The Children of Archipelago by B A Simmons

Author:B A Simmons [Simmons, B A]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-04-14T22:00:00+00:00

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Spearpoints and clinking; a mass of bodies in armor and shields made their way in formation up the trail. They pressed themselves together to fit, two-by-two, on the narrow pathway up the slope. Double-headed falcons merged together in overlapping defense both in front of the soldiers and above their heads.

John and Riley saw them coming a long way off and sighed out their trepidation. John’s foot had gone numb; a worrying sign that he was still losing blood. Riley sniffed and wiped silent tears from his eyes. This was their end. They felt it with such assurance that neither could speak to the other for fear of sobbing out a confession. John forced a wry smile to his face and turned to Riley. He placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder to show his commitment to the task at hand. He would save Riley’s life, even at the cost of his own.

The Falcons paused a few yards away, readying themselves for the assault. Riley placed a stone in his sling and transferred the energy of his frown into his arm. The first stone cracked against a shield so loudly that John thought he saw the Falcons jump back.

“Keep it up,” John said as he again placed himself in the middle of the trail, shield in front with his spear over the top, waiting to skewer the next man to approach. His back leg (the good one) shook with exhaustion and he allowed it to take a knee. He might as well be comfortable as he prolonged his passage to Evan.

After Riley’s second stone rattled the overlapping shields at the front of the column, John saw a gap open and the familiar sight of crossbows poke out, loosing their bolts at them.

“Get behind me!” he shouted.

He felt Riley’s left arm wrap around his chest. One of the bolts struck John’s shield, its bronze tip splintered the wood on the back side just three fingers’ lengths away from his jaw. The second whizzed through the space where Riley had stood the moment before.

The soldiers moved up a few paces while the crossbowmen reloaded their weapons. John recognized their tactic with both admiration and frustration. He could not counter it himself, not without exposing Riley to the deadly fire. The best he could do is hold out on his own.

“Riley, as soon as they fire again, I want you to run. Do you hear me? Run up the trail as fast as you can and signal Harrisville. Tell them you are still up here. Are you ready?”

“Yes,” Riley squeaked out.

The bolts both struck John’s shield, just below the upper rim where his eyes and helmet were exposed.

“Go!” he shouted. Riley release his grip and started running. John listened the crunching of his sandals on the stony trail and then puzzled why the sound stopped. He turned himself, keeping his shield between his body and the approaching enemy.

Riley lay on the trail, tears flowing from his eyes and blood from his lower leg where a bolt stuck through his calf.

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