disordered cavalry, who were scattering even before the first blow had been struck. Cardinal Disten’s troops didn’t bother giving chase; they reordered their lines and continued on towards the knights across the stream. Duke Certinse hadn’t moved; his men appeared paralysed by indecision. Even when the charge was called and Certinse levelled his sword towards Isak, still more than a few heads were turned towards the dark monks.
Vesna drew Isak’s attention to the other regiment of cavalry, and both men grinned as the captain, incandescent with rage, berated his men, only to be cut off abruptly as one of them shot him and sent him tumbling to the floor.
‘They’ve seen the sense of it,’ Vesna called.
‘And now we finish this,’ Isak said, and kicked his spurs into Toramin’s flanks. The massive stallion didn’t need any further encouragement, slamming his enormous hooves into the ground and charging forward.
The dark monks were closer and once through the stream they crashed into the enemy’s flank, forcing them to slow and turn as Isak led his own small unit to meet them head-on. The monks’ impact threw the hurscals into disarray, and Toramin, moving at speed, missed the target, slamming instead into the Lomin standard-bearer’s horse with such force that it threw the man from his saddle and his animal collapsed on top of him. Isak pulled Toramin away, not wanting the horse cut by a flailing leg, and hacked at the nearest hurscal, catching a hopeful swinging mace on its edge, then using Eolis to cut savagely across the knight’s face, tearing through his visor as if it were made of cotton. Isak laid about himself furiously, spreading chaos through what was left of the enemy ranks as he made for the centre. He caught an axe on his shield and sheared the shaft, leaned forward to punch his shield into the man’s face-plate, then moved on, not waiting to see what damage he’d done. A lance-head scraped past his belly and Isak turned to see a knight in white and yellow reach back for another stab. As Isak dropped his shield down to trap the shaft and break it on his thigh, a hurscal dressed in Lomin’s red hacked at his other side. Eolis absorbed most of the force, but the axe-head spun off that unnatural blade and the spike on its reverse stabbed down into Toramin’s shoulder. As the huge horse screamed and reared up, the hurscal, still clinging grimly to his battle-axe, was dragged from his saddle. Toramin stamped down on the man as Isak yanked the spike from the horse’s flesh and let it fall.
A black-cowled monk pushed past them, an edged mace in each hand, and Isak took a moment to look around. He saw Count Vesna trading blows with Duke Certinse nearby, and nearer still, one of the Ghosts was savagely attacking Suzerain Tildek. In the chaos, Isak couldn’t see who it was, but as he deftly worked an opening in the suzerain’s defence and knocked Tildek reeling, there was no doubt the soldier outmatched the nobleman.
Isak had no time to look further as a hurscal came at him head-on. The white-eye slashed at the man’s head but missed; another hurscal came in from his left and as the two attacked Isak together, words came unbidden to Isak’s throat and he felt magic flow out through Eolis. The sword traced a path of blinding light that made both attackers cry out and cover their eyes. The unnatural edge did the rest.
Isak sensed rather than saw a tall knight with a swan emblazoned on his chest just as he launched a furious attack. Hacking at Isak with a gleaming broadsword, the knight forced Isak into defensive mode, warding off the blows, until Toramin, circling clockwise, managed to shove the knight’s own mount off-balance and Isak was able to get a blow in himself. Eolis cut the knight’s broadsword in two, then continued on down into the man’s peaked helm. The knight went rigid, then flopped to the floor as Isak withdrew.
Looking around, Isak saw the enemy break and run, but beyond
Vesna drew Isak’s attention to the other regiment of cavalry, and both men grinned as the captain, incandescent with rage, berated his men, only to be cut off abruptly as one of them shot him and sent him tumbling to the floor.
‘They’ve seen the sense of it,’ Vesna called.
‘And now we finish this,’ Isak said, and kicked his spurs into Toramin’s flanks. The massive stallion didn’t need any further encouragement, slamming his enormous hooves into the ground and charging forward.
The dark monks were closer and once through the stream they crashed into the enemy’s flank, forcing them to slow and turn as Isak led his own small unit to meet them head-on. The monks’ impact threw the hurscals into disarray, and Toramin, moving at speed, missed the target, slamming instead into the Lomin standard-bearer’s horse with such force that it threw the man from his saddle and his animal collapsed on top of him. Isak pulled Toramin away, not wanting the horse cut by a flailing leg, and hacked at the nearest hurscal, catching a hopeful swinging mace on its edge, then using Eolis to cut savagely across the knight’s face, tearing through his visor as if it were made of cotton. Isak laid about himself furiously, spreading chaos through what was left of the enemy ranks as he made for the centre. He caught an axe on his shield and sheared the shaft, leaned forward to punch his shield into the man’s face-plate, then moved on, not waiting to see what damage he’d done. A lance-head scraped past his belly and Isak turned to see a knight in white and yellow reach back for another stab. As Isak dropped his shield down to trap the shaft and break it on his thigh, a hurscal dressed in Lomin’s red hacked at his other side. Eolis absorbed most of the force, but the axe-head spun off that unnatural blade and the spike on its reverse stabbed down into Toramin’s shoulder. As the huge horse screamed and reared up, the hurscal, still clinging grimly to his battle-axe, was dragged from his saddle. Toramin stamped down on the man as Isak yanked the spike from the horse’s flesh and let it fall.
A black-cowled monk pushed past them, an edged mace in each hand, and Isak took a moment to look around. He saw Count Vesna trading blows with Duke Certinse nearby, and nearer still, one of the Ghosts was savagely attacking Suzerain Tildek. In the chaos, Isak couldn’t see who it was, but as he deftly worked an opening in the suzerain’s defence and knocked Tildek reeling, there was no doubt the soldier outmatched the nobleman.
Isak had no time to look further as a hurscal came at him head-on. The white-eye slashed at the man’s head but missed; another hurscal came in from his left and as the two attacked Isak together, words came unbidden to Isak’s throat and he felt magic flow out through Eolis. The sword traced a path of blinding light that made both attackers cry out and cover their eyes. The unnatural edge did the rest.
Isak sensed rather than saw a tall knight with a swan emblazoned on his chest just as he launched a furious attack. Hacking at Isak with a gleaming broadsword, the knight forced Isak into defensive mode, warding off the blows, until Toramin, circling clockwise, managed to shove the knight’s own mount off-balance and Isak was able to get a blow in himself. Eolis cut the knight’s broadsword in two, then continued on down into the man’s peaked helm. The knight went rigid, then flopped to the floor as Isak withdrew.
Looking around, Isak saw the enemy break and run, but beyond
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