Page 92 of Oath of the Wolf
Brynn didn’t have time to argue with him as she stumbled to her feet.They needed to get the other people inside the hall out of the hall, but the moment they started shouting, they would give themselves away.
It was pointless to break out of the hall only to be slaughtered the moment they did.The people inside were weakened and weaponless.
Someone would have to draw their enemies off or at least hold them off until the survivors were away.
“Brynn!”Cenric scrambled after her.
“Get the others out,” Brynn wheezed, fighting to keep her choking down.“I’ll deal with Tullia’s men.”Or at least she would try.
Cenric turned back to Hróarr, but the other man was already dragging a soot-stained woman and choking man out of the hole Brynn had made.The large Valdari dragged them to the side as he reached back for another person.It seemed at least some people had seen the hole Brynn had made and followed.
“With you.”Cenric spoke the words like an oath.
The dear fool was weaponless, but Brynn knew there would be no arguing.She turned and stumbled in the direction of their enemies.
Cenric followed close on her heels, his breathing ragged.Snapper followed, though the dog hung back at Cenric’s command.Cenric at least let Brynn go first.
They slid around the outside of the hall.Cries rang out and screams echoed through the night air.There was fighting down in Istra, but it was impossible to see who fought whom.
Brynn thought of Esa, Kalen, little Guin, Daven, and the rest of their thanes, but she could do nothing for them right now.She needed to survive this first and then perhaps she would be able to save them.
The darkness shrouded them, but Brynn was sure Tullia’s warriors would hear her rasping breathing.Smoke in the lungs was always difficult to heal.
They sidled around to one of several entrances to Ovrek’s hall.Brynn peered ahead, heart thundering.
Warriors with weapons stoked kindling and paced back and forth.They were armed and ready, but Brynn could see necks and faces beneath helmets.They were armed for fighting other warriors, not sorceresses.She didn’t see Tullia, but it seemed obvious who was behind this.
Brynn paused, turning back to Cenric.“About forty of them.”
“It must be Egill’s missing crew,” Cenric muttered.“Or some of them.”
“I will do my best, but I will likely only be able to fell two or three before they notice me.”Without the time to prepare offensive spells or lay traps, Brynn was limited.“Do you prefer a spear or an axe?”
Cenric sounded confused, but answered, “A spear.If it’s a good one.”
Brynn thought one of the men had a spear that should suffice.“I’ll try to get it for you.”She pointed to Snapper.“Keep him back.”
“What…?”
Brynn lashed a spell at the farthest man in her line of sight, and his head yanked back, his throat sheared open.Several men turned to check on their companion, looking away from her.
Brynn concentrated, focusing on weaving a spell she had not used in a long time.She sent a burst of power straight into the flaming kindling blocking the doors.
Pieces of burning wood, splinters, and smoldering logs swept out as if from a great wind.Brynn didn’t remove all the kindling or even most of it from the door, but she blasted away enough of it that men jumped back, swatting at their clothes and screaming as embers burned them.
Curses in Valdari rose from around them and a man who appeared to be their leader stepped forward, yelling at the others.At least three men had been burned badly enough that they slumped on the ground.No one had been killed by that last spell, though.
It seemed that the men around her first victim realized what had happened—but even if they could see his throat had been cut, none of them had fought sorceresses before.
Brynn cast another spell, sending a line of power straight through another man’s eye.He collapsed without a sound, his eyeball erupting in a spray of blood.That had been a lucky shot.
She lashed out again for the man who appeared to be the leader.He turned around just as she cast and her spell caught the edge of his helmet instead of his neck.
That man let off a cry, the cut grazed him, but mostly deflected by the metal of his helm.The leader shouted in Valdari, pointing toward her.Two of his warriors separated from the group, weapons raised as they charged for her.Sure enough, the man with the spear was one of them.
“Wait here,” Brynn said.
“Brynn!”Cenric reached out as if to grab her, then snatched his arm back, letting her go.Snapper whined but remained at Cenric’s side.
