This time, they\u2019d only gone a few steps before Phelan jerked his arm away from Thom.\u00a0 \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you mean no<\/i>?\u201d<\/p>\n
Phelan\u2019s eyes narrowed.\u00a0 \u201cNo, we\u2019re not going to go discuss this in private so you can convince me to forget about helping you<\/i>, fear fiach<\/i>, and worry only about your wife.\u00a0 That\u2019s not going to happen.\u201d\u00a0 His gaze flicked toward Marin.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019d never forgive me if I agreed to that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re right,\u201d she said, coming down from her perch and crossing the open ground between them and the gate, boots crunching in the ice and snow.\u00a0 \u201cI wouldn\u2019t forgive you\u2014either of you.\u00a0 Either we stand and fight together or we don\u2019t stand and fight at all, Thom.\u201d\u00a0 She glanced at Phelan.\u00a0 \u201cThough we could trick him.\u00a0 Would it impinge on your honor too much if you just went out there and killed him under the pretense of quitting the field?\u201d<\/p>\n
Phelan rocked back against his heels, blinking at her.\u00a0 Did she just\u2014bloody hellfire and monsters.<\/i>\u00a0 \u201cDid I just hear you correctly?\u201d<\/p>\n
Thordin rumbled a laugh.\u00a0 \u201cBloody-minded, isn\u2019t she?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShut up,\u201d Marin said, half glancing toward Thordin before her gaze returned to Phelan\u2019s, rock steady and serious.\u00a0 \u201cWould it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know that he wouldn\u2019t see through it as a ruse,\u201d Phelan said.\u00a0 Still.\u00a0 The idea\u2019s got merit.\u00a0 His camazotzi will probably turn into a disorganized rabble at that point and we\u2019ll have the advantage if it comes to a straight fight.<\/i><\/p>\n
Of course, either way, we just kill until the fighting is over.\u00a0 All we can hope is that they\u2019ll decide that standing and fighting isn\u2019t as attractive as living to fight another day.<\/i><\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s worth a try,\u201d Kellin said quietly to his left.\u00a0 He glanced at her and saw determination mingling with fear in her eyes.\u00a0 The camazozti<\/i> had almost killed her once, left her the scar on her throat as constant reminder.\u00a0 \u201cIf we can get them to turn and run rather than stand and fight?\u00a0 It\u2019s worth a shot.\u00a0 We can\u2019t afford not to take it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTime\u2019s wasting,\u201d Matt said.\u00a0 \u201cWe have to give him our answer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Phelan looked at all of them and drew a deep breath, then held out his hand to Thordin.\u00a0 \u201cGive me the dagger in your boot.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thordin crouched and freed the knife, handing it over to his friend.\u00a0 His eyes narrowed slightly as Phelan checked the blade.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t lose it.\u00a0 I made that myself and you\u2019ve got no idea how hard it was to retrieve after what they did to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Phelan didn\u2019t miss the traces of pain in Thordin\u2019s eyes and voice, traces that no one else would have noticed.\u00a0 It\u2019s more important than just that.<\/i>\u00a0 He brushed his thumb over the wrapped hilt.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t make this knife alone.<\/i>\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll make sure I come back with it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thordin nodded and stepped back.\u00a0 Phelan took another breath, looking at Thom and Marin first, then Kellin and Matt.<\/p>\n
\u201cWish me luck,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Marin smiled weakly.\u00a0 \u201cLuck.\u00a0 Let Matt and I get into position again before you head out there.\u00a0 If something does<\/i> go sideways, we need to be able to react.\u201d<\/p>\n
Always thinking.<\/i>\u00a0 Phelan nodded, turning to Thordin.\u00a0 \u201cIf the worst\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt won\u2019t,\u201d Thordin said.\u00a0 \u201cThose bitches of death aren\u2019t coming for you today.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey might,\u201d Phelan murmured.\u00a0 I just don\u2019t fear it the way I used to.<\/i><\/p>\n
\u201cThen they\u2019ll have to get through me first.\u201d\u00a0 Thordin clapped Thom on the shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cI have a feeling I\u2019m not speaking for just me, either.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cProbably not,\u201d Thom agreed.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll throw the gates open and fill the gap.\u00a0 We\u2019ve got your back, Phelan.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou always did,\u201d Phelan murmured, then nodded to himself.\u00a0 \u201cRight.\u00a0 Let\u2019s do this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thom and Thordin preceded him to the gates, opened them so he could step out into the killing fields beyond.\u00a0 Phelan took another deep breath and lifted the hand not gripping his staff in greeting to Cariocecus.\u00a0 He moved forward across the frozen ground, watching as the dark shadow of the war god turned and moved forward to meet him, shadowed himself by a pair of rather large bat-monsters.<\/p>\n
He suspects something.<\/i>\u00a0 Phelan couldn\u2019t help but look pained as he stopped twenty feet from the gate and let Cariocecus meet him there.\u00a0 He shifted his staff from one hand to the other, fingers closing around the knife beneath the cloak he wore against the cold.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid they send you out to tell me they were surrendering the camp?\u201d\u00a0 Cariocecus called as he approached.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re still deciding,\u201d Phelan lied.\u00a0 \u201cBut they prevailed on me to save myself and take up your offer.\u00a0 But I would know what price Aoife has paid for the boon of my life before I go.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cariocecus\u2019s smile was a flash of white in his dark, tanned face.\u00a0 \u201cNot so high as it could have been, but valuable nonetheless.\u201d\u00a0 He was nearly within striking range, now.<\/p>\n
Just a few more steps.\u00a0 I don\u2019t want to risk throwing it.\u00a0 I can\u2019t get enough power on it to penetrate that armor with a throw.<\/i>\u00a0 He\u2019d have to stab Cariocecus himself.\u00a0 Something about doing it that way made it feel less cowardly, less dishonorable.<\/p>\n
Then again, I didn\u2019t walk out here under a parley flag, either.\u00a0 I just walked out.\u00a0 He\u2019s the one that\u2019s presuming nonviolence.<\/i><\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was it?\u201d\u00a0 Phelan asked.<\/p>\n
He smiled even more broadly.\u00a0 \u201cSeamus the Black had children.\u00a0 His bloodline lives and I\u2019m set to find them.\u201d<\/p>\n
One of the camazotzi <\/i>twitched.<\/p>\n
Phelan fell back a step, staring at Cariocecus.\u00a0 Bloody hellfire and ashes.\u00a0 What interest would he have in\u2014<\/i><\/p>\n
My cousin\u2014<\/i><\/p>\n
Aoife, why didn\u2019t you tell <\/i>us?<\/i><\/p>\n
The second of the camazotzi<\/i> shadowing its master darted forward, around Cariocecus.\u00a0 It plowed into Phelan with the force of a charging bull and carried him to the ground.<\/p>\n
His head bounced off the frozen ground and he saw stars.\u00a0 Ribs cracked, sending white-hot pain shooting through his chest.\u00a0 His staff bounced free of his hand, but he maintained his grip on the knife.\u00a0 He brought it up to plunge it into the creature\u2019s eye.<\/p>\n
Cariocecus was shouting.<\/p>\n
Even as Phelan stabbed the first in the eye and it reared back, roaring in pain, the second was on him, claws bared.\u00a0 It grabbed him by the face, razor-sharp talons digging into his flesh, and dashed his head against the ground again.<\/p>\n
He spiraled down into darkness and knew no more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This time, they\u2019d only gone a few steps before Phelan jerked his arm away from Thom.\u00a0 \u201cNo.\u201d \u201cWhat do you mean no?\u201d Phelan\u2019s eyes narrowed.\u00a0 \u201cNo, we\u2019re not going to go discuss this in private so you can convince me … Continue reading