| Fantasy Fiction posted October 31, 2022 | Chapters: |
...4 5 -6- 7... 
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One king is ambushed while another prepares for a meeting.
A chapter in the book Lords Of The Glen
A Moment Alone
by Douglas Goff
| Background In the last chapter Lord Fidium met with Gorin the Gorilla King who stated that hr would rid the Glen of goblins for men. |
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The following day, King Darian's patrol was stretched out in a long line, with Lord Bruce and his men following. Bruce was a muscular man with a good disposition.
The thirty mounted men were riding in columns of two, advancing steadily north in the early morning sunlight. They had ridden hard the day before, and were a little more than halfway to Tortle Village.
King Darian looked about the high grass that they were passing through. It was tall, nearly reaching his boots, and was swaying in the light breeze that was blowing in from the east.
There were small rises on both sides of them, forming the little valley that they were passing through. King Darian looked about again, and then put his hand up to halt the patrol.
Something was making him uneasy, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Something wasn't right, and then suddenly, he realized what it was. Several patches of the grass towards the top of the rises were not swaying, as if something were laying against it.
The first arrow struck the man nearest the king, piercing his armor thru the left breast, killing him as he fell from his yule. A second arrow struck King Darian's brown shield, bouncing harmlessly off.
The first arrow struck the man nearest the king, piercing his armor thru the left breast, killing him as he fell from his yule. A second arrow struck King Darian's brown shield, bouncing harmlessly off.
Another struck his yule in the side, wounding it. He noticed that the arrows were half the size of his archers' arrows, and much more crudely made, yet they had metal tips. Several goblin archers were firing from both the east and west sides of the valley, utilizing the high ground.
They bore the red mohawks of the Bloody Thrasher Tribe. Lord Bruce shouted orders to his men, and they began charging up the western rise. King Darian ordered his men to charge the enemy positions on the eastern rise.
As soon as the yule riders started to climb the hills, goblin warriors began to jump up from the tall grass on both sides of the advancing columns, and attacked the riders with short swords.
As soon as the yule riders started to climb the hills, goblin warriors began to jump up from the tall grass on both sides of the advancing columns, and attacked the riders with short swords.
King Darian was surprised at the design of such a well devised ambush and realized that they were in trouble. He brought his sword down on the nearest goblin, knocking it back down into the grass, dead.
Lord Bruce's squad was made up largely of archers, twelve in all, who began returning fire at the goblin archers on both sides. They killed several of the enemy with their initial volley, and soon the air was thick with arrows.
One well-placed goblin arrow quickly exacted revenge by striking a human archer in the forehead. Several more found the rough flesh of the yules, bringing a couple of them down.
King Darian sliced thru another goblin and continued to urge his yule up the eastern hill. A second barrage of arrows fell on the king and the men that were near him. A warrior and his yule, just in front of Darian, fell to the ground riddled with arrows.
Lord Stirge, King Darian's personal guard, raced forward and stabbed a goblin that had been about to spear the king in his back. The goblin underling fell to the ground with a squeal, holding its stomach.
King Darian sliced thru another goblin and continued to urge his yule up the eastern hill. A second barrage of arrows fell on the king and the men that were near him. A warrior and his yule, just in front of Darian, fell to the ground riddled with arrows.
Lord Stirge, King Darian's personal guard, raced forward and stabbed a goblin that had been about to spear the king in his back. The goblin underling fell to the ground with a squeal, holding its stomach.
King Darian nodded his thanks to Lord Stirge, noticing that the man had an arrow sticking out of his left shoulder. The tough, stern man barely seemed to notice.
"We have to take out those archers on the high ground!" King Darian shouted, turning his yule to continue charging up the hill, when another arrow struck his mount in the front leg. The beast let out a grunt, but stayed upright.
A trumpet began to sound from further east, coming from behind the goblins. Within moments, several yule riders rode over the rise and straight into the goblin archers, slicing several of them down when they thundered by.
King Darian picked out the black face of Lord Tobias amongst the newcomers. Tobias was leading the charge, and engaged a tall yorg on the ridgeline. This freed up Lord Bruce's archers to turn their full attention to the goblin archers on the western rise.
"We have to take out those archers on the high ground!" King Darian shouted, turning his yule to continue charging up the hill, when another arrow struck his mount in the front leg. The beast let out a grunt, but stayed upright.
A trumpet began to sound from further east, coming from behind the goblins. Within moments, several yule riders rode over the rise and straight into the goblin archers, slicing several of them down when they thundered by.
King Darian picked out the black face of Lord Tobias amongst the newcomers. Tobias was leading the charge, and engaged a tall yorg on the ridgeline. This freed up Lord Bruce's archers to turn their full attention to the goblin archers on the western rise.
That, combined with Lord Bruce and his men's quick climb up the western hill, led to the defeat of the remaining goblins and a fat yorg there. The tide had turned against the enemy.
When the combat ended, over a hundred and forty goblins from the Bloody Thrasher Tribe lay dead in the tall grass. King Darian's patrols had lost seven men and four yules.
When the combat ended, over a hundred and forty goblins from the Bloody Thrasher Tribe lay dead in the tall grass. King Darian's patrols had lost seven men and four yules.
Thanks to Lord Tobias and his men, the deadly ambush had turned into a great victory. It was a stroke of good fortune that they had been nearby. King Darian rode over to greet Lord Tobias.
"A great victory my friend!" the king said, while climbing off his wounded yule. "What news have you of my son, Prince Nye?"
The older black lord jumped from his yule and fell to his knees in front of King Darian, crying out, "My liege, your son has fallen!"
"No! That's not possible! I put eight lords in his squad to protect him, so how could he have fallen?" the king gasped.
Lord Tobias placed his dark face in his hands, obviously shaken by the worst moment of his life, and said with a voice that was barely audible, "My king, this is my failure. I'll exile myself.''
Exile was one of the most severe punishments in the Glen, usually reserved for violent criminals. It was rarely used, and the subject of the exile was never allowed to return.
"Stand, Lord Tobias," the king said, managing to compose himself. "Nobody is forced to become a Yule Rider. We all know the risks when we join up, my son included. This is a heavy loss for me to bear, especially now that we're at war. I can't afford to lose another one of my best men to exile."
"A great victory my friend!" the king said, while climbing off his wounded yule. "What news have you of my son, Prince Nye?"
The older black lord jumped from his yule and fell to his knees in front of King Darian, crying out, "My liege, your son has fallen!"
"No! That's not possible! I put eight lords in his squad to protect him, so how could he have fallen?" the king gasped.
Lord Tobias placed his dark face in his hands, obviously shaken by the worst moment of his life, and said with a voice that was barely audible, "My king, this is my failure. I'll exile myself.''
Exile was one of the most severe punishments in the Glen, usually reserved for violent criminals. It was rarely used, and the subject of the exile was never allowed to return.
"Stand, Lord Tobias," the king said, managing to compose himself. "Nobody is forced to become a Yule Rider. We all know the risks when we join up, my son included. This is a heavy loss for me to bear, especially now that we're at war. I can't afford to lose another one of my best men to exile."
"War?" Lord Tobias questioned, looking up at his king.
"There're two yorgs dead here. I've never seen a goblin horde organized enough to fight under two leaders," King Darian answered. "We suspected war, but now I know that the goblins must be united under a common banner."
Lord Tobias remained silent as his king continued, "I need a moment alone."
Darian walked off with tears streaming down his cheeks, looking very tired. Lord Tobias, and all of the men nearby, turned to face away from their king. They did this as a sign of respect, wishing to give him a private moment for his pain.
"There're two yorgs dead here. I've never seen a goblin horde organized enough to fight under two leaders," King Darian answered. "We suspected war, but now I know that the goblins must be united under a common banner."
Lord Tobias remained silent as his king continued, "I need a moment alone."
Darian walked off with tears streaming down his cheeks, looking very tired. Lord Tobias, and all of the men nearby, turned to face away from their king. They did this as a sign of respect, wishing to give him a private moment for his pain.
* * *
The next morning, the decorative wooden door to High King Tronin's private quarters opened and his third wife, Skara, walked in. She wore a nearly transparent purple gown that seemed to move with her body.
"Your evening meal," she said, placing a tray of food and a goblet of wine on the small table next to his chair.
Skara was a tanned beauty, with bright green eyes and shiny black hair that hung just below her shoulders. She was the youngest of his three wives, at twenty-six years old. She was also the most doting, constantly taking care of him and making sure that he ate and slept well.
Tronin knew that she loved him very much because he had killed her father. Skara was the daughter of Tutog, the pirate leader. Tutog was an abusive, cruel tyrant, who had treated Skara very poorly. Skara had been no more than a slave to him, and she had hated her father.
High King Tronin had killed Tutog at the Battle of Rowan Bay. Initially, the men of the Glen had been excited to encounter other men in the South Seas, the immense ocean to the south of the Glen. Unfortunately, those men turned out to be murderous bandits.
Tronin knew that she loved him very much because he had killed her father. Skara was the daughter of Tutog, the pirate leader. Tutog was an abusive, cruel tyrant, who had treated Skara very poorly. Skara had been no more than a slave to him, and she had hated her father.
High King Tronin had killed Tutog at the Battle of Rowan Bay. Initially, the men of the Glen had been excited to encounter other men in the South Seas, the immense ocean to the south of the Glen. Unfortunately, those men turned out to be murderous bandits.
High King Tronin had led a campaign against the pirate's three cities and burnt them to the ground. He had an uncanny ability, or so his people thought, of finding the pirates hideouts and ships.
The last battle came at Rowan Bay, the harbor at South Isle, just over a year ago. High King Tronin had commanded the battle himself, from the deck of his flagship, the Green Arrow. At the start of the battle, Tronin had seven ships and Tutog had nine.
The last battle came at Rowan Bay, the harbor at South Isle, just over a year ago. High King Tronin had commanded the battle himself, from the deck of his flagship, the Green Arrow. At the start of the battle, Tronin had seven ships and Tutog had nine.
All nine of the pirate ships went down that day, with Tronin only losing two of his fleet. At the end of the battle, High King Tronin had rammed and boarded Tutog's ship, the Scorpion. He had killed Tutog with his own sword, Vitrium.
The men of the Glen freed Skara, along with several other slaves on the vessel. The war ended when Tronin's forces took control of the pirate's castle, called Krodall, on South Isle. Skara had married Tronin, shortly after their return to Port Turin.
High King Tronin's other two wives were also sitting in the room. His first wife, Beth Ann, was sitting at a sewing wheel, repairing some of his clothes for his upcoming journey to the Great Meeting Hall at Dwain.
Beth Ann was a very attractive woman, at thirty-eight years old, with long brown hair and light blue eyes. Being Tronin's first wife, she held the title of High Queen of the Glen. The title fit her, because she was a well-mannered, charismatic woman, who carried herself with a grace befitting a High Queen of the Glen.
King Tronin had five children with Queen Beth Ann. The oldest two were sons, Lord Prince Ryker who was twenty, and Captain Prince Classius who was eighteen.
The remaining three daughters were Princess Cierra at sixteen, Princess Celeste at fourteen, and the youngest was Princess Adeleigh at four. Princess Adeleigh had started to exhibit some disturbing signs, which they did not discuss.
King Tronin's middle wife, Aura, was daughter to the elven king, Willow. He had married her to strengthen the treaty between the men and elves, after a group of hunters from the castle at Keyorlock had entered the West Woods of the elven kingdom and killed some deer.
It was forbidden for men to enter any woodlands owned by the elves. This incident had strained relations between the two races and the marriage seemed to appease the elves. It had been no burden to the high king.
Queen Aura was a stunning beauty. Elves generally stood somewhere between four and five feet tall, but she was nearly five foot six inches. She had flowing blond hair, as most elves have, and big brown eyes. She had a quiet disposition, yet a strong personality.
Elves could live four times the years of men, and Aura was over a hundred years old. Being older than his other two wives, she took on the role of being very protective of the king, always carrying a dagger to defend him if need be. Tronin and Aura got along well, and it didn't take long for the treaty marriage to grow into one of love.
Queen Aura had given him three half-elven children. Cherial and Nohlot were beautiful eighteen-year-old twins. Both had medium length dirty blond hair and big round brown eyes.
Prince Nohlot was a captain, while Princess Cherial was a master at archery. The third child, a prince named Sedro, was only seven years old. Queen Aura was currently with child.
His three wives got along incredibly well and were all helping to prepare for his journey.
"Your dress tunic is all set for the meeting," High Queen Beth Ann held it up for him to see.
"You know that I would ride at your side if I were not with child." Aura frowned, obviously worried about him.
"I don't know what I would do without the three of you." He smiled at them while sharpening Vitrium for the first time in months.
The Great Helm had not told him when the goblins would enter the Lower Glen. Tronin stared lovingly at the sharpened Vitrium, thinking, I am certain that it won't be long before you will be tasting the green blood of my enemy, old friend.
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