Part 59 (1/2)
Sigmar Reinholdt stood in front of all his men, his sons right by his side.
And, no more than several hundred feet across from him, was Jkull himself. Plus the twenty thousand troops Jkull had to Sigmar's ten thousand.
Sigmar knew they'd most likely lose today. The troops Jkull had were made up of murderers and sc.u.m. The kind of troops bought with great money, but only held as long as the money lasted. Sigmar would never lower himself to buy anyone's loyalty. His troops would fight by his side because they were loyal to him.
His biggest worry at the moment was that Jkull's men could get past him and get to the fortress. But he had plans for that as well. Unpleasant plans but everyone knew what was expected should the word come. They'd all rather die by their own hands, than become slaves to Jkull.
”I really thought she'd come through for us, Da,” his eldest murmured beside him.
”She tried. I know she did.” And he was grateful she wasn't here. The thought of losing his only daughter, even by her own hand, would have distracted him from important matters right in front of him.
Jkull sat tall on his horse, looking smug and ready.
”Do you surrender, brother?” he yelled across the distance between them. As part of the Code, Jkull had to ask for surrender before any kind of ma.s.sacre could take place.
”No true Reinholdt would ever surrender,” Sigmar replied ... also part of the Code.
It used to always amuse him when Dagmar would complain, ”That Code has to be the most contradictory load of horse c.r.a.p I've ever read.”
”No true Reinholdt would ever think we would!” Sigmar added, his men cheering and raising their swords or s.h.i.+elds in agreement. ”Come, brother. The suns are rising. Let's waste no more time.”
But Jkull wasn't listening to him. He and several of his men were staring off, watching a lone rider tear down the s.p.a.ce between the two armies. The horse was big and black, like something coughed up from the pit of one of the h.e.l.ls. And his rider?
A woman.
The men on both sides were so surprised, no one catcalled or spoke. They simply watched her as she raced closer to him and Jkull.
She saw the banners and pulled the beast she rode to a stop.
”You The Reinholdt?” she asked.
Sigmar had never seen a woman like her before. She wore her long hair tied back by a leather thong and had on a sleeveless chain-mail s.h.i.+rt, chain-mail leggings, and leather boots. She had swords strapped to her back and a s.h.i.+eld hanging from her horse. She was scarred and branded on both her forearms, and although partially covered by her gauntlets, he could still see parts of a dragon image burned into her flesh.
And though she was armed to the teeth, she wore no full armor, nor any colors.
”I be Sigmar.”
She pulled a letter from under her saddle. ”This is from your daughter.”
He took it and opened the expensive parchment. It was short but to the point.
Father- As a Northlander, we all knew what I'd do.
Dagmar ”Who's Jkull?” the woman asked.
”I'm Jkull, wench.” Jkull leaned over the pummel of his saddle, leering at the woman. ”And who are you?”
She turned her horse and smiled at him. ”I'm Annwyl.” Then with a speed Sigmar had never seen before, she ripped one of the swords from its sheath and threw it. The weapon flipped end over end until it slammed full force into the middle of Jkull's head, yanking him back off his horse and into the men behind him.
She looked over her shoulder at Sigmar. ”I can only stay today. Have to get back to my twins and my mate before he comes looking for me-which won't be good for you. Oh! And I'm supposed to bring someone named Canute with me when I return. Dagmar said for you not to argue about it. But my troops will stay.” She nodded in the direction she'd come and he saw those troops marching over the ridge. ”That's five legions your daughter negotiated out of me. She's good, warlord. And once we get this all cleaned up for you, she'll be home to see you.” She smiled. ”She has a very big surprise for you.” She snapped her fingers. ”And I'm supposed to send a very big h.e.l.lo to ... uh ... Eymund?”
Sigmar's eldest nodded at the woman.
”From Gwenvael.”
His son's shoulders slumped and his brothers chuckled beside him.
Then Annwyl the b.l.o.o.d.y, Queen of Dark Plains, faced the confused and panicked troops of Jkull.
”I want my sword back,” she announced to them, pulling her second sword from its sheath. ”Now who's gonna stop me from getting it?”
His eldest leaned in close and reminded Sigmar, ”I guess Cousin Uddo was right all those years ago, eh, Da?”
”What?”
”When he'd called her Beast.” His son grinned and motioned to the mad b.i.t.c.h riding flat out into Jkull's troops with her sword raised. The mad b.i.t.c.h his daughter had sent to them. ”I think, unfortunately for poor Uncle Jkull, Uddo was bang on.”
It started slow, deep in his chest, but burst out of him. Great, powerful laughter, his troops joining in as Annwyl's legions swarmed over Jkull's hired troops.
”Get in there, men!” Sigmar finally ordered, swinging his ax off his shoulder. ”Anyone not in our colors or Annwyl's-dies!”
He raised his ax high, knowing there was only one war cry that would mean anything to himself or his men on this day. ”For The Beast!” he bellowed.
And as one, her kinsmen yelled back, ”For The Beast!”
Did you miss the first two books in
G.A. Aiken's fabulous dragon series?
The magic begins with
DRAGON ACTUALLY ...
Dragon Actually
It's not always easy being a female warrior with a nickname like Annwyl the b.l.o.o.d.y. Men tend to either cower in fear-a lot-or else salute. It's true that Annwyl has a knack for decapitating legions of her ruthless brother's soldiers without pausing for breath. But just once it would be nice to be able to really talk to a man, the way she can talk to Fearghus the Destroyer ...