though it stopped him in his tracks and rocked him back a step, but his hands flashed up to Atsurak's ankle and caught his foot before the other could draw it away. Atsurak began to fall, and Doroga's shoulders knotted, his hands twisting.
Something in Atsurak's leg broke with an ugly pop. The hordemaster gasped and fell, but kicked with his good leg at Doroga's ankle. The Gargant chief's foot went out from under him, and he fell, grappling with his foe.
Tavi watched, but could see that Atsurak was at a disadvantage too serious to overcome. Overwhelmed by sheer physical power, too hurt to get away, it would only be a matter of time. Doroga's hands lifted and locked around the hordemaster's throat. Atsurak locked his hands onto Doroga's, but Tavi could see that it would be a hopeless effort.
Tavi stared, unable to look away-but something drew his attention, a faint motion in the background. He glanced up and saw the Marat all focused
on the contest, stepping closer, eyes bright. Hashat was all but panting, her eyes open too wide as she watched Doroga's struggle.
Beside Hashat, though, Tavi saw that Skagara, the Wolf headman, had taken a step back, behind her vision. He reached a hand back behind him, and Tavi saw one of the Wolf warriors touch a stone-tipped arrow into a small clay jar, then pass it to Skagara, together with one of the short Marat bows. Moving quickly, the Wolf headman drew the poisoned arrow, and lifted the bow.
"Doroga!" Tavi shouted. "Look out!"
Doroga's head snapped up, at Tavi and then over at Skagara. Doroga rolled, and wrenched Atsurak's form between himself and the would-be assassin.
Tavi saw Atsurak draw the Aleran dagger with its gold hilt from his belt and slash wildly at Doroga's hand. The Gargant headman cried out and fell back, and Atsurak rolled free of his grip.
"Kill them!" shouted the hordemaster, his eyes blazing. "Kill them as we did the Fox! Kill them all!"
Doroga roared and rose to his feet, charging toward Atsurak.
Without a breath of hesitation, Skagara loosed the poisoned arrow. Tavi saw it flicker across the brief distance between them and vanish into Doroga's arm with a meaty crack. The Gargant headman went down.
Hashat spun, her saber flashing in the sun as she drew it, and cut through Skagara's bow and the Wolf headman's throat in the same slash, sending him to the ground in a sudden wash of blood.
The courtyard erupted into chaos. The great Herdbane birds near Atsurak screamed as he turned to them and flicked a hand at Doroga. They charged the fallen Gargant headman. At the same time, Doroga's gargant bellowed and rolled forward to his defense. Outside the walls, what had been hushed silence erupted once more into tumult and cacophony. Hashat's clan charged forward, toward the fallen Doroga, and Atsurak's warriors did the same.
Fade let out a wail and clutched hard at Tavi's shirt.
"The knife!" he heard Amara yell. "Get the dagger!" The Cursor started forward, only to be stopped by the sudden press of Marat warriors, spears glittering with the same dark deadliness as the eyes of the herdbanes beside them. The Aleran troops fell into lines, even as Bernard grabbed at his sister's arm, and Amara's, and dragged them both back behind the shields of the troops.
Fade let out a screech of fear and turned to follow Bernard, mindlessly dragging Tavi along.
"Fade!" Tavi protested.
"The knife!" screamed Amara. "Without the dagger, it's all for nothing!"
Tavi didn't stop to think. He just dropped his weight, lifting his arms up and slipping out of the too-big tunic. He rolled to his feet, looked around the courtyard wildly, and then ran toward the downed Atsurak. The hordemaster's warriors now either engaged the Alerans or faced Doroga's furious gargant and were far too occupied to notice the fleeting form of one rather small boy.
Atsurak watched the melee around Doroga's gargant. The great beast had rumbled forward and crouched over Doroga's fallen form, swinging its huge head, clawing, kicking, and bellowing at anyone who came close. Tavi licked his lips and saw Doroga's fallen cudgel. He picked it up, though it was a strain, prepared to give it one good swing at Atsurak's head, grab the knife, and run back to his uncle.
Instead, there was a sudden rush of wind that threw up hay (what was hay doing all over the courtyard?) and dust and blinded him, all but throwing him down. Tavi shielded his eyes, looking up to see several men