Savage by Lila Dubois

Author:Lila Dubois [Dubois, Lila]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Liquid Silver Books
Published: 2011-12-13T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

The beat of war drums heralded their arrival.

Anleeh rode ahead, his chin high, eyes forward, acknowledging no one.

Thump, thump-thump, thump, thump-thump.

The drums were a tool of intimidation, used to frighten those who approached the walled village. Despite this knowledge, Anleeh’s heart beat sped up, battle anticipation like quicksilver in his veins.

Deep in his belly, the beast rolled, awakened by the danger of their situation. It was not fear he felt, but anticipation. There were few things he enjoyed so much as a good fight. Today was a good day to die, and had Siara’s presence not dictated a need for survival, it might have been worth fighting to the death.

They followed a muddy track through the outskirts of the village, heading towards a wooden wall made of sturdy tree trunks sharpened to points, so large that it encompassed a section of the forest beyond. Only one roof peaked over it, thin plumes of smoke rising from it. This was the Great Hall, his Uncle’s Hall.

There was a clearing in front of the gates. Stripped bare of trees and grass, that desolate plot of land had seen more blood spilled than anywhere else in the village. He could feel the eyes of the people on them, but they had yet to see any living person besides the guards, who stood silent and watching at the gate as the drums boomed over them.

Anleeh reined in at the edge of the clearing, dismounting, sword in hand. He stood for a moment, fighting the urge to look back at Siara, reassure her, warn her.

The gates were flung open, a straight path between the gates and the Hall offering a clear vision of the long, tall building. The doors opened; a blond man stepped out, his shoulders thick with muscle, giving him more weight than Anleeh, though they were of a height. The solider wore only deer hide leggings and boots, and a collection of claws and teeth dangling from a cord around his neck. He swaggered down the path from the Hall to the gates.

Anleeh moved forward, his steps quickening, the other man’s pace increasing as he reached the wall and passed through the gates. By the time they reached the center of the clearing, each was running. The blond man let out a loud war cry, swinging the battle axe he held in a vicious arch, aimed at Anleeh’s neck.

Anleeh ducked beneath the blade, driving his own sword forward, opening up a vicious deep wound along the inside of the man’s knee. The man’s leg folded beneath him as he roared. Spinning out of reach, Anleeh moved to the man’s back, catching the handle of the battle axe as he tried an awkward rear swing. Jerking the axe away from him, Anleeh set his blade to the man’s neck, opening a shallow cut.

When Anleeh stepped away, the blond man rose and limped away, defeated.

From within the Hall a second man came, this one holding a sword, the lines around his eyes marking him as an older solider, and clearly a cunning and clever one if he had survived to this age.

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