Part 12 (2/2)
The two soldiers with him raised crossbows and pointed them at Da. Then the soldiers by the privy and the others over by Talen fanned out in a wide semi-circle around Da and the others.
Da looked at the soldiers, looked at the lead armsman.
”Drop it,” the armsman said.
Da tossed the Hog to the ground then motioned at Talen with his chin. ”Put the dogs in the barn.”
”Get Queen,” Talen said to Nettle then rushed forward to Blue. He knelt next to him. Blood matted the dog's fur and blackened the dust. ”It's okay,” Talen said and stroked him across the brow. Blue tried to lick his leg and let out another cry of pain. ”It's okay,” Talen said again then slipped his hands under the dog. Blue cried out and turned to nip at Talen, but Talen murmured gentle words, stood, and carried him to the barn and laid him on a pile of fresh straw. Nettle came in moments later with Queen and tied her to a post.
”Fir-Noy rot,” said Nettle.
Talen ignored him and smoothed Blue's head and neck. ”You're going to be all right, boy. But how are we going to stop the bleeding?”
”Compress it,” said Nettle.
One of the other armsmen appeared in the barn doorway. ”You two. Get out here.”
Blue whined, but these armsmen had violence in their eyes, so Talen stroked Blue's head once more then got up and followed Nettle outside.
”Over there.” The man pointed with his sword at the well. Talen and Nettle moved to the well, the armsman right behind them.
”Zun,” Da said to the big armsman. ”You cannot come onto my land and threaten me.”
”Actually, Koramite,” the armsman said, flinging that word at Da instead of returning the proper t.i.tle. ”It's not your land.”
”You can't hunt here.”
”The Council has opened up the restrictions. Hunters are allowed free rein.”
Da paused. ”Then I'll need to see your token.”
The big man pointed to his armband. ”Are you blind?”
”Any fool can put on a band,” said Da. ”That means nothing. You need a token, even when restrictions are eased. In these lands it's the Bailiff that determines who will hunt. I've already spoken to him about it.”
”Listen to this clever Koramite,” said the man.
”It's Shoka business. Not yours. If you want to search us, you'll come back with the Bailiff's token.”
The man grinned and dropped his gaze like Da had made some joke. He glanced at his men. ”I believe this woman is begging me to plow her field.” He turned back to Da. ”Are you begging me to plow your field?”
”Would you allow just any band of men who came along free access to your home? Especially when they demand it at sword point? You need to move on,” said Da.
”No,” said the man. He rolled his shoulders to loosen them. ”Actually we don't. Now I've given you an opportunity, but it seems you insist.” He walked forward. ”I know who you are, Zun.” He used the t.i.tle in obvious mockery. ”You think you're something-a master archer. But you're nothing more than a high and mighty camp lady.”
Among some soldiers, bowmen were considered lesser warriors because they fought from a distance and sometimes included women and boys in their ranks. To these soldiers, real warriors stood their ground and faced the men they would kill. Of course, others didn't share that opinion, and Da had proven himself many times in battle. Besides, bowmen played a vital role, which this armsman's crossbow men were demonstrating at this very moment. But he obviously wasn't smart enough to see that.
The armsman stopped two paces from Da and raised his sword point to Da's chest.
”A camp lady, commanding his handful of cowards. Except, oops, you forgot your bow.” He paused. ”You know, all this resistance just makes me wonder what you're hiding.”
Fear rose in Talen. This wasn't going to end well. He didn't know what to do. If he said something about the footprints and sighting earlier, he could get the whole family in trouble. If he did nothing, who knew what this Fir-Noy would do?
Da looked the man levelly in the eye. ”This has nothing to do with hiding. It has everything to do with order. You come back with a token, and you can pry into every cranny. That's the law. And you know it.”
”Don't lecture me, Koramite. These are the facts. One of your own was practicing the Dark Arts. And one of you is harboring-”
”Ridiculous,” said Da.
The man raised his sword to Da's neck. ”Don't interrupt me again. We're going to search this place. Then maybe you'll make us some dinner. Afterward, if we feel like it, your tasty daughter there will entertain us.”
Talen's heart began to beat in his throat. What was Da doing talking to the armsman like that?
”This is why hunts are regulated,” Da said. ”Now, you goat lover, you're going to move on.”
No, Talen thought.
The armsman narrowed his eyes in anger. ”I'm done with that mouth,” he said and lunged to skewer Da in the throat.
But Da moved. One moment he was standing heron still, the next he dodged to the side and, as the armsman lunged past, delivered a kick to the man's sword hand with such violence that the sword leapt from the man and flew to the dust a number of yards away.
The big armsman gasped, clutched his hand.
Da delivered another kick to the side of the man's leg that sent him to one knee.
”Shoot him!” one of the other armsmen cried.
One of the crossbow men pulled his trigger. The bow thunked. The dart sped out.
Da dove over the armsman's back, rolled away, and came up in a crouch.
The dart struck the side of the house.
The other armsman aimed and pulled his trigger. The dart flew, but Da lunged back to the big fallen armsman and the dart flew past and into the wood.
”Get him,” one of the armsmen shouted.
But Da took the big armsman's knife from his sheath, ripped off his helmet, and then held him by a fistful of his s.h.a.ggy long hair with a knife at the side of his neck where one deep cut would slice the artery. ”Back up!” Da commanded. ”You-”
The armsman Talen had forgotten was behind him took Talen by the hair and pressed a knife to his back.
”Two can play that!” the armsman yelled. ”Throw down that knife, you b.u.g.g.e.red Koramite, or I skewer this boy.”
Da turned to look at him.
”I'll poke him!” the armsman said. ”I'll poke him!”
<script>