The Dragon Bond: Heirs of Lyra

Chapter 39

When it grew dark, Henry's patrol waited until they came to a watchtower to camp for the night. So far there had been nothing out of the usual other than the occasional disgruntled townsperson. 

They pitched their tents haphazardly, knowing they would only be there for a night. The tents were barely large enough to provide cover past their ankles, and not tall enough to sit under. It was not Henry's best night of sleep. 

He had hoped the trip would be fatiguing enough to knock him out for the night. Nonetheless he lie awake. The sound of snoring men was worse than a pond full of restless toads. Sleep was impossible. 

Henry wriggled his way out from the tent and sat up. He looked up at the stars, shining above. The start of clouds shifting told him it they might be in for a storm later. Great. He found no peace in his situation. Sighing, he stood up to stretch his legs. Perhaps he could keep the night watchmen company for a bit. See how things have been going for them with the new construction.

He climbed the ladder to reach the watch tower and opened the door. He snorted. Of course he had caught them sleeping on the job. What were these men good for? How hard was it to stay awake?

He cleared his throat, hoping the man would jump up to attention. Instead he stayed asleep. Henry's mood changed from lighthearted to annoyed. A night watchman shouldn't be this hard to rouse. He gave the man's shoulders a shake.

When the man fell over limp, Henry's stomach churned. His throat had been slit, the change in position causing a new current of blood to flow forth from the wound. 

It only took moments for Henry to gain some control of his body before he was frantically reaching for the alarm bell. He rang it vigorously, "We're under attack!"

Only after Henry was sure his alarm could be heard and understood did he finally jump down from the tower. He crouched low and kept close to the tower, using it as a shield. He had to find out where they were. But it was so dark out he could barely see ten feet in front of him. They could be anywhere. 

Unable to make sight of any attackers, Henry hurried over to where he last saw Miles sleeping. 

"What's going on?" Miles said from his right.

Henry pulled him to the side, looking for cover. "I went up to the watchtower. The watchman is dead, his throat slit. Someone's here, I just don't know where."

"Maybe the alarm scared them off?" Miles suggested. 

Henry shook his head. "Something feels off. How were they able to get past the gate and up to the tower without being seen?"

"They are notorious for falling asleep on the job," Miles reasoned.

An arrow whizzed by. Miles and Henry ducked to the ground, their heads turning left and right to see where it came from. Another arrow. Henry's patrol grew anxious, some of the men began shouting.

Finally came the sickening sound of an arrow hitting its mark. Someone grunted, then fell to the ground.

"Show yourself!" A man screamed, hitting his shield with his sword. 

This was too chaotic, Henry knew. The men should be huddled together, their shields up. Not spread apart, ready to be picked off one by one.

"Get in formation!" Henry shouted at his men, running to the center of the chaos. In a moment his men were around him, their shields up, all parts of the circle protected. 

Suddenly dozens of arrows clattered against the shields around them. Henry composed himself. He knew with that many arrows an all out battle was about to ensue. They had to be patient. Wait for them. The arrows they could ward off with their shields. It would be man-to-man combat that would be the most dangerous.