The Madness of Gods and Kings by Christian Warren Freed

Author:Christian Warren Freed [Freed, Christian Warren]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Sci Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy, Epic Fantasy
ISBN: 9780692343098
Goodreads: 25085535
Publisher: Smashwords Edition
Published: 2014-09-30T23:00:00+00:00

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Harlan couldn’t help but grin tersely as flight after flight of fire arrows sped towards the redoubt. Watching flames stretch up over the tops of the walls enthused him in ways much failed to do of late. Once a self-defined playboy, Harlan had wandered Delranan and the rest of the north in search of pointless love and adventure. He’d chosen the worst possible moment for his return. The war broke out shortly after, leaving him trapped in a land intent on devouring itself from the inside. Siding with the rebellion was the only logical choice.

Excited tension filled him, making it difficult to stand still. No hero, he wanted to be storming the walls with Orlek; it was the only time he’d ever been jealous of his swarthy companion. Instead Ingrid posted him to the flanks with what he considered a menial assignment. Guarding against fleeing soldiers seemed to lack any distinguishing characteristic of glory. And glory was the one factor he needed to cement his name in the future kingdom. A few defenders panicked and tried to escape over the walls. Their bodies decorated the ground.

It wasn’t enough. According to Boen, the redoubt was filled with hundreds of enemy soldiers. While Harlan recognized the odds were almost even, nothing the rebels had in their arsenal or tactical knowledge base was enough to contend with even the Wolfsreik reserves in a head-to-head fight. Harlan was the biggest proponent for their guerilla-style war, thinking Ingrid mad to brazenly conduct this raid. Still, he couldn’t help but admire her tenacity. Should she actually pull it off, the raid would go down as one of the greatest military maneuvers in the kingdom’s storied history. He’d finally get his chance to play the hero.

The first sign things weren’t going according to schedule was the lack of bodies trying to escape. Best-case scenario had Orlek’s fighters hacking them down in their beds. Harlan wasn’t an idealist by any measure. The horn blast coming from the frozen plains to his north confirmed those darkest fears he didn’t want to admit. Ingrid had been duped. They all had.

“What was that?” a nervous young lady with bright, blond hair asked.

Thankful it was finally dark, Harlan spit his displeasure. “Keep firing but be prepared to fall back on my signal. If that horn is what I think it is this fight is about to turn nasty. I’ll be right back.”

Clearly not liking the answer, she strung another arrow and fired.

Harlan stalked off, moving as quickly as he thought safe. Night presented different challenges, some he hoped the enemy suffered from as well. They’d already salted the roads leading into the redoubt with homemade caltrops of sharpened wood. The spiked weapons would cripple any horse stepping on them and cause confusion to the remainder of the force. Harlan had seen them used effectively in the east. Implementing them here was too easy. Ingrid needed every advantage she could muster just to hold on.

The caltrops were highly effective, but only so long as the enemy stayed on the main roads.

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