“Maija has incredibly good hearing, almost like a super power,” Kirsten said.

“Oh,” Thomas said, confusion written across his face.

“There’s a battle going on beyond the walls,” she said.

“I knew it,” Thomas said. “Who are they fighting?”

“I can’t tell. It’s far off in the distance, but there’s definitely a battle going on out there,” she said confidently.

“Well, I guess all we can do is wait,” Thomas said.

“And hope that whoever it is wins and frees us from the evil that lives here,” Kirsten said.

The three stayed up all night wondering and waiting for something to happen. It wasn’t until the sun rose that they saw the first sign that the battle was nearing an end. Kirsten worried things weren’t going well, because guards had returned to the courtyard, forcing prisoners back to work. She heard the voice of a guard returning, shouting orders to those who’d stayed among the terraced slopes of the pit while the battle raged through the night. She’d been eyeing the bullwhip left among the guard’s abandoned items and quickly grabbed it, readying herself for his return. As he came into view, Kirsten recalled why the guard looked so familiar to her; he’d been the one she almost struck on their first day in the fortress. Letting the whip uncoil at her side, Kirsten wasn’t going to let him boss her around. She didn’t care if the battle had been lost; she was going to fight back and now was her chance.

Maija pointed to the sky and gasped. A silhouette of a dragon flew over the fortress walls, and their hearts sank.

Merglan has returned, Kirsten thought.

Chapter 17

Battle at the Fortress

Ivan led a small group consisting of two other warrior scouts to retrieve Red and Britt’s party who were waiting with the ships. Ivan instructed them to stay out of sight, keeping within the low wrinkles in the hillside. Before they left, Ivan made sure the Rollo leaders knew where to organize their ranks.

“Form your lines just over this hill,” Ivan pointed ahead of the mass of men and women, who stood clad in their leather-plated armor awaiting orders and armed to the teeth with freshly sharpened swords, axes, daggers and spears. “A fan of rocks juts up out of the foothills. That is the closest and best concealed place to prepare for the march across the valley.”

Jorgen nodded, understanding where he was to bring his people while they waited for Ivan’s return. “Come back safely, with my son,” he said to Ivan when he had finished delegating responsibilities to his troops.

“I will, you have my word,” Ivan responded seriously. Ivan turned to Anders and gave him a nod before leaving with the two scouts.

Anders and Max fell in with the Rollo forces as they began to move over the hill and down to the hiding spot. As they crested the hill, Anders laid eyes on the vast expanse of the Eastland Territories for the first time. The setting sun at their backs created a rainbow of colors across the landscape before them. Yellows, oranges, pinks, purples, and blues mixed in a changing blanket of light that darkened as it shrank, fading into night. His eyes remained transfixed on the towering fortress in the distance.

That’s Merglan’s stronghold, Anders noted to himself.

The fortress was built seaside along a band of cliffs that extended down to the murky bay below. Smoke billowed from the chimneys scattered throughout the fortress. He could hear the faint sounds of shouts and metal tools banging against rock. Anders wondered what Merglan was doing at this moment. He hoped that whatever it was would be enough of a distraction that he wouldn’t notice the army of men, women and, hopefully, elves hidden along the mountainside just across the valley.

“That’s some view,” Max said, waking Anders from his momentary trance. “Do you think the elves are really going to show up and help us?” he asked Anders.

“I really hope that all elves are of the same mind as Nadir,” Anders said. “I honestly don’t know what to expect, but it sounds like we’re going to need their help.”

“The orc attack was overwhelming for us at first. I think an army of orcs and kurr will be even tougher to handle,” Max said.

“If this doesn’t work and if the elves decide to pull one over on the Rollo warriors, I’m afraid this fight will be over quickly, and not with a good ending,” Anders said.

They walked down the face of the mountain. The cliffs blocked their view of the valley as they descended into their designated hiding place. The mass of thickly leather-bound warriors carrying shields, spears, axes and swords gathered into their respective groups. The lead captains were spread out evenly among the ranks. All other captains and their crews formed lines directed by each leader. It took them several minutes before the ranks were sorted out.

Anders and Max joined in with the group previously captained by Britt. Max and Anders had fought with them once before and trusted that crew more than the others. Anders knew he could count on each one of them to watch his back during any fight. They stood near the center of the forces, next to Red’s father. Huddled together in the twilight, they anxiously awaited the return of Ivan with Red, Britt and the others.

“Something must be holding up the elves,” Anders said to Max in a low whisper so others around him wouldn’t hear. “I’m confident they wouldn’t betray their word with Ivan. The elf king seems to hold him in a high regard.”

“I just hope they make it in time to help us,” Max said worriedly.

Darkness surrounded them as they waited behind the cliffs at the base of the mountains. They stood in silence; orders to avoid making excessive noise were given prior to assembling in their formations. Anders heard rustling and whispers from the men and women around him. Ivan had returned with the captains and the two scouts. They pushed their way through the crowd to join in with their respective crews. Anders and Max welcomed Britt with full arm handshakes and beaming smiles.

“Glad to see you both are here to fight alongside us,” Britt said proudly.

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Max said, giving Anders a glance.

The rest of the crew was glad to see Britt back in command. Anders looked over and saw Red standing near him. He gave Anders a glaring look, a certain harshness in his eyes. Anders returned the glare, no less harsh. Ever since the competition at Grandwood, Anders didn’t particularly like the brute, but he respected his loyalty to his people and his fighting ability.

When the mass of warriors began to move, Ivan pushed his way through the crowd to Anders.

“Shouldn’t you be at the head of the army with Red’s father?” Anders asked. He expected Ivan would be leading that march alongside the leaders of the army.

“He knows what to do,” Ivan responded. “This is not his first battle and, with any luck, it won’t be his last. Besides, I was the one who brought you on this journey. It seems fitting that I should be by your side at the end.” Ivan gave him a half-cocked smile and started marching with Anders and the others right behind him.

The cool night breeze swirled around them as they emerged from behind the cliffs. Anders was more nervous than he’d ever been in his life. He didn’t know if he’d survive the night. Especially with the absence of the elves, he wasn’t sure if any of them would. Still, his focus remained on his two cousins who’d been abducted by Thargon. He would stop at nothing to get them back and away from Merglan’s grasp. The normal weight of his leather armor felt lighter than it ever had. Britt’s crew had given him and Max the leather body protection; they had some to spare after suffering the losses at the Glacial Melt Bays.

The valley was now blanketed in darkness. The moon had set and clouds covered the stars. Their army marched in silence out onto the grassy fields that sprawled between the mountain’s edge and the dimly lit fortress in the distance.

They hadn’t traveled more than a mile from the foothills before those in command halted the army. Anders heard gasps from those around him. He turned to Ivan who he saw was looking toward the cove where their ships remained hidden. He cursed as Anders first saw what everyone else was looking at. Bright yellow and orange flames licked the air above the ships’ location.

“We’ve been made,” Ivan said loud enough for Red and the other captains around him to hear.

“Somehow they knew we were here. Now we have no escape,” Red said.

Anders heard Jorgen shout, “Prepare for battle!”

Anders drew his sword along with everyone else. Those along the army’s edges locked their shields together in front of their torsos. Those next in line locked their shields atop the first row, forming a six-foot-tall shield wall around the Rollo forces. Anders looked through the gaps in the shield wall to see what was happening in the dark space beyond. Not seeing anything advancing at them he looked behind him. Several rows of archers stood at the ready, arrows nocked. Behind them more warriors created a wall of shields at the army’s rear. He still couldn’t see anything coming toward them.

“Hold the wall and continue marching!” Red’s father commanded. Making as little noise as possible, they continued forward into the darkness, ready for an attack from any direction. The command for the army to halt came once more. Anders’ heart beat so hard he thought it was going to come right out of his chest. Next came a rushing noise through the air, like wind blowing rapidly through the trees.

All of the commanders shouted in unison, “Shields up!” which cued everyone who was holding a shield to place it up over their heads. A blockade of wooden shields clashed together over their heads, nearly immediately followed by the sound of arrows thudding against them. Those who didn’t raise their shields soon enough suffered the consequences; the arrows pierced many of them. Some arrows made it through the gaps near Anders and Max, lodging firmly in the ground alongside their feet. Max looked at Anders wide-eyed and Anders back at him.

Now hundreds of footsteps rumbled the ground in the distance. Anders tried to see where they were coming from, but the night remained too black and he couldn’t see a thing.

“Archers!” Anders heard Jorgen command. Well trained, the army re-formed the shield wall once the arrows had stopped raining down on them. The Rollo archers behind Anders stood drawn and at the ready.

“Aim,” the command came loud and clear. The archers pointed the arrows up over the heads of their army. Anders waited eagerly for the command to fire. The thundering of footsteps grew louder. At last Anders could see where they were coming from. Orcs and kurr together, blades drawn, ran in an ugly mess toward them. The kurr stood taller than the orcs and resembled Thargon. Anders gulped hard as he heard the command to fire. In unison, the twanging of bowstrings followed. Arrows whizzed across the night sky toward their enemies. He watched as the first row of charging orcs and kurr dropped, riddled with arrows.

“Spears,” Red shouted. Those up in the front at the shield wall lowered their spears through the small gaps.

“Brace yourselves!” Ivan and Red shouted together as the wave of orcs and kurr came rushing at them head on.

The clash of flesh and steel on the wooden shields was deafening. Those at the front shouted as bodies came flying into them. Several warriors in the front lines were knocked over as the large kurr charged into them. Wherever the line broke, the warriors next in line quickly filled the gap, trapping whoever broke through into their ranks. Anders watched Red hack the head off a kurr who broke through, killing five of the men behind the wall.

On their captain’s command, the shield barriers would open slightly so a host of slashing and stabbing could be delivered at the orcs and kurr pushing against the shield wall. Ivan would command them to open the wall and let in several at a time. He would quickly dispatch them with his skilled swordsmanship. Others saw him doing this and began to follow suit.