the river was much narrower than at Mobrey as well; perhaps only half a mile. A single wooden bridge spanned the river to a rocky and mostly barren field that stretched for miles.
With Sergeant Bobbra screaming and yelling at them, the company was marched off of the ship, through the city streets and then, eventually across the bridge. On the other side of the bridge, two teams of horses hitched to covered wagon were waiting for them. Captain Krall had followed them on his horse that had come with him on the ship.
They rode on the wagons for most of the morning and because the wagons were covered, they could only see behind them. Again, Kenner noticed that the men looked scared. Rightly so, he thought to himself. Their journey, he reasoned was nearly at an end and everything they had heard from Captain Krall and Sergeant Bobbra told them that where they were going was a place to be feared. Kenner closed his eyes to try and take a short nap, but he couldn’t sleep. He also felt fear at not knowing exactly what he was about to discover. Perhaps the Captain and Sergeant were having a game with these men; frightening them for fun. He quickly dismissed that notion as Captain Krall didn’t seem to have that kind of sense of humor. Perhaps where they were going wasn’t as dangerous as they had been led to believe, he thought. This reminded him of something his father had taught him about fighting. “Never assume your opponent is less than what he appears.” He could practically hear his father telling him. “Always assume they are as dangerous as possible.”
After a while, Kenner could hear voices outside the wagons of people shouting and could see several men in armor behind the wagon. Then he heard Sergeant Bobbra again.
“Alright you maggots! Get off of those wagons!”
Kenner now found himself in a smaller version of the barracks they’d left behind at Kallesh. And he found himself not surprised that the fort he was now in looked exactly like the fort in his dream. He saw a long, wooden building with many open doors stretching out to one side with men coming in and out. At one end of that building, he could see several spears leaning against it. On the opposite end of the dirt and straw covered courtyard were stables, but he could only see a few horses peeking out. Next to this, was a two-story building that looked like a house and in the very back of the stockade, Kenner could see the blacksmith sharpening a spear. At the front of the barracks was a tall, wooden wall with wooden gates. There was a staircase along the wall leading up to a platform that stretched along the wall.
“Now you maggots! Get yourself a spear then get back in line!”
The soldiers ran to the stack of spears, each selecting one than running back to the line. Sergeant Bobbra had only started yelling, “Welcome to your new home…” when a voice from the wall called out, “Incoming!”
“Get down!” Bobbra shouted.
Kenner heard a loud whistling noise and looked up to see a shower of arrows descending upon the courtyard. Instinctly he ducked. He heard the thud of dozens of arrows hitting the ground near him and then the body of the person next to him fell on him. He pushed the young man off of him and saw an arrow sticking through the man’s throat. He picked him up and began dragging him, but the Sergeant shouted at him.
“Leave him!” The Sergeant yelled.
“He’s wounded!” Kenner yelled back.
“He’s dead!” The Sergeant answered. “Even if there was a doctor here, there’s nothing he could do for him now!”
When the last of the arrows fell, there was a clamor of activity with soldiers rushing around the courtyard.
“You! Archer!” Kenner heard from the wall. “Get your ass up here and start
With Sergeant Bobbra screaming and yelling at them, the company was marched off of the ship, through the city streets and then, eventually across the bridge. On the other side of the bridge, two teams of horses hitched to covered wagon were waiting for them. Captain Krall had followed them on his horse that had come with him on the ship.
They rode on the wagons for most of the morning and because the wagons were covered, they could only see behind them. Again, Kenner noticed that the men looked scared. Rightly so, he thought to himself. Their journey, he reasoned was nearly at an end and everything they had heard from Captain Krall and Sergeant Bobbra told them that where they were going was a place to be feared. Kenner closed his eyes to try and take a short nap, but he couldn’t sleep. He also felt fear at not knowing exactly what he was about to discover. Perhaps the Captain and Sergeant were having a game with these men; frightening them for fun. He quickly dismissed that notion as Captain Krall didn’t seem to have that kind of sense of humor. Perhaps where they were going wasn’t as dangerous as they had been led to believe, he thought. This reminded him of something his father had taught him about fighting. “Never assume your opponent is less than what he appears.” He could practically hear his father telling him. “Always assume they are as dangerous as possible.”
After a while, Kenner could hear voices outside the wagons of people shouting and could see several men in armor behind the wagon. Then he heard Sergeant Bobbra again.
“Alright you maggots! Get off of those wagons!”
Kenner now found himself in a smaller version of the barracks they’d left behind at Kallesh. And he found himself not surprised that the fort he was now in looked exactly like the fort in his dream. He saw a long, wooden building with many open doors stretching out to one side with men coming in and out. At one end of that building, he could see several spears leaning against it. On the opposite end of the dirt and straw covered courtyard were stables, but he could only see a few horses peeking out. Next to this, was a two-story building that looked like a house and in the very back of the stockade, Kenner could see the blacksmith sharpening a spear. At the front of the barracks was a tall, wooden wall with wooden gates. There was a staircase along the wall leading up to a platform that stretched along the wall.
“Now you maggots! Get yourself a spear then get back in line!”
The soldiers ran to the stack of spears, each selecting one than running back to the line. Sergeant Bobbra had only started yelling, “Welcome to your new home…” when a voice from the wall called out, “Incoming!”
“Get down!” Bobbra shouted.
Kenner heard a loud whistling noise and looked up to see a shower of arrows descending upon the courtyard. Instinctly he ducked. He heard the thud of dozens of arrows hitting the ground near him and then the body of the person next to him fell on him. He pushed the young man off of him and saw an arrow sticking through the man’s throat. He picked him up and began dragging him, but the Sergeant shouted at him.
“Leave him!” The Sergeant yelled.
“He’s wounded!” Kenner yelled back.
“He’s dead!” The Sergeant answered. “Even if there was a doctor here, there’s nothing he could do for him now!”
When the last of the arrows fell, there was a clamor of activity with soldiers rushing around the courtyard.
“You! Archer!” Kenner heard from the wall. “Get your ass up here and start
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