Warrior Priest of Dmon-Li - Brian Pratt [91]
“We’re not going to be able to outrun them,” announces Jiron.
James glances back and sees the riders are continuing to gain slowly. “You’re right,” he agrees. He brings his horse to a stop and turns to face them. Jiron and Miko do the same just as a bola flies out of the dark and wraps around him, pinning his arms to his sides.
Losing his balance, James tumbles backward off his horse and thuds to the ground. He snaps the bola in half with a thought just as Jiron and Miko fall to the ground, bolas wrapped around them as well.
Crumph!
The ground under the approaching riders explodes upward, throwing them in every direction. James draws his knife and soon has Jiron free as the remaining riders approach.
Jumping to his feet, Jiron takes the severed pieces of the bola which had bound him and throws them at the approaching horsemen. One flies wide, but the other half connects with the lead horse in the chest causing him to stumble and throw its rider.
A stone flies and takes the remaining rider through the middle, gore exploding out his back.
Jiron engages the man who had just been thrown from his horse, his knives easily deflecting the sword of the rider. From behind he hears James yell, “Need him alive!”
Concentrating now on the sword and less on attack, he bides his time. Suddenly, he sees the maneuver he was waiting for. When the rider thrusts with his sword, he locks his knives together around the blade and with a twist of his wrists, the sword goes flying.
The rider tries to turn and flee, but Jiron tackles him and puts a knife to his throat.
James comes up to them and asks the captured rider, “Who are you?”
The rider just stares back defiantly.
“You are not of the Empire,” he says holding a bola. “This, if nothing else, would indicate that. I have not seen anything like this in the Empire before.”
Continuing on maintaining a defiant demeanor, the rider lies there uncooperatively.
“Are you from the Kirken Federation?” he asks. “That would be my guess, perhaps a raiding party?”
The man’s eyes flinch just enough for James to know he’d hit the mark. “Let him go Jiron,” he says.
Not taking his knife away, he says, “But they tried to kill us.”
Looking at the man, James asks, “If we let you go, will you return from where you came and leave us alone?”
The man stares at James a moment, considering the voracity of his words. Then, he nods his head affirmatively.
To Jiron, he says, “Let him go.”
Jiron slowly pulls the knife away from the man’s throat. When no attack is forthcoming from him, he gets slowly to his feet, never taking his eyes off the Kirken soldier.
As the man stands up, James tells him, “We are not of the Empire, we are from the north and are currently at war with the Empire ourselves.”
“Madoc?” the man asks.
“He is,” James says, indicating Jiron. Gesturing to Miko and himself, he says, “We’re from Cardri.”
The Kirken says, “We thought you to be the Empire’s men.” He looks around at his men lying dead around him before returning his attention to James, “A costly mistake.”
“We would not want to count the Kirken’s as enemies,” James says.
The man nods, “You are not, and I’m sorry we attacked you.” He goes over to a horse and grabs the dangling reins. “I must return and tell of what happened here. You’re welcome to come with me.”
Shaking his head, James says, “No, we cannot take the time, I’m afraid.”
“As you wish,” he says. He rounds up the other horses and then places the dead upon their backs, securing them into place. Then he ties the horses in line before mounting the lead horse. Then with a wave, he’s off.
They watch him as he disappears into the night with the bodies of his dead comrades. “It’s a shame they had to die,” James says.
“Fortunes of war, I’m afraid,” Jiron adds.
“Why didn’t we go with him?” Miko asks. “It seemed like a good idea.”