Cameron launched himself at the axe-wielding bastard even as I jerked another arrow from my quiver and let fly.\u00a0 Thom cried out as the man\u2019s axe struck a glancing blow to his shoulder, not the cleaving strike the skinwalker had intended but damaging enough as it was.\u00a0 Thom dropped to one knee before pushing himself up again, blood already soaking his shirt and jacket as Cameron bore his attacker to the ground.<\/p>\n
The tip of Thom\u2019s sword raked across the neck of the man with the warhammer and he stepped closer to the taller, bulkier figure, trying to work his way inside the man\u2019s reach, seeking the balance between near enough to strike and to close to effectively hit with the massive hammer.<\/p>\n
\u201cMarin!\u201d\u00a0 Thordin roared.\u00a0 \u201cMore coming!\u201d<\/p>\n
I spun back toward the ravine and loosed another arrow almost without thinking, then another.\u00a0 The pair thunked into the flesh of another of the Hamrammr<\/i> as it was about to crest the top of the ravine.\u00a0 All along its top edge, they were making it to the top in singles and in pairs.\u00a0 Our friends cast aside firearms in favor of swords and other melee arms, but most of them were about to be sorely tested.<\/p>\n
My heart hammered against my breastbone.\u00a0 Not good, not good, not good.<\/i><\/p>\n
\u201cWe have to force them back<\/i>!\u201d\u00a0 I yelled.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019ve got a plan to do that, I\u2019m all ears!\u201d my brother shouted back at me, peppering the still-charging wolves and men below with shotgun fire.<\/p>\n
I wished I did.<\/p>\n
I heard a wet snapping sound and spun toward it, suddenly sick to my stomach.\u00a0 Cameron was calmly getting to his feet, quickly, the axe-wielder prone at his feet, head canted at a slightly unnatural angle.\u00a0 Bile welled up at the back of my throat and I swallowed it back down again.<\/p>\n
Calm down.\u00a0 You\u2019ve seen worse.<\/i><\/p>\n
Rory shouted something to my left and suddenly a great, bright gout of flame erupted from where he stood, the flames licking over the snow and pouring down toward two of the Hamrammr<\/i> who\u2019d made it far too close for comfort.\u00a0 One of the skinchangers that was still in the ravine, a great, black, golden-eyed beast, howled.\u00a0 The sound shot shivers down my spine\u2014not from the howl itself, but from the inherent knowledge that he\u2019d just given his fellows some kind of instruction that we couldn\u2019t understand.<\/p>\n
Something deep in my gut told me whatever orders had been given couldn\u2019t be good.<\/p>\n
We were about to find out how bad It could really get.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Cameron launched himself at the axe-wielding bastard even as I jerked another arrow from my quiver and let fly.\u00a0 Thom cried out as the man\u2019s axe struck a glancing blow to his shoulder, not the cleaving strike the skinwalker had … Continue reading