Conan the Champion Part 14

Totila thought. "Perhaps. If he were to be slain by the Cambres. If I slew him, his men would not follow me."

"Suppose Leovigild was to slay him?"

"Eh?" Totila was mystified. "Leovigild? I've al-ready done for the boy. He is dead by now, from the wounds I dealt him."

"The Thungians do not know that. I can raise a phantom, fashioned in the guise of young Leovigild. The Thungians will see Leovigild strike him down, then you may deal with the phantom, which will die most realistically."

Totila smiled widely. "Can you truly do that? Then the Thungians would be bound in honor to follow me, as the avenger of their slain lord."

"Just so," said lilma, nodding.

Totila slapped his knee in delight. "Then that is what we shall do! I have never killed the same man twice, but I am willing to do it."

Odoac and his chief warriors sat around their fire, glumly staring into the flames. They had eagerly antici- pated the coming fight with the Cambres. The appear-ance of the Tormanna had stolen much of the zest from the enterprise. A senior warrior with much gray in his brown beard addressed his king.

"We came hither to get Alcuina's lands, and we'll not do that with Totila here. I say we go home and wait for a better time."

There was a slight grumble of agreement, but another warrior objected. "No! Will we let it be said that the Thungians took the warrior's road only to turn back like whipped dogs without a blow being struck? I'll not live with such shame!" Many roared agreement.

"And so should say all true men!" yelled "Odoac, who wanted above all else not to go back and let his men spend the rest of the winter brooding about the fiasco their king had led them into.

"If we get only half her lands this year, what of it? There is always next year. It is just that now the Cambres and the Tormanna are too much for us to take on at one time. By next year, things may be different. We can first take the rest of the land of the Cambres, then turn west to take Totila. But for now we must have this alliance. It binds us to nothing after this fight is won." This time most of the men signified approval. For all its faults, this plan would at least allow them to fight and then return home with honor. None of them cared to contemplate going home to face the women and the old ones should they return with spears unbloodied.

Odoac smiled at his men, hiding his relief. All he asked now was a little land, his reputation as a war-chief restored, and the corpse of Leovigild at his feet. All these things he might have upon the morrow.220.

221."There they are," Conan said.

He stood beside Alcuina upon the walk that backed the palisade. All of the Cambres of fighting age who could elbow a place at the wall were there as well. At intervals along the wall stood bundles of crude, hastily-made javelins and piles of rocks, from fist-sized up to small boulders a foot in diameter. This kind of defen-sive warfare was alien to the Cambres, but Conan had insisted that it was their only chance in the face of superior numbers. They had learned that his word in these matters was to be trusted.

"There are a great many of them," Alcuina said, trying not to let worry creep into her voice.

The tree line beyond the plain of Giants' Stones was growing black with warriors, the sun casting bronzen gleams from helm and cuira.s.s, the men nearly indistin-guishable except for the broad, round shapes of their shields. There were two distinct groups, nearly equal in size but several yards apart.

"They may be allies," said Siggeir with a grin, "but the Thungians and the Tormanna have little love for one another."

A sound of axes cutting trees came to them across the plain.

"They are preparing," Conan said. "Now they make ladders to scale the wall."

"Will they succeed?" asked Alcuina.

"In time they would," said Conan. "This fort stands upon flat ground without motte or moat, no more than a stockade. An experienced army would take this place in little more time than if there were no wall at all. Since those men have probably never a.s.saulted a wall except to steal their neighbors' chickens, they may be stymied for a day or so."

"Will that be enough?" she asked. . "If al! goes well. You see a great host out there on the plain, but there are only two dangerous men: lilma and Totila. I must deal with Totila. Rerin says he can settle with lilma."

"I pray to Ymir that it be so." She drew her fur cloak more closely about her, but not against the cold.

Within an hour the enemy host was moving upon the garth; Conan ordered all except warriors off the wall. Since the enemy had no siege engines, there was little immediate danger to them except from an occasional javelin skimming over the wall. In Conan's opinion, anyone who could not dodge a javelin deserved to be skewered.

"Get ready," Conan called. "Don't begin throwing things until you can't miss them. There is no hurry. They'll make easy targets when they get to the base of the wall."

All around him were men wearing nervous grins of antic.i.p.ation. They were eager to fight. In southern ar-mies, half of Conan's work as an officer had been in driving reluctant men to fight. Here he would have to keep a sharp lookout lest they rush to the courtyard, throw open the gate, and run out to fight hand-to-hand, the way they liked best.

The allies came on shouting. Some carried long lad-ders. Conan could tell from the way the ladders were held that these men had never stormed a wall. They would learn soon enough, however, just as they had learned to deal with hors.e.m.e.n. He scanned the un-ranked mob of enemies. He saw few of the long pikes 222.

223.such as he had used against the hunter. He was re-lieved. With a wall as low as this, such pikes could be used to force defenders back from the palisade, allow-ing a few intrepid warriors to make their way up the ladders and onto the wall walk. Once the enemy had a secure foothold on the wall, more could scramble up the ladders with relative impunity, and the defense of the wall, and therefore the siege, would be over. Except for the slaughter of the remaining defenders.

The attackers reached the base of the wall and mis-siles began to fall on them. They raised their shields high and shouted at the defenders to come down and fight like men. The reply was yet more missiles. Clum-sily, the ladders began to go up. At first they were easily shoved aside, but the efforts of the attackers became more determined, and soon the braver men were essaying an a.s.sault on the palisade.

Conan saw a shield lurch over the wall with a bird-crested helmet behind it. His first blow lowered the shield and his second clove the helm. In falling, the man swept the man behind him off the ladder. Conan reached out to push the ladder aside, but by accident or design the ladder-bearers had done the correct thing and positioned the top of the ladder well below the top of the wall. Thus, in order to shove it aside, the defenders would have to lean far out over the wall in order tp reach the ladder. A rain of javelins drove Conan back.

Another man reached the top of the ladder without a shield, but swinging an ax in both hands. He maneu-vered the bulky weapon with such speed that Conan was hard-pressed to keep his shield between himself and the whistling blade. He waited until the ax was going back for a swing, then stepped in, smashing the shield's central boss into the man's face and following the blow with a cut at the man's right side. Ribs crunched below the edge of the bronze cuira.s.s, and the man fell screaming. Conan grabbed a spear and wedged its shaft under the ladder, using the top of the palisade as a fulcrum to lever the ladder away. His great strength allowed him to push the ladder back in spite of the three men clinging to it.

The ladder men along the wall were being similarly repulsed. Below, men were throwing back the rocks and javelins, but throwing upward they were severely handicapped. Some of the defenders derisively caught the stones in flight and cast them back to good effect. After a few minutes of that a trumpet sounded.

Conan looked toward the sound and saw three men standing atop a low mound. One was short, fat, and gray-bearded. Another wore the skins and antlers of reindeers. It was the third who drew Conan's attention. The lowering sun glanced from his magnificent helmet in multicolored shards. A long, piebald cloak hung from his broad shoulders. Odoac, lilma, and Totila. And now Conan realized that Odoac only appeared to be short when standing next to the giant king of the Tormanna. So this was the man he must face.

It was Totila who had sounded the horn, and the men below began to pull back from the wall, screaming in their frustration at such unmanly war-making. The de-fenders atop the wall cheered and shouted taunts at the withdrawing foe.

"We've beaten them! They run like whipped dogs!" Siggeir whooped and shouted a traditional victory cry.

"Save your celebrating for tomorrow's nightfall," Conan cautioned. "We've stopped them this time. They'll know the work better next time. By the third a.s.sault, 224.

225.we'll not keep them out, unless some new circ.u.mstance comes to our aid."

"You're cursed gloomy, Cimmerian," Siggeir said.

"I am the happiest of men," Conan told him, "after the battle is won."

"Totila comes!" called a defender.

The tall king covered the plain with long strides. Odoac stepped along quickly beside him. lilma was nowhere to be seen. Conan smiled in reluctant admira-tion. The man might be of base blood as the Cambres maintained, but he was as kingly as any monarch Conan had ever seen reviewing an army, clad in purple cape and plumed helm. Fearlessly, the man walked up to the wall, ignoring the danger from stone and spear. Unwill-ing to shame himself before his followers, Odoac stood beside him.

"Queen Alcuina!" Totila called.

"She has no use for the likes of you," said Siggeir, spitting upon the ground beyond the wall.

Totila ignored the underling as if he did not exist. "Queen Alcuina, I wish a few words with you!" Totila stood planted on the spot as if he were willing to wait for the rest of his life. There was a rustling of skirts and cloak as Alcuina mounted the wall.

"My lady!" said Siggeir, scandalized. "Do not de-mean yourself by parleying with this sc.u.m. We've the upper hand now." Others agreed loudly.

"Hear what he has to say, Alcuina," Conan advised. "It can have no bearing on relations between you and him, but it may tell us much about how things stand down there." He nodded to where the host stood ma.s.sed. Now that the attack was over, the men were once more divided into two groups.

"Ah, my dear Alcuina," Totila called. "How good of you to come. This unpleasantness between our peo-ples pains me sorely, as it does my brother king, Odoac of the Thungians. Yet these matters may be set aright easily. You have not in the past seen fit to answer my suit for your hand. I ask you to reconsider now. After all, when we wed you will still be queen of the Cambres, and of the Tormanna as well."

"And what does your brother king get from this?" Alcuina said haughtily.

"Where is my dear nephew Leovigild?" demanded Odoac. "I have missed him since his hasty and unwar-ranted flight from my garth. Why is he not up there on the wall with you? Or does he cower in rightful fear of his uncle's anger?"

"What makes you think your nephew is here, you Thungian tub of suet?"

This set Alcuina's men laughing uproariously, and the Tormanna laughed only a little less loudly. Even some of the Thungians were hard-pressed to restrain their grins. The others looked shamefaced, not because their king had been insulted, but because he made such a poor showing in front of these people. Conan missed none of these things.

"Get you gone, both of you!" Alcuina commanded. "I'll wed neither a swine nor a bandit."

Totila whirled and stalked away with dignity, each sway of his cloak reminding the viewers of how many champions and chiefs he had slain. Odoac scuttled after him, while the Cambres jeered.

Alcuina stood close to Conan and spoke so only he could hear. "It is a great pity that Totila is such a beast. He would treat my people like thralls. Otherwise, baseborn or not, I'd wed him."

Conan grinned down at her. "As you've said, a 226.

227.queen must choose her husband for political reasons. Aye, he's a real man; I'll grant him that much."

"Now you have seen him close up. Think you still that you can defeat him?"

Conan looked insulted. "I said he was a real man, but I'm a better!"

"What kind of fighting is this?" Odoac groused. "Climbing walls like thralls escaping bondage!" He spat into the fire in disgust. "Why will they not come out and fight us?"

"Because we outnumber them better than two to one," said one of his men reasonably.

"What kind of reason is that for true men?" Odoac snorted. "I am especially disappointed in my nephew. The same blood fills his veins that fills mine. You would think he'd show more spirit. Perhaps some thrall crept into my brother's bed while he was off cattle-raiding, and begot Leovigild. He is a disgrace to the family."

"I spoke with some of Totlla's men," said a young warrior hesitantly. "Some of them said that they knew Leovigild by sight, and they had seen him leading one of the horse-ambushes against the Tormanna."

"Indeed?" said Odoac. "Then why did we not see him today? Does he fear to meet his uncle?"

"They told me," said the young warrior, "that he fought Totila, and the king struck him down. They think he is surely slain."

This puzzled Odoac. Had he agreed to a condition that was already met? Was Totila really so clever that he bargained with a game piece he had already taken? It infuriated Odoac to think so, and he did not want his men to think he had been gulled.

"It must have been some other young fool Totila slew. My nephew would never have the courage to face such a man."

Before the fire had burned much lower, Totila him-self came to visit his ally. The king strode dramatically into the ruddy glare and stood before the seated Odoac.

"Greeting, Odoac. We had a slow start today, but we began late. Tomorrow we shall have Alcuina's garth in our hands ere the sun sets."

"And Alcuina in yours," grumbled Odoac.

"Such was our bargain," Totila rejoined. "You, of course, shall have--"

"I know what our agreement was," Odoac broke in hastily. "Come, sit by me and have some ale."

The two kings sat, pa.s.sing the ale-horn back and forth, speaking of inconsequential things. They put on a fine show of solidarity and friendship for the a.s.sembled Thungians. The celebration of good fellowship was interrupted when a tall, slender figure stepped from the surrounding shadows into the firelight.

"Greeting, Uncle."

Odoac's breathing became labored, and he grew crim-son in the face. "Leovigild! You dare! You--you--"

Odoac struggled to his feet, fumbling at his sword hilt. Totila stood behind him. The Thungians, struck dumb at this unexpected sight, did not move at all.

Smiling gently, the young man before Odoac thrust the spear he was carrying deep into the capacious belly of the king. Odoac looked down in disbelief at the shaft protruding from his stomach. He opened his mouth to scream, but all that emerged was a gush of dark blood. Odoac collapsed sideways, and died.

With a shout, freed from their paralysis, the Thungians228.

229.jumped to their feet. Totila was quicker. He whipped his sword out with unbelievable swiftness, and the long, heavy blade was descending through the skull of Odoac's murderer before the warriors were fully on their feet. Those standing nearest were spattered with blood, brains, and teeth. Then they were goggling with wonder at the inert form upon the ground. Totila had made such a ruin of the skull that the features were no longer recognizable.

"The boy must have been mad to try such a thing. Well"--he looked around at the warriors--"it seems that your king and his heir are both dead. We shall burn them both at sunup, with full honors due royalty. Will you see this fight to the end, with me as your leader?" He carefully did not use the word king yet.

"We were Odoac's sworn men," said an elder war-rior, "not yours."

"And as such you should have avenged him," Totila said blandly. "Yet you did not. I did. Do you owe no service to your king's avenger?"

The Thungians turned shamefaced. Events were hap-pening too fast. It was easiest to let custom decide their immediate actions. "Aye, that is true," said the same elder.

"Then follow me until this matter is settled. Then we may sit and discuss the future of your tribe." With a sc.r.a.p of coa.r.s.e cloth, Totila cleaned off the bits of scalp and hair clinging to his sword. He sheathed it, turned, and strode away, his cloak of men's hair swinging behind him.

"Does this mean that the Torman is our king now?" demanded someone.

"We must talk of this," said the elder warrior. He looked down at the two hulks upon the ground. "What possessed the lad to do such a thing? Had he waited, Odoac could not have lived much longer. Then we could have haled him back to be our king. We all loved the boy."

"Perhaps," said a man in elkskin armor, "he was overcome with shame and rage at this alliance with the Tormanna. It might have robbed him of his wits."

"We may never know what happened," said the elder, "but now we are faced with a problem: Odoac and Leovigild were the last of the royal house. We have no king now. There are only Totila and Alcuina, and on the morrow Totila will have her."

They were all silent for a while. The man listening from just outside the firelight had heard enough in any case. Conan, dressed in his black wolfskins and his face blackened with soot, snaked his way backward through the spa.r.s.e brush of the plain toward the garth. He could do this as silently as any Pict. When he was far enough from the men, he rose and loped to a place at the base of the wall where a rope dangled from the palisade. Swiftly as a squirrel, he pulled himself up the wall and greeted the guards at the top. Many of the men were sleeping at their places on the wallwalk, lest the enemy try a surprise a.s.sault in the darkness.

Conan quickly made his way to Rerin's hut and barged in. The old man was performing some spell before his fire, but he looked up as Conan entered. "You were right," Conan announced. "lilma made his move tonight."

"I knew it! Early this evening I felt his workings."

Conan briefly outlined the events he had observed since the fall of night, and the things he had heard spoken among the enemy.

"I wondered how he would do it," Rerin said mus- 230.ingly. "It would have been difficult to do in battle, because few men would have seen it. Totila destroyed the false Leovigild's head because it would soon have ceased to resemble him. So now the Thungians have no king."

"No," Conan corrected. "They have one; they just don't know it."

Slowly, both men smiled.

fifteen.War of Oiree Rations When Totila rose and girded himself for battle it was with the deep satisfaction of a man who has planned well and now sees his plans coming to full fruition. He belted on his sword and strode from his tent.

"Are the pyres ready?" he asked one of his men. The man pointed to where two great heaps of wood rose above the plain near the Giants' Stones. "Then let us go and get these carca.s.ses burned," Totila said impa-tiently. "We've a battle and a royal wedding to accom-plish this day."

The Thungians were already gathered around the pyres, which they had toiled all night to build. The Tormanna lounged about, leaning on their spearshafts and showing scant respect for the dead. According to custom, those who had fallen in the battle the day before would be burned when the fighting was over, or carried home for burial if distance and transport permitted.

lilma joined Totila on the way to the pyres. "Have I not wrought well, my king?"

231.