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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"Uhnnn."Heavy . He was dead weight. She heaved him over her saddlehorn <strong>and</strong> Sova fell in beside her<br />
as they galloped back to the rest, face full of shock.<br />
"Is he all right?Khyd-hird , is he all right?"<br />
The Kommanza could see movement beyond her troop as it formed up, pike-points <strong>and</strong> helmets <strong>and</strong><br />
dust. A Yeoli heavy-foot regiment, coming up at the double <strong>and</strong> deploying at the run.Impressive . Their<br />
pike-points came down with a long ripple, <strong>and</strong> the archers fanned out to either side. There was another<br />
regiment double-timing up behind them, Schvait in black armor <strong>and</strong> tunics, <strong>and</strong> a pair of springalds<br />
bumping along in the vanguard; light catapults with horizontal throwing-arms powered <strong>by</strong> skeins of<br />
twisted ox-sinew. The Alliance foot halted just out of crossbow range, staying motionless as Arkan<br />
points came down, the Imperials spitting on their h<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong> bracing their pikes. Waiting for the<br />
arrow-storm from longbows that outranged their own missile-troops' weapons.<br />
Whack. A vicious sound, as the first of the springalds was swiveled around <strong>and</strong> cut loose. It threw a<br />
glass sphere that caught fire in mid-flight, then arched down to draw a streak of inextinguishable flame<br />
through the Arkan ranks. Clingfire, naphtha <strong>and</strong> tar, sulphur <strong>and</strong> phosphorus <strong>and</strong> pitch.Whack : the other<br />
springald fired, <strong>and</strong> trumpet <strong>and</strong> drums brayed from the group around the eagle-st<strong>and</strong>ard. The Arkans<br />
gave a deep guttural shout, loud enough to drown the screams of men being roasted alive in their armor,<br />
<strong>and</strong> charged.<br />
The Yeolis charged to meet them, giving their war-cry, "Ai-yae-ohhhhhh! The flat snap of crossbows<br />
resounded under the musical massed thrum-<strong>and</strong>-whistle of longbow fire, javelins rattling through the air,<br />
the Imperials screaming out "Kellin, kellin."The impact was a massive rolling sound, thudding in chest<br />
<strong>and</strong> stomach as eighteen-foot polearms struck with both sides at a dead run, thous<strong>and</strong>s behind them.<br />
Both front ranks just disappeared, <strong>and</strong> the ripple threw warriors off their feet for scores of meters back<br />
into each formation; then they were locked, a giant tumbling street-brawl under the bristling pikes of the<br />
rear ranks. File-closers <strong>and</strong> decurions moved in with halberds <strong>and</strong> two-h<strong>and</strong>ed swords; warriors with<br />
shortswords <strong>and</strong> daggers clenched in their teeth crawled <strong>and</strong> rolled under the ranks too tightly locked to<br />
move, <strong>and</strong> stabbed <strong>and</strong> sliced from below.<br />
Another Imperial rejin was moving down the road from where it had waited concealed, as the Schvait<br />
formed to deploy on the Yeoli's right flank. The springalds kept up their steady buckingwhack-whack ,<br />
clingfire globes making smoky tracks through the arching grey storm of missiles that sped both ways<br />
above the packed fight.<br />
We re safe for the moment. Even Gold-bottom Chevenga wasn't going to be able to finesse a meeting<br />
engagement; this dance would last for a while. Those lancers weren't coming down to mix it in, either.<br />
Two many had lost their mounts, or their lives; the survivors would stay up on the hills, now, <strong>and</strong> keep<br />
the Yeoli foot from pursuing too hard when the Imperial infantry pulled back.The Arkans are learning<br />
how to retreat , I think. She had more immediate business.<br />
"You insubordinate little shit!" She struck Sova across the side of the helmet again, harder, making a<br />
sound like a cracked bell; the girl kept her silence, <strong>and</strong> backed her horse out of reach. But her eyes went<br />
wide; now she realized what she'd done.I've never campaigned with a child before, it's enough to<br />
turn your hair white . "Iknow you're sheep-fucking brave, now show some brains. It's the trickster<br />
god's ownmiracle you weren't killed! Gods-dammit, I want you at my funeral twenty years from now,<br />
not me at yours tomorrow!"<br />
"Ve couldn'tleave him, he's one of Echera-e's childhood friends!" The girl's Thanish accent always came<br />
out more, when she was excited.Now she'll change the subject; Shkai'ra was getting to know Sova