Paul O. Williams - Pelbar 01 by The Breaking of Northwall

Author:The Breaking of Northwall
Format: epub
Published: 2013-07-21T16:00:00+00:00

10

As Whin had said, the mountains were not as close as they appeared. A day’s run brought them into the wooded foothills, but these were gently rolling hills, and the mountain peaks still were far away.

“Thro,” said Reor. “Are we now into Emeri country?”

As if in answer, they heard hooves and crowded for cover. A band of fifteen riders swept across their rear, heading north. They had almost passed when the last man slowed. “Ho,” he said, studying the ground. As the other riders wheeled, Olor’s spear hissed out and took the last man through the shoulders. Instantly the Emeri had out their longbows and the air flashed with arrows and spears. It was just what Jestak had feared, but he stood behind a tree and put arrows through four men in quick succession, firing as quickly as he could aim, as in Pelbar guard training.

The Emeri wheeled away, and Jestak hit one more, toppling him. A horse was screaming where a Shumai spear had pierced him, and the rider’s comrades, in an attempt to save him, turned back again and came on, waving their long swords and yelling in a hoarse quaver. Jestak took two more off their horses, and one more spear found a man, but the swords swept aside the others, as the five remaining Emeri horsemen hit the Shumai hard, slashing aside the short swords and downing the men who could not stay out of their way. Reor leaped on a horse and took off another man, receiving a sharp, glancing blow with a sword across the left arm in the process. He went down. Thro’s spear, which he had held, went through the swordsman’s belly and Jestak put his remaining two arrows through two more men. The two men still mounted rode off hard eastward, but Stantu, taking a long throw, pierced one, and Jestak, running for an Emeri longbow, quickly got off an arcing shot that hit the horse in the neck, throwing the remaining rider. Five Shumai went after him.

“Jes,” Stantu shouted, and whirling, Jestak saw the first man thrown coming at him with a long sword. Jestak just had time to run aside and pick up one of the fallen men’s swords. The Emer laughed cruelly, desperately, expecting to cut him down, but the Pelbar parried every swing, striking at the swordsman’s weapon near the base. The Emer was a skillful fighter, and was driving Jestak back, slashing and hacking, when one parry shocked his blade near the hilt, and it snapped, singing off into the dirt. Stantu had fitted an arrow awkwardly into one of the longbows, and drawing for the first time, sent an arrow into the Emer as he stood there momentarily with the sword hilt.

It was a short fight, but expensive for both sides. All the Emeri were dead, nine killed by Jestak’s arrows. Thro saw this with some strange feelings. Olor was jubilant at his first kill, but was also upset over Reor, who lay bleeding and twisting.

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