Shadows Bleed

XXVIII

XXVIII

The horn blast didn't have time to finish before I was on my feet, Banshie in hand. Bluepin and Orepk likewise drew their weapons; Bluepin his massive, double-bladed axe and Orepk the heavy war-club he so favoured.

"Whadda we do chief?" Orepk asked, sweat slicking his upper lip.

"Stay tight and don't break rank. We need to form a circle so we each cover a set angle," I instructed. "A Vaal war party is vicious, unlike any foe you've ever faced."

"Even the maevraas?" Bluepin asked, his face set like a vice and betraying no fear.

"Even the maevraas," I replied. "They attack with ferocity and skill. They may look like savages but they're no strangers to war."

"Can we talk them down?" Orepk suggested.

"Feel free to try," I answered. "Though if you can't convince the sand beneath our feet to dry then I doubt you'll have much more success with the Vaal."

No more time was spared for words as the first Vaal appeared on the opposite side of the river. He sat proudly on the back of a hraelyn; a six-legged mount resembling a bear, if bears had leathery, furless skin and, well, six legs.

Like the rest of his kind, his skin was a pale grey in colour, his flesh haggard and taut over a lean frame, muscle rippling beneath the surface. He wore a traditional loincloth of leather, from a beast I neither knew nor cared to know. Wrapped around his shoulders was a brace of black feathers, clasped over his chest by a gold medallion.

His black, bleak eyes stared into mine as the rest of his party came into view.

"This isn't a war party," I realised at the sight of the armed Vaal. "These are huners."

"Good or bad?" Bluepin asked without turning.

"Bad. But better."

"Damn he's ugly," Orepk gasped.

"What are you doing?" I snapped at him. The bastard had turned around. "Cover your section before they exploit it."

But it was already too late. Orepk barely had time to move before a spear caught him in the stomach. I turned, pulling my longsword from my back and cutting down the next shaft that flew towards me from the bushes along the roof of the cave.

The tremendous thunder of disturbed water warned me that the rest of the party were headed our way, their simple flanking manoeuvre having worked like a charm thanks to Orepk's failure to heed instructions.

"Cover my back!" I screamed to Bluepin and pointed to the cave.

Vaal hunters were jumping down onto the beach from above as I drew free my sabre and faced the charging chieftain.

I did not wait for the hunters to finish crossing the water before I attacked, charging into the shallows and cutting down the first of the attackers. I glimpsed iron from the corner of my eye and ducked, swiping up with the sabre and taking the arm of my attacker clean off, black blood spraying from the severed stump. I plunged Banshie into the Vaal's throat, finishing him even as I parried the axe blow from another.

I cut down at least a half dozen more before sparing a glance behind me. Bluepin was holding his ground valiantly, swathes of corpses around his feet as he wreaked havoc with the axe. But he could not stop them all, and neither could I.

I gradually retreated toward him, killing any who neared me.

"Behind!" I shouted as I came closer and he grunted in response as he cleaved a hunter's head clean in two.