tingled his nerves, and he felt his heart racing, the way it always did before a fight.
Shrilling a war cry, the first rider burst through the gate at a canter, a sword swinging easily in his hand. Eskkar stayed down, counting the horses as they crossed into the village. Riders eased back their winded mounts, 34
SAM BARONE
slowing as they entered Dilgarth. They didn’t expect any resistance, and the women’s panicky cries had already faded. Straggling behind, the last horse finally passed through the opening at barely a trot, its rider apparently more concerned with the animal’s halter than his surroundings.
As soon as the last rider moved past the gate, Eskkar rose up and drew his bow. At the same moment he let fly the arrow at the man’s back, a great shout came from the rear of the village, followed by the screams of frightened and wounded horses. Eskkar’s target was less than twenty paces away, but the man’s horse jumped at the noise, making for a poor shot that struck the rider low in the back instead of squarely between the shoulders.
Nevertheless, at that range the shaft landed with enough force to knock the bandit off his horse.
The moment he loosed the missile, Eskkar turned and, keeping the bow in his left hand, pushed hard against the heavy cart that had concealed him, and shoved it with all his might into the space between the palisade.
From the other side of the opening, the second cart bumped up against his own, blocking easy exit from the village.
Two waist-high carts didn’t form much of a barricade. A really good horse and rider might even jump the obstacle, but Eskkar was determined to give no bandit an opportunity to test his horsemanship.
By the time Eskkar had strung another arrow to his bow, the second archer had fired four times at the distant horsemen, fitting and loosing shafts with a speed Eskkar couldn’t hope to match. But hitting a moving, twisting target was another matter. Dust swirled everywhere, rising high into the lane. At the rear of the village, the surprised bandits had encountered Hamati and six of his men as they entered the square. The soldiers would continue pouring arrows into their confused targets as fast as they could.
Eskkar knew the bandit leader would have only a moment to make his decision. If he dismounted and urged his men forward, to attack Hamati’s archers, things would get very bloody. But mounted warriors rarely wanted to fight on foot, and attacking an unknown number of men standing behind a barricade of carts and tables wouldn’t be too appealing.
A mass of panicked horses broke out of the dust and surged back toward the gate. From the hoofbeats, Eskkar knew the bandit leader had decided to run, not fight. Eskkar picked the man out, hanging low over his animal’s neck, shouting to his men, and urging his beast back toward the village entrance.
Empire Rising
35
Mitrac, standing exposed on the edge of the roof, wreaked havoc with nearly each shaft he loosed. Only three riders remained on their horses as they charged back toward the main gate. Ignoring the other two, Eskkar aimed at the leader and fired his arrow into the man’s horse, an easy target even Eskkar couldn’t miss at such close range. The animal screamed and twisted in its tracks before stumbling to a halt, and its rider, clinging to the wounded beast’s neck, couldn’t hold on and tumbled to the ground. A second bandit went down, but the last rider put his horse directly at the carts, and the animal leaped high into the air. Horse and rider cleared the carts and landed cleanly outside the fence. Then one of Mitrac’s heavy arrows struck the man high in the shoulder, and the bandit pitched from his mount at the same moment the animal landed.
“Stop that man,” Eskkar shouted. “Don’t let him get away.” Eskkar slid his own sword from its sheath. The bandit leader had fallen hard, but already he’d climbed to his feet, sword in his hand, and started racing toward the
Shrilling a war cry, the first rider burst through the gate at a canter, a sword swinging easily in his hand. Eskkar stayed down, counting the horses as they crossed into the village. Riders eased back their winded mounts, 34
SAM BARONE
slowing as they entered Dilgarth. They didn’t expect any resistance, and the women’s panicky cries had already faded. Straggling behind, the last horse finally passed through the opening at barely a trot, its rider apparently more concerned with the animal’s halter than his surroundings.
As soon as the last rider moved past the gate, Eskkar rose up and drew his bow. At the same moment he let fly the arrow at the man’s back, a great shout came from the rear of the village, followed by the screams of frightened and wounded horses. Eskkar’s target was less than twenty paces away, but the man’s horse jumped at the noise, making for a poor shot that struck the rider low in the back instead of squarely between the shoulders.
Nevertheless, at that range the shaft landed with enough force to knock the bandit off his horse.
The moment he loosed the missile, Eskkar turned and, keeping the bow in his left hand, pushed hard against the heavy cart that had concealed him, and shoved it with all his might into the space between the palisade.
From the other side of the opening, the second cart bumped up against his own, blocking easy exit from the village.
Two waist-high carts didn’t form much of a barricade. A really good horse and rider might even jump the obstacle, but Eskkar was determined to give no bandit an opportunity to test his horsemanship.
By the time Eskkar had strung another arrow to his bow, the second archer had fired four times at the distant horsemen, fitting and loosing shafts with a speed Eskkar couldn’t hope to match. But hitting a moving, twisting target was another matter. Dust swirled everywhere, rising high into the lane. At the rear of the village, the surprised bandits had encountered Hamati and six of his men as they entered the square. The soldiers would continue pouring arrows into their confused targets as fast as they could.
Eskkar knew the bandit leader would have only a moment to make his decision. If he dismounted and urged his men forward, to attack Hamati’s archers, things would get very bloody. But mounted warriors rarely wanted to fight on foot, and attacking an unknown number of men standing behind a barricade of carts and tables wouldn’t be too appealing.
A mass of panicked horses broke out of the dust and surged back toward the gate. From the hoofbeats, Eskkar knew the bandit leader had decided to run, not fight. Eskkar picked the man out, hanging low over his animal’s neck, shouting to his men, and urging his beast back toward the village entrance.
Empire Rising
35
Mitrac, standing exposed on the edge of the roof, wreaked havoc with nearly each shaft he loosed. Only three riders remained on their horses as they charged back toward the main gate. Ignoring the other two, Eskkar aimed at the leader and fired his arrow into the man’s horse, an easy target even Eskkar couldn’t miss at such close range. The animal screamed and twisted in its tracks before stumbling to a halt, and its rider, clinging to the wounded beast’s neck, couldn’t hold on and tumbled to the ground. A second bandit went down, but the last rider put his horse directly at the carts, and the animal leaped high into the air. Horse and rider cleared the carts and landed cleanly outside the fence. Then one of Mitrac’s heavy arrows struck the man high in the shoulder, and the bandit pitched from his mount at the same moment the animal landed.
“Stop that man,” Eskkar shouted. “Don’t let him get away.” Eskkar slid his own sword from its sheath. The bandit leader had fallen hard, but already he’d climbed to his feet, sword in his hand, and started racing toward the
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