The Queen of the Swords

'Not much more than a mile away,' Jhary murmured. 'They'll have surrounded the walls by the morning, if not stopped.'

'What army of ours could stop them?' Rhalina asked him hopelessly. 'Lord Arkyn's reign is to be short-lived I fear.'

The drums continued to rattle out their jubilation. The trumpets continued to blare their triumph. The howls of the Army of the Dog, the grunts of the Army of the Bear, the cacklings and shriekings of the Army of Chaos, the ground-shaking thunder of the ponies' hooves, the rumble of the iron-bound chariot wheels, the clatter of the war-gear, the creak of harness, the bellowing laughter of the barbarians, all seemed to come closer with each heartbeat as the horde of Hell swept inevitably towards the City of the Flowers.

CHAPTER TWO The Siege Begins

The Sky Ship circled lower and lower over the tense and silent city as the sun began to set and the towers echoed the sounds of the satanic horde still marching relentlessly towards it.

The streets and parks of Halwyg were packed with weary soldiers, camped wherever they could find an open space. Flowers had been trampled underfoot and edible shrubs had been stripped to feed the red-eyed warriors who had been driven back to Halwyg by the barbarian force. They were so tired that only a few looked up when the Sky Ship passed over their heads on its way to the roof of King Onald's palace. It landed on deserted battlements but almost immediately guards, in the murex-helms and the mother-o'-pearl breastplates, bearing the round shell shields of Lywm-an-Esh, with spears and swords, rushed up to apprehend them, doubtless thinking they were enemies. But when they saw Rhalina and Corum they lowered their weapons in relief. Several of them were wounded from previous encounters with the barbarian host and all looked as if they would be improved by more than a night's sleep.

'Prince Corum,' said the leader, 'I will tell the king that you are here.'

'I thank you. In the meantime I hope some of your men will help these people here, whom we saved from Lyr's men a short time back.'

'It will be done, though food is scarce.'

Corum had considered this. 'The Sky Ship here can forage for you, though it must not be endangered. It may find a little food.'

The steersman took a scroll from inside his jerkin and handed it to Corum. 'Here, Prince Corum, are the rare substances our city needs if it is to attempt to crash once again through the Wall Between the Realms.'

'If Arkyn can be summoned,' Corum told him, 'I will give him this list, for he is a god and therefore more knowledgeable about such things than any of us.' In Onald's simple room, still covered with maps of his land, they found the grim-faced king.

'How fares your nation, King Onald?' Jhary-a-Conel asked him as they entered.

'It is scarcely a nation any longer. We have been forced further and further back until barely all that's left of us is gathered here in Halwyg.' He pointed at a large map of Lywm-an-Esh and he spoke in a hollow voice. 'The County of Arluth-a-Cal - taken by the sea-raiders from Bro-an-Mabden - the County of Pengarde and its ancient capital Enyn-an-Aldarn - burned - it flames all the way to Lake Calenyk by all reports. I have heard that the Duchy of Oryn-nan-Calywn still resists them in its most Southern mountains, as does the Duchy of Haun-a-Gwyragh - but Bedwilral-nan-Rywm is completely taken, as is the County of Gal-a-Gorow. Of the Duchy of Palantyrn-an-Kenak, I do not know…'

'Fallen,' said Corum.

'Ah - fallen…'

'They close in now from all quarters it seems,' Jhary said, looking carefully at the map. 'They landed along each of your coasts and then systematically began to tighten their circle - the whole horde converging on Halwyg-nan-Vake. I would not have thought barbarians capable of such sophisticated tactics - or of keeping to them even if they thought of them…'

'You forget Xiombarg's messenger,' Corum said. 'He doubtless helped them make this plan and trained them in its manipulation.'

'You speak of the creature all in brilliant armour that rides at the head of his deformed army?' King Onald said.

'Aye. What news have you of him?'

'None that can help us. He is invulnerable, by all accounts, but, as you say, has much to do with the organizing of the barbarian army. He rides often at King Lyr's side. His name, I have heard, is Gaynor - Prince Gaynor the Damned…'

Jhary nodded. 'He figures often in such conflicts. He is doomed to serve Chaos through all eternity. So now he is Queen Xiombarg's lackey, is he? It is a better position than some he has attained to in the past - or the future - whichever it is…'

King Onald looked oddly at Jhary and then continued. 'Even without the aid of Chaos they would outnumber us ten to one. With our better weapons and superior tactics we might have resisted them for years - at least kept them on our coasts - but this Prince Gaynor advises them on every move. And his advice is good.'

'He has had plenty of experience,' said Jhary, rubbing at his chin.

'How long can you withstand a siege?' Rhalina asked the king.

He shrugged and stared miserably out of the window at his crowded city. 'I know not. The warriors are all weary, our walls are not particularly high, and Chaos fights on Lyr's side…'

'We had best hasten to the temple,' Corum said, 'and see if Lord Arkyn can be summoned.'

Through the packed streets they rode, seeing hopeless faces on all sides. Carts cluttered the broad avenues and camp-fires burned on the lawns. Half the army seemed to bear wounds of one description or another and others were inadequately armed and armoured. It hardly seemed that Halwyg could stand Lyr's first assault. The siege would not be long, thought Corum as he tried to make faster headway through the throng.

At last they reached the temple. The grounds of this were packed with sleeping, wounded soldiers and Aleryon-a-Nyvish, the priest, was standing in the entrance to the temple as if he had known they were coming.

He welcomed them eagerly. 'Did you find aid?'

'Perhaps,' answered Corum. 'But we must speak with Lord Arkyn. Can he be summoned?'

'He awaits you. He came not a few moments since.'

They strode rapidly into the cool darkness. Mattresses filled it but they were at this time unoccupied. They awaited the wounded and the dying.

The handsome shape which Lord Arkyn had chosen to assume stepped from the shadows. 'How fared you in Xiombarg's Realm?'

Corum told him what had transpired and Arkyn looked disturbed by what he heard. He stretched out his hand. 'Give me the scroll. I will seek the substances needed by the City in the Pyramid. But it will take even me some time to locate them.'

'And in the meanwhile the fate of two besieged cities is in doubt,' Rhalina said. 'Gwlгs-cor-Gwrys in Xiombarg's Realm and Halwyg-nan-Vake here. The destiny of one depends upon the other.'

'Such mirrorings are common enough in the struggle between Law and Chaos,' murmured Jhary.

'Aye - they are,' agreed Lord Arkyn. 'But you must try to hold Halwyg until I return. Even then we cannot be sure that Gwlгs-cor-Gwrys will still be standing. Our one advantage is that Queen Xiombarg now concentrates upon two battles - the one in my Realm and the one in her own.'

'Yet her messenger Prince Gaynor the Damned is here and seems to represent her adequately,' Corum pointed out.

'If Gaynor were destroyed,' Arkyn said, 'much of the barbarian advantages would go. They are not natural tacticians and without him there will be some confusion.'

'But their numbers alone represent a mighty big advantage,' Jhary said. 'And then there is the Army of the Dog and the Army of the Bear…'