an arrow sank into the barricade just in front of him. He looked past the wall to a tall building set amongst the fruit trees. There, in the windows of the upper floor, stood four archers. One took aim at John, and an arrow whizzed past his ear.
‘Come on!’ John shouted as he grabbed Rabbit’s arm. They scrambled to the wall, which rose four feet above the barricade. John pulled himself up and dropped over the other side. He landed on top of a Saracen, knocking the man unconscious and sending them both sprawling. John sprang to his feet to find himself facing three more men. The closest stabbed at John with a spear. John blocked the blow with his shield and thrust with his sword, impaling the man through the chest. Another man attacked, and John was forced to jump aside, leaving his sword with the dead Saracen. He backed away, his shield raised, as the two remaining Saracens advanced, their spears pointed at him. One of them screamed ‘
Allah
!
Allah
!
Allah
!’ and had started to charge when Rabbit landed on him from above, knocking him flat. John rushed the other Saracen, taking advantage of the surprise. He slammed his shield into the man’s face, dropping him. He turned to see that Rabbit had slit the other man’s throat. The boy was white-faced and shaking.
John clapped him on the back. ‘Well done. You saved my hide.’
‘Th-that’s the first man I ever killed.’
‘You did well,’ John replied as he wrenched his sword free from the chest of the dead Saracen. ‘We have to deal with those archers.’ He pointed towards the tall building before them. ‘Are you up for it?’ Rabbit nodded. ‘Let’s go, then.’
John kicked the door of the house open and rushed inside. The bottom floor was empty. He and Rabbit hurried up the stairs on the far wall. The door at the top was locked. John raised his shield, then kicked the door hard. As it swung open, a volley of arrows thumped into his shield. John threw it aside and charged. Four archers stood along the far wall, each frantically trying to nock another arrow to his bow. John slashed across the face of the one furthest to the right, dropping him before his arrow was free of the quiver. The next in line had managed to nock an arrow, but John sliced the man’s bow in two before he could shoot, then finished him with a thrust to the chest. He turned to see a third archer kneeling and holding up his bow in a vain attempt to block Rabbit’s sword. Rabbit’s blade sliced through the bow and cleaved the Saracen’s head in two, spilling blood and pink brains on wooden floor. Rabbit turned away and vomited.
The final Saracen, a beardless man no older than John, raised his bow and shot. But the man’s hands were shaking, and the arrow flew wide, embedding itself in the wall. The Saracen threw down his bow and drew a knife. As John approached, sword held high, a puddle of urine formed at the feet of the wide-eyed Saracen. ‘Drop it!’ John ordered, and the archer threw down his weapon.
‘No hurt! No hurt!’ he babbled in broken Frankish. ‘I prisoner!’
‘There you are, Saxon,’ Ernaut said as he limped into the room, sword in hand. Four arrow shafts protruded from his chest; they had penetrated his breastplate but not made it past the thick leather vest beneath. ‘What are you doing?’
‘I’ve taken a prisoner.’
Ernaut shoved John out of the way and impaled the archer through the chest. He turned back to John. ‘We don’t have time for prisoners.’
‘He could have told us about other ambushes,’ John protested.
Ernaut frowned. ‘You’re a smart bugger, aren’t you,’ he said as he snapped off the shafts of the arrows protruding from his chest. He pulled off his helmet and wiped the sweat from his forehead. ‘God, I could use a drink. We found a path that leads around the barricade. Let’s get to that damned river.’ He turned to leave, but then stopped in the doorway. ‘You two chop off those sons-of-whores heads and bring
‘Come on!’ John shouted as he grabbed Rabbit’s arm. They scrambled to the wall, which rose four feet above the barricade. John pulled himself up and dropped over the other side. He landed on top of a Saracen, knocking the man unconscious and sending them both sprawling. John sprang to his feet to find himself facing three more men. The closest stabbed at John with a spear. John blocked the blow with his shield and thrust with his sword, impaling the man through the chest. Another man attacked, and John was forced to jump aside, leaving his sword with the dead Saracen. He backed away, his shield raised, as the two remaining Saracens advanced, their spears pointed at him. One of them screamed ‘
Allah
!
Allah
!
Allah
!’ and had started to charge when Rabbit landed on him from above, knocking him flat. John rushed the other Saracen, taking advantage of the surprise. He slammed his shield into the man’s face, dropping him. He turned to see that Rabbit had slit the other man’s throat. The boy was white-faced and shaking.
John clapped him on the back. ‘Well done. You saved my hide.’
‘Th-that’s the first man I ever killed.’
‘You did well,’ John replied as he wrenched his sword free from the chest of the dead Saracen. ‘We have to deal with those archers.’ He pointed towards the tall building before them. ‘Are you up for it?’ Rabbit nodded. ‘Let’s go, then.’
John kicked the door of the house open and rushed inside. The bottom floor was empty. He and Rabbit hurried up the stairs on the far wall. The door at the top was locked. John raised his shield, then kicked the door hard. As it swung open, a volley of arrows thumped into his shield. John threw it aside and charged. Four archers stood along the far wall, each frantically trying to nock another arrow to his bow. John slashed across the face of the one furthest to the right, dropping him before his arrow was free of the quiver. The next in line had managed to nock an arrow, but John sliced the man’s bow in two before he could shoot, then finished him with a thrust to the chest. He turned to see a third archer kneeling and holding up his bow in a vain attempt to block Rabbit’s sword. Rabbit’s blade sliced through the bow and cleaved the Saracen’s head in two, spilling blood and pink brains on wooden floor. Rabbit turned away and vomited.
The final Saracen, a beardless man no older than John, raised his bow and shot. But the man’s hands were shaking, and the arrow flew wide, embedding itself in the wall. The Saracen threw down his bow and drew a knife. As John approached, sword held high, a puddle of urine formed at the feet of the wide-eyed Saracen. ‘Drop it!’ John ordered, and the archer threw down his weapon.
‘No hurt! No hurt!’ he babbled in broken Frankish. ‘I prisoner!’
‘There you are, Saxon,’ Ernaut said as he limped into the room, sword in hand. Four arrow shafts protruded from his chest; they had penetrated his breastplate but not made it past the thick leather vest beneath. ‘What are you doing?’
‘I’ve taken a prisoner.’
Ernaut shoved John out of the way and impaled the archer through the chest. He turned back to John. ‘We don’t have time for prisoners.’
‘He could have told us about other ambushes,’ John protested.
Ernaut frowned. ‘You’re a smart bugger, aren’t you,’ he said as he snapped off the shafts of the arrows protruding from his chest. He pulled off his helmet and wiped the sweat from his forehead. ‘God, I could use a drink. We found a path that leads around the barricade. Let’s get to that damned river.’ He turned to leave, but then stopped in the doorway. ‘You two chop off those sons-of-whores heads and bring
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