Knights The Hand of Tharnin

chapter 17: Giants in the Snow

Timlin was surprised to find that fall had surrendered to an early, vicious winter while he'd been in the dungeon. As the tavern burned to the ground behind him, black smoke curling up toward the heavens, Timlin stood in the swirling snow that was piling up in the little town of Rogue Haven.

The villagers had all retreated indoors out of fear of the Blood Legion. A small battalion of Legion Soldiers sat on horseback--mostly grim-faced, bearded giants who wore heavy armor and carried battle axes and war hammers. Timlin was given a fine horse to ride and a fur cloak to wear, and he sat tall in the saddle next to Vorden. He was still stunned by the fact that he was now a Legion Master and second in command only to Vorden. The power had been granted too easily and too quickly, and Timlin was overwhelmed by it--unsure how to behave. He didn't know if the Soldiers would accept him so easily as a leader.

"We must ride north quickly," said Vorden, "to Dorok's Hand, our great fortress. Dremlock has sent an army to destroy us."

"What will we do?" said Timlin, imagining a sea of Divine Knights marching ever closer. When you were a foe of Dremlock, the kingdom was terrifying. The Divine Knights seemed to harbor endless secrets.

"Do not fear, my friend," said Vorden. "We will be ready. Destiny is at work in our favor--bringing two former Squires together to lead the Blood Legion to victory. The Legion sorcerers believe it to be so."

"We're relying on fate?" said Timlin, not liking the sound of that.

"Of course not," said Vorden. He smiled at Timlin. "We also have a weapon that will ensure victory."

Timlin's gaze strayed to Vorden's gauntlet. Once again, the blue stones captivated him and eased his mind. "The Hand of Tharnin."

"Better than that, even," said Vorden. "It is a weapon backed by centuries of righteous anger. Can you feel that anger, Timlin?"

Timlin could feel it as he gazed at the blue stones--rage and hatred inside him. The gauntlet seemed to be revealing great truths to him. He realized he was now ready to kill in the name of justice.

"Lannon rides with the army," said Vorden. "He has sworn to kill us both. I tried to reason with him and failed miserably."

"Then we should kill him before he can kill us," said Timlin. His feelings of friendship toward Lannon seemed totally dead. Vorden's Hand of Tharnin was reaching deep into his mind and showing him great truths. Now Lannon was just a threat that deserved all of Timlin's spite.

"That is the plan," said Vorden. "However, I haven't given up on taking him prisoner if the opportunity arises."

"Why?" said Timlin, deeply puzzled.

Vorden said nothing for moment, and he looked conflicted. "Information," he said at last. "He knows secrets that could be useful to us."

"Are you sure you actually want him dead?" said Timlin.

Vorden's face darkened with anger. "Yes, and do not question my motives. You're like a brother to me, Timlin, but you lack faith."

"I'm sorry," said Timlin. "I do have faith in you, Vorden."

"Actually," said Vorden, "if Lannon would agree to join us--which I highly doubt he would ever do, considering his deep love for Dremlock--I would gladly spare his life. Otherwise, rest assured I will kill him."

As they guided their horses along the road that led north from Rogue Haven, the wind picked up, blasting snow into their faces. Vorden put on his helm, but otherwise seemed impervious to the cold. He sat like a metal statue on his horse. Timlin thought that Vorden's armor must be terribly heavy, yet Vorden didn't seem bothered by it in the least. The armor--clearly crafted by the hammers of Grey Dwarves and probably made of stout Glaetherin--moved fluidly as he moved. The gold designs on black seemed very dignified and seemed to suit Vorden's personality.

"It's custom armor," said Vorden, noticing Timlin's scrutiny of it. "I designed the look of it myself. What do you think?"

"It's incredible," said Timlin

"You can have your own custom armor and weapons," said Vorden, "once we get back to Dorok's Hand."

"That would be great," said Timlin. "Except I want something lighter."

Vorden chucked. "Indeed. This armor weighs a ton."

"I'm very curious about something," said Timlin. "How did you become the leader of the Blood Legion so quickly?"

"I was appointed by the previous leader," said Vorden. "But don't ask any questions about him. He favors secrecy."

"Tenneth Bard?" said Timlin, unable to help himself.

"I said don't ask," Vorden muttered.

"How are the Soldiers reacting?" said Timlin. "I mean, do they accept you?"

"They're terrified of me," said Vorden, with a laugh. "This Hand of Tharnin scares the wits out of everyone."

"I'm not afraid of it," said Timlin. "Not when you possess it."

"It's really quite remarkable," said Vorden. "Not long ago I was nobody. Then I put on this gauntlet, and suddenly everyone bows before me. I actually have Lannon to thank for it all--and so do you. He made us important, Timlin. Without Lannon, we would have remained obscure. Sure, we could have become great Knights, but he opened doorways that have led us to this glory."

"It feels very strange," said Timlin. "Two Squires leading an army. I still can't quite believe this is real."

"Former Squires," Vorden said. "And yes, it is strange. But no stranger than Lannon being so prized by Dremlock. In youth, there is hope. We represent the future of the Blood Legion--the future of Silverland itself."

"Can we really do this?" said Timlin. "Can we lead an army?"

"We certainly can," said Vorden. He raised his gauntlet and clenched the metal fingers into a huge first. "As long as I have this, we can. It's all about power, Timlin. Age and experience mean nothing. The oldest, wisest warrior must bow before a greater power. That's why my master gave me control."

"Your master," Timlin echoed. "Will he be my master too?" He realized his heart was pounding in anticipation and dread.

"I don't know," said Vorden. "And it doesn't matter. What matters is that we defeat Dremlock, so we can live in harmony with Tharnin."

One of the Legion Soldiers drew up alongside them on his horse. "Master Vorden, we should set up camp early tonight, unless the blizzard lets up."

"We are in a hurry, Galthak," said Vorden. "We must make the most of daylight. In case you've forgotten, Dremlock is on the move."

"But if we get caught in the storm after dark," said Galthak, "things could be rough. When the snows rage in these lands, it is nothing to fool with." Galthak was a heavily muscled Grey Dwarf--bulky even for a Legion Soldier. His face was split by a hideous scar--a face that looked displeased with Vorden.

Vorden hesitated, then said, "We ride for Dorok's Hand, and we will camp in the evening as usual. Do not question me."

Galthak's face turned crimson with anger, but he bowed. "Your word is law, Master Vorden. We will ride until evening." He drew away from them.

Vorden glanced at Timlin, again raising the Hand of Tharnin. "Because of this, Timlin, even a great Legion warrior like Galthak must obey a young fool like me. Remember that, and never doubt your potential."

Timlin smiled, loving Vorden's attitude. Whatever lessons he'd learned in the dungeon of Rogue Haven seemed forgotten--washed away by the blue glow from Vorden's gauntlet. Timlin was filled with excitement and a rush of power. The only doubts that nagged him stemmed from the fact that Dremlock was closing in on them--the relentless Divine Knights and the so-called god that commanded them. He wondered what Vorden's secret weapon was and if it would be enough.

***

On the Boulder Plains, the blizzard had given way to a light snowfall. However, the snow was already so deep that the road was nearly indistinguishable from the surrounding plains. By afternoon, patches of blue sky broke through the clouds. The riders caught their first glimpse of the Bonefrost Mountains, which looked terribly cold and massive against the distant skyline.

It was an extremely cold day, and everyone was hunkered down in the saddle trying to stay warm. Occasionally daggers would erupt into sorcerous flame, as the riders warmed their faces or hands. As they drew closer to the mountains, the land began to slope upward slowly and steadily.

As evening approached, they set up camp next to some rocky outcroppings and pine trees, where huge snowdrifts surrounded them. After they'd erected their tents and settled in for the evening, one of the guards blew a horn in warning.

As the army poured from the tents, they found their camp being invaded by a large number of Goblin Bears. These huge white-furred creatures--larger than normal bears and equipped with longer teeth and claws--were very skilled at hiding in the snow, and even the Elder Hawks and Rangers had failed to spot them. As the Bears charged into the sprawling camp, they tossed snow with their shovel-like paws, creating blinding flurries and confusing the Knights.

A very chaotic battle ensued, as the Knights struggled to organize a defense against the Bears. The flying snow created mass confusion, and even the Divine Shield found itself broken apart. All over the camp, Bear and human were locked in combat amidst sheets of blinding snow.

"Stay together, Squires!" Furlus growled at them. He ordered a wall of Knights to surrounded the Squires, but the rampaging Bears quickly broke through and scattered it. There was simply too much flying snow and too much chaos to hold formation. The speed and violence of the assault had caught the Knights off guard.

Trenton Shadowbane was crushed into a snowdrift by a dying Bear that was wounded by arrows, and he was trapped beneath its heavy bulk, his arms pinned awkwardly. The Investigator's face was crimson with strain as he sought to push the beast off of him. He cried out for help, but no one was able to assist him.

A massive Bear, pierced by two lances and critically wounded, nearly ran Lannon over, but Shennen yanked him out of the way just in time. As the Bear halted its charge and reared up, Shennen plunged his sword into its back, bringing it down from behind. Still, the Bear shuddered and tried to rise. Shennen struck twice more--two swift thrusts that found the heart--and the beast went still.

A Bear charged at Vannas, smashing two Red Knights aside and sending their battle axes flying. His eyes wide, Vannas fumbled around in the pouch and drew out the White Flamestone. With only seconds to spare, he held forth the blazing crystal and white light drove into the charging beast. The Bear exploded into pale fire and was flung backward into a blazing heap.

Jerret hacked at a charging Bear with his sword, but the Goblin knocked the weapon from his hand and bore the Squire into a snowdrift. Jace leapt on the Bear's back and slammed his fist down on its skull. The Bear flung Jace away and rose, roaring its fury, but its legs now seemed wobbly and it looked dazed--wounded deeply by Jace's sorcery. Aldreya hurled green fire from her dagger that burned through the creature's chest. The dead Bear fell toward Jace but he sidestepped it, calmly brushing snow from his cloak.

Jace pulled Jerret from the snowdrift. The Squire looked dazed and frozen, but was unharmed. Jerret grabbed his sword and stood on shaky legs, a wild look in his eyes. "There are too many of them!" he cried, even as another Bear charged past Jerret--so close it nearly knocked him over.

Furlus tore into a Bear with his huge battle axe, killing it with one stout blow. The Bear fell on top of the Grey Dwarf, but Furlus shoved it off him and rose in time to hack at another Bear, his eyes filled with battle lust. "Guard the Squires!" he shouted at any Knights close by.

The Knights tried to close around Lannon and his friends, but again the blinding snow and rampaging Bears scattered them. Knights were flung this way and that, weapons and pieces of armor tumbling into snow drifts. The beasts were too heavy to be stopped, smashing through several Knights at a time. The way their odd, shovel-like paws tossed the snow in fine, misty sheets was almost hypnotic to watch. It was as if the entire camp had been struck by a terrible blizzard.

A Bear charged at Lannon and Vannas, throwing snow into their faces. Vannas stumbled and fell to one knee, his face and hair caked with snow. But Lannon was able to see the Bear with the Eye of Divinity in spite of the blinding flurry--a berserk shadow with a mind of ice and frost and a desire to crush other life forms--and he froze the beast in place. The Bear was immensely strong, and holding it for even a moment was very tiring. After the misty snow settled, Vannas struck with the White Flamestone and burned the Bear to ash.

Here and there Knights, Bears, and Rangers lay bleeding in the snow, as the battle raged on. Jace and Shennen stayed close to the Squires and tried to hold them together, but the flying snow was so extreme--and the number of attacking Bears so vast--that Lannon ended up separated and wandering through the maze of tents. Several times he used the Eye of Divinity to turn a charging Bear aside or freeze one in place for a Knight to kill.

Flashes of sorcery erupted all over the camp and sparks buzzed through the air. Black smoke rose toward the heavens, and the stench of burning Bear flesh hung thick all around. Blazing weapons rose and fell.

Lannon shoved a Bear off a Ranger--only to see that the Ranger had already been crushed to death. A Brown Knight was lifted high into the air by a growling Bear and snapped in two like a piece of wood, his broken body then flung into the snow. Some of the Greywind horses lay wounded, bleeding their life away--their powerful bodies struck down by paws that hit with the force of battering rams. Lannon cringed at the grisly sights around him. Divine Knights were very difficult to kill, but these Goblin Bears were extremely powerful foes. Casualties were piling up around the camp.

Desperately, Lannon wandered to and fro, using his power every chance he got to help those around him. He quickly neared exhaustion. On the other hand, Vannas' White Flamestone flashed repeatedly and tirelessly, leaving burning Bears scrambling everywhere. Lannon was left in awe of the Flamestone and found himself feeling deeply relieved that they possessed the weapon.

Lannon spotted an archer who'd been knocked from his horse and lay injured in the snow, just outside the camp. A Bear, riddled with arrows but still on the attack, was bearing down on the archer. Lannon froze the beast--barely. He was so far away from it that his power was in danger of failing.

Lannon ran toward the Bear, when another Bear charged him from the side and slammed into him. The impact would have been devastating--except the Eye of Divinity shifted on instinct and partially shielded him. Lannon was thrown several yards and landed stunned on his back in a snowdrift.

A shadow fell over Lannon. Looking up, he thought he would see the Bear hovering over him. Instead, he saw the bearded face of a huge warrior. The warrior held a two-handed battle axe poised for the downward stroke that would surely split Lannon in two.

Using what remained of his power, Lannon ripped the axe from the barbarian's hand and flung it aside. The barbarian's eyes widened. Then Lannon's power failed completely. He simply had nothing left.

Reaching down, the warrior rolled Lannon onto his stomach and bound his wrists painfully tight with rope. Still groggy from the impact of the Bear, Lannon slipped toward unconsciousness--wondering if he would ever awaken.