THERE BE TROLLS
Sarbek burst into Ector's chambers just after dawn. “Ector! Get up! Up, boy, up,” he shouted as he marched through the antechamber and the sitting room toward Ector's bedchamber.
Ector met him at the bedchamber door, still half-asleep, his robe disheveled, his face flushed and with an odd expression.
Sarbek was immediately suspicious. “Have you looked out the window, boy?”
“You just now woke me up.”
Sarbek pushed past him.
“Wait,” said Ector as he unsuccessfully tried to bar the knight's path. The young woman in Ector's bed looked mortified and frightened, covers pulled up to her chin. Sarbek glanced at her, just long enough to note who she was, said nothing, and made his way to the window. He threw the shutters open. He turned and gestured Ector to the window to stand beside him. The window faced to the north, and thus looked out on the opposite side of the Dor from where the previous night's battle took place.
“Can't see much from here — but look there,” he said pointing at the tree line in the distance beyond Dor Eotrus's outermost wall.
“What is it? More Alders?”
“More trolls. Can you see them? Your eyes are better than mine.”
“Not without the spyglass,” said Ector. “It’s too far.”
“There is a mess of them out there,” said Sarbek. “I saw them from the roof. A lot more than we thought. Worse, now they're organized. Some got uniforms on them and weapons too. Some are marching in as units and standing up like men — but they otherwise look like the trolls we’ve been fighting, except maybe taller. That's a stinking army assembling out there, all coming down from the north. And they've also got the ones on our south side what fought the Alders. From the look of this, they're planning to encircle us.”
“A siege?”
“Maybe,” said Sarbek. “Don't know if they've got the smarts for that, for a proper siege takes some doing. But maybe. Hell, the way them things climb and bounce about, they might not need any ladders. They might be able to come on over the wall on their lonesomes.”
“If they can climb the walls, we don't have a chance,” said Ector.
“True, if we try to hold the whole Dor and the Outer Dor too,” said Sarbek.
“So let's not,” said Ector. “Let’s withdraw to the citadel and barricade ourselves in. Fight them in the corridors if we have to, so that they can only come at us a few at a time.”
“I won’t give up the main walls,” said Sarbek. “Besides, if they can scale the main walls, then once they’re inside the Dor, they’d just scale the walls of the buildings and the citadel. Then they’d come in through the windows and swarm us. We can't fight on that many fronts. We’ve got to think, to come up with some strategy.”
“What if they continue moving south?” said Ector. “We've got to warn Lomion City.”
“I've sent ravens already,” said Sarbek. “I've also sent more ravens to our bannermen.”
“A few days ago I didn't even believe in trolls,” said Ector. “They were just monsters from children’’s stories. Now we're under siege by them.”
“That's the north, boy,” said Sarbek. “It’s wild. And it spews its worst at us, time and again. It's what makes us Northmen strong. Or else, kills us dead.”
***
Hours later, Sarbek, Ector, Malcolm, Indigo, and the beardless dwarf, Pellan, stood on the main roof of the citadel.
“How soon until the Outer Dor is fully evacuated into the keep?” said Ector as he looked over the parapet. A steady stream of people, wagons, and livestock filtered through the Dor's gates, soldiers aiding them and guiding their way.
“Within the hour,” said Indigo, “except for a few holdouts that won't leave their homes or shops. What do you want us to do about them?””
“Nothing,” said Ector. Sarbek turned and studied his face.
“Every civilian is free to do as they like,” said Ector, “so long as we fully inform them of the danger. Make certain the holdouts understand that if the trolls come for them, we will not sally forth to help them; not even if we can. I'll not allow my men to die rescuing someone who chose to be reckless and needlessly remain in harm's way. They can choose to risk themselves, but not others.”
“Some of the holdouts are families,” said Indigo. “What of the children?”
“Tell the parents that we won't allow their children to die because they are stubborn fools. Tell them that I ordered their children to be taken into the keep so that we can protect them. Tell them that if they don't let us take them, we'll arrest them all, the whole family. I'd rather take away someone's freedom for a short time, than rip their children from their grasps.””
“What if they put up a fight?” said Indigo.
“Try not to harm anyone, but do whatever you have to, to bring those children to safety.”
Sarbek looked surprised and a slight grin formed on his face. “You've got more of your father in you than I ever thought.” He turned toward Pellan. “How about the supplies?”
“Two or three more hours and all the food, water, and essentials will be inside the keep and secure,” said Pellan. “We're using every spare man we have, including a couple of hundred civilians.”
“That may not be quick enough,” said Sarbek. “Not nearly. They could come at us at any time. Get another hundred civilians to help; more, if you need them. Within the hour, I want it done. And get all the women and old men what can't fight and all the children into the citadel's underhalls. Put all the supplies down there too. All of them. And don’t place them anywhere near the entrance. Get everything essential to the most secure areas.”
“That will take longer,” said Pellan. “There's a lot of footage down there.”
“Do the move in two stages,” said Sarbek. “Drop the stuff near the entrance to the underhalls, and have other folks carry it from there to secure locations deep inside. Don't put everything in one spot; spread it around in several of the most secure areas. Conscript anyone and everyone you can for the work.”
“Like you conscripted me?” said Pellan with more than a hint of bitterness in her voice.
“Yes, just like that,” said Sarbek. “We do appreciate your service, captain; you've been a big help.””
“It's my sword that you'll need, not my quartermaster skills, before this adventure is done,” said Pellan.
“I expect that all our swords will be bloodied afore we’re done with the trolls,” said Sarbek.
“You think to abandon the keep itself?” said Pellan. “Is that why you want everything down in the underhalls?””
“Depends whether they can scale the walls,” said Sarbek. “If they can, we won't be able to keep them out. We can't stand toe to toe with them in the open, or we'll end up just like the Alders. If they come over the main walls, we'll retreat to the underhalls. We'll fight them room to room in the narrows. That will work to our favor. We'll bleed them for every step inside they take. And if we bleed them enough, maybe they'll decide we're not worth the trouble and move on. Maybe. Anyway, if they get over the walls or through the gates, the underhalls are our only chance.
“But if they can't easily scale the walls,” said Ector, “then we can hold the keep. We must.””
Sarbek nodded. “As I said earlier, I'll not cede the whole Dor to those things without a fight.”
“Retreating to the underhalls is no path to victory,” said Pellan. “All it does is buy us time for relief to come, unless they're smart enough to smoke or burn us out. Then it will be a deathtrap.”
“That's a risk that we'll have to take, if it comes to it,” said Sarbek. “Now go get those supplies positioned. We need it done before they come at us. I don't want to have men hauling supplies during a battle and I don't want to leave anything useful behind.”
“Aye,” said Pellan, and she dashed off down the stairs.
“Indigo — I want you to station one-fifth of our archers in the citadel’s windows,” said Sarbek. “In position to fire at anything in the courtyard. I need them to hold their positions no matter what. They are not to withdraw even if the trolls overrun the grounds. They are not to abandon their posts, even if the rest of us retreat to the underhalls. They make their stand here in the tower.”
“Aye, Castellan,” said Indigo.
“Put the rest of the archers on the main walls, holding one squadron in reserve in the courtyard to hold back any breach in the gates or walls. If we fall back to the redoubt — one out of every three archers are to go below to help hold the stair and the underhalls. The rest are to go up into the towers to join their fellows. There they will remain, making their stand, and holding back the trolls' efforts to get to the underhalls.”
“We'd be sacrificing them,” said Ector. “I don't—”
“In war, such things are necessary,” said Sarbek. “Your father would agree. The lads will do their duty; they're good soldiers. Indigo, preselect who is to go where. Draw lots if you have to, but waste no time about it. I want everyone to know what they are supposed to do, and where they are supposed to go ahead of time, to minimize the confusion.”
“We should give a weapon to every man who can hold one,” said Ector, “and get them on the walls. Any woman willing, give her one too. Shields and clubs would be best or thin blades. Battle swords are no good if you don't know how to use them.”
“Forget the thin blades,” said Indigo. “It won’t stop trolls.”
“You’re right,” said Ector. “I keep forgetting that we’re not dealing with normal foes. Clubs, maces, bludgeoning weapons. Give them those.”
“I will see that it is done,” said Indigo.
Sarbek, Ector, and Malcolm remained on the roof surveying the work below and watching for any movements of the trolls.
“How many of them do you think there are out there?” said Ector.
“I don't know,” said Sarbek. “From what we've seen, at least five hundred, but there could be more, maybe a lot more back in the woods or still on their way down from the mountains.”
“What do they want with us?” said Malcolm.
“To kill us,” said Ector. “That's all they wanted up at Mindletown. Pellan said they wiped the place out; the whole town.””
“This may be the start of an invasion,” said Sarbek. “Just the sort of thing we're based here to stop. Just the sort of thing we've always stopped before.””
“Like when the lugron came down from the highlands?” said Malcolm. “And the time that they came from West Rock? Or when the Spantzileers came over the eastern hills?”
“Aye,” said Sarbek. “We stopped them bastards but good those times and many others. But by the gods, why did the trolls have to show up when we're at our weakest? If they'd come just six months ago, we'd have your father, and Sir Gabriel, Talbon and his wizards, Stern, Ob, Brother Donnelin, Jude, Claradon, Marzdan, Balfin, Kelbor, and all the rest with us. In all my years here we've never been anywhere near this weak.”
“Could they know that somehow?” said Malcolm. “Is it possible?”
“Who knows?” said Sarbek. “Maybe they've been watching us from the woods for years, biding their time, waiting for the best time to strike. Or else, maybe it's just our bad luck. Either way, we've got to deal with them. We've got to stop them here and safeguard the realm, even if the bloody southerners don't deserve it.”
“We've never had to stop trolls before?” said Ector.
“Not an army of them anyways,” said Sarbek, “And none at all in my time.”
“If we hold up here,” said Malcolm, “we're giving up our cavalry — one of our best weapons. Are you certain that that is the right thing to do?”
“The way they took out that brigade,” said Sarbek, “tells me that we can't hope to defeat them in the field —— not with the limited number of heavy horse that we have in the garrison. If all the banners come in and assemble at Rikers and Roosa, as we've directed, and if we still hold the walls, we can sally forth our horse and join with them. With a couple of brigades of cavalry, we'll break their lines and send them running back to their caves. But it will cost us. It will cost us dearly.””
“How long until all our bannermen are assembled?” said Malcolm.
“In three to four days they might be at twenty to thirty percent strength,” said Sarbek. “To get to seventy or eighty percent will take a week at least. Two weeks will bring all that will come.”
“We can't hold that long,” said Ector. “Not even close.”
“We can and we will, if they can't scale the walls,” said Sarbek.
“What are they waiting for?” said Malcolm as he looked through his spyglass. “They're just standing about out there at the tree line. Wait —— I see smoke, over there,” he said pointing to the west.
Sarbek and Ector focused their spyglasses on the same area and then panned around. “There is smoke coming from the east, and from the north too,” said Ector.
“They're setting fire to the outlying farms,” said Sarbek. “No chance that they'll pass us by now. They’’re cutting us off. Only question is, when will they come at us?”
“There are a lot of good folks out there,” said Ector. “On those farms.”
“Many of them came in yesterday,” said Sarbek. “We sent riders to every farm and homestead within a few miles. Most of the folks are fine. No doubt, some are dead. We'll make them trolls pay. We will track them to their lairs and wipe them from the face of Midgaard.”
Horns blared in the distance, from the south.
“What's that now?” said Sarbek as they all turned their spyglasses to the south.
“Reinforcements from Lomion?” said Malcolm. “Maybe the Alder's brigade was only the vanguard of a larger force.””
“If that is the case, the Alders meant to siege us,” said Ector. “There may be a whole corps coming. I don't know what's worse —— that or the trolls.”
“Maybe they'll kill each other off, like last night,” said Malcolm.
The horn blared again.
“The sound of that horn isn’t right,” said Sarbek. “It’s not made of metal. That’s a true horn — ram, most likely,” he said. “Our military don't use that.”
“Then who?” said Ector. “Rangers?”
“Could it be elves, up from Doriath?” said Malcolm.
“It's the trolls,” said Sarbek.
“Pfft,” went Malcolm. “They're animals. They don't use horns.”
Then sounded a horn blast from the east, and then another from the west.
“Apparently they do,” said Ector. I see movement through the trees to the north.”
“They're getting ready to come at us,” said Sarbek.
Then began a repetitive blaring of horns from all sides.
Trolls began marching out of the southern woods in lock step. They wore metallic armor — a mishmash of plate and chain and ringmail, worn over hides. Some of it was scavenged from the remains of the Alder brigade — weapons too. Most of those trolls carried weapons, and more than a few of them walked upright like men. Here and there were pockets of the wild trolls that had chased Sarbek and Ector down from the north. The wild ones capered about, dragging their knuckles on the ground, howling. Between both groups, there were several hundred trolls in all.
A few minutes later, more trolls marched out of the woods from the east and from the west, and an even larger group from the north. Those trolls were different from the others. Every one of them walked upright. Every one was fully clothed and equipped with heavy armor and weapons of strange design. These trolls were huge — nearly all were seven feet or more in height. They were hairless and muscled, their skin leathery, their eyes a piercing, otherworldly green. They marched forward, row after row, company after company, from the east, the west, and the north.
“Dead gods, how many of them are there?” said Ector.
More came through the trees, all in formation. They came by the hundreds. Then they came by the thousands. A sea of trolls spat up from some subterranean depth only imagined in man's darkest nightmares.
“Dead gods,” said Ector.
Sarbek's face went deathly pale. He shook his head and looked from one side of the parapet to the other. “We've no chance. No chance at all,” he said quietly.
“Sir Sarbek, what do we do?” said Malcolm.
“I'm sorry, boy, but there are too many. There's just too many. We've no chance at all. I've failed you. Failed your father. There's just too many.”