Unavailable
Unavailable
Unavailable
Ebook83 pages1 hour
Beyond the Black River
Rating: 0 out of 5 stars
()
Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this ebook
"Beyond the Black River" is one of the original short stories about Conan the Cimmerian, written by American author Robert E. Howard. A young settler named Balthus encounters Conan in the forests slaying a forest devil. Accompanying the young man back to the Fort, Conan finds the body of a merchant ensorcelled by a Pictish wizard named Zogar Sag and slain by a swamp demon.
The Fort Tuscelan Commander, Valannus, is a desperate man and asks Conan to slay Zogar Sag before he raises the Picts against the whole borderlands. Taking a hand picked team of scouts and Balthus, Conan sets off stealthily in canoes. Balthus is captured and most of Conan's men slaughtered in an ambush.
Balthus and one of the Scouts are tied to stakes and the scout is sacrificed by Zogar Sag to one of his jungle creatures. Before Balthus can meet a similar fate, Conan sets the Pictish village on fire and the two flee into the woods. Conan tells Balthus of the cult of Jhebbal Sag, now forgotten by most. Once all living things worshipped him when men and beasts spoke the same language. Over time men and most beasts forgot his worship. Zogar Sag has not, however, and can control those few animals and creatures who also remember. And they are on Conan's trail now.
Conan is able to neutralize them using a symbol he once noticed, and the pair hurry to return to the Fort to warn them of the impending Pictish assault, but they are too late.
They then go to warn the settlers that the Picts have crossed the river and are raiding. They are joined by Slasher, a feral dog formerly owned by a settler who had been slain by the Picts. Balthus is sent on to warn settlers of the coming Pict raid, and Conan parts from him to warn a group of settler who had gone to gather salt. Balthus warns the settlers, and—accompanied by Slasher—makes a stand against the coming Pict raiders. Their sacrifice delays the Picts and give the settlers time to reach safety. Conan manages to warn the salt-gathering party in time, but finds he has been marked for death by the gods of darkness for misusing the symbol of Jhebbal Sag. In the end Conan triumphs, but the fort is lost.
The story ends in a tavern. A survivor tells Conan about the courageous act of Balthus and Slasher, and how their final stand had delayed the Picts just barely long enough for the settlers to reach safety. Upon hearing of the fight, Conan vowed to take the heads of ten Picts to pay for Balthus' sacrifice, along with seven heads for the dog, who was "a better warrior than many a man."
The Fort Tuscelan Commander, Valannus, is a desperate man and asks Conan to slay Zogar Sag before he raises the Picts against the whole borderlands. Taking a hand picked team of scouts and Balthus, Conan sets off stealthily in canoes. Balthus is captured and most of Conan's men slaughtered in an ambush.
Balthus and one of the Scouts are tied to stakes and the scout is sacrificed by Zogar Sag to one of his jungle creatures. Before Balthus can meet a similar fate, Conan sets the Pictish village on fire and the two flee into the woods. Conan tells Balthus of the cult of Jhebbal Sag, now forgotten by most. Once all living things worshipped him when men and beasts spoke the same language. Over time men and most beasts forgot his worship. Zogar Sag has not, however, and can control those few animals and creatures who also remember. And they are on Conan's trail now.
Conan is able to neutralize them using a symbol he once noticed, and the pair hurry to return to the Fort to warn them of the impending Pictish assault, but they are too late.
They then go to warn the settlers that the Picts have crossed the river and are raiding. They are joined by Slasher, a feral dog formerly owned by a settler who had been slain by the Picts. Balthus is sent on to warn settlers of the coming Pict raid, and Conan parts from him to warn a group of settler who had gone to gather salt. Balthus warns the settlers, and—accompanied by Slasher—makes a stand against the coming Pict raiders. Their sacrifice delays the Picts and give the settlers time to reach safety. Conan manages to warn the salt-gathering party in time, but finds he has been marked for death by the gods of darkness for misusing the symbol of Jhebbal Sag. In the end Conan triumphs, but the fort is lost.
The story ends in a tavern. A survivor tells Conan about the courageous act of Balthus and Slasher, and how their final stand had delayed the Picts just barely long enough for the settlers to reach safety. Upon hearing of the fight, Conan vowed to take the heads of ten Picts to pay for Balthus' sacrifice, along with seven heads for the dog, who was "a better warrior than many a man."
Unavailable
Read more from Robert E. Howard
The Christmas Library: 250+ Essential Christmas Novels, Poems, Carols, Short Stories...by 100+ Authors Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Cthulhu Mythos MEGAPACK®: 40 Modern and Classic Lovecraftian Stories Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Occult Detective Megapack: 29 Classic Stories Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Robert E. Howard's Conan the Cimmerian Barbarian: The Complete Weird Tales Omnibus Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Adventures of Solomon Kane Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsComplete Works of Robert E. Howard (Golden Deer Classics) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Conan Saga Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Start Conan the Barbarian Super Pack Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Red Nails: With linked Table of Contents Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Horror Megapack: 25 Classic and Modern Horror Stories Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Tales of Cthulhu Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Weird Fiction MEGAPACK ®: 25 Stories from Weird Tales Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Adventure MEGAPACK ®: 25 Classic Adventure Stories Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Wildside Book of Fantasy: 20 Great Tales of Fantasy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Greatest Christmas Stories: 120+ Authors, 250+ Magical Christmas Stories Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsShadow Kingdoms: The Weird Works of Robert E. Howard, Vol. 1 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Robert E. Howard Western Super Pack Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Related to Beyond the Black River
Related ebooks
Red Nails Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Revelations in Black Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsShadows in Zamboula Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTriploidy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Clarkesworld Magazine Issue 96: Clarkesworld Magazine, #96 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOliver Twist Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsKellory the Warlock Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Hour of the Dragon: With linked Table of Contents Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Short Stories Of Henry S Whitehead - Volume 1 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Valley of the Man Vultures: Thurvok, #1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGeist: Prelude Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe 53rd Golden Age of Science Fiction MEGAPACK® Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsUnnatural Hairy, Zomnibus Edition: Two Complete Novels Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Your Next-Door Neighbor Is a Dragon: Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Interzone #253 Jul: Aug 2014 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMatinee at the Flame: 22 Tales of Horror and Mystery Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSwords and Deviltry Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNow They Call Me Gunner Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Wyoming Sun Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Conan the Barbarian Stories Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lynch: A Gothik Western Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Way Out West Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Thing on the Doorstep Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Transcendental Mutilation Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThirteen Tales Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsScoundrels Among Us: Stories Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGod Walks The Dark Hills: Book I & II Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPowerless / Killing Gods: A Superhero Novel Double Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Willows Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Lost Cavern: And Other Stories of the Fantastic Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Fantasy For You
The Priory of the Orange Tree Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Silmarillion Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Don Quixote: [Complete & Illustrated] Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Fellowship Of The Ring: Being the First Part of The Lord of the Rings Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The City of Dreaming Books Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Piranesi Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This Is How You Lose the Time War Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Tress of the Emerald Sea: Secret Projects, #1 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Picture of Dorian Gray (The Original 1890 Uncensored Edition + The Expanded and Revised 1891 Edition) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Assassin and the Pirate Lord: A Throne of Glass Novella Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Assassin and the Desert: A Throne of Glass Novella Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Stories of Ray Bradbury Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Ocean at the End of the Lane: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Assassin and the Underworld: A Throne of Glass Novella Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Phantom Tollbooth Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Immortal Longings Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Eyes of the Dragon Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Titus Groan Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Assassin and the Empire: A Throne of Glass Novella Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fairy Tale Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Neverwhere: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Daughter of the Forest: Book One of the Sevenwaters Trilogy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Labyrinth of Dreaming Books: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Wizard's First Rule Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Nettle & Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Beyond the Black River
Rating: 0 out of 5 stars
0 ratings
0 ratings0 reviews