| Fantasy Fiction posted October 5, 2018 | Chapters: |
...24 25 -26- 27... 
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A search party is sent out to find Hamish
A chapter in the book GULBRANDR- God's Sword
The Hunt for Hamish
by Roxanna Andrews
| Background A young warrior because the salvation for his people. |
Hamish had been gone from Wahaland for six weeks. Valtar, the council head, wondered what had become of him. Should he send a search party?
He held out little hope of finding the spiritual adviser alive. It was the dead of winter and if he had not frozen to death, he should have starved as he was no hunter. There was also little hope of finding a body as the wolves would have gotten it. Hamish had left for long periods before, but usually took a servant with him. This time he was alone.
If there was even the smallest chance he had survived, Valtar felt an obligation to find him. He paced the council chamber as he decided what he should do.
He had sent a party after Hamish the last time he had disappeared. His servants had returned without him, saying only he wished to go on alone. It made no sense to Valtar. Hamish did not like being on his own. The searchers could not find hide nor hair of him.
Valtar had searched for him on his own, to no avail. Why he even cared, he could not say.
Now the fool had disappeared again. Goran, Joshua's grandfather, would not want to risk men to go after him. He had no use for Hamish, nor had his two sons. Valtar wished to keep it from Joshua as well. The young leader would never approve of the men being taken away from their training. He would have to send a search party without anyone knowing. This would be his decision alone.
Valtar called six of his most trusted warriors to him. Their presence would be missed, but he would say he had sent them on a hunting expedition. "Tell no one what you are doing and take no chances. Return if the weather worsened, or you find no trail to follow." He had no wish to risk the lives of good men.
The men obeyed, but did not relish their assignment, they had no desire to look for Hamish. They had been training with Joshua and the mountain men and were loath to miss even a day. They spurred their mounts on to make haste and be done with the search as soon as was possible.
If Valtar had bothered to talk with Augdon or Joshua, he would have known that Hamish was alive and well and living among the horde. Augdon's spies had watched as the flying black beast had scooped him up, and messages were sent up and down the picket line reporting on the hapless adviser. They had rescued his horse from the wolves, as it was an excellent mount, but could not do the same for Hamish.
The spies had informed Augdon and their young Captain of Hamish's whereabouts as well as the change of leadership among the horde. It seemed a man who looked much like Hamish had taken command and they were on the move. "Three more villages have been plundered and destroyed, almost all the inhabitants killed except those taken captive to serve, or fight as slave warriors. This new leader is aggressive and more heartless, as it seemed he much enjoyed the killing and torture of his victims." Brock, Augdon's son-in-law told him.
From the description, Joshua surmised the new leader must be a Wahalander, but who among them, other than one the likes of Hamish, would join, let alone lead the horde? He went to Valtar and the council was called to meet.
The search party only went as far as the southern border. If Hamish went beyond it, he was on his own. They had found no trail nor any evidence of where he may have gone.
In the distance they could see a rider coming towards them with a white horse in tow. When they met, the rider introduced himself as Brock, Augdon's son-in-law. He had gotten word from Joshua that Valtar had sent men in search of Hamish. The young leader had seen the search party ride out and had confronted Valtar.
"Some weeks ago, Hamish was snatched by a great black beast and carried off. We saved his horse from the wolves." Drake handed the white stallion off to the lead rider. "We thought him a dead man, but he seems to have been taken in by the horde. In the past months, a new leader has taken control. He looks like a Wahalander, tall, white haired. He's not a mountain man, so he had to come out of Wahaland. He looks much like Hamish. Do you know, does he have any relatives?"
The younger men shook their heads, but the lead rider, an older man named Titus nodded. "He had an older brother, Lucas. He was nothing but trouble, that one. Lucas left maybe ten, twelve years ago. He and his father did not get along. We thought him dead all this time. Never figured him for one to survive in the wild. He was not right up here." Titus tapped his head. "I would never think a Wahalander could take up with the likes of them, but if anyone could, it would be Lucas."
One of the other men spoke up. "I do recall him now. He must be about my age. He was a strange one, for sure. How did he come to lead the horde?"
"That is a good question. But if he is as cunning as Hamish, who knows what he may have done to gain the confidence of the horde. One thing is for sure, he is pure evil," said Brock.
The men nodded in agreement.
"I must get back to my post." Brock put a hand up in farewell, and began to turn his mount. Titus threw him the lead to Hamish's horse.
"You keep the horse. You've earned him."
Brock nodded his thanks and spurred his mount into a slow run. The stallion eager to burn off energy, ran ahead. Brock removed the lead and let him have his head. The search party turned toward home.
A council meeting had been called and when they arrived back in the village, the searchers went straight to the chambers to report what they had learned.
"Brock, met us. He says the horde have a new leader, sounds like it may be Lucas, Hamish's brother. Hamish seems to have joined him," Titus reported.
"Yes," said Valtar. "We had come to the same conclusion. I had forgotten Lucas, thinking him dead all these years. But, it is not surprising he would end up with the horde. Now that Hamish has joined we have to assume he told them everything about Wahaland and the mountain fortress."
"We must go out to meet the horde and not let them come to us," decided Joshua. "We must engage them out in the open, far from the village and Purple Mountains. We will move all who cannot fight to the fortress for safety. I'll leave warriors behind. The fortress can easily be defended. We cannot let them get past us. The sea is beyond the mountains and then the trade ports. All will be lost if they get that far."
Augdon and the council agreed and plans were put into place to leave in a fortnight.
He held out little hope of finding the spiritual adviser alive. It was the dead of winter and if he had not frozen to death, he should have starved as he was no hunter. There was also little hope of finding a body as the wolves would have gotten it. Hamish had left for long periods before, but usually took a servant with him. This time he was alone.
If there was even the smallest chance he had survived, Valtar felt an obligation to find him. He paced the council chamber as he decided what he should do.
He had sent a party after Hamish the last time he had disappeared. His servants had returned without him, saying only he wished to go on alone. It made no sense to Valtar. Hamish did not like being on his own. The searchers could not find hide nor hair of him.
Valtar had searched for him on his own, to no avail. Why he even cared, he could not say.
Now the fool had disappeared again. Goran, Joshua's grandfather, would not want to risk men to go after him. He had no use for Hamish, nor had his two sons. Valtar wished to keep it from Joshua as well. The young leader would never approve of the men being taken away from their training. He would have to send a search party without anyone knowing. This would be his decision alone.
Valtar called six of his most trusted warriors to him. Their presence would be missed, but he would say he had sent them on a hunting expedition. "Tell no one what you are doing and take no chances. Return if the weather worsened, or you find no trail to follow." He had no wish to risk the lives of good men.
The men obeyed, but did not relish their assignment, they had no desire to look for Hamish. They had been training with Joshua and the mountain men and were loath to miss even a day. They spurred their mounts on to make haste and be done with the search as soon as was possible.
If Valtar had bothered to talk with Augdon or Joshua, he would have known that Hamish was alive and well and living among the horde. Augdon's spies had watched as the flying black beast had scooped him up, and messages were sent up and down the picket line reporting on the hapless adviser. They had rescued his horse from the wolves, as it was an excellent mount, but could not do the same for Hamish.
The spies had informed Augdon and their young Captain of Hamish's whereabouts as well as the change of leadership among the horde. It seemed a man who looked much like Hamish had taken command and they were on the move. "Three more villages have been plundered and destroyed, almost all the inhabitants killed except those taken captive to serve, or fight as slave warriors. This new leader is aggressive and more heartless, as it seemed he much enjoyed the killing and torture of his victims." Brock, Augdon's son-in-law told him.
From the description, Joshua surmised the new leader must be a Wahalander, but who among them, other than one the likes of Hamish, would join, let alone lead the horde? He went to Valtar and the council was called to meet.
The search party only went as far as the southern border. If Hamish went beyond it, he was on his own. They had found no trail nor any evidence of where he may have gone.
In the distance they could see a rider coming towards them with a white horse in tow. When they met, the rider introduced himself as Brock, Augdon's son-in-law. He had gotten word from Joshua that Valtar had sent men in search of Hamish. The young leader had seen the search party ride out and had confronted Valtar.
"Some weeks ago, Hamish was snatched by a great black beast and carried off. We saved his horse from the wolves." Drake handed the white stallion off to the lead rider. "We thought him a dead man, but he seems to have been taken in by the horde. In the past months, a new leader has taken control. He looks like a Wahalander, tall, white haired. He's not a mountain man, so he had to come out of Wahaland. He looks much like Hamish. Do you know, does he have any relatives?"
The younger men shook their heads, but the lead rider, an older man named Titus nodded. "He had an older brother, Lucas. He was nothing but trouble, that one. Lucas left maybe ten, twelve years ago. He and his father did not get along. We thought him dead all this time. Never figured him for one to survive in the wild. He was not right up here." Titus tapped his head. "I would never think a Wahalander could take up with the likes of them, but if anyone could, it would be Lucas."
One of the other men spoke up. "I do recall him now. He must be about my age. He was a strange one, for sure. How did he come to lead the horde?"
"That is a good question. But if he is as cunning as Hamish, who knows what he may have done to gain the confidence of the horde. One thing is for sure, he is pure evil," said Brock.
The men nodded in agreement.
"I must get back to my post." Brock put a hand up in farewell, and began to turn his mount. Titus threw him the lead to Hamish's horse.
"You keep the horse. You've earned him."
Brock nodded his thanks and spurred his mount into a slow run. The stallion eager to burn off energy, ran ahead. Brock removed the lead and let him have his head. The search party turned toward home.
A council meeting had been called and when they arrived back in the village, the searchers went straight to the chambers to report what they had learned.
"Brock, met us. He says the horde have a new leader, sounds like it may be Lucas, Hamish's brother. Hamish seems to have joined him," Titus reported.
"Yes," said Valtar. "We had come to the same conclusion. I had forgotten Lucas, thinking him dead all these years. But, it is not surprising he would end up with the horde. Now that Hamish has joined we have to assume he told them everything about Wahaland and the mountain fortress."
"We must go out to meet the horde and not let them come to us," decided Joshua. "We must engage them out in the open, far from the village and Purple Mountains. We will move all who cannot fight to the fortress for safety. I'll leave warriors behind. The fortress can easily be defended. We cannot let them get past us. The sea is beyond the mountains and then the trade ports. All will be lost if they get that far."
Augdon and the council agreed and plans were put into place to leave in a fortnight.
Hamish-Spiritual Adviser to Wahaland council
Valtar_Council head
Goran-Joshua's Grandfather
Brock-Augdon's son-in-law
Augdon-Leader of the Mountain Men
Lucas-Leader of the Horde and Hamish's brother
Joshua-The Young Captain and Hero
Pays
one point
and 2 member cents. Valtar_Council head
Goran-Joshua's Grandfather
Brock-Augdon's son-in-law
Augdon-Leader of the Mountain Men
Lucas-Leader of the Horde and Hamish's brother
Joshua-The Young Captain and Hero
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