Read Online Doom's Break by Christopher Rowley - Free Book Online
Authors: Christopher Rowley
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a bubble five feet across. Heuze was thankful that the ground was pretty level, covered in grasses and moss.
Suddenly the first loud cries from the enemy lines went up. Spotted!
Scouts came hurrying back to report to Polluk. Arrows started flashing out of the white mists as the enemy archers took ranging shots.
Polluk waited no longer. "Cha-aa-arge!" he bellowed, stepping out in front and waving his sword into the mist.
The men couldn't see him, but they could hear him, and they knew which way to go. They gathered themselves and rushed at the monkey lines. Along the edge of the forest, they found the trenches, just as had been observed from the walls. But what surprised them was the absence of defenders.
A handful of monkeys discharged arrows and then took to their heels, running into the woods.
Polluk dropped back personally to inform Heuze about this.
"Hardly anyone there."
"Must all be working on the siege tower. Press on," said Heuze.
Polluk nodded vigorously and hurried forward. Heuze walked on, ignoring the slight soreness in his stump. Aboard ship he didn't walk that much anymore. The stump wasn't used to this kind of exercise.
Heuze was growing a little anxious. There should have been at least some resistance. Was it some kind of trap? But how could the monkeys have anticipated his attack? He hadn't even decided to attack so early until this very morning. No, he dismissed the idea. It had to be a genuine stroke of luck. He'd caught the fornicating monkeys napping! It wasn't easy to do that.
The men pressed on under the trees. Ahead lay the siege tower. Surely, they would meet some resistance there.
Under the trees, Heuze found the going considerably more difficult since the ground was uneven and tangles of tree roots spread above the soil. He fell at one point and was struggling to get up again when Combliss and a guard helped him up with strong young hands.
An angry flush filled Heuze's cheeks, but he bit his tongue. He dug his crutch into the bank and hauled himself over the next bunch of roots.
Suddenly they came up on General Polluk and his immediate staff, with a banner raised above them.
"What's happening? What is going on?" Heuze demanded.
"We've made contact—" Polluk began.
There came a roar of noise up ahead.
"Told you, didn't I, Polluk?"
"Yes, sir, you were right."
The noise intensified, and now there was that familiar ringing sound that spoke of steel striking steel. Heuze felt that old flutter in his belly. There was nothing like the fog of war to make one as nervous as a young tomcat.
"How many?" he kept muttering. Polluk, who wanted to know the same thing, had no answer.
They waited there, torn by the tension while the fighting intensified.
At last messages started to come in from the frontline commanders.
"We caught them by surprise. There are only a few hundred of them. It's just like I told you, Admiral."
"Yes. We've got them, for once. Press on. Take the tower!"
The noise ahead continued unabated, but slowly it changed. More of the noise was coming from the left side of the field, as if the axis of the battle had shifted ninety degrees.
They were brought the news that the siege tower had been taken. Heuze exulted with a roar and thrust a fist into the air. Orders were sent forward for men to start tearing down the tower. They were going to carry the wood back into the fort.
Heuze himself went forward. He had to witness this triumph.
Fifty yards brought him to the line where the original battle had been fought. There was a scattering of dead men and mots. As before, Heuze found the sight of the enemy a little unnerving. They were so much like men, except for the grey fur. But past this line he saw few bodies. Out of the fog loomed the tower, with men all over it, tearing it apart.
Beams were cut loose and dropped to the ground. Parties of men then stacked them so they were ready to be carried back to the fort.
Heuze stumped about the tower, encouraging the men and
Suddenly the first loud cries from the enemy lines went up. Spotted!
Scouts came hurrying back to report to Polluk. Arrows started flashing out of the white mists as the enemy archers took ranging shots.
Polluk waited no longer. "Cha-aa-arge!" he bellowed, stepping out in front and waving his sword into the mist.
The men couldn't see him, but they could hear him, and they knew which way to go. They gathered themselves and rushed at the monkey lines. Along the edge of the forest, they found the trenches, just as had been observed from the walls. But what surprised them was the absence of defenders.
A handful of monkeys discharged arrows and then took to their heels, running into the woods.
Polluk dropped back personally to inform Heuze about this.
"Hardly anyone there."
"Must all be working on the siege tower. Press on," said Heuze.
Polluk nodded vigorously and hurried forward. Heuze walked on, ignoring the slight soreness in his stump. Aboard ship he didn't walk that much anymore. The stump wasn't used to this kind of exercise.
Heuze was growing a little anxious. There should have been at least some resistance. Was it some kind of trap? But how could the monkeys have anticipated his attack? He hadn't even decided to attack so early until this very morning. No, he dismissed the idea. It had to be a genuine stroke of luck. He'd caught the fornicating monkeys napping! It wasn't easy to do that.
The men pressed on under the trees. Ahead lay the siege tower. Surely, they would meet some resistance there.
Under the trees, Heuze found the going considerably more difficult since the ground was uneven and tangles of tree roots spread above the soil. He fell at one point and was struggling to get up again when Combliss and a guard helped him up with strong young hands.
An angry flush filled Heuze's cheeks, but he bit his tongue. He dug his crutch into the bank and hauled himself over the next bunch of roots.
Suddenly they came up on General Polluk and his immediate staff, with a banner raised above them.
"What's happening? What is going on?" Heuze demanded.
"We've made contact—" Polluk began.
There came a roar of noise up ahead.
"Told you, didn't I, Polluk?"
"Yes, sir, you were right."
The noise intensified, and now there was that familiar ringing sound that spoke of steel striking steel. Heuze felt that old flutter in his belly. There was nothing like the fog of war to make one as nervous as a young tomcat.
"How many?" he kept muttering. Polluk, who wanted to know the same thing, had no answer.
They waited there, torn by the tension while the fighting intensified.
At last messages started to come in from the frontline commanders.
"We caught them by surprise. There are only a few hundred of them. It's just like I told you, Admiral."
"Yes. We've got them, for once. Press on. Take the tower!"
The noise ahead continued unabated, but slowly it changed. More of the noise was coming from the left side of the field, as if the axis of the battle had shifted ninety degrees.
They were brought the news that the siege tower had been taken. Heuze exulted with a roar and thrust a fist into the air. Orders were sent forward for men to start tearing down the tower. They were going to carry the wood back into the fort.
Heuze himself went forward. He had to witness this triumph.
Fifty yards brought him to the line where the original battle had been fought. There was a scattering of dead men and mots. As before, Heuze found the sight of the enemy a little unnerving. They were so much like men, except for the grey fur. But past this line he saw few bodies. Out of the fog loomed the tower, with men all over it, tearing it apart.
Beams were cut loose and dropped to the ground. Parties of men then stacked them so they were ready to be carried back to the fort.
Heuze stumped about the tower, encouraging the men and
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