*
“Aethelstan!”
Edmund, along with every Himmeros rider left at his command, surged over the ridge on the Saxan right flank. They launched a ferocious attack upon the exposed enemy left flank. They charged along the ground, surprising the Trogens far over them, who had been trying to draw them up into the air.
The Himmerosens’ talons and jaws, combined with the sharp lances and swords of their battle-fevered riders, were brought to bear heavily upon the Avanorans. Frantic cries and more horn signals filled the air, as the left flank of Avanor was shattered in the unrelenting wrath of the attack. Men scattered and dived aside, most trying to avoid the small band of riders upon Himmerosen. A few offered resistance, but any that were foolish enough to remain in the direct path of the Saxan tempest were cut down without mercy.
Edmund guided his Himmeros swiftly towards Aethelstan, espying the Saxan thane trapped in a swirl of combat. Aethelstan’s wild eyes and matted hair gave testimony to the battle frenzy that had risen up within him. He gazed up at Edmund in the respite brought about by the Avanorans giving way to the sudden Himmerosen’s charge. Edmund knew that it would not last long.
“Aethelstan, I will not leave you here! You must come with me!” Edmund shouted emphatically, in the tone of both an order as well as a plea.
Aethelstan stared into Edmund’s eyes, and shook his head vigorously. He clenched his blood-drenched sword, and proceeded to stride right past Edmund, heading towards the regrouping Avanorans that had been splintered apart by the Himmeros-riding band.
“Aethelstan, get on my Himmeros, now!” Edmund reiterated, reaching out to grasp the great thane’s shoulder.
“I will fight on with my warriors!” Aethelstan growled at Edmund, forcefully shrugging off the grip.
“We need your mind, Aethelstan! If you do not survive, then countless more Saxans will die because you needlessly fell here!” Edmund hastily pleaded.
His impassioned entreaty was to no avail, as Aethelstan broke into a trot, closing with a few Avanoran horsemen that were besetting a patch of Saxan levymen. Aethelstan plunged into the fray, first slaying a mounted warrior, and then cutting down a foot soldier. His slowing reflexes allowed another glancing sword blow through, tearing across his left thigh.
Edmund, frozen in indecision behind the battle, momentarily did not know how to proceed. His lord and dear friend, as close as a brother, was openly bleeding, and would soon fall beneath exhaustion and the weight of the far too numerous enemy. Frantic, he cast his eyes about to see where the other Himmeros-mounted warriors were located. Seeing two nearby, who were not yet engaged heavily in the fighting, he spurred his mount towards them.
“Defend Aethelstan, I will get him out of here!” Edmund shouted at the pair.
The two warriors moved with alacrity to attend to the task, getting their steeds into a position where they were on either side of Aethelstan. Using their lances, they drove back a number of enemy warriors. Edmund guided his Himmeros in closer behind Aethelstan, who continued to strike fiercely at the enemy fighters.
He was slowing down as Edmund watched, and would not be able to sustain his effectiveness for much longer. A killing blow could land at any instant, the likelihood greatly increased as Aethelstan’s defenses continued to deteriorate.
Edmund’ heart nearly stopped, for as he drew near, an enemy axe narrowly missed Aethelstan’s neck. As the gallant warrior stood up from where he had crouched to avoid the strike, a blow from a short-handled axe held by another mounted warrior caught him on the left side of his helm.
Fortunately, the blow was not direct, or balanced, and did not impact fully. Aethelstan, rendered unconscious nonetheless, instantly had his legs fall out from under him as he crumpled heavily to the ground.
“Protect him!” Edmund frantically implored.
The two warriors to either side of Aethelstan attacked the enemy soldier who had landed the blow. Their selfless movement, though, left them exposed for a brief moment to enemy attack. One of the Saxan sky riders was struck with a mortal blow, from a spear wielded by one of the enemy’s infantry, but not before the axe-wielder was stilled.
Edmund gripped the reins of his Himmeros tightly, guiding the creature up to where Aethelstan lay oblivious. Hopping off of his saddle, he gingerly gripped his lord and comrade, lifting the great thane with a burst of exertion borne from sheer desperation. Edmund lay Aethelstan across the back of his steed, placing him just in front of where the sky warrior sat in his saddle. Carefully, Edmund remounted, and did not waste another moment as he turned his steed. He knew that he could not likely go up into the sky, but the steed was more than strong enough to bear the additional weight along the ground level.
Upon sight of Edmund being occupied with Aethelstan’s inert body, several other Himmeros-mounted warriors moved in, providing him with a makeshift escort of seven. Risking arrows, but keeping to the back of the ridge, the group of eight turned their backs as they trotted away from the edge of the maelstrom. Building up speed, they streaked deeper into the forest, soon bounding amongst the trees.
Their hurried movements did not go unnoticed by the Trogens monitoring the battle overhead, however, as was evidenced by a new round of cries emanating from the airborne observers. Several Trogens upon Harraks streamed downwards, intent on cutting into their Saxan counterparts.
They had seen the group of Himmerosen moving to escape together, positioned around the rider bearing the wounded warrior. It took little insight to assume the importance of the coordinated movement.
Five of the Saxans, knowing that they could gain some additional time for Edmund, whirled about to meet the oncoming Trogens. The other two continued forward with Edmund, who was eager to put more distance between them.
The ploy worked, as each of the five Saxans put up a furious fight, in an ultimate sacrifice, taking a few of the landing Trogens with them as they fell one by one into death’s embrace. Their resistance stalled the pursuit long enough so that Edmund and the others were able to continue forward under the denser tree cover. Once under the more solid canopy of foliage away from the ridge, their movements were well-shielded from the searching eyes of the Trogens remaining above in the sky.
After some time had passed, and the steeds were breathing heavily, Edmund gave the command for the trio to slow down as he espied the emergency landmark that he had kept embedded within his mind, ever since an earlier scouting foray. Seeing the small cave opening set towards the bottom of a hillside, he dismounted, and asked for one of the others to assist him in helping to carry Aethelstan over to the mouth of the cave.
They moved with as much haste as possible, not knowing how long they had until the Trogens located them again. Edmund hoped that the Trogens had lost interest, or were more tethered to the main battle site.
The cave was just big enough for the warriors and their steeds to enter. For the time being, they would be safe from the enemy forces, if they had not been tracked from the sky, but Edmund knew that it would not be a permanent refuge.
Having traveled along the ground, the Himmerosen had undoubtedly left distinctive tracks behind. After the enemy had concluded the fighting along the ridge, the unique imprints would be found sooner or later, and they would lead the enemy right to the maw of the cave. Nevertheless, Edmund had to see to the state of Aethelstan’s condition, and needed a little time to regroup his thoughts.
As fast as they could, taking packs and cloaks from their steeds, the Saxans fashioned a crude bed upon which Aethelstan could rest. They gently carried their unconscious leader, entirely a dead weight, over to the makeshift bed, and lay him down upon it.
Almost at once, Edmund began to tend to Aethelstan’s wounds, working to bandage them, and stem the bleeding. The other two warriors kept a constant eye on the mouth of the cave. Edmund feared that at any moment the sound of angry Trogens, successfully discovering their hiding place, would reach his ears.
The fighters’ weapons were out and close at hand, although they would be of little use if they were all cornered within the cave. Edmund now keenly understood the awful plight of the rabbit facing the cunning fox.
Perhaps they would be passed over for the moment, if they were very still. If they were discovered anytime soon, then Edmund knew that they would have little chance of survival.
*