with a supply of crossbow bolts in his bags. Daniel grabbed a handful of bolts and positioned himself behind the upended cart.
The two men with Jalia had removed her weapons and most of her clothes except her knickers. One of the men pulled the ring from her finger and put it in his pocket. They turned to watch Talla being shot and then watched their comrades as they examined Malks body. Neither of them paid any attention to Jalia and so they didn’t see her eyes flash open and then close to slits.
“He’s been shot by a bolt, right between the eyes,” One of the men stated unnecessarily. All five men lifted their crossbows into firing position and looked around warily. The road and mountains were quiet. A long way away, some birds called to each other, but nothing moved in the immediate vicinity.
“What are we going to do, Wilf?” one of the men asked. The one in the middle of the three by the body, , scratched his bald head before shouting.
“Come out and we won’t kill you!”
Silence was his only reply.
“Anybody else got any ideas?” Wilf asked when it was clear nobody was going to surrender.
“Perhaps we should go where we have some cover from attack?”
“Good idea. Two of you pick up the girl and let’s get into the rocks.”
Wilf turned away and began walking to the rocks. Jalia stood up behind the men with her and kicked one in the backside, sending him sprawling. His crossbow dropped from his hands.
The man’s companion spun around and Jalia kicked at his crossbow with her bare feet. Whether that would have been sufficient to stop him will never be known because a crossbow bolt penetrated his skull from behind and he slumped to the ground. Jalia saw Daniel wave. He had moved around the cart so it continued to be between him and the other men, but he was now visible to Jalia.
She grinned as she rushed at the man she had pushed. He scrambled for his crossbow. Her foot collided with his chin and snapped his neck before he managed to get to it.
Daniel killed the furthest of the three men heading for the rocks while Jalia was busy. His bolt went cleanly into the man’s back. Jalia shot the man on the other side using the crossbow on the ground. Wilf turned to find Jalia and Daniel holding crossbows pointing straight at him. All his companions were dead.
Wilf dropped his crossbow and raised his hands. Talla, who had followed the action from behind the rocks, stood up and walked towards them.
“Shall we let him live, Talla?” Daniel asked as Talla brushed the dust from her dress.
“What do you think?”
“Sorry,” Daniel said to the terrified Wilf and he shot him through the head.
“What happened to your wound?” Jalia asked as she went behind Daniel and lifted his blood-stained shirt. “There’s not a mark, it’s as if you were never stabbed.”
“Jalia,” Talla said, looking askance at Jalia’s lack of clothing, “Does every battle you get into involve you getting your breasts out where everyone can see them?”
“Just about,” Daniel answered as Jalia ran back to where her clothes were scattered.
“And you.” Talla continued, “Do you always recover from wounds like that?”
“Fairie magic,” Daniel said dismissively.
“There are no such thing as fairies,” Talla retorted, really annoyed that Daniel would suggest such a thing.
12. Modan
Talla grimaced as they rode towards a large stone farmhouse. In the farmyard was a large pond with ducks and geese milling around and honking. Talla’s husband Jord had been born here and she was going to have to tell Jord’s mother and sisters that he was dead.
Riding just behind Talla were Jalia and Daniel. Jet had a rope tied to his saddle, which trailed back some distance to the halter of Daniel’s lead donkey Ferd and from there to the other donkeys. They were all covered in dust. It had taken them four weeks to reach this farm on the outskirts of the village of Modan when it should have taken two. They had
The two men with Jalia had removed her weapons and most of her clothes except her knickers. One of the men pulled the ring from her finger and put it in his pocket. They turned to watch Talla being shot and then watched their comrades as they examined Malks body. Neither of them paid any attention to Jalia and so they didn’t see her eyes flash open and then close to slits.
“He’s been shot by a bolt, right between the eyes,” One of the men stated unnecessarily. All five men lifted their crossbows into firing position and looked around warily. The road and mountains were quiet. A long way away, some birds called to each other, but nothing moved in the immediate vicinity.
“What are we going to do, Wilf?” one of the men asked. The one in the middle of the three by the body, , scratched his bald head before shouting.
“Come out and we won’t kill you!”
Silence was his only reply.
“Anybody else got any ideas?” Wilf asked when it was clear nobody was going to surrender.
“Perhaps we should go where we have some cover from attack?”
“Good idea. Two of you pick up the girl and let’s get into the rocks.”
Wilf turned away and began walking to the rocks. Jalia stood up behind the men with her and kicked one in the backside, sending him sprawling. His crossbow dropped from his hands.
The man’s companion spun around and Jalia kicked at his crossbow with her bare feet. Whether that would have been sufficient to stop him will never be known because a crossbow bolt penetrated his skull from behind and he slumped to the ground. Jalia saw Daniel wave. He had moved around the cart so it continued to be between him and the other men, but he was now visible to Jalia.
She grinned as she rushed at the man she had pushed. He scrambled for his crossbow. Her foot collided with his chin and snapped his neck before he managed to get to it.
Daniel killed the furthest of the three men heading for the rocks while Jalia was busy. His bolt went cleanly into the man’s back. Jalia shot the man on the other side using the crossbow on the ground. Wilf turned to find Jalia and Daniel holding crossbows pointing straight at him. All his companions were dead.
Wilf dropped his crossbow and raised his hands. Talla, who had followed the action from behind the rocks, stood up and walked towards them.
“Shall we let him live, Talla?” Daniel asked as Talla brushed the dust from her dress.
“What do you think?”
“Sorry,” Daniel said to the terrified Wilf and he shot him through the head.
“What happened to your wound?” Jalia asked as she went behind Daniel and lifted his blood-stained shirt. “There’s not a mark, it’s as if you were never stabbed.”
“Jalia,” Talla said, looking askance at Jalia’s lack of clothing, “Does every battle you get into involve you getting your breasts out where everyone can see them?”
“Just about,” Daniel answered as Jalia ran back to where her clothes were scattered.
“And you.” Talla continued, “Do you always recover from wounds like that?”
“Fairie magic,” Daniel said dismissively.
“There are no such thing as fairies,” Talla retorted, really annoyed that Daniel would suggest such a thing.
12. Modan
Talla grimaced as they rode towards a large stone farmhouse. In the farmyard was a large pond with ducks and geese milling around and honking. Talla’s husband Jord had been born here and she was going to have to tell Jord’s mother and sisters that he was dead.
Riding just behind Talla were Jalia and Daniel. Jet had a rope tied to his saddle, which trailed back some distance to the halter of Daniel’s lead donkey Ferd and from there to the other donkeys. They were all covered in dust. It had taken them four weeks to reach this farm on the outskirts of the village of Modan when it should have taken two. They had
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