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HONOR IS THE MEASURE of a man: it defines his worth and gives weight to his words. Guard your honor as you would your life.
—Belond, headmaster of Scaleback Academy
* * *
THICK MIST CLUNG TO the morning air. The sun, just above the horizon, fought to disperse the gray soup but was losing. Captain Torreg strained his eyes, peering into the murk, just able to make out the edge of the Jaga, demarcated by twisted and blackened trees, their barren branches resembling hands reaching for the sky in supplication.
As the sun rose, the landscape brightened and became somewhat visible, but the mist persisted. From his vantage point atop the hill, Torreg could make out the marshy, uneven ground that stood between the Jaga and himself. The previous night’s rains had soaked the earth liberally; crossing the marsh would be treacherous on foot and impossible on horseback. Without turning to look, Torreg knew the same terrain stretched for miles behind, effectively cutting off any hope of escape.
It had taken two days of hard marching for his band of armed men to arrive at this location. The steady rain over several days made the swamp forbidding terrain. Exhaustion seeped from every soldier. Several coughed through their helmets—surely a sign of encroaching sickness. He had faith that his own men, all Royal Guardsmen, would hold up under these conditions, but the Midlanders accompanying him didn't inspire confidence. They were poorly trained and poorly equipped by his standards, but he felt gratitude for their numbers, despite those misgivings.
It presented bad circumstances for any battle, let alone facing an overwhelming enemy.
A discordant, shrill note originated from the twisted trees, shattering the morning quiet. The wait was over. Battle arrived regardless of how ill prepared his men might be. Those surrounding him clutched their weapons nervously.
Another note sounded from the Jaga in response. Figures began to emerge from the blackness, growing in size as they covered the ground to the defenders. Blood-curdling shrieks, like those of rabid animals, reached the ears of Torreg’s little band of fighters. The ash-covered swamp men of the Jaga rushed across the marsh with surprising speed, waving their weapons wildly as they came. Even from this distance, Torreg thought he could see the whites of eyes widened with blood frenzy.
"Loose!" cried the captain.
The air filled with the sound of strumming and black-shafted arrows whipping away as the archers in Torreg’s unit let loose the first volley. The savages of the swamp had not covered half the distance to them yet when the arrows descended upon them like a cloud of hungry insects. Many in the lead fell, but more spilled forth from the black forest. Even as the archers loosed a second volley, bringing down a swamp man with almost every shot, the ranks of the enemy continued to swell, and the first of the frenzied warriors reached the bottom of the hill.
The Royal Guardsmen formed the vanguard of the band, flanked on either side by Midlander footmen. The shining armor of the Guard stood in sharp contrast to the simple but sturdy leathers of the Midlanders. The Guard stood resolute as the frothing lunatics scrambled up the hill toward them. Torreg raised his sword in the air, and his men matched him. Their voices cried out in unison as the advancing line crashed into them.
"For the king!"
The swamp men fought savagely, without restraint. Their crude weapons clashed repeatedly against the shields of the Guardsmen, often breaking in two with the ferocity of the blows. Many fell to the guards’ swords, for the attackers made no effort to protect themselves. Instead, the swamp dwellers seemed intent on shedding blood alone.
At first the formation held, and Torreg fought shoulder to shoulder with his men. But the onslaught, so chaotic and unpredictable, spread the fighting across the hillside, engulfing the Midlanders as well. Volleys of arrows flew from behind them, and the fallen littered the marshlands leading to the Jaga. However, the stream of invaders coming from the black forest seemed endless. The man on Torreg’s right fell, and he turned to fend off an attacker, hacking the legs from underneath the savage before turning back to see the man on his left go down under the weight of two swamp men.
The hillside became a churning mudslide as more of the frenzied swamp men clambered up the slopes to reach them. Torreg’s breathing came in labored gasps as he swung his sword again and again, driving the enemy back down the hill one step at a time. He found himself fighting side by side with a Midlander—a bear of a youth who dwarfed those around him. The Midlander fought fiercely, laying about with a heavy mace, a thick wooden shield strapped to his other arm. Torreg watched as the young warrior methodically blocked a clumsy thrust with his shield then crushed the attacker into the ground with a mighty downward blow. As another enemy rose in front of him, the fighter kicked the savage in the chest with a weighty boot, sending the ash-covered man tumbling down the hill.
A pair of savages adorned with black wolfskins set upon Torreg. The two dark figures displayed their brethren’s barbarism but even more cunning. They attacked quickly and in tandem, one leaping out of reach while the other attacked, keeping Torreg off balance and unable to counter. One exchange resulted in a flesh wound to Torreg’s right calf. He stumbled backward, gritting his teeth with the pain, even as he drove the other wolfskin back with a savage chop of his own. The first dived back in, thinking Torreg undone, but the captain met his charge, despite the wound. The wolfskin ran into the point of Torreg’s sword in mid leap, releasing a gurgling cry as the blade penetrated his throat.
The victory cost Torreg another wound, this time to his sword arm. His fingers went numb, and the sword dropped from his grasp, even as the wolfskin sent him to his back with a kick to the stomach. Torreg landed hard in the mud, gasping for breath, as the wolfskin raider launched at him with bloodlust in his eyes.
But the young warrior appeared in the raider’s path. He shouldered the wolfskin aside with his shield and caught the unbalanced man with a strike from the mace. The savage crumpled and lay still, even as more of the ash-covered men converged on them.
"The captain is down! Rally on the captain!" cried Sergeant Bolg over the tumult. Torreg knew his men would not reach him in time.
The maceman looked around him, weighing his odds, as the raiders rushed forward. His gaze fell on Torreg momentarily, and his lack of years shocked the veteran captain. Despite his size, he can’t be any older than my daughter, thought Torreg.
Torreg's surprise deepened when the lad raised his face to the sky and bellowed mightily before placing himself squarely between the raiders and the captain. He met the onslaught with a resounding crash, and one of the swamp dwellers fell in the initial exchange. However, two other warriors exploited the opening presented and drove the Midland fighter stumbling back until he almost stepped on Torreg. A third approached from the left, white froth spilling from the corners of his mouth.
The Midlander took a step back and planted his foot solidly in the muck, straddling the captain. He slammed his weapon into the crude shields of his opponents, driving them backward with his strength and ferocity. Torreg reached across to grasp his fallen sword with his left hand and rolled back just in time to fend off a clumsy attack from the flanking warrior then dispatched the raider with a desperate thrust.
The young warrior had made enough gains to step forward, but even as he did so, another wave of the ash-covered raiders joined the battle. Captain Torreg tried to gain his feet, but he slipped in the muck and remained prone.
With a shout, Sergeant Bolg rushed past the captain, taking up a position to the Midlander's right. They both fought mightily, refusing to give an inch to the Jagans. In short order, two more guards took position on the other side of the maceman, and the four broke the mad charge. Strong hands lifted Torreg from the quagmire, and he surveyed the landscape.
Surprisingly, more survived than not, but most carried wounds as well. The Midlanders had suffered more; almost half their number had fallen, and the rest looked to be in a sorry state. The archers had exhausted the arrow supply some time ago and had fallen to defending themselves hand to hand as the swamp warriors surged around the hill to the rear. Torreg’s tiny band still held the hill but found themselves surrounded by quagmire and Jaga warriors.
More notes sounded from the black forest, hollow and booming. Torreg thought it must be some sort of horn, though the source remained hidden among the twisted branches. Immediately the frenzied pack of warriors began to withdraw. They left the perimeter of the hill and surged north, away from the marsh. At first, relief flooded through Torreg, but a chill set into his bones when he realized the implications of the enemy’s withdrawal.
"No!" screamed Torreg. "They must not escape! We must stop them here!"
The men of the Jaga simply outnumbered them too much. If the enemy had pushed the attack, the defenders would have fallen. Instead, the swamp dwellers bypassed the hill entirely and moved on.
Torreg cursed his luck and began to contemplate his next move.
* * *
THE BUSINESS OF TENDING the wounded proved difficult in the mud and slickness. Torreg saw to himself first, but before long he strode back and forth along the top of the hill, taking account of his ragtag bunch. His Guardsmen stood bloodied but unbroken, though some of the wounds looked to be problematic if left without treatment for long. Regardless, the men of the Guard didn’t complain or even show discomfort. Torreg took pride in their hardiness and courage under such conditions.
The Midlanders fared much worse. They looked disheveled and spent, on the whole. The simple leathers comprising their armor did little to protect them from the biting blades of the Jaga raiders. Many had met death in battle, and from Torreg’s estimation, most of the wounded would not survive the resulting infections. He felt for them; most were young, and it seemed such a waste to see them strewn about the hillside like so many broken toys. Of all the Midland forces, barely a third could stand on their own, let alone fight again if the need arose.
Torreg’s eyes fell on the adolescent warrior sitting among his countrymen. He listened intently to a diminutive lad sitting next to him. The two looked almost comical when compared side by side.
Sergeant Bolg interrupted the captain's reverie with a grunt. The reliable man sported a fresh wound across his nose—soon to be an angry red scar, Torreg guessed. Bolg saluted sharply and spoke.
"The swamp rats have moved away from the river, by our scouts’ reports. Instead, they’ve moved into the forest and seem to be heading east."
The news puzzled Torreg. Following the river would have led the raiders to Sparrowport. The trading center possessed considerable defenses, but the rewards would be enticing. Sparrowport rested on the trade winds, so large amounts of valuable cargo filled the town's warehouses. In addition to the trade that flowed up and down the river on Midland barges, the amount of commerce that flowed through Sparrowport was substantial. On any given day, a fortune in goods rested within the warehouses of the city.
But east, into the forest, made no sense. Nothing lay in their path except a remote lumber village named Lost Grove. Torreg had been there only once in his fifteen years of service in the Midlands. They would have nothing of value, not even significant food stores, just piles and piles of logs. Torreg bit his lip while lost in thought. The village contained nothing worth protecting, by the standards of the king, but the people of Lost Grove would be caught unaware and defenseless by the men of the Jaga. They would be slaughtered mercilessly . . . or worse. It took him a few moments to realize that Bolg still stood at attention.
"Mobilize the men," said Torreg. "We set off as soon as we are ready."
"Where to?" asked the sergeant.
"I haven’t decided yet. Get them ready."
Bolg saluted sharply and set to the task, barking out orders as he went.
* * *
IN SHORT ORDER, THE men packed their meager gear and gathered at the hill's base. Bodies, both friend and enemy, still littered the marsh around them. It pained Torreg to leave them lying in the fetid muck, but time did not permit proper burials.
The Royal Guardsmen stood behind Torreg, looking battered and worn but standing solid and resolute as statues. The remaining Midlanders gathered before him, looking bedraggled and exhausted, with hollow eyes and drawn faces. Their commander had died in the fray, and they looked uncertain and unorganized, not at all like an army at the moment. Torreg did not begrudge them, for what else could one expect from Midlanders? After all, they lacked the discipline and training soldiers received in the Heights. He couldn’t possibly order them to accompany him—he simply did not have the right—but he frankly needed every man.
"Men of the Midlands, you will return to Sparrowport," said the captain. "Take the wounded there, and resume posts guarding the town. My men and I will continue to Lost Grove to face the enemy there. You’ve fought hard already. Most of you come from Sparrowport, so I cannot order you to follow me to Lost Grove. Return to your homes."
Torreg paused momentarily as he considered his next words.
"I cannot order you to come, but I can ask," he continued. "You know the enemy we face, and we are outnumbered and fatigued. But I must continue. I cannot leave the people of Lost Grove to the fate awaiting them. If any among you have the courage and strength to accompany us—"
Without a moment’s hesitation, the broad-shouldered warrior took a stride toward Torreg.
"Step forward now," concluded Torreg, rather lamely. He locked eyes with the young man. Fire and determination lay within them. After a second, the young warrior’s diminutive companion joined him. Then, in twos and threes, more than half of the Midlanders stepped forward.
Torreg looked at the force before him. Bedraggled, dirty, and battered, they looked fine enough to him at the moment.
"We leave immediately. Send runners ahead to fetch mounts for us. Without them, we have no hope of reaching Lost Grove before the enemy."
As the men began to move out, Torreg caught the eye of the bearish Midlander and beckoned him forward.
"You fought well," said Torreg. "I am pleased you’ve decided to come with us. What is your name?"
"Onin, sir," said the barrel-chested young man. "My name is Onin."