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bolt came to join its light with the mighty thunder of the previous blasts. I'd set myself to
watch it closely. It was not directed at the bridge-but at me! And it, too, missed! Or rather,
it was deflected. And that, for the moment, was it. The cloud, diminished by its loss of
energies, broke up, was wafted away by puffs of wind from the final ensuing thunder. The
crackling stench of ozone was sufficient to make our dottles cry.
How had the little bastards said it? "We'll help you, but you might not like it-" And so
they would. And the Dark One, seeing, would lay the blame for the power all on me. I sighed.
From here on in, when the Dark One sought to work his will, he'd be singling me out as the
prime target. By all gods, they were so right! I didn't like it!
Still, gazing at the blasted boulders in the stream below, and at all the burning earth
around us, I couldn't help but smile. I then looked up to see Murie, Hargis, and Griswall all
gazing at me proudly, whilst Sernas and a dozen great lords and barons were ogling me in
awe. I frowned at their misplaced belief, then thought better of it and winked; which I
shouldn't have done. For from now on, too, in a tight spot, they'd expect the same-and I
damn well couldn't deliver. Those little bastards had me again, and this time by the short
hairs!
"My Prince," Lord Sernas said slowly, for he had to say something, if for no other
reason than that the others would expect it of him, "you do ease the hearts of all of us. I must
confess, I had not thought there was a chance. Now I know better. Indeed, though we still
might die to the last man-we and our twenty thousand-I know that a final victory will be ours."
I answered just as slowly, sternly: "My thanks to you. But I adjure you now to erase all
thoughts of not winning. For hear me"- and I arose in my stirrups to address them all. "If we
do not win today-we will have lost our chance forever! And it's because of this fact that I'll
now disclose to you that you are not alone. Indeed, know this-and pass the word- before
three hours past high noon you'll be joined by thirty thousand of the finest warriors of all the
north. And sirs, m'lords, despite small victories, by that time we'll sorely need them."
As we neared the bridge we saw the headless bodies of the original defenders,
warriors of the house of the Lord, Gol-Stils.... Others of his men, attached to Rawl, were
taking their vengeance among those of the Dark One's levies still alive on our side of the
gorge. One group of fifty or so Yorns now stood at bay. I recognized the leader. Strange, I
thought, that I should meet him again and in almost the same circumstances. Perhaps it
was an omen. I broke from Sernas' troupe and rode to where I could put my dottle between
the Yorns and their attackers. "Down swords!" I shouted, and raised a gauntleted fist for
emphasis. To the Yorn leader, I cried, "Well! So we meet again, warrior of Yurnal. But why
do you now fight on the side of the Dark Kaleen? Did you not tell me that you were of the
pack of Twill, enthralled to our Lord of Haken?"
"I know you, lord!" he called back. "And so it was. But we'd been beaten, which
meant our death anyway. So I took those of the pack who would follow me to seek the
protection of the Dark One."
'Would you fight for me now?"
"What is the difference?"
"Would you fight for me-to win your freedom?"
"What is freedom?"
"To live as men, in Om."
"Who but the Dark One could grant such a gift?"
'Which he will never do. Fight for me-all you and yours. You'll win your freedom under
a just god whose name is Ormon. . . . I promise you!"
"How can we trust you?"
"As you did before. But if you stay with me, then will I ask you to beseech all Yorns
whom you meet in battle to turn their swords against the Dark One-and to join with us. What
say you?" I grew impatient.
Their communal thinking took but seconds. The leader said aloud, "My name is
Unghist, and I am chief of these. We will fight for you."
The whole thing had taken but three minutes. I sent Hargis to see that they were given
mounts and then to catch up with us.
I said not a word to Sernas' raised eyebrow, nor to the perturbed looks of the other
lords of our privy council-nor to Murie either. For it was a most natural thing for all those
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