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The Bow of Haladan Part XIII
The second rank of men reached the wall, behind them a boulder
mowed down an entire fist, all five men flung to the ground, crushed
were some, others broken, one by his comrades head striking hard against
a shoulder, breaking bone, and the rest wounded by flying rock. The arrows
began to slacken as goblins put down their bows and picked up swords
and short thrusting spears.
A trooper with a spear deep in his upper thigh and another in his
arm pushed both goblins away, back and over, off the wall. He rolled atop
the crest and dragged down another goblin as he fell over himself, his
sword undrawn. A giant stepped on both man and goblin, bones crunching
beneath the massive foot.
The goblins were being swept aside but the giants put down their
boulders and began to knock the soldiers from the wall. Huge clubs broke
heads and bones or brushed the troops away before they could do more than
take a futile swing at a tree sized arm.
Once on the wall there was no easy way down to the other side. The
giants would lift up the goblins to set them at the top, but no stair or
ladder had been made, just a drop straight down to the hard stones of the
bridge. The third rank was placing scaling poles against the wall and
still no living human soldier stood upon the other side.
The captain had been standing near the wall urging his men on
despite the arrows and stones which took their heavy toll in blood. As
a ladder was set he grabbed a rung and pulled himself aloft. Fintan
rolled beneath a swinging club, it shattered the stone where he had stood
and splintered apart itself, leaving a broken stump in the giants hand.
Fintan's sword danced out and took a finger off and laid open a palm bigger
than a human head.
The giant howled and backed away, Fintan lunged but barely pricked
the monsters arm. The captain turned and helped another trooper to a place
along the wall.
"Draw up a scaling pole." the captain yelled to the man, but all
were filled with troopers racing up to reach the top. As he spoke a sword
stabbed out and Fintan dived aside just in time. The soldier did not move
so quick, impaled, the giant lifted him into the air, his body jerking,
feet kicking, then deathly still. The soldiers body slid off the sword and
down onto the troops below.
Fintan rose and brought his own sword down and cut the giants
arm, but drew little blood. His blade struck a leather forearm brace,
he cut through but the force of the blow was not enough to do more than
score the giants flesh.
The backhand stroke forced Fintan from the wall. He ducked under
the scything blade and dropped from the edge hanging by his fingertips.
The captain let himself fall, he landed on the body of a goblin and
tumbled back, then for a moment lay stunned upon the ground.
The giants did not notice him, distracted by a rush of troops who
gained the top. Another trooper jumped down landing hard, the soldiers
ankle gave and falling forward broke his knee upon the stones, he rolled
in pain but a giant brained him with a staff as a man might kill an
injured rat.
* * *
(To Be Continued...)