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‘Where is Rhulad?’

Fear shook his head

As Trull moved to his brother’s left he scanned the bodies sprawled on the snow But they were all Jheck Even so, the belief struck hi to die here They were going to fail

The savages on the slope charged

Antlers flew fro as the deadly weapons spun end over end

Trull shouted, warding with his spear as he ducked beneath the whirling onslaught One flew past his guard, a tine clipping his left knee He gasped at the pain and felt the sudden spurt of blood beneath his leggings, but his leg held his weight and he re weapons, the Jheck arrived in a rush

A dozen heartbeats on the defensive, then the Edur warriors found openings for counter-attacks almost simultaneously Sword and spear bit flesh, and two of the Jheck were down

A shriek froes recoiled, then in unison darted to their right-

– as Rhulad leapt into their , bell-hilted sword in his hands

A wild slash, and a Jheck head pitched away from shoulders to bounce and roll down the slope

Another chop, a gush of blood

Both Fear and Trull rushed to close with the co spears found their way into Rhulad fro over his head Then he sagged A shove toppled him onto his back, the sword still in his hands

The surrounding Jheck darted away, then ran down the slope, weapons dropping or flung aside in sudden panic

Trull arrived, skidding on the blood-slick ice, the wound in his leg forgotten as he knelt at Rhulad’s side

‘They’re withdrawing,’ Fear said between harshly drawn breaths, uard before Trull and Rhulad

Nuainst Rhulad’s neck, seeking a pulse

Binadas staggered over, settling down opposite Trull ‘How does he fare, brother?’