Part 13 (1/2)

Each time the armsman said it, the pitch of his voice rose, and the knife point pushed a little harder into his back.

There was a deep thud like the sound of a stick hitting a melon, and the man suddenly slacked his grip and fell to the ground.

Talen turned. Nettle stood holding a hunk of firewood like a club.

”Good work,” Talen said.

”Get his sword!” Nettle said.

Talen bent over and s.n.a.t.c.hed the sword from the dirt. It was heavy and did not feel right in his hands. He picked up the man's dagger and tossed it to Nettle. Then he felt his back where the man had p.r.i.c.ked him. When he pulled his hand away, blood stained his fingers.

”You call your men off,” Da said to the big armsmen. ”You tell them to drop their weapons.”

”You're dead, Koramite,” the big armsman said. He tried to break Da's grip, but Da simply pushed the knife closer.

”Now,” Da commanded.

”We can take them,” one of the other armsmen said. The other five armsmen spread out a bit and moved forward.

Ke darted out, grabbed the Hog, and stood to face them. Ke might be able to hold his own against one of these armsmen, but there were six. Talen wasn't going to be of much use. River backed up to the house. Talen knew she was going for her bow, but by the time she got in, strung it, and came back out, these men would already be upon Talen and the others.

Da stabbed the big armsman's shoulder then put the blade back to the side of the man's neck.

The big man cried out in pain as lood began to soak into the cloth of his tunic.

”One more step, and this big fellow bleeds out in my yard,” Da said.

”Put your weapons down!” The big armsman called out.

The other armsmen hesitated.

Da pressed the knife closer. Blood welled up on the armsman's neck.

”Drop them!” the leader bellowed.

The men looked at each other, then reluctantly dropped their swords.

”Everything,” said Da. ”And kick them away.”

”Do it,” the leader said. His face was red and strained, a ma.s.sive vein standing out on his forehead.

The men threw daggers after their swords. The two with the crossbows added their weapons.

”River, Nettle,” Da said. ”Bows.”

River and Nettle dashed into the house to retrieve the bows.

Da stood the big man up. A few moments later, River and Nettle returned. They tossed a bow and quiver to Ke and another to Talen. Talen caught his, strung his bow, and then nocked an arrow.

Da shoved the big man away, sending the armsman stumbling forward a number of steps.

Da said, ”I'm going to give you ten seconds to get across that stream. Then I don't want to see you here ever again. You can make complaints to the Shoka warlord to get your weapons back.”

The man looked at the arrows pointing at him. ”You're going to pay for this, goat lover.”

Da took a quick step toward him. The man raised his arm in defense, but Da was too quick. He punched the man, once, twice, in the face and folded his nose to the side. The armsman yelled out. Da stepped forward and kneed him hard in the groin.

The man doubled over in pain and dropped to one knee. Blood ran out his nose into his moustache and beard.

Da grabbed him by the hair and wrenched his head back. ”Am I going to see you again?”

The man sucked in great breaths. ”No, Zun,” he managed at last. This time there was no mockery in the tone. ”No.”

”Because if I do,” said Da. ”I'm just going to a.s.sume you're one of those men who hasn't got the sense to know when to leave well enough alone. And there's only one way to deal with those types. Do you understand?”

”Yes,” he said.

”Good,” said Da. ”You're a big man, a fine a.s.set; I'm sure your Fir-Noy commanders would hate to lose one with your good sense. And just in case you change your mind, I'm going to alert the Shoka warlord that there's someone lost on his lands.”

Then Da released him, looked at the other hunters, and began his count. ”One,” he said.

These weren't cowards, but Talen could see they knew they'd been beaten.

The big man got to his feet, holding his nose, the blood darkening his unkempt beard, but he didn't say a word. He limped off toward the stream. Two others helped the man Nettle had brained.

Talen and his family followed a comfortable distance behind the men, stopping at the crest of the stream bank. Talen kept his bow up but did not dare to keep his arrow fully drawn lest he accidentally loose it and strike one of them. Da may have beaten the leader, but the presence of these men still frightened him. The possible consequences of this altercation frightened him even more. You couldn't shame part of an order and not expect the rest to rise up against you. Who knew what string of events this had initiated?

The hunters splashed across the creek. On the other side, one of them turned. It appeared he was going to say something, but before he could speak, Ke's bow hummed.

The man dodged to the side, but Ke hadn't been aiming to hit him. The arrow sped past and sunk into a tree.

”Keep moving,” Ke shouted.

The man climbed to his feet.

”Don't badger them,” said Da.

But Ke had another arrow nocked. ”I won't. I'll just maim a few.”

”Ke,” Da warned.

The armsmen hurried to the woods. Just before they disappeared round a bend, one of them turned and gestured an insult. Then he too turned and slipped into the trees.

”Those men will be back,” said Talen. ”And they'll bring the rest of their cohort with them.”

”There's no cohort,” said Da. ”This wasn't a military mission. If it had been, we would have seen many more. And it would have been led properly. These were opportunists. Nothing more.”