A Dragon's Ascension - Ed Greenwood [139]
"Who," the Baron Cardassa ashore stammered, his fearful voice rising almost to a scream, "are you?
"Men of Bloodblade, Rightful King of Aglirta," was the stern reply. "Who do you swing swords for?"
"A new king for Aglirta!" the baron on the bank said hastily.
"And you others?" the swordcaptain of Bloodblade snapped, looking at the barges.
There was a confusion of replies, as armsmen and bodyguards named their various lords, and the swordcaptain listened, looked disgusted, and brought his arm down in a curt signal.
Crossbows thrummed in deadly chorus, and the barges were suddenly full of staggering, dying men, with quarrels standing out of them. Many leaped or fell into the water, but high on the bank windlasses were whirring away as the crossbowmen readied their weapons to fire again-and on the barges, there was no cover at all.
The barons and tersepts on the shore watched in horror, then took to their heels and fled. The swordcaptain waved his hand in another signal, and the horsemen around him spurred their mounts down the bank, drawing blades as they went.
The screams that followed were few and short. The crossbowmen took turns firing at the heads of the few who sprang into the river, until the waters were stained with blood and thick with drifting, unmoving bodies.
"Buldrim," one of the swordcaptain's men snapped, "a lot of those on the barges simply-vanished. Gone, with magic, while we were winching and choosing our next targets."
"How many?"
The warrior shrugged. "More than twenty."
Buldrim went pale. "That many wizards? Gods, we could be a thousand, and they'd still fell us in a breath or two! But whom do they serve? The regent?"
"We'd best begone, no matter what," the warrior replied, and Buldrim nodded. "Horsemen," he snapped, "upriver to Thuss Point, there! Seize those docks, and then put your horses in yon sheds and hide there with them. Forage for hay, but otherwise keep hidden. All others, seize those barges-we row to Flowfoam!"
"Shall we slay this one? Or roll him into the river and let the water do the killing?"
Buldrim looked down, and a pain-wracked Suldun looked back up, bleeding profusely from the holes left by three crossbow quarrels being wrenched out of him.
"Well?" Buldrim asked. "D'you want to lie here and watch us conquer Flowfoam, or be free of your pain?"
"Beware," Suldun whispered hoarsely. "We were duped by wizards…"
Buldrim nodded. "So much we know." He glanced up at Flowfoam, rising above them now as the armsmen pulled strongly at the oars, opened his mouth to point ahead and turn and give the helmsman orders-then recoiled.
A man was standing on the deck facing him-where the bloodstained boards had been empty a moment before. It was Sendrith Duthjack, in full armor but helmless, and with a fresh swordcut on one cheek. His gaze was fierce as he looked at the swordcaptain with a nod of recognition-and approval.
"Lord Bloodblade!" Buldrim stammered, and went to one knee. "Lord, command me!"
"Turn about!" Bloodblade ordered sternly. "Turn about, all of you! Back to the docks whence you came!"
"At once," Buldrim agreed hastily, waving at the helmsman to turn the great rudder, "but Lord, why?"
"Pull in close, all four boats together so that all may hear, and I'll tell you," the warlord ordered.
When this was done, oars stretched and held at both ends to keep the boats rail to rail, Bloodblade strode to the very center of the joined decks, looked around, and said, "Loyal Aglirtans, hear me! You have been duped-horribly tricked! Misled into betraying your land!"
"We follow only you, Lord Bloodblade!" one of the armsmen called, and there was a chorus of agreement.
"Think you so?" The warlord smiled at them-and then his face changed, becoming green and scaled-a serpent's head, with forked tongue and all!
"What if I told you sssomething clossser to the truth?" the Serpent-priest asked them, looking around at the dumbfounded warriors on the gently rocking barges. "What if I told you the real Bloodblade wasss killed yearsss ago? I took hisss face and shape,