Chapter 3>

Enountering the Beast

The constant tacking throughout the day had taken a terrible toll on the crew of the launch who were now making landfall on the south side of the river. Liemme hurried forward grabbing the bow line and stepping down into the soft mud that touched the waters edge. The land here was not open but rather a wide mud flat covered in heavy reeds perhaps half a mile wide. The ground was all mucky as the rest of the shoddy crew abandoned the boat and tried to find solace on the shore.

Priom staggered a few feet and almost fell on the muddy ground as he tried to settle to a sitting position. “Dear lord… My poor back.”

Samantha sat quietly beside him looking as if she wanted to cry when in fact it was simply the wages of her day’s toil showing on her face. One of the young boys sat next to her his face and arms all sun burnt. “Mess cud I hole ere han… I mess ought myther!”

Samantha tried to smile as she replied, tears welling in her eyes. “And I was feeling sorry for myself… please take my hand for as long as you will.”

Liemme held the bow line while all exited the launch then reached in to draw out a beach stake and mallet. The other twin stood next to him as he did so and said. “Sire Ere ought hole yon line fer thee?”

Liemme handed the boy the line and began to drive in the stake asking. “Boy…! What is your name?”

The boy put on a smile. “Sire me nime ought Gerod.”

The captain smiled. “I’m Captain Liemme, and you are a good hand boy.”

Childer walked to a place where a very large log had drifted ashore long ago and still extended high above the mud. The man climbed up on it and looked inland to the south for any possible danger than sat down facing the same direction. As he did so the young girl came up behind him and spoke quietly. “Sire ought I ken len eyes en watchin.”

Childer looked around to see the girl climbing up on the log where she sat next to him and continued. “Me brothers en ought ere owein o’ yer kineness en ought wud len aid.”

Childer nodded. “I’m so tired lass… I am truly grateful for the help in watching out. What are you called?”

The girl smiled. “Myrina, ought brothers ere Gerod en Jemmin!”

Liemme moved to where Priom and Samantha rested and looked down at the professor with a mirthful expression. “Professor… Here I note a shell stuck in the mud, can you tell me how a man becomes so soft?”

Priom looked up recognizing the comment as a joke and made a feeble smile. “Tis unfortunately true but you see I’ve never turned an honest days work in my life! Work… well it is too much work!”

Liemme ripped out several reeds as Gerod following his lead did likewise. He then made a sort of nest above the mud and sat down on it. “Well we can’t stay here too long so rest while you can. This darkness makes this place more than passing dangerous.”

Samantha nodded. “I am afraid for Thomas… I hope he is alright!”

Liemme nodded. “That killer… To him such business is a stock in trade.”

Thomas moved slowly in the shadows of the charred walls of a small burned out town. Not too far ahead was a gigantic camp of the mountain marauders and separated by a few miles was another farther on up the road. When the assassin reached an old stone church still mostly intact he climbed into its steeple and began to watch what the marauders were doing.

In what appeared to be a repeat of what had taken place in the cattle yards a few days earlier the monsters were slowly executing prisoners as they engaged in all manner of carnal lust and murdering rites. The screams of the dieing was terrible to hear as it was accompanied by the mirthful laughter of the killer mountain people.

The one useful thing that Thomas noted was that in the marauder camp all eyes seemed to be turned inward as the revelry of the terrible spectacle unfolded.

After a some great amount of time Thomas climbed out of the steeple, carefully reentered the abandoned street and headed south at a fair pace.

After an hour the assassin was well clear of the dangerous ground and moved less careful and fast as he believed was practical along the road that led toward the Cern.

It was then that he heard voices in the darkness off the road to his left and immediately stopped and went to a low crouch, turning toward the sound.

In the darkness though he could not see the speaker he heard. “Corporal, I want you to take two men and ride north to scout the enemy disposition and strength. When you have the information, come back here as quickly as possible I don’t want to be sitting still with daylight upon us; Understood!”

“Aye… but in this darkness we could fall into a trap. You remember what happened to Sergeant Robbins last week? I don’t want to end up like that…”

The officer grumbled. “Damnit I don’t care what you want… we have to determine where the closest enemy forces are, potential direction of travel and in what order and strength so that we have some idea what we are up against.”

Thomas sat quiet as the sounds of the voices went to a lower volume and it was not possible to understand the words. Then the assassin called out in the dark as he moved off the road. “Captain!... The enemy is laid out in two camps about four miles apart. I estimate their strength at eight to twelve thousand. There is at least one more camp farther north that I did not clearly see but if it is like the others there would be another four thousand to six thousand!”

The voice of the officer replied in a firm demand. “Who the hell is that…? Present here soldier… do it now!”

Thomas laughed in the dark. “I’m not your soldier; I am a free lance but I am not averse to helping you to some degree.”

The officer barked. “I’m Colonel Schmidts, and I command all forces in the field including the free lances so you do belong to me.”

Thomas came forward slowly still in a low crouch. “Perhaps I mis-spoke when I referred to myself as a free lance. I am but a traveler and a witness to some events.”

Schmidts answered. “You sound like a soldier, your report was succinct and I assume accurate.”

Thomas returned reply. “What I told you was accurate and true, and I have been benefited by the best training in the world as a free ranger. Especially in night work and stealthy approach and unseen disengagement.”

The colonel spoke again in calm friendly tones. “Please come forward we are not your enemy. Perhaps we could offer you some food and drink in exchange for the information you offer us. We are also very short of trained men and would that you join us before all is lost, we need all who are able.”

Thomas moved into the midst of the soldiers who all stood looking for him. “I cannot join you right now since I have friends in peril elsewhere. Perhaps you could offer me some information in exchange for mine.”

Schmidts held out his hand to Thomas who he could now see fairly well in the moonlight. “You are young to be a free ranger, very young, now what do you wish to know from me?”

Thomas smiled. “I am from abroad and was forced to this place by pirates and circumstance. I know well what the marauders do since I’ve seen it first hand, so what I need from you is the more particular elements of the present situation and how it came upon you in such a way.”

The corporal stepped forward and spoke. “They hit us first about two months ago… I was there… Anyway they came down in force of over a hundred thousand. Since then they spread out in their raiding of all the cities and countryside.”

The colonel held up his hand to stop the corporal and picked up the narrative. “The capitol was abandoned and along with twenty thousand refugees and the bulk of the army the king headed north east. He left us here, fifteen thousand men at arms and no battle plan. We faced them four times in battle and now there are less than four thousand of us left. That number includes all the follow on recruits and volunteers we have gotten. I estimate we’ve lost close to eighteen thousand; so the number lost is more than what we had to start with.”

Thomas frowned. “How did you face them?

Schmidts scowled. “We tried to block them and each time we were routed by superior numbers. There were not enough of us to swing the balance and with each subsequent battle we were not even able to slow them.”

Thomas shook his head not wishing to give the man a hard time he spoke words he knew were not entirely true. “Well you did the best that anyone could under such a burden. Where are you bound from here?”

The colonel looked at the faces of his few men who numbered only thirteen. “We maintain contact and hope for the return of the king with a large enough army to accomplish what we earlier could not. Sadly we have word from the high command that now runs with the king that all efforts are being made to establish a defensive line that can hold back these marauders, but they plan no offensive operations at all. Our orders are to watch and inform from now until the time we are caught and annihilated.”

“Where is your headquarters and who commands this doomed effort?” asked Thomas.

The colonel shook his head. “There are two generals who don’t seem to agree on anything. They are Wiltz and Manner, they have established base of operations at old Fort Haldith. We were besieged there for ten days but the marauders moved off after they realized we were little threat and too well provisioned to become quickly desperate.”

Thomas nodded. “Well where is this fort and how many men are garrisoned there?”

“Oh… it is a day east on the Cern, about two thousand men there at any given time we take shifts on patrol so we are half in and half out.”

Thomas looked around at the assembled men. “Well I have to be going I have a meeting to the south so I will take my leave.”

Schmidts laughed. “Well… no, we will accompany you. With your news our mission is accomplished for the time being and we can return to the fort.”

Thomas was not really sure he wanted the company especially after the news that the capitol had been abandoned would more than likely make the formerly made plan to turn this event into a money maker a bust. “Do you have extra mounts?”

The colonel nodded. “Aye we have remounts as well so you can ride.”

Thomas smiled thinking that this meeting might not have been such a terrible loss after all. “Thank you sir, I was not looking forward to the long walk! Haven’t slept in two days; my legs are a bit worn!”

Schmidts nodded as he called out. “Alright men we have had a bit of luck and so, we get to go home early. Bring in the mounts and we will be gone.”

Liemme turned to Priom and smiled. “We will leave this place in two hours, but I’ve a little job for you professor.”

Priom looked a little perplexed as he asked. “Ah… and what would this job be?”

Liemme pointed to a large mound barley visible in the moon light to the east approximately two hundred paces away. “That mound obscures our view and… well all that is needed is for you to go up there and see what is in that direction…. If it is safe to be here!”

Priom was tired but he understood the necessity of the thing so he slowly stood. Besides it was not a long walk nor was it a great climb, it would, he reckoned, not be a bad idea to keep a bit limbered up. “Very well, I shan’t be long!” he said as he stepped slowly off.

As the professor came to the top of the rise it was apparent that beyond it was just more of the same. a wide expanse of mud flat covered in tall reeds. He looked back to where the others sat and decided that now would be a good time to relieve himself since he could take a few more steps and have perfect privacy.

Priom walked a little way down the other side of the mound and stopped to urinate. He opened his breech front and went about the urgent business totally oblivious to any thing around him, when a voice rang out very close by. “My but you’ve a big pecker… I like a man who has more than ample tools.”

Priom almost jumped out of his boots as he looked and saw an old woman three steps away to his right. “Damnit! You scared the hell out of me.”

The old woman laughed as Priom turning away, closed his pants. “Where did you come from old woman?”

The woman giggled. “O… I’m not so old, but I saw your boat coming in and thought I should let you know that it is not really safe here abouts. Them mountain folks have a camp about seven miles farther up river.”

Priom faced the woman. “Thank you! Ah… how do you know this thing?”

The old woman laughed. “Them people are afraid of me. They took one look at my eyes and knew I am a witch and lit out fast… course I couldn’t really hurt a fly without I swat it or some such thing, but they don’t know that and it worked to my credit.”

Priom held out his hand. “Well it would be nice to meet you, witch or no, if you hadn’t snuck up on me like that. Come meet the others!”

The woman smiled, she looked to be around sixty or perhaps five years older than that, her light gray hair was tied up under a green silk scarf and her cloths were calico. Her worn face seemed kind but her eyes were dark and piercing giving an almost malevolent visage to her persona. She spoke. “Aye… I aint talked to no one since this business started. I will surely come and meet the others, and if you will take me with you

I know a way we can sneak your boat past the camp up river.”

Liemme growled. “Impossible… if the camp is on the river we cannot get past it without them becoming alerted.”

The old woman laughed. “The river is wide there… so all that is needed is to become partially invisible. The full on night will do the rest.”

Liemme shook his head. “The mast can be taken down but the hull rises three feet out of the water. Even traveling slowly we will be dragging some wake, and if we run out oars the sound will carry.”

The woman pointed at the boat. “Well I aint a witch for nothing and I will explain how it can be done. First we sink her down to the gunnels, then hitch up drag lines and pull and push her along the far bank. We’ll be in the water up to our necks so we shouldn’t be seen.”

Priom’s eyes grew bright. “Ahh… just so. It is like the tale of old King Rednaw of Branell taking his ships from under the noses of the Agronian fleet at Point Fear. I always loved that story.”

Liemme shook his head. “What did this Branellian do?”

“AH… well he took down the masts and flooded his three ships having positioned them between flotation’s. Then he cast them adrift and traveled overland knowing that the tide would do the rest that night. On the morning the ships were past the Agronians having been swept into a shallow channel, and as the tide dropped the ships were high and dry. The masts were raised and on the next high tide they escaped. The Agronians never knew they were there.”

Liemme nodded as he turned to the old woman. “What is your name… Hag? Your plan has the markings of the devil in it but it could work.”

The woman frowned. “Hag is it?... I am Terthisa, a humble wood witch, though never have I been called a hag you stubborn fool!”

The captain laughed. “Then it is Terthisa witch! I apologize, if you are not a hag. As for my being a stubborn fool… a little doubt dissuades reckless haste, and I plan to outlive this current deadly situation.”

Terthisa smiled a toothy grin. “Then we must move up river under the moon until we are close enough to execute my plan, but mind you professor there will be no tide to hurry us along. It will be back breaking work upon work with limited time in accomplishment.”

Liemme looked surprised. “I have not yet agreed, and even if I had I don’t see how it could be done tonight. There is not enough time.”

Terthisa laughed. “Then Captain I would suggest you make that time with haste. There is no ground to stand on here abouts that is firm and sooner than later you will be found. When that time comes you will be rushed upon and there will be no escape.”

Liemme shook his head. “Alright… everyone to boat we will prepare under weigh; listen you hag you will pull your share this night.”

Terthisa laughed. “Fair enough folly of a man.”

As the launch made mid channel a freshening wind provided the right thrust for Liemme to run along in long tacks for a change and the travel was made at a greater pace than had been accomplished on the river so far.

Looking off into the distance Colonel Schmidts noted the movement his forward scout had reported.

A group of about forty marauders were heading north with ten or so captives, at least some of them being army men. “Damnit! Ok, we hold until they pass and then take up the trek once again. They are on foot but I don’t want to give away our presence.”

Thomas spurred his loaned mount and instantly moved away from the small group as Schmidts protested. Hooking back and to the right in a few minutes Thomas was moving slowly through a stand of trees that paralleled a section of the road the marauders would soon pass by. He looked up and down the length of the fair stand of trees noting heavy brush with a few prominent paths through the cover.

Turning quickly back he found the Colonel and his soldiers in the place he’d left them, and Schmidts cursed. “Goddamn you boy what are you trying to do? We can’t risk an action they outnumber us four to one!”

Thomas answered coolly. “Aye and they are away from their main force. There is a wonderful place for an ambush just over there in those trees and whether you wish to take part or not I intend to do something.”

The colonel grimaced. “What… What do you think you alone could do?”

Thomas reached out his hand toward a scout as he responded. “I need a bow and at least thirty arrows. Oh and colonel there probably is little I can do alone but with your help we can have a small victory here.”

Schmidts shook his head. “They are master archers and would shoot us down as we came close.”

Thomas laughed. “Not if they don’t see you… I plan to risk showing myself and engage them in long range archery. I’ll be afoot and work to draw them into the trees over there. We will have to do this silent as possible so your men will strike them as they enter then melt away don’t stay in one place long enough for them to get a handle on you.

This could take several hours if they are hesitant. We simply play it by ear for a while then if needed, we will escape on horse and retire to the fort.”

The colonel shook his head and replied angrily. “This is pointless. I don’t understand what you have in mind and neither do my men, we’re not rangers. What battle set, how do we coordinate the attack?”

Thomas laughed. “Colonel… You don’t have to be rangers. The battle set is dispersion, action set, action draw, action oblique, counter counteraction.”

Schmidts shook his head. “I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

Thomas nodded as he dismounted and called for the others to do the same. Then schmidts spoke again. “No…! I’ll not hazard my men like this. We can’t do it.”

Thomas looked up at the officer. “Very well then I will go it alone, and you can sleep well knowing that you could have saved a few lives and did not. You can dream of what you doomed those people to undergo on account of your own safety.”

Schmidts looked hopeless then slowly dismounted as Thomas scowled at him. “Show me…!”

Thomas called the soldiers close then described as simply as possible what he needed of the Colonels men. “This is really quite simple. I draw the enemy force into a state of seeking by force into the small wood. Then when you see them you will be in three man teams, one team will initiate a draw by fire but never more than one arrow. As they turn to the threat team two will strike at angle in volume fire as team one shifts and resumes in volume fire also at angle until the encountered enemy group is reduced.”

The corporal nodded asking. “What if they come on en mass or in concerted rush.?”

Thomas smiled. “Well that is why you draw and shift. The big things are to not allow them to split the two teams apart and never let them get behind you. Shoot and scoot; if they hold in place in attempt to return fire by volume than keep moving and maintain your fire until they are destroyed. If they rush take out the leaders until they are forced to ground. Now in the event they split up and come after you individually or in small teams, don’t let them play the same game you are. Disengage and withdraw to the designated rally point for further instructions.”

Liemme was finished unpinning the mast and it was quickly lowered by him and Childer as Samantha, Priom and the Children baled in water to sink the launch down to one foot above water. Terthisa parceled dry stores and moved them to the land as the others worked in preparing the boat, running out lines and continued flooding. In a reasonable amount of time the actions slowed down as things were nearly ready. The children went to shore to carry the stores under direction of Terthisa, while the others grabbed onto the tow lines and stepped off.

Liemme spoke just loud enough for the others in the water to hear. “Alright, we’ve a long way to go so don’t let up or we are goners. If the light comes on us before we are clear we abandon everything and take cover.”

Chapter. 4

Small Victories

Thomas waited at the side of the road as the marauders approached.

The muscles in his legs twitching with apprehensive tension, how many times had such things played out in his young life, at present he could not remember.

The air smelt faintly of ozone reporting a sudden weather change was on its way while off to the west the storm was brewing and dim lighting flashes were evident but carried neither real illumination nor sound of thunder to the place the assassin waited.

The marauders moved slowly and for the most part quietly they did not appear to be even the slightest bit concerned that they might suddenly fall under any kind of attack. In fact they seemed so confident in their previous victories that they appeared entirely lax.

In the trees behind Thomas the cicadas made a terrible din as the assassin used the opportunity to stretch one more time before he would ask his body to become the terrible killer machine it had been trained to be. The boy adjusted his mind, narrowed his vision and made himself believe that he wanted to kill. No remorse, no shame, nothing but pleasure, pure pleasure in a murderous whim. His destroying the evil monsters now approaching would be the ultimate pleasure.

While it seemed an eternity, the bats flittered over head scooping up fireflies and the omnipresent ants and mosquitoes crawled and buzzed. Nature was cruel all things lived by and for killing and right now Thomas the assassin was no different. He already visualized all of them dead. That was his aim that was his goal. These monsters would never again touch another innocent person in quest of fulfilling their vicious rites.

Now was a game of waiting which was in fact the hardest part of the whole of the matter, when in fact the killing was the easiest.

Moving along in their sloth like train the marauders came on up the road until after a long time they were finally drawing near. Finally close enough to Thomas’s hiding place that they could be easily marked there was one who stood out. Thomas placed his eyes on this man.

He was a giant dressed in roughly made clothes and animal hides. His beard was long and poorly hewn and the hair of the man was tied in a long pony tail that wound over his shoulders. The others were similarly clad and though generally smaller appeared much the same.

There were also a few women toward the rear of the train armed with short spears and for the most part scantily clad. Their breasts were exposed hair cropped short and their faces tattooed in gaudy design.

Thomas’s eyes moved back to the giant, and without warning he marked him as his first target and quickly drew and released a deadly missile. Thomas had taken the time to make sure the bow was silences as much as it could be on short notice, so when the arrow struck it was not even noticed by any of the other marauders.

The giant marauder fell sidewise as he gasped out something in a strange language.

Two more of Thomas’s arrows sent in rapid succession found their marks in the next two closest enemy, one of the arrows actually taking two of them when it slashed through the throat of the intended victim and proceeded to lodge in the head of a second.

Now that the marauders realized the sudden danger they were in, they reacted in notable disarray, quickly taking cover as a few of them searched for the hidden archer.

By now Thomas had slipped away to their left to his second chosen assault point.

Among the marauders there was now a loud din of voices and hurried orders for action. Still they did not yet appear to be orderly nor did they truly understand the real nature of the attack they fell under. As their leaders started to initiate actions that signified a semblance of a plan Thomas struck again.

Hurling as many quick but well aimed arrows into the four closest marauders they suddenly fell one after another, then Thomas let out a war whoop and made a point of running noisily into the near by wood. As he ran he dodged left and right while veering south and return archery began whizzing past.

The adrenaline rush made Thomas giddy and almost gleeful as he ducked behind a large tree and placed his back to it. Now in relative safety Thomas laughed as he turned and called out while flinging two more arrows into the enemy. “I’m going to kill you all!”

The marauders though they had been shocked by the sudden deadly attack had reacted slower than expected not pressing an immediate counter attack. Taking advantage the assassin to moved in the cover of the trees back to the north.

In his mind Thomas visualized the previous few moments and was well satisfied with his marksmanship. Even with the unfamiliar bow, by his count he had so far, only wasted two arrows.

The initiative of the attack had to be maintained and Thomas knew he had to push the marauders to a desired action in order for the plan to prevail. He moves a few more paces north then sent two more un-marked arrows at the longer range into the crowd of marauders who were still crouching along the far side of the road.

The leader of the mountain invaders was finally busy organizing a firing brigade and in a few moments they began to send arrows by volley into the wood where Thomas had last been detected, but by now he was far from there.

Then about ten of the cannibals slipped across the road into the trees to the south. From there they turned north and moved too quickly in effort to try and corral what they still believed was only one attacker.

While this was unfolding Thomas silently low crawled forward out of the trees along a shallow ditch that provided a suitable defilade to mask his movement back toward the road. While the marauder envelopment from the south at this time suddenly encountered two ambush teams and became locked in a deadly archery duel halting their advance.

Private Guiles initiated the attack from very close range with a single arrow which struck a marauder in the thigh. The enemy immediately deployed to return fire as some shifted to the left assaulting in a quick rush.

It was then that Corporal Levar and his three men hurled ten quick arrows from the rear left flank of the marauders. As the hard pressed men began to react to this new assault from the rear, more arrows began to fly from the forward left flank.

Caught in the deadly cross attack the marauders tried to break away to the right, but Schmidt’s men sensing an opportunity to exact a little vengeance for so many past defeats, closed the distance and pushed the attack very hard.

In no time the battle was over as the last of the enveloping Marauders fell, all were dead or mortally wounded.

Levar immediately ordered his men to make absolutely sure the marauders were all dead then when such was accomplished they moved to the edge of the trees and began to hurl arrows across the road at the bulk of the enemy.

The commander of the small marauder force knew that he had to disengage since it was now obvious he faced a force of unknown size and capability. He also realized that his force had been quickly whittled down by almost half. The man franticly ordered his surviving people to fall away from the road to the open ground on its east side.

At this point Thomas understood that the ambush was about to lose the initiative and he moved to an exposed position to send as much death toward the Marauders as possible before they placed too much distance between them and their attackers for accurate long range engagement. Thomas was in mortal fear that a marauder arrow would strike him as a few fell all too close.

Schmidts also realized the enemy was about to escape and issued a sudden command. “Men! Assault forward…, from position of cover, archery…, mark by point…, strike at will!”

The next few moments turned into a slaughter as the Marauders attempting to draw back walked into a killing field with no usable cover. As the arrows rained down on them it became a matter of one option which was flight.

The enemy had lost all semblance of order while in full flight totally forgetting about their prisoners. As this took place the captives who had all went to ground began crawling away to the south while some sprung up and overwhelmed the few women who stood guard then ran across the road.

The engagement ended with about fifteen surviving marauders running in panic away from the deadly archery.

The fires of the marauder camp flickered and made strange reflections in the water as Priom labored at the heavy rope that now dug into his shoulder. So far the reality of his long anticipated voyage of discovery to the east had upon his arrival there been a nightmare of back breaking work and omnipresent danger.

Judging the time he knew that the sky would begin to lighten in four hours and that by that time they had to be at least five miles beyond the enemy camp. Terthisa had explained that a sharp bend in the river at that distance would hide their presence from the marauders and that they could once again proceed under sail from there toward the old fort at Hadith where she hoped the army would still hold occupancy.

Priom thought about his past, how as a young professor he had so many dreams and how with time they had all disappeared or became overshadowed by the reality of everyday life.

He had once had a wife and he thought of her, sweet Rosina. She came to the college as a maid then after a few clandestine meetings in empty class rooms and storage spaces for carnal pleasure, they became hopelessly attached. They persisted in this behavior until it became a scandal and the faculty superintendent fired Rosina and cast her out on the street in effort to stop the unacceptable activity.

Priom immediately rented a flat close to the school and they moved in together and were soon married. The union was happy and the years passed by as Priom’s stature at the school grew and his life took on the reality of dull routine.

There were so many things in the world that were possible and available but disallowed or entirely banned by the rule of the king that Prioms search for knowledge dragged him deeper and deeper into the clandestine world he had entered into as a young man. Now he engaged in the selling of secrets and contraband to whoever had the price and the things he traded in were items that if caught would warrant his immediate death.

Rosina protested the activity at first but as the money rolled in it became an intoxicating and after a while she openly helped in the trade. The one thing in the professor’s life that was a constant joy was his dear wife, and his children.

They had three children, the oldest, a daughter who loved all things beautiful and sought them. Ten years ago, she married a wealthy and handsome Agronian diplomat and had not been seen by the professor since.

The second child, a son was reported to have been killed fighting in the north Actin. He was a wild heart and always flew into some fray or another and entered the Embrian Army as a firebrand young lieutenant. He chose the most dangerous possible assignment and off to Actin he went never to return.

The youngest, another son, after some studies in a private seminary school dropped out and ran off to sea three years ago and Priom had a letter from him two years ago expressing his love of the sea and terrible spite for Embrey. The boy told how he was soon bound for the east and did not expect to return for a very long time. Priom while knowing they might never meet again was happy for, and somewhat envious of his youngest for a travel that Priom never would undertake willingly since he was in reality too afraid.

Priom now in the east and in great danger felt contented and hoped that some day in an eastern port he may once again meet his son.

His dear wife Rosina died of the plague eight years ago and the blow to the professor was devastating. Priom had at first missed her terribly he could not work, and then he was overcome by a great melancholy which became manifest in excessive drinking plus drug usage. While in that state he lost himself in the fleeting pleasures of whores and masochistic indulgences that became so powerful the faculty took action and he was nearly dismissal from the school.

The thing than had eventually saved him was the return of an old contact in the smuggling business who stayed on for long enough to force Priom back an a sane life’s path. The smuggler was a man named Hardin and he was queer as they come but loved all women as sisters. During his recovery Priom was attended by many of Hardin’s soul sisters who were often crude women of the streets but they were just what the doctor ordered.

It was during this time that Priom really discovered what it meant to be a woman in Embrey. The stories they told made his life seem carefree and simple when compared to what limitations and demand were placed on women. With their help he stopped feeling sorry for himself and was able to move on.

All ancient history, a life lost to the past and a new future to explore. In the river up to his neck the future lay five miles away though its arrival was now overshadowed by terrible doubt.

Samantha who pulled at a roe right next to the ptofessor leaned near and whispered into his ear. “will we make it?”

Priom replied as quietly. “Yes… if we get there in time.”

Samantha kissed his face and whispered again. “next chance… I’ll spread for you, I need you inside me more than ever!”

Priom kissed her back. “Surely my dear, I am always ready to accommodate.”

Liemme whispered. “You up there keep your minds on the task at hand! You can screw at the fort but here is not the time or place for that mind.”

Childer grumbled. “Wish I had a woman to spread for me, perhaps if we become rich here I’ll get me ten.”

Liemme grumbled. “Now look what you started.”

Running along side the road Thomas hooked out into the open ground to the east, where he increased speed and ran parallel to the escape path of the surviving marauders.

To the rear he could hear the celebratory cries of Schmidt’s men but paid little attention to them. After a few minutes he believed that he should be ahead of the fleeing enemy and stopped to listen. There was a distinct sound of horses coming from the tree line and yelling and cursing from the Marauders and their pursuers, so Thomas turned toward the sound and when he drew close found the Marauders in a small bunch surrounded by half of Schmidts’ men. The riders circling just out of archery range.

Corporal Lavar cursed. “Well now we got em what the fuck we gonna do with em?”

A private who was on foot answered. “Goddamn it I aint getting any closer, they already killed my horse!”

Lavar was at a loss. “If we get into bow range we’re gonna lose same men so keep back until I can figure something out.”

Thomas called out to Lavar. “Corporal get over here.”

Lavar did as Thomas said and dismounted next to the assassin. “What do we do now, I’m afraid Schmidt is gonna come over here and make us attack.”

Thomas laughed. “Use your head…! The wind is blowing east and we have a storm coming so we need to do this quick. The grass is tall and dry so move over there, up wind, and set it alight. When the flames flush them then act. Kill them quick cause when the rain gets here it will come down to a frontal assault whether we like it or not.”

Lavar Ordered two of his men to do as Thomas had suggested and the assassin watched as the continuing drama unfolded.

The wind quickly whipped up the flames that roared down on the fifteen surviving Marauders. The desperate mountain people began to run for their lives from the onrushing flames and they were quickly picked off by archery until there were only three women left. The poorly armed women were left with no choice but to throw down their short spears and surrender.

At this point Thomas started to go in search of Schmidt and laughed as the three marauder women were thrown down on the ground and Schmidt’s men began the inevitable raping that always took place with the capture of such prisoners. The mountain women did not fight the assault that took place but simply treated it as a matter of course.

Schmidt ran into Thomas as he came out to inspect the progress of his men and was pleased when the assassin announced total victory had been achieved. From there the two headed back toward the road where they encountered the former prisoners of the marauders.

A tall man who wore the remnants of a captain’s uniform and a bandage on his head saluted the colonel as he approached. “Captain Kinney sir! We were dead, all of us had you not acted colonel Schmidt.”

Schmodt smiled motioning toward Thomas. “Thank this ranger it was his idea.”

Kinney stepped forward holding out his hand. “Thank you boy, that attack was pulled off masterfully, and there are a dozen here who owe you everything.”

Thomas smiled. “These Marauders are a plague that needs to be swept from the earth, I but do my part!”

The captain smiled as the others came forward to pay their homage to the young assassin.

There were three more private soldiers than a mix of men women and children, the last as a young woman who took Thomas’s hand and spoke. “I am Selah, a pleasure girl. I hope to pay back your gift with my company.”

Thomas laughed. “As hard as such an offer is to pass up we haven’t the time here and now. I will look for you in a more favorable place then you can make enough payment for the lot of you.”

Selah laughed as she kissed Thomas quickly on the lips. “I hope you can fuck as well as you fight.”

Thomas smiled. “Oh… much better, In battle my motto is quick and to the point in bed my aim will be slow and lingering though my thrust is vigorous and persistent while perhaps a little rough.”

Liemme was suffering fiercely from a blistered shoulder and there was still a mile to go. The enemy camp was now far behind and the going was a little faster so the Captain called out to Gerod to board the boat and start bailing. Samantha was sent ashore to help carry stores and Liemme spoke quickly to the boy. “Remember how you helped take down the mast? Well it is still in place and so rigged so that when you have much of the water out you can raise it by pulling on the rope, can you do that?”

Gerod let Priom and Liemme help him into the boat as he answered. “Aye cappen, hole ere line en draw ought loff.”

Liemme nodded smiling. “Aye draw it loft then secure it and the other lines where we left them slack.”

Priom ducked his head under water and stood back up panting for a moment as

Liemme tried to fold his shirt to pad his wounded shoulder. Priom looked at the captain and shook his head, causing Liemme to ask. “You gonna make it professor… if not we might well have to abandon the launch.”

Priom tried to smile as he responded weakly. “What sir… and then have to walk some more? We’ll make it.”

Liemme waved his hand in a forward motion. “You better be right, lets step off we can’t hold here any longer.”

Childer spoke almost too loud. “No care for me…? You bastards do me wrong all of the time, and I don’t like it.”

Liemme laughed. “Well yer tougher’n he is old boy.”

Childer swore as he once again strained at the rope. “Why don’t you go to hell Captain?”

As the sun rose the launch and its crew were far enough beyond the bend that they were for the most part safe and final preparations to proceed under sail were under weigh.

Liemme had Terthisa examine his raw shoulder and she laughed. “As I have said you are too stubborn to live, this could have been avoided with but a few moments pause. Note the others have not the same injury.”

Liemme growled. “Just put something on it… it hurts like hell fire.”

The path up the river now headed south and a constant following wind sped the trip toward Hadith.

Approaching the old castle they saw a mounted contingent starting a sweep around the fortress and when they were noticed it veered in their direction. Liemme swung his craft into the shallows along the north bank and proceeded at a slower pace since he recognized the royal banner of the king’s army.

In a few minutes the soldiers were close and ordered Liemme to drop anchor. The commander of the horsemen walked down to the bank and called out. “There in the boat what is your business here bouts?”

Liemme called back angrily. “You damned fool… we’re heading toward the fort to avoid them murdering mountain bastards. What the hell else would we be doing here?”

The officer called back. “I have my orders, which are to detain all persons approaching the outpost.”

Liemme answered. “Another may have preceded us, a boy named Thomas. Have you seen him?”

The officer shook his head. “No sir. No new people have come to the fort in over ten days. We have an overdue patrol out that we fear may have been cut off and wiped out. Have you seen anything along the river?”

Priom called back. “Just that marauder camp up by the bend.”

“Oh… we know all about that camp. They probe us from there often but we are not enough to force them off… our situation is desperate, you should not have come here.”

Liemme frowned as he stood in the boat. “Listen boy… this is my country and it is being destroyed. This is my place as much as it is yours. I will not run…!”

Priom laughed. “Well I have no place and that the case I suppose I too shall fight if it comes to that.”

The officer nodded. “Very well I’ll send a man back to have the river gate opened. We need all who are willing to fight but I fear without relief it is a doomed cause.”

Liemme replied. “Is that so, what of the army?”

“Most of it fled east with the king, we are all that are left some four thousand of us.”

Liemme sat down. “Damn that cowardly fool, he gives up half the country.”

The officer nodded. “Often thought by everyone who remains here…, but do not say such things in the fort or it may go badly for you…Well I have a circuit to run so fare well.”

Terthisa waved at the man. “Keep yer eyes open an come back safe lad!”

The officer waved back. “My thanks… a due!”