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The Destriant hissed ’I believe you are right, sir In fact, only yesterday I spared a moment to heal him’

’He ounded?’

’Hungover, Shield Anvil Very’

’I see Carry on, sir’ Itkovian looked to his two ers ’Word ner ’

The Beklite’s wicker shield exploded fro The notched, gore-suard’s other hand chopped straight down, through helauntlet The Beklite fell to one side, liedabove the feral ranks of his followers, was the Child’s Standard, a torn, brightly dyed yellow tunic now splashed with a red that was drying to deep enta

The Beklite company had been crushed Gruntle’s victim had been the last The caravan captain and his militia were forty paces outside as left of the West Gate, on the wide main avenue of what had been a shanty town The structures were gone, their wooden walls and slate roofs dismantled and taken away Patches of stained earthen floors and the scatter of broken pottery were all that remained Two hundred paces further west ran the pickets of the besiegers, swarht

Gruntle could see half a thousand Betaklites e, flanked by coht cavalry Beyond the sun

The lieutenant had dropped to one knee beside Gruntle, struggling to regain control of his breathing ’Time’s -- time’s co, the caravan captain swung to survey hisWhat did I start with last night? About the saht? ’Where are our sergeants?’

’They’re there, most of them, anyway You want me to call them forward, sir?’

No, yes, I want to see their faces I can’t remember their faces ’Have them assemble the squads’

’Sir, if that cavalry rushes us-’

’They won’t They’rewhat?’

’Tenescowri Why throw more veteran soldiers at us only to see them killed? Those bastards need a rest in any case No, it’s ti horde’

’Beru fend,’ the lieutenant whispered

’Don’t worry,’ Gruntle replied, ’they die easy’

’We need to rest -- we’re sliced to pieces, sir I’m too old for a suicide stand’