Legacy's Price by Matthew Sprange

Author:Matthew Sprange
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy
Publisher: Rebellion Publishing Ltd

CHAPTER TWELVE

HEAD BOWED LOW, the tired horse clopped dejectedly through the main gates of the Citadel, looking as miserable as Tellmore felt. Behind him, Renauld was no happier on his exhausted mount. They had both failed their baron, and they knew it. At least here in Turnitia it rained less than in the Anclas Territories and, mercifully, the grey sky today withheld its deluge.

The guards at the gate let them both through without a word and Tellmore glanced back at Renauld, feeling as sorry for the knight as he did for himself. Renauld’s cloak was gone, lost in the fighting at the camp, and a heavy dent was obvious in his helm where a savage sword swing had nearly taken the man’s life. He favoured his left arm, the result of a shallow but painful wound from a spear thrust a Vos soldier had made as Renauld had struggled to get Tellmore on his feet.

Tellmore shuddered to remember that night, the suddenness of the attack, the butchery of Renauld’s men, and the irresistible onslaught of the man he had fought a magical duel with. And lost.

By all that was holy, that opponent had been quick. While Tellmore might admit to himself in more candid moments that he might have become a little rusty in the use of battle magics, that Vos leader had been both fast and powerful with his staff. After being thrown through the air by the arcane explosion unleashed by the enchanted weapon, Tellmore had lost consciousness for a few moments. He had been roused by a desperate Renauld who shook him hard. Tellmore had been dimly aware as he came round that the knight was battling Vos soldiers. How many, he did not know, and that was when Renauld had been wounded. One of the soldiers had managed to flank him and a cruel spear thrust nearly took Renauld out of the battle altogether.

Somehow, Renauld had triumphed, and Tellmore had risen unsteadily to his feet, looking desperately about him to regain his sense of how the fight was going.

“We need to regroup at the centre,” Renauld shouted above the cacophony of sword on metal and the screams of dying men. “I have men holding there but they need support.”

He had started to drag Tellmore with him, but the wizard grasped his arm and spun him round.

“Don’t be foolish,” Tellmore had said. “We have to get out of here.”

“We can still win this fight!”

“The battle is already lost, man!”

A look of anguish came across Renauld’s face then, and while Tellmore felt his own guilt at leaving so many men behind to be slaughtered, he realised in that moment he would never know just how close the bonds between fighting men could be.

Tellmore lowered his voice and gripped Renauld by the shoulders so he could speak directly into his face.

“We’ve lost. We never had a chance. If we leave now, we might escape. If we can do that, we can bring more men back and avenge what has happened here.

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