David Gemmell. Winter Warriors

Nogusta drew in a deep breath. ‘I do not see that we can. Firstly the maps do not show a second route. Secondly – even if there are other routes – if the beast was sent against us specifically there may be others of his kind guarding them. And last, but by no means least, we do not have the strength or the weapons to fight, on open ground, the warriors trailing us. And they must be getting close now.’

‘Well, this is all very jolly,’ snapped Bison. ‘What more bastard luck can we expect? An outbreak of plague among us?’

‘What choices do we have?’ asked Kebra. ‘We can’t go back, we can’t go forward, and if we stay here the Krayakin will kill us. For once I’m in agreement with Bison – luck seems to be running against us.’

‘We are still alive,’ said Nogusta. ‘And we do have choices. The question is, which one gives us the best hope of success.’

‘We cannot go back,’ said Ulmenetha. ‘Therefore we must face the beast.’

‘With what?’ queried Bison.

‘With magick and with lances,’ she said.

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‘I like the sound of the magick part,’ said Bison.

‘What do you have in mind, lady?’ asked Kebra.

‘Explanations will need to wait. One group of the Krayakin are less than two hours behind us. Ride back to the trees and fashion three long lances. Make sure the wood is stout and strong.’

Kebra swung his horse and rode back to the woods. Dagorian followed him, but Nogusta hesitated.

‘Take the wagon on into the canyon, but do not leave the main road,’ Ulmenetha ordered Bison. He glanced at Nogusta for confirmation. The black man nodded. Then he too rode to the woods.

‘If you can kill it with magick,’ said Bison, ‘why do we need lances?’

‘I cannot kill it,’ she told him. ‘What I can do is cast a spell that masks our scent and renders us almost invis­ible.’

‘Almost invisible?’

‘If the beast is close he will see a disturbance in the air around us – like a heat haze.’

T don’t want to go near any beasts,’ wailed Sufia. Bison lifted her to his shoulder.

‘No beast can get you while old Bison is here,’ he said. ‘I’ll bite his head off.’

‘You haven’t got any front teeth,’ she pointed out.

‘No, but I’ve got tough old gums,’ he said, with a chuckle.

The lances they cut were around 8 feet long, strong but unwieldy. Nogusta and Kebra strapped knives to the tips, and Nogusta added more twine around the lower haft, creating a hand grip. Dagorian’s lance was more primitive, 7 feet in length the wood sharpened to a jagged point. As the wagon rolled slowly along the ridge

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road Nogusta and Kebra rode ahead, the bases of their lances resting on the saddle stirrups. There was little conversation. Axiana, Pharis and Sufia sat in the wagon, Conalin with them, his horse tied to the rear.

‘I could have cut a lance,’ said the boy.

‘You don’t have the skill with horses yet,’ said Bison. ‘When horses get frightened they take a deal of handling. You couldn’t do that and wield a lance.’ Conalin was unconvinced, but he said no more.

The light was fading as they neared the lower road. Nogusta and Kebra drew rein and the black warrior turned his mount and rode back to the wagon. He was about to ask when Ulmenetha needed to cast her spell, but she signalled him to silence. He was momentarily confused. Then she asked him. ‘How is your chest?’

‘My chest? It is fine.’

‘No sensation of heat? How strange, for there should be.’

For a moment he thought she had lost her senses. Then he felt the talisman glowing. Ulmenetha touched her lips then her ear. Nogusta understood immediately. They were being observed, and overheard.

‘I am feeling much better,’ he said. ‘I think it must have been a spring chill.’

‘Spring chill?’ said Bison. ‘What the … ?’ Ulmenetha’s hand came down upon his in a sharp pinch.

‘Do not speak,’ she said, softly. Bison cast a glance at Nogusta and was about to disobey Ulmenetha when Kebra’s horse suddenly reared, half pitching the bowman from the saddle. Dropping his lance Kebra clung to the pommel. The horse backed away.