Chapter XX
On the Road
The following very cold morning finds the group standing outside the house they have inhabited for the past few months. It certainly felt weird to Vernon, who despite his attempts to get the group moving, he found himself wishing that they had chosen to remain, talking about leaving was one thing, but actually going through with it turned out to be quite another. Despite this though it had to be done, and he along with the rest of the group began to make tracks. That was at least until Martin turns around and runs back towards Jack and holds onto his legs.
“I want you to come with us.” Martin said holding onto Jack’s leg to the point when the lad was starting to lose the feeling in his right foot. He had known that his youngest brother was going to react this way, so he kneels down so that he is on an eye level with Martin whilst also gently detaching himself from his youngest brother.
“I know you do, but I have to stay here.” Jack said, he had explained this to him an hour ago, when the seven-year-old had first woken up to the news. Although he didn’t give the whole reason as to why. As he speaks tears appear in Martin's eyes.
“Why?” Martin said, as his face glistened with the tears that were running down his cheeks.
“I just do, now that I'm not going to be around. I need you to look after everyone. Can you do that?” Jack said, wiping the tears off his brothers face and clapping him on the shoulder.
“I think so.” Martin said looking up at his eldest brother, smiling slightly at the comment. Jack smiled back and got up of his knees and looked down at Martin.
“Good little brother. Now get going.” Jack replies as he ushers the youngest Wolfrick back towards the group, who leave the town square and out through the gates.
As Codsworth turns around for one last look at the town, he sees that Jack wasn’t the only one who was watching them leave, every few houses people watched as the travellers made their way out of their quiet little hamlet and out into the wilderland. Whether relieved or fearful however, the commander didn’t know. All he did know was, that they had done enough to leave their mark on this town and that was enough, maybe it might force them to begin preparations to fortify their boarder against the enemy. But in his heart of hearts, he had a feeling that these people would be woefully unequipped to deal with the enemy.
By the time that the group of southerners had finished their first week in the wilderland, it would be a miracle if they were ever to make it to the mountain. The simple fact remained that they had woefully underestimated the task at hand. The mountain fortress may have been visible on the horizon, but that was only due to its apparent enormity rather than its current distance from them. Not that seeing the mountain rising into the clouds were anything other than extraordinary, it wasn’t enough to sooth their aching feet.
“How close are we?” Abi asked looking towards the mountain, now seriously questioning if the gigantic natural structure was nothing more than a mirage, like what she had heard littered the eastern wastelands.
“About hundred miles, should be another three weeks before we reach the gates. If we’re lucky.” Vernon said, it had taken him this long to realise that they were now going to be at the mercy of luck. They had already had to detour around canyons where bridges had collapsed, or hills that were too steep to climb.
“Aye the terrain will be difficult, but we should manage.” Codsworth said as he took a look at his map, whilst starting to wonder how old the thing was, as certain man-made structures were no longer where they should be. At the comment however, Dmitri who is leaning heavily on his stick smirks.
“You lot will manage, don't know about myself though.” Dmitri said hollowly, he too was seeing the problems, although unlike the rest, he was having to make the journey one legged. Before he could make another comment about his lack of a body part however, Dave returns from his scout.
“Got a location to set up camp. Nothing else out there.” Dave said, he alone, with the possible exception of Brutus, seemed to be at ease with the rough landscape. In fact, it was all Codsworth could do keep him reined in at times, it was like being back on the mountains again, only this times there were a lot more places that he could run off to, and he fully intended to see as much of the wilderland as possible.
“Good lad. Although the quiet is bit uneasy for my liking.” Codsworth said, finishing with a hint of unease, as a few days after leaving the town, they had expected to come across some form of life, but so far there had been nothing. He pushed this thought to the back of his mind however when Bruce spoke up.
“How far is it?” Bruce asked, that would be important, as he had no idea how far out the kid had gone in search of somewhere to camp. The last few times he had reported places to hold up that were up to three miles away.
“About a mile away. No more.” Dave said shrugging, as if crossing a mile in this terrain was the easiest thing in the world. The commander was about to ask the kid to go out again, but Dmitri nodded and limped off to the front, clearly determined to not be close to rear this time around and with that, the group begin to walk until they reach the resting place where Dave had said it would be best to make camp.
A fortnight had passed since they had left Bergskort, and the commander was starting to get worried about their lack of progress, what with Dmitri’s ever worsening condition, Vernon’s old age, and allowing both Nick and Martin to keep up, they had only covered about half of what they were supposed to have done, and things were about to get even more difficult as the group sit around the fire, whilst Dave and Brutus were out scouting, and Bruce stands guard.
“We've done the easy bit. The next leg will be a lot harder.” Codsworth said, as he consulted his crude map, whilst the dwarves were famed for their craftmanship and had built many of the roads that dotted this land, many had not been maintained and had fallen into such a state of disrepair, that it was honestly easier and quicker to travel cross country.
“Aye, the ground ain't going to be smooth anymore. It's going to become difficult to walk across.” Jimmy said, in the brief number of times he had been called onto to scout, he had found the roads and bridges ahead in very bad shape. Which was a problem, as due to the terrain, most of the landscape ahead was comprised of varying sizes of hills, and whilst if they were on horseback the going wouldn’t be too tough, on foot it was easier but longer to avoid the roads going up the hill side and just to go around.
“Yes, I had hoped to for us to run into a dwarven patrol. But so far no luck.” Codsworth said, a few years ago, it was almost impossible to avoid the dwarves as they patrolled on foot, or more often, by goat. But now was different, they seemed to be afraid to leave the safety of their mountain halls and would send out only a fraction of the scouts and guards as they used to.
“As long as we keep moving, we should eventually stumble across one.” Charlie said, whilst the law of averages did support this theory, with every passing day, the groups hope of coming upon the mountains dwellers was shrinking.
“Let's hope they've friendly.” Vernon said, in truth he knew very little about the mountain people, and whilst the few he had met, on the rare occasions that Alan had gone to deal with them, or them to him, they had seemed good. But like all peoples, there would be those that would not take to them. He was distracted then by the return of Dave and Brutus, both looking tired, but still alive.
“Any sign of life.” Codsworth said, that had been his other worry, they were now within eighty miles of the mountain, and they should be hearing the birds that often nested there by now. But so far nothing, to say it was creepy would have been an understatement, but every day that passed, the more and more Codsworth believed that they were the only life out here for miles.
“Nothing. You're right Codsworth, it's too quiet.” Brutus said, he had initially dismissed the lack of sound, but even he was starting to get quite nervous at their apparent loneliness. Not only that, but there was also a lack of huntable game out there, and whilst they hopefully had enough to get to the mountain, if they had to take anymore detours around hills and ravines, they would be in serious trouble before too long.
“Aye, we should be hearing the crows from the mountain, but I've not heard them.” Codsworth spoke as he looked skywards, but if he hoped that the reddening sky would keep his worst fears in check, he was sadly mistaken, in was as barren as the land that they were resting on. He sighs as the sun begins to dip below the horizon. “Right, I'll stay on guard with Brutus and wait for the other two to come back. The rest of you get some sleep. We leave at sunrise.” Codsworth said and as the remains of the group retreat to their collection of small tents. Codsworth and Brutus walk up to where Bruce is standing his watch.
“I won’t be much more use once the sun goes down fellers.” Bruce said as he observed the sun continue to disappear.
“Lucky I'm here then.” Brutus said as he sat down on the ground and watched the sunset. It was something that he liked to do on most nights, and he would often go out of his way to do it. Even if it annoyed the commander.
“You can see in this darkness?” Bruce asked, as he watched Brutus just sitting on the cold, stone covered ground. At this Brutus looks over at the translator as if he had just been asked the most stupid question in the world.
“The perks of being a wear-bear. Gives you good vision at night.” Brutus said as he returned to th sunset, Bruce only shrugged and headed back to the camp, his watch now over and he was thankful for that, as he needed to rest. This left Codsworth and Brutus alone to watch the camp, and although the commander was exhausted, he knew that sleep was unlikely to come to him, whilst the questions in his head remained unanswered.
“You two, over here please.” Codsworth said, walking over and then gesturing at the two youngest members of their little group to come over, despite their age, the commander had been thinking about how limited in numbers and vulnerable they were out here. So, whilst keeping guard the previous night, he had come to his decision. As both Nick and Martin walk over to join Codsworth, looking equally confused at the situation, and wondering what they had done wrong. Seeing this the commander only smiled. “You don’t need to look so worried.” Codsworth said as he proceeded to hand the pair a gun each.
“Cool.” Nick said taking the weapon eagerly, martin did the same, although with a bit more trepidation than his older brother. He tried to hand it back, but Codsworth shook his head at this attempt.
“Take them, at least until we reach the mountain.” Codsworth said, whilst they would be safe once they reached the mountain, or so he hoped at least. They were still many miles away from Normanguard at the moment.
“Really?” Martin said, as he held the gun in front of him and took aim at a nearby tree. The commander smiled at this and gently moved the gun, so it faced the ground. Not that it would fire yet, as the safety was still on.
“Yes, really. Just don't let Vernon see just yet.” Codsworth said, whilst he had not talked to the old butler about this decision just yet, he doubted that he would want the young boys armed at this present moment.
The group head out along the ruins of a road, to their immediate left was a small woodland and a collection of large hills to their right. Apart from the lack of noise, it couldn’t have been a better day, the road was a lot better than they could have hoped for and they were able to make a good enough pace.
All that came to an end however, As Codsworth, who was at the head of the group, suddenly stops and raises his hand. He had heard something coming towards them to their right, if it hadn’t been for the quiet of the past few days, he would have missed it, but now it echoed through the hills like nothing else that he had ever heard.
“What is it?” Charlie asked as she took out her gun, they could all hear it now, the sounds of faint groans coming from the hills. As Codsworth gets out a pair of binoculars, both Barca and Jimmy also take out their guns and set up in position. The lieutenant didn’t need Codsworth’s next below. He had heard that sound before, back in the trenches in front of Wolfrick manor.
“A Hoard!” Codsworth shouted as he drops the binoculars and took out his pistols, raising them and begins to fire at the oncoming hoard. In that moment, he didn’t think it was odd that the enemy were this far north, or how they could have possibly got here, all that mattered was killing them as quickly as possible. They had enough food to last them, but the one thing they had forgotten to ask for was more ammunition, mostly because they knew that the town was running low.
The commander was then deafened by the huge roar of Brutus, who had turned into his bear from and charged headlong at the enemy, with apparently no concern for his own life at all.
Even with the aid of Brutus and the constant gunfire from them, the hoard just kept on coming, turning around Codsworth could see Martin aiming his own gun and taking pot shots. In that moment he wonders what could have possessed him to arm the seven-year-old and called out to him.
“Martin! Head for the trees and hide!” Codsworth yelled as he shot two more zombies in the head. The seven-year-old only looked at him in a confused manor.
“But?” Martin started, he had after all been given a gun, which meant that the commander expected him to fight. But before he could speak up on this train of thought, Codsworth rushed over to him quickly.
“Just go! We'll come and get you once we're finished here!” Codsworth said, patting the boy on the shoulder and heading back into the battle. As he does so Martin stares at the fast-approaching hoard, decides to simply obey the order and proceeds to run into the hopeful safety of the trees.
The group continues to battle the advancing horde, with more and more ferocity, as each member ran out of ammo, they took to using whatever melee weapons they could get their hands on, and where none were available, they resorted to using the butts of their guns as literal clubs. Despite this the only time a member of the group was close to danger was when Abi was almost getting dragged off as she reloaded her gun, only for hulking bear from of Brutus comes charging into the rescue, savaging any zombie that he could get his blood-soaked paws on. In fact, if it hadn’t been for the wear-bear, Codsworth doubted that they would have survived the encounter.
As the afternoon hurries by, the commander could see that the hoard was starting to thin out, no longer were they an unnatural splodge on the landscape, now it was like very thin short mud-coloured rivers coming towards them. Seeing this Codsworth and Bruce draw the axe’s that they had received back in Bergskort and charges towards the remains of the hoard, it was slow work, as he had to drive the blae of the axe, deep into the rotting skulls, but eventually, the pair began to thin out the numbers. After about half an hour, the hoard begins to retreat, and not a moment too soon, the commander thought, as he took his gun and tried to fire, only to discover that it was finally out of ammo. Sighing he walked back to his group, who had won a great victory here, unaware for the moment about how soon that victory would come to feel like a bitter defeat.
