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The Bow of Haladan Part V
"They'll gut us both if they find these." Kyle said to Giffard,
His friend put one of a pair of fine daggers back into the carrysack he'd
slung over his shoulder.
"Ones for you, we always swore that we'd share our loot." Giffard
said. He handed off the other of the pair to Kyle.
"Loot, yeah, they've kept us from most and stolen whatever else
we've found." Kyle put the dagger within his shirt. "Those two sergeants,
they're the worst we've ever had."
"I wonder how they'll fight." said Giffard
"Quiet There!" A voice called out. Swegen the monitor of their
squad ran up along the column. He'd been back keeping the stragglers up
to pace and now jogged alongside, making sure the line was even.
There was a roar from up ahead, then shouting, the line slowed and
like a barrel fallen from a cart, it splintered off, troopers running in
all directions.
"What the hells?" Swegen said.
"Ambush! Ambush!" They could hear the cries.
"Squad form up," Swegen yelled. "You there, form ranks."
A thud rumbled across the ground, then another and then a boulder
came crashing down amongst the forming line. One trooper took the brunt
of the massive blow. It knocked him back and crushed him but not before
his body knocked five more troopers down as well.
"Swegen," Kyle grabbed the monitors arm. "It's giants, we must
attack, they're just throwing rocks, they can pick us off, our slingers
will never reach them."
"Attack." Swegen yelled. "look around, they have us on the run
already."
More boulders came crashing down, they men who'd lead the way came
streaming back and the column began to turn in flight.
"There are too many green recruits, they'll never stand and fight"
Swegen said. "Scatter.." he began to call. Kyle struck him across the
head. The monitor dropped lack a sack of wheat.
"Giffard, get them moving forward. To me!" Kyle yelled. "To me!"
He grabbed a signalman, a new recruit from another squad. "Sound the
horn." he told the rattled man.
"What call?" the hornsman asked.
"Advance! Advance under arms!" Kyle punched him in the shoulder
and turned him to face the troops.
Panic had just raised its voice. The column spoke from a hundred
different heads. Then the horn began to sound.
Giffard threw the men ahead, he grabbed them by their collars and
their arms, he pushed and prodded them toward the open field on their
right which ran beside the road. Up ahead the ruins of a wayside inn
lay along the road. Three giant shapes could be seen hefting stones from
its broken walls and with arms like engines of war they sent their
rocks crashing among the running troops.
"There must be a score fallen already." Giffard said aloud.
Where were those sergeants now he wondered. "Come on lets go," he screamed
at a dozen men he'd kept together. "Spread out. Lets get them before the
get us."
More men circled around Kyle and the horn. He had half the company
at least. "At them." he cried and in a mass they charged down the road.
Boulders plowed a bloody swath through the massed ranks, but Kyle
kept running, the hornsman sounding at his side. He lead them, and they
followed after.
Giffard's dozen had grown to two score as men who'd fled came back
to the sounding horn. He snapped them up as they came across his bunch and
they went wide round the far side of the wrecked inn.
Three giants laughed and raised a sweat with their heavy work.
They tore a standing wall apart and used the stones to hurl into the
oncoming troops. Giffard took them by surprise. Thirty-eight troopers
followed him into the inns overgrown yard, some held back, but most came
on. Giffard drew first blood. His sword sliced away a chunk of giant
flesh, he struck behind the knee but the giant moved, he cut into its
thigh and brought out a stream of blood.
The giant jumped, startled and hurt, but not badly so. Nearby
another giant took a sword through its upper arm, but it pulled it from
the wielders grasp and swatted the man down with an open hand, never to
rise again. The third giant was further on. He turned and saw the men
attack. He hurled the boulder in his hands and killed three men, crushed
like ants beneath the heavy stone.
Giffard cut again and felt the sword jar in his hand as he struck
the giants knee. It howled and kicked him in the chest. Giffard flew like
a childs ball and bowled down several of his men, his iron helm brought
sparks from the stone he hit, and a wave of black washed the battle from
his sight.
* * *
(To Be Continued...)