Page 104 of King's Warrior

The shouting increased, the line coming to a standstill. Mules reared, screaming in fear. A riderless mule darted past Niam, heading the other way. The boys! Niam kicked his mount into gear. The clang of metal on metal made his blood run cold. He steered his mule through chaos, fighting to see the head of the line through the trees and a turn in the road.

Vihaan charged toward him on foot, carrying Quillan and Uri on his sides. Niam dismounted, taking his boys from the warrior. “Find a place to hide,” Vihaan ordered. “Stay quiet. Don’t come out for anyone but me, Rufe, or Draylon.” He waded back into the fight, sword drawn.

Niam dodged mules to the edge of the road, plunging into the deep woods. Where could he hide?

“Papa? I’m scared,” Uri cried.

“Shh… It’s all right. We’ll be all right.” Niam’s heart pounded. How could he expect his sons to believe his words if he didn’t? They had to be all right. They hadn’t gone through all these trials to lose now.

Niam wandered far enough into the woods to mute the battle sounds so he could hear anyone approaching. A modest hole beneath a rotted log looked promising. Niam poked a stick inside. Empty.

Digging with the stick enlarged the hole. “Uri, Quillan. Inside. Quillan, keep your brother calm. They won’t know you’re there unless you give yourselves away.” Niam kissed his sons. What if this was the last time he’d see them? No, he couldn’t think such gloomy thoughts. “You heard Commander Vihaan. Don’t come out for anyone but him, me, Draylon, or Rufe.” He wouldn’t waste time on titles now.

He covered the hole with sticks and leaves, heavily enough to hide the hole but lightly enough so the boys could breathe.

“Where will you be, Papa?” Quillan asked.

“I’ll be nearby. If I see enemies, I’ll lead them away from you.” He pulled Rufe’s dagger from a sheath at his side as an afterthought. “Use this if you have to.” He handed the blade to Quillan. These boys were too young to face such dangers. They should be with their tutor in their classroom, laughing over some silly joke or with their heads bent over their lessons. Did they even know of Master Wedgeworth’s demise?

Another reason to hate Lord Whreyn.

Niam dashed into a thick growth of shrubs, leaving himself an escape route. No one would see him as long as he remained still. If enemies approached the hole, he’d lead them away.By all the gods who ever lived, please keep Quillan and Uri safe.

If Niam escaped with his life, he’d learn to fight and do whatever Rufe said, never to feel helpless again.

Chapter Forty-one

The first of their mules hit a trip line, throwing riders on their way down. They screamed, thrashing to their feet, barreling away from the action. One rider trailed behind her mount, foot caught in a stirrup. Rufe unsheathed his sword and made for the screaming woman. An arrow through the mule’s neck stopped its progress. A man in black dropped from a tree overhead, costing Rufe the chance to see about the injured rider.

These were no ordinary soldiers. Arrows rained down from archers perched in trees. His instinct had him wanting to run for his family, but the more immediate threat took precedence.Please let Vihaan get them to safety.

Rufe parried a heavy blow. Reverberations shot up his arm. His opponent stood a full head taller, broader through the shoulder, wearing plate armor with an unknown insignia. A helmet hid most of his face, exposing his vivid blue eyes.

Rufe wore only chain mail and leather for protection. The Craician thrust again and again, leaving Rufe little time to anticipate the next move or shift from defense to offense. So far, they’d met ill-trained mercenaries and bumblers. Here stood a man trained for war.

The surrounding chaos faded into the background. Rufe focused entirely on surviving this one opponent. He dared not let his eyes or mind drift for even a moment.

On and on, they fought, evenly matched. Rufe’s hope lay in outlasting his attacker, or a chance blow to weak points in the armor. The man swung harder than necessary—attacks easily deflected by Rufe. He played a long game, keeping Rufe occupied. Away from Niam.

Rufe crouched as though preparing for an attack. The man grinned, showing crooked teeth. Rufe grabbed a handful of pebbles and flung them at the bastard’s face. The surprise bought Rufe a moment. He sprung, whipping out his boot knife. While the bastard focused on Rufe’s sword, bracing for a strike, Rufe flung the dagger.

The point flew true—straight into the bastard’s left eye. The man screeched, hands going to his face. Rufe took advantage, lashing his sword across the man's exposed throat. Blood spouted from the killing blow. The man went down. Rufe danced away, moving on to his next target.

He spotted Draylon, covered in blood and gore, hacking an enemy down. An archer took aim from a tree overhead. “Draylon! Look out!”

The archer’s eyes widened before Rufe noticed the dagger sticking from his chest, flung too fast for Rufe to follow the motion. The man fell, taking out Draylon’s approaching opponent. Draylon made quick work of sending them both to the tender mercies of the gods.

Lady Exa stood to the side, readying another blade. She threw the knife with surprising accuracy, dropping a woman charging Rufe. Exa bared her teeth, grabbed a bloody sword from the ground, and skewered the woman through the breast, twisting the blade for good measure.

There were fewer attackers than before, even counting the dead. Some had fled. Rounding up any from Draylon’s party who’d escaped?

Or maybe they’d won their prize and even now carried Niam and his sons to whoever held their leashes.

Two of Niam’s men lay on the ground. Rufe didn’t have time to stop and check, spotting Vihaan. “Vihaan! Where is Niam?” he asked in Glendoran, counting on the enemy soldiers not to know the language. He searched the clearing. His party had the situation in hand.

“Come with me!” Vihaan shouted, darting into the woods. They ran until the sounds of battle faded. Vihaan slowed. “They came this way. I told them to hide.”

They crept silently through the forest, pausing every few moments to listen. Nothing. There were no sounds of people, birds, or animals. They’d all gone for reasons.Please let my family not have been taken.

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