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Daeave fell A Trolloc javelin that had been meant for Ituralde had fallen low The horse screa down its sweat-frothed skin Ituralde had lost mounts before, and he knew to roll to the side, but was too off-balance this tiritted his teeth, determined not to die on his back, and forced hi position He dropped his sword--heron-h it was--and lifted up a broken, discarded pike in a fluidTrolloc Dark, stinking blood coated the shaft, spurting down onto Ituralde’s hands as the Trolloc screamed and died

There was thunder in the air That wasn’t odd--there was often thunder frohtning

Ituralde heaved, pushing the Trolloc to the side by levering the pike Then a Myrddraal saw hi his teeth, but knew he had just seen his killer One of those things could fell a dozen …

He tried to stu He raised his sword, prepared to die as the thing slunk forward, movements like liquid

A dozen arrows slammed into the Fade

Ituralde blinked as the creature stu louder Ituralde propped himself up, and was a in for the creatures before theon Reborn! He came!

But no These ates of Maradon were open, and Ituralde’s tired survivors were being allowed to li froet a vantage on the battlefield

A force of twenty horse it The last roup leaped free of his saddle and hacked at the creature with a hand axe All across the battlefield, the Trollocs were run down, shot or lanced

It wouldn’t last More and h Ituralde’s for down the slope But the Saldaean relief would be enough, with those gates open, and with the Asha’ destruction The re to safety He was proud to see Barettal and Connel--the last of his guard--stu across the field toward him on foot, their mounts no doubt dead, their uniforms bloodied

He slid his sword into its scabbard and pulled the javelin froed to stand A rider from the Saldaean force trotted up to him, a man with a lean face, a hooked nose, and a set of bushy black eyebrows He wore a short, trimmed beard, and he raised a bloodied sword to Ituralde "You live"

"I do," Ituralde said as his two guards arrived "You command this force?"

"For now," the man said "I a here"

Yoeli reached out a hand and pulled Ituralde into his saddle behind hi protested with a flare of pain, but there wasn’t time to wait for a stretcher

Two other horseuards onto their horses, and soon they three were riding for the city at a gallop