Chapter 3
"Right there's only one way to do this" Kel told the entire group half an hour later trying to sound confident so her men didn't doubt her.
"We'll attack midnight when most of them are asleep. If we take out the sentries we might be able to fight off the soldiers that guard Dom and his men and set them free before the whole camp wakes up. Once they're free and have weapons we're more than a match for them" Kel finished confidently eying every one of her men. To her surprise they were all nodding in agreement
"Makes sense" declared Neal "We can't use the animals to sneak weapons to them like we did with the refugees. They'll be aware of that now" he reasoned
As the night wore on a slight wind blew up stirring the trees around them. The black starless sky was sliced by flashes of lightning and thunder rolled. We really picked our nights thought Kel as she placed her boot in the stirrup and swung into the saddle which felt as cold as chilled steel through her thin breeches. They rode silently through the night, their horses chomping on the bit, eager to go. The air itself seemed to be quivering with anticipation.
Kel signalled the men to halt just outside the camp site and dismounted leaving Peachblossom with Tobe. The men followed suit. They gathered behind a large pile of rocks and waited for Kel to give the signal. The Scanran sentries obviously weren't expecting trouble. Some had left their posts to converse with their friends, while others were gazing ahead unseeing or beginning to fall asleep. Kel listened to the light patter of rain on the tin roof and heard the sentries grumble, wishing they were able to enjoy the comforts of the dry shed instead of sitting in the rain. I wonder what they'd be like with the Yamanis thought Kel. Many of her days on the Islands involved training by sitting unmoving in the rain without complaint.
She gave the signal and the men loosed the first arrows with such accuracy that Kel was impressed. The sentries all slumped forward without a sound, arrows protruding from different parts of their bodies. Kel sent the sparrows to get Tobe. Now that the sentries had been taken care of it would be safe to bring the warhorses closer. So far everything had gone to plan. The sparrows reported twenty guards watching the Company. A number which Kel knew they could take on easily. The remainder of the Third Company hid behind trees and rocks surrounding the camp, as did half of sergeant Jacut's squad. The other half followed Kel, Neal, and Merric as they crept towards the back of the shed, while Tobe waited hidden with the warhorses, listening for the signal to release them.
As quiet as Kel and the men tried to be the dry leaves still crackled under their feet. A sound which Kel was sure would travel to the sleepy guards. She was right. As they approached, the men were sitting up looking curiously around.
"It's probably just an animal" said one annoyed guard who obviously wanted to go back to dozing.
"And if it's not? If it is an army of warriors, what are you going to do then, snore at them?" taunted another
Kel loosed the first arrow hitting the second speaker in the back, the men only half a beat behind her, hitting various guards. The remaining guards jumped up sounding the alarm before Kel's glaive came crashing down on them or one of the men's swords sliced them. The men that were sleeping in the shed charged out, some still in their night shirts, only to be struck down by an arrow from the men surrounding the camp.
The warhorses galloped in, Peachblossom in the lead. They fought their way towards their owners killing anyone in their way. Kel grabbed the spare weapons hanging on the horses tack and gave to Dom's squad who by now Neal and Merric had released. Kel handed a sword to Dom just as a flash of lightning lit up the sky, showing her Dom's smiling face, followed by an ear splitting roar of thunder. The panic stricken horses reared before being calmed and reassured by Tobe. By now the rain was falling heavier, soaking then so their shirts clung to their backs.
Five Scanran soldiers attacked Kel at once. She sliced the first two through the stomach with one sweeping movement of her glaive and beheaded a third. As she turned to face the remaining two an arrow pierced her shoulder causing her to cry out in pain. The soldiers advanced but were soon stopped by a charging Peachblossom. He reared landing on the first one while Kel skewered the next. Looking around she saw her men were doing well. About half of the Scanrans lay dead on the ground around the Tortallan soldiers while the rest were quickly joining their friends. Jump clung to the throat of a soldier who had been about to slash corporal Wolset, one of Dom's men from behind.
Dom himself had a large pile of Scanran bodies around him but was fighting to hold off another three. The first one fell down with a cut to his chest from Dom's sword, but Dom was to slow turning to face the next, a big solid man with blond hair and beard. The Scanran managed to place a decent gash on Dom's left arm, while his friend cut at Dom's legs catching his right thigh. Dom spun decapitating the blond thug but tripped on his injured leg and fell sprawling on his back. The Scanran leered over him and raised his sword about to strike. Kel rushed forward piercing the man from behind.
The pain from the movement of her shoulder madder her break out in a cold sweat and brought tears to her eyes. She bit her lip to stop herself from screaming and closed her eyes. When she opened them Dom was struggling to get to his feet, a look of concern filling his startling blue eyes. The last of the Scanrans were fleeing into the woods seeing the hopelessness of their cause. Neal was bent over three men from sergeant Jacut's squad and two from the Third Company, while Tobe checked over the horses giving them pats and telling them how good they were. She managed to give Dom a small smile before passing out.
"Right there's only one way to do this" Kel told the entire group half an hour later trying to sound confident so her men didn't doubt her.
"We'll attack midnight when most of them are asleep. If we take out the sentries we might be able to fight off the soldiers that guard Dom and his men and set them free before the whole camp wakes up. Once they're free and have weapons we're more than a match for them" Kel finished confidently eying every one of her men. To her surprise they were all nodding in agreement
"Makes sense" declared Neal "We can't use the animals to sneak weapons to them like we did with the refugees. They'll be aware of that now" he reasoned
As the night wore on a slight wind blew up stirring the trees around them. The black starless sky was sliced by flashes of lightning and thunder rolled. We really picked our nights thought Kel as she placed her boot in the stirrup and swung into the saddle which felt as cold as chilled steel through her thin breeches. They rode silently through the night, their horses chomping on the bit, eager to go. The air itself seemed to be quivering with anticipation.
Kel signalled the men to halt just outside the camp site and dismounted leaving Peachblossom with Tobe. The men followed suit. They gathered behind a large pile of rocks and waited for Kel to give the signal. The Scanran sentries obviously weren't expecting trouble. Some had left their posts to converse with their friends, while others were gazing ahead unseeing or beginning to fall asleep. Kel listened to the light patter of rain on the tin roof and heard the sentries grumble, wishing they were able to enjoy the comforts of the dry shed instead of sitting in the rain. I wonder what they'd be like with the Yamanis thought Kel. Many of her days on the Islands involved training by sitting unmoving in the rain without complaint.
She gave the signal and the men loosed the first arrows with such accuracy that Kel was impressed. The sentries all slumped forward without a sound, arrows protruding from different parts of their bodies. Kel sent the sparrows to get Tobe. Now that the sentries had been taken care of it would be safe to bring the warhorses closer. So far everything had gone to plan. The sparrows reported twenty guards watching the Company. A number which Kel knew they could take on easily. The remainder of the Third Company hid behind trees and rocks surrounding the camp, as did half of sergeant Jacut's squad. The other half followed Kel, Neal, and Merric as they crept towards the back of the shed, while Tobe waited hidden with the warhorses, listening for the signal to release them.
As quiet as Kel and the men tried to be the dry leaves still crackled under their feet. A sound which Kel was sure would travel to the sleepy guards. She was right. As they approached, the men were sitting up looking curiously around.
"It's probably just an animal" said one annoyed guard who obviously wanted to go back to dozing.
"And if it's not? If it is an army of warriors, what are you going to do then, snore at them?" taunted another
Kel loosed the first arrow hitting the second speaker in the back, the men only half a beat behind her, hitting various guards. The remaining guards jumped up sounding the alarm before Kel's glaive came crashing down on them or one of the men's swords sliced them. The men that were sleeping in the shed charged out, some still in their night shirts, only to be struck down by an arrow from the men surrounding the camp.
The warhorses galloped in, Peachblossom in the lead. They fought their way towards their owners killing anyone in their way. Kel grabbed the spare weapons hanging on the horses tack and gave to Dom's squad who by now Neal and Merric had released. Kel handed a sword to Dom just as a flash of lightning lit up the sky, showing her Dom's smiling face, followed by an ear splitting roar of thunder. The panic stricken horses reared before being calmed and reassured by Tobe. By now the rain was falling heavier, soaking then so their shirts clung to their backs.
Five Scanran soldiers attacked Kel at once. She sliced the first two through the stomach with one sweeping movement of her glaive and beheaded a third. As she turned to face the remaining two an arrow pierced her shoulder causing her to cry out in pain. The soldiers advanced but were soon stopped by a charging Peachblossom. He reared landing on the first one while Kel skewered the next. Looking around she saw her men were doing well. About half of the Scanrans lay dead on the ground around the Tortallan soldiers while the rest were quickly joining their friends. Jump clung to the throat of a soldier who had been about to slash corporal Wolset, one of Dom's men from behind.
Dom himself had a large pile of Scanran bodies around him but was fighting to hold off another three. The first one fell down with a cut to his chest from Dom's sword, but Dom was to slow turning to face the next, a big solid man with blond hair and beard. The Scanran managed to place a decent gash on Dom's left arm, while his friend cut at Dom's legs catching his right thigh. Dom spun decapitating the blond thug but tripped on his injured leg and fell sprawling on his back. The Scanran leered over him and raised his sword about to strike. Kel rushed forward piercing the man from behind.
The pain from the movement of her shoulder madder her break out in a cold sweat and brought tears to her eyes. She bit her lip to stop herself from screaming and closed her eyes. When she opened them Dom was struggling to get to his feet, a look of concern filling his startling blue eyes. The last of the Scanrans were fleeing into the woods seeing the hopelessness of their cause. Neal was bent over three men from sergeant Jacut's squad and two from the Third Company, while Tobe checked over the horses giving them pats and telling them how good they were. She managed to give Dom a small smile before passing out.