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Show Erica looked doubtful. "They won't be able to see him." The two walked away to the cottages to talk over the problem, the dejected Pym trailing along behind them. Inside the end cottage, Jothra had regained consiousness and was calling weakly for the military leader, Erica. Dr'Igor, Erica, and Pym came in the door and stood looking at the man stretched out on the first makeshift pallet. "I crave thee pardon.." he whispered, took several shallow breaths and then went on. "Saint Isaac be my witness, I n e ' e r . . . " His voice trailed off and he closed his eyes. The three stood unmoving by his pallet until a prolonged roar drifted across the valley toward the cottages. They spun around then and rushed out, open-mouthed, to see enemy foot soldiers streaming down the paths behind three tunic-clad Commendium scouts who were running for their lives in front of them. More and more foot soldiers poured over the pass and down the trail into the valley, screaming, "Saint Isaac! Saint Isaac!" and waving battle axes and broad swords above their helmeted heads. Bringing up the rear was a mob of valkaries in Seljuk mercenary battle gear, their breast plates cutting the dust in front of them like the prows of a hundred ships. Behind and before lumbered the giant YellowBison, lowing and screaming in terror. Commendium swordsmen and knights appeared out of nowhere and rushed to take positions, but the foot soldiers and huge yellow beasts kept coming in swarms, blundering like a juggernaut into the valley. After them in a veritable stampede came mounted knights, running over their own folk and around the blundering bison. The very earth shook with greaved and steel-booted legs, iron-shod hooves the size of EarthTurkey platters, and the 277 |
