The chief swiftly urged his men to the task of gathering their dead and wounded and loading them into the back wagons. At last the tail end of the caravan began to move again, and the rear guard fell in behind it. More mounted men from the caravan rode back to join Valorian until there were over one hundred men, boys, and a few women of all ages gathered in ragged ranks behind the wagons.
There was now a strong body of men in the vanguard with Aiden and a larger force in the rear with Valorian. The chieftain hoped against all odds that that would suffice.
There simply weren’t enough fighting men to ring the entire caravan. On the other hand, he didn’t think they had to worry about an assault in the middle of the line of wagons.
If one had been planned to coincide with the ambushes at the head and rear, it would have occurred by now. The valley itself protected them, too, for with its river, it was too narrow to allow a large force to move up unopposed and attack the center. He thought Tyrranis had probably planned the ambushes to stop the caravan so the larger remaining force could sweep up and overwhelm it. But his plan hadn’t worked, and now the Clan was on the move again.
Valorian glanced back over his shoulder and wondered what Tyrranis would try next.
He didn’t have to wait long to find out. The Clan passed the place of the first ambush without any more trouble. Disregarding the dead and wounded Tarns, they traveled on as quickly as the rough terrain would allow. They had only gone a short distance up the trail, though, when a shout brought the rear guard whirling around. One of the warriors pointed down the valley, and everyone saw the full remaining forces of the Chadarian garrison coming into sight along the crest of a low slope near the river. Red pennons fluttered on their spears, and their armor sparkled in the afternoon sun.
As the Clan warriors watched, the Tarnish cavalry wheeled into position, forming seven widely spaced lines that stretched from the river to the high valley walls. Valorian felt his apprehension grow. The soldiers seemed to be trying something different in hopes of thwarting his power. Their ranks were much thinner and farther apart than usual, perhaps to prevent him from focusing his spells on a single mass.
To his dismay, they were right. His power was great, but he was only one man facing hundreds, and his strength and concentration were limited by his body’s weaknesses. If the Tarns were determined enough and could distract or kill him, they could easily sweep over the entire caravan.
Valorian’s mouth went dry. Slowly he sheathed his sword and tried to calm himself so he could think clearly. Under his breath, he said a prayer to all four deities to watch over the Clan. The Harbingers had already been busy in this valley today, and he didn’t want to give them more to do. He glanced at his companions and saw that they were all as nervous as he. He recognized, with a start of surprise, Karez sitting on his big white horse in the rank just behind him. The big clansman must have joined them just a few moments before. Valorian felt uneasy under the uncharitable thought that perhaps he ought to watch his back, also.
Karez noticed his chieftain looking at him and he grinned, his teeth flashing in his dark beard. As if he guessed what Valorian was thinking, he waved his sword at the enemy.
Just then, the Tarnish trumpets blew the charge. The blaring notes soared through the valley, accompanied by a great shout and the sudden thunder of hoof beats.
The clansmen automatically surged forward, but Valorian called them back. “Hold your places!” He held on to Hunnul’s mane as the stallion half-reared and leapt forward to the front of the meager Clan lines.
The caravan behind them rumbled on up the trail, faster and faster. The herds of horses and stock animals broke into panicked flight.
The Tarnish charge approached at a terrifying speed. Their lines grew ragged as the horses galloped over the uneven terrain. There was another loud blast from their horns, and the horsemen’s spears lowered in unison, point first toward the waiting rear guard.
Valorian took only a moment to wonder where General Tyrranis was before he lifted his hands and launched his first attack. He fired six large spheres of blue energy in rapid succession, spaced out along the lines of galloping horses. The fusillade landed with terrible force among the riders. Explosions rocked the ground and blew dirt and rocks in all directions, frightening some horses and knocking others off their feet.
But it wasn’t enough. The Tarns were expecting the magical bombardment, and they continued their charge.
Valorian hesitated while he racked his mind for another idea. He didn’t want to try a fire again since the line of soldiers was too long and the wind was blowing up the valley from the east. Nor could he use another rockslide over an area so large. He needed a new tactic.
Suddenly a possibility intruded into his thoughts that seemed so .crazy he decided to try it. He couldn’t create life, but he could create the image of life, as he had done when he told the story of his journey into Gormoth. He would use the same sort of image, only make it larger and see how brave the Tarns really were.
He closed his eyes to remember the small, ugly forms of the gorthlings and shaped the spell in his mind. Using dust and bits of gravel, dirt, and leaves to give his image substance, he molded the magic into a gigantic animated form. He knew it had worked when he heard his own men yell in fright.
The chieftain opened his eyes and surprised even himself with the huge realistic creature that now stood between the charging Tarns and the Clan. It was fearsome! A monstrous, bestial figure of a gorthling that towered above the nearby trees and blocked the valley trail. The Tarnish cavalry saw it and brought their horses to a rearing, sliding stop.
It was difficult to tell the creature wasn’t solid and could do no real damage, but before the horrified Tarns could realize that, Valorian set his creature into motion. It screeched terribly and reached out as if to grab the horses. The Tarnish lines disintegrated. Horses bolted in panic, taking their riders with them. Other soldiers yanked their mounts around and fled from the hideous monster back the way they had come.
“Stay put!” Valorian shouted to his own men. “The beast is only an image.”
The clansmen stared from him to the creature in amazement, their eyes popping, yet they stayed in rank.
“Now back away slowly,” he ordered and gestured to them to follow the caravan. They went gratefully. Valorian stayed where he was to maintain the image of the giant gorthling for as long as he could.
At the same time, on an overlook in the valley downriver, General Tyrranis and Governor Antonine watched the retreat of the Chadarian garrison with very different emotions. Tyrranis was rigid with anger at the cowardice and foolishness of his men.
Antonine was so shocked at this second display of magical power that he could hardly contain his rage and fear. He rounded on Tyrranis, his intense dismay momentarily blocking out his fear and hatred of the general. “Why didn’t you tell me of this magic-wielding clansman?” he screamed at Tyrranis. “We cannot defeat a sorcerer of such power! We should have let them go. This whole journey was a waste. I will not allow my legion—”
He got no further. Tyrranis’s hand lashed out and caught the young governor across the right cheek and nose, nearly knocking him from the saddle.
“Silence, you fool!” hissed Tyrranis. “His power isn’t invincible.”
Antonine glared ferociously and mopped the blood from his nose with a scented handkerchief. He was furious not only at the Chadarian governor, but at himself as well for not daring to retaliate. A stronger man wouldn’t have stood for such a personal insult. “Not invincible!” he repeated, hiding his anger behind incredulity. “Look at that creature he has summoned. None of our soldiers will go past that,”
Tyrranis scoffed. “It’s a fake, an image. Magic cannot create life. Look at it carefully. You can see light through it.”