lad’s collars strong.

“Quit beefin’, will ye!?” Dan shouted into th’lad’s face, shakin’ ’im fierce.

It were foul, aye, roughin’ up a wounded soldier like ’e did. But ’e couldn’t well-’elp ’isself. Me an’ Dan, we knew wot it were like to ’ate. ’Cos we usselves ’ated th’Nafílses once. Fought ’em, even. An’ less out o’ defence. More out o’ ’atred. An’ ’cos o’ that, we now ’ated t’see th’same mistake playin’ out ’fore us eyes.

Aye. It ’urted us now. ’Urted t’see folk ’atin’ each other. An’ thass why Dan kept barkin’ on.

“I ain’t th’dimmest ’bout yer lass! Yer ‘Adelina’! But I’ll bet all me soul she’s sent us t’save ye swift! Aye! Us! Men!”

“…You… you don’t… know…”

“Aye! Aye, I don’t! Nowt ’bout why ye wants t’live with all that ’ate in yer ’eart! Much less die with it! Ah!? Don’t ye think thass a reight rubbish way t’go!? That yer dear Adelina wouldn’t cry t’see ye colden on these crags!? Cursin’ yer lot till th’last!?”

Kunz-lad, ’e then fell quiet. An’ then ’is face twisted, an’ ’is eyes narrow’d, like someone were squeezin’ tight ’is dyin’ ’eart.

“Aye, we’ll save yer brussen, mardy arse, we will!” Dan said. “N’matter wot ’nyone says! So sit tight an’ stop mitherin’!”

Ye well couldn’t tell ’ad ye seen ’im like that, but Dan, ’e’s a gentle sort o’ cove. Aye, really. ’E is. Weren’t like ’im at all t’get so riled up. But thass cos’ ’e knew all too well wot boil’d in Kunz-lad’s bosom. All the ’atred. All the anger. Still, thass poor reason fer th’lad t’toss ’way ’is life. T’turn ’way from t’morrow an’ keep wallowin’ in days long gone. So believe ye me. It’s exactly ’cos ’e’s gentle that Dan’d got so radge-angry.

As fer Kunz-lad, aye, th’poor fella could only look back, eyes squintin’ all jigger’d-like. ’E were fadin’ swift. I could tell. So I put me ’and on Dan’s arm an’ bade ’im let go.

“Well, ye ’eard me mate. Come, Kunz-lad,” I then said. “We can chelp all we wants ’bout this later—if ‘later’ ever comes.”

I offer’d th’lad me back next. An’ after a moment, by gum, ’e climb’d on. Aye, that ’e did. Grudged me fer it, I’ll bet, but thass all well. I ’oisted ’im up whilst Dan scan’d ’round. Th’battle were still ragin’. Arrows, magicks, blades an’ all.

But when th’coast were clear ’nough, Dan said, “Reight! We shog!”

An’ shog we did. Shog back t’the ’ealers at th’rear. Quicker than cats from a barkin’ nanna we were. We ’ad a lad t’save, after all.

An’ as we went, I fancied ’earin’ Kunz-lad mumblin’. Mumblin’ an’ murmurin’, all quiet-like to ’isself.

 

─────────　∵　─────────