Part 45 (1/2)

Conan had to lean on his weapon for a moment to keep from falling to his knees. He used that moment to look about him.

Pougoi and Guards were swarming all over the wagon circle, making sure that dead men and not-men stayed dead. A few were binding prisoners.

Conan was glad to see that the discipline of the Guards was holding.

Even the newest recruit could call himself a veteran and a soldier after this day.

Thyrin leaped onto a wagon next to Conan, then jumped down beside the Cimmerian. Cleansing his tribe's honor seemed to have taken twenty years from Wylla's father.

”Marr lives!” he shouted. ”He will not pipe again, but he lives!”

”Good,” Conan said. The word did not come strangely to his lips, even though he was speaking of a sorcerer who was living instead of dying.

”See Marr to safety,” Conan said. ”When Syzambry learns that we are in his rear, he will be desperate. I want us ready to meet him before then.”

Though the new recruits might call themselves veterans and soldiers now, there would be more fighting before they could call themselves victors.

Count Syzambry was bearing more and more to his left. The ground helped him. So did the fight the royal host was making directly to his front.

Most of all, the one messenger who had returned from the left had said that the royal flank was open.

But what was he seeing to his rear? The mist and the trees as before, but also running men. Men garbed like Pougoi warriors, and others like his own levies.

He saw a warrior leap from a stump onto the back of a dismounted man-at-arms. Mail was no proof against strong arms that jerked a head back or a sharp dagger drawn swiftly across a bare throat.

”Treachery!” the count screamed. ”The Pougoi are turning against us!

Kill the Pougoi!”

He hoped that enough of the loyal men in his rear yet lived to hear him and obey. Otherwise, he had the tribesmen and-G.o.ds deliver him!-the Star Brothers squarely behind him.

Syzambry spurred his horse. He was a light burden so that even after a long fight, the roan bore him forward rapidly.

His swift movement drew the eye of a tall, black-haired man who had stepped unseen from the shelter of the trees.

Aybas needed the boulder at his back that he might stand. Soon he would be unable to stand even with its aid. He had two sword wounds to match against the five men he'd slain this day, and one of those wounds would ere long send him to join the slain.

A bear reared itself before Aybas. Had the magic of the piper or the Star Brothers sent the animals of the forest into the battle on one side or another?

Aybas sat down. He could not run from the bear even if it were a foe.

Sitting gave him a moment's clear vision. He saw that the bear was Captain-General Decius's banner and that Mistress Raihna held it.

”Lord Aybas!” Decius called. ”Be at ease. We have brought up men to join yours. The flank is safe. You bought us the time to make it so.

Lord Aybas!”

Decius's voice took on a questioning note as he called the name several times more. The man so addressed did not hear him. He heard instead his mother, calling him by his birth name.

”Peace, Mother,” he said. ”Peace. I am coming.”