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.Drawing his bow with mechanical efficiency, he sent arrow after arrow soaring into the charging mass.Several dozen other archers also inflicted losses upon the raiders, but the missile fire did not seem to slow the attack.Seconds after the charge began, Daryth faced a yellow-bearded berserker who leaped from the ground to the top of the four-foot wall, then dived onto the defenders.The Calishite’s scimitar disemboweled the attacker, but another took his place.This time the strike of Daryth’s blade sent him falling backward into the mass of his fellows.All along the length of the wall, steel clashed against steel, and flesh strove against flesh.Many northmen fell during the initial charge, but once they reached the wall, the toll of dead came quickly from both attacker and defender.A man fell beside Daryth, and several northmen poured over the wall.He turned to face them, his silver scimitar flickering like lightning into the group, cutting off an arm on a fore-swing, and slicing a neck on the recovery.“Look out!” the bard called from behind Daryth.The Calishite turned to see a spear-carrying northman poised upon the wall, ready to drive his spear into Daryth’s back.Before he could throw the weapon, however, he gasped and toppled back over the wall, one of Keren’s arrows jutting from his throat.But the attackers’ numbers were just too high.More and more defenders fell, mortally wounded, or simply turned and ran from the onslaught.Hundreds of raiders poured through the breaches in the walls.“I think we’d better retreat,” grunted Daryth, holding off three northmen with his flashing blade.Keren, now wielding his sword, backed against the Calishite as he fought two more northmen.Already, the two of them stood virtually alone among the sea of enemy fighters.“Now!” cried Keren, finishing his opponent with a lightning thrust.“This way!”Daryth lunged once, throwing his opponents off balance, and then turned to race after the longlegged bard.They darted through the mass of the enemy, dodging attacks, or slaying those who stood in their way.“I didn’t know we got left so far behind,” panted Daryth, as a dozen northmen suddenly appeared to block their path.“Behind!” cried Keren, turning back to face an equal number.Their bloodstained weapons upraised, the northmen closed upon the two defenders, caught far from their own troops.None of them heard the clatter of approaching hooves.Suddenly a silver blade dropped between Daryth and the enemy, and he looked up to see the Prince of Corwell ride into the fray.The heavy hooves of the white stallion Avalon, and the slashing cuts made by the Sword of Cymrych Hugh, killed three northmen in the first rush, and warned the others off.“Over here! Run!” Tristan gestured to Daryth and Keren with his sword.The pair saw the Sisters of Synnoria advancing behind the prince and quickly ducked between the nervous white horses.They saw that their respite was a brief one, for the few knights – brave as the elven women were – could not hold back the press of raiders for long.As soon as the fighters were safe, the knights fell back, holding the fanatical attackers at bay with the tips of their lances.The crush of the onslaught slowly forced them back through the town square, and the defenders were cornered in the northern end of the town.And still, the enemy kept pushing.*****Canthus watched the great wolf race toward him without fear.He ignored the ruined cantrev and the thousand wolves watching him with yellow-eyed stares.Never before had the moorhound hesitated to face danger, nor did he do so now.The wolves of the Pack felt neither hope nor dismay for the outcome of the fight – they would always follow the mightiest of their number.As the wolf and the dog came together, Erian hurled his body through the air in an effort to knock his opponent to the ground.Any other dog would have been flattened by the leap, but Canthus managed to swerve to the side a split second before collision.Drooling fangs lashed at each other as they passed, but neither struck home.Stopping and whirling quickly, they crashed together as each sought to sink sharp teeth into the other’s neck.Their heads thrust like swords, and their chests pressed together.Back legs still churned the creatures forward, so their heads and forelegs gradually rose from the ground until they stood, as if wrestling, on hind legs alone.Now the greater weight of Erian asserted itself, and Canthus tumbled backward.Somehow the moorhound managed to flip away, springing before his foe’s drooling jaws found their mark.For a second the two animals regarded each other.Each curled his upper lip back to display many white, pointed teeth.And then they crashed together again.This time Erian leaped upward, to come down upon the great moorhound and bear him to earth.Twisting, Canthus managed to deflect the wolf’s bite from his throat to his shoulder.Even so, he could not suppress a yelp of agony.The pain gave him a momentary burst of adrenalin, and he sprang free from the heavy wolf.Even as he turned to face his opponent again, however, Canthus’s wounded shoulder failed to support his weight, and he stumbled.The blood drove the werewolf into a frenzy, and he leaped forward with little caution.Canthus slipped to the side easily, and then repeated the evasion as Erian made several more frantic attacks.Soon the big wolf calmed himself, and closed in with more precise menace.Noticing that Canthus was forced to treat the injured shoulder with care, the wolf continued to feint attacks, forcing the hound to leap out of the way again and again.The many evasions began to sap Canthus’s strength, and each time he leaped he felt pain lance his foreleg.Finally, the unnatural wolf pressed his attack home.He charged, and twisted, and rushed to follow each of Canthus’s evasive maneuvers, forcing the dog into more and more desperate leaps and dodges.And then the wounded shoulder collapsed, and Canthus tumbled to the ground.The spawn of the Beast dove upon him triumphantly before the hound could begin to twist free.The force of the heavy body drove the dog’s breath from his lungs.Before he could inhale, the bloody fangs of the werewolf closed upon his throat.*****“We’ve got to try and break out!” announced Tristan, after he had finally caught Brigit’s attention and joined her in a desperate attempt to form a plan.With the south wall breached, the town rapidly fell into the hands of the enemy.Ffolk of the militia fought bravely, defending each house, cottage, and shop, but the northmen could not be stopped.Unless they could reach the safety of the castle, the entire force, Tristan knew, faced annihilation.Already the corner of the town held by the Ffolk was crowded with people.The prince could sense emotions rising to panic, and knew that they must try something, however desperate, immediately.“I’ll gather the sisters,” agreed Brigit.She nodded to a knight, visor down, who rode up to her.“Pass any further orders through Aileen.”The knight lifted her visor, and Tristan suppressed a gasp of shock at Aileen’s gaunt, pale visage.Still, she held her head high, and met his gaze evenly.“Take word to Gavin at the north gate – tell him we’re going to attempt to reach the castle
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