Part 15 (2/2)
In the end they proved to be mortal after all Closely rew less precise, defense lost its swiftness, ti became fractionally less perfect Sweat poured frorew as labored as a smith's bel-lows Both bled freely fro
For the first time, they drew apart To the watchers it looked as if the tere resting for another prolonged bout The two combatants knew better They were equally tired, and the shi+eld arm wears out more quickly than the sword arm Another blow, perhaps two or even three, and the battle would be decided
”Thank you for a ht, Cimmerian,” said Totila ”However it falls out, it will be one to reasped ”You should have stayed a warrior and not sought to be a king”
”The road of kings is one a reatness is writ upon his bro, let's finish this”
Totila raised his shi+eld once more Only his eyes showed above its rim With a shout, he advanced Silently, Conan did the sa froh wound rass, barely stopping hi Totila exploited the instant's i so, he lowered his shi+eld a few inches, and that was all the advantage Conan needed
For the first tined stumble, he darted his arht of his body behind his blade The point entered Totila's screah teeth, palate, and skull, and eed two handsbreadths beyond the splendid hele body stood upon its feet Then Totila toppled stiffly as a falling tree
Conan turned to the Tor into the dark?”
The Tormanna warriors, so confident an hour before, were utterly de, outnumbered in an alien land Finally the elder who had spoken the night before strode up to Alcuina
”Lady, our king was of no line and left no heir If Caians are to unite, then the Tormanna will become your lanced at Leovigild, and he nodded slightly She turned back to the elder ”So be it” The pledging of fealty was a simple matter in the North She turned to Totila's corpse ”Throw this carrion on the pyre with the false Leovigild Totila was no real royalty”
”No!” bellowed Conan ”Build hi If I have to, I'll build hiarded him for a moment, then said, ”Do as my champion says Burn him with sword and helm, and with his cloak”
Dawaz theshi+p to see a fa black hair swinging in the breeze was unmistakable, even at a distance
”Conan!” he shouted, waving
He dropped his bill of lading and rushed to er wore his bronze ar Aquilonian sword His ar, Dawaz,” said Conan ”When does the shi+p sail south?”
”Too? Did you find the North to your liking?”
Conan did not break stride, and Dawaz turned to follow hiood winter; not nearly as dull as I had feared Did the shi+p bring any good southern wine?”
”The best Turanian But what of your adventures? You old”
At the trading post Conan paused for a moment ”Let's have soh I have had far ether the two men went into the post
CONAN
A WAR OF SORCERY A WAR OF STEEL A WAR IN TWO WORLDS
Stranded in the furthest northern reaches of Brythunia, Conan the Cihty and beautiful Queen Alcuina Soon the s who covet Alcuina's lands and the evil wizard lilma, ants even more From the blood-drenched snows of the Brythunian forests to the sorcerous shi+fting Lands the battles rage The dead rise to slay, and victory can only come from CONAN
THE CHAMPION
And don'tvolumes in the Conan series--also available in Sphere Books