Gregorex listened as Samek's booming voice rang out. The assembly had gathered on the outskirts of the village, in the shade of a grove of trees. To the west, igh thin clouds shone bright red as the sun gently descended toward the horizon. To the north stretched the Great Swamp. Gregorex had always been somewhat fascinated by the swamp, though he detested the mosquitoes that always seemed to buzz around it. The swamp was impenetrable--it was part of what made Cliffton such a strategic location. If Slumbutter and Dor-ko ever made their way through the mountains to Cliffton, they would still need to traverse the Great Swamp in order to get to Freedom Pass. And no one, to Gregorex' recollection, had ever made their way through it.
The assembly of Cliffton was fairly small, consisting of Samek, Gregorex, Pilch, Old Ferd, and Korbi. Samek sat on a stump facing the rest of the group, all of whom were sitting on logs. A small fire crackled in their midst. To Gregorex' right was Pilch, diligently taking notes of the proceeding. Old Ferd sat to the left of Gregorex. He was the village elder, a man well into his 70's. His gray beard was so full, and his gray hair was so long, that it seemed like all you could see on his face was a pair of beady blue eyes. He was somewhat eccentric, but he was a wise man who'd spent his entire life in Cliffton. He spoke little, but his words were revered.
To the far left of Gregorex sat Korbi, the village shoemaker. He was the most prosperous businessman in the village, and as such was very respected. In fact, virtually everyone in the village wore a pair of Korbi's shoes. People would occasionally grumble about his prices, but in the rugged terrain of the Ragged Mountains, a good pair of shoes was critical. Gregorex had never developed much fondness for the 35-year-old redhead. He didn't really understand why the man bothered him so much; maybe it was the way he could be so friendly with people yet still charge them so much money. Or maybe it was his smug confidence, or his gentle disdain for others. Gregorex was like that--he operated a lot on intuition. And he was rarely wrong.
About 100 yards behind the assembly stood many of the townspeople. The horn had never been blown before, and they knew that the assembly would only meet in the gravest of emergencies. They remained respectfully silent, but Gregorex knew their ears were straining for any loose words from the group. They were understandably nervous.
Gregorex' wandering mind was brought back as Samek continued. "Gentlemen, we have a dire emergency before us. We have evidence that Slumbutter and Dor-ko are on the move. Gregorex discovered an advanced party several miles to the southwest. They appear to be constructing a road of some sort. And since Freedom Pass is the only route through these mountains, we have every reason to believe that they are heading here, for Cliffton."
The assembly silently absorbed Samek's words. Korbi was the first to speak. "Can you be sure that it is Slumbutter? Seriously--can that beaten-down, rag-bag bunch of frightened fighters really be planning an assault on Aberdeen? I find that hard to believe."
Gregorex, whose fuse was normally pretty short, couldn't take much of Korbi today. "Excuse me, Korbi, but I was nearly punctured by an arrow from those jokers. The arrow was clearly made by Slumbutter's archers. When your being shot at, such things are not so 'hard to believe'."
While Gregorex fought to contain his anger, Korbi remained calm. "Ah, so you were shot at? I am truly sorry." Then, turning to Samek, Korbi continued, "I might suggest that Gregorex be a little more cautious in future scouting expeditions. There is no doubt that the pace of Slumbutter (if that's truly who it is) will be quickened by the realization that they've been discovered."
Gregorex rose up and turned toward Korbi. "Have you ever been shot at in anger, you pansy! When you've got the courage to go out and be within range of the enemy, close enough to see the color of his eyes, close enough to smell his horrible breath, then you can lecture me about caution!"
"Please sit down, Gregorex," interrupted Samek. Gregorex sat, casting a glance at Korbi. The shoemaker remained expressionless, looking toward Samek and nodding his head. Korbi was unflappable, and it drove Gregorex crazy. Gregorex could hear the villagers murmur in the distance.
Samek continued, "We can settle such matters later, gentlemen. We are being watched, and we must conduct ourselves with dignity. The question before the assembly today is: What are we to do? You know how I feel about Slumbutter. I would love nothing more than to stand our ground and obliterate every last one of his weak-kneed warriors..."
Samek's words caused Gregorex' thoughts to drift yet again. Yes, he knew how Samek felt about Slumbutter. Four years ago, Samek was a farmer in the foothills of the Jagged Mountains, which lay a few miles to the west of the castle. Samek had been in the fields, laboring with his stubborn crops, when Maximilian had banished Slumbutter and his minions to the Western Wastelands. Slumbutter's westward trek caused him to pass through Samek's farmland. As he passed through, Slumbutter had approached Samek. "Could you spare some corn for my men?" he'd asked.
Samek drew his sword which hung ever by his side. "No, as a matter of fact I can't!" he'd replied. "And if you're lucky, I might decide not to take a corncob and stuff it down your throat! Now get off my land!" Gregorex had heard every word at the time, for he was a hired hand in Samek's fields. He'd never made much money, because Samek was not much of a farmer. But Samek's daughter Annala was exceedingly beautiful, and Gregorex always enjoyed sharing supper with her after a day in the Aberdeen sun.
Slumbutter had raised his hands in response to Samek's threat, and had simply turned away and motioned for his men to follow. But when Samek had returned to his home that evening, he found that the house had been ransacked by Slumbutter's depraved soldiers. Everything of value had been taken--the family jewels, his bow and quiver full of arrows, and his spears.
And worst of all, his wife Susannah and daughter Annala were gone.
Samek had run outside and yelled, calling out their names. He looked in every hollow and behind every tree, but they were nowhere to be found. Gregorex had followed him every step of the way, and Gregorex had provided the shoulder that Samek had wept upon for what seemed like hours.
Susannah and Annala had not been seen since. Yes, Gregorex knew how Samek felt about Slumbutter.
Samek's voice snapped Gregorex out of his reverie. "But though our position is strong and our people are brave, our numbers are few," said the chief of Cliffton. "I propose that we alert King Maximilian and ask for his help. I know no other way."
At this point, Pilch stopped his scribbling. "But sire, how shall we get word to the king? There are only two ways to get to the castle. If we backtrack through the mountains, then we'll surely be caught by Slumbutter and his goons. But if we charge through the Great Swamp--well, we'll probably be swallowed alive into the earth. No one has ever made it through the great swamp!" Then the fearful scribe shook his head and started scribbling again, in order to document the question he'd just asked.
"Actually, Pilch, there is one creature that knows his way through," replied Samek.
"Who is it, sire?" asked the incredulous Pilch, who for a moment almost forgot to write.
"It's not a 'who' at all," said Samek. "It's a horse. Four years ago, when the king dispatched Gregorex and me to come to Cliffton, he told me that Spartacus alone knew the path through the Great Swamp. Of course, that's like the king, isn't it? He wouldn't leave his people without a path of escape. Spartacus and his rider shall navigate their way through the great swamp."
Gregorex was intrigued, since Spartacus was his horse. "But who is going to alert the king?" Gregorex asked.
"I shall go," replied Samek. "The pathway to the king may be filled with great danger. No one knows what lies in the forest between here and the castle. I could ask no one else to do it. I shall go."
The assembly was silent for a moment. Oddly, Korbi stood and stretched, though he said nothing. After he sat back down, Old Ferd spoke up. "Samek, you must not go," he said slowly, rising to his feet. "If Slumbutter attacks us before you return, the village will be lost. All will live in fear; none will be able to stand. But if you remain, the people will be strong. They will fight for you, Samek. They will lay down their lives to the last man. They will not yield until the last arrow is launched, until the last spear is thrown, until the last sword is drawn. No, Samek...you must stay." Then, as Old Ferd sat back down, he added, "Spartacus is Gregorex' horse; send him."
Gregorex absorbed the words of the wise old man. He loved adventure; he'd be willing to go. He almost spoke up, before he was distracted by the sound of someone approaching.
It was Samek's son.
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