FREE STORIES 2012(30)

The two gripped their spears and started forward. Their right hands gripped the butts, holding them tight and close to the hip, while their left hands were extended along the shaft.

Their pace quickened, and both pairs of eyes glanced left. Artor the Shang muttered low to his men, and their gait increased.

Suddenly Asgalt broke into a run, and Flan quickly caught up with him, but just as contact was to be made, Flan dropped back. Asgalt, spear pointed directly at the man in the center, but eyes constantly glancing left, leaped forward, spun, and drove his spear directly into the face of the man on his right. The spearhead skimmed the top of the shield, smashed upward through the roof of the mouth, and stuck in the bone of the skull. Wrenching his spear loose, he barely slid aside in time to avoid the shearing stroke of a sword. Off balance from missing his blow, the man stumbled. Asgalt grabbed his shield with one hand, spun him around, and drove his spear into his back. The Duke looked up in time to see Artor's sword about to descend, when Flan, in a clean hard lunge, drove his spear through the body of the Shang. The spear caught Artor under the arm, and actually pierced the shield on the other side of his body!

Artor staggered, shock and pain clouded his face. He looked at Flan, then back to Asgalt. "You didn't kill me," he muttered. Then his eyes glazed, he fell heavily, twitched and lay still.





***





The rest of the climb was brutal. It seemed to Asgalt that he must have completely forgotten just how much physical exertion it required. He was thankful that the girl was sturdy, so that only a few times were they required to actually lift her. When they reached the ledge where they would make their camp, only pride kept him from collapsing at once. The Shang had all carried food bags, so at least there was now plenty to eat. The fare was plain, but all thought they had never tasted better.

"Asgalt, what do we face tomorrow?"

"A short climb, then it's merely a hard walk. Once we reach the top, it'll be over."

Flan looked quizzical, "How did you build a bridge?"

"We didn't build a bridge the first time we crossed. There used to be a tree, and we got a rope caught in it, and I swung across. We built it from the other side. It was while we were trying to raise an army. It was a good place to escape to if there was need. He was determined to keep the Royal blood alive, and we could hole up, then dash across. We built the bridge from the other side, and Old Lyulf, cagey he was, designed it so that it would be easy to chop through from this side. Other side has rock foundations."

Conversation died, and the stars shone down, diamond bright in the crisp, clear night air. Asgalt leaned his bade against the rock and tried to sleep, but for a change sleep eluded him. He watched Eithne and Flan, heard the low muted laughter, saw the looks into each other's eyes. He smiled to himself, and he remembered another girl, one with hair black as night, and lips that were red, and eyes that laughed. Another night, long ago, when he had sat with her, and their eyes had met. He could still hear her laugh, see her smile, and feel the touch of her hand. How the people had gasped when he had married her and made her a Duchess! The life they had was good. The pain of losing her was still with him. It had been hard, but she had given him two strong sons and two beautiful daughters, and he must see that they were taken care of.

He sat up and shook off the inexplicable nostalgia.

"Flan. Let me interrupt you children." He took off his Ducal ring. 'Take this. It's foolish for me to pretend I'm not bone tired, and the two of you can make better time down the mountain to the way station than I can. Take this, show it to the guard there, and grab two fast horses and go on to Castle Jagai. Give the ring to Olwen, and have him send riders out to raise the levy. He'll know what to do."

Flan took the ring. "Aye, and I'll have him prepare a Hero's Welcome for his Lord."

Asgalt laughed. "A hero, a hero. . . . Hell, have him prepare for a tired old man! And Lyulf will have parades and pageants after this is over. Now let me get some sleep."

But the sleep was brief, and this time Asgalt awakened with both Eithne and Flan. Food was gulped hurriedly and the last leg of the journey was begun.

The last of the climb was hard, but quick. As they reached the top, as if planned, all three turned in unison and looked back down the trail; sun glinted off Shang armor.

Shaking his head in disgust, the Duke muttered . . . "We're a lot alike, the Shang and I, we never let up, and we never forget."

The last portion was made at a dog trot over flat firm earth. A quick turn, a small hill, and the bridge was before them. It spanned a chasm that was only the width of five tall men, but it extended out of sight on either side, and the eye was lost in the distance to the bottom.