one smooth motion hurled it at the second bowman. It struck the half-elf in the chest, penetrating his heart, and Aivar was dead before he hit the ground. By that time, Sorak had already snatched up Galdra from where it lay on the ground in front of him, and he came up ready to face his remaining opponents. Kivor was closest. The marauder raised his axe, but he was not quick enough. Sorak’s blade plunged through his chest and came out his back. Kivor gurgled horribly as blood spurted from his mouth and his axe fell to the ground. Sorak pushed him off his sword with his foot, kicking his dying body back into Digon. The leader of the marauder group fell with his dead comrade on top of him.
Vitor screamed as Tigra leaped and brought him down. Silok raised his spear to throw it at the tigone, but saw Sorak coming at him fast with his sword raised and turned to meet the blow, bringing up his shield. Galdra came whistling down, slicing through both the shield and Silok’s arm. The marauder screamed as he saw his severed arm drop to the ground together with the split pieces of the shield. Blood sprayed out in a fountain from where his arm ended in a stump. Sorak swung his sword again and Silok’s head came off his shoulders and landed at his feet. As Silok’s body collapsed, Sorak spun around to see Digon charging him, bringing down his broadsword in an overhead blow. He brought Galdra up just in time to block it, and as the obsidian blade struck the elven steel, it shattered to pieces.
The marauder’s eyes grew wide as he backed away, holding his shield up before him. He dropped the broken blade and clawed for the dagger in his belt However, before his fingers could close around the hilt, the knife suddenly flew from its sheath and sailed through the air to land on the ground about twenty feet away. An instant later, Digon felt the shield wrenched from his grasp, as if by invisible hands, and it, too, went flying. He saw his opponent simply standing there, holding his sword down by his side, and he turned to run. “Tigra,” Sorak said.
The tigone bounded after the marauder. “Make him stop, but do not harm him.” Tigra cut off the marauder and crouched before him, snarling. Digon froze, staring at the huge beast in terror.
“If you move, Tigra will kill you,” Sorak said. “No, please!” the marauder pleaded. “I beg you, spare my life!”
“As you would have spared mine?” said Sorak. “Tigra, fetch.”
The tigone took the marauder’s forearm between its teeth and brought him back to Sorak. Digon’s face was absolutely white with fear.
“Spare me, please! I beg you! I will do anything you say!”
“Yes, I think you will,” said Sorak as he sheathed his sword.
He turned and retrieved his pack, daggers, and staff, then walked back toward the ruins, where the marauders had made their camp. Tigra followed, pulling Digon along by his arm. The marauder whimpered with fear.
The campfire was burning low. Sorak bent down, picked up several pieces of wood, and tossed them on the fire. He quickly examined the campsite, then put down his staff and pack and sat down on the ground, beside the fire. “Sit down,” he said to the marauder. Tigra released Digon’s arm, and the marauder slowly sat down across from Sorak, with the campfire between them. He swallowed hard, his gaze going from the fearsome beast beside him, to Sorak, and back again. He could not believe what had just happened. There had been six of them against one, and now he was the only one left alive. One of his men had been killed by the tigone, but this “pilgrim” had dispatched the other four himself, and with a speed and effortlessness that seemed impossible. He had never felt so afraid in his entire life.
“I have money,” Digon said. “Silver coins and merchant scrip. Spare me and you are welcome to it all.”
“I could take it all in any case,” said Sorak.
“So you could,” said the marauder glumly. “But listen, I still have things to bargain with.”
“What things?” asked Sorak.
“Information,” Digon said. “Passed on to the right people, this information could net you a reward far greater than what my purse contains.”
“You mean information about how your bandit friends plan to attack the caravan?” said Sorak. “Or are you referring to the men your leader sent to