Page 113 of Oath of the Wolf
“Wulfwir is headed this way.”Brynn cast her gaze to the burning expanse of wooden structures around them.She shifted closer to Cenric.She was unsteady on her feet, they both were, but she watched straight ahead.“Cenric.”
Ovrek’s gaze sparked as he hefted his axe once again.He called to his men back up the beach and they fell into formation.
Wulfwir burst from the darkness, red eyes flashing in the dark.The creature lunged for the men.
Hróarr’s voice rang out over the beach.“Wall!”he roared.“Shieldwall!”
Cenric almost dove forward at the familiar call, the order driving home years of practice when obeying that command had been a matter of life and death.Only Brynn’s weight against his side reminded him that he was now unarmed, and some things were best left to his cousin.
Ovrek made to charge forward, and join the fray, but he had left the line to come toward the beach.Now the line closed without him, meeting Wulfwir head on.
Wulfwir seemed to realize the serpent was dead and attempted to flee.Javelins pelted it and this time, they were not so easily plucked out.
Cenric saw Wulfwir go down as the men fell on the beast.It fought back, struggling and kicking.One man went flying, hitting the sand some twenty paces off.
Wulfwir disappeared under a wave of bodies as Hróarr led the attack.Cenric shifted, looking to Brynn.Would she need to deal with this one, too?
Brynn touched his arm.“Hróarr will be fine,” she assured him, as if hearing his thoughts.“I think this one is personal.”
A roar went up, but not from the beast.A shape burst out of the melee—Hróarr carrying the severed head.
His cousin was splattered in blood and gore with cuts and gashes on his chest, torso, and arms, but he was standing while the Wulfwir lay hacked to pieces.
As the tight press of warriors withdrew, Cenric could see that they had hacked its legs off to keep it from running.It seemed the beast hadn’t been able to heal severed limbs.
As Hróarr and the men celebrated, Brynn and Cenric were left with the king, standing a short distance away.
Brynn pulled her wet stockings and boots back on, steadying herself against Cenric.“I think some of Tullia’s men are still about.”
“Word will spread of her death soon enough,” Cenric answered.
“Is she dead?”Brynn sent a probing gaze toward Ovrek.
“Probably.”The king showed no feeling at the words.“Her ship is one of the ones burning on the beach and no one saw her retreat.”
“I don’t think she would have retreated,” Brynn said.
Cenric had to agree with that.Tullia had been committed to her course.She had too much of her father in her.
“She should have been born a son.”Ovrek looked back in the direction of his burning hall.“Why did the gods not make her a son?”
Cenric didn’t know what to say to that.From the burning town and the hard-fought battle, being a woman had never stopped Tullia.Ovrek was the only one who had been limited by her being a daughter, not Tullia and certainly not the hundreds of men scattered across the city who still battled in her name.
Cenric!A grey shape leapt from the darkness.Cenric!Brynn!
“Snapper!”Cenric stepped forward to meet the dog.
“Snapper,” Brynn sighed, sounded relieved.
The dog whined, slobbering his tongue over Cenric’s cheek before bounding to Brynn and leaping up to try licking her face.Cenric!Brynn!
“Can Snapper find Esa and Kalen?”Brynn asked.“Can he find Guin?”
“He should.”
Brynn gripped his arm.“We must find them.Vana, too.”
Brynn was right.Tullia’s forces were defeated, and both monsters were dead, but the danger was not past.
