Sir Kendrick and the Castle of Bel Lione (16 page)

Kendrick swallowed hard, willing his mind to overcome the paralysis that seemed to grip his body. He slowly brought his left hand to the hilt of his sword and prepared for the blood wolf to attack low, as Landor had warned. But before Kendrick realized what was happening, the beast lunged straight for his throat. It attacked without taking a single step, covering the ten paces between them in a single leap.

It happened so quickly that Kendrick was unable to position his sword for the lethal blow to the beast’s abdomen. Instead, he swung his sword with all his might and stepped back from the path of the flying beast.

“You have one and only one chance when it attacks.”
Landor’s words resonated in Kendrick’s mind as he sliced his sword across the blood wolf’s thick hide. Could he possibly survive now that his one chance had come and gone?

He felt the edge of the blade penetrate until its upper portion hit the bony spikes of the beast’s spine. The animal’s bloodcurdling cry told Kendrick it was wounded, but it still managed to swipe with a claw as it passed, and the talons tore at his shoulder. His armor stayed secure, but the powerful blow spun Kendrick around like a doll made of rags and threw him to the ground.

He nearly lost his grip on the sword, but recovered and scrambled to a kneeling position just in time to see the blood wolf turn and attack again. This time it did not leap but ran low to the ground, straight for Kendrick.

For a moment, he didn’t know what to do. He had no prior experience with this kind of enemy. And while he was grateful to have a second chance, he knew he wouldn’t have another.

With only a split second remaining, Kendrick stayed on one knee and braced his right leg behind him. He took a modified hanging-guard stance by pulling the hilt of his sword near to the right side of his head and pointing its tip at the charging blood wolf.

The beast covered the last few steps to Kendrick at a frightening speed and opened its jaws to tear Kendrick’s body to pieces. At that moment, he thrust forward with all of his might, aiming the tip of his sword at the blood wolf’s open mouth. The blade penetrated the animal’s throat, and the momentum of the beast’s attack skewered it onto Kendrick’s sword until the hilt was lodged against the blood wolf’s teeth.

Kendrick stayed firmly planted until the massive body of the blood wolf slammed against him and sent him reeling backward. Pain shot through his body as he hit the ground with the animal’s flailing body on top of him.

The death of the blood wolf was quick and silent. Kendrick pushed the carcass off of himself and lay panting on the ground, acutely aware of the stark pain in his right shoulder. He tried to move his arm, but any attempt brought unbearable pain. The joint was misaligned.

He let his head rest on the ground for a moment, looking for even the slightest relief and remembering what Landor had said about the blood wolf’s territory. At least he wouldn’t have to face more than one of those dreadful beasts.

After a few moments, Kendrick forced himself to stand. His right arm was useless; it felt like it had been nailed onto his shoulder backward. He couldn’t continue in this condition, and yet he didn’t dare turn back. Once the dead blood wolf was discovered, the castle guards would be alerted. A future rescue attempt would be impossible.

Kendrick searched until he found a tree with its roots exposed. Kneeling beside it, he grasped the root firmly with his right hand. He positioned his torso parallel to the ground and filled his lungs with air, then pulled steadily on his arm and began to rotate his shoulder.

The pain was excruciating, and he bit his lip to keep from screaming. When he couldn’t bear it any longer, he released his grip and fell to the ground, wondering if his mission would be over before it had begun. He fought against the discouragement that settled into his heart as the
pain in his shoulder spread to his whole body, rendering him useless. In his despair, his thoughts turned to the One who had suffered so much more than he.

My Prince, You have called me to this place … to this mission. One of Your knights is in peril under Lord Ra. Help me to help him, my King. Strengthen my heart that I might not fail You.

It took a fair while before he could muster the fortitude to make another attempt, but eventually he rose and set his face like flint. Once again he positioned himself above the thick root. This time he pulled harder and twisted his body further until he heard and felt his shoulder pop. Instantly the stabbing pain was replaced by a dull, constant ache that was at least bearable.

Kendrick returned to the dead blood wolf and knelt in front of it. His sword was still embedded in the animal’s carcass. He had just placed his right hand on the hilt, wondering if there was enough strength left in his arm to remove it, when he heard the blood wolf growl.

Impossible!
Kendrick jumped back, bewildered. Then he realized the growl had come not from this animal, but from somewhere behind him. He slowly turned to see another blood wolf, even larger than the one he’d slain, crouching just three paces away.

Kendrick’s heart sank into his stomach, for he knew there was no escape.

The massive muscles of the blood wolf tightened in anticipation of the attack. It crouched for the lunge, fangs dripping. Then it froze, its head cocked to the left, ears lifted as if to listen. Kendrick took advantage of the pause and reached for his embedded sword, though he still believed the situation was all but hopeless.

Then Kendrick heard it too—the sound of air being split by a spear.

The blood wolf yelped as the spear sank deeply into its side. Kendrick pulled on his sword with all his might and carried the energy into a full swing that flew diagonally upward toward the blood wolf’s neck. His sword hit the creature’s shoulder in what should have been a deathblow, but the bony spines stopped the weapon short of its mark.

The injured wolf lunged for Kendrick. He rolled to the side at the last moment, barely avoiding the snapping jaws. Kendrick wondered how long it would take for the spear to kill it … and if he could last until then.

The blood wolf attacked again, and Kendrick could not bring his sword to bear in time. The powerful jaws of the beast crunched down on Kendrick’s leg and would have severed it instantly were it not for his armor. Even with the protection, teeth pierced his flesh. Kendrick swung his sword at the blood wolf’s neck but couldn’t bring enough power for his slice to be effective.

The blood wolf released its grip on Kendrick’s leg and lunged for his
throat … just as a powerful sword tore into its body from above. Shrieking with anger and pain, it turned on its new attacker. But by the time it positioned itself, another slice from the man’s sword had cut deeply into its throat. Blood spurted, and the beast collapsed.

Kendrick lay panting on the ground, stunned to discover he was still alive. He looked up, hardly believing what he saw.

“I thought you said they wouldn’t cross into another’s territory,” Kendrick said between deep breaths.

Landor shrugged. “I guess I was wrong.” He offered his hand to Kendrick and lifted him to his feet.

“To say that I am grateful is a bit of an understatement,” Kendrick said.

“I’m just glad I arrived in time.” Landor wiped the blood from his sword and slid it into his sheath with a businesslike snap. “We should be wary … if there were two, there could be more.”

Kendrick nodded. He bent stiffly to retrieve his own weapon. “I didn’t think I’d see you again, my friend.”

Landor shook his head, as if he couldn’t believe his own actions. “You are quite mad for doing this, and now I have become mad for helping you.” He pointed past the blood wolf’s carcass to a thick tangle of trees and bushes. “The entrance is just over there. Can you walk on that leg?”

Kendrick took a few steps. The pain from the blood wolf’s bite caused him to limp slightly but didn’t hinder him much. “I’ll be all right. Let’s go.”

They made their way carefully to the overgrown area and felt for the stones that would indicate the entrance. Brush and vines had completely covered the depression leading to the door and the stone retaining wall. They cleared them away, then used a stone to break open the rusty lock that hung from the door’s metal latch.

The thick wooden door creaked in resistance to the intrusion of its solitude. Kendrick saw Landor back up a step and wondered at his response. He looked at his older companion and recognized the face of fear.

“It’s all right, Landor. I can go alone.”

“No … you will need me. I just need a moment.”

Kendrick took a cloth from his pouch and wrapped it tightly about a thick branch. He poured oil from a small flask onto the cloth and then used flint stone and the flat of his sword to light it. When the torch was ablaze and he was set, he looked at Landor. The older knight nodded, and the two allies from different realms entered into the belly of evil.

THE DUNGEONS OF LORD RA

Kendrick and Landor made their way down a dank tunnel that smelled of old roots. The darkness seemed to swallow the torchlight, so they could only see a few paces ahead and behind them, and the low ceiling prevented them from walking completely upright. In places, they had to step over rubble dislodged by tree roots, and from time to time a large rat would squeal and scurry away into the darkness ahead.

They traveled for some distance, until Kendrick supposed that they must be close to the castle wall. They came to a crude set of stairs that led farther down into the depths of the earth beneath the castle. The ground became damp and the air even more stale. Kendrick found it difficult to breathe, and the ache in his shoulder and leg seemed to worsen, but he tried to keep his mind focused on Duncan and not on his own misery.

At the bottom of the stairs, they stepped into ankle-deep muck that clung to their boots. Here the tunnel split to the left and to the right. Kendrick remembered this first junction on Landor’s map but wanted to make sure of the direction.

“Which way do—,” Kendrick turned to ask, but Landor motioned
him to silence. “We are close to the dungeon now,” he whispered. “Lord Ra’s men may be near.”