get the enemy chief mad. The man did not get mad fast,
though. He surrounded the town, then got every man he had in
Taglian territory that could still walk. Then he attacked.
It was a nasty brawl. The invaders had it bad because in the
tight streets they could not take advantage of better discipline.
They always had guys shooting arrows at them off the rooftops. They
always had guys with spears jumping out of doors and alleys. But
they were better soldiers. They killed a lot of Taglians before
they realized they were in a box, with about six times as many
Taglians after them as they expected. By then it was too late for
them to get out. But they took a lot of Taglians with them.
When it was over Willow went back to Taglios. Blade came home
too, and they opened the tavern back up and celebrated for a couple
weeks. Meantime, the Shadowmasters figured out what happened and
got thoroughly pissed. They made all kinds of threats. The prince,
the Prahbrindrah Drah, basically thumbed his nose and told them to
put it where the sun don’t shine.
Willow, Cordy, and Blade got a month off, then it was time for
the next part, which was to take a long trip north with the Radisha
Drah and Smoke. Willow didn’t figure this part was going to
be a lot of fun, but nobody could figure a better way to work
it.
----
----
Chapter Seventeen: GEA-XLE
I got them all up and decked out in their second best. Murgen
had the standard out. There was a nice breeze to stretch it. Those
great black horses stamped and champed, eager to get on down the
road. Their passion communicated itself to their lesser
cousins.
The gear was packed and loaded. There was no reason to hold
movement—except that rattling conviction that the event would be
something more than a ride into a city.
“You in a dramatic mood, Croaker?” Goblin asked.
“Feel like showing off?”
I did and he knew it. I wanted to spit defiance in the face of
my premonition. “What have you got in mind?”
Instead of answering directly, he told One-Eye, “When we
get down there and come over that saddleback where they can get
their first good look at us, you do a couple of thunders and a
Trumpet of Doom. I’ll do a Riding Through the Fire. That
ought to let them know the Black Company is back in
town.”
I glanced at Lady. She seemed partly amused, partly
patronizing.
For a moment One-Eye looked like he wanted to squabble. He
swallowed it and nodded curtly. “Let’s do it if
we’re going to do it, Croaker.”
“Move out,” I ordered. I did not know what they had
in mind, but they could get flashy when they wanted.
They took the point together, Murgen a dozen yards behind with
the standard. The rest fell into the usual file, with me and Lady
side by side leading our share of pack animals. I recall eyeing the
gleaming bare backs or the Geek and the Freak and reflecting that
we had us some real infantry now.
The beginning of it was tight twists and turns on a steep,
narrow path, but after a mile the way widened till it was almost a
road. We passed several cottages evidently belonging to herdsmen,
not nearly as poor and primitive as one would suspect.
Up we went into the backside of the saddle Goblin mentioned, and
the show started. It was almost exactly what he prescribed.
One-Eye clapped his hands a couple of times and the results were
sky-shaking crashes. Then he set them to his cheeks and let fly a
trumpet call just as loud. Meantime, Goblin did something that
filled the saddleback with a dense black smoke that turned into
ferocious-looking but harmless flames. We rode through. I fought
down a temptation to order a gallop and tell the wizards to have
the horses breathe fire and kick up lightnings. I wanted a showy
announcement of the Company’s return, but not the appearance
of a declaration of war.
“That ought to impress somebody,” I said, looking
back at the men riding out of the flames, the ordinary horses
prancing and shying.
“If it doesn’t scare hell out
though. He surrounded the town, then got every man he had in
Taglian territory that could still walk. Then he attacked.
It was a nasty brawl. The invaders had it bad because in the
tight streets they could not take advantage of better discipline.
They always had guys shooting arrows at them off the rooftops. They
always had guys with spears jumping out of doors and alleys. But
they were better soldiers. They killed a lot of Taglians before
they realized they were in a box, with about six times as many
Taglians after them as they expected. By then it was too late for
them to get out. But they took a lot of Taglians with them.
When it was over Willow went back to Taglios. Blade came home
too, and they opened the tavern back up and celebrated for a couple
weeks. Meantime, the Shadowmasters figured out what happened and
got thoroughly pissed. They made all kinds of threats. The prince,
the Prahbrindrah Drah, basically thumbed his nose and told them to
put it where the sun don’t shine.
Willow, Cordy, and Blade got a month off, then it was time for
the next part, which was to take a long trip north with the Radisha
Drah and Smoke. Willow didn’t figure this part was going to
be a lot of fun, but nobody could figure a better way to work
it.
----
----
Chapter Seventeen: GEA-XLE
I got them all up and decked out in their second best. Murgen
had the standard out. There was a nice breeze to stretch it. Those
great black horses stamped and champed, eager to get on down the
road. Their passion communicated itself to their lesser
cousins.
The gear was packed and loaded. There was no reason to hold
movement—except that rattling conviction that the event would be
something more than a ride into a city.
“You in a dramatic mood, Croaker?” Goblin asked.
“Feel like showing off?”
I did and he knew it. I wanted to spit defiance in the face of
my premonition. “What have you got in mind?”
Instead of answering directly, he told One-Eye, “When we
get down there and come over that saddleback where they can get
their first good look at us, you do a couple of thunders and a
Trumpet of Doom. I’ll do a Riding Through the Fire. That
ought to let them know the Black Company is back in
town.”
I glanced at Lady. She seemed partly amused, partly
patronizing.
For a moment One-Eye looked like he wanted to squabble. He
swallowed it and nodded curtly. “Let’s do it if
we’re going to do it, Croaker.”
“Move out,” I ordered. I did not know what they had
in mind, but they could get flashy when they wanted.
They took the point together, Murgen a dozen yards behind with
the standard. The rest fell into the usual file, with me and Lady
side by side leading our share of pack animals. I recall eyeing the
gleaming bare backs or the Geek and the Freak and reflecting that
we had us some real infantry now.
The beginning of it was tight twists and turns on a steep,
narrow path, but after a mile the way widened till it was almost a
road. We passed several cottages evidently belonging to herdsmen,
not nearly as poor and primitive as one would suspect.
Up we went into the backside of the saddle Goblin mentioned, and
the show started. It was almost exactly what he prescribed.
One-Eye clapped his hands a couple of times and the results were
sky-shaking crashes. Then he set them to his cheeks and let fly a
trumpet call just as loud. Meantime, Goblin did something that
filled the saddleback with a dense black smoke that turned into
ferocious-looking but harmless flames. We rode through. I fought
down a temptation to order a gallop and tell the wizards to have
the horses breathe fire and kick up lightnings. I wanted a showy
announcement of the Company’s return, but not the appearance
of a declaration of war.
“That ought to impress somebody,” I said, looking
back at the men riding out of the flames, the ordinary horses
prancing and shying.
“If it doesn’t scare hell out
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