Read Online Tides of Blood and Steel by Christian Warren Freed - Free Book Online Page B

reminded him of a merrier time when the family would gather and the children would color with different paints. Haltaf caught himself grinning for no reason.
    A young man knelt down in front of him. He bore a regality that few men had. Ash and sweat stained his face.
    “What is your name, soldier?” he asked. There was no weakness in his voice, despite his young age.
    A rough hand prodded his wound. Haltaf groaned.
    “Leave him be. We wouldn’t want them treating our wounded poorly,” the youth admonished. “He may be our enemy, but he’s still a man.”
    An older man stood over the younger one’s shoulder with a disapproving glare. “We might as well find another. This one is as good as dead.”
    “No, Venten. He’s just a soldier doing his duty. I’d like to think that not all of them are as vile as their king.” He turned his attention back to Haltaf. “There is no harm in telling your name. I am Prince Aurec of Rogscroft. You are?”
    “Sergeant,” he said, dribbling blood. “I am a sergeant.”
    “At least he has a sense of humor,” Aurec smiled.
    “Yes. A dying one.”
    “Then we had best hurry,” Aurec said. “Listen to me, Sergeant. This is only the first attack. I am sparing your life and those of your men who are left. Go back and tell your generals that they are not welcome in my kingdom. You will get no supplies, no weapons, or any reinforcements so long as we and our Pell Darga allies watch the passes. Leave Rogscroft and end this campaign.”
    Haltaf tried to laugh, but it hurt too much. “I cannot deliver those words. Do you know what they’ll do to me?”
    “That is not my problem.” Aurec beckoned another of his men. “Dress his wound and get all of them out of here. Venten, have the men take the undamaged supplies and fall back. I want to be gone from here before they send a scouting party back.”
    Prince Aurec left Haltaf and made his way through the battlefield. Burning wagons lit the area. Melted snow pooled with blood. The crows had already started to gather. Half of the bodies lay on their backs, eyes staring lifelessly upward. Accusation sat in all. He’d won a hard victory and more men died. The butcher’s bill was rising and there seemed no end in sight. Rogscroft stood on the cusp of damnation whichever way this war turned out.

     
SIX
    Escape
    “Anienam! Where are you?”
    Skuld coughed and choked from the thick dust. He could barely make out his own hands scant inches from his face. His body ached from dozens of bruises and cuts. At least nothing felt broken. What he could see disheartened him. The cave-in destroyed what had remained of the ancient temple. Their escape route was gone, along with any hope of finding the others. Skuld hoped they managed to make it out in time. Practicality demanded that he had other matters to worry about. He pushed himself to his feet with a groan.
    “Anienam, can you hear me?”
    Dust prevented any echo. Skuld felt lost when only silence reached out to him. Vague memories of what made him sneak aboard the Dragon’s Bane all of those weeks ago mocked him. He’d been naïve, filled with unobtainable ideals. The world was not the semi-friendly place in his inner dreams. It was violent and brutal. He’d seen men die. No, watched them killed in the name of causes well beyond anything he was capable of.
    And now he was alone. His friends, such as they were, might be dead. Anienam Keiss, his one true hope for salvation, lay buried in the rubble. Skuld was deep underground and more alone than ever in his life. He fought back the urge to cry. Such weakness wouldn’t do him any good. His best chance was to find the wizard’s body, recover the book, and try to find his way back to Bahr.
    “Anienam, please answer me!”
    His pleas went unheard. The old wizard had to be dead. Misery crept into the street thief. Hopelessness gnawed at him. A familiar sense of abandonment settled back over his soul as if a deposed king reclaiming his