Ranger's Apprentice: Alex + The Burning Bridge (Discontinued)

The Bridge and the Skandians

The tunnel, level at first started to angle steeply upward as the twins went on. The walls and floors showed evidence of the Celts' picks and drills as they had torn and gouged at the rock to widen the path.

The tunnel opened up so that four or five men could walk side by side. 

A circle of light showed at the end of the tunnel. Alex estimated that she'd traveled maybe three hundred meters in total and the end was another forty away. 

When she reached it, she saw that the light was more than just the moonlight.

Here, the hills separated, forming a large valley and about two hundred meters across and half a kilometer long. To one side, the moonlight showed her massive wooden structures leading up to the higher reaches of the plateau. Staircases, she realized after a few moments' study.

The floor of the valley was lit with campfires and there were hundreds figures moving in the flickering orange light. Alex guessed that this would be assembly area for Morgarath's army. At the moment, it was where the Wargals kept their Celt prisoners at night. 

Alex slowly moved to the right. Will went to the left. Alex found a bush and slowly moved forward to it. She crouched down to take stock of the situation.

The plateau that formed the greater part of Morgarath's domain was still at least fifty meters above this point. But the staircases and the less formidable slope of the surrounding hills would provide relatively easy access down to this valley. The valley itself must be some thirty meters above the level where the bridge stood. The sloping tunnel would take troops down to the bridge from here. 

There was a rough stockade in the center of the valley. Inside the wooden fencing, she could see a large number of small fires, each with a group of figures seated or sprawled around it. This was the prisoners' compound, she guessed.

Large fires out side the compound marked the places where the Wargals were camped. He could see the hulking, shambling forms clearly against the firelight as they moved around. Yet there was one fire close to Will, that seemed different. The figures seemed more upright, more humanoid in the way they stood and carried themselves.

Alex moved closer to the Wargals. All she could hear was a series of grunts and snarls. She couldn't make out anything, so she moved closer to the other figures. 

There was a haunch of some kind of meat roasting slowly over the fire and the smell of it set her mouth watering. She'd been traveling for days on cold rations and the meat filled the air with a delicious fragrance. 

One of them leaned forward to slice off a chunk of the meat, juggling the hot, greasy food in his hand as he took it. The movement let the firelight shine clearly on him and Alex could see that these were not Wargals. 

From the rough sheepskin vests, woolen legging bound with tapes and heavy seal-fur boots, she recognized them as Skandians. Then seeing the man she recognized them as the men who would take her and Will and Evanlyn in the future. She drew a sharp gasp and her face drained of all color. 

Further study showed that their shields and battleaxes and horned helmets were in a pile at the edge of the campsite. 

The man who had moved finished his meat and wiped his greasy hands on his sheepskin vest. He belched, then settled himself in a more comfortable spot by the fire.

"Be damned glad when Olvak's men get here." he said in the thick, almost indecipherable accent of Skandia. They spoke the same tongue of the kingdom, although hearing it now, Alex almost didn't recognize it.

The other sea wolves growled their agreement. There were four of them around the fire. 

Then a Wargal started heading toward the Skandians' fire. "Ullo," said one of the Skandians in a low voice. "Ere comes one of Morgarath's beauties."