Chapter 19 – Only One Move
Now the interior of the inn was deathly quiet. However, when he strained his ears, Flik was confident that he could hear some sort of distant tumult filtering in from outside.
"What's happening?" he asked, dreading the answer.
"There are Highland soldiers in the city," the sergeant responded. "They've breached the western gates somehow."
There was a sudden piercing shriek, and Emma collapsed onto the floor. Leona and Barbara quickly rushed over to attend to the fallen proprietress. Other people began to speak, each new voice adding strength to the panic building in the room.
A sharp whistle brought silence again. As people rubbed their ears, Apple took her fingers out of her mouth and said, "Enough! No one will speak out of turn! First, everyone not associated with leading a unit should go and prepare for departure. Get everything you need. Go!"
Flik watched as her commands sank in. Incredibly enough, people followed her orders, not with any great enthusiasm but also not with any panic. Apple, the image of perfect serenity, walked over to Viktor and Flik.
"It's finished; there's no chance of holding Muse now," she declared.
"What?" Viktor barked. "You can't be serious! We can't give up now."
"Do you think the City Patrolmen will be able to stop trained Highland soldiers?" Apple asked.
Viktor wasn't done yet. "But there's still the army. It's in the Ring Forts, all they've got to do is-"
"Come down and fight house to house? Be serious, Viktor. Do you think any of those commanders, outside of Hauser, have the stomach for that sort of thing? As soon as they hear that the city has fallen, they're likely to surrender as a group to the closest Highland general."
Viktor was out of arguments. Flik spoke. "What do you want us to do? I don't think you're advising surrender."
She laughed, but there was an edge of despair in her voice. "Actually, that might be the wise thing to do. But that's not what I want to do, and I don't think that's what you want to do either." Viktor growled in an affirmative manner, and she laughed again. "Right. There's really only one move. What you two need to do is get to the Dawn Fort and bring your men down the King's Road. Get Gilbert too, he'll probably come. Meet us at Bernand's Crossing, and we'll go south to Coronet and cross into South Window territory. Hopefully the fight can be continued there."
Leona walked up. "What about Riou, Jowy, and Nanami? They're all out right now."
Apple shook her head. "We can keep somebody behind as long as possible, but if they don't return…then they don't return. That's all there is to it." She looked back at Viktor and Flik. "You two should go. Now."
They did, walking across the common room to the door leading into the stables. The grooms were standing in a small circle, anxiously discussing the developments. Flik ignored them, tacking up his horse, and, when Viktor had finished, they rode out. Some of their own mercenaries were gathering at the entrance to the inn. As Flik passed, he ordered, "Stay and protect Apple and the others. We'll meet you at Bernand's Crossing."
Then they were past, trotting along the main avenue in near total darkness. The stars of the night sky were obscured by clouds, racing along on a warm southern breeze. The Blue Moon was not yet risen, and the Scarlet Moon was a feeble sliver of pale light in the west, appearing only intermittently when the clouds permitted. The street lamps were unlit. Distantly, Flik perceived the sounds of battle, but everything close at hand was silent.
Suddenly figures appeared out of the darkness. Flik was on top of them before he even realized they were soldiers. He and Viktor rode right through them, not bothering to slow down and engage them. One crossbow bolt chased them down the street, finally bouncing along the cobbles ahead.
After that, they continued on with weapons drawn. Flik tucked his shield in close, letting his legs do all the work of keeping him in the saddle and guiding his horse. In this manner, they got through several other groups of soldiers without any fighting. They reached the entrance to the causeway just as a squad of Highland soldiers arrived. Viktor, bellowing at the top of his lungs, charged at them. Flik followed behind, making only slightly less noise as bolts of lightning flashed towards the defenders.
Had they stood, they might have presented a severe challenge, but the Highlanders scattered, allowing the two of them ingress up the slope. Flik begrudged even the time it took for them to get up the cliff side. While his men were sitting in the fort, the enemy was moving, maybe even cutting off their retreat. That was a possibility he had to acknowledge.
At the top of the ramp, by the conference hall, they paused to rest the horses. Flik noted that the guards for the hall seemed to have gone missing. He could see a section of the city burning below, not a large portion yet, but it would spread if left unattended. They did not wait long after that before riding to the east. The Dawn Fort was still many hours in that direction.
Midway there, a group of horsemen accosted them. Viktor and Flik pulled up, weapons at the ready. Flik flinched slightly when a lantern on a long pole was thrust towards his face.
"Commander! Sir!" Rossgard called out. "We're glad to see you. There's all kinds of news and rumors about tonight."
Flik swatted the pole out of his face. "Yes, well the truth is that Highland soldiers have already entered Muse and seem to be moving about without opposition."
"So you haven't heard," another voice responded. This was Gilbert, who looked as though he'd bitten into something sour. "The reason there's no opposition is because Lady Anabelle is dead. It happened tonight, just after sunset. Some senator named Kerwin has claimed the office of mayor and has issued orders calling for all city forces to surrender."
Viktor shook his head vehemently. "It's just a ploy. If Anabelle were dead, Jess would take over. No. This is all some sort of power play by a schemer. She's still alive, and we need to find her and keep fighting."
A third rider stepped forward. This was Holm, who said, "If we're going to keep fighting, we're going to have to move quickly. My scouts have spotted Highland cavalry coming down the King's Road. If they box us into the forts with the city held against us, we will be in serious trouble."
"Apple thought so too," Flik explained. "We're pulling out and heading for South Window."
Gilbert tugged at the corner of his mouth before he said, "I'm coming with you. It wouldn't do me any good to get caught by Highland at this point. Besides, I'd be a laughingstock if I abandoned two contracts in the space of a week."
Without any further comment, they continued on. A messenger was sent galloping ahead with orders to prepare the men for departure. By the time Viktor and Flik arrived, the controlled chaos of getting all the men together had just about finished. Holm led his rangers out first to scout the road ahead. Gilbert and his Zexens followed. Then Viktor began the process of marching his companies away from the fort.
As this was going on, three men rode in from the west, two ordinary soldiers and a lieutenant. He was, in fact, the same portly officer who had handed the keys to the Dawn Fort over to Flik. His flab bounced in rhythm to his horse's strides as he trotted over to where Flik waited.
Dispensing with any preamble, he yelled, "What are you doing? Stop this at once! The terms of armistice were quite specific: 'All units associated with the Muse Government, including all mercenaries, are to stand down and wait in place for further orders.'"
"Interesting," Flik shot back. "But you see, we consider ourselves under contract to Lady Anabelle, not the government. Since she is no longer mayor, she's not associated with the Muse Government. Therefore, we don't consider ourselves bound by any agreements made tonight."
"Stupid mercenary! Your lover is dead. Now I demand that you call your men back."
It was a good thing that Viktor was out of earshot. "I have no proof that she's dead, but even if she was, we'd still be leaving. I have no intention of being caught by Highland. Now, if you want to stop us, by all means, go ahead and try." Flik grinned at the end of this declaration, pulling his sword free from its scabbard.
The lieutenant paled as Flik's men gathered behind their leader. The two soldiers with the lieutenant made no move for their weapons. Finally he said, "I knew this would happen. You mercenaries don't have any discipline. It's your fault for not stopping the Highlanders three days ago, and now you're ducking out on the consequences."
Flik's smile faded. "I'm not going to stand around and waste time assigning blame. I, at least, remember my responsibilities." The last of Viktor's men had just departed. All that remained in the fort were the two companies of Flik's mounted archers. "We're going," he shouted towards Rossgard and the lead half-company.
From behind, he heard the lieutenant shout, "I demand that you give back the keys to this fort!"
Well, that was one thing he could do. He fished the metal key ring out of his coat pocket and tossed it over his shoulder, careless of who trampled it into the dust. Then he was out the gates, leaving both the Dawn Fort and Muse behind.
The first part of the retreat went off without a hitch. Even in the darkness, the raised, paved surface of the King's Road was impossible to miss. They followed this south for several hours, with Flik and his men in the rearguard position. As they approached the intersection, Bernand's Crossing, things began to get troublesome. Refugees were streaming all over the place, terrified people who'd fled the chaos in Muse with little more than they could carry. They clogged the road, listlessly wandering in whichever direction seemed to offer the most safety.
Eventually, Flik led the rearguard into the town that sat around the intersection. The sun was just beginning to rise, blazing red through the clouds, as his men joined the rest of their army in the middle of the town. Amazingly enough, Apple had managed to bring everyone from the inn safely there. Well, almost everyone.
"Riou, Jowy, Nanami, and Pilika are all unaccounted for," she reported tersely.
"I spoke with Riou and Nanami when they returned," Leona added. "I told them to make for South Window if they didn't meet up with us. They took Pilika. I never heard from Jowy though."
"Maybe that's for the best," Flik commented. "If they're not with us, the Highland Army won't be searching for them. They'll be able to slip away somewhere and get away from this war."
"Maybe," Apple said. "But I don't think so. Somehow I think they'll turn up again. I can't help but feel that they're important to this."
Flik shrugged to mask his own thoughts. He also doubted that he'd seen the last of those kids. Meanwhile there was a hurried meeting of the commanders in the intersection. A quick head count by the senior sergeants suggested that fully two hundred men had deserted during the night march. Most of them were new recruits from Muse City. Flik did not blame those men for leaving, especially when they might have families that were in danger. Still, every man that left would shake the morale of those that remained. He knew that men do not fight well if they believe their comrades are going to leave them in the lurch.
Apple was about to give out the marching orders when one of Holm's scouts interrupted the meeting. "Sirs, there's a Highland cavalry unit coming east down this road. They're approximately a thousand men."
Viktor looked towards the strategist. "Do we deploy? We've got enough men to hold them off."
Apple shook her head. "No. If we deploy and fight, then the Highland forces coming from the north will have time to catch us. We'll just have to turn and run for it."
"That won't do at all," Holm suggested. "You won't be able to outrun them, and then this retreat will turn into a rout. My men and I, we will hold them back while you escape. We will be going in that direction anyway. I must get back to Greenhill to deliver this news to the acting Mayor."
"Fine. I'll leave that in your hands," she assented. "Gilbert, you are to make all haste towards the town of Coronet. Make your way to the port and convince as many ship captains as possible to wait for the rest of our men. Physically seize the ships if you must. Understand?"
"I do," Gilbert answered and rode off to give the orders to his men.
"Viktor," Apple continued. "You will follow at a fast march with our carts in the middle of your formation. Flik." She glanced his way. "You must keep any Highland pursuit troops off of us. It will have to be your men alone, I'm afraid. We cannot afford to lose any more time in a fixed battle."
Holm walked his horse forward, shaking hands with both Viktor and Flik, and then kissing Apple's hand. She even blushed when he did so. Then he said, "It was a pleasure to serve with you all. I invite you to visit me in more peaceful times. I live in Forest Village, northwest of Greenhill. I don't have much of a family, but there is my brother and his wife. They have a daughter who's just a little younger than you are." He gestured towards Apple. "She's a real fire spark, but loves animals. Anyway." He bowed in the saddle. "Until next time. May we meet again in more peaceful days."
He turned and led his men off to the west. Not long after that, Viktor's Mercenary Army departed on the southern portion of the King's Road. The pace of the march was wearying, especially as the heat came on. Men, mostly those with less experience, began to drop out of the line from exhaustion. The sergeants would go to them, exhorting them to get up and keep going, warning them that they would be left behind if they stopped. Some of the men did get up and resumed the march; others remained where they were, shrinking into the distance as the army moved on.
This section, between Coronet and Muse City, was built up, with houses and shops lining both sides of the pavement. As the mercenaries passed, civilians began to gather in their wake, people fleeing the wrath of Luca Blight and the Highland Army. The rumors seemed to be flying faster than the mercenaries were able to march, and soon the road ahead was also filled with refugees.
And then the Highlanders did appear, about a thousand cavalry, quickly coming down the road from the north. It was mid-afternoon with the sun's heat radiating through the heavy clouds, making the air simmer. The King's Road was just beginning the wide turn to the west that marked the final approach to Coronet. Flik and his men had just crested a hill and could faintly see the blue shore of Dunan Lake.
Yet as close as they were, the enemy would overtake them before they got to safety. Flik would have to turn and beat them back, probably with the Fire Spears. He quickly ascertained the terrain; this hill was as good a place to meet them as any. He set the men in a line, Rossgard in the center, Jerrim and Danel to the flanks, and Tarrance as the reserve.
Unfortunately, there were also refugees between Flik and the approaching Highland cavalry. They streamed through his lines, but more appeared, as if suddenly realizing that there was going to be a battle. And with each passing second, the enemy drew closer. Worse yet, they did not seem to be exercising any restraint with the noncombatants, running down anyone in front of them.
Flik walked his horse a few steps forward, shouting, "Get out of the way! Clear the road!" The crowd of people hardly seemed to notice his voice. He rode back to his line, snatched a Fire Spear from a very surprised Rossgard, and turned back to the crowd. "Get off the road!" he commanded, and then shot a burst of fire down onto the pavement at his feet.
The refugees recoiled but appeared to get the idea, many of them scattering away from the flames. But not all did, and as the road cleared, the Highland charge began to pick up speed. Flik rejoined his men, tossing the Fire Spear back to Rossgard. He drew his sword from its scabbard, watching it as it flashed in the light.
"Fire Spears!"
His eyes fixated on the figures trying to get out of the way of the Highland charge. There a feeble old man, unable to do more than crawl, and closer, a couple, arguing by an overturned cart. Closer still was a young boy, gallantly trying to lead his little sister out of danger, but they were heading towards Flik, not off the road.
"Sir?" Rossgard asked.
Flik's horse danced nervously, receiving contradictory signals from it's rider. He wanted to go down there and save those children. He could go down there and save those children, he knew it. He could get there ahead of the Highland cavalry, but not far enough ahead. They'd be pressing hard on his heels as he tried to get back to his lines. His men wouldn't be able to wield the Fire Spears effectively, and the enemy would crush them by sheer weight of numbers.
"Sir," Rossgard said again. "If you want, I shall give the order."
"No," Flik responded bitterly. He did not face his senior sergeant. "It is my responsibility, I will give the command." He looked one last time at the road. The boy and girl were still struggling forward, and behind them, the lances of the enemy cavalry were coming down.
"Fire Spears!" He kept his eyes locked on the children. "Attack!"
The command was followed; fire flowed down the hill.
The sun was setting as Flik and his men worked their way through the streets of Coronet. The gates had been open and unmanned, and the shops and residences on the hillside had been shuttered. Now the mercenaries were navigating the twisting warren of alleys and sprawling warehouses that made up the port. There were escapees here, and they packed the streets. As his men forced their way across a bridge, he could see people spilling into the water below.
Eventually they made their way down to the wharves. People milled around here as well, surging towards the few remaining galleys in the harbor. There was a clear space around two of those galleys, that space enforced by the stern glares and pointed spears of Viktor's mercenaries. Flik pushed his way over there.
"Glad you could make it," Viktor shouted over the roar of the crowd. Flik looked up at the ships. He did not know much about naval craft, but these appeared to be merchantmen with one bank of oars and two masts. The crowd was rushing another ship, smaller, as it tried to pull away from the pier. People thrashed about in the water, gripped onto the oars, and tried to pull their way onboard the already crowded ship. Deckhands armed with clubs vigorously tried to force the interlopers off.
"Where are the others?" Flik asked.
"Already departed. By the way, you're going to have to abandon your horses." Viktor pointed to where the carts had been discarded, their horses long gone. "Hurry it up, I'm not sure how much longer we can hold off the crowd."
Flik glanced over at the carts, many of them still piled with supplies. He felt a sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach. "Did anybody manage to save my books?" he inquired.
Viktor laughed and then tossed the bookstrap, complete with the diaries, over to Flik. "Apple said you'd probably suffer a breakdown if these weren't safe. You can thank her later, but we need to go now."
Flik did not hesitate. "Men," he ordered, "gather your weapons, including the Fire Spears, and food. Only weapons, Fire Spears, and food. We'll board by squads." The men did so, unburdening the horses of their saddlebags and tack in the process. The animals huddled together, unsure as to what was going on, and spooked by the crowd. The squads formed up, men climbing up the gangplank with only the things that were specified.
Suddenly someone from the crowd clearly yelled, "The Highland Army has entered the city!" There was an audible groan from the throng and people started looking desperately at the remaining ships.
"Pick up the pace," Viktor warned encouragingly.
"Double time!" Flik yelled, and his sergeants followed suit.
There was little controlling the crowd now, and though they weren't quite ready to bodily throw themselves against Viktor's spears, they were surging closer and closer. One of the ships farther down the docks caught fire and began to burn, crew and passengers diving into the dark, murky water in an attempt to escape.
Rossgard led the last of Flik's men onto the galley, and Flik sprinted up the gangplank. It was pulled up even as his feet touched down on the deck. Viktor and his remaining men ran for the other galley, and the crowd hesitated only a moment before following. The ropes attaching Flik's ship to the pier were cut, and as the oars began to engage, it slowly drifted away from the wharf.
The galley Viktor had boarded was just a bit slower, and the crowd rushed up to the very brink of the pier, trying to leap aboard. But even this galley was already underway, and most of these desperate attempts failed, people falling short into the water or smashing themselves hard against the railing. Flik could see that a few were pulled up onto the deck, but most dropped into the murk. Still, even as these people failed, more crowded up, jostling the ones in front off balance and into the lake. They began thrashing about in the water, some trying to reach the shore and others continuing to chase the galleys.
None of them were strong enough to catch the merchantmen, and the captains were not about to turn their overburdened ships around. The docks of Coronet receded, allowing Flik to see the extent of the slums that spread around the port. Tiny little shacks dotted the waterfront and the slope leading up from the shore. Even here, insignificant fishing craft were darting out onto the water, some of them overfilled to the point of capsizing. However, what stood out were two men sitting out in front of one of the hovels.
Even in the failing light, Flik could see that one was wearing a long tan robe, and the other a long blue robe. They appeared to be doing nothing more than nonchalantly fishing, unconcerned about the disaster unfolding around them. The one in tan even stood up to wave. Flik squinted; he thought he recognized the man, though he wasn't close enough to be sure. On a whim, he waved back.
The wind picked up, a blast of cooler air out of the north. Flik looked towards the sky and saw a shift in the clouds. A line of much darker, deeper clouds was rushing out of the north, moisture already beginning to obscure the upper part of the town.
"Brace yourselves!" the captain shouted. Lightning flickered over the town, Flik glanced down at his right hand as the lightning rune seemed to stir. The wind abruptly howled in his ears, waves spraying over the railing, soaking and blinding him. The noise did not abate but only built in intensity, and he could see nothing. The galley lurched, and Flik stumbled, even as a momentary flash of light illumed everything. His soldiers cowered on the deck, some lying flat, others holding on to anything that was tied down.
Darkness returned, and with it, a driving, stinging rain. The ship lurched again, fighting its way through a wave. Flik banged his knee against the deck, struggling to stay upright. A fine sheet of water washed across the ship, spilling back into the lake. A flash and a loud crack announced a lightning strike into the lake itself. By that ephemeral brightness, Flik saw an ominous waterspout off to his left.
He tried to warn the captain, but couldn't even hear himself shouting over the angry water and screeching wind. Everything went black again, and the ship jostled violently between two swells. Flik lost his feet, falling back first onto the planking. A wave crashed over the railings, inundating him with water. He sat up and coughed it out of his mouth, tasting the slight salty tang, though not so salty as Lake Toran.
Lightning struck again, and Flik realized that he was feeling not fear, but a sort of giddy excitement. He would've laughed, but the galley canted in the opposite direction, and he had to fight for his balance again. Several more bolts flashed in succession, and he tried to locate the waterspout in their light. It was now out in front of them, moving away.
The storm continued at full ferocity for several minutes more, surging waves swamping the ship and slamming it against ridges of water. Then the worst of it was past, and the wind died back into a gentle breeze out of the north. It was still raining moderately and much cooler, but the galley did not appear to be in danger of capsizing. The captain paced up and down the deck, yelling orders at his deck hands and screaming abuse at any of the mercenaries who got in the way, including Flik. There was water to be pumped out of the bilge and damage to be accessed. For his part, Flik went around and tried to see if anyone had been swept overboard. There were, at least two had crashed through a railing, shattering it, and had disappearing into the churning water.
Eventually sailors went up the masts and readied the sails. The wind billowed the fabric and the galley was soon underway. After a while, Flik found an empty spot and, soaked though he was, collapsed into an exhausted sleep.