Shadow's hunt, part four
#4 of Shadow's hunt
Sorry about the long dry spell of submitting stories but I have been busy. Anyway, here it is, the fourth installment of Shadow's hunt. I hope you enjoy it. * * *
Continued from part three... A long convoy of wagons crawled along through the wilderness below the solitary peak that rose from the plain like the blade of a dagger. Jen knew that the hundreds of tiny dots that surrounded the wagons were the guards of all the slavers in the fortress. Though they looked like toys from this height, Jen felt fear in her heart. Shadow's soldiers would be horribly outnumbered in the coming fight, but the moon tigers faced the prospect with an appalling calm. Jen was crouching at the edge of a high ledge along with Shadow, his captains and Hul, all of them watching the approaching slavers. The small army of moon tigers were spread out on the slopes of the mountain below them, preparing themselves for battle. Jen looked over at Shadow and listened in as he spoke to his captains. "How many do you think?" Shadow asked and Jolis answered after a moment. "I make it to be between thirteen and fourteen hundred." The captain stated, scanning the convoy once more. "That is about what I counted." Shadow said, nodding. "We will wait until they enter the valley before springing our trap. Elios and Jolis will take the east side of the valley, Todran and Kerig will take the west. Hul will take position at the heart of the valley with my guard. We will start at range and then move in close." "What about the slaves?" Hul asked. "If we attack them, they might kill them to prevent us from rescuing them." "Your troops and my guard will rescue them when the battle begins." Shadow assured him. "And then you will have your chance." "Good, I look forward to it." The minotaur stated, his hands squeezing the haft of his hammer hard enough to make the wood creak. "Then let us prepare." Shadow said and the officers split up. *** Jen sat with her back to a tree, both hands clasped to her bow. Her guts writhed with nervousness and she closed her eyes, wondering what battle would be like. Though she had been well trained, she had never killed anyone, nor had she ever fought for real. She found herself wishing that the battle would just begin already. The waiting was worse than anything she had experienced. She heard heavy foot steps coming from nearby and she opened her eyes to find Hul striding up the hillside towards her. When he got to her he spoke. "Do you mind if I sit with you for a while?" He asked and she shook her head. The minotaur sat down and laid his hammer on the soft earth. "Have you ever been in a battle before?" "No." She said, swallowing hard and looking around at the moon tigers. They were all kneeling in silence, their blades laid before them on the ground. All had their eyes closed and none of them seemed worried in the least. Jen envied their calm. "Is it terrible?" "It can be." The bull answered, following her gaze to the sitting warriors. "The best advice I can give you is to trust in your instincts." "I don't understand how they can be so calm." She said, shaking her head. "Even Talain doesn't seem worried." "Don't use the moon tigers as a measure of normalcy." Hul advised. "Their training is harder and more brutal than you would imagine. By the time they finish their training, every moon tiger has killed and most have been wounded in combat. They are trained to sink into some sort of mystic trance that banishes fear and limits pain. It also quickens their reactions and perceptions. That is why they are fierce in battle." "Hul, why do you hate the slavers so much?" Jen asked, trying to take her mind off the fear. "Am I that transparent?" The minotaur asked, smiling slightly. "When I was a small boy, my home was destroyed by the same clan of slavers that captured you. I was made a slave by them. They sold me as a laborer to a miner in the north. I grew large and strong from the work and then, one day, Shadow and Cyr came and killed the guards, freeing all the miners. They saved my life that day and we traveled together for a time, fighting hard. I was there when Cyr died. It is one more thing that I hate the slavers for." "I am afraid." Jen stated, laying her head back against the tree once more. "It's the waiting before battle that is so bad. Once it begins, you are too busy surviving to feel much fear." Hul said, his voice sympathetic. "Trust me, you will be fine." "Thank you." Jen said, and then sat up. The rattle of wagons and the clop of hooves could now be heard, echoing up from the valley below where they sat. The moon tigers were now standing up, sliding sheathed blades into their belts. Many lifted longbows as well, stringing them and testing their tension. Jen stood up and nocked an arrow to her bowstring. Shadow beckoned to her and Hul and the pair walked to him. "It is time, are you ready?" Shadow asked. When they nodded he led the way down into the valley, down to a rock formation where their dark clothing would conceal them well. While they crouched among the rocks, Jen looked up and saw the faces of the moon tigers peaking out from behind cover. If she hadn't known where to look, she would never have seen them. She shook her head once again and tried to steady herself as she waited for the signal to come. She waited and waited for two long minutes, with only the steady breathing of the warriors beside her as company. Then, the sounds that had been so clear above the rim of the valley came back to her ears. Now though, she could hear the sounds of the slavers as the leaders of the various groups debated something. Peaking up over the edge of the rock she crouched behind, she saw the head of the reptiods sitting in the now open back of his wagon, several other slave masters riding beside him. They were arguing in a heated fashion, and Jen got the impression that the others were doubting the wisdom of following Shadow's advice. While they argued back and forth, the wagons turned from their long line and began to park into lines. The slavers abruptly ended their argument and went off to organize their camps. The slavers did not seem to be united after all. Instead they seemed to distrust each other almost as much as they feared the moontigers. She felt her fear ease slightly, but not enough for her to relax. But then, she felt another feeling melting away her fear. The slaver had motioned to two of his guards and they had dragged a young woman to his wagon. Once they had tossed the girl into the wagon beside their master, they pulled the coverings tightly closed. Jen knew what the slaver was doing and the thought of it caused a swell of brilliant fire within her. It was a rage that had festered for long weeks of captivity and her fear melted away, like fog before a flame. She placed too fingers on either side of the arrow on the string and started to draw it back. She was not surprised to find herself sighting on the driver of the slaver master's wagon. She refrained from drawing the bow back all the way, waiting for the signal. Moments passed in silence, then a great shuddering crash echoed in the valley. The slavers had taken the bait and sealed themselves into the valley. Beside her, Shadow smiled and put his hands to his mouth, making the sound of a twittering bird, the echoes of the sound carrying through the valley. Another such sound answered him from above and the slavers continued on what they were doing, oblivious to the danger poised about them. She could hear the captain of the reptoid slaver's guards speaking to two of his men. "Have you found the cavern yet?" He asked and the guards shook their heads. The captain hissed in displeasure. "Keep looking then. We must know itss location." Jen smiled as she drew the bow back to her eye, shifting her aim to the captain. The creature would find no cavern beneath the valley. There was no escape now, save through the Moon tigers. She waited eagerly now, holding her arm still despite the strain of holding the bow back. Shadow drew his sword and held it carefully in the sunlight, shifting it slightly so the sun glinted on its edge. Shadow then nodded to her and she released the arrow. It flew straight and true and the reptoid officer screeched as the arrow punched through its chainmail shirt. As the arrow flew, a hail of other arrows loosed from the bows of the waiting ambushers rained down among the slavers, felling guards everywhere. A moment later, a great war cry echoed from the rocks of the valley. As the moon tigers began to rush down along the thin paths to do battle, Shadow led the way out of the rocks, towards the slave wagons. But, as the small group ran on, Jen noticed that Hul was running right towards the slaver's wagon. Swiftly, she made a decision and raced after him, revenge driving her now. The slave wagon's driver saw them coming and started to call out an alarm, but Jen loosed a second arrow and caught him in the throat, causing him to topple off the wagon's seat. The two guards who had been talking with the captain tried to block the minotaur's path, but he just lowered his shoulder, tossing both aside like rag dolls as he smashed his way through them. The Minotaur's pounding feet made great divots in the earth as he ran, and Jen followed him, ignoring the two guards who lay on the ground in his path. Another guard saw the charging bull and raised a crossbow. Jen drew an arrow from her quiver, aiming with instinct alone. She let fly, but at the same time, the guard fired. Arrow and bolt crossed each other in mid air and the guard fell, her arrow catching him in his right eye. But the guard's bolt was just as accurate, catching Hul on his side. His cry of rage and pain was loud enough to shake the timbers of the wagon, but he ran on, undaunted by the pain. Gantor, hearing the minotaur's cry, dove half-naked out of the back of the wagon, running away from the maddened warrior. But, years of living in luxury had robbed the slaver of his speed and he could not outrun the charging warrior. When Hul was ten feet from the slaver, he began to swing the hammer, weaving figure eights with it as he ran, building momentum. Moments later, the minotaur swung with both hands, the heavy hammerhead clipping the fleeing reptile's knee. It tripped and fell, then struggled to its knees and started to crawl away. But he didn't go far. Hul's hammer came down with a sickening crack on the creature's lower back. Gantor let out an animalistic shriek as his legs went limp and he turned over slowly to find the bull standing over him, hammer in hand, breathing hard with pain and exertion. Jen approached beside the bull and Gantor's face twisted in a look of shock as he recognized the woman. Hul looked over at her and she saw some kind of conflict raging within him. Then, he smiled and spoke. "He is yours if you want him." He said and Jen looked down at the reptoid. Gantor didn't seem to be capable of speech right then and he jibbered in his own language at them. Jen nodded to Hul and laid her bow aside, drawing one of the kamas. She knelt down on one knee and laid the blade against the reptoid's chest. Snarling, she made four quick cuts, the well honed blade slicing through the green scales of Gantor's flesh. The creature shrieked with each cut and she lowered herself down so she was near to his face, so near he couldn't miss what she said. "Four cuts for four weeks of hell." She stated, and the creature gaped at her, unable to speak. Then, she placed the point of her blade against his gut and stabbed twice, soaking the blade of her kama with blood. "One for my father, one for my mother." Then, with her blade still in him, she connected the two holes with a slice. "And one for my love, who you stole from me." Then she stood up, dragging the blade from the creature who had tormented her. "His life is yours Hul. Your claim predates mine." "Thank you Jen." The minotaur said and lifted his hammer above him with both hands. Without a word, the hammer fell. With a crunch, the creature who had caused so much torment was removed from the face of the world. "Now that that is done, let us go and help the others." The pair turned and ran towards the wagons where the slaves were being held and found that the slaves were already fleeing back towards the paths that led out of the valley. But Shadow and his guards were standing alone against a huge number of guards and several of the slave masters. The rest of the moon tigers were coming swiftly, swarming into the valley, but for now Shadow and the nine warriors with him stood alone. The fact that they were still standing against so many was amazing, and even as Jen ran to their aid they tore into the soldiers about them. Jen drew a trio of arrows out of her quiver and held two in her bow hand and nocked the other to her string. But as she took aim, she heard Hul bellow and she saw him lower his head, the horns that crowned him lowering into place. He began to speed up, his feet responding to the natural motion. She smiled and took aim while she ran, sighting on a bowman who was aiming at the charging bull. She stopped in mid stride for a moment, pulled back the bow string and let fly, then continued to run. She found another target while she ran and sighted on the crossbowman who was taking aim on her. She stopped in place once more and fired her second arrow, then nocked a third quickly and fired, her arrow spiraling through the fight, narrowly missing two warriors to strike her target, a human slaver who was coming in at Shadow's back. A moment later, Hul plowed into a knot of warriors, sending them flying and goring two of them. Jen stayed back, drawing another arrow and shooting it into a warrior. Another two arrows flew from her bowstring before the enemy noticed her. She ducked a pair of arrows that were shot wide, and returned fire, taking down the archers that shot at her. She fired three more arrows as she got closer to the brawl. Then, four warriors raced out of the fight, headed right for her. She dropped two of them on the run and then ducked the spear blow of a third and dropped him with a point blank shot. The fourth struck at her with a scimitar and she ducked under the blow, then struck the Lion in the muzzle with her bow, stunning him. Then, she shot again, taking the stunned warrior down. She reached back and drew another arrow, sighting on the only human slave master, then loosed the shaft. The slave master moved at the last moment and the arrow sliced his arm. Jen reached back and drew her final arrow, and took careful aim once more. Another pair of reptoid guards were running at her but she ignored them, focusing on the slave master. He was engaged in a duel with one of Hul's minotaurs and he never saw the arrow coming. She loosed the arrow and it struck her target cleanly in the side, the arrow piercing between his ribs and carrying enough force to pierce his heart. Jen dropped her bow and drew her kamas, catching the first reptoid's lance with her lefthand blade, sweeping it aside and stepping in, slicing with her other kama, cutting the guard open. He fell and the second warrior struck at her with two daggers. This warrior was better than the others she had fought. He attacked her again and again, slashing at her with great speed and strength. She was soon forced back further and further from the brawl, fighting hard just to keep the reptoid from killing her. She stumbled suddenly on a slick patch of ground and flailed as her foot slipped out from under her. This small event of sheer chance saved her life. The warrior's daggers slid over her head. They would have killed her had she not slipped. Seizing the opportunity, she slashed with both kamas, opening up the chest of the warrior. As he fell, Jen rose to her feet slowly and took a deep breath. She had been moving with an unnatural speed and the horror of the fight had finally caught up with her. She shuddered suddenly and realized that Hul had been right; the waiting had been worse than the fight. She didn't feel fear, only emptiness as the battle raged on around her. Looking about her, she realized she saw more moon tigers than slavers now. The rest of Shadow's forces had arrived while she had fought her duel and the remaining slavers seemed to be on the retreat. She whipped her blades onto the slain warrior's clothing and then tucked her Kamas into her belt once more, then hefted her bow once more, finding that it was still intact. She shook her head and walked over to where Shadow was standing with his captains and Hul. As she walked up, the huge minotaur snapped the shaft of the crossbow bolt that was in his side and tossed it away before hefting his hammer once more. The moon tigers and minotaurs were forming up in two lines that spanned the valley floor and the officers were standing behind the last line. Shadow looked around and when he saw her, he nodded. "You seem to have done well Jen, for your first battle." He stated, then motioned to a nearby wagon that had an open topped barrel full of arrows on it. "Fill your quiver again, we have more work to do." Jen nodded and moved off to comply, grabbing enough unbroken arrows to fill her empty quiver. Then, when she came back, she joined the front line of soldiers, standing next to Shadow once more. Shadow drew his sword once more and held his left hand in the air, then dropped it. The two imposing lines of dark uniformed soldiers walked forward, the front line with swords drawn, the back with arrows on bowstrings. Moments later, just as Jen passed the last line of wagons, the remaining guards came into view, standing in an unorganized mob around the only remaining slave master. They were staring with fear at the advancing warriors and Jen plucked an arrow from her quiver and nocked it to the string, taking aim on the slave master who had managed to find a mount in the chaos. The guards knew they wouldn't get any mercy from the advancing warriors, so they prepared for the final battle. They were about equal in number to the moon tigers now, but that didn't make the odds even. Jen waited for the right moment to loose her arrow and then, suddenly, the slave master urged his mount forward alone and Shadow held up a hand, the lines stopping in place. Shadow walked forward a few paces and the Slave master stopped where he was. "So many have died here today. The slaves are free, the slavers you wanted dead lay still beneath the sun." He said, holding the long spear he carried. "Why spill more blood here? Why not let us go back to what we were doing and you can go back to what your were doing?" "Because our creed forbids it." Shadow stated. "We never allow slavers to live." "Then you will die." The slaver shouted and suddenly dug his heels into the horse's flanks. The horse shot forward, the spear point aimed right for Shadow's heart. Jen didn't hesitate. She adjusted her aim slightly and let the arrow fly. It whistled slightly and the arrow struck the man in the chest. He fell backward off of his horse, the spear falling from his hand and the horse slowed to a stop. Everything on the battlefield was still, and then, with cry that belonged only to most desperate of soldiers, the guards rushed forward towards the moon tigers. Jen nocked another arrow and fired, then another and suddenly, she was in hand to hand again. She ducked a sword blow and struck the man between his legs with the bow, then clubbed him on the back of his head when he bent double with pain. Jen drew another arrow and fired at another target, felling the man. Then, she turned on instinct and found a crossbowman aiming at her. She reached for an arrow and the crossbowman's finger moved to the trigger and started to squeeze. Time slowed down as she nocked the arrow and pulled the bow string back. Just when the string was at her eye, the crossbow fired. She let fly the arrow and watched as the bolt shot toward her. It was impossible to avoid the deadly missile and she could only watch as it neared her. Then, just when the bolt was about to hit, a dark form moved in the way. Shadow staggered suddenly as the bolt hit him and he fell to the side. Jen felt her heart suddenly leap to her throat and she went to the warrior, the last of the guards falling to the moon tigers as she did so. Shadow did not move as she knelt beside him and she feared the worst. Suddenly, a realization came to her as the thought entered her mind that he might be dying. The emerald eyes were so familiar and so like Cyr's because Shadow was Cyr. She moved in close to his ear and spoke a single word. "Nightwalker." She said and Shadow's emerald eyes opened. Jen was invoking the most powerful of the ancient rites and she knew the danger of it. She stared into his eyes and found the familiar spirit waiting in his eyes. Somehow, against all odds, Cyr was inside this warrior. She felt her spirit surging with energy as she prepared to do the only thing she knew would help at this point. She took the bolt in hand and pulled it out of the warrior she knelt beside, grimacing at his grunt of pain. But then, she placed a hand over the wound and kissed him, their eyes still locked. Her spirit flowed into the warrior she kissed and healed the damage done to him. She could feel Cyr's spirit beside her, and another, alien presence as well. Three spirits worked as one and the damage was repaired. Moments later, the pair broke their kiss and Jen helped Shadow to his feet. He smiled at her and spoke. "I knew you would figure it out eventually." He said and then spoke to the warriors around him. "We fought well today." He shouted and the warriors cheered. "Many slavers lie dead by our hand. Tomorrow, we will escort the freed slaves home, but tonight, let us celebrate!!" *** A few hours later, Jen once again sat at a campfire near the gathered warriors and freed slaves. The slaver's bodies had been cast into a great funeral pyre and then lit. The freed slaves and the warriors who had freed them had then journeyed out of the valley and back down into the plain. After they had settled into camp, the celebration had begun and even now it carried on in the main camp. She sat at a campfire a hundred yards away from the main celebration. She could just make out Talain and Jolis celebrating at the nearest fire, the younger of the pair wearing two swords at last. But her attention was drawn to two shadowed figures who made their way to her campfire. The shadows resolved themselves in Hul and Shadow as they entered the firelight and the pair sat down at the fire. Jen waited for a moment and then asked Shadow the question she had been yearning to ask. "Cyr, why did you hide who you were?" She asked, and then followed up with another question a moment later. "And how did you get this way?" "Well, I hid it from you because I knew you wouldn't believe me." He said. "As for the other question, the answer is a long tale. It began the day we were separated..."