The Binding Stone (The Dragon Below, Book 1) by Don Bassingthwaite Page B
Authors: Don Bassingthwaite
Ads: Link
brilliance. Their attacker had been a man dressed in rough, worn clothing, his hair strung with beads, his ears and his nose pierced through with lengths of wood and bone. The wizard turned to look at the kalashtar with respect.
"Singe," he said simply.
"Dandra," she replied. Her voice was rich like spices, but strained. "There will be more of them. We have to run."
The dull rhythm of feet pounding on dry earth pulled on Singe's ears. "Too late!" he hissed, and took two fast steps backward to stand at Dandra's side.
They appeared from the shadows at a run--three more men and a hard, thin woman whose head had been shaved and marked with tattoos. They didn't even glance at the flaming corpse of the first attacker, but at the sight of Singe and Dandra, they broke into the same weird war cry the dead man had uttered. If it was meant to frighten their victims, Singe thought, it was very effective. His hand clenched on the hilt of his rapier. "You strike left!" he gasped to Dandra.
He hoped that she understood, but didn't wait to see. He spoke a new word of magic and the fingers of his free hand flicked a trio of bright sparks at one of the men on the right. The man's war cry broke and he staggered--but kept coming. Singe saw Dandra point left and again he heard a choral drone. White fire lanced from Dandra's fingertips but this time the man she had chosenas her target ducked and rolled beneath the blast. Behind him, green leaves and twigs burst into flame like dry tinder.
Singe had the time to mutter a curse, then their attackers were on them.
He slid to the side as the man he had targeted with his magic swung with a thick club. His rapier darted out but the man flinched back, bringing the club around in a weak counter. Singe rocked back to avoid the blow--and almost lost a good portion of his head to a wild strike from an axe wielded by the tattooed woman. He staggered to the side, found his balance, and settled back into a fighting stance just in time to ward off the woman as she pressed her attack.
A glance showed that Dandra was having trouble as well. The two men facing her were armed with long knives, and while Dandra's spear gave her a greater reach, she was hard-pressed to keep both men back. As she thrust at one man, the other lunged at her. She moved with tremendous grace, spinning and shifting as if she only needed to think about moving. It still wasn't enough. She caught one with a crack of the spear shaft across his forehead--blood welled up and began to drip into his eyes--but the second slipped past her guard and got around on her other side.
And in the moment that Singe watched her, the man with the club got past his rapier long enough to swing a crushing blow at his sword arm. Singe twisted around and caught the blow on his left shoulder instead. His arm went numb and he staggered. The tattooed woman darted in again. Desperately, Singe turned his stagger into a low lunge.
The blade of his rapier sank into her thigh. She shrieked and fell back as he whipped the weapon free. Swaying to the side, he barely managed to avoid another punishing blow from the man's club. Dandra yelped and he shot a fast glance toward her. One of her attackers had managed to grab the butt of her spear. The kalashtar spun and kicked out with a sandaled foot but the move left her open. The second man dove in--
--and was tackled by a massive, growling form that seemed to explode out of the night. Singe caught only a glimpse of flashingteeth and thick muscles, but the man was swept off his feet and slammed back into the shadows. Over the noise of combat, he heard the wet crunch of a blade penetrating flesh and bone.
The sudden, ferocious attack gave him and Dandra the moment's chance that they needed. As the man with the club turned to meet this half-glimpsed new threat, Singe thrust his rapier under his momentarily upraised arm. Blood burst from his mouth in a sudden spray and the club tumbled to the ground as he fell.
"Singe," he said simply.
"Dandra," she replied. Her voice was rich like spices, but strained. "There will be more of them. We have to run."
The dull rhythm of feet pounding on dry earth pulled on Singe's ears. "Too late!" he hissed, and took two fast steps backward to stand at Dandra's side.
They appeared from the shadows at a run--three more men and a hard, thin woman whose head had been shaved and marked with tattoos. They didn't even glance at the flaming corpse of the first attacker, but at the sight of Singe and Dandra, they broke into the same weird war cry the dead man had uttered. If it was meant to frighten their victims, Singe thought, it was very effective. His hand clenched on the hilt of his rapier. "You strike left!" he gasped to Dandra.
He hoped that she understood, but didn't wait to see. He spoke a new word of magic and the fingers of his free hand flicked a trio of bright sparks at one of the men on the right. The man's war cry broke and he staggered--but kept coming. Singe saw Dandra point left and again he heard a choral drone. White fire lanced from Dandra's fingertips but this time the man she had chosenas her target ducked and rolled beneath the blast. Behind him, green leaves and twigs burst into flame like dry tinder.
Singe had the time to mutter a curse, then their attackers were on them.
He slid to the side as the man he had targeted with his magic swung with a thick club. His rapier darted out but the man flinched back, bringing the club around in a weak counter. Singe rocked back to avoid the blow--and almost lost a good portion of his head to a wild strike from an axe wielded by the tattooed woman. He staggered to the side, found his balance, and settled back into a fighting stance just in time to ward off the woman as she pressed her attack.
A glance showed that Dandra was having trouble as well. The two men facing her were armed with long knives, and while Dandra's spear gave her a greater reach, she was hard-pressed to keep both men back. As she thrust at one man, the other lunged at her. She moved with tremendous grace, spinning and shifting as if she only needed to think about moving. It still wasn't enough. She caught one with a crack of the spear shaft across his forehead--blood welled up and began to drip into his eyes--but the second slipped past her guard and got around on her other side.
And in the moment that Singe watched her, the man with the club got past his rapier long enough to swing a crushing blow at his sword arm. Singe twisted around and caught the blow on his left shoulder instead. His arm went numb and he staggered. The tattooed woman darted in again. Desperately, Singe turned his stagger into a low lunge.
The blade of his rapier sank into her thigh. She shrieked and fell back as he whipped the weapon free. Swaying to the side, he barely managed to avoid another punishing blow from the man's club. Dandra yelped and he shot a fast glance toward her. One of her attackers had managed to grab the butt of her spear. The kalashtar spun and kicked out with a sandaled foot but the move left her open. The second man dove in--
--and was tackled by a massive, growling form that seemed to explode out of the night. Singe caught only a glimpse of flashingteeth and thick muscles, but the man was swept off his feet and slammed back into the shadows. Over the noise of combat, he heard the wet crunch of a blade penetrating flesh and bone.
The sudden, ferocious attack gave him and Dandra the moment's chance that they needed. As the man with the club turned to meet this half-glimpsed new threat, Singe thrust his rapier under his momentarily upraised arm. Blood burst from his mouth in a sudden spray and the club tumbled to the ground as he fell.
Similar Books
