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.They know what those are." For a moment, her lips trembled."You were right.We shallappear before King Eloikas as little more than beggers and pray "She could not go on.Conan wanted to hold her but doubted that they had the time, or that shewould take comfort from it."Raihna.We'll need a rear guard to hold the village while the rest of the men go over the hill.Thatwill have to be the way, so that Syzambry's mounted archers can't follow.Give me two or three men, onean archer, and I'll make that rear guard.""Conan." She stared at him as if he had started speaking in Khitan, or had turned into a dragon."In Crom's name, we haven't the time for arguing!" he almost shouted."I'm the best man for thework.Give me some good men at my back and flank and I'll do it."Raihna's hand came up.For a moment, Conan braced himself for a slap.Then her hand came therest of the way and lightly brushed his cheek.They were standing there, knowing that time and foes pressed, when deep-toned war trumpetssounded outside.First, one in the far distance, beyond the hill.Then another, answering it from closer by.Finally, two more, which grew louder as they sounded.By the time the last trumpet blast died, Conan heard the sound of many horses, swelling rapidly.Hepushed Raihna lightly on one bare shoulder."Time for you to run and for me to fight.I think the count's friends are coming."Decius, captain-general of the Hosts of the Border, knew what might come of sounding thetrumpets.If Count Syzambry was at the village and had the wits to heed the warning, his men could showDecius's men a clear pair of heels.The captain-general prayed to every lawful god, however, that Syzambry would be driven todesperation instead of to flight.If the count hurled his men into the village so that Decius could catch themred-handedKing Eloikas would not much care for a battle if Syzambry escaped.But if the battle put an end tothe count and his scheming and treachery, the king would forgive his captain-general much more thanthat.Decius leaned forward in his saddle, then drew himself upright.A captain-general could not appearuneasy, not when he led no more than a score of men toward battle against perhaps twice their number.The villager who had warned of Syzambry's march might have miscounted, but Syzambry could indeedhave fifty men.As the trumpets sounded again, Decius nodded to his banner bearer.The banner of the Silver Bearrose and stood out in the wind.Decius nodded to his squire, riding almost boot to boot with him, and thelad handed over his master's shield.The stout oval of metal-rimmed oak settled on Decius's arm like a familiar friend.He did not drawhis sword.It was not yet.time to be reduced to guiding his horse with his knees, not over such roughground.A final blast on the trumpets echoed from the hillside.The captain-general's men spurred theirhorses to a trot as they rounded the final bend in the trail.Before them stood Castle Dembi and the equally ruined village at the foot of its hill.Half of the hutsin the village seemed to be aflame.On the hillside sprawled the bodies of men and animals.A column ofheavily burdened men on foot was scrambling past the bodies.Decius reined in before the ruins of the village shrine.The ground about him showed the traces ofmany shod horses.A cloud of dust on the trail leading into the forest showed where the horsemen hadgone."Who comes here?" a rough voice shouted from the village.Decius was not accustomed to being so addressed, not since he had won his spurs at seventeen.But if whoever shouted had just survived a fight against Syzambry's minions, he had good cause forsuspicion."Servants of King Eloikas," Decius replied.He would not name himself lest it provide Syzambry'srear guard an easy victory."Advance and be recognized." The voice was still harsh, but now it sounded like a seasonedcaptain's.Decius dismounted, threw his shield in front of himself, drew his sword, and advanced past theshrine.He had taken five steps beyond that when the voice came again."Far enough, thank you.""Easy, Conan," came a second voice, which Decius would have sworn was a woman's."He bearsDecius's Silver Bear, quartered with the arms of the kingdom.I'd wager it's Decius himself."What sounded like a brief dispute followed, too low-voiced for Decius to understand.Then twomen no, one was a woman strode from a hut to face him.The man overtopped Decius by nearly a head.He wore a sooty shirt and breeches, boots, and aserviceable broadsword.The woman"Mistress Raihna! It was you, then?" The villager had also spoken of a caravan sheltering for thenight at Dembi village.Catching Count Syzambry looting any caravan could mean the end of the man.Catching him looting the long-awaited royal caravan guarded by Mistress Raihna's company"It is," the woman said."Does that displease you?"Decius realized that his disgust at driving Syzambry into flight must show on his face."It does notdisplease me at all, Mistress Raihna."He wanted to add, "Nor do you," which would have been the truth, but perhaps one best left toanother time.The description of Raihna he had from the steward had said that she was fair to the eye, butnot how fair.That was easy to judge now, considering how little she wore [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]