• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

A crossbow bolt strikes the ground nearby and Miko who says, “We better get out of here. The battle isn’t over yet.”

Just then, the gates to the palisade open and the army issues forth with a roar.

Chapter Eleven

______________________

Miko mounts his horse and they hand the injured brother up to him. “Get back behind the line of staffs,” he tells them. Turning his horse toward Lythylla, he bolts into a gallop holding tightly onto the injured brother before him.

Brother Willim and the others begin running toward where Illan and the rest are preparing to meet the onslaught of the enemy. As the Hand reaches their lines, Illan says, “Good work there.” Brother Willim simply nods his head as he and the other brothers follow Miko on into Lythylla to see about their comrade.

Jiron, leading the horse bearing James, moves through the defenders as they part for him. He soon passes the Brothers and crosses over the bridge into the city. Off to one side of the gates, a soldier waves to him and indicates a nearby guardhouse beside which Miko’s horse stands tied to a post. Henri is there and takes his reins as he pulls up alongside Miko’s horse.

“Is he alive?” Henri asks, referring to the unconscious James.

“Yes,” replies Jiron. “He gets like this every time he does too much magic.”

Henri helps him remove James from the horse and together they bring him into the guardhouse. The injured brother is already laid out upon blankets on the floor, a pack has been placed under his head for comfort.

Madoc healers are there and have already begun examining the brother. They place James on a blanket next to him. Jiron takes Miko by the arm and says, “We have to get back to the others.”

“Yes, you’re right,” he says. Then to one of the healers he adds, “Take care of them.”

“They’ll be fine,” the grey haired healer says. “You go do what you have to.”

As Jiron and Miko leave the guardhouse, Brother Willim and the rest of the Hand arrive and pass them on their way into the guardhouse. “I think they are in good hands,” says Jiron.

“Me too,” agrees Miko.

They mount their horses and turn them toward the gate. Jiron pauses but a moment when Lord Pytherian catches his eye from where he’s keeping watch on the battle from atop the gate. Nodding to Jiron, he then turns back to the battlefield. The courtyard is filled with every available man, as are the streets leading deeper into the city. The whole Alliance army is waiting for the word to go. It was decided to keep the bulk of their forces within the walls in the hopes of fooling the enemy into launching an attack. If they but knew how many awaited them, they would never leave the relative safety of the palisade.

Returning through the gate at a gallop, they head back to their comrades who are about to face the brunt of the Empire army. Jiron sees the soldiers of the Empire are forming ranks this side of the palisade as more and more stream through the gate. Guess they’re not going to wait for us to attack.

Out in front of their force, the crossbowmen take position as they prepare to rain down a volley of death upon them. Jiron recognizes the army commander that was with the warrior priest when he and James had gone for the initial meeting before all the hostilities erupted. The man must think now would be his best chance at success seeing as how James has collapsed and one of the priests of Asran is down.

“Delia,” Illan says. “Are your people ready?”

“As ready as they’re ever going to be,” she says. To her slingers she says, “Wait for my signal before you remove anything from your pouch!”

“Yes ma’am,” Orrin’s voice answers from his position down the line.

Illan turns to Ceadric and says, “They’ll want to take out the catapults first. Be prepared.”

“Aye sir,” he says.

A hush falls over the battlefield as the final men make their way through the palisade and take position. They are outnumbered seven to one, Black Hawk’s Raiders number somewhere near a thousand while the Empire’s force appears to be at least