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"My Lord," swore Lord Thieh the trees

Only it was not s

The Lions cried out warnings They broke into a trot, and the cursing driver of their wagon whipped the mules forward

Behind, men shouted and screamed, and for one horrible , she heard a cry ringing out above the clamor

"Duke Boleslas is down!"

Panic broke through the line of wagons Riders scattered, and in the chaos the only thing Anna could think was that the Lions were holding foron drivers to head for a little knoll, topped by a copse of trees, that sat at the far end of the clearing The rain of arrows thickened

"Ai, Lord, Thiemo," cried Heribert, "if this is a Qu four bows at once"

More of the wagons broke free into the clearing, but it was already too late The foreed left into the trees to head off the Qu thunder filled the air as weapons clashed

Blessing woke "Where’s Daddy?" she cried

Lewenhardt leaped onto the wagon, standing literally over the child, bracing himself with a foot on either side of her body Thiemo, Matto, Surly, Everwin, Den, Johannes, and Chustaffusaround the cart Heribert hastily ons raced forward, desperate to escape the Qu Back in the woods, the Polenie standard bobbed aardly The battle was all confusion, half lost under the shade of trees now that the sunlight burned her eyes It see into the ranks of Polenie horse to silence as the first Quh the Polenie line, as the handso

Blessing tried to push to her feet, but Anna shoved her back down as another rain of arrows spattered around theed in his chainwhere an arrow had cut into the leather cheek strap of his hel about the Qu cries, only the whistle of their wings where the wind sang in them At last, inevitably, the Polenie standard sank into the fray and the last of Duke Boleslas’ cavalry--had there really been three or four hundreds of the only infantry, half of theainst superior nu to die," said Thiemo

"Shut up," snapped Surly "I hate whiners"

The wagon surged forward, neck and neck with the painted wagon in which Bayan’sup Their caled

"Ho! Princess!" An old Lion gestured wildly "Move along!" The first line of the Lions had reached the knoll and already were frantically digging in, chopping down trees, anything to ainst the horseun to rain Thunder grumbled ominously, and hipped the treetops The Quman were everywhere Was this their entire are contingent galloped past, far off to the right side, heading toward the rear of the unsuspecting Saony legion Others surged up to catch the last of the wagons A carter was killed, cut down from behind as he whipped his horses Another e under the bed, but he got tra, Quan to pull the contents fros du of value

Half of the Lions fell back to fore train and the part that was already being overrun A nuh in truth hundredsto escape back the way they’d coirl!" cried Lewenhardt as he dropped to his knees A shower of arrows fell around them Someone was hit; Everwin,The child wriggled and protested, trying to get free so she could see

"Lie still!" Terror made Anna’s voice no better than a croak

Lewenhardt jerked to one side as an arrow passed his ear It buried its point in the neck of the driver, whose head kicked forward He twitched a few times, slumped as the reins slipped froon At once, Chustaffus slid gracefully froot hold of the reins with his good arons, all they could now hope to save, the rear guard of the Lions stepped back in good order, a single step at a tions, hesitated, unwilling to assault the well-ordered company now that they didn’t have surprise on their side