Scrolling back north, he continues to scan the road and finds a bridge that is still standing. “That’s where this force is going,” he says as he shows Jiron the image in the mirror. “All the other bridges south are destroyed and this is the only way for them to get across.”
“So if that bridge wasn’t there they would have to move even further north in order to cross,” reasons Jiron. Glancing to James with a grin he says, “That would delay their encounter with Illan.”
Nodding, James says, “We need to work our way around this force quickly. Their advance units may already be closing on it.” Turning back to the mirror, he scans the area between here and the bridge and discovers a score of riders making for the bridge. He then scrolls across the bridge and to the east.
“Oh, man” he says as a force of over two thousand foot soldiers appears coming from the north. “Another force is on the way from the north. Looks as if they plan to meet the ones ahead of us at the bridge.”
“Then launch an attack at Illan and the others,” concludes Jiron.
Putting the mirror away, James says, “We can’t let that happen.”
Kicking their horses in the sides, they break into an all out gallop as they angle to the north. Staying just out of visual range, they work their way around the northern flank of the enemy.
Ta-too! Ta-too!
Off to their right an enemy scout spots them and alerts the rest of the army. No longer worrying about avoiding detection, they aim their horses directly toward where they believe the bridge to be.
Another horn sounds ahead and the force of twenty riders James had spied in his mirror earlier appear. The riders are coming straight for them with the undeniable intention of attacking.
Crumph! Crumph! Crumph!
The ground erupts under the leading edge of the riders. Horses and men are thrown into the air as the charge falters. When the dust clears, only six riders are continuing the attack.
James slows his horse while removing a slug from his belt. Glancing southward to the other force, he sees their horsemen coming fast. Turning back to the six ahead of him, he looses the magic as he throws the slug. Moving at the speed of a bullet, it strikes the lead rider and knocks him from his horse. Removing another slug, he again drops a rider to the ground.
Crumph!
Letting loose the magic once more, three of the remaining horsemen are thrown into the air. The last man still astride his horse manages to keep his steed from faltering. With sword in hand the rider rides directly at them.
Jiron moves to intercept before the rider has a chance to engage James. With knives out, he closes with the rider. The enemy horseman strikes out at Jiron as he passes him on the left. Jiron blocks the blow with the knife in his right hand as he strikes out at the rear of the rider’s horse with the left. Opening a deep gash along its hind quarters, the horse rears up in pain.
The rider manages to remain in the saddle as he works to steady his mount. Jiron quickly moves in and closes with the rider. Lashing out with a knife, he almost connects with the man’s side before his sword blocks the attack.
Again, Jiron lashes out at the horse and scores another deep wound, this time in its flank. The blow severs several muscles and the horse cries out again in pain as it collapses. Vaulting from his horse, Jiron hits the ground and moves to finish the rider who has one leg caught under his horse.
Working to extricate himself from the fallen horse, the soldier tries to defend himself when Jiron closes for the attack. His sword easily blocks one knife but the other finds an opening and sinks into his side, puncturing a lung. Moving away from the trapped, dying man, Jiron catches a flash out of the corner of his eye. Turning to look, he realizes the flash was another of James’ slugs on its way to take out a horseless rider that had survived the earlier explosions.
“Come on!” shouts James. He indicates the riders closing rapidly behind them.
Moving to his horse, Jiron leaps into the saddle and they again race for the bridge. Still several miles away, their horses are quickly becoming fatigued. The hard pace of the last two days has definitely taken its toll.
Staying low in the saddle, they keep the pace quick. The riders behind them gradually close the gap, their fresher horses able to maintain a quicker speed. When the riders have closed the distance to within fifty yards, they begin to see people moving across the horizon. It’s the road to the bridge!
“Not much further now,” Jiron shouts. In minutes they’ve reached the road and race alongside, the refugees fleeing the approach of Black Hawk line the road so thickly, James and Jiron are unable to use it. When the people who are on the edge of the road see them coming fast, they quickly get out of the way.
Behind them, the riders continue to close the gap, now only thirty yards away. Fortunately they are as hampered by the ebb and flow of the refugees as James and Jiron are so are unable to gain any faster.
Then all of a sudden the river appears ahead of them. James looks with horror at the jam packed bridge crossing over the river full of women, children and the elderly.
Jiron sees it too and yells, “You have no choice!” When he sees James hesitating, he shouts, “Do it!”
No! Focusing on the ground to either side of the bridge, he lets the magic flow…
Crumph! Crumph!
…the earth erupts in two massive explosions. The refugees scream in fear as they flee. Tweaking the dust from the eruptions, he forms it into a humanoid figure twice the size of a man and has it begin to stalk toward the bridge. That’s enough for even the bravest of those still upon the bridge. At the sight of the twelve foot tall creature walking toward them, they turn tail and race for the other side.
By the time James and Jiron reach the bridge, the area is in total chaos. The creature has reached the edge of the bridge and is beginning to walk across. James aims for the bridge and races right through the dust formed creature. As he exits through the creature and begins to cross the bridge, he cancels the spell. Hooves thundering, they race across to the other side. A gathering of people has formed a little ways from the beginning of the bridge and he has to slow in order not to run them down. With Jiron right behind, he clears the bridge and turns to the right.
Behind them, the enemy riders have already gained the bridge and are crossing fast.
Crumph! Crumph! Crumph!
Three explosions rip through the center span of the bridge. The people cry out in fear as horses, riders and stone erupt into the air. James slows as he gazes back. With a crack, the center span of the bridge collapses into the river below. On the far side of the river, the enemy riders who had yet to begin crossing over come to a quick halt. None made it to the other side.
“James!” Jiron cries out when he sees several of the riders on the other side of the river remove crossbows from behind their saddles. Turning their fatigued horses from the river, they break into a gallop and head for the open desert. The people on the road part quickly to avoid being run over. Soon, they are out of crossbow range and the river is disappearing quickly behind them.
Chapter Twenty Seven
Since leaving Korazan behind, Illan has led the Black Hawk Raiders along the road north. With a wagon train stretching out over a half mile, not to mention the freed slaves that he’s brought with him, they have moved at a crawl.
From the weapon stores of the slavers and the dead bodies of the enemy soldiers, they were able to equip most of the freed men with armor and weapons. Those who had never wielded a weapon before were given crossbows and formed into squads. The women, children, and the few elderly stayed within the center of the column as it marched northward toward Madoc.