Part Four

It was an erect, unhewn stone, taller than a man yet shorter than a house. Yet on it were angular symbols. A round glade surrounded it, and beyond the glade wild trees grew thickly, tangling up together. In the soft, white moonlight beaming directly upon the stone, these symbols could be clearly seen.
"It's a rune stone," murmured Galen in awe.
Nevsky scrutinised the letters, then said, "Can any of you read this?"
"Not me," Galen said. Meanwhile, Hideoshi stared at the foreign letters, and suddenly, he could read them as well as his native language.
"I can read it," he said, marvelling at his ability to do so. "It says: Anomijiah erected this in memory of his wife, Enya, for whom he mourns to the end of the ages."
Nevsky cocked his head and stared at Hideoshi. "Were you ever taught," he asked Hideoshi, "how to read runestones?"
"No, it just came to me."
"See, I told you that there was fairy blood in you!" Gloated Nevsky.
But Galen cried out before a bewildered Hideoshi could respond,"So what does that mean? I mean, who is Anomijah and this wife of his?"
"I don't know," murmured Hideoshi, still gazing at the runestone.
As he stared, a vision came to his sight. A woman, crossing a great plain of rustling grass, a child at her side. Mountains, the same ones Hideoshi knew from childhood, stood before her. Then, she was dead, lying on a stone bier in the mountains, but older, and her adult son stood beside her in grief. A man of Fairy race swooped down beside the body, and bore it away weeping inconsolably, while the woman's son gazed gravely after.
The vision faded, yet Hideoshi stood transfixed, staring without realising it. Nevsky and Galen, alarmed by his behaviour, shouted, "What's wrong with you?"
An orange glow appeared in the horizon, and the faint thunder of cannons booming sounded to the east. A faint roar like rushing water rose and fell.
"They're fighting again," said Galen. "Can you handle it like a man this time, Nevsky?"
"I'll try-verry hard," Nevsky replied, "but I'm so afraid."
"Come on then. Let's follow that glow," said Hideoshi.
They trudged towards the east, where cannon fire flashed white, and the deep orange glow of sunrise began to cut through the black horizon. Though there was no snowfall, icy winds from the west pushed them forward, lashing them with tingling cold. Numbness and sleepiness strove to conquer them, yet they marched on.
They stumbled into camp after a long while. Most of the soldiers were already fighting at Valash, but the Third Company remained, preparing to join the others in battle.
"Where've you all been? Since Galen's been gone, we've been short on a medic, a mailman, and a bearer of all news," some of them asked.
Galen replied, "We've almost been lost and frozen, Hideoshi and I, all on account of this newbie here!"-pointing to Nevsky, who hung his head while weeping silent tears.
"What's the plan for today?" Hideoshi quickly asked, while glancing at Nevsky.
"Oh, we're going to try out that cannon we captured. Hopefully, it'll blast some walls!"
"Okay."
"Third Company, march!" Shouted an officer. "To Valash!"
The company arose, dragging themselves and their equipment onto the road to Valash. The three joined the rest of the company, falling in line.
"Galen," said Hideoshi. "Why did you have to shame Nevsky in front of the others?"
Galen laughed. "It wasn't much! And his cowardice made me lose some quality snoozing!"
"I know, Nevsky's bothered me, too" Hideoshi murmured. "But what would you do, if you were new, shy, and alone in a hostile environment totally different from home, only to discover that home and the people you cherished were gone forever by a cruel deed? Would you stolidly continue on? No! You would suffer great loss and pain within. For to love is to suffer."
"Where'd you hear that?" Piped up Nevsky.
"From my father."
"But," interposed Galen, "I thought that love brought great joy."
"It does. Joy so great that the pain is borne with love"
Nevsky shouted, "We're falling behind!"
The three hastened their steps.
After wading through snow for an hour, the Third Company reached the summit of the plateau. Bodies were strewn about, and the tumult of screaming, shouting men accompanied with the booms of cannons resonated about them.
"Hideoshi!" Shouted a sergeant. "You captured this cannon! See if you can make it work!"
"Yes, sir!" Hideoshi replied while saluting.
"Nevsky, Galen, help me now, won't you?"
"Yep," said Galen, while Nevsky nodded.
They strode over to the cannon, a long, black tube of iron bound with steel hoops set upon steel wheels. Hideoshi looked it over, while sighing, "If only this thing would work for me."
Instantly, the cannon lit itself, and blasted a cannonball towards the walls of Valash. An impact, and chunk of stone were sent hurtling into the air, as that section of the wall crumbled.
A hush fell upon the battlefield, and the roar of the Valashian cannons ceased.
Galen, wide-eyed, turned to Hideoshi, whispering, "How'd you do that?"
"I don't know, but when I said that I wished that the cannon would make itself work, it felt like power went out from me, a strange, deep power."
Nevsky grinned slightly, but said nothing.
Again Hideoshi's cannon fired, collapsing more of the wall. Finally realising what happened, the Valashians resumed the firing of their cannons and crossbows.
"All of you, except Eighth Company, storm the breach!" Shouted the officers.