War For The Kingdom (Part 12)

[dupuy 318]

Sir Gavin began to lead the scouting party back from the edge of Lothington valley, uncertain of what to do next. His inquiry to Bartholomew had yielded exactly what he didn't want to hear: a disastrous change of events. He turned to Bartholomew once again to make sure he heard everything correctly.

"So you said the Dark Lord wanted you to pay extra attention to looking for caves in the forest just north of here?" he questioned.

"Aye, that 'ee did," replied Bartholomew. "Said 'ee had 'eard o a way that an army could somehow move usin 'em. I din't quite understand what 'ee meant meself: all 'ee wanted me ta do was ta reeport back to 'im." Sir Gavin may not have been a general like Sir William, but he was knowledgeable enough about tactics to get an idea of what the Dark Lord had in mind.

"Did he say anything else about the caves?" pressed Sir Gavin further. Bartholomew paused for a moment, deep in thought. He finally answered.

"He din't say much 'bout em in me presence, but he seemed awful worked up about 'em. Th' Dark Lord 'as got an 'nnoying 'abit o dronin' on an on about th' same thing o'er an o'er. He got 'imself so excited 'bout them caves one time, 'ee called em the 'key t' the kingdom,' or somethin along them lines. That be all I remember. I woulda told ye sooner 'ad I known them caves was so important."

"That's okay, Bartholomew. I understand," replied Sir Gavin. This was all he needed to hear to confirm his fears. Now he knew why the Dark Lord wanted access to the caves so badly. Sir Gavin called over Major Wilkins from the other side of the scouting party, and he pulled his horse to Sir Gavin's side.

"Major," he said, "Do you know of anyone in the city that is knowledgeable about the caves in this country and where they lead?" The major thought for a moment.

"Well, I know of one old-timer that's explored them inside out," he replied. "He lives on the outskirts of the city in a little cabin about four miles from the forest just north of here." Sir Gavin was glad to hear this news.

"Then I think we should pay him a visit immediately. I want to find out all I can about those caves and as quickly as possible," he said.

The scouting party had reached the city gates by now and begun riding back to the barracks.

"Major, I want a force of three or four hundred to man the city walls just in case the enemy attacks here. The rest of the force will go with me once I get some information from our cave explorer," he said to Major Wilkins.

"Aye, Sir," replied the major. "I can handle things while your gone." Sir Gavin briefly dismissed the men at the barracks, keeping five of them to accompany him, the field officer, and Bartholomew to the cave explorer's cabin. They left directly, exiting the city from the north gates.

The landscape on this side of Lothington was more hilly, and the horses had more trouble navigating on the icy ground. The lack of trees in this part of the countryside resulted in the most brutal wind imaginable, making all the knights and soldiers glad they had worn their surcoats.

"How much more o this do we 'ave t' get through t' get t' this fellow's cabin?!" yelled Bartholomew over the roaring wind.

"The Major said his cabin was four miles from the outskirts of the city," returned Sir Gavin. He spurred his horse to gain some speed, not wanting to be caught in the dark on the return trip from the cave explorer's house. The small group gradually neared their destination and the rolling plains began to give way to light patches of forest. A chilling snow began to fall, blown nearly horizontal by the wind. Fortunately, the men were in sight of the cabin and were soon dismounting at its entrance. Sir Gavin knocked briskly on the door, stamping his feet to warm himself. The door slowly creaked open, and a short old man with a bald head and flowing white beard appeared.

"Can I help you sirs?' he asked pleasantly. Sir Gavin stepped forward so he could be heard over the wind.

"Aye, my name is Sir Gavin of Lothington and we have an inquiry to make of you," he answered.

"Well, come in, Sir! Come in all of you!" All of the men followed his invitation willingly, for the cold, snowy wind was nearly unbearable. Once they were all inside, the old man introduced himself.

"Me name's Gregory Taylor, though I'm called Saint Nicholas by most o' the folks around here." Sir Gavin chuckled. The nickname was certainly fitting.

"Glad to meet you, Gregory. I have some important questions concerning the invaders and your past exploration of the caves in this area."

"I'd be glad to help ye, young man! Trust me when I say I dislike our unwanted quests as much as you do. Now what can I help ye with?"

"I'd like to know where these caves are located and where they lead."

"Well, the bulk of 'em are just north o' here about three miles. Most are very long, and I've only managed to follow about half of 'em in me lifetime. I followed one almost straight to the cap'tal city one time and the other end of it came out not one 'undred yards from the city gates." Gregory laughed, unaware of the horrifying fact he had just revealed to his present company. His brows quickly wrinkled with worry when he saw the shocked faces of the others.

"What be the matter now?" he asked with concern. Sir Gavin was unsure of whether to tell Gregory the situation or not but finally decided to do so.

"We know that the Dark Lord had an interest in those caves, and now we know why. He wants to use them to transport his army underground to the main cities of the kingdom and take them by surprise, moving out from there. He took Lothington Castle to distract us from the main task of moving his entire force from Lothington valley to these caves. We know what his plan is now, but I hope we're not too late." Gregory looked shocked.

"Why the dirty snakes!" he said firmly with a hint of contempt. "If I was ten years younger, I would get me old sword out again and fight 'em meself, but alas; me fightin' days be over, I fear."

"Well, you've done more than your share to help us already," replied Sir Gavin. He turned to look out the cabin's single window to assess the weather. The snow had not increased and the wind appeared to be dying away as it often does throughout the night.

"Gregory, I won't trouble you any more," said Sir Gavin to their host. "We need to get back to the city and make preparations to move first thing in the morning."

"I understand," Gregory replied, "And I'm glad I could be o' service."

With their task complete, the men bid their host adieu and remounted their horses to begin the trek back to Lothington.

The late afternoon sun was beginning to give way to an early winter night. Sir Gavin lit a torch to throw some light on their path, allowing the horses to better navigate the icy, snowy earth. As they drew nearer to the city, the snow began to let up even more, finally stopping when they reached the city gates. Sir Gavin dismissed the five men he had enlisted to escort them before continuing on horseback with Bartholomew and the field officer towards the Lothington inn.

"I guess we'll be moving the force in the morning?" inquired the field officer.

"Aye, those are the orders I gave Major Wilkins. I told him to dispatch an envoy to meet the vanguard of our main force from the capital to tell them the situation, so we should have reinforcements late in the day," answered Sir Gavin. He hoped that the army could reach them as quickly as possible since they would likely go into combat sometime the next morning.

The three men stopped at the barracks to leave their horses and invite Major Wilkins back to the inn with them. Sir Gavin hoped that he and the Crimson Knight could discuss tactics concerning the upcoming attack.

"I'll be glad to join you," replied Major Wilkins when Sir Gavin asked him. In a short time, the four men were walking briskly towards the inn.

Just like the previous night when Sir Gavin first entered the city with the others, the streets were nearly empty of people and the doors of every residence were boarded up tightly. Several patrols of soldiers weaved through the back alleys and side streets, checking for unlocked doors and lighting the torches that burned through the night. Even though the snowstorm had stopped, blizzard-like winds tore through the streets, swirling what snow was on the ground in clouds of speckled white. All of the men kept their faces to the grounds in order to shelter them from the weather as they neared the inn. Suddenly, all four of them were startled by a crash of breaking wood up ahead. Sir Gavin's eyes strained through the blizzard conditions at the inn ahead, just in time to see a huge man tear what remained of the inn door off of its hinges and stomp through the entrance with a long knife in his hand. Sir Gavin immediately drew his sword and bolted towards the inn, followed by the others. Sir William and Sergeant Watts were inside and they were in no condition to fight such a brute as that monster. Sir Gavin only hoped that he would be in time to save them.

[Person_Random 4,991]

Approved.

Wow, what an awesome chapter of this series - I can't wait to approve more. We're back to the knights' point-of-view, and I have to say, this chapter was likely the best one yet. Almost all of the information was easily communicated through dialogue, which is quite impressive. Overall, it's a great story series I always can't wait to read when I'm approving them. I'm going to try to get to two a week if possible so we can stay tuned; I can't wait for even more action!

Edits: minor grammar fixes

[dupuy 318]

1 hour ago, Person_Random said:

Approved.

Wow, what an awesome chapter of this series - I can't wait to approve more. We're back to the knights' point-of-view, and I have to say, this chapter was likely the best one yet. Almost all of the information was easily communicated through dialogue, which is quite impressive. Overall, it's a great story series I always can't wait to read when I'm approving them. I'm going to try to get to two a week if possible so we can stay tuned; I can't wait for even more action!

Edits: minor grammar fixes

Thanks again! As the ending on this one may indicate, we are approaching the point at which the Lackley's and the knight's perspectives meet. I have actually finished the entire series over Thanksgiving, and will be posting them in installments as usual. I won't post them all at once for your sake, but one at a time probably. Have been editing the last couple chapters myself the past few days, so they should contain fewer errors. By the way, Happy late Thanksgiving to everyone reading this ;)

[Iron_Man 2,376]

On 11/20/2020 at 6:52 AM, dupuy said:

Sir Gavin began to lead the scouting party back from the edge of Lothington valley, uncertain of what to do next. His inquiry to Bartholomew had yielded exactly what he didn't want to hear: a disastrous change of events. He turned to Bartholomew once again to make sure he heard everything correctly.

"So you said the Dark Lord wanted you to pay extra attention to looking for caves in the forest just north of here?" he questioned.

"Aye, that 'ee did," replied Bartholomew. "Said 'ee had 'eard o a way that an army could somehow move usin 'em. I din't quite understand what 'ee meant meself: all 'ee wanted me ta do was ta reeport back to 'im." Sir Gavin may not have been a general like Sir William, but he was knowledgeable enough about tactics to get an idea of what the Dark Lord had in mind.

"Did he say anything else about the caves?" pressed Sir Gavin further. Bartholomew paused for a moment, deep in thought. He finally answered.

"He din't say much 'bout em in me presence, but he seemed awful worked up about 'em. Th' Dark Lord 'as got an 'nnoying 'abit o dronin' on an on about th' same thing o'er an o'er. He got 'imself so excited 'bout them caves one time, 'ee called em the 'key t' the kingdom,' or somethin along them lines. That be all I remember. I woulda told ye sooner 'ad I known them caves was so important."

"That's okay, Bartholomew. I understand," replied Sir Gavin. This was all he needed to hear to confirm his fears. Now he knew why the Dark Lord wanted access to the caves so badly. Sir Gavin called over Major Wilkins from the other side of the scouting party, and he pulled his horse to Sir Gavin's side.

"Major," he said, "Do you know of anyone in the city that is knowledgeable about the caves in this country and where they lead?" The major thought for a moment.

"Well, I know of one old-timer that's explored them inside out," he replied. "He lives on the outskirts of the city in a little cabin about four miles from the forest just north of here." Sir Gavin was glad to hear this news.

"Then I think we should pay him a visit immediately. I want to find out all I can about those caves and as quickly as possible," he said.

The scouting party had reached the city gates by now and begun riding back to the barracks.

"Major, I want a force of three or four hundred to man the city walls just in case the enemy attacks here. The rest of the force will go with me once I get some information from our cave explorer," he said to Major Wilkins.

"Aye, Sir," replied the major. "I can handle things while your gone." Sir Gavin briefly dismissed the men at the barracks, keeping five of them to accompany him, the field officer, and Bartholomew to the cave explorer's cabin. They left directly, exiting the city from the north gates.

The landscape on this side of Lothington was more hilly, and the horses had more trouble navigating on the icy ground. The lack of trees in this part of the countryside resulted in the most brutal wind imaginable, making all the knights and soldiers glad they had worn their surcoats.

"How much more o this do we 'ave t' get through t' get t' this fellow's cabin?!" yelled Bartholomew over the roaring wind.

"The Major said his cabin was four miles from the outskirts of the city," returned Sir Gavin. He spurred his horse to gain some speed, not wanting to be caught in the dark on the return trip from the cave explorer's house. The small group gradually neared their destination and the rolling plains began to give way to light patches of forest. A chilling snow began to fall, blown nearly horizontal by the wind. Fortunately, the men were in sight of the cabin and were soon dismounting at its entrance. Sir Gavin knocked briskly on the door, stamping his feet to warm himself. The door slowly creaked open, and a short old man with a bald head and flowing white beard appeared.

"Can I help you sirs?' he asked pleasantly. Sir Gavin stepped forward so he could be heard over the wind.

"Aye, my name is Sir Gavin of Lothington and we have an inquiry to make of you," he answered.

"Well, come in, Sir! Come in all of you!" All of the men followed his invitation willingly, for the cold, snowy wind was nearly unbearable. Once they were all inside, the old man introduced himself.

"Me name's Gregory Taylor, though I'm called Saint Nicholas by most o' the folks around here." Sir Gavin chuckled. The nickname was certainly fitting.

"Glad to meet you, Gregory. I have some important questions concerning the invaders and your past exploration of the caves in this area."

"I'd be glad to help ye, young man! Trust me when I say I dislike our unwanted quests as much as you do. Now what can I help ye with?"

"I'd like to know where these caves are located and where they lead."

"Well, the bulk of 'em are just north o' here about three miles. Most are very long, and I've only managed to follow about half of 'em in me lifetime. I followed one almost straight to the cap'tal city one time and the other end of it came out not one 'undred yards from the city gates." Gregory laughed, unaware of the horrifying fact he had just revealed to his present company. His brows quickly wrinkled with worry when he saw the shocked faces of the others.

"What be the matter now?" he asked with concern. Sir Gavin was unsure of whether to tell Gregory the situation or not but finally decided to do so.

"We know that the Dark Lord had an interest in those caves, and now we know why. He wants to use them to transport his army underground to the main cities of the kingdom and take them by surprise, moving out from there. He took Lothington Castle to distract us from the main task of moving his entire force from Lothington valley to these caves. We know what his plan is now, but I hope we're not too late." Gregory looked shocked.

"Why the dirty snakes!" he said firmly with a hint of contempt. "If I was ten years younger, I would get me old sword out again and fight 'em meself, but alas; me fightin' days be over, I fear."

"Well, you've done more than your share to help us already," replied Sir Gavin. He turned to look out the cabin's single window to assess the weather. The snow had not increased and the wind appeared to be dying away as it often does throughout the night.

"Gregory, I won't trouble you any more," said Sir Gavin to their host. "We need to get back to the city and make preparations to move first thing in the morning."

"I understand," Gregory replied, "And I'm glad I could be o' service."

With their task complete, the men bid their host adieu and remounted their horses to begin the trek back to Lothington.

The late afternoon sun was beginning to give way to an early winter night. Sir Gavin lit a torch to throw some light on their path, allowing the horses to better navigate the icy, snowy earth. As they drew nearer to the city, the snow began to let up even more, finally stopping when they reached the city gates. Sir Gavin dismissed the five men he had enlisted to escort them before continuing on horseback with Bartholomew and the field officer towards the Lothington inn.

"I guess we'll be moving the force in the morning?" inquired the field officer.

"Aye, those are the orders I gave Major Wilkins. I told him to dispatch an envoy to meet the vanguard of our main force from the capital to tell them the situation, so we should have reinforcements late in the day," answered Sir Gavin. He hoped that the army could reach them as quickly as possible since they would likely go into combat sometime the next morning.

The three men stopped at the barracks to leave their horses and invite Major Wilkins back to the inn with them. Sir Gavin hoped that he and the Crimson Knight could discuss tactics concerning the upcoming attack.

"I'll be glad to join you," replied Major Wilkins when Sir Gavin asked him. In a short time, the four men were walking briskly towards the inn.

Just like the previous night when Sir Gavin first entered the city with the others, the streets were nearly empty of people and the doors of every residence were boarded up tightly. Several patrols of soldiers weaved through the back alleys and side streets, checking for unlocked doors and lighting the torches that burned through the night. Even though the snowstorm had stopped, blizzard-like winds tore through the streets, swirling what snow was on the ground in clouds of speckled white. All of the men kept their faces to the grounds in order to shelter them from the weather as they neared the inn. Suddenly, all four of them were startled by a crash of breaking wood up ahead. Sir Gavin's eyes strained through the blizzard conditions at the inn ahead, just in time to see a huge man tear what remained of the inn door off of its hinges and stomp through the entrance with a long knife in his hand. Sir Gavin immediately drew his sword and bolted towards the inn, followed by the others. Sir William and Sergeant Watts were inside and they were in no condition to fight such a brute as that monster. Sir Gavin only hoped that he would be in time to save them.

Awesome buddy. Keep it up!

 

[Venerable 2,967]

Ooooo

What a gripping tale you've managed to spin...

I nearly whistled with excitement after reading the end of this chapter!