Send a spelling or grammar correction to: Tracy Johnson
The Bow of Haladan Part XX
The hobgoblins would cut down a man then be cut down themselves,
they had the greater number on their side but they faced thirty swords and
could bring only twenty or so of their own to bear.
The captain stood out in front of the line, Kyle stood by his left
side, shielding the captains flank. Seven bodies lay around them, another
fell reeling back from Fintan's sword, Kyle cut the hobgoblin down
stabbing up and through its armpit, along the bone and into its chest.
The monster jerked, its arms shot out and its head snapped back then it
collapsed dead as the stone which paved the bridge.
Two more beasts charged the captain head on, Fintan's sword struck
once and wounded one, he knocked their blades away then lunged to put his
blade through a throat and out the back of a furry orange neck, withdrew
and slashed away the others ear and skinned its face, a set of fanged and
yellow teeth visible where the cheek had been.
The hobgoblins withdrew, not far, but they took several backwards
steps away from the wall of bloody swords which had slain so many of their
brethren. The troopers had not drawn back at all, they had held the line,
at least one body lay before each sword, in places the dead were two or
three deep, the hobgoblins standing upon the slain to try and break the
line. The human dead had been pulled back, and as they fell those standing
behind had taken their place.
A single monster stepped from the ranks and pointed a curved blade
at Fintan. The captain nodded his head and raised his own blade to
acknowledge the challenge. Both leaders paced toward the other, Fintan
stepped beyond the circle of bodies which had surrounded him and the
hobgoblin chief was upon him. A fury he had never known before washed over
Fintan, this bridge, this very land was his, these monsters had been
a curse upon it, and now the Oerth called out to him to free it from
this blight. All his wounds and pains were gone, his sword was light
as a willow wand in his hand, the hobgoblin chief appeared to move
as slow as an insect in a spiders web.
Fintan brushed the hobgoblins blade away, his sword snapped the
dark curved steel off at the hilt, the monsters arm flew back. It held
a huge square shield of oak and hide, bossed with a plate of steel and
wrapped with iron bands. The captains next stroke took off the top of the
shield, the iron bands snapped, the steel boss sparked and flew away into
the hobgoblin ranks. The hobgoblin chief had time only to throw its
useless hilt at Fintan's head, it turned to run, and the captains
blade cut down. He hit high upon the monsters shoulder and drove the blade
halfway down its chest, the steel chest plate the hobgoblin wore popped
off, its catches sprung all along one side. The monster fell face first
into the stone of the bridge and toward its shocked company, its subchief
snarled. Fintan bent and drew his blade from the monsters chest, he did
not see the spear the subchief threw, but Kyle did.
"NO!" Kyle screamed as the spear took Fintan in the side and spun
the captain round. "Charge!" Kyle yelled and ran out toward the hobgoblin
lines, "Get Them!"
The signalmen had fallen quiet while the captain fought his duel,
he heard Kyle's words and obeyed his sergeants command. The horn sounded
and the troopers yelled a wordless scream of rage. Mad with fury they
charged the hobgoblin ranks, their swords still red with blood.
The subchief grabbed another spear, he threw it straight at Kyle,
it scrapped by his head, split hair but did not cut flesh, a trooper
rushing behind was not as lucky, he ran full tilt into the spear
and died.
Perhaps it was the glint in Kyle's eye, or the way he drove his
sword through the subchiefs head, but the hobgoblins broke and ran. The
first ranks turned and pushed into those behind, they did not need to push
hard to set these runing as well. Seen from above the panic spread like
water rushing up a beach, those at the rear were pushed aside or knocked
to the ground and trampled under foot. Those nearest to the troopers
swords died in droves, their unprotected necks were hacked, their chain
armor split, shields and weapons were dropped useless to the ground, they
only slowed the retreating monsters down. Many threw themselves from the
bridge and swam, those who didn't were killed, but for a quick handful who
pelted down the road and once off the bridge ran hither and yon.
Kyle reached the road, he'd lost his sword, the last hobgoblin
he'd killed, strangled with bare hands. A score of troopers hunted down
monsters on the far side of the bridge, but a horn was sounding over
the drumming of their blood. The signalman blew recall.
* * *
(To Be Continued)