From Darkness Won - Jill Williamson [192]
Hold on, Your Highness! Duchess Amal said.
Achan wanted to strike, but the beast’s mouth pressed the shield so tightly against the pillar he could not move, its breath a rotten puff of air. Sir Caleb grabbed one of the creature’s fangs and yanked its head away from Achan. Shung stabbed the tanniyn’s neck again, and it drew back from the hole like a coil of rope. Sir Caleb went with it, still gripping its fang.
“No!” Achan dropped his weapons and grabbed Sir Caleb’s leg. His grip slid down to Sir Caleb’s boot, paused, then tugged free. Achan fell against the pillar, clutching Sir Caleb’s boot. Duchess! The tanniyn has Sir Caleb!
I see him, the duchess said.
Achan couldn’t move. He stared through the dusty air at the hole in the tower wall but could see nothing but Darkness. He waited for Duchess Amal to speak again, but she did not.
Averella paced, studying the broken sentry wall. The interior edge appeared solid, though it was only as wide as her foot in several places. She should go back to Sir Eagan and the gatehouse. Instead, she sheathed her sword and stepped toward the jagged edge of the sentry wall.
Someone needed to stop Khai. She had done it once. She could do it again.
She threaded her shield over her head and arm so that it hung off her back. She stepped carefully, arms outstretched to help her balance. She had walked the pine log fence at the Rennan home many times. This was no different. Except that she could not see her feet through the tiny slot in her helm. She took it off and left it on the sentry walk. She would have to survive without it.
Her first few steps were scoots, keeping her feet on the stone. Once her courage was bolstered, she moved her right foot in front of her left. Her top-heavy armor and shield pulled her forward faster than she wanted to move. Control slipped away. She ran the last steps before diving onto the sentry walk.
Her armor scraped over the stone. She lay prostrate, panting. Once her lungs strengthened, she pushed to her feet and jogged down the sentry walk toward the watchtower.
She rounded two scallops and had started out on the long section of wall that circled the watchtower when she spotted Khai sitting against the battlement on the narrow curve. He faced the tower, eyes closed. Gowzals fluttered over his head, squawking. Had someone killed him?
She slowed her steps and drew her sword, hoping to sneak up on him, if possible.
A great cry brought Averella to the crenellation. She looked over the side just as a tanniyn rose from the lake, its neck curled like a ringlet. Averella crouched as it sailed over her and rammed its skull halfway up the tower.
The sentry wall under Averella’s knees shook. Water rained off the creature onto her head. She pressed against the battlement and watched the tanniyn pull back and ram the tower again. This time its head broke through. Bricks of whitestone and dust fell to the bailey below. A man inside screamed. The creature’s long neck writhed.
A haunting thought gripped Averella: Achan’s squad was assigned to the watchtower.
She stood, legs trembling, and inched toward the place where the beast’s neck rested between two merlons. She didn’t have the strength to sever its head, so she drew back her sword and stabbed.
The creature’s screech chilled her arms. She tried to wrench her blade free, but it was stuck. She braced her feet against the battlement and pulled with all her weight. The beast shifted. The sword’s grip ripped from her hand, snagged on a merlon, then snapped the merlon off, as the tanniyn slithered backwards.
Averella dropped to her stomach and peeked at the tower. The beast drew back from the hole, writhing, a man in its mouth.
Merciful heart! Arman, help him!
The serpent’s neck retracted over the crenellation, knocking the man free before it sank