Part 31 (1/2)
”You need rest,” Jiron tells him, ”and Potbelly could use a day for his wound to heal.”
”We may not have that much time,” warns James. ”They're going to want us bad. Lord Cytok will most likely want revenge for what we did to him.” He looks to Jiron and says, ”He'll mobilize everything he can to search for us.”
”What should we do?” he asks.
”I'm still going after Miko, but the rest of you should try to get out of the Empire,” he says.
”You helped me get Tersa back, I'm not going to leave you before you rescue your friend,” he tells him.
James looks at him a moment and then replies, ”Alright. We're near the coast, or at least we were. Maybe we can sneak into a port town and get pa.s.sage for the others on a s.h.i.+p, sailing up the coast to Cardri. If the Empire isn't at war with them, then there still should be unrestricted access for Cardri captains.”
Jiron nods and adds, ”With them out of danger, you and I can go after your friend.”
”We just need to figure a way into a port where a Cardri s.h.i.+p is at anchor,” he says.
”That's going to be the tricky part,” agrees Jiron.
”What's going to be the tricky part?” asks Yorn as he comes over and joins the conversation.
Jiron quickly fills him in on the plan thus far. ”You and the others need to get Tersa and Delia to a safe place and hole up while we're rescuing his friend.”
”Take her to Trendle, it's a village to the north of Bearn,” suggests James. ”When you get there, find a Forest Warden by the name of Ceryn and let him know what's going on. He should be able to get you settled in while you wait for us.”
”Alright,” agrees Yorn.
”Now,” James says, ”ready or not, we need to get out of here.”
Chapter Twenty.
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”Get away from me!” Potbelly yells at Scar who's trying to a.s.sist him in mounting his horse. ”I ain't no invalid.”
”Alright,” Scar replies impatiently as he backs away. ”Tear out those st.i.tches then, I hope you bleed to death you pig headed mule!” He stands there and watches as Potbelly grabs the saddle and swings himself up onto his horse with a groan.
”See,” he says through teeth gritted in pain, perspiration beginning to form on his face, ”don't need your help.”
Scar shakes his head at his friend then mounts his own horse. Staying close in case Potbelly needs him, he sits and waits for the others to get ready.
Delia rides over to them, nods to Potbelly as she asks Scar, ”How's he doing?”
”I'm fine!” Potbelly answers, irritated at her for talking about him like he isn't even there.
”Stubborn and likely to kill himself because of it,” he says with a slight smile, ”but I think he'll survive the ride.”
”Let's hope so,” she says.
Jiron is the last to mount. He turns toward the others and says, ”We'll make for the sea and then travel along the coast. First chance we get, we'll acquire some clothes that will allow us to pa.s.s ourselves off as Empire citizens.”
Yorn asks, ”What are we to do if we encounter the enemy?”
”Avoid them if possible,” he replies. ”Kill them if not.”
Yorn gives him a satisfied grin at the thought of a little payback for the sacking of his home.
”Now, let's ride!” Jiron exclaims as he kicks his horse into a trot. Heading to the northwest, he leads them toward the sea.
James rides in the lead with Jiron as they make their way back through the desert to the road. ”Think we'll make it?” Jiron asks him.
”We can but try,” he replies.
”What do you plan to do once you get your friend?” he asks.
”Make our way back to Cardri,” he says. ”At least there it's reasonably safe right now. After that, who knows?”
Shorty hollers from the rear, ”Jiron! Riders coming from the north! Looks like an advance patrol.”
They turn to see ten riders coming directly at them, they have little chance in avoiding contact. ”Potbelly! Stay and watch the others,” Jiron hollers to him. Turning his horse, he cries to the rest, ”We can't let even one escape, or they'll bring more.”
Leaving Potbelly to protect Roland and the ladies, the others turn and race to meet the oncoming hors.e.m.e.n. Before they close the distance, two slugs fly from behind each taking out a horse causing the riders to fall to the ground. Drawing their swords and knives, they race forward, closing with the enemy.
Shorty lets fly with a knife and takes out one rider as the knife embeds itself in his chest. He then slows his horse and jumps to the ground, as knives are little use in mounted combat. He dives to the ground to avoid the blows of the mounted riders and regains his feet quickly as he heads for the ones approaching on foot whose horses were knocked out from under them.
Stig closes with a horseman, his s.h.i.+eld on the arm holding the reins and his mace striking out. With a clash of metal, the combatants begin beating at one another, each looking for an opening.
James holds back and is looking for a clear shot to take out another rider, but his friends are too close, he dares not try it.
Two swords weaving a pattern of death, Scar engages a horseman and soon has him falling to the ground, blood welling from where his sword took him through the chest. Looking around, he sees Shorty running toward the two men on the ground. Suddenly he notices a horseman riding toward him from behind, sword raised to cut him down.
”Shorty!” he yells, ”Behind you!” He watches as Shorty turns to see the horseman almost upon him and dives to the ground, avoiding by inches the sword of the rider. Then Scar's attention is diverted as he's beset by another horseman, having to block an overhand attack with one sword while slicing back with the other.
Yorn is engaged with two and is having a hard time, trading blows with one while turning his horse to avoid the other. Suddenly, the one he had been trying to avoid falls from his horse as one of James' slugs explodes out of his back.
Shorty regains his feet as the two on foot reach him. He circles, trying to keep it so only one is able to attack him at a time. He catches the sword of his attacker on his left knife as he follows through with the other, opening up a long slash along the man's forearm causing him to drop his sword.
Out of the corner of his eye, he sees the rider turn and begin to come back toward him as the remaining man closes in and engages him. Unable to disengage, he tries to quickly finish him off but is distracted by the advancing rider.
Suddenly, just when the rider is almost upon him, another horse runs full tilt into his attacker, knocking the horse off its stride. As Stig's horse crashes into the other, he vaults from his saddle and grabs the rider, dragging him to the ground. Stig lands on top of the rider and gets up first, mace smas.h.i.+ng into him as he tries to rise, crus.h.i.+ng his shoulder. He follows through with another blow that caves in the side of the man's head. Looking around, he sees Shorty engaged with one of the unhorsed hors.e.m.e.n and hurries over to render aid.
Able now to focus his attention on the remaining man, Shorty circles as he looks for an opening. The enemy strikes out with his sword and he deflects it to the side with the knife in his left hand. He twirls quickly and his elbow connects with the man's face, blood flowing from his broken nose.
The man staggers backward and then comes again at Shorty, who easily deflects another blow. Kicking out, Shorty knocks him backward toward the approaching Stig. As the man regains his balance, he's struck from behind in the head with Stig's mace and falls to the ground, lifeless.
Looking around, Shorty sees the battle is pretty much over, the last horseman is engaged with Yorn. Seeing his fellows dead or dying, the horseman starts to flee as he turns his horse and begins racing across the desert. Shorty is about to holler when the man falls to the ground amidst a gory spray as James' slug exits the man's chest.
”Anyone hurt?” Jiron shouts out over the battlefield.