Secrets and Guardians: Devious Intentions by H. Chambers (summer beach reads txt) 📖

far side, but not for long, they could still make it across before the flames became too dangerous.

'I love you,' shouted Haystack to Shade.

Despite their dire situation, they all smiled, even Nathe. There were worse ways to die.

From the forest a huge 'tree' thundered out in front of them, Nefkins and riders were sent sprawling across the road. The 'tree' turned its head towards them.

'Go!' shouted Fingal.

They didn't need to be told twice. Haystack grabbed Shade's arm and hauled her up onto his horse. They were not out of danger, but at least they had a chance.

Gadolin hadn't known where to look. Everything seemed to be happening at once. He could hear men in the forest. Ghale and Ebblin had disappeared through the trees as soon as they had set fire to the barrier. Kerdred's men were still jumping the barrier despite the fire. The scene on the other side of the road was horrific, with men and horses impaled on spikes and any getting through being killed by Hylaw’s waiting men. But it was Fingal who now had his full attention. He understood why Fingal had left the forest to help Shade, but that didn't make it right. He would not last long, Tree Guardians depended on the forest for their lives. Gadolin didn't know how long Fingal would last, but by the amount of energy he was using, he didn't think very long. Nefkins were all over Fingal now, he still looked strong as he fought with them. Staggering forward Fingal crashed down on his side and rolled onto his back crushing two of them, as he got back up his great arms hit out at the soldiers in front of him. All of a sudden the biggest explosion Gadolin had ever seen filled the valley, the force of which knocked him out of the tree.

Nathe, Haystack and Shade made it back to Will and the other soldiers waiting at the top of the valley in time. Caleb did not. Unnoticed by the others his horse had been hit during their retreat and had fallen. They looked back in horror as Caleb was caught up in the blast which sent shock waves surging up the side of the valley. Felspar hadn't been sure how much powder to use, so he had packed the three barrels full of the stuff as well as shards of metal and small stones. The result was devastating. Hylaw’s soldiers at the top of the valley had been told no matter what, they had to wait and not enter the valley. They were only to engage with any soldier or Nefkin who made it that far. Now they saw why. The valley was a mass of the dead and dying. Those not killed outright had terrible injuries, burnt skin peppered with metal and stones, missing limbs or impaled by bits of wooden stakes.

Nathe looked back at his men, a few of the less experienced were in shock. The rest awaited his orders.

'Get ready,' he said.

There were still about forty men ahead of them, relatively uninjured. Would they drop their swords and surrender or fight? If they decided to fight, Nathe knew it would be fuelled by anger, hate and outright desperation.

Haystack didn't wait, Kerdred wasn’t here and Shade had been through enough, seen enough. As he made his way through the soldiers all he could think about was Shade’s arms around him and her head pressed against his back. All Shade could think about was Fingal. She had known the moment he had faced her, their minds touching for a split second. After the explosions she looked only for him; all she made out was a tangled broken tree covered in the remains of what had once been people, horses and Nefkins. If she had been allowed to look longer, she might have had hope that Fingal was still alive, but the movement was a Nefkin emerging from beneath Fingal's arm. The Nefkin looked around, then up at Hylaw’s men, pulling his top lip back into a snarl he dropped to all fours and bounded up the side of the valley. Kerdred's men turned to face their enemy, the standoff might have lasted longer, but for the Nefkin. Nathe moved over to allow those with death stars to take their places. Another idea from the women, just like the metal shards in the barrels. The death star, a spiked metal ball on the end of a long chain attached to a long metal handle, was to be their primary weapon against the Nefkin. They had expected to be dealing with more Nefkins. Will was relieved it was only one.

After leaving the barrier, Garth and his men ran into the forest. They deliberately made a lot of noise and waved their sword less hands in the air. It was Jed who saw them first.

'Garth! Over here,' he shouted rather louder than he had intended.

'Thank goodness, we’ve managed to escape but were worried you might take us for Hylaw's men and shoot us before we reached you,' said Garth between pants. 'How many are you?' he asked.

'Twelve, plus four dogs, Kerdred thought Hylaw might be planning a trap so we are here to see and then report back,' replied Jed.

'He was right,' said Garth seriously. 'Better get your men further into the forest, it's going to be a blood bath out there.'

'What do you mean?' started Jed.

Just then the explosions hit the valley, shaking the ground under their feet.

'We need to get to Kerdred,' said Garth, 'the wizards and witches have got some pretty nasty surprises waiting and I need to let him know'.

Jed's face became so pale at the mention of wizards and witches, if he had been lying down you would have thought him dead.

'Look, I can't go back,' said Jed wishing he could. 'Not until I've seen for myself.'

'Fine, but could you spare me a couple of men to escort us back, it would look better if we turned up with some of your men,' said Garth.

Jed looked doubtful.

'Please yourself, we'll just go ourselves,' said Garth.

'No, wait.'

'What? I'm not hanging around here,' said Garth sounding exasperated.

Burrell and Decker held up their hands and looked at each other.

'Don't expect one of us to go with them, after the last news we told Kerdred, I thought we were goners,' said Decker.

'You two,' said Jed to two men standing behind Burrell, 'escort Garth and his men back to Kerdred'.

They were happy to oblige, under orders they could not be blamed for anything and it meant at least they would live another day. Garth didn't hang around and went straight off with his men and the two soldiers. Jed was now left to wonder what had happened to the men in the valley.

'Well?' asked Burrell.

'Well what?' said Jed knowing fine well they were waiting for him to make a decision.

'What do we do now?'

'We do what we came to do, do a quick scout of this area of the forest, then the valley, then high tail it back,' answered Jed.

'Forest looks pretty clear to me,' said Decker hopefully.

Two arrows whizzed past their heads and two soldiers fell to the ground. Everyone else was down on the ground within seconds.

'Did anyone see where those arrows came from?' whispered Jed.

Murmurs went through the men with a bit of pointing. 'Over there' was the most detailed information that came back to Jed. Jed ordered arrows to be fired in the general direction of 'over there', no one screamed and nothing fell out of any trees. The dogs though started growling and pulling on their leashes.

'Let them go,' said Jed hoping they'd flush out any hidden men.

The dogs now free of their restraints raced into the trees.

'I'm not questioning your leadership or anything, but not long ago there were twelve of us, and four dogs, now we are down to eight and no dogs,' said Burrell.

'Do you have any better ideas?' asked Jed.

'Yeh, do what we normally do in situations like this,' interrupted Decker laughing.

Unwilling to surrender, but not sure what to do, Jed sat thinking. There might be only two archers in those trees and the dogs will probably be back any minute. It was Garth's fault, running through the forest like that, making so much noise, he had given their position away. Maybe that was what Garth intended. What had been Garth’s first question? How many are you? And he, like a fool, had told him. Then he had let two of his men go with Garth.

'We've been tricked!' said Jed to his men, explaining what he now thought.

'Great,' said Decker who had only been kidding about surrendering.

'They have probably surrounded us by now, ready for the kill,' said Burrell, half-jokingly and half seriously.

Burrell was right. Ghale and Ebblin had arrows aimed at them, six of Hylaw’s soldiers were only yards away and Breaker was further in the forest tying up the four new dogs he had just acquired. None of that had anything to do with what happened next.

Garth crashed back through the forest straight into Jed. Burrell moved quickly out of the way to avoid being trampled on by the others trying to hide with them.

'What!' Started Jed, his hand hovering over his knife.

'Shush!' warned Garth.

Nobody moved, everyone waited friend and foe alike. The sound became louder; six Nefkins bounded past. Ghale and Ebblin looked at each other, now they had a problem. Garth and his men had returned without the two escorts, how were they going to explain that to Jed? If they attacked now, they might accidently kill some of their own. Then there was the Nefkins that had just passed, was it important to follow them and help Nathe? Ghale raised the bird whistle to his mouth, the sound indicated a change of plan and told Hylaw’s waiting six men to back off. It also told Garth sorry, but you’re on your own.

Garth stood up, Jed tried to pull him back down.

'Your two men were darn stupid,' said Garth thinking fast. 'When we saw the Nefkins they just stood there, what were they expecting a hand shake?'

Jed was now uncertain, should he trust Garth? A noise from behind made him turn quickly, what he saw made him turn back just as quick.

'Sorry Jed,' were the last words he heard.

Aharen watched from his position at the bottom of the bank as the last of Kerdred's men and one Nefkin charged up the slope out of the valley. Aharen hadn't been too concerned, there were some of Hylaw’s best fighters at the top of the valley with Nathe; that was until Nathe and his men were attacked from the side. Nefkins bounded out of the forest, Aharen couldn't see how many. Then from the far end of the valley more appeared, leaping on and over the dead bodies and down the slope straight for him and the few men he had left. There was no way out. Hugo may stand a chance, he thought. If the rest of us manage to hold back the Nefkins for a while. Jumping down from the huge horse, he grabbed the three youngest lads and helped them onto the back of Hugo.

Holding Hugo's head he whispered, 'Take them back'.

As if understanding, Hugo nudged against Aharen’s shoulder, turned and headed down and across the fields. The other men took their places next to Aharen.

Ebblin and Ghale swung through the trees followed by the other six soldiers on foot. By the time they reached the spot where the Nefkins had left the forest, they could see they may already be too late. The foot soldiers ran out to engage Kerdred's men. Ebblin and Ghale began firing arrow after arrow at the Nefkins. On the ground death stars were being used to good effect on the faces and hind quarters of the Nefkins. Howls filled the air as eight hunting dogs joined the attack. It was savage, desperate, it was all or nothing.

Nathe had not only seen the Nefkins head down towards