Part 8 (1/2)
”I do not say that you lie,” the count said ”But without the royal 's good Against your good, Mistress Raihna, if you value your reputation as an honest captain”
”Nothing happened,” Raihna said ”Certainly nothing that bears on the matter of Princess Chienna's abduction The first we knew of it hen your uard”
”Yes, and if he had letat each other like two packs of wolves over a scrawny stag” The count's eyes gave the lie to the soft-seeuard hadEloikas One of thee unless he bears a royal writ”
Count Syzambry sniffed ”A nobleman such as I bears such a writ by birth You need have no fear of disobeying the king by obeying me”
”Forgive ers in this land We know not its laws or custoe the truth of what you speak”
Conan saw that she wanted to add, ”And we cannot judge whether you are a count or not,” but drew back froe here,” the count said It was next to a snarl The fingers writhed again Conan eyed the distance between himself and the count Theit He stood bethere Conan and Raihna stood and those of his archers who had good shots at the opposing captains
With only a trifle of luck, Conan could have the little man off his horse and down in the dust before the archers could shoot If that caht would take a very different path
The count glanced at Conan again The Cimmerian tried to look as harmless as a lamb and to stand as e of countenance, Conan thought he had succeeded
The count opened his mouth to speak His intended words died unuttered as a pack e Shouts echoed the nized Others were the voices of strangers shouting ”Steel Hand!”
Conan looked to Raihna She nodded He whirled toward the village The count gave a wordless yell, and Conan heard crossbows cocking
Conan continued to whirl, scooping up a stone as he did He flung the stone with the force of a sling, driving it into the flank of Count Syza the count unready He clutched frantically at the saddle, theto the ground
Meanwhile, Conan's free ar her off the ground, he ran for the cover of the village
Behind hi to keep his saddle, never mind control his mount
”If that little jackal in er-”
Conan began The whistle of arrows cut into his words Arrows and bolts began sprouting fro up dust
Count Syzaed that some ill-aimed shot had struck home in the roan The archery slackened but did not cease
Ahead, a vacant hut offered a gapingConan flung Raihna through it like a wharfalasped ”Watch ers if you wantnimbly to her feet and drew her blade Outside, the archery had ended and the count's curses were dying away
The din froe had redoubled It was stillof insults and war cries than the clashi+ng of steel Conan set his shoulder against the sagging door of the hut Wood and leather gave with a ripping crack, nearly tu hie
Conan allowed hiht there, sufficient to tell friend from foe The men who had coh to hold Raihna's at bay, not enough to press home an attack
The attackers also lacked the wits to post flank guards Conan and Raihna took full advantage of this error They hurled the the flat of their swords like berserkers All of Conan's instincts told hi he had learned of warcraft since his youth told hi hihter the count's men
Himself and Raihna and Raihna's men Alone, Conan knew that he could show all the counts of the Border Kingdodo's writ ran far into Nemedia or Aquilonia!
But with duties to Raihna and herthe count's th and speed to put thee streets with their corpses