Warlock - The Warlock Enraged Part 5

Gwen shrugged. "Both sides are alike to me, my lord."

"What do you think you are, a candidate? Okay, you disappear to the east, and I'll fade into the left. I keep trying, anyway."

Gwen nodded, and squeezed his hand quickly before she sped off the road. Leaves closed behind her. Rod stayed a moment, staring north and wondering; then he turned to the underbrush, muttering, "Head north about ten yards, Pess."

The robot sprang into a gallop, and almost immediately turned off the road onto Rod's side.

The leaves closed behind him, and Rod turned to face the roadway, peering through foliage. He knelt, and let his body settle, breathing in a careful rhythm, watching the dust settle.

Then, around the curve of the roadway, they came-a dozen dusty peasants with small backpacks and haunted .

33 faces. They kept glancing back over their shoulders. The tallest of them suddenly called out, jerked to a halt. The others hurried back to him, calling over their shoulders to their wives, "Go! Flee!" But the women hesitated, glancing longingly at the road south, then back at their husbands.

The men turned their backs and faced north, toward the enemy, each holding a quarterstaff at guard position, slant- wise across his body. The women stared at them, horrified.

Then, with a wail, one young wife turned, hugging her baby, and hurried away southward. The others stared after her; then, one by one, they began to shoo their children away down the road.

Then the men-at-arms strode into sight.

Rod tensed, thinking, "Ready!" with all his force.

They wore brown leggings with dark green coats down to midthigh, and steel helmets. Each carried a pike, and a saffron badge gleamed on every breast. It was definitely a uniform, and one Rod had never seen before.

The soldiers saw the peasants, gave a shout, and charged, pikes dropping down level.

Rod thought the word with all his might, as he muttered it to Fess: "Havoc!"

He couldn't have timed it better. Fess leaped out of the underbrush and reared, with a whinnying scream, just as the last soldiers pa.s.sed him. They whirled about, alarmed, as did most of their mates-and Rod leaped up on the roadway between peasants and soldiers, sword flickering out to stab through a shoulder, then leaping back out to dart at another footman even as the first screamed, staggering backward. Two soldiers in the middle of the band shot into the air with howls of terror, and slammed back down onto their mates, as a shower of rocks struck steel helmets hard enough to stagger soldiers, and send them reeling to the ground.

Rod threw himself into a full lunge, skewering a third soldier's thigh, as he shouted to the peasants, "Now! Here's your chance! Fall on 'em, and beat the h.e.l.l out of 'em!"

Then a pike-b.u.t.t crashed into his chin and he spun back- ward, vision darkening and shot through with sparks; but a roar filled his ears and, as his sight cleared, he saw the 34 Christopher Stasheff 35 peasant men slamming into the soldiers, staves rising and falling with a rhythm of mayhem.

Rod gasped, and staggered back toward them; there was no need for killing!

Then another thought nudged through: they needed pris- oners, for information.

He blundered in among the peasants, took one quick glance at the remains of the melee, and gasped, "Stop!

There's no need... They don't deserve..."

"Thou hast not seen what they've done," the peasant next to him growled.

"No, but I intend to find out! Look! They're all down, and some of 'em may be dead already! Stand back, and leave them to me!"

A rough hand grasped his shoulder and spun him around.

"I' truth? And who art thou to command, thou who hast not lost blood to these wolves?"

Rod's eyes narrowed. He straightened slowly, and knocked the man's hand away with a sudden chop. It was ridiculous, and really shouldn't have made any difference to anybody- but it would work; it'd get their cooperation. "I am the High Warlock, Rod Gallowgla.s.s, and it is due to my magic and my family's, that you men stand here victorious, instead of sprawling as buzzard's meat!"

He didn't have to add the threat; the man's eyes widened, and he dropped to one knee. "Your pardon. Lord! I... I had not meant..."

"No, of course you didn't. How could you tell, when I'm dressed as a tinker?" Rod looked around to find all the peasants kneeling. "All right, that's enough! Are you men or p.a.w.ns, that you must kneel? Rise, and bind these animals for me!"

"On the instant, milord!" The peasants leaped to their feet, and turned to begin lashing up the soldiers with their own belts and garters. Rod caught the belligerent one by the shoulder. "How are you called?"

Apprehension washed his face, and he tugged at his forelock. "Grathum, an it please thee, milord."

Rod shrugged. "Whether or not it pleases you, is a bit more important. Grathum, go after the women, and tell them the good news, will you?"

The man stared, realization sinking in. "At once, your lordship!" And he sped away.

Rod surveyed the knot-tying party and, satisfied every- thing was well under way with the minimum of vengeful brutality, glanced up at the trees and thought. Wonderful, children! I'm a very proud daddy!

The branches waved slightly in answer. Rod could have bent his mind to it, and read their thoughts in return; but it still involved major effort for him, and he couldn't spare the concentration just now. But he turned toward the underbrush, and thought. Thanks, dear. It was nice to see you throwing somebody else's weight around for a change.

"As long as 'tis not thine, my lord? Thou art most surely welcome!"

Rod looked up, startled-that was her voice, not her mind. Gwen came marching up, with the women and chil- dren behind her. Grathum hurried on ahead, face one big apology. "'Ere I could come unto them, milord, thy wife had brought word, and begun their progress back."

She had obviously run the message on her broomstick; the wives were herding their children silently, with covert glances at her, and the children were staring wide-eyed.

Rod turned back to Grathum. "Any more of these apes likely to be following you?"

The peasant shook his head. "Nay, milord-none that we know of. There were more bands-but they chased after others who fled. Only these followed the high road, when we who escaped to it so far as this, were so few."

"'Others who fled?'" Rod frowned, setting his fists on his hips. "Let's try it from the beginning. What happened, Grathum? Start back before you knew anything was wrong."

"Before... ?" The peasant stared at him. " 'Tis some months agone, milord!"

"We've got time." Rod nodded toward the north. "Just in case you're worried, I've got sentries out."

Grathum darted quick looks about him, then back at Rod, fearfully. Rod found it unpleasant, but right now, it was useful. "Several months back," he prompted, "before you knew anything was wrong."

"Aye, milord," Grathum said, with a grimace. He heaved a sigh, and began. "Well, then! 'Twas April, and we were 36 shackling our oxen to the plows for the planting, and a fellow hailed me from the roadway. I misliked his look- he was a scrawny wight, with a sly look about him-but I'd no reason to say him nay, so I pulled in my ox and strode up to the hedge, to have words with him.

'"Whose land is this?' he did ask me; and I answered, 'Why, o' course, 'tis the Duke of Romanov's; but my master, Sir Ewing, holds it enfeoffed from him.'

"'Nay,' quoth this wight, ' 'tis not his now, but the Lord Sorcerer Alfar's-and I hold it enfeoffed from him.'

"Well! At this I became angered. 'Nay, a.s.suredly thou dost not,' I cried. 'An thou dost speak such treason, no man would blame me!' And I drew back my fist, to smite him."

Rod's mouth tightened. That sort of fit in with his overall impression of Grathum's personality. "And what'd he do about it?"

"Why! He was gone ere I could strike-disappeared!

And appeared again ten feet away, on my side of the fence!

Ah, I a.s.sure thee, then fear did seize my bowels-but I ran for him anyway, with a roar of anger. Yet up he drifted into the air, hauling a thick wand out from his cloak, and struck down at me with it. I made to catch it, but ever did he seem to know where I would grasp next, and ever was his stick elsewhere; and thus did he batter me about the head and shoulders, till I fell down in a swoon. When I came to my senses, he stood over me, crowing, 'Rejoice that I spared thee, and used only a wooden rod-nor tossed a ball of fire at thee, nor conjured a hedgehog into thy belly!'... Could he do such, milord?"

"I doubt it highly," Rod said, with a dry smile. "Go on with your story."

Grathum shrugged. "There's little more to tell of that broil. 'Be mindful,' quoth he, 'that thou dost serve me now, not that sluggard Sir Ewing.' The hot blood rushed to my face, to hear my lord so addressed; but he saw it, and struck me with the wand again. I did ward the blow, but he was behind me on the instant, and struck me from the other side-and I could not ward myself, for that the arm that should have done it, was beneath me. 'Be mindful,' quoth he again, 'and fear not Sir Ewing's retribution; ere the har- vest comes, he'll not be by to trouble thee further.' Then 37.

he grinned like to a broad saw, and vanished in a crack of thunder."

Rod noted that all this junior wizard seemed to have done, was teleport and levitate-but he had used them to give him an advantage in a fight!

"This worm of a warlock was fully lacking in honor,"

Gwen ground out, at his elbow.

"Totally unethical," Rod agreed, "and, therefore, totally self-defeating, in the end. If witches and warlocks went around behaving like that, the mobs would be out after them in an instant-and how long could they last then?"

"Forever," Grathum said promptly, "or so this Lord Sorcerer and his sorcery-knights do believe. They fear no force, milord, whether it come from peasants or knights."

The fright in his tone caught at Rod. He frowned. "You sound as though you're talking from experience. What hap- pened?" Then he lifted his head as he realized what someone like Grathum might have done. "You did report this little incident to Sir Ewing, didn't you?"

"I did." Grathum bit his lip. "And I wish that I had not- though it would have made little difference, for each and every other plowman on Sir Ewing's estates told him like- wise."

"The same warlock in each case?"

"Aye; his name, he said, was Melkanth. And there was no report of him, from any other manor; yet each had been so visited by a different warlock or witch. Naetheless, 'twas our Sir Ewing who did rise up in anger and, with his dozen men-at-arms, rode forth to seek out this Melkanth."

Rod clamped his jaw. "I take it Sir Ewing found him."

Grathum spread his hands. "We cannot think otherwise; for he did not come back. Yet his men-at-arms did; but they wore this livery thou seest on those who pursued us." He jerked his thumb back over his shoulder at the heap of bound soldiers. "Aye, they came back, these men that we'd known since childhood; they came back, and told us that Sir Ewing was no more, and that we served His Honor Warlock Melkanth now."

Rod stared, and Gwen caught at his arm. That jarred Rod back into contact with reality; he cleared his throat, and asked, "Anything odd about 'em? The way they looked?"

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"Aye." Grathum tapped next to his eye. '"Twas here, milord-in their gazes. Though I could not say to thee what 'twas that was odd."

"But it was wrong, whatever it was." Rod nodded.

"What'd the soldiers do? Stay around to make sure you kept plowing?"

"Nay; they but told us we labored for Melkanth now, and bade us speak not of this that had happed, not to any knight nor lord; yet they did not say we could not speak to other peasant folk."

"So the rumor ran?"

"Aye. It ran from peasant to peasant, till it had come closer by several manors to our lord. Count Novgor."

Rod kept the frown. "I take it he's va.s.sal to Duke Romanov."

"Aye, milord. The Count called up his levies-but scarce more than a dozen knights answered his call; for the others had all marched forth to battle the warlocks who challenged them."

"Oh, really! I take it rumor hadn't run fast enough."

Grathum shrugged. "I think that it had, milord; but such news only angered our good knights, and each marched out to meet the warlock who claimed his land, thinking his force surely equal to the task."

"But it wasn't." Rod's lips were thin. "Because they went out one knight at a time; but I'll bet each one of them ran into this Lord Sorcerer and all his minions, together."

Grathum's face darkened. "Could it be so?"

Rod tossed his head impatiently. "You peasants have got to stop believing everything you're told, Grathum, and start trying to find out a few facts on your own!... Oh, don't look at me like that, I'm as sane as you are! What happened to Count Novgor and his understrength army?"

Grathum shook his head. "We know not, milord-for fear overtook us, and we saw that, if the sorcerer won, we would be enslaved to fell magic, and our wives and bairns with us. Nay, then we common folk packed what we could carry and sin' that we would not have the chance to fight, fled instead, through the pasture lanes to the roadway, and down the roadway to the High Road."

"So you don't know who won?"

"Nay; but early the next morning, when we'd begun to march again, word ran through our numbers-for it was hundreds of people on the road by then, milord; we folk of Sir Ewing's were not alone in seeing our only chance to stay free-and word ran from the folk at the rear of the troupe, to us near the van, that green-coated soldiers pur- sued. We quickened our pace, but word came, anon, that a band of peasants had been caught up by soldiers, and taken away in chains. At that word, many folk split away, village by village, down side roads toward hiding. But when we came to high ground, we looked back, and saw squadrons of soldiers breaking off from the main host, to march down the side roads; so we turned our faces to the South, and hurried with Death speeding our heels-for word reached those of us in the van, that the soldiers had begun slaying those who fought their capture. Then did we take to a byway ourselves; but we hid, with our hands o'er our children's mouths, till the soldiers had trooped by, and were gone from sight; then back we darted onto the High Road, and down toward the South again. Through the night we came, bearing the wee ones on litters, hoping that the soldiers would sleep the whiles we marched; and thus we came into this morning, where thou hast found us."

Rod looked up at the sky. "Let's see, today... yesterday ... This would be the third day since the battle."

"Aye, milord."

"And you, just this little band of you, are the only ones who made it far enough south to cross the border?"

Grathum spread his hands. "The only ones on the High Road, milord. If there be others, we know not of them...

and had it not been for thee and thy family, we would not be here, either." He shuddered. "Our poor Count Novgor!

We can only pray that he lives."

Air cracked outward, and Gregory floated at Rod's eye level, moored to his shoulder by a chubby hand.

The peasants stared, and shrank back, muttering in hor- ror.

"Peace." Rod held up a hand. "This child helped save you from the sorcerer's soldiers." He turned to Gregory, nettled. "What is it, son? This wasn't exactly a good time."

"Papa," the boy said, eyes huge, "I have listened, and..."