Captured
The next night, Galin, Jena, and Ellis were sitting at a round table near the corner across from the bar. The tavern was packed wall-to-wall with people; no orcs or Dark Elves, just people. Smoke from pipes filled the air, stinging Galin’s nose. A trio dancing and playing lutes were on a raised platform in the back of the room.
“Here you go,” Megan said as she placed an ale in front of each of them.
“Thank you,” Galin said.
“Your dinner will be out soon.” She rushed over to the next table.
“I hate waiting,” Ellis said.
“We have to give him a chance, Ellis,” Jena said. “He knows the people here better than we do.”
A thin young woman with light-brown hair and brown eyes came over to their table.
Ellis smiled as he looked up at her. “Hi.”
“I want to personally thank you for saving poor Kathy,” the woman said.
“It was the least we could do. I’m Ellis.”
She shook his hand. “I’m Lena Blunt. May I sit?”
“I don’t know,” Galin said. “We’re expecting some company.”
Jena shifted in her seat.
Galin gazed at Ellis’ infatuated eyes and smiled. Ellis was looking at Lena just like he looked at Jena, pure love and admiration. Could this be the one for him? Perhaps? Galin cleared his throat. “Lena, do you live in Drusas?”
Lena nodded. “I’ve lived here all my life. My parents were artisans before”—she tore her eyes away as they welled up with tears—“before they took over.”
Ellis touched her hand, which she made her smile. “Maybe it won’t always be that way.”
“Yes it will. There’s nothing that can stop it.”
“I know—”
Galin glared at Ellis. “Hey, some things are private.” His eyes shifted over at Lena. Who was she? Unlike the rest of the townsfolk, she was dressed in much finer clothes than William or the others in the Dire Stag. His eyes looked down at her hands. They were decorated with jewelry embedded with precious stones and an emerald bracelet. She was obviously much better off than the rest of the town. He leaned forward. “Was your family wealthy?”
Ellis blinked. “Where did that come from?”
“It’s okay,” Lena said. “No, they weren’t. I’ve become successful since the Darkstriders took over. I did what I had to do to survive in today’s world. No different than you, Galin V of Ravenward.”
“How did you know that?” Jena demanded.
Lena smiled at she rose to her feet. “I didn’t, until now.” She threw her nose up in the air and hurried out the door.
“I don’t like this,” Jena said with a quiver in her voice.
“Me either,” Ellis said. “But, damn, she was hot.”
“Things may have just gotten worse,” Galin said. “We’re on our own out here. We’ve got to be careful.”
William walked over to the table carrying three plates overflowing with food. “What did Artis the Black’s girlfriend want?” he asked as he placed the food in front of them.
Galin looked towards the door. “She knows who I am.” He glared at William. “How would she know that?”
“I didn’t tell her, but this is a small town. When I asked folks about aiding in your cause, it’s not unconceivable that word got around to them.” William suddenly looked uneasy. “They know where you are, that much is certain.”
“We don’t have a lot of time. Maybe a few days, at most,” Ellis said. He plopped a spoonful of mashed potatoes into his mouth.
“He’s right, Galin,” William said. “I’d stay in town no longer than absolutely necessary.” His eyes brightened. “Besides, I found someone that meets your requirements.”
Galin leaned forward. “Who?”
William smiled. “The sheriff and his wife. He used to be a knight under your father and his wife is a pyromancer.”
“Really?” Ellis asked.
Galin rubbed his chin. “We definitely could use both of them.”
“They’ll be here in an hour or so. Just to join you for an ale or two,” William said as he headed back towards the bar.
A knight and a pyromancer? Could Odella smile on their fortune anymore? Galin remembered Brock telling him about the pyromancers during battle when he was just a boy. They could bring down fire from the sky or shoot fire bolts at an enemy or, if there were enough of them, melt keep walls, just like the Darkstriders did to Staerdale Castle. Even if the sheriff’s wife was powerful, one pyromancer couldn’t do that. But, she could definitely help. Galin sipped his ale. The larger question that rattled around his mind was, did he have enough soldiers? He never took a keep before and they had no real idea how many Darkstriders were inside, or even how to breach the walls, after they closed those portcullises. Talking like a hero and leader was one thing, actually doing it was completely different. Maybe he should learn to pray.
As the hour passed, the Dire Stag got even more crowded. Anyone with upper class dress was escorted out, and the folks on the lower end of the social ladder were brought inside. It was almost like being successful and wealthy in that time of darkness marked you as a sympathizer or a collaborator. Was it true? Maybe, maybe not.
Galin’s eyes bounced from head to head, looking for—what? Something suspicious? If so, it was him. These people were just having a good time, that’s all, right? Yeah, that had to be it.
William emerged from the crowd with a six-foot-tall muscular man wearing a chain mail shirt, and a thin woman wearing flowing red robes just behind him. He showed them to the empty chairs across from Galin. “Please, sit down.”
Galin looked up.
“Galin V of Ravenward, this is our Sheriff, Karl, and his wife, Abby,” William said. “I’ll leave you to discuss your business.” William disappeared into the crowd.
Karl ran his fingers through his shoulder-length, greasy, brown hair, as if trying to figure out what to say. He leaned into the table, towards Galin. “Are you really who you say you are?”
“Yes.”
Abby’s blue eyes twinkled as she brushed her blond bangs away from her eyes. “How are you alive? How did you escape the castle?”
Galin shifted in his seat. How, indeed? Why wouldn’t everyone who he asked to join his cause ask the same question? Of course, they would. Wouldn’t he? “I was saved by Thea the Loyal and Brock and Sally Feran. Brock and Sally raised me as their own in Crey Village, just south of here, along the coast.”
Karl motioned the beer wench to bring over some ale. He looked right into Abby’s eyes, as if asking her permission or opinion about…something. He swallowed. “There are more people here that can help than you realize.”
Galin leaned back in his chair. “Go on.”
“There are no Darkstriders here. The ones they do send come from the keep. They rape our women and our men. As soon as they’re done, they slit their throats. The Feral Orcs are ruthless and cruel,” Karl said. “They send human Darkstrider knights beyond the keep and Drusas.”
Jena nodded. “Galin, remember when the Darkstriders first came to Crey Village? They were human.”
“And Dark Elves,” Ellis added.
“But, no orcs. Those Dark Elves were looking for me,” Galin said. He looked into Karl’s tired eyes. “We’re taking the keep.”
“When?”
“Soon. That’s why we need someone who knows the inside of it. We can’t lay siege to it; the Darkstriders would send reinforcements and overpower us.”
“Why Iron Fist Keep?” Abby asked.
Galin smiled. “This keep is the only way to move large formations of troops across the Wailing Mountains. Even then, they cannot mass forces on the other side of the keep. The roads are surrounded by high ground, making them great targets for ambushes and striking them at a distance with long bows. Also, once we have the keep, we can clear out the human Darkstrider knights with ease. Our goal is to have everything east of the Wailing Mountains free of the Darkstriders.”
Karl nodded. “I see. How many soldiers do you have?”
“The three of us and five hundred more in the mountains. They are being trained by Brock as we speak.”
Karl sent a concerned glance at Abby, who just looked away. He shook his head. “That’s not enough. They have around one hundred fifty Feral Orcs inside and only a few venture out of the keep. Every time you attack a keep or a castle, you need siege weapons and ten times the number of troops because the losses are enormous when you’re attempting to breach the walls.”
“But, it can be done, Karl,” Abby said. “What’s worse? Staying here and doing nothing or helping the rightful king regain the throne from that traitor?” She tapped her stomach. “What kind of world do you want our son to grow up in?”
“Are you having a baby?” Jena asked.
Abby nodded. “We are.”
“I want our son to grow up, period. Not to go after some wild dream from long ago.” His eyes drooped. “Look, I’m sorry. I’ll tell you what I know, but we can’t help you.”
“Why not?” Abby demanded.
Karl glared at her. “What happens when he fails? They’ll come back here and take it out on all of us!”
Ellis yawned. “You’re just a coward, admit it.”
“Ellis, knock it off!” Jena yelled.
Galin raised his hands, silencing everyone. “You don’t have to come with us. Giving us the information is fine.”
“No,” Abby said. “Karl, I am going to help them, with or without you.”
“You can’t! You’re carrying our child. I won’t let you.”
“Stop it!” Galin yelled. “I will not be the cause of you two getting divorced or slitting each other’s throats.”
“Sorry,” Karl and Abby said in unison.
“Okay, what about the others? You mentioned that there were other fighters that may consider helping us,” Galin said.
Karl nodded. “That is so, and they are waiting for my assessment on your plan. They may be fighters, but they won’t fight unless the plan has a decent chance of succeeding.” Karl lowered his voice. “What’s your plan?”
Galin smiled. “If we can get fighters on both sides of the keep, we would draw out some of the Feral Orcs to fight between the keep and Drusas while my soldiers attack the keep from the west. A small team will sneak inside the keep and open the western portcullis, enabling my forces to flood the keep.”
“That could work,” Abby said.
“I agree. All right, after you take the keep, what then?” Karl asked.
Jena and Ellis both stared at Galin.
“Well, we’re going use Iron Fist Keep as a base of operations to eliminate the Darkstriders east of the Wailing Mountains, while we recruit and train a larger army to take Staerdale Castle.”
Karl grinned. “I see you have it all figured out.”
“What do you think? Will you help us?”
Karl and Abby nodded as they rose from the table. “All right, we’ll talk to them. I’ll give you an answer very soon.”
“Thank you,” Jena said.
“Bye,” Abby said as they vanished in the crowd.
Galin took a swig of ale. “Time for bed?” he asked Jena.
“Yeah.” She smiled at Ellis. “Goodnight.”
The two of them waded through the crowd until they reached the stairs to their room.
Jena was snuggled against Galin with her head on his chest. Their room was barely big enough for the bed and the chair they threw their clothes and weapons on. Galin pulled her in tight, closer to his heart. He loved snuggling more than anything else. He ran his fingers through her hair.
She smiled. “We’ll have children one day; one day soon.”
“I hope so,” Galin said. “We’ve got to get married first.”
“Right after we take the keep, you promised.”
He grinned. “I did, didn’t I?”
Jena looked right into his eyes, stripping him of his will. “I love you, Galin.”
“I love you.” He kissed her.
The door flew open. Three Feral Orcs and Lena charged inside.
Galin and Jena shot up, only to be knocked back down by the orcs. Galin glanced at his sword.
“Not nice,” Lena said.
“Yeah, human not nice,” said an orc as it slammed the hilt of its ax into Galin’s temple.
“Jena!” Galin screamed. Spots! At first, there were only a few and then…his world went black.