The Keeper of the Stones

Chapter 27



Mid Morning 15th August – Heron Getracht Fortress - Rhuaddan



The terrible events that had occurred at Erriard forest were as yet unknown to the raiders of Heron Getracht. They were all busy preparing to leave the fortification along with their new recruits. The preparations to leave the fortress had taken longer than anyone had expected. The search of the grounds had revealed that there were too few horses to carry all of the prisoners to Soreen village, even if they doubled up on each mount. Many of the freed prisoners were too weak to take part in any immediate action and would probably prove a liability in any raids on enemy strongholds. Jake therefore decided to split his force. The weak and the elderly (the majority of whom were now on foot as most of the horses were needed for the soldiers of the raiding parties) would travel under command of Queen Bressial and Lord Castrad to Soreen. They would take the quickest possible route; through the P’tan Mountains and the Rednaw Pass. Once at Soreen, they would join with King Artrex and the survivors of the Battle of Erriard Forest to await the arrival of Jake and his force which, it had been decided, would raid the four great mines of King Vantrax in quick succession, beginning with the great mine at Lidzenstor.

Jake’s group, though relatively small, contained the fittest and most able warriors amongst them, armed with swords and various weapons taken from the fortress arsenal. They were a swift and mobile force as every one of them was on horseback. The planned detour south to Dingarth mine meant that they could avoid having to cross the P’tan Mountains and travel to Soreen over the Jh’tern Hills. It was a far less arduous route which would hopefully save valuable time and ensure that they would arrive at the village not far behind Queen Bressial’s party.

It was late morning before they were all ready to move. Jake, Verastus and Zephany said a fond farewell to Castrad and Bressial, before mounting their horses and leading their soldiers out of the huge fortress gates. This was the signal for Bressial’s soldiers to set fire to anything that would burn within the fortress, a task they undertook with particular relish and thoroughness. As soon as they’d finished, they all ran quickly away from Heron Getracht, trying to put as much distance as they could between themselves and the fire before it was spotted by any of Vantrax’ followers.

The journey to the great mine of Lidzenstor took just short of an hour. Jake and his horsemen galloped at full speed for much of the way. They reached the hill that overlooked the mine without incident and without seeing any of Vantrax’ soldiers, just as they’d hoped. Jake and a few selected warriors, including Verastus and Zephany, crept forward to the brow of the hill in order to view the target and finalise the plan for the assault.

The great mine at Lidzenstor was the ‘jewel in Vantrax’ crown’. It was a huge, underground complex of interwoven caves and shafts which spanned for several miles, having been excavated over many years. The mine had been owned and managed by numerous Rhuaddan families over countless generations. The operations there had been fairly small scale until Vantrax’ arrival but he had filled it with slave labour upon taking control and production had increased tenfold under his direction. Even now however, the hand-made tools and absence of machinery of any kind meant that the pace of excavation was slow.

The mine produced a variety of minerals and gems which varied widely in both use and value, but the Taran stone excavated there was always in demand and extremely lucrative. It was used in the construction of stately buildings such as Heron Getracht and it provided the major source of funding for Vantrax’ military campaigns.

The mine was situated in a natural valley, surrounded on three sides by tall hills which overlooked the complex and made escape almost impossible. The only way in and out of the mine easily was via the southerly route, through the guarded main gates and in the direction of Lake Rume and the mines of Berok, Dingarth and Periknar. There were several entrances to the mineshafts that were visible to the onlookers above. All of them were guarded by two of the camps soldiers and they were obviously the main points of entry and exit for the slaves who toiled below. Interestingly, Jake noticed that there were no soldiers or guards posted on the surrounding hills. The only other presence he could see were the four soldiers who guarded the main entrance to the mine itself, although he knew from Verastus that the slaves working underground were supervised by mine ‘overseers’, who carried whips and clubs which were used to beat the prisoners they considered were not working hard enough. Jake also presumed that more soldiers would either be below or resting in the guard hut whilst not on duty.

Dug deep into the hillsides all around the mine were a succession of huge caves, caged with iron-like railings from floor to overhanging rock. These were the living quarters for the thousands of slaves who worked the mine. They were crammed in so tight that they could hardly move and survived in appalling conditions for year after year. The sight of the caves made Jake very angry, he glanced at Verastus who was lying by his side. The Falorian was clearly distressed at seeing the mine again and Jake was becoming increasingly concerned at his ability to restrain himself when the time came for action.

“You okay, mate?” he asked, instinctively reverting to the language of home without even realising it. “If you want to stay here...”

“What? No. I am fine, Jake! Just give me a few moments, please. Seeing this place again has... I apologise for my... You do not....”

“Hey! There’s no need to explain anything pal.” interrupted Jake. “Not to us. You have nothing to prove to me, or anyone else here. Now, what can you tell me about the mine?” he asked, deliberately trying to get Verastus to focus on the job in hand.

The Falorian thought for a second or two, composing himself before replying. “I will tell what I can, Jake. Those are the pits where the slaves live, but they will be largely empty at present, apart from the sick and dying there will be no one there. The workers will all be below in the mine.” he stated, pointing at the numerous cages. “Krar... Over there!” he said, shifting his extended finger in the direction of a large wooden hut which was situated near to the mine entrance. “That is where the soldiers sleep, or rest when they are not on duty. They work in shifts, so there is always someone in there.”

Jake nodded an acknowledgement and thought to himself for a moment. A plan was formulating in his mind. He was about to speak to the group but he was beaten to it by Verastus, who was obviously thinking along similar lines.

“It would be better to wait for nightfall before attacking the mine, Jake. We need all the slaves in one place, if we are going to free them. And the only time that happens is at night, when they are all returned to the pits. They will be chained, the soldiers who guard them will be few, while the others sleep, it is our best chance of freeing as many of them as we can.” he hissed enthusiastically.

“Yes, I think you’re right ‘V’.” whispered Jake in reply, for the first time abbreviating Verastus’ name as if he was one of his mates from back home. It puzzled the Falorian, he wasn’t used to such familiarity, but he said nothing as Jake continued talking. “I don’t like the delay, but I think we have no choice. It’s risky. But we have to try to free all of the people working here.”

Jake asked Zephany to pass him the map of the region she had in her hand, the Princess handed it over, looking puzzled.

“Hmmn...” The youngster thought to himself again for a few seconds, whilst his bewildered companions looked at him and each other. Then he gestured to them all to gather around the map, which he had laid out on the ground. “Okay. Everybody listening? This is it. This is the plan. We have just over a hundred soldiers, right? Four mines. Can we do it with only twenty five men? Hit all four at nightfall, at the same time I mean?” he asked, staring straight at Verastus, who was kneeling beside him.

Verastus was shocked by the audacity of such a suggestion. It was a response that was obviously shared by the remainder of the group. They were all open mouthed and staring at Jake as if he’d gone mad. But, Verastus began to consider the proposal in more depth. He thought it through several times in his own mind.

‘Simultaneous attacks? It is dangerous and it is risky. It seriously depletes our strength and weakens our force. But... If the guards are sleeping and we manage to achieve the element of surprise, if we can somehow neutralise the soldiers in the huts? It just might work!’ he conceded, ‘and it would reduce the risk of anyone warning the guards at the other mines following the first attack.’

He looked at Jake. “Yes. I think we can do it!” the Falorian stated firmly, as his expression changed and a smile formed on his face.

Jake smiled back, then he looked around at the faces before him. ‘Oh my God!’ the teenager thought, ‘this is unreal. I can’t believe I’m here. What am I doing?’ Jake thed that he’d changed beyond all recognition from the boy he was. ‘The dangers and the responsibility on my shoulders should be scaring me to death right now,’ he thought, ‘but they’re not. Far from it, I’m actually enjoying myself! Oh heck, if my mates could see me now. Geez, that part of my life, at school, seems like a million miles away. As if it was in another lifetime. This is all... Oh I don’t know... The risks, the consequences of failure. I know what’s at stake. But... Lord forgive me, it’s exciting me in a way I never thought possible. I feel more alive, more in touch with my feelings, than I ever have.’ His mind wandered towards the people of Estia.

‘But... A small part of me feels guilty. I know I shouldn’t feel so good when people are dying. Then again, I’m here to put an end to all of their suffering, aren’t I? I’ve been sent to remove the evil cancer that plagues these people’s lives. Well, that’s it then. I can’t see any other way of doing it!’

“Okay,” Jake began assertively, “Verastus, take twenty five men and ride to the furthest mine at Dingarth. You will launch your raid at night fall, as soon as it’s dark enough. Remember though, your mission is to free as many slaves as you can. Offer them all the chance to join us, or set them all free. Don’t stay there any longer than you have to. You’ll have a long way to go to Soreen, as will we all. Destroy what you can of the mine.” he ordered.

Verastus nodded firmly at Jake to let him know that he understood.

“Right. I will take care of Lidzenstor. It’s the largest of the mines and I’ll have furthest to travel to Soreen. Zephany, will you lead the raid on Periknar?” asked Jake, pointing at the mine on the map and looking straight into the Princess’ eyes. “You’ll have a long way to travel and you’ll have to cross the Ilan River. We know the Northern Army is otherwise engaged, they shouldn’t be looking for you, so you shouldn’t meet too much resistance. Is that okay?” he asked politely, respecting her royal status.

Zephany shook her head at him slightly. “Jake, will you just give us your orders, please? I have already told you that I will follow you. You do not have to ask me now, I have said that you are the Keeper and my father and I will place our trust in you.” she answered, smiling sweetly.

Jake smiled back at her and their eyes remained fixed on each other for a brief moment. The remainder of the group noticed it and looked at each other. A definite bond was developing between Jake and Zephany and it pleased them all to see it.

“Okay then, thanks.” Jake replied, eventually tearing his eyes away from the young Princess.

“But... Who will lead the fourth raid?” asked Zephany, realising immediately the glaring omission from the briefing.

“I leave that to you, Princess.” replied Jake. “You know your own soldiers best, choose the most able of them and trust him.” he added.

“Very well, Jake. Yes, I know who it will be, Onall. He has served me and my father well for many years, the others respect him greatly and they will all follow him.” she said confidently.

“Okay, that’s settled then. Now, all of you, take your soldiers and go. You have to move quickly and quietly. Don’t gallop until you’re far away from here, your dust may alert the enemy to our presence. We’ll meet again at Soreen village.” Jake said, pointing at the map to ensure that everyone was clear on what they had to do. “et’s say midday tomorrow? Evening at the latest. Everyone happy?” he asked, looking up at the confused faces around him.

The rebels couldn’t understand Jake’s strange choice of words, but they all gave a collective, ‘Yes’. They began to walk away, but Jake halted them before they were out of earshot.

“Wait! One thing more.” he said to them all, but staring straight into the eyes of the young Princess. “Good Luck. And be careful out there!”