Page 110 (1/2)

“Who are you?” she said

“We are death,” they said as one

The short reprieve was over The motors revved The motorbikes reared up on their back wheels The front wheels ca rubber, the bikes shot forward, did another criss-cross, then began to circle They wanted Gamay to spin until she beca heap She refused to play their gaht ahead, arht by her sides The wind created by their passes blew choking exhaust fumes in her face It took every measure of self-control not to bolt for it They’d be on her in a second and use their spears to cut her legs out from under her

When they saw she had no intention of running, they angled in A spear tip came so close that it lacerated the front of her shirt She sucked her stoan to walk She moved deliberately with hted at the new challenge, the riders took turns cutting in front of her, pulling their spears away at the last possible second She kept on going, her ears filled with the whine of motors She refused to break her stride Gamay knew they could kill her any time they wanted to

She heard a bike co chance, she stopped suddenly The rider ht turn, but the move threw off the uncanny communication the riders seemed to have, and they wheeled around in confusion She ran past the upturned bow of the boat, intending to vault onto the deck, but she encountered a barrier of overhanging round shields that protected the side above the oar ports She sahy the Kradziks had let her get this close to the boat They knew there was no way she could easily climb over the shields

The only access to the deck was a ramp near the stern They probably hoped she would run for it She made a motion in that direction, and they shot over to cut her off She grabbed one of the shields off the side of the boat, then turned and held it in front, her back to the boat The twins spun around and came at her with lances leveled The heavy shield, ned more for a brawny Norseman than a slied to get her left arh the straps and hold the shield in front of her

Just in time

Tunk!

/>

The spears hit the front of the shield as one The force drove her back against the side of the boat and knocked the wind fros

The bikes peeled off to the left and the right, did quick turns, and headed back Gaainst it, and pulled out the spears In contrast to the shield they were surprisingly light, with thin wooden shafts and slender bronze tips They were probably designed

She held the spears vertically and the shield at ready With their weapons gone, she assu a feint, but there was a blur of motion as a spiked ball whirled at the end of a chain slas braced she was thrown back and went down on her right knee She h in ablow from the second rider crunched into the shield and splintered the outer layer of protective wood

The brothers had exchanged their spears for h armor The bikes swooped down on her before she had the chance to stand Again the spiked iron balls crashed into the shield The wood protected her frorated after the second blow until all that was left were the leather straps and useless framework

She grabbed for a spear and held it at an angle The bikes held off their attack and went back and forth Then one attacker came in The spear spun in his direction like a compass needle Gamay held her breath At the last second he turned away The other came in from her left She pivoted quickly to face hiht It was a classic flanking tactic They were not ready for a full press yet, probably just testing to see her reaction

One bike passed directly in front of her, its rider thinking he was safely beyond the reach of the spear Instead of jabbing, Gaht the spear back on her shoulder and hurled it at the rider He wasfast Her aim was too low The spear hit the spokes of the front wheel The force of the wheel shattered the shaft, but not before the skinny, knobbed tire turned at a sharp angle The bike jackknifed, and the rider flew over the handlebars The bike skidded along the floor leaving a trail of red and white sparks Gamay saw him hit the floor and lie still