The Dragon’s Blade by Mitchell Christopher

Author:Mitchell, Christopher
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-912879-42-7
Publisher: Brigdomin Books Ltd
Published: 2020-10-02T00:00:00+00:00

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It took Maddie five minutes to gather her things, and then three hours to wait for her wagon. In that time a trickle of wounded returned from the front lines; soldiers with crossbow bolt injuries, or with broken limbs from being struck by projectiles, and she watched as they were carried into a roped-off area of the camp. Smoke was rising along the horizon in the direction of Dalrig, and she guessed that the Gloamer farmhouses were burning, but no one stopped to give her any news as she waited by the side of the road. Each minute dragged, and her impatience bubbled up, making her almost sick with nervous anticipation. When the wagon finally arrived, she jumped up onto the back, and sat next to a group of wounded Blades. Some were laid out on stretchers along the bottom of the wagon, while the others squeezed onto the benches that ran down each side. A lieutenant sitting on the driver’s bench turned and nodded to her, and the wagon set off, the oxen pulling it through the streets of Outer Pella.

Groups of Reaper civilians watched as the wagon made its slow procession towards the gate in the Union Walls, while some of the Blades clutched their crossbows, aware of the angry stares they were getting. A crowd of youths began following the wagon through the streets, shouting out abuse and challenging the soldiers on board.

‘The first rock that comes our way,’ muttered one of the Blades, a bandage across his thigh, ‘and I’m shooting.’

‘Steady,’ said the lieutenant. ‘Keep your heads down.’

‘What’s riling them today?’ said Maddie.

The lieutenant turned. ‘Our noble colleagues in the Taran militia opened up with crossbows on an unarmed crowd close to the old town this morning. Over fifty Reapers were killed, including several children.’

‘Taran idiots,’ muttered a Blade.

‘Yeah,’ said another; ‘fifty’s not enough, they should have killed them all.’

‘Quiet,’ said the lieutenant, ‘I want none of that. We’re transporting the wounded; let’s just hope they respect that.’

Maddie glanced back at the crowd. Older Reapers among them were trying to restrain the younger elements, and arguments were breaking out. The wagon turned left at a large crossroads, and the Union Walls reared up ahead of them. Maddie glanced at them, willing them to be closer as the crowds bayed and called out for their deaths. She had never felt so exposed. If the crowd wished, they could overpower the few fit and armed Blades on the back of the wagon in seconds. Groups of young Reapers were rushing forward to block the road ahead of them, and Maddie heard the lieutenant curse under his breath.

The wagon started to slow down as the crowd ahead of them grew, and a chant of ‘go home’ rose above the red sandstone buildings.

The lieutenant got to his feet and stood on the driver’s bench. ‘This wagon is full of the wounded and sick, and we are returning to the Bulwark.’

A cheer rose up at his last words.

‘You want us to go home?’ the lieutenant cried.

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