While they could hear angry shouting and yelling from behind the walls of Alessina, they continued to move quickly forward. Rosey, Gwyn’s wife, was directing the group now. "I know of some small forest north of the city. If we get in there, they won’t be able to follow us with their chariots." Mabon and Brendan yelled with one voice: "Then let’s go!"
Mabon looked over the group and knew without being a military genius that they couldn't take another fight. Laban was walking unsteady held straight by Brendan and himself. If Laban had it bad, Gwyn had it even worse. Without Reza and Rosy pulling him forward, he would simply topple over and collapse into the dirt. And Dil-Shad also had a rough time. Well, and he himself knew that his arm was broken, so he was also not able to fight anymore. Slowly the fatigue also started to build up inside him. All those running, climbing, praying, fighting without any rest or food did wear him out. Yet if he didn't want to be gutted by the sea-people warriors he had to pull through.
Only Brendan still seemed to be in blood frenzy. He was going before the group, his bow ready. He was looking wildly over the fields and listening for any sound that didn’t come from the group. “Oh, Brendan, you hard-boiled son of a bitch. But I know your weaknesses and fears, and sooner or later you will have to face them, too!”, Mabon thought by himself.
They were in a most exhausting hurry. Most likely they had only a small time-window to get into the woods and even there they were not safe until they had not moved farer away from the city. As quickly and silently as possible they moved through the fields that begin to turn into woodland. In the beginning it was easy to get through but the thicker the hedges, grass and trees grew the more the more they were slowed down while at the same time increasing the level of noise they were making by breaking twigs and talking to each other for coordination. Behind them they could hear the noise of men. Still a far off but coming slowly closer. And definitely those men weren’t exhausted and carrying wounded comrades. But the group just couldn't go faster. They had to take care of two wounded men being in need of support.
"Maybe we should hide somewhere", said Dil-Shad. "No, we are still too close to the city. They will find us", answered Brendan who had also started to breathe more heavily. He was getting more and more exhausted, the adrenalin of his butchery falling of in intensity.
"Not necessarily, if you know where to hide", said an unknown voice. Brendan threw Laban literally into Mabons arms – which hurt like hell considering that Mabon was hardly in shape to hold a tall man like Laban with a broken arm – and drew his knife ready to slay anyone or anything coming one step too close. Dil-Shad drew a dagger and Reza also readied himself.
On top of a small earth hill in front of them stood a man. He was for sure from Aermorik and not of the sea-people, judging from his skin color, clothes and looks. He was holding a large axe with his crossed arms. Brendan was biting his teeth and tensed his muscles to jump.
"Coran!", exclaimed Rosy happily. The dark-haired, handsome warrior strode forward casually and gave Rosy a friendly hug. Brendan relaxed, but was still alarmed and took a closer look at the man. He could see bulging muscles under his shirt, a well-maintained war axe without dents in the blade but many scratches and some notches on the hilt told that it had been used a lot. And when looking into the face of the warrior he recognized that, despite being all smiles and carefree the eyes had a hawkish kind of expression. Brendan judged him to be a man not to be trifled with.
He offered the man a warrior-like handshake. Coran grabbed him by the lower arm, and both hold each other’s arm in a tight grip. "I am Brendan, and you look like a competent warrior. I can’t wait to smack your butt in a little mock battle", he said and then gave a huge smile.
"You shall have your brawl, but I think only after I have led you out of here. Come, there are a cave and some tunnels we can take to get out of the reach of those sea-bastards."
As Laban was out of order, Mabon fighting to hold him and Reza generally didn’t talk much, Brendan took over the conversation. "But why exactly are you helping us?"
Coran smiled brightly: "Because my cousin would smack my butt hard if I left him and his wife to die in the woods. Come on and don't be afraid. If you are friends of Gwyn, then you are my friends."
"How did you know that we were coming?", asked Mabon still suspicious. He didn’t know any of the people. His pack and he himself were only trusting Laban’s word of friendship to Gwyn.
"Rosy send me a message yesterday, that's why I and one of my brothers were watching the south-side of the city to see what was going to happen. I consider it a fortune of the gods that I was able to find you so quickly. Let’s go!"
Coran led the group through the woods and into a small cave on the side of a hill. There was a door in the hill. It looked like a burial mound of the old hill tribes that used to dwell in these lands before and were the forefathers of the kingdoms of Aermorik or at least that's what the people of Aermorik believed. They entered the dark and moldy smelling inside of the hill. They heard how Coran was doing something and then a small oil lamp lighted up. Coran held it slightly over his head to help the others see the inside. The hill must have been a grave long time ago, because there were still traces of paint on the wall which used to be paintings but now were indecipherable. There was no sarcophagus or similar in the middle of the one big room that was the inside of the mound but that didn't mean that there hadn't been one long time ago.
On the end of the room there was a hole in the ground and a small ladder leading downstairs into a dark and smallish looking tunnel. They would have to walk sideways with Gwyn and Laban in between them to fit through the tunnel. The tunnel seemed to be old and led them deep into the earth. It was dry and sticky, and Coran was walking quickly. None of them talked but tried to keep up pace with Coran. To their surprise no mice or rats were seen and only from time to time in the glow of Coran’s lamp they saw scratches in the wall and footprints from other wanderers in the tunnel. He said: “We will soon have reached the exit deep in the woods. The tunnel was in the past used as an escape or attack route for the hill tribes. They could go quickly underground from their shelter in the woods to the burial mound and back either for their safety or to conduct surprise attacks. I know from this tunnel and others of its kind from tales of old my grandmother used to tell. Now we use it in our fight against the sea-people in the same fashion as our forefathers.”
And Coran was right. After some minutes they found an exit in a hollow stump. The wood was thick, deep and dark and beside the rush of the wind in the trees nothing could be heard. Brendan was alarmed. “Why can’t we hear anything? There should be at least the sound of birds. In Kom-Broghi we know that it’s a bad sign if the animals have gone. Maybe this bastard has led us into a trap!”, he whispered to Mabon and grabbed his knife. He hadn’t even time to clean the blade that was dark from blood. “I swear to you, Coran’s blood will stain my weapon before we die!”, he hissed, and Mabon got alarmed. He was sure that Brendan was capable of doing something really stupid, so he took the initiative. “Coran, where are we? Why can’t we see and hear anything? Please excuse our suspicion, but we have been going through hard times in the last several days.”
Brendan got angry and was just before exploding. “Why did you do that?”, he spit. “Now he knows that we are expecting bad from him!” Brendan turned to Coran; his knife ready to fight. “You see that blade and my bow, man? I killed far more than a dozen sea-men today. Do you think I will hesitate to put my blade it into your throat if you try to play dirty games with us?” Brendan dangerously drew himself up to his full height. Coran stepped back and took up his hands to calm the situation down. “I know it must be hard for you. But I am Gwyn’s cousin, and my wife is Rosey’s best friend, so why would I harm you?”
Brendan’s face darkened again. He spit out and wanted to say something really nasty when he heard Laban’s voice. “Brendan, put your weapon away and hold your mouth. I know you would do anything to defend us. But now it’s not the time to rage war upon anyone. If Rosey and Gwyn trust him, we will do so either.” Laban shook off Mabon who was still crutching him and walked slowly but more and more steady to Coran and offered him his hand. It seemed he had recuperated somewhat from the concussion. “I’m Laban and the leader of these trusted warriors. I’ve been friend to Gwyn and his wife for almost 15 years now. I really appreciate what you are doing. But Brendan and Mabon are right. We have seen too much blood and danger in the last days to run into unknown woods led by an unknown guide.”
Coran took Laban’s hand. “I know this must be feeling strangely. But I can only assure you that I would give my life for Gwyn and Rosey. We will never forget what you and your warriors have done for them. Look, I will bring you to our camp that only lies some minutes away. And I will hand over my weapons to your cautions friend.” Saying so he took his axe and knife from the belt and put them to Brendan’s feet. “I hope my act of giving in will lead you to some more trust. You have big balls. Your comrades must be happy to have you.”
Brendan grinned crookedly. “I am not your burro. Carry your stuff on your own. And now move your ass. I am hungry, thirsty and tired.” The situation lost tension. Mabon laughed, Reza grinned, Dil-Shad grimaced in pain, Laban shook his head, Coran and Rosey were stunned and looked at Brendan who walked away into the direction of a small path that led through the wood. Was he really a lunatic in the body of a bold warrior?
“What are you waiting for? Do you need an extra invitation?”, Brendan said over his shoulder, smiling to himself. He knew what they thought. It was always good not to be taken for full by strangers. The bigger the surprise was when it had come down to it.
