«So be it,» said Blade. And determined to make it as fast as possible. He had wasted a deal of time and the sky was black and the wind steadily rising. He had planned everything to this day and this hour-if it passed and nothing came of it he would not get another chance.
For a moment Blade took the sword blows on his shield. Then he thrust suddenly and as Lycus skipped back and to one side, for the moment on the defensive, Blade fell to the attack. He went both to the point and to the edge, sudden darting lunges and massive battering blows that spun the shield of Lycus in his grip and sheared away the rim. Lycas began to fall back, gasping, his legs slow to respond. Blade kept after him without mercy.
The circle tightened around them, pressured by the curious Guard who had broken their square and fought for a place with a view of the fight. Blade herded Lycus neatly into the very center of the circle and then, seeming to lapse, offered him an opening by lowering his shield and speaking. «Lycusl You have proven enough. I-«
Lycus made a desperate lunge. Blade parried it, dropped to one knee, took another stroke on his uplifted shield, and slashed at the legs of the officer. It was a savage stroke and cut the muscles of both legs above the knees. Lycus sagged and, with the blood spurting, tried to support himself with his sword. Blade feinted at his throat. Lycus brought his sword up to parry and began to fall as his legs failed him. Blade leaned into the thrust and aimed at a rent in the man's chest armor. His steel went in with a jolting shock felt clear to his shoulder, and stood out half a foot behind Lycus. Bits of gut and lung tissue dripped and fell away as Blade withdrew his sword and, let Lycus sway and topple to fall with a crash at his feet.
Blade did not hesitate. He hacked off the head, thinking that here had been a man indeed, and sent fqr a pikeman. When the pikeman arrived on the run Blade gave orders. The head of Lycus was fixed on the pike and given to a Samostan sub-officer. A way was opened in the square.
Blade stared at the sub-officer and said, «Take that to Hectoris. Remind him of my terms. I will be at the beaches in a few hours and, unless he be craven, I will expect to find him waiting for me. And if you are wise, and as weary of war as you seem, you will spread word of what you have seen and heard here. Come to wisdom, man, you and all your fellows! Let Hectoris take the risks for once.»
As the remaining Samostans were filing out of the square Blade called the sub-lieutenant back.
«Remind Hectoris that Juna is part of the bargain. I will expect to find her on the beach as well. Tell him this from me-that he brought Juna as a bargaining point, so now let him deliver on his word. Go. I will give you half an hour start of me.»
Blade remounted and listened as Edyrn gave him a report of the dead and hurt. «Dose and bandage those who can walk,» he ordered. «We must leave the others.»
Edyrn agreed. «It is the custom to cut their throats, sire. It is an easier death than lying hurt and waiting for wild beasts and vultures.»
For a moment Blade hesitated, then shook his head. «No. 1 do not act for God. Let them be. A man may sometimes live no matter how grave his hurt. I will not deprive him of that chance.»
A mounted officer cantered up. «Your man returns, sire.'
Nob made a sour face as he approached Blade. «I knew it, master. I told you it would be so-I have missed all the fun.» He glanced at the heaps of Samostan dead and whistled softly. «Aye, you handed them a better whipping than even I thought, by Juna's Reece. And me without a chance to unsheath my sword. I tell you it was not fair, master. I owe these Samostan dogs for many a blow and curse and I-«
Blade looked at him and Nob closed his mouth.
«What of the beaches, man?»
Nob wanted to grumble more but dared not. «Nothing of them,» he said sullenly. «The wind at the coast is twice as strong as we feel it here and the waves are tall already. The Samostan fleet lies off in the harbor and will not venture. I have called off the crying of my beggars because the wind drowns their words.»
Blade cursed. «Do not exaggerate with me, Nob. Surely the storm is not that furious yet? That small boats cannot make their way in?»
Nob nodded dourly. «Oh, that can be done, master. And no great skill required. A small boat has no draft and will not catch on the reefs, though it may founder in the surf. But the fleet, the great battle ships of Hectoris, they all retreat to the outer harbor and I do not think there will be an invasion today.»
Blade leaned toward him. «But one roan, and a horse, and perhaps even a woman-they could come ashore without difficulty?»
Nob shrugged. «If the sailors be skilled, I think yes. But I would not count on it, master. I do not think Hectoris a coward, nor do I think him a fool. I have been thinking and I-«
Blade slapped the fellow's knee and grinned at him. «You mistake your function, Nob. You are not to think. It will tax your wits beyond bearing. Enough. Ride to Edym yonder and give the order to march at once. Double time to the beaches.»
CHAPTER 12
As they neared the harbor Blade and Nob rode ahead to a point of land overlooking the sea. Blade ordered Edyrn to halt the column and keep it out of sight. Nob was provided with a trumpet.
«If you hear four long blasts,» said Blade, «come with your Guard and be prepared to die. I hope it will not be so.»,
Edyrn gave Blade a long look and clasped his hand. «The spirit of Izmia go with you,» he said. Blade realized then that Edyrn knew what had happened to his grandmother, even though he had not spoken of it.
Blade's mount lagged somewhat and it was Nob who first spied the beaches. He raised in his stirrups, hooting in joy, and pointed.
«You have done it, master. Hectoris awaits you. Your plan works! You have shamed him into combat.»
It appeared so. Blade reined in the black at the cliff edge and gazed down at the wide beaches that stretched for miles in both directions. Almost directly below him, well above the tide line, was a great tent of black and silver cloth. Before it was a pole and on the pole a shield bearing the circled snake and the legend-Ais Ister. Nearby, fully accoutered, was a massive war horse held by an attendent in Samostan livery. By the flap of the tent, closed now, was a rack of tall lances.
Nob was gazing down with something akin to awe. «It is Hectoris himself, sire, for I have seen that tent before. And that steed. He must be inside.»
Blade merely nodded. He studied the deserted beaches where waves were piling in to crash in thunderous surf, flinging spray far inland and sucking great runnels in the sand as they retreated. He could see for miles both right and left and sensed no trap, and one glance at the surf was enough to know there would be no invasion this day. Whichever craft had brought Hectoris and his war mount to the shore had returned to the fleet.
Nob was counting the ships of war hove to in the spacious outer harbor, using his fingers and making marks on the ground with his lance point. Blade made a fast count of some three hundred; Nob came up with an exact tally of three hundred and nine.
«Two hundred of troops,» he said. «The rest will be horse ships and supply, forges and the like, and some few for camp followers. They are far too many for us, master.» He looked at Blade with resignation. «You will have to fight him now-there is no other way. Even had you thought of trickery-for you do not tell me everything, as I well know-I cannot see that it will avail us.»
Blade watched the increasing gale toss the legions of ships about. There would be thousands — of seasick soldiers out there, and they no threat to him now. He glanced down at the tent again. There was no movement about it, the flap still closed, and the Samostan soldier walking the battle horse up and down. The sky turned darker by the minute and the wind bore occasional spates of cold rain. Blade tamed to Nob.