guardsmen, men who had held the inner keep with Magnus after the city had fallen, and he wondered if they regretted their decision to fight when the battle fleet appeared on the horizon.
It was different for the Ranen. They hadn’t fought for their home, their families or for a cause they believed in. Magnus suspected that the men of Wraith who’d stayed had merely wanted a good fight. The soldiers of Canarn had had much more to lose, and now they were prisoners of a victorious army.
The Ranen priest of Rowanoco, the Ice Giant, shook his head as he thought of Duke Hector. The lord of Canarn was, in Magnus’s estimation, a good man, deserving of honour and respect, and to think of what the knights would do to him bothered Magnus greatly. The common people of Canarn and their duke had wanted nothing more than freedom from the church of Tor Funweir – a goal that Magnus thought achievable and, to a Ranen priest, wholly sensible – however, something had alerted the Red knights in Ro Tiris and they’d attacked without warning.
If Hector were still alive, he was probably to be made an example at a later date, paraded through the streets to be whipped and jeered at. Magnus had been fond of Duke Hector and he hoped that the killing of a noble was forbidden amongst the Ro. He knew little of their ways aside from what the duke’s son had taught him during the time they had travelled together. Though much of his time with Bromvy had been spent drinking rather than learning. Magnus imagined a duke would be too important to be summarily executed like the other captives.
Hector’s chaplain, a Brown cleric called Lanry, had been spared execution and Magnus hoped this rare vein of honour amongst the knights would stretch to the duke.
‘You… Ranen,’ shouted Castus, the bound Red knight currently supervising the many prisoners.
Magnus ignored him. He found the man’s voice grating.
‘I’m talking to you, priest,’ barked the knight, as he approached the small cell where Magnus stood. ‘Commander Rillion says I have to feed you. Personally, I think you should rot, like the barbarian scum you are.’ He placed a small bowl of steaming liquid on the cold stone floor and kicked it through the hatch at the bottom of the door. Half the liquid spilled across the flagstones. ‘Enjoy it, boy. You’ll most likely lose your head this afternoon.’
Magnus took a step towards the door and looked through the bars and down at the man. The size difference was huge, Magnus towering a foot or more above the man of Ro.
As Castus turned to leave, Magnus spoke. ‘Knight… I decided I was going to kill you just after we met. Now, I think I’ll find your father and kill him too.’ His accent was broad and his voice was deep, elongating and growling each word.
The bound man drew his sword and levelled the tip at the Ranen. ‘I’ll spit on your headless body and piss on your god,’ he said.
Magnus grinned as he spoke. ‘The only bit of him you could reach would be his foot, little man.’
Castus grunted and stomped loudly back to his guard post, leaving the Ranen with a thin smile on his face.
* * *
Several hours passed and Magnus still stood in his cell. He knew he would be summoned to appear before Rillion before the day was out, and refusing to sit was as much rebellion as his situation would allow. The minimal light that crept through the narrow window gave him a rough idea of the time, and Castus returned shortly before the sun had disappeared.
‘Time’s up. Sir Rillion requests the pleasure of your company.’ The Red knight smirked broadly and Magnus imagined cutting off his ears to stop him smiling.
‘No last meal, no last words. Hopefully, they’ll just take off that head and put you down.’
He stood close to the cell bars and continued. ‘Do you know what happened to the other Ranen? They were stripped naked, had their cocks cut off and we just let them bleed. They bled and they screamed and we just… we
It was different for the Ranen. They hadn’t fought for their home, their families or for a cause they believed in. Magnus suspected that the men of Wraith who’d stayed had merely wanted a good fight. The soldiers of Canarn had had much more to lose, and now they were prisoners of a victorious army.
The Ranen priest of Rowanoco, the Ice Giant, shook his head as he thought of Duke Hector. The lord of Canarn was, in Magnus’s estimation, a good man, deserving of honour and respect, and to think of what the knights would do to him bothered Magnus greatly. The common people of Canarn and their duke had wanted nothing more than freedom from the church of Tor Funweir – a goal that Magnus thought achievable and, to a Ranen priest, wholly sensible – however, something had alerted the Red knights in Ro Tiris and they’d attacked without warning.
If Hector were still alive, he was probably to be made an example at a later date, paraded through the streets to be whipped and jeered at. Magnus had been fond of Duke Hector and he hoped that the killing of a noble was forbidden amongst the Ro. He knew little of their ways aside from what the duke’s son had taught him during the time they had travelled together. Though much of his time with Bromvy had been spent drinking rather than learning. Magnus imagined a duke would be too important to be summarily executed like the other captives.
Hector’s chaplain, a Brown cleric called Lanry, had been spared execution and Magnus hoped this rare vein of honour amongst the knights would stretch to the duke.
‘You… Ranen,’ shouted Castus, the bound Red knight currently supervising the many prisoners.
Magnus ignored him. He found the man’s voice grating.
‘I’m talking to you, priest,’ barked the knight, as he approached the small cell where Magnus stood. ‘Commander Rillion says I have to feed you. Personally, I think you should rot, like the barbarian scum you are.’ He placed a small bowl of steaming liquid on the cold stone floor and kicked it through the hatch at the bottom of the door. Half the liquid spilled across the flagstones. ‘Enjoy it, boy. You’ll most likely lose your head this afternoon.’
Magnus took a step towards the door and looked through the bars and down at the man. The size difference was huge, Magnus towering a foot or more above the man of Ro.
As Castus turned to leave, Magnus spoke. ‘Knight… I decided I was going to kill you just after we met. Now, I think I’ll find your father and kill him too.’ His accent was broad and his voice was deep, elongating and growling each word.
The bound man drew his sword and levelled the tip at the Ranen. ‘I’ll spit on your headless body and piss on your god,’ he said.
Magnus grinned as he spoke. ‘The only bit of him you could reach would be his foot, little man.’
Castus grunted and stomped loudly back to his guard post, leaving the Ranen with a thin smile on his face.
* * *
Several hours passed and Magnus still stood in his cell. He knew he would be summoned to appear before Rillion before the day was out, and refusing to sit was as much rebellion as his situation would allow. The minimal light that crept through the narrow window gave him a rough idea of the time, and Castus returned shortly before the sun had disappeared.
‘Time’s up. Sir Rillion requests the pleasure of your company.’ The Red knight smirked broadly and Magnus imagined cutting off his ears to stop him smiling.
‘No last meal, no last words. Hopefully, they’ll just take off that head and put you down.’
He stood close to the cell bars and continued. ‘Do you know what happened to the other Ranen? They were stripped naked, had their cocks cut off and we just let them bleed. They bled and they screamed and we just… we
Similar Books
