Part 43 (1/2)

So it would be here-in this vale-where, at best, half of his ether to his disadvantage, as his foes would also suffer The ground would slow any attack, trees protect the count's archers, and a few level patches give his e

Syzaers and watched theo before they vanished, not only a the trees, but into the mist Syzambry had cursed the mist without effect, except that it now seemed to lie in patches rather than equally everywhere

At least the Pougoi and their Star Brothers were safely in the rear In the e carts defended by their tribesmen, the wizards could conjure as they pleased hat effect theyto win a real back, faster than he had ridden out

He reined in his lathered horse and gave a salutation that was all but a wave

”The royal host is upon the field!”

”Where?”

”There!” At first the count saw nothing save a patch of mist, thicker thaniant at their head

Syza black hair, for the h to face him bareheaded!

Well, it would hardly matter whether the head was bare or helmeted once the count had it on a lance outside his tent

Chapter 19

This was the kind of battle that Conan liked less thanthemselves upon one another, with less art than pit-wrestlers for all that the combat was deadlier

Perhaps there was no blaround was broken and thewhat one was about no easy h for Conan He saw the veterans of the Palace Guard with their spears and the newer ainst Syza back and forth, encouraging both her ht it to the field, but Conan was allowing only the best of his archers to shoot Arroere too few to be flung wildly into patches of ht he saw blue fire dancing from the treetops and in the heart of patches of ht he saw Thyrin and the Pougoi to the right of the Guards instead of to the left, where they belonged Perhaps they had only lost their way in thein orderly array

Thyrin stepped into view from a mist-shrouded clump of fir, but Conan did not ask thehere today, Conan did not know; he only kne e could hardly have outshouted them Any question to Thyrin and any answer from the man would be lost in the din

”Steel Hand! Steel Hand!”

This time the levies shouted the count's war cry as they advanced, not their own lord's Conan sought for the count's standard in theA pity, because putting an end to the count would put an end to the war

No The Star Brothers had to meet the same fate as the count, their Brothers, and their beast They could not be allowed to wreak more havoc

Their deaths would leave Marr the Piper the only sorcerer in the Border Kingdoood reason for Conan's being on the way south once the battle on But at least Marr was not one to run wild and wreak havoc, unless provoked

Chienna and Decius would have the task of not provoking the piper

Conan's own task suddenly presented itself asfour of Syzambry's levies All had swords, two bore shi+elds, and one carried a long dagger that he wielded in coerous and hter was a small man who, until his last day, had won as much by swiftness as by skill He had never faced Conan's coth of reach

The Cier out of the hand holding it and went on to gash the are to close and the speed to make that a wise move