The Sworn Knight by Robert Ryan (novels to read txt) 📕

tackling both the steepness and the rough surface,littered with large rocks, easily.

The slope never seemed to end, but Ferla hoped it wouldprovide them just the kind of place she was looking for to set a trap. But asthey eventually neared the crest, the trees did indeed thicken into a band offorest. She feared if the forest continued down the other side that it wouldmake a poor place to set an ambush. The trees would only provide cover to theenemy and the advantage of her bow would be lost. It was on the bow that herhopes rested to come out of this alive. But only if she could use it for aconsiderable amount of time before the enemy closed in to fighting range.

Kubodin stumbled and cursed, then righted himself and keptstriding upward. He was tired now, as they all were.

Soon though, they at last reached the crest, which wasalmost flat, and entered the forest. It was dark here, and the humidity becamestifling.

They walked ahead through the aisles of trees. It wasstrange here, for though the trees were stunted they were mostly pines, andthere was still an ancient litter of needle-like leaves beneath their boots.The surface was new, but beneath that was the earthy remnants of leaves fromcenturies of windfalls.

Ferla moved with care. They could not see much, and walkingwas difficult. Because while the loamy soil was soft, often hard rocks laybeneath. Each step was different from the last, and only the mule seemed tomove with ease. And perhaps Asana, who could make falling over appear graceful.

The level ground gave way swiftly, and Ferla’s heart leaped.Before them fell away a steep slope, and the forest stopped abruptly, notmarching down the incline but hugging only the crest of the ridge.

Better still, nothing grew on the slope. Not only were thereno trees, but no grass either. It was a long, long incline of loose rocks.

They paused, looking down, and Ferla spoke. “This is it.This is what I’ve been looking for.”

Asana and Kubodin studied the landscape with her. She knewwhat they were thinking, and how they were evaluating it. They were doingexactly as she had done.

“I agree,” Asana said. “We’ll not find a better place thanthis to set a trap.”

Kubodin surveyed the land with his dark eyes, and thenturned that gaze upon her.

“Nor can we travel much farther. Every hour like this sapsus. Best to end this soon, and then rest. After the enemy comes up the slopethat we just did to get here, they’ll be tired. I know I am. That’s the time tostrike, especially once we’re rested ourselves.”

They hastened down the slope, and the stones were loosebelow them. They slipped and fell, and even Asana looked ill at ease. Only themule negotiated it without mishap.

When they reached the bottom, Ferla looked back. Their trailwas plain to see, and their scent would be there too. The enemy could not missit, which was exactly what she wanted.

Before them, the land leveled out into a shallow basin. Itlooked like a dried lake, but it had been a long time since a body of water hadlain here. It was a bowl of dust, and here too they left a trail that would bevisible from above.

She took them to the other end of the dusty surface, but assoon as they were on grass again, she turned right.

“Time to hasten,” she said. “If the enemy comes upon usbefore we’re ready, all is lost.”

Tired as they all were, they set a fast pace. At first, theykept going in the same direction, but eventually they swung back around andheaded uphill again. This area was also covered by that same slippery surfaceof stones, though it was not as bad as where they had gone down. Ferlaclambered up, and despite the fact that her thighs burned and she wasconstantly slipping on the loose surface, she shared a quick grin with Kubodin.She had wanted a good place for an ambush, and she had found one. If the enemyfell for the trap, they would be caught on this slope and her bow would beeffective.

Eventually, they reached the top again. There, they had torest, for they were breathing hard and bleeding from several falls. But theycould not wait long. Not here. They had to get close enough to their originaltrail where they first descended the slope so that they could see the enemywhen they arrived, but yet not so close that they could be detected themselves.

The forest was hushed around them as they walked, and theywent ahead carefully because they could not know how close their pursuers were.But Ferla had been careful to angle around from the side that was downwind ofwhere the enemy would be. They would not, at least she hoped, be scented by thewere-hound.

“You have your bow,” Kubodin said, “but some spears wouldserve us well also.”

The little man took out his axe and wandered around theforest. From time to time the sound of his axe thudded through the quiet, andFerla feared they would give themselves away to the enemy. Yet she did notthink they were close enough to hear yet, and spears, even if they had no metalhead, would give them another means of attack other than the bow.

Kubodin returned with a handful of saplings that he had cutdown, all about the right thickness and six feet long. Then he went off to findsome more.

“Let’s get to work,” Asana said.

They drew their knives and began to sharpen the end of thesaplings. Somehow, Kubodin had managed to find hardwood. That was far better,for pine would be too light to do serious damage. Even the hardwood saplingswould be useless against armor, but if any managed to strike exposed arms andlegs, they would cause injuries. Injuries that might debilitate.

Kubodin returned with more, and they had about twenty alltogether. They were not likely to be able to use that many. They could not bethrown over anywhere near the distance that her bow could be used. By the timethe enemy was in range, they would have closed the gap to about fifty feet.

She smiled grimly. Fifty paces up