28
I think I felt her death. Maybe I just felt a thousand zombies turning in their grave, suddenly without direction or connection. Or perhaps it was the five hundred boars arriving to join with their kind. There was quite a bit to feel.
He could have died. I knew that. It was obvious that she wouldn’t be unprotected. Hell, look at what they had to go through to get to me. Surly she had similar protections.
I could have lost him. And just after we truly found each other. Past all of the superstition and taboo, and finally, briefly, into each other’s arms.
I trusted him, however. So much so that I sent Adian with him. I knew that even if he couldn’t save himself, he’d save Adian. I’ve seen him do that before. Put someone’s life before his own. He’d die before anything happened to Adian. But, the problem still remained, I didn’t want him to die, just as much as I didn’t want Adian to die.
So, I guess one could say that I sent him because I knew, without doubt, that he would succeed. He would reach her. He would bring her down. He would end this threat.
And he would — for me.
My heart will shatter if either Adian or Fenrir doesn’t return. I may not be able to remain queen — but the realm will be safe. These people will be safe.
From the top of my Keep I surveyed the lands and read messages and signals. The boars were performing far better than expected. Weighing in at twice the weight of a zombie on the average, and with their muscle and tusks, they tore through them like paper dolls. They dug them from the ground, chased them down with rage in their voices. Then they went looking for more.
Two of my men were injured so far. One had his leg bitten, but had a sidearm and was able to kill the boar with a bullet through the head. Last I heard, Alexis was sure the leg would be saved. The other got caught in a rush and trampled. He was critical and we would likely lose him.
I sent up flares and guided the stampede. That’s what it was. A slightly controlled stampede of wild boar. My men weren’t as much herding them, as trying to keep up. Even the Kind were challenged by these beasts.
"Any word, Iris?" I asked. She knew what word I meant.
"None," she answered, looking toward the hill with worry in her eyes.
"The sun is low," I commented.
Iris didn’t respond.
When the sun set the sounds became more acute. Certainly more gruesome as the mind tried to make sense of them. Children below in the walls cried and held their mothers and fathers.
I sent down word that all children should be taken to the Temple. There was no need for this so young. They had their whole lives to be horrified by the real world.
About two hours after dark, the noises calmed down.
I asked one of the pig farmers about it, and he said, "Gotta sleep sometime."
"I suppose they do. They did well, don’t you think?" I offered.
"My’Lady, they certainly did, and if I hadn’t seen it, I doubt my belief would have been easy to fetch." He looked as if they were all his children, and perhaps in a way they were.
Turning to Iris, I said, "I want men in their bunks, and ready for watch in four hours. And a new shift in eight. The pigs might sleep, but the zombies we know nothing about."
"Best they don’t attack those pigs while they’re sleeping," the farmer said. "Not healthy that."
No, I was betting the same thing. "Also Iris, get our men back and away from the herd. If they get set off, I don’t want anyone caught in the tide."
"Wise choice that," the farmer agreed with a lazy draw.
"Sir," I asked, "would you do me the kind favor of going down to the Queen’s Inn, and informing them of its new name? The Boar’s Tavern."
He lit up like it was Winterfest. "I will indeed my’Lady. I will indeed."
"And all comers, have one on the house. Tell the keeper Mark will settle in the morning."
"Yes, my’Lady. Yes, indeed!"
Iris stepped up and watched him go. "It probably cost you more to get that farmer off the roof, than the whole rest of this campaign."
I grinned, but then frowned. "The butcher hasn’t given me his bill yet. We’ll wait and see."
Flares were sent and answered. For the next hour and a half, almost to mid-watch, horsemen, infantry and Kind came in through the gates. The generators were on and search lights reached out with solid white beams looking for zombies or creatures. Threats — and missing allies.
I went down to the gate, thanking the men as they came in. They were tired, and worn. Some had minor injuries which weren’t reported. Talk told me we lost seven horses.
Rough, tired and hungry, they stumbled in and to the line of lamb stew pots waiting for them. The Kind thanked the servers, but went off to their own area where I soon heard cleavers hitting blocks, and saw the shine of fires against the back walls.
As roughly used as they appeared when they rode in, it was only a bowl of stew away from voices rising up with tales and tellings of combat.
The soldiers were animated in their telling, and I found myself caught up in the action as well. From the tales there were more than just zombies out there. There were odd creatures of enormous size and strength that the riders had to bring down with rifles and spears. The boars, however, were said to be fearless in defending their kind from harm. Zombie, creature, horse, rider, they killed what acted as if it wanted to be killed.
"Boars attack and defend the queen!" shouted a young boy who covered his head with a blanket and charged into a group of other boys. The other boys laughed, and pulled their shirts up to cover their heads, and charged around with him.
"Do you feel defended, highness?" Iris asked.
"I certainly do," I laughed. This was met with approval of all who were near, as cheers rose up and toasts were made as I passed.
Still no Fenrir. No Adian either. Neither one. She was dead. That bitch of a zombie Queen. May? May you rot in hell. I could feel it in my bones.
Doctor Alexis came up to me. "Is anyone infected? Infected with possibly the same thing Iris and Karal were?"
"Not that I know of," I told her. "As far as I’ve heard, no one got close enough to the zombies. Everyone was injured by pigs."
"Oh, that’s a shame. Boar mouths have such aggressive anti-bacterials I doubt any of it would have survived long." She looked a bit put out.
"I take it you have found something?" I asked.
"Something. Yes, something, but I need more to work with," she said, looking around, as if willing someone to start seeping red goo from their eyes and ears.
The gate bell rang, and I ran to the guard asking what was out there.
"I think it’s Bryce," the guard called down. "Shifted, and carrying someone."
"Open the door," I said, going to the door beside the gate. "Only the door. I’ve never seen him shifted. I don’t know what to expect." I looked back to Iris. "Send for Karal!"
Then, like a surfacing shadow the bulk of Víðarr was beside me, "I’ll go with you."
We went outside, and met what looked like a Minotaur from the old stories. He was huge, and his head bore massive horns. Over his shoulder he carried what looked to be a bloody and bound nude woman.
Then I saw his eyes.
"Bryce? Bryce! What happen to your eyes?" I wailed. My body felt unable to stand on its own. My lungs felt like they air in them had been lit on fire.
The woman turned to me and screamed, "I ate them, you silly cow! And I’m going to eat yours too!"
Oh my goddess, is that Madb?