The Final Redemption by Michael Manning (little red riding hood ebook free .txt) 📕

quite familiar with, thenoise of a large company on the march. Looking behind, he saw alarge group of soldiers approaching along the street following thesame course he had. There were at least eighty of them, if notmore. His eyes narrowed as he saw they wore Lord Hightower’scolors, but his hope was short-lived. Years of experience withsoldiers, and more specifically with Lord Hightower, had taught himwhat disciplined armsmen looked like, and these were anythingbut.

These were mercenaries,and the fact that they were hiding behind his father-in-law’slivery sent a chill down his spine. Ican’t let those men enter the palace, herealized, and then he heard the sound of fighting from within thepalace itself.

It all began to fall intoplace then. Someone was attempting a coup, they already had menwithin the palace, and they controlled the gate. The menapproaching were their reinforcements. Allis not lost, or they wouldn’t still be fighting. At least untilthose men get in there. Dorian suddenlywished the gate was closed. They’ll beopening the inner portcullis once I’m dead.

He was wrong on thatcount, for the inner portcullis now began to rise, opening the wayfor the oncoming soldiers. I guess theydon’t think I’m that dangerous after all, he noted.

The new arrivals were still some fiftyyards away, and Dorian knew he had little time. Glancing around hespotted only one thing that might be useful, a large wagon parkedacross the lane, directly opposite the palace gate. Moving quicklyto it, he dragged the empty vehicle to the palace entrance, parkingit halfway in front of the entrance before turning it over to reston its side.

The fighting within thegatehouse seemed to have intensified and his tormentor was nolonger available to question him about his actions. The wagon nowblocked nearly half of the ten yard wide entrance, leaving Dorianwith only a fifteen or sixteen foot opening to guard. Dorian drewhis sword. It seemed small in his hand as he examined the largecontingent approaching him. I needsomething bigger, otherwise this will take forever.

The man commanding the disguisedsoldiers called out as he got closer, “You there! What do you thinkyou’re doing?”

Dorian faced the underside of thewagon, inspecting one of the heavy iron axles. It consistedprimarily of a six foot rod that spanned the distance between twoof the wheels. “I’m planning the defense of the palace. What doesit look like!?” he shouted over his shoulder.

“Don’t be foolish. Get that rubbishout of the way,” ordered the mercenary captain.

Bracing himself, Dorian took two rapidswings with his sword, putting his entire body into them. Even withan enchanted sword, it wasn’t easy cutting through an iron rod thatwas an inch in diameter; if it had been any thicker he might havereconsidered. The two wagon wheels fell away, and with a few morecasual swings Dorian freed the axle from the hardware that securedit beneath the wagon frame. He sheathed his sword and hefted theiron rod, testing its weight. “I’ll be with you in a moment,” hetold the impatient captain.

The rod weighed something less thantwenty pounds, which would have made it far too heavy to use as aweapon for any length of time—for most people. It suited Dorian andhis current needs almost perfectly. He gave his full attention tothe mercenary captain now, who had just begun to give orders to hismen.

“You should think carefully aboutthis,” he told the man.

The captain backed up, edging awayfrom the iron staff. “If you don’t drop that ridiculous weapon andstand aside I’ll have you cut down,” answered the scruffyofficer.

The leader of the Knights of Stonemeasured the captain with his eyes before deciding to ignore theman. Raising his voice he spoke to the soldiers directly, “My nameis Dorian Thornbear! Some of you may have heard of me, or not, itreally doesn’t matter. Today your master, whoever he may be, hassent you on an ill-considered mission. Inside the palace is abattle, and you have been sent to help consolidate some lordling’sunlawful scheme to dethrone our King. You should turn back now ifyou wish to survive to see the morrow.”

The soldiers responded with a mixtureof laughter and whispers, although some of them looked vaguelyuneasy. Their captain spoke again, “I think most of us have heardof Dorian Thornbear, not that it will do you any good. Where areyour men, Lord Thornbear? Do you regret leaving them at home? Whydon’t you surrender?”

The unarmored knight looked at himsadly. “I do regret their absence, since without them I cannotoffer you any quarter or mercy.”

“Kill this lunatic,” said thecaptain.

The words had barely left his lipsbefore Dorian leapt forward, whipping his iron staff across in apowerful swing that struck the captain’s helm before continuing onto break the arm of the soldier next to him. The mercenary officercollapsed, dead from the shock of the blow, while his aide screamedand fell back.

The soldiers already had their weaponsout, and they tried to close on the lone warrior, but Dorian movedtoo quickly for that. His iron weapon was a blur of deadly momentumas he charged forward, sweeping men aside like broken dolls. Armorwas no help against the crushing blows, and the weight of hisweapon made it impossible to stop once it was in motion. One mantried to block his strike with a shield, only to have his forearmshattered by the force of Dorian’s attack. Men cried out in pain,arms and legs mangled. Only those whose skulls were broken remainedsilent.

Break their moralefirst, thought the veteran knight,then force them to come to me.His forward charge had left the gap undefended,and some of the soldiers had shifted to bypass him. He retreated,taking those from behind, clearing the entrance once more. Thebattle paused as the now leaderless mercenaries stared at him fromten feet away. Nearly twenty men were down in various states ofinjury, six of those were dead, and the rest had broken bones.Almost a quarter of the enemy soldiers were no longer able tofight, and the rest seemed uncertain. No one wanted to approach thepalace gate.

“Lose your taste for the fight yet,boys?!” shouted Dorian, taunting them. “Come closer and I’ll giveyou more!” The mercenaries drew back at his ferocity, and Dorianstepped forward to bring the heel of his staff