Harshini: The Hythrun Chronicles by Jennifer Fallon

Author:Jennifer Fallon [Fallon, Jennifer]
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Fantasy, Epic, Fantasy - Epic
ISBN: 9781435294783
Publisher: Paw Prints
Published: 2008-05-29T07:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 33

Cracks appeared with the first hits. The walls were made of fragile chalkstone and had never been designed to withstand a serious attack. When Damin heard the news, he rode out to see the damage for himself. He was no engineer, but even he could tell that they would not last long.

"Call up the Collective Guards," he ordered Almodavar. "Have them reinforce the troops on the walls."

"You want me to take them off riot duty?"

"Riots are going to be the least of our problems shortly," he said, as the crash of a boulder striking the wall made their horses rear in fright. The crack he had been examining widened alarmingly. A few more direct hits and it would be large enough for a man to walk through. He turned his horse and cantered back through the streets to the palace, distressed by the devastation the bombardment had caused. There were blackened buildings everywhere he looked; others had crumpled under the weight of the boulders dropped from the sky. He avoided looking at the people. It was too hard to confront the fear in their eyes, the agony of their grief. Cursing himself for a fool, he wondered if he should have attacked sooner - tried to break out of the city and take the battle to Cyrus on open ground, where he at least would have had some freedom of movement.

He should never have put so much faith in R'shiel.

Another boom sounded, and his horse reared again, but this was a different sound to the solid cracking file:///K|/eMule/Incoming/Fallon,%20Jennifer%20-%20[Demon%20Child%2003]%20-%20Harshini.htm (222 of 431)28-12-2006 12:44:47

Harshini

of stone against stone. The noise came again and he looked at Almodavar with a puzzled expression.

"That didn't come from the walls."

"It sounded as if it came from the harbour."

Another boom rolled over them as Damin spurred his horse forward. The sounds became more frequent, like a constant wave of thunder. As he neared the palace, the faint smell of smoke was drifting on the still air. But it wasn't ordinary smoke. It had a flavour he did not recognise. He flew from the saddle and ran up the steps into the palace and through the main hall to the balcony overlooking the harbour, gripping the balustrade in astonishment.

The sight that greeted him left him speechless. Three of the ships that had been blocking the harbour entrance were in flames. Behind them were a dozen or more warships. Fardohnyan warships. The booming sounded again as flames shot out from the nearest ship, and another of the blockaders fell victim to the Fardohnyan cannon. The ship in the lead headed for the gap in the sinking blockade line and sailed majestically through, her oars dipping and rising in a flawless rhythm.

"The Fardohnyans," Almodavar remarked unnecessarily.

"They believe in cutting things a bit fine," Damin agreed, finally finding his voice. The relief he felt was so intense he felt faint with it. "Where's Adrina?"

"I'm here, Damin," she said, stepping out onto the balcony. She was smiling fondly as she pointed to the ship in the lead.

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