"Who flies the yellow flag?" cried Dinly, as he drew his pony after and came in among the boulders.
Yet not a buccan nor damman knew the answer as they loosed arrows at the foe and Beau hurled sling bullets.
"Target the enemy archers," said Rynna, "for they are deadly."
Out on the flats amid the clash and clang and screams and cries of battle, taking terrible casualties the host drew together to face the two-pronged attack, all but the Baeron on their heavy horses, who had smashed entirely through the ranks of the seaward foe, but now were fighting their way back.
In the center 'round the King, rallied warriors dire: Dwarves with axes hewing; Elves with swords riving and spears piercing; men with maces and axes and swords bashing and hacking and hewing as well. Among those rallied was Aravan, his truenamed Krystallopyr burning through flesh and bone. Riatha fought at his side, her glitter-dark blade keen beyond reckoning. Nigh her, Silverleaf's white bone bow was scabbarded in favor of his deadly long-knife. Magekind was there, too, but they withheld their for the King had bade them to not spend it unless all was lost. Yet wholly outnumbered and assailed from both sides, the Allies were driven back and back as the foe swept in a semicircle to close ranks.
"They are too many," gritted Tipperton, even as he loosed an arrow to bring another enemy archer down.
"Oh lor'," cried Beau, "look, Tip! They are now driving the host toward H?l's Crucible!"
With their backs to the great rift, King Blaine and the Allies were being hammered toward the brim, toward the long slope down and within.
Rynna wept as she loosed another shaft. "Oh, Tipperton, unless a miracle occurs, we are defeated." But still she fought on, as did the Warrows all, though bitter tears ran down.
Back and back were pressed the Allies, some now on the long slope, others to fall screaming to their doom over the brim and down.
Yet even facing annihilation, the host fought valiantly on, laying death about even as on them death fell.
Yet above the screams and shouts of Adon and Elwydd and Rakka and Gyphon, there came "Listen!" cried Tipperton, turning his head this way and that.
– a sound "Do you hear?"
– a deep horn cry "Do you hear, Rynna?"
– and another and another Tipperton raised his black-oxen horn to his lips and blew a ringing call A call which was answered by uncounted black-oxen horns blowing wildly, as the earth reverberated under the pounding of ten thousands of hooves.
"Oh, Rynna, my love, here comes your miracle!"
And thundering 'round the flanks of the hills and down the flats, flags flying white horses on green, came riders and chariots with wheelblades spinning. And with lances lowered and sabers raised and bows drawn taut and spears in hand and horns calling out the charge-Raw! Raw! Raw!- and voices shouting V'takku! V'takku! in the war-tongue Valur, twenty thousand Harlingar charged…
Jord had come at last.
And running full tilt they crashed into the yellow-flagged warriors and drove them aside, many to be hurled over the lip of the rift to fall shrieking to their deaths far below.
And even as DelfLord Valk and his pony-mounted army of Kachar arrived on the heels of the Jordians and fell upon the foe, there came a roaring blast of Mage-fire cleaving through the enemy. Following the path of the flame, High King Blaine and Silverleaf and the Allies drove up from the ramp and out to the hills, to split the foe in two. Hammering out wide, King Blaine turned his forces easterly, and along with King Ranor's Vanadurin on the west as well as the Dwarves of Kachar, they trapped the enemy against the rim. And even though yet outnumbered, they battered the foe back and back.
And fighting in rage and fury and aided at times by the Mages, together the men and Dwarves and Lian and Dyl-vana and Baeron-along with seven Warrows-drove the reeling enemy hindward and down the long ramp and down.
Seething and cursing and roaring battle cries, the Allies drove downward as well, hacking and slashing and piercing and bashing and driving the foe ever deeper. But at last the enemy turned and fled away, for they could not bring their greater numbers to bear. And with the foe in full flight-Hahn, taa-roo! Hahn, taa-roo!-rang the Jordian horns.
"Why do you sound the signal to withdraw?" shouted Tipperton to Linde riding nigh.
" Tis the King's command," she shouted back. "The enemy may be fleeing to lure us into a trap."
"Trap?"
"Aye. They yet outnumber us, and should we pursue them to the floor of the rift, they will have the advantage."
As Linde raised her own black-oxen horn to her lips, so too did Tipperton raise his, and they added their calls to the others-Hahn, taa-roo! Hahn, taa-roo! Hahn, taa-roo taa-roo!
And on a wide level roughly a mile down the ramp, the Allies disengaged, the Dwarves cursing at having to do so. And down and down fled the torn enemy into H?l's Crucible below.
Chapter 38
They are from Jung," said Aravan, staring down the long, long ramp and into the dark basin below, night just now falling on the land. Behind them the slain were yet being collected, with the Dwarves casting the bodies of the foe over the rim to fall into the shadows below.
"Jung?" asked Tipperton.
"A realm far to the east."
"Like Ryodo or Jinga?"
"Somewhat," replied Aravan. "Though Ryodo isolates itself from the rest of the world, calling all others uncouth foreigners, while Jinga trades with any and all who come unto her shores."
"And this Jung…?" asked Rynna.
"Filled with petty warlords and raiders," said Aravan, "unified under a mogul. It is his yellow flag they bear; the red star in the center is the mogul's mark. That they fall on the side of Gyphon surprises me not, though how they came to be here in Garia takes me somewhat aback."
"Why is that?" asked Linnet. "Is it far to Jung?"
"Two thousand leagues, were you a bird," replied Aravan.
"Six thousand miles? Pah!" said Beau, standing at the edge of the circle and taking a quick meal ere returning to help with the wounded. "We alone have travelled that far, wouldn't you say so, Tip?"
"Ar, if I remember correctly, Beau, my friend," said Dinly, grinning, "instead of a mere six thousand miles, it's three halfways around the world you claim altogether."
"Yar," chimed in Farly, laughing, "with a hundred more halves to go."
Beau pushed out his hands, a crue biscuit in one. "Wait, now, I am serious. Tip, you're the mapmaker here. Have we travelled altogether six thousand miles?"
"Perhaps if you add it all up," said Tipperton, "though it will have taken us four years to do so, come this February."
"Four years? Oh my," said Beau, sinking to his knees beside Linnet and reaching out to grasp her hand. "No wonder I'm tired of war."
The other Warrows sighed in agreement.
Aravan smiled sadly at the Wee Folk, the Guardian remembering the days when the Elves were yet mad. But he spoke not of the Elven Wars of Succession which lasted for ten millennia, nor of the hard times thereafter.
Overhead the clouds yet flowed in a blanket 'cross the night sky above, the glowing fires deep in the crevices of H?l's Crucible casting dull red reflections here and there. Yet it was the night of the full moon, and as it rose, the running overcast shone from behind with a whiteness where the silvery light tried to break through. "Oh, perhaps it's an omen," said Linnet, looking at the paleness, "an omen of Elwydd's goodwill."
Beau peered at the flowing sky. "Let us hope," he said. "Indeed, let us hope." Beau then gave Linnet a quick kiss on the cheek and stood. "Ah, well, for me it's back to the wounded."