Sometimes war is war, and other times it is personal
The cold made Taj’s knees ache more. He sat by the campfire and rubbed them, hoping to get temporary relief. It felt good enough to allow him to close his eyes momentarily. I’m too old for these romps. I should be home, raising a family and kids, but Kenon ensured that wouldn’t happen. His thoughts caused his eyes to open. Once again, rest eluded him as vengeance took over.
“How are the knees, old man?” Caerden, a younger ranger captain from the inner ranks, sat down next to the aged veteran. His armor and weapons combined wealth and affordability, showing he knew where to spend his money. His yew bow would only stick out to experienced archers and was the envy of his peers.
Taj patted Caerden on the back, welcoming him to sit by his side. “This cold makes things way worse. Let me give you some advice, young man. Unless you have someone to get old with, never get old. Nothing is better when you are old.”
Caerden pulled two mugs from his pouch and handed one to his friend. He then opened the jug in his left hand, filling both containers generously. “I’ll keep that in mind. In the meantime, let this warm up your insides.” The two toasted and took large swigs of the dark ale. “Are you doing okay?”
Taj’s eyes glistened in the fire embers, but his expression never changed, “I have good days but more bad ones.”
Caerden turned to face him, “You don’t have to do this. It’s been five years since you’ve seen a real battle.”
Taj snorted and took a quick drink, “Don’t worry about me. I am still in good fighting form. I’ve trained over two-thirds of this army and have beaten almost all of them in combat.” Taj looked at Caerden out of the corner of his eye. He knew that his friend wasn’t buying it.
Caerden’s brow furrowed, “Almost is an essential word in that sentence. You know training and the real thing are very different.”
Taj deflected, “What would you have me do? Piera and my two sons are gone. What do I have to go back to anyway? I will fight for the glory of our homeland, Selmark.”
Sadness crept into Caerden’s countenance, “That’s bullshit! I know you aren’t fighting for our idiot king, and the enemy will happily run you through. I’m certain many of their captains remember the years of losses from our armies at your command. But they are younger and faster than you, and that’s something.”
Taj put his hand back on his friend’s back, “I fought and defeated many who were faster and stronger than me. I know you are right in some ways, and I love your concern, but don’t discredit what I know. Fighting is the only career I’ve ever known. Even if I die, isn’t it fitting? I will join my wife and kids. That’s not so bad.”
“It’s the die part I’m not good with.”
The two turned back to the fire and stayed quiet. Finally, Taj spoke, “I’m not good with dying either. I need to do this.”
“What kind of beast kills unarmed women and children?” Caerden’s chest was heaving as he spoke, and his cheeks turned red. His eyes cautiously looked at Taj as he preached to a victim of Kenon’s cruelty.
“A spineless coward, and he will pay. I don’t think he gets that many of these men have nothing left to lose. Their homes are burned to the ground, and their families are dead.” Taj gripped the handle so tightly that his hand trembled.
Caerden dropped his head and looked into his mug. He saw that it was empty. “Well, I’d offer you more, but we must fight in the morning. By the way, you know every captain has refused to take you. You are a regiment to yourself… or a pariah, depending on how you look at it. I think they are afraid that their soldiers will stop listening to them and follow you.”
Taj instinctively handed the mug back as he thought about Caerden’s words. “I have no markings whatsoever, not that it matters. I’ve been in their boots and the general’s, and I wouldn’t want me either. I’m now free to help where help is needed. I know the general’s plan and will do my best to move it along. Speaking of that, why didn’t you take me, captain Ralenov?”
Caerden shook his head in a mix of reverence and disbelief. “Do you really want to shoot arrows? Either way, you know I will be keeping an eye on you. Pakar, Raphy, and I know what your plan is. We will do our best to protect your back as you hunt the coward down. Kenon knows you will be coming for him, and I am betting he will take plenty of precautions.”
Taj’s lip sneered at the mention of his name. “I need to find him and repay his kindness to my family. I am counting on him taking precautions. Thanks for everything, Caerden. You are a great friend. Now get some rest, and I’ll see you before dawn.”
Caerden shrugged his shoulder and stood. Stowing his mugs, he took one last glance at Taj and walked back to his quarters.
Taj watched Caerden walk off and turned back to the fire. The gentle flames felt warm on his skin as he thought of kinder days. His knees called out to him in the unrelenting voice of a dull pain, and he began rubbing them again. He needed to rest before tomorrow, but sleep was an unlikely option.
=+=
“Caerden? Come on. It’s time.” Taj stood ready for the action.
Rubbing his eyes, he wearily looked at Taj, “Did you sleep, or have you been standing here all evening?”
Taj looked around the camp of mostly sleeping men as he quietly spoke, “A little of both. I saw Theas and Napalas moving. You don’t want them to look better than you, do you?”
Caerden cracked a small smile, “I am fine with how I look. While we’re here, I’ve got some questions for you. First, you know, armor has come a long way since that old junk you have on. Why didn’t you get some newer armor? Second, how come you never clean up your armor? It always looks like crap and smells like it too.”
Taj couldn’t help but chuckle, which caused Caerden’s eyes to squint with pleasure, “I tried on some of the new stuff and didn’t like how it encumbers me. Heck, I know how every dent got on this chest plate. As for cleaning: clean armor is for one of three things: politicians, rookies, or intimidation. I’m none of those. An intimidating warrior warns the enemy to be prepared so you will get his best defense. A humble one will always surprise his adversary.”
Caerden raised his eyebrows, “You make that up yourself? You sound like a philosopher. By the way, I noticed you shaved for the battle. It puts a little hole in your argument.”
Taj slowly cocked his head as he noticed General Almet walking out of his tent. “I have my moments, and I shave every Monday. It looks like the general is up. Let’s get going.”
“Okay, Okay. We wouldn’t want to miss his motivational speech, would we? When entire villages of our people have been razed, your army shouldn’t need much more inspiration. Also, I think the good general is dead wrong on the troops waiting for supplies and reinforcements. I think Kenon is bringing transports to move his troops back to the northern front. I gotta take a leak. You head over, and I’ll find you. All I need to do is put my nose in the air and smell.”
Taj frowned as he tried to take a whiff of himself. “Fair enough. I think you are spot on about the transport ships too. Either way, today is the day. As we march in, the general is making up the plan, and Kennon knows this too. Our best chance to catch and defeat him is before those ships arrive. I’m not too fond of things done in haste. See you there.” As he walked away, waking young men saluted him to the irritation of their insecure captains.
=+=
“You’ve got to be joking. We are going to be staring right into the sun. Kenon is no fool. I’ll give him that.” Caerden rolled his eyes as he surveyed the plateau where the battle was going to take place.
“Let’s go, men! We have a battle to fight.” Captain Esko boldly passed by Taj and Caerden without recognition of either. Both noticed his bright and shiny armor and looked at each other.
Caerden jumped in first, “Wasn’t that exactly what you were talking about earlier?”
Taj gave a hearty belly laugh. “Yes! Isn’t it amazing how brave young men can be until steel meets skin?”
The eloquence of this statement wasn’t lost on Caerden, “You know, it amazes me that you aren’t some sort of apologist. You come up with the most appropriate stuff at just the right time.”
Taj didn’t like the focus being on himself. To change the subject, he assessed the ground. The first few ranks were already nearing the range of Kenon’s archers. “Look there, to the left. Those ridges should be prioritized. Up there, you could shoot and not have to worry about being blinded.”
Caerden turned to where Taj pointed. He understood Taj’s insight, and optimism cracked through his façade. “I need to talk to Pakar and Raphy to see if we can secure that ridge. Great call. I guess that is another reason you were the general for so long.”
A young captain ahead of Taj began sizing up at the battlefield. The veteran had seen the look before and knew how to encourage him. “Your unit looks sharp, captain Lesco. Be sure to stick in close on those lines. Kenon’s men won’t be able to defend if you do. You were a great student, son. I am certain you have what it takes to lead your men to victory.”
Lesco looked bewildered, “Um, thanks, sir.”
“It’s Taj. I have no rank here.”
“You will always have rank with me. It is an honor to fight at your side.” Lesco stopped and saluted the undecorated soldier.
Taj smiled and saluted back.
The sun no longer hid under the waves of the ocean. It crept up, and to the horror of the Selmark Army, they began to see the size of Kenon’s army. Taj estimated that the group was about twice the size of theirs. They had the sun to their back and higher ground until Selmark could bring the battle to the plateau. Taj took a deep breath. He scanned the perimeter, looking for the infamous general.
After a few more steps, Taj noticed the enemies’ arrows flying. The shouts of injured and angered soldiers burned in his ears. He picked up his pace, trying to close the distance between him and the battle. As he drew his sword, he headed toward the ridge that he pointed out to Caerden earlier. Kenon’s men tried to hold the ridge, but Caerden’s hand-picked team quickly overtook their forces. He flanked the soldiers in only a few minutes by combining barrages of arrows with innovative advancement.
Taj arrived just as the last two men were subdued. Caerden looked over, “Well, old man, it was nice of you to show up.”
Taj grinned, “I’ve been told my timing is impeccable before.”
Caerden smiled but was busy scanning the field from his higher ground. He spied something of interest, “Looks like you’ve already been noticed.” He pointed across the battlefield to the southeastern corner.
Taj followed Caerden’s gaze and saw Kenon barking at some troops and pointing directly at him. The two men made eye contact, and Kenon barked orders even louder at his men. The underlings looked in Taj’s general direction until they saw where their general was looking. Without hesitation, they began to make their way toward the Northwestern ridge.
Taj patted Caerden on the back. “Great eye, my friend. Yeah, it looks like my presence has already spoiled his party. I think I better make it worth the fuss he is making. Are you sure you can reach shots this far?”
Caerden smirked, “The wind is to our backs. Trust me. We will be ready when we need to be.” Caerden watched Raphy taking the second ridge and aided with some well-placed shots.
When Raphy was secure, he looked back at Caerden. Using hand gestures, Caerden pointed to Taj. Raphy nodded and waved at his old friend.
Taj waved back, “I don’t know what you just said to him, but I’m thinking I should thank you.”
Caerden and his men began setting up stations for their arrow assaults. He answered Taj while he vigorously worked, “Damn straight! Do what you came here for and what we planned. Raphy and I will give at the ready. Pakar headed south. He is expecting you to come that way.”
“Well, I don’t want to disappoint. See you soon, Caerden.” Taj headed back down the ridge. On his way, he noticed three young soldiers trying to sneak up and ambush Caerden’s group. Without hesitation, Taj pulled out his pair of short swords.
He reached the first young man without even being noticed. Though the rookie’s sword was drawn, he never even got the opportunity to use it before Taj’s short sword punctured his side. Quickly he turned to the second man, who took a wild and desperate swing. The attack was so far off point that Taj didn’t even have to react. Instead, he plunged his other sword into the boy’s neck and quickly pulled it out.
The third soldier ran away from Taj as quickly as possible. A well-placed arrow ended the young man’s battle. Taj looked up to see Caerden watching him.
As he crossed the opening where the troops were pouring into the field, he noticed Captain Esko numbly walking backward away from the battle. Esko’s men covered his retreat, and fear emanated from their eyes. Taj sighed and approached, “Captain Esko, what are your orders, sir?”
“What?” Esko looked confused.
Taj spoke loudly so the men could hear, “Should we form a wedge and charge forward?”
Esko muttered something unintelligible.
Taj spoke again, “That’s an excellent call, sir.” He turned to Esko’s troops. “You heard the captain! Wedge formation, and charge forward.”
At first, the men looked confused, but their bravery returned as Taj continued to bark at them. With a few commands, the men regathered into a traditional wedged and plunged into the enemy line. The move was so effective that two other units followed suit.
Esko watched, still trying to figure out what just happened. Taj looked at him and grabbed his arm. “Cal, are you good?”
Esko gathered his senses. He looked at Taj and realized what he had done. “Thanks, friend. I lost it for a bit.”
“It’s okay. It happens to the best of us. Let’s get it back now! I have to go. Keep them moving forward.”
As Taj ran away, he could hear Esko barking orders with his regained confidence, and an uncontrollable smile came to his face. He spied a few of the soldiers he saw near Kenon approaching him. Now it’s time to fight some real men. He could feel his adrenaline rising as he reached a clearing, ready to face the three advancing men.
The three stopped in the clearing. One called accross, “Commander Taj Cralton?”
“I have no rank. I am just Taj.”
The brawny young man boldly walked forward, “I expected you to be much more… umm… intimidating.”
Taj nodded, “I seem to get that a lot.”
“My name is Etok Aroyo. Your commands have killed my grandfather, two uncles, and father. You have brought shame to my family and my country. It will be an honor to kill you for their sake.”
“Aroyo… hmmm… I remember either your father or his brother. I’m sorry, but I don’t know which one. He was a strong fighter, and I personally took him down. You look a lot like him.” Taj strengthened his grip on the two short swords.
Etok’s eyes grew wild as he charged at Taj with his longsword above his head. This move must have worked on younger soldiers, but the veteran had seen it too many times. Without effort, Taj dropped to one knee, raised the left sword to block the strike, and plunged his other sword forward. The perfectly placed shot caught the young man in the line between the bands of his segmented armor.
Etok dropped his sword and looked down as he suddenly collapsed. Taj quickly pulled his sword back in preparation for the two waiting men. The two spread apart, bringing a smile to Taj’s face. “It looks like Captain Alamas trained you.”
The two men looked at each other, “How do you know that?”
Taj slowly walked back, trying to avoid being flanked. “I trained that traitor before he defected.”
In unison, the two men attacked Taj. All he could do was continue to block their advances. There was no time to counter. As the two worked in unison, Taj was quickly reminded about how important the fundamentals were for sword fighting. After many years of instructing, these two experienced fighters’ movements were surprisingly predictable. Their attacks were sharp, and blocking them took a toll on his older frame, but he could see the openings would come.
Taj patiently waited, and after the fifth strike, the man on the left loosened the grip on his sword. The veteran immediately hit the loosened hand with the butt of his shortsword, sending the attacker’s weapon flying in the air. Quickly he returned to his defensive posture and waited.
After another attack from the armed soldier, his counterpart tried to reach for his dropped weapon, only to be poked by Taj’s short sword in the side of the knee. A seemingly small blow sent the man to the ground writhing in pain.
The distraction caused the aggressor to turn his head as Taj hit him squarely with the tip of his sword in the jaw. The pain caused him to swing his sword, catching Taj unexpectedly on the arm. He winced but held his ground as the young man staggered back. Taj chose diplomacy, “You have fought bravely. Take your friend and retreat, and I will let you pass.”
The young man rubbed his face as he considered Taj’s words. Taj quickly looked at his arm to see the wound was minor.
Please don’t do it, son. You can walk away and live to tell the story to your children. He thought as he carefully watched the two wounded warriors. Awe crap, he thinks he can still take me. The young man viscously approached Taj.
Taj took a defensive stance and waited, letting his attacker expend exorbitant amounts of energy. He carefully watched as the path of the attacking sword lowered with each successive swing. Finally, the young man was exhausted, and his eyes were wide open, waiting to see Taj’s response.
Taj took no pleasure in his finishing blow, plunging his sword into the attacker’s chest. He turned to face the hobbled soldier on the ground. Fear paralyzed the young man. Taj put his swords back in their sheaths and spoke. “Now, you might live to tell your children.” He turned to see two more men approaching.
I’m never going to get close to Kenon at this rate. Of course not! He’s no fool. Taj opted to wait for them to come to the clearing when he listened to an attack outside his line of sight. He pulled his swords and assumed his defensive stance.
To Taj’s delight, Pakar showed his face and said, “Where the heck have you been? I’ve been waiting for you. I took care of two men I assumed were coming for you.”
Taj stowed his swords and hugged his friend. “You assumed correctly. Don’t worry. There will be more.”
Pakar replied, “Yeah? You were right about a way to bypass some of the front lines. On the southern side of the plain, there is enough snow covering that we might be able to sneak by the fighting lines and essentially flank the bastard.”
Pakar’s report was the best news Taj had heard in a long while. “How is the war going?”
The young captain’s face saddened, “It is hard to say, but we are outnumbered. I saw what you did with Esko. He is now charging hard up the middle, and some captains are following. Hopefully, that will continue. If we take down Kenon, that will be a big deal. I’ve lost about one-third of my group, but we are prepared to do what we must. They are holding positions about 100 paces south of us. If we have any chance, we have to do this now.”
Taj nodded as he spoke, “Let’s do this. Raphy and Caerden are watching and looking for the signal.”
“Great! Come with me.”
The two men headed past the clearing and rejoined Pakars forces on the southern line. They made their way to the plateau’s edge as Taj looked over the side.
Pakar pulled two large leather pouches off of a cart. They looked similar to wineskins but were almost twice the size. He handed them to Taj. “Okay, I can give you three of my men. I need to keep fighting here. You need to hug the side of this cliff for about three hundred paces. You should see Kenon’s tent. Hopefully, the guards will be too engaged with the battle before them to notice the four of you. Get up, give the signal, and do what you must.”
Taj noticed the three men also carried similar pouches. He turned and hugged his friend, “Thank you, Pakar. We shall have a good drink after this.”
“Only if you’re buying.” Pakar quipped.
Taj smiled, “You got it.”
Taj hopped over the side and looked at the terrain they would have to traverse. The rocky sides were cold and icy. This path was dangerous at best, but Taj concluded it was still the most expedient solution. The three men with him were equally displeased with the task, but none complained.
The trip was as bad as Taj expected. The frozen rocks stung as they placed their hands on them for traction. Fortunately, the cliff protected them from the stiff northern wind. By the halfway point, Taj looked up every few paces, hoping to see Kenon’s tent.
Shouts and screams could be heard above them as they stealthily passed through the enemy lines. One of the young men spoke, “I wonder how we are doing up there.”
Taj stopped and listened, “Based on what I am hearing, we are driving their line back. That’s a good sign. It doesn’t mean we are winning, but we are taking the fight to them. “
Finally, they spotted the tent. Taj took a deep breath as one of the young men climbed up the side and carefully put his head into the tent. He gave an all-clear signal as he slipped inside. Taj and the other two followed.
When Taj got into the tent, he sat quietly for a few moments. He thought about being a young man and how much easier this would have been. No time to remenisce old man. It’s time to get this done. He thought to himself as he rose to his feet. His knees vigorously complained.
Already, the young men pulled their pouches off. Taj pointed to the corners of the tent. A knife cut a hole into the pouch, and a dark brown fluid with the consistency of maple syrup began to pour out onto the ground. Taj pointed at the lanterns and made sure his colleague understood where they were.
With the floors near the tent’s walls immersed, they began to cover specific items in the tent, including the two chairs in the middle. Taj had the only unopened pouch. He quietly thanked the men as they exited the same way they entered.
Taj carefully looked out of the tent. Most of the commanders were focused on the battle. By now, the sun was fully up, lessening their advantages. Kenon’s men barked orders while others used a series of flags to send the orders down to the field. The shuffling feet of someone approaching caught his attention.
There was no place to hide, but Taj did have the element of surprise. He waited on the side of the entryway for the man to completely walk in. As the tent flap closed, Taj quickly grabbed the man and put his knife in his neck. He covered his mouth with his other hand as the man’s life quickly ended.
Taj placed the man in the middle of the room. His mind spun as he headed back for the entrance. Peeking through the flap again, he spied his target. Kenon looked down at a map as four guards stood at his side.
If only I had an arrow right now. I could end this quickly. But that wasn’t the plan. Stick with the plan, and see it to the finish. Taj’s mind continued to race as he considered his next step. Slowly, he took his last pouch out and carefully slid it out the tent’s entryway. Using his short sword, he punctured it, allowing fluid to spill onto the ground.
From a crouching position, he sprinted out of the tent. One swing of his left sword cut through a guard’s boot, severing his Achilles tendon. The other sword failed to catch the other guard’s leg. Well, they know I’m here now. He mused as he quickly turned for his second round of attacks.
Kenon turned and looked in horror as Taj was now less than ten paces away. Two other guards quickly turned to face Taj while protecting the general. Taj somehow managed to bite his lip on the previous exchange. He used his hand to wipe away the blood and thrust himself at the pair of men in front of him. Though one strike landed, it was no more than a glancing blow. Then came the retaliation.
The larger of the two guards swung, hitting the side of Taj’s helmet. The impact was so shocking that the helmet strap broke, and the cap flew into the air. Taj’s ears rang as he squinted at the discomfort, but he was still alive. Quickly he rolled on the ground away from the guard. It also bought him some time to catch his bearings.
As Taj stood again, another guard took a shot at him. The straight thrust was well placed, but Taj used his short sword to deflect the blow. With the attacker out of balance, the veteran spun and lowered his other sword into the soldier’s hip. The helpless guard contorted at the pain, moving aside for others to attack.
Another guard swung and completely missed Taj. As his sword passed, the soldier stopped the motion and pulled back, hitting Taj in the side of the head with the handle. Without a helmet, the blunt blow stunned his senses. Instinctively, Taj took a step back, allowing him some recovery time, but the guard was relentless.
Taj held his ground as the guard lashed out with three attacks. He watched in a defensive posture as Kenon ran past him into the tent. More guards appeared as two joined him inside, and two stood at the door. It’s your turn, Caerden. Taj thought as he turned his focus back to the present battle.
The force of the attacks was taxing Taj’s weary body. He could feel his arms weakening, but the sharpness of his mind returned. Two guards began unleashing, and the fury of their brutal strikes expended any reserve energy Taj had. He dropped to one knee. Oh, this isn’t good. His mind drifted.
“Incoming!” Someone shouted near Taj’s position. Taj looked to the left to see a volley of flaming arrows heading his way. He dropped to both knees as the two attacking guards turned to be hit multiple times by the incoming volley. One of the guards fell next to Taj, and the other ran for cover.
Without hesitation, Taj pulled one of the arrows from the fallen guard’s arms. He hurled it at the tent, where he placed the leaking pouch. The fluid greeted the flame, igniting at the feet of the guards. Within seconds the entire tent was in flames. Everyone listened to the screams from the men trapped inside the tent, and nobody could help them.
Taj took advantage of the shock of the moment. He surveyed the battle and could see the southern side was making progress. Without breaking stride, he jumped over the commander’s table and dashed toward the battle line. Behind him, he could hear the angry shouts of commanders directing their men to attack the ‘assassin.’ I’ve never been called that before. He smiled and never looked back.
With no energy left, Taj didn’t bother attacking anyone. It was all he could do to keep jogging toward the battle line. One of Pakar’s men spotted him and made haste to his position. The old warrior collapsed into the arms of this friendly soldier.
Quickly Pakar’s men surrounded Taj and brought him out of the battle. Pakar came up to Taj with a smile. “Now, old man, how about that drink?”
firstflite
