Mageborn The Line of Illeniel Michael Manning (novels to read for beginners txt) 📖

I thought for a moment they might charge us, but being scouts they spurred their horses and rode away. Information was more important than engaging and unknown enemy I supposed. I dismounted and plucked two stones up from where they lay. The riders were less than a hundred yards away. A word and a sharp puff of breath sent the stones flying after them. After they had fallen from the saddles their horses continued running. I decided to let them go, they would send a message for me.

I caught Penny watching me. “You seem rather calm,” she noted.

“No point in getting worked up over two men. I’ll have much worse to atone for later,” I replied coldly.

“I don’t like what’s happening to you,” she said.

I remounted and rode close beside her. Leaning over I gave her a kiss. “I love you Penny, but it doesn’t matter what happens to me. I won’t have long to regret my actions.”

She gritted her teeth, “What if I was wrong?”

“Do you think you were wrong?” I asked smoothly.

She didn’t reply to that so after a moment I turned my horse and we began riding for the road. I wanted to see the reaction the riderless horses would provoke. As we rode I rechecked the shields around Penny, myself, and our horses. The events of a year ago had taught me a valuable lesson about shielding my horse.

We had covered most of the mile that separated Arundel from the main valley road when we caught sight of the enemy. They were marching five abreast toward us, with small groups of cavalry fanning out to the sides. “What now?” Penny asked me.

I laughed at the question and did what seemed most natural. Standing up in my stirrups I began waving at the approaching soldiers, a broad grin on my face. They came to a halt and I saw their commander ordering the crossbow men to come forward. “Time to go,” I told Penny. We turned and began riding hard for Arundel. A few bolts flew by as we rode but the distance was too great for them to have much chance of hitting us. A glance back showed me that their cavalry had decided not to give chase.

They probably thought it was a trap. I couldn’t blame them for that.

We returned to Cameron as soon as we reached the circle in Arundel. From there we took another circle to a spot in the valley, on the other side of the road as it passed by the baron’s lands. I had been careful to position it slightly more than half a mile from the road. My biggest fear had been putting one somewhere and finding myself in the middle of the enemy when I used it.

From there we had a clear view of the column of soldiers. It stretched now from where the road left the mountains all the way to Arundel. I could see that the last part of it consisted of wagons and what I presumed were camp followers. That meant the column of soldiers was nearly five miles long. “Slightly over thirty thousand men,” I mused aloud. Glancing over I could see Penny’s mouth agape as she stared at them. “You alright?” I asked.

“There’s so many,” she said softly.

“Doesn’t matter,” I reminded her. “Ten, twenty, thirty... it just means more will die.”

“Stop it,” she replied.

“Stop what?”

“Stop pretending it doesn’t matter. You know damn well it bothers you,” she told me.

“I can’t afford to pretend otherwise. I have to keep my heart hard. If I don’t, I’ll lose my resolve,” I said determinedly.

“But all those men... they must have families, loved ones, people waiting on them,” she said.

“Shut... up,” I said quietly. Thankfully she did. We watched as they set up a defensive line on the road leading toward Washbrook and Lancaster, while the main column continued to progress into Arundel. They were making sure they weren’t surprised while they secured the baron’s land. An hour passed while we quietly observed them.

“I think they’ve noticed us,” Penny said casually.

Glancing along the line I realized she was right. A contingent of cavalry was detaching from the main force and riding toward us. That surprised me; our location was well hidden by tall grass and a copse of trees. Perhaps they were merely sweeping the area to make sure it was clear. Either way we would have to move, I couldn’t risk them finding us so soon.

Moments later we were back in the barn at Cameron Castle and things weren’t as we had expected. Sounds of fighting came from outside, but what was inside the barn concerned us more immediately. The barn was full of soldiers, and I recognized none of them. Heads turned and swords were out, we were surrounded by the armsmen of Gododdin.

A tense moment passed in odd silence as our presence registered on those around us. Penny and I were likewise in shock, and then pandemonium erupted. Our foes started to rush us but I shouted out the words to a spell I had prepared. A circle of pure force erupted around us and swept outward, slamming men against the walls of the barn. Unfortunately the circle started at a distance of ten feet (to avoid hitting Penny). Several were closer than that and their swords reached us easily.

I felt several strike my shield but Penny had already exploded into motion, where she had been sitting upon her mount a moment before she was now leaping above them. Startled heads turned to follow her but they were too slow. She landed behind the men on her side and began cutting a deadly arc through them, her bond-sword slicing through flesh and armor with equal ease.

Those on my side encountered much less resistance and swords began battering me from several directions at once. Worse some of those who had struck the walls were not out of the fight, and rising rapidly they charged toward us. I raised my staff and between