Shadow's Son by Shirley Meier, S.M. Stirling and Karen Wehrstein ...
Shadow's Son by Shirley Meier, S.M. Stirling and Karen Wehrstein ...
Shadow's Son by Shirley Meier, S.M. Stirling and Karen Wehrstein ...
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superior weapons <strong>and</strong> armor, <strong>and</strong> were proving murderously quick <strong>and</strong> skilled at foot combat as well.<br />
Knots of them drew together, back-to-back, hacked their way toward the woods <strong>and</strong> flowed together to<br />
make bigger groups, locking shield to shield. Light-armed Hyeme were thrown back from shieldwalls <strong>and</strong><br />
long swords.<br />
It would cost too heavily to overwhelm them, <strong>and</strong> she had accomplished the mission; neither the Arkan<br />
skirmishers nor these lancers were going to support the pike-phalanx in the gap. Her trumpeter was still<br />
mounted. "Soundretreat-<strong>and</strong>-rally ," she told him, thumping him on the shoulder to emphasize it.<br />
The melee was a mess, twisting stamping horses, threshing swords above it, dust <strong>and</strong> bits of grass rising<br />
up <strong>and</strong> wounded humans <strong>and</strong> horses threshing or crawling on the ground, <strong>and</strong> Hotblood's unearthly<br />
squeal over it all, as he grabbed a wounded Arkan <strong>by</strong> the back of the neck <strong>and</strong> shook him like a rat;<br />
Shkai'ra could feel the quasi-sexual rush of pleasure he felt as the bone snap. No one was obeying fast<br />
enough. "Retreat, Zaikdammit!" she screamed. Bukangkt was there, a cut across one cheek of his<br />
half-Lakan face; between them they got the others to pull back.<br />
The Hyeme went loping among the Slaughterers, some with enough energy left to whoop <strong>and</strong> leap,<br />
others hanging grimly onto stirrup-leathers or lowered h<strong>and</strong>s. The wounded came draped over cavalry<br />
horses, some on spare Arkan mounts if a friend had had time to grab the reins; the Hyerne carried some<br />
on chair-h<strong>and</strong>s, running despite their burdens. Anyone too badly hurt to get up or call for help was just<br />
out of luck. Suddenly there was time to notice the dryness in her mouth, the way her armor squeezed at<br />
her ribs… she forced her breathing slow <strong>and</strong> deep, hawked <strong>and</strong> spat.<br />
The remnants of the Imperial horse were pulling back too, but she could see light infantry moving in the<br />
bush, sun twinkling on their barbed javelins. Sova <strong>and</strong> her Yeoli were too far back, a wounded rider<br />
between them, his feet dragging <strong>and</strong> their swordh<strong>and</strong>s under his armpits. She reined in, swearing.Good<br />
riding, though . They h<strong>and</strong>ed him over to someone with an extra horse—<strong>and</strong> wheeled back for the<br />
bloodied field.<br />
Shit…! It looked safe, the Arkan cavalry were all gone; some friend of Sneeze-name was lying on the<br />
field, no doubt.Nobody knows the difference between courage <strong>and</strong> stupidity at that age . She stood<br />
in the stirrups <strong>and</strong> shouted at them—too far. Though not too far to hear the trumpeter blowing "retreat"; it<br />
wasn't just stupidity, but disobedience in the face of the enemy. Cold anger grew in her.<br />
"Rally them a hundred meters further back," she said to Bukangkt, then spurred toward the two. Sova<br />
was going to hug the post for this, <strong>and</strong> Sneeze-name beside her… if they lived.Zaik <strong>and</strong> Baiwun hear<br />
me , she thought.I'll keep her alive, if I have to kill her myself to do it .<br />
The pair had another body slung over Sova's horse, <strong>and</strong> cantered back towards the Alliance cavalry,<br />
glancing over their shoulders now <strong>and</strong> then,zteafakaz casual. Shkai'ra shouted <strong>and</strong> waved, seeing what<br />
they hadn't: the barbed javelin arching high from the woods, plunging down.<br />
A horse sacrifice to you, Victory-Begetter, she prayed, helpless, as she rocked into a gallop toward<br />
them. "Heads up,heads up !" Zaik, or Glitch, godlet of mischance, heard her even if they didn't; the<br />
weapon plunged over Sova's shoulder <strong>and</strong> into Sneeze-name's horse, just behind the saddle. It gave a<br />
huge buck; he was thrown, l<strong>and</strong>ed badly, lay still.<br />
And Sova actually started to dismount.<br />
"Keep moving—I'll get him!" Shkai'ra shouted, close enough now to clout the girl on the side of the<br />
helmet. She passed at a gallop, down with one foot out of the stirrups, snatched the Yeoli's collar.