A Mankind Witch by Dave Freer Page A
Authors: Dave Freer
Tags: Fiction, General, Science-Fiction, Fantasy fiction, Fantasy, Contemporary, Epic, Alternative History, Kidnapping Victims, Relics, Holy Roman Empire, Norway
Ads: Link
wanted to. "You know what choices the daughter of a royal house has."
Signy felt the weight of her stepmother's presence settling on her. Just being near to her seemed to draw something out of Signy. "Yes," she said dully. At least she was free to kill Hjorda. As soon as possible she found a reason to flee out to the stables. Horses and dogs did not use you. Or lie to you.
CHAPTER 12
Småland
Erik looked at the devastation. Looked down at the ground, and dismounted.
He actually got down on his hands and knees and examined the trodden earth. Then he stood up and stared at their guide. "Ritter Von Naid. Are you sure these raiders were Svear from across the borders?"
"And who else would burn my barns, my hay ricks, and the cottages, not to mention butchering my people?" demanded the Ritter.
Erik stared hard at him. "Who indeed?" he asked sardonically. "All riding heavy, ironshod horses, too. Isn't that odd, as from what I can gather the Götar have smaller horses, which are mostly unshod."
Von Naid blanched, but he obviously thought on his feet. "They steal our horseflesh," he said, hastily. "It is a real problem, here on the frontier. It makes identifying people by their tracks difficult. But my men tracked them to their settlement."
Erik looked down without saying anything. He kicked a piece of horse dung apart. And then used a handy mounting block to get back onto his horse. As the cavalcade rode off toward the Götar settlement, he fell in next to Manfred. "This stinks," he said, quietly.
"Well, you would kick horse dung," said Manfred, with a grin.
"If that was the worst it smelled of, we'd be fine," said Eric, grimly.
"So what do you think is going on?"
"I'm not sure yet."
Half a mile on they met with four men—Von Naid's.
"We followed them, milord. They thought they'd hidden their trail. The cattle tracks were easy enough. They're in a settlement over that hill there—about two miles from this place. Captives, horses, and cattle."
Manfred sidled his horse over to Erik. "Three miles. But we heard about this bunch of raiders from nearly thirty miles away. Mighty good information system they have."
They rode on through forested country, and at length stood looking down at a rather scruffy little hamlet next to a ford and a small dam and mill. It had a palisade, but the gate was open.
"Well," said the hard-bitten proctor who led the group, drawing his sword. "Let's ride down and ask some questions." By the way he said it, it was going to be questions reenforced with—if someone was lucky—the flat of that broadsword.
"Do you think that's altogether wise?" said Erik. "They've seen us. They're not closing that gate. This is either an ambush or they're innocent. Either way there are better ways of approaching this."
"I am in command here, Ritter," said the proctor. "I'm used to handling these Götar. Leave it to those of us who know. Out swords, Ritters." And there was a steely rasp of his orders being obeyed.
He began to lead off down the hill at a brisk trot. And an arrow arced out of the thicket below them to their left.
It hit a horse. The animal screamed and the rider went down with a clatter.
The proctor half turned, saw, and yelled, "Charge!"
The knights put spurs to their horses.
And Manfred bellowed, "HOLD!"
Manfred had the kind of voice that would even penetrate a charging knight's helmet. Erik joined him in a second bellow.
It was chaos. Of the thirty knights, several were still careering down the hill. Some were wavering, half turned in the saddle—and a fair number had turned back.
Then, at a full gallop, Szpak caught up with the leading proctor.
And knocked him out of the saddle with a mailed fist.
"Hold," he yelled, too, turning his horse. Facing the oncoming knights with his sword in hand.
Mecklen had produced a small horn. "I think I will sound the retreat, Prince Manfred?"
Manfred nodded, and the horn call sounded. That brought all the knights
Signy felt the weight of her stepmother's presence settling on her. Just being near to her seemed to draw something out of Signy. "Yes," she said dully. At least she was free to kill Hjorda. As soon as possible she found a reason to flee out to the stables. Horses and dogs did not use you. Or lie to you.
CHAPTER 12
Småland
Erik looked at the devastation. Looked down at the ground, and dismounted.
He actually got down on his hands and knees and examined the trodden earth. Then he stood up and stared at their guide. "Ritter Von Naid. Are you sure these raiders were Svear from across the borders?"
"And who else would burn my barns, my hay ricks, and the cottages, not to mention butchering my people?" demanded the Ritter.
Erik stared hard at him. "Who indeed?" he asked sardonically. "All riding heavy, ironshod horses, too. Isn't that odd, as from what I can gather the Götar have smaller horses, which are mostly unshod."
Von Naid blanched, but he obviously thought on his feet. "They steal our horseflesh," he said, hastily. "It is a real problem, here on the frontier. It makes identifying people by their tracks difficult. But my men tracked them to their settlement."
Erik looked down without saying anything. He kicked a piece of horse dung apart. And then used a handy mounting block to get back onto his horse. As the cavalcade rode off toward the Götar settlement, he fell in next to Manfred. "This stinks," he said, quietly.
"Well, you would kick horse dung," said Manfred, with a grin.
"If that was the worst it smelled of, we'd be fine," said Eric, grimly.
"So what do you think is going on?"
"I'm not sure yet."
Half a mile on they met with four men—Von Naid's.
"We followed them, milord. They thought they'd hidden their trail. The cattle tracks were easy enough. They're in a settlement over that hill there—about two miles from this place. Captives, horses, and cattle."
Manfred sidled his horse over to Erik. "Three miles. But we heard about this bunch of raiders from nearly thirty miles away. Mighty good information system they have."
They rode on through forested country, and at length stood looking down at a rather scruffy little hamlet next to a ford and a small dam and mill. It had a palisade, but the gate was open.
"Well," said the hard-bitten proctor who led the group, drawing his sword. "Let's ride down and ask some questions." By the way he said it, it was going to be questions reenforced with—if someone was lucky—the flat of that broadsword.
"Do you think that's altogether wise?" said Erik. "They've seen us. They're not closing that gate. This is either an ambush or they're innocent. Either way there are better ways of approaching this."
"I am in command here, Ritter," said the proctor. "I'm used to handling these Götar. Leave it to those of us who know. Out swords, Ritters." And there was a steely rasp of his orders being obeyed.
He began to lead off down the hill at a brisk trot. And an arrow arced out of the thicket below them to their left.
It hit a horse. The animal screamed and the rider went down with a clatter.
The proctor half turned, saw, and yelled, "Charge!"
The knights put spurs to their horses.
And Manfred bellowed, "HOLD!"
Manfred had the kind of voice that would even penetrate a charging knight's helmet. Erik joined him in a second bellow.
It was chaos. Of the thirty knights, several were still careering down the hill. Some were wavering, half turned in the saddle—and a fair number had turned back.
Then, at a full gallop, Szpak caught up with the leading proctor.
And knocked him out of the saddle with a mailed fist.
"Hold," he yelled, too, turning his horse. Facing the oncoming knights with his sword in hand.
Mecklen had produced a small horn. "I think I will sound the retreat, Prince Manfred?"
Manfred nodded, and the horn call sounded. That brought all the knights
Similar Books
