CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR - AlEC’s RETURN

He hurt. The longer he thought about it, the more he realized thatsimple fact was true. He could no longer feel his backside;he’d been riding day and night for several days now. Hedidn’t dare stop and rest, either; the orc chief’s messagehad been too dire for him to risk delay.Were he a younger man,

and had I not been beaten for days before setting out

, he supposed he could havemade this journey without too much discomfort. Forcedmarches were not uncommon in his chosen vocation.With the beatings he had taken before setting out, it wasimpossible. He glanced up at the sun and knew he had tostop soon. It would do no good to kill his horse. It neededto rest, a chance to crop some grass, and to drink from the waterskins his captors had provided.He reined the tired beast to a halt and slid bow-leggeddown off the beast’s back.

All I want to do is collapse right here and sleep for a while.

But he knew he couldn’t do that.What he had seen had left him no doubt that the orc chief could and would carry out his threat.Baron Mournfell would never evacuate. Humans hadoccupied Traazon Keep for centuries, and no army of orcs,no matter how strong, was going to kick them out. However,an orc horde of this size would lay waste to the surroundingcountryside, and so the people must be evacuated to thecastle.

He began rubbing the animal’s anks. The mare

whickered tiredly, and he spoke softly to the nearlyexhausted beast. “I know you’re tired, old girl. So am I. Just a few more leagues and you’ll have a fresh stall full of

straw, some good oats to eat… and a stable boy to care for your every whim.” He grinned a bit in spite of himself. Themare shook her head from side to side as if in denial. Sheobviously wasn’t very impressed with his promises.Alec poured water into a large bowl his captors had oh-so-thoughtfully provided. He placed the bowl down in frontof the mare, then left the horse and walked around a bit,stretching his own tired muscles.He knew it wasn’t going to do much good, that hecouldn’t and wouldn’t be able to rest at all until he returnedto the keep.

Even then, will I ever be able rest again? A full-

edged orc invasion! By the gods! How could we have been so stupid!!

He returned to his un-named horse and gatheredup the water skin and bowl. After putting them away hegingerly climbed back up onto his tired mount. The horse whinnied in protest, but Alec reached up andscratched her behind the ears. “Just a few more miles, oldgirl. I know we can make it.” The horse didn’t seem inclinedto believe him, though. He took one last swallow from his

waterskin and icked the horse into motion.

* * *He rode up the King’s Way, clutching his horse’s neck tokeep from falling off. He was so tired that knew that once hedismounted, he would not be able to stand again. Yet thecastle was only another few thousand yards away, and thatknowledge was the only thing that allowed him to continueat all. The Baron – indeed, the entire castle by now – knew of his return. He had met a patrol at the guard post a milefrom the city, and the militia commander there had sent arunner ahead and detailed another lad to escort him backto the castle. Normally, he would have refused and told the

man to mind his post, but he was simply too exhausted toargue.It was with gratitude, therefore, that he looked at theboy leading his horse. All he had to do now was hang on.

Merth? Was that the boy’s name?

He’d asked Merth who was in command of the garrison, and was disheartened to

nd out that Tonath was not. Apparently, the Baron had

taken personal command of the garrison, and Tonath hadgone on some personal mission for the crown. The boyeither would not or could not tell him any more. He would

have to nd out later – but that didn’t make him like the

situation.

He lay down on the horse’s neck, trying to nd a

position that minimized the aches in his body. The streetsof the village were still full of people, and his heart sank with the realization that the castle wouldn’t hold this many when the orcs came for them. He pitied them, but realizedthat pity accomplished nothing. That did little to assuage his guilt.Hearing a shout, he looked up and saw several menon horseback riding down the hill from the Keep proper.Squinting, he realized that it had to be the Baron himself.He sat up on his horse as best as his tired body wouldallow. The Baron’s daughter Alyson rode next to him, as well as several guardsmen. “Hail, Sir Alec!” the Baroncalled. “It does my eyes well to see your face again! I’veheard worrisome tales about your situation. The fact that you’re here proves those tales false. Tell me, how fare yourmen? How far behind you are they? I assume that you’veridden ahead of them?”