Part 13 (2/2)
The desperate blow had not severely injured the reat, so that only the tip of the blade gouged a superficial cut across the wizard's cheek But his concentration was broken The chant faltered as the wizard's eyes widened in amazement, and his hand went to his injured cheek
As the chant slowed and stopped, the dee Conan needed Instantly he dashed in, hacking at the thing with swift, powerful blohich it was now too weak to avoid He hewed at neck, shoulders, and legs as the beast squalled and began to collapse As it fell forward he dived out of its way, and then he was on his feet again, slashi+ng at its spine He continued to rain blows upon the creature until it was a quivering e color
Then he stepped back and looked for lilma The Cimmerian's chest heaved like a bellows froood if he could finish things now by slaying the Hyperborean Without the birds, the wizard had lost much of his bodily protec-tion But lilma was nowhere to be seen Conan searched the snow for fresh tracks, but he could discern none Cursing, he cleaned his fouled blade and sheathed it
Wishi+ng to be away before the sun rose, he set out for the garth At least the wizard was greatly weakened now He had lost his far-ranging eyes as well Rerin said that lilma would have to journey to so rituals before he would be able to acquire new familiars Best of all, he was now vulnerable to the swords and spears of other s IReef Cotila stretched in his saddle and looked back at the long file of his warriors winding along the forest road They were in good spirits, for the gadfly horsemen had not struck at them since the day before He did not think that he would see thearth That had been a weakening tactic, and they had given it up as soon as the Torood defensive tactic Where had the Caht in such a fashi+on? He suspected that Alcuina's new black-haired champion was behind it The ed to co ”My birds tell arth like sheep in a pen”
Totila turned upon him with a look of little favor ”Your daged, hiding his feeling of inner doubt ”A fluke Who would have expected a poor ination? In any case, they have brought reat interest”
”Speak on,” said Totila patiently
”About a es with another, which coians We shall reach the fork about the same time that they do”
Totila stroked his chin and sh ti”
”At this point an alliance ht be--”
”Stick to your wizardry,” Totila broke in abruptly ”Leave statecraft to her the king of the Torpies, wizard? I've not seen them all this day”
”I have--sent them upon aa stratage Alcuina's fortress” He dared not ad think him as powerful as ever He thanked his dark Gods that he had made his preparations for the phantoht to do with the noises that ca asked ”Men co They said they akened by hellish sounds, as if giant serpents and boars and eagles were battling”
”Yourthemselves with my arts, however clamor-ous they may be”
The Tormanna reached the fork in the road first, and Totila ordered thethem that they were soon to receive visitors Every 214
215man must keep his weapons handy Before an hour had passed, they saw the Thungians slogging up the south-ern road
Odoac's heart juround before hi no effort to hide the le-crested helm, and he felt even more trepidation He had hoped to find the leaderless Cambres easy meat Totila and all his warriors pri he could do except put the best face on it if his men were to follow him
”It seems as if we are not the only ones ainst the Caet the words out steadily, al-though sweat carew griht-ened on their weapons
As the Thungians neared, Totila caround This reassured Odoac soe and flagging powers as the huge king of the Torrip
”Greeting, Odoac, ! It is too seldom that I see you!” He draped an ar both ar-er, and finer he was than the Thungian king
”I greet you, Totila,” Odoac answered, carefully o that we are on a similar mission?”
”That is possible Let us step aside and discuss these s should”
Odoac did not want to leave the protection of his housecarls, but he dared not show fear of Totila ”Rest you here,unconcern ”This chieftain and I hty matters”
The two men walked a short distance away to a san Totila, ”that Alcuina is back after her mysterious disappearance”
”I rejoice to hear it,” Odoac said, surprised ”Now Imy suit”
”I had similar questions in mind Perhaps you also wished to discipline your ard nephew?”
Odoac fumed but strove not to show it This man had the advice of the cursed lilma to make up for his lack of royal blood Why had the Hyperborean not co like Odoac?
”In truth, the boy has been a trial to ht him up as if he were my own son, for the sake of my dear brother The wretch had the teed to slad that you never married, and have no heir”
”That is a situation I intend to rectify soon After all, it were a shame to leave a royal lady like Alcuina idoms are currently without heirs Now, if you and I were to fall out here upon the road and come to swordstrokes, ould profit? Only the Cambres, for whichever of us prevailed would yet be too weakened to take the field against the Caainst the Ca as if he had not been hoping that this hat Totila would suggest ”There remains the question of our siood if we should fall out over possession of Alcuina and her lands and people”
”These things can be worked out,” said Totila per-suasively ”And they should be before we proceed further The lands and people are easy to settle We si the Gernach River, which runs nearly through the center of the kingdoht for a reeable to me Nohat about Alcuina herself? Each of us is in need of a wife, and I see no way to divide her as we have already divided her land”
”As I see it,” said Totila craftily, ”you have two goals here: You want Alcuina, but you also want to rid yourself of Leovigild It would not look good to your men if you were to slay him with your own hand, which you could easily do, I aruht, it would be impolitic for me to do so There would be those ould nah I but defended myself”
”I, on the other hand, could slay him with impu-nity” Totila did not mention that he was fairly certain that he had already slain that young ild's life for Alcuina Do you not think that is a fair trade, since I will after all be getting her with only half her dowry?”
Odoac stroked his beard, pretending to be deep in thought ”I still need an heir, you know”
Abruptly, Totila lost patience ”Use your head, eable daughr ters ould be happy to have a king for son-in-law Or find so-lost son of your brother It is not as if you intended to let hirow to manhood You could buy fifteen more soft years on the throne with such a move”
”You speak wisely, ree on this: We shall unite forces against the Caild, you shall have Alcuina and the northern half of her kingdom I shall have the southern half We shall part friends and march our men home”
Totila thrust forth a hand, and Odoac took it Neither had the slightest intention of honoring the agreement except at his own convenience Arms about one anoth-er's shoulders, they walked back to their
”Is Odoac such a fool?” said lil and wizard sat in a sarth Night had fallen, and the ainst the exertions of the morrow, lilma had kindled a small, smokeless fire between them, and it cast sinister shadows upon their faces as they conferred
”Aye, he is a fool, but not so great a fool as that He is htened old man with his best days behind hishi+p for his few reild or me He does not like this alliance I have forced upon him, but he has no other choice”
”Will you let him march home peacefully after the battle is done?” lils look at the time If 218
219his ht well settle with him at that time If we are seriously weakened, perhaps we must wait another year or two Undoubtedly we should beat thes can be arranged reat plans, and eli my little northern rivals are a small part of them I do not wish to be weakened for my southern conquests”
”As ht notbattle?”