Ironhelm - Douglas Niles [69]
Gultec trotted easily along the trail, once again leading the column of warriors. His keen eyes had no difficulty following the twistings and windings of the jungle path, even in the nearly total darkness. The Jaguar Knight knew that columns of warriors like this one were converging toward the coast along many such trails. By the middle of the night, there would be ten thousand spearmen and hundreds of Jaguar and Eagle Knights waiting atop the bluff.
Following the most direct route to the pyramid, this trail made for good time, unlike the early-morning course that had taken them along the circuitous coastal path… The knight sensed the nearness of the sea in the faint smell of the air and the moist coolness against his face. But more than this, he knew their location instinctively. In mere›min-utes, the column would reach the pyramid.
Then the Jaguar Knight heard a faint sound, unnatural in the jungle night. More sounds followed, and he halted, raising a taloned hand. The entire column stopped instantly and silently behind him.
The sounds grew, a thrashing that told him that men were forcing their way through the underbrush. He heard muffled curses, in Payit, and soon sensed the nearness of many sweating, frightened men.
A figure pounded toward them along the path, breathing heavily. The man did not know of Gultec's presence until the knight stepped from the shadows and seized him by the throat. He recognized the orange headdress of a nearby village. This warrior must have been one of the first on the scene.
"What is the meaning of this?" demanded Gultec, his voice a rumbling growl. "Why do you flee like a young girl?"
The man's eyes widened in even greater terror. He croaked something indistinguishable, and Gultec slightly relaxed his hold upon the man's windpipe.
"The strangers!" gurgled the fleeing warrior. "Sorcery! They attacked us! They killed many! It was death to remain!"
Gultec's body tensed with the news, but he was only mildly surprised. So these strangers were here for war! Well, the warriors of the Payit would see they got what they sought!
"Where are they now?"
"The pyramid-by the Twin Visages!" The man virtually squealed the answer.
Casting the terrified villager aside, Gultec started forward at a renewed trot. In a minute, he would deploy his men through the jungle surrounding the pyramid. But first he would see what these strangers were about.
"Halt!" barked Daggrande. The line of swordsmen stopped instantly as the last of the natives disappeared into the jungle. With a quick look, he saw that none of his men had suffered any serious wounds. At least a dozen natives had fallen to their crossbow bolts, perhaps an equal number to their swords, but Daggrande wasted no time on self-congratulations.
"Over here!" gasped Hal, squirming out from beneath the slain warrior's body. Several legionnaires helped him to his feet. "I never thought I'd be so glad to see your whiskers!" He grinned as the dwarf clumped over to him. Hal's hands and arms were still pinned to his side, or he would have embraced the old campaigner.
"Humph! I never thought you'd be fool enough to get caught in a simple ambush!" Daggrande's anger, Hal discerned, masked his relief at finding Halloran alive. Nevertheless, the rebuke struck home, especially as the dwarf continued. "I found the bodies of four good men back there!"
"They killed Martine, too." Hal looked up, all his rage and revulsion flooding back. He wondered if the high priest, the murderous fanatic, remained atop the pyramid. Unconsciously he strained at his bonds, eager for vengeance.
"We've got big trouble," grunted the dwarf. "Let's get back to the beach." The dwarf pulled out his dagger and started to saw at Halloran's binding. "What is this stuff, by Helm? My blade can't mark it!"
"It's magic," groaned Hal. "But I thought you'd be able to cut it. These people have priests or sorcerers… I'm not sure which. One of them, the same one who killed Martine, used this to wrap me up."
Halloran fixed his gaze on