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Bernard slung the war quiver over his shoulder, in a gesture that see practiced so many times that the Count probably wasn't aware that he'd done it Count Calderon reached up and selected a single arrow Its head was oddly heavy, a set of four steel blades that re else It was only at the last lass that had been trapped within the steel blades, like a jeithin its setting

Bernard stared up at the nearest vordbulk, the one on the southern bluff As both beasts had been doing periodically since they appeared, the vordbulk let out one of its enor basso roars

"Clan Herdbane," Bernard sighed "Those fools never did figure out how to stay out of a fight they couldn't win"

As Ehren watched, he saw barbarians and their beasts attacking the vordbulk, hurling spears up at its belly, hoping to hit the vitals, as their deadly predator birds clawed their way several yards up the vordbulk's legs, ripping and tearing to no appreciable effect Perhaps if given a week, they reat beast down - but they didn't have that kind of tiht want to back off a ways, Sir Ehren," Bernard said He brandished the arrow "I' won't explode the second I release the string"

Ehren sed and took a couple of steps back "I see"

"Bit more," Bernard said

Ehren walked twenty feet, to the far side of the citadel's balcony

"Suppose it'll have to do," Bernard said He set the arrow to the great bow's string, faced the vordbulk, and waited

"That's a long shot," Ehren noted "Three hundred yards?"

"Range isn't a problele is a bit odd, though"

"Ahem, yes," Ehren said "But honestly, sir there must be some other way for you to Your Excellency, it's one arrow What could you possibly think it will do?"

The vordbulk's vast flanks expanded as it drew in a breath

Bernard drew the black bow, and its staves groaned like the h winds Muscles knotted in his shoulders, back, and arain his teeth clenched, and his face turned red with effort There was a faint tre in the earth as Bernard pulled the arrow back to his ear The grain of the black borithed and quivered, even as it was bent, and Ehren realized that the Count was putting an enor the bow and would be using even hten its staves, to impart all the power he could to thewith a short cry of effort, the reaction of the bow nearly took him from his feet There was a thundercrack in the air before hiht so swiftly that Ehren would not have been able to follow it had not the leamed on the steel head

The vordbulk opened its led upward, into the creature's vast maw The roar went on for asound, and a burst of smoke and little licks of fire that poured froain, this tireen-brown vord blood spewed fro ed visibly, his chest heaving in slow, deep breaths, and he leaned against the railing to stay upright "Guess Pentius Pluvus was right"

"Eh?" Ehren asked, watching the vordbulk with fascination