Chapter 3 Part 7

Back at camp, Marlena had gambled and applied her meager healing powers to Avery, who in turn, had regained consciousness long enough to stabilize Seymore, who was just short of death. Then, the already weakened healer passed out again. Marlena was relieved that the two would survive, but there was no telling what permanent damage had been done. She couldn't worry with that now; the battle was still being fought.

The attackers had been driven to the cover of the floral surroundings, driven by the enraged prowess of Samson and his enchanted blade. Armegon, Norwind and Keeneye had heeded the warrior's warning and maintained their distance. Under the sword's spell, Samson was a whirlwind of lethal steel. Ultrecht had been hit in the head by the glancing blow of a sling and was unconscious but otherwise unharmed.

Reaching into her own shoulder bag, Marlena withdrew a sprout of mistletoe and summoned the forces of nature to do her bidding. In response, the trees, vines and grass twisted and moved like a living thing to grasp at the enemy's limbs and bodies. There was the gurgling sound of strangulation followed by curses from the bushes which gave way to a strange voice's cry for retreat.

With thirty-one bodies on the ground and no other attackers in sight, everyone stopped where they were and listened for a sign of where their enemy might be hiding. But, all they heard was a dead cold silence.

"Are they gone?" Keeneye asked.

"I think so," Norwind answered.

Samson's body trembled slightly as the last waves of the blood lust fled from his body. "I hope not!" he said standing with Libra clenched in both hands glaring into the forest. "They hurt Seymore."

"They hurt Avery and Ultrecht too," Marlena reminded them all as she knelt down to inspect Ultrecht.

Armegon joined her. He had already pulled the arrow from his shoulder and used his own healing power to close the wound. "Ultrecht will be fine," he assured the others. "He took only a light blow to the head." Armegon then inspected the motionless forms of Avery and Seymore. "Marlena did a good job here as well," he commented. "Avery should regain consciousness within a few hours, but Seymore has a serious chest wound and I haven't the art to heal an injury such as this. He has a punctured lung, maybe worse."

"Well, when Avery wakes," Samson said speaking the halfelf's name without the usual sarcasm, "he can heal Seymore."

"I don't think he'll be strong enough to do that kind of power slinging for some time," Armegon replied.

"Some healer," Samson spat with a curse.

"Don't worry, dear," Marlena said putting a comforting hand on Samson's shoulder, "we will think of something."

Armegon stood and dusted the dirt off his robe. "Alright people, lets get a run-down on what damage we have taken. Samson, you check the animals and baggage. Keeneye, you check our perimeter for aggressors. Norwind, you check the bodies for clues and goods. I will start breaking camp and Marlena will watch over the wounded."

Everyone quickly jumped into action. There was no question as to what they were doing. They had all heard the enemy retreat and knew that to stay was an invitation to another attack by reinforcements. It didn't take a genius to determine that.

Armegon was rapidly packing what vital equipment that could not be left behind when Marlena sat next to Ultrecht and asked Armegon "have you seen Tyson or Axlea?"

Armegon jerked to a stand and looked around. "That's right," he said, "they weren't here. Hey Samson, Norwind," he called, "have you seen Tyson or Axlea?"

"Axlea went up to the mountain to check the weather," said a sluggish Ultrecht as he struggled to sit up assisted by Marlena. "And Tyson didn't trust him so he followed."

"Do you think Tyson knows something we don't?" Norwind set a bag down next to Marlena and then started to help Armegon.

"Unfortunately, Norwind," said Keeneye as he emerged from the forest, "I think Tyson did know something we didn't." Keeneye was flushed as he lay a piece of bloody cloth, identical to the kind Tyson wore, on the ground next to the fire. "I found his cloak and one of his boots about a ten minute hike from here. There was a body, but it was mangled and torn beyond recognition. There was also this. And with that, he produced a small pendant of a golden dragon on a platinum chain. It was the emblem of Tyson's brotherhood and something he never was seen without.

All were silent as they stared down at the torn fabric.

"He still may be alive," Marlena said hopefully. "Keeneye said the body was unrecognizable."

"You don't really believe that. Do you?" Norwind asked her.

"Well, we can't just leave without finding out for sure."

"I think," Samson interrupted, "that we can't afford to stay to find out."

"Why do you say that?" asked Keeneye.

Samson explained. "Suppose Tyson is dead. If we wait to verify that it was indeed his body, we risk another attack. On the other hand, if he is alive, then whose body is it, and why is it so mangled up? I think that if Tyson is still alive, he used his own clothes as a decoy and is hiding until those bandits or whatever they were. . ."

"They were soldiers," Norwind interrupted.

"Okay then, soldiers," Samson continued. "He will probably hide until those soldiers leave the area, which will be all the sooner if we are not here." Samson saw understanding in the others' faces. "Tyson knows our destination and can easily catch up to us, especially if we are dragging those two," pointing at the inert forms of Avery and Seymore, "all the way to the Twin Cities."

Ultrecht nodded in agreement as he commended Samson's reasoning. Their situation had changed from outdoor survival to combat and tactics. This was Samson's bailiwick. "I agree with Samson's logic," he said. "We should already be on the move."

"Ultrecht and Samson are right," said Armegon. "Keeneye, can you rig up a litter so that we can drag those two sleeping beauties?"

"Sure," Keeneye replied, as he started binding some discarded tent poles together with cord.

As they loaded their beasts, Samson asked Norwind, "why did you say that they were soldiers?"

Norwind slung a canvas across one of the pack animals' back. "Because they all wore the same make of boots, and they were too shiny."

"I see," Samson said glancing at one of the fallen soldiers. "They are, however, dressed to pass as brigands."

"Why?" asked Marlena.

"We'll have to figure that out later," Armegon said as he mounted his horse. "Right now we need to put as much distance behind us as we can."

"Right," Keeneye added. "I suggest we ride all night and rest tomorrow morning from a fortified position."

"Good idea," Armegon agreed. "Let's ride east, then when we make the coast again, we will follow it north to the Twin Cities."

"The Cities are only about three days away," Ultrecht looking at the small map that Axlea had carried.

Norwind put the fire out and threw a blanket across the two unconscious forms on the litter. "Lets go," he said as he too mounted a horse.