Arklith Bane
09-10-2009, 10:21 PM
“Damn it, my luck really has run out” Drant yelled in frustration as another mount appeared on the horizon ‘how many? How did they know? He had tried every trick he knew to try and lose them and at every turn they still showed up, it was impossible his only hope now was to save his mounts strength until he got in sight of a city preferably with a dock and a ship ready to take him quickly and with no questions asked far from his pursuers.
The gold in his pouch would see to that, at first it was this he thought the trackers wanted but it soon became clear that they were no petty highway bandits, whatever it was they wanted it wasn’t his money and that scared Drant. Well equipped, well trained some one was paying a lot of gold for this little hunting party, just over the next ridge would be Haxson and a chance to lose his unwanted followers.
Haxson was a small town until an earthquake destroyed the main inlet from the sea a few hundred miles north causing the land to reform itself and the water to find a new path to the sea, one which for most was deadly hundreds died in there sleep a few unlucky enough to be awoken by the barely felt rumble from the distant earthquake died awake as tons of searching water carved a new river into the low laying lands.
But never a people to miss out they rebuilt complete with docks, and with the river Epsom very much in their lands charged all shipping for right of passage along with Mercenaries to seize the cargo of those didn’t.
The majority were happy to pay as by some stroke of fate the river now ran straighter and didn’t meander making travel faster to the inland cities and better trade.
.The speed at which he could reach the storian capitol Zygon was one of the reasons Drant had chosen to head towards Haxson though he backtracked and left plenty of fall trails along his way, but now felling the breath of his pursuers on his neck he wasn’t so sure whether it would pan out how he had planned it and for a start he hadn’t planned on still having his trackers with him.
Crossing over the ridge line in front of him the ground fell away into the soggy marshland which use to be the plains of Haxson giving him a clear view of the city ahead, Urging his mount Drant was determined to make this open place a very short part of his journey and finish this chase for good, though his horse had been tested in the past week she picked up speed quickly and firmly. Looking now at the city Drant felt blessed that the rush hour gate jamming traffic had past and only a small but steady stream of merchants and farmers were coming and going, a few bored Guards were looking his way and he couldn’t blame them a lobe rider heading to town at full pelt wouldn’t be usual here but at this distance he couldn’t make out there expressions.
The guards where trained well and men not prone to rash actions, when some one could be a friend of very rich men who had direct control of your current employment you tended to be very sure before you acted or you were not employed for long, but still as he drew closer there seemed to be a uncertainty in there stance.
One of there number had gone into the guard house and called the watch commander who started to issue orders to the slow guards, to Drants horror, more guards came out of the city armed with pikes and formed up in front of the gate effectively blocking it with men and steel firmly placed pikes would make any mounted charge suicide.
Confused traders where now being forced shouting and complaining out of the way and archers could be seen taking position on the walls above, Drants shock turned to realisation as he heard the hoof beats of horses behind him muffled until now by the soggy ground. So loud it was likely they could reach out and pluck him fro his horse as easily as anyone of the archer’s arrows from the city walls.
Drant couldn’t risk a look over his shoulder at his speed the ground was firmer closer to the city but his horse was beginning to show signs of fatigue and missing strides. 200m from the gate and closing fast Drant made his mind up it saddened him to lose her but he couldn’t stop he would have to ride the guards down and hope he survived the impact ‘much better in a cell than in the hands of the men behind him whoever they were!’, the memory of the one passing in the rain drenched night brought fresh sweat to his already dripping forehead.
At 100m Drant threw up his hands and kicked his feet from his stirrups to help save him from becoming tangled in the horses saddle as he hammered into the line of pike men, 50m he closed his eyes and prayed, hearing the men in front of him bracing for the impact he also confusingly heard the archers firing ‘why now you could of took me minutes back ‘ but before he could think anymore his hearing was bombarded by the sounds of the horses behind him falling away and his own becoming as loud as he had ever heard in his life.
It took him a few seconds to realise the crashing pain hadn’t happened and a new fear of riding blind and with no hands on the rains over came him eye’s bursting open Drant brought his horse to a halt in the tunnel between the gate and the city proper looking out to the marshland the blood drained from his face what he thought of to be maybe a 5 to 6 six man hunting party now looked to be the size of a regiment of cavalry, garbed in black cloaks they looked like the spectres of death they nearly where, the thought of what they must of looked like to the guards on the gate riding after him like a dark tide on to the plain, no wonder they had sounded so close he had thought the sound came from only a few horses.
Dragging his gaze to the guard reforming and filling the hole from which they fell away to let him pass ‘but why?’ Drant waited nervously for a furious looking guard Captain, after making sure the line was sound , came steaming over to him “ Drant, I assume?” spoken like a statement rather than a question ,there was no more room for shock in Drants mind ‘how the hell does this man know me and…….’.
The tunnel seemed to stretch and darken in front of him ’…who…’ “Are you ok Man?” asked the captain taking a step forward just in time to catch Drant as he fell unconscious from his relieved horse.
The gold in his pouch would see to that, at first it was this he thought the trackers wanted but it soon became clear that they were no petty highway bandits, whatever it was they wanted it wasn’t his money and that scared Drant. Well equipped, well trained some one was paying a lot of gold for this little hunting party, just over the next ridge would be Haxson and a chance to lose his unwanted followers.
Haxson was a small town until an earthquake destroyed the main inlet from the sea a few hundred miles north causing the land to reform itself and the water to find a new path to the sea, one which for most was deadly hundreds died in there sleep a few unlucky enough to be awoken by the barely felt rumble from the distant earthquake died awake as tons of searching water carved a new river into the low laying lands.
But never a people to miss out they rebuilt complete with docks, and with the river Epsom very much in their lands charged all shipping for right of passage along with Mercenaries to seize the cargo of those didn’t.
The majority were happy to pay as by some stroke of fate the river now ran straighter and didn’t meander making travel faster to the inland cities and better trade.
.The speed at which he could reach the storian capitol Zygon was one of the reasons Drant had chosen to head towards Haxson though he backtracked and left plenty of fall trails along his way, but now felling the breath of his pursuers on his neck he wasn’t so sure whether it would pan out how he had planned it and for a start he hadn’t planned on still having his trackers with him.
Crossing over the ridge line in front of him the ground fell away into the soggy marshland which use to be the plains of Haxson giving him a clear view of the city ahead, Urging his mount Drant was determined to make this open place a very short part of his journey and finish this chase for good, though his horse had been tested in the past week she picked up speed quickly and firmly. Looking now at the city Drant felt blessed that the rush hour gate jamming traffic had past and only a small but steady stream of merchants and farmers were coming and going, a few bored Guards were looking his way and he couldn’t blame them a lobe rider heading to town at full pelt wouldn’t be usual here but at this distance he couldn’t make out there expressions.
The guards where trained well and men not prone to rash actions, when some one could be a friend of very rich men who had direct control of your current employment you tended to be very sure before you acted or you were not employed for long, but still as he drew closer there seemed to be a uncertainty in there stance.
One of there number had gone into the guard house and called the watch commander who started to issue orders to the slow guards, to Drants horror, more guards came out of the city armed with pikes and formed up in front of the gate effectively blocking it with men and steel firmly placed pikes would make any mounted charge suicide.
Confused traders where now being forced shouting and complaining out of the way and archers could be seen taking position on the walls above, Drants shock turned to realisation as he heard the hoof beats of horses behind him muffled until now by the soggy ground. So loud it was likely they could reach out and pluck him fro his horse as easily as anyone of the archer’s arrows from the city walls.
Drant couldn’t risk a look over his shoulder at his speed the ground was firmer closer to the city but his horse was beginning to show signs of fatigue and missing strides. 200m from the gate and closing fast Drant made his mind up it saddened him to lose her but he couldn’t stop he would have to ride the guards down and hope he survived the impact ‘much better in a cell than in the hands of the men behind him whoever they were!’, the memory of the one passing in the rain drenched night brought fresh sweat to his already dripping forehead.
At 100m Drant threw up his hands and kicked his feet from his stirrups to help save him from becoming tangled in the horses saddle as he hammered into the line of pike men, 50m he closed his eyes and prayed, hearing the men in front of him bracing for the impact he also confusingly heard the archers firing ‘why now you could of took me minutes back ‘ but before he could think anymore his hearing was bombarded by the sounds of the horses behind him falling away and his own becoming as loud as he had ever heard in his life.
It took him a few seconds to realise the crashing pain hadn’t happened and a new fear of riding blind and with no hands on the rains over came him eye’s bursting open Drant brought his horse to a halt in the tunnel between the gate and the city proper looking out to the marshland the blood drained from his face what he thought of to be maybe a 5 to 6 six man hunting party now looked to be the size of a regiment of cavalry, garbed in black cloaks they looked like the spectres of death they nearly where, the thought of what they must of looked like to the guards on the gate riding after him like a dark tide on to the plain, no wonder they had sounded so close he had thought the sound came from only a few horses.
Dragging his gaze to the guard reforming and filling the hole from which they fell away to let him pass ‘but why?’ Drant waited nervously for a furious looking guard Captain, after making sure the line was sound , came steaming over to him “ Drant, I assume?” spoken like a statement rather than a question ,there was no more room for shock in Drants mind ‘how the hell does this man know me and…….’.
The tunnel seemed to stretch and darken in front of him ’…who…’ “Are you ok Man?” asked the captain taking a step forward just in time to catch Drant as he fell unconscious from his relieved horse.