Shades of the Past_ Book Six of the Morcyth Saga - Brian S. Pratt [70]
“Orry!” cries out Terrance as a crossbow bolt strikes Orry in the neck. Thrown backward, Orry hits the ground. His lifeless eyes stare up at Terrance as he reaches his side.
“Leave him!” Jiron cries out as he draws his knives.
“Ready slings and bows!” Hedry’s voice sounds over the roar of battle.
Terrance, angered by the loss of his friend gets to his feet and puts a slug in his sling. When the command ‘Fire at will’ comes, he twirls his sling and lets loose at one of the approaching attackers. Maybe it is the anger at the loss of his friend, but his slug flies true and hits the man square between the eyes. In the heat of battle, he doesn’t have time to be surprised at his skill, just places another slug in the sling, twirls and fires again.
“For Madoc!” the cry rings out as the two forces meet. “For Black Hawk!” another voice screams.
Jiron braces for the impact and as the soldier directly in front of him strikes out with his sword, he meets it with his left knife. Then he strikes out with his right and the man falls to the ground as blood gushes from his neck. An instant later the dead man’s spot is filled with another and the battle continues.
Hedry’s archers target the enemy crossbowmen, taking them out with devastating results. Shorty again stays near the slingers, there to protect them should an enemy make it that far.
Scar and Potbelly stand shoulder to shoulder as they deflect and return attacks with the enemy. Scar with his two swords is devastating, as is Potbelly with his sword and knife. Neither ever cared much for shields, figured they were for those whose skill was insufficient to keep the enemy away.
Atop his horse, Illan lays about him with his sword as enemy after enemy falls. From out of the corner of his eye he sees the cavalry he sent behind their force materialize. The enemy doesn’t even realize their peril until they are upon them.
The shock of their charge mows down the enemy and are soon in among the crossbowmen, taking them out quickly. At that point, the battle is over. Over half the enemy lies dead and dying, encircled and outnumbered, men begin throwing down their weapons.
Around him, Illan sees Madoc soldiers striking out at the unarmed men. “Enough!” he cries, his voice piercing through the noise of battle. Men pause and the fighting comes to a stop. To his right a Madoc soldier strikes out and kills an Empire soldier that has already dropped his weapon in surrender. Illan rides over and kicks the man in the head. “Next one I see kill an unarmed man will get my sword!”
He spies one of the leading officers of the Madoc force and says, “Take your men and escort the prisoners back to Lythylla.”
Next he gets the attention of one of the cavalry officers and has him send scouts in all directions to see about any further enemies either in the area or on the way.
Another unit is put in charge of collecting the wounded and taking them back to the city.
From somewhere the cry goes up, “Black Hawk! Black Hawk!” The men begin joining in until the very air resonates with the cry. It finally begins to die away as the various units start returning to the city.
Illan glances over to where Jiron and Delia stand near Orry. Saddened by the loss he dismounts and joins them. “Let’s take him back,” he says. “He died a hero’s death.”
“He did, didn’t he?” Terrance asks as he turns his red rimmed eyes toward him.
Illan comes over and rests his hand on his shoulder, “Yes son, he did.”
Terrance, along with the others from The Ranch put Orry over a horse and begin the trip back.
Chapter Twelve
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“Our scouts have reported no other hostile forces in the immediate area,” Lord Pytherian tells those assembled in the meeting room.
James and Illan, as well as Brother Willim, are among those gathered to assess the ramifications of the events earlier