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opening barely wide enough to pass through without turning sideways.
They came in low, placing themselves at the extreme disadvantage if anything
was above, but trading that for the hope of surprise.
The payoff came as they skirted the edge of the hill, coming around the base.
Storm's sorcerers broke to the right, while Macha led his group to the left.
The second wave of Macha's sorcerers came straight up the slope, cresting it
high and then slowing to hover above.
They hit the hidden encampment from both sides and above at once.
Before their target knew what had even happened, Macha was in the middle of
their camp.
"Damn you all, come here, Zambara," Macha bellowed, landing to confront the
terrified men.
"Why are you hiding here?" he roared.
Zambara looked around to his companions for support, but they blanched and
turned away from him.
"We could not locate you," Zambara replied lamely.
"Then why aren't you with your beloved Subata, rather than skulking here half
a dozen leagues behind them? You could have at least sent one of those
assistants of yours out to look for me!"
Zambara fumbled for words.
"I'll tell you why," Macha roared. "You've thrown in with Sarnak. You hid
here, knowing that my people would be watching the Subata and would search for
you there and you thought you'd be nice and safe out here by yourselves. You
were waiting for me to leave for Landra, and then you'd turn the Sabata loose
upon your own people. You're a traitor!"
Zambara stammered, but there was no time to reply. Macha might have given
benefit of doubt to the man, but for the fact that Zambara and his assistants
had so obviously been hiding.
Macha pulled out his ceremonial short sword.
Zambara's head hit the ground before his body had even started to sag.
Macha turned to face the terrified assistants and pointed the dripping sword
at them. "Which one of you is next?"
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As one, the five acolytes fell to the ground, wailing.
"Durth," Macha called.
One of his sorcerers stepped out of the ranks.
"You're to take charge here. Take their control crystal and escort these five
back to the Subata and get them under control. Do you think you can handle
them?"
Durth looked at the five acolytes with disdain. "Snake handlers," he spat. "I
soil myself by even being near them, but if you command it, my lord."
Macha stepped up to the acolytes and pointed at them with his sword. "You're
to follow Durth's commands without hesitation, you traitorous scum. If but one
snake breaks away and causes harm, either to my people or Allic's, you will be
blamed. You still face charges of treason, but know my judgment will be far
easier if you obey me now."
"Remember," he said coldly, "Zambara was lucky: his end was swift for I had no
time to see it otherwise.
But I can make one's death very slow," and his voice lowered, "very slow
indeed, so that you'll grow old while still young, begging for death to end
your torment.
Do you understand me?
"
The five were on their faces, cowering.
"Then obey me, and serve Durth." He spat on the ground and turned away.
"What do we do with this?" one of Macha's assistants asked, kicking at
Zambara's body.
Macha looked back at the acolytes.
"Have them fly over the Subata and drop the carcass for their dinner. Make
sure they stay long enough to watch the feeding."
Macha started to fly away and then shouted back as if an afterthought, "And
don't forget the head."
Airborne, the contingent flew straight across the open fields back towards the
armies. As they leveled out and started in to land at the head of Macha's
column, all could see a flash snap across the northern horizon, followed
seconds later by two more.
"What are they doing up there?" Macha asked, looking at Storm.
She was afraid to even wonder.
Macha nodded. "It's time. I'll have word sent to our ground commanders to push
forward at a forced march while we fly on. Your Tal riders and mine will move
out at once; they can be there in several turnings. The rest of us will pick
up our wall crystals and head for Landra!"
"There could be spies in the hills," one of Macha's assistants cautioned,
pointing to the distant ridgeline.
Macha looked at Storm for a moment and she feared that he might change his
mind.
A smile crossed his features. "We'll leave six of our most inexperienced
sorcerers behind. If that offworlder Goldberg is fit, have him fly as well--I
don't think he'd want to miss the fight. We'll have those who stay behind fly
back and forth over the columns and kick up a big stir."
"But the spies will see us leaving."
"Boy, don't you know anything about flying? Look at this land." He gestured at
terrain checkerboarded with woods, fields and orchards.
"We'll do some ground-hugging flying like the world has never seen. If any of
you so much as flies higher than a man's shoulders, I'll blast you myself.
We'll cut through the woods, hug the streambeds, and weave down the orchard
rows--they'll never see us. I'll lead the way. Now get ready to move out in a
quarter turning."
He looked back to Storm.
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"Think you can keep up with me?" he said with a grin.
Unable to contain herself, she gave him an exuberant hug. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]