comrades to enable them to leap over the top into the canyon.
The first Minwanabi soldier attempted the jump only to land upon a ready Acoma spear, but the soldier who made the kill took an arrow for his trouble. Keyoke whirled and shouted to Dakhati, who stood by with a reserve company.
'Prepare to sortie!'
Dakhati called his men into ranks. ~
To the men at the barricade, Keyoke shouted, 'Withdraw!'
The defenders fell back in tight order, and a pair of Minwanabi soldiers sprang into the clear space behind the barricade, only to crumple as Acoma archers cut them down. The grating sound of rocks and heavy branches pushed across stone resounded through the canyon as the training was unfinished.
Minwanabi attempted to force through the barricade.
Keyoke issued a command and a pair of husky servants hauled on ropes tied to the end of the heavy log that was the mainstay of the defences. The tree trunk drew aside, and the barricade gave way. Branches and rock shoring burst inward, and off-balance Minwanabi soldiers fell forward onto their faces.
Keyoke showed his teeth in satisfaction, just as Dakhati called for the charge, hurling his company at a run into the astonished and ragged line of attackers. The fresh Acoma reserve pushed the vanguard back, while archers on the Acoma flanks fired upon their Minwanabi counterparts.
The air was alive with arrows, thick enough to shadow the sunlight that now beat unmercifully from above; with the enemy unable to fan out past the rocks, their concentrated numbers made them easy targets. Within moments the orange-and-black arrows ceased.
The vigorous assault by the Acoma drove the Minwanabi up the defile, and Keyoke called the next wave of soldiers forward. They rushed to the breached barricade, pulled the dead from the branches and rocks, and threw Minwanabi as well as Acoma corpses into the canyon. Servants stood ready to s;rip the fallen of armour and arms, saving anything that might be turned to Acoma use. Swords that were not too badly damaged, shields and daggers, an occasional hip bag of food - all were quickly added to the Acoma stores. Other servants scrambled around the area, inspecting arrows in a search for those that hadn't been broken against the stone walls of the canyon. Acoma archers fired black-and-orange-marked arrows as often as green ones.
The bodies were left naked where they lay while soldiers and servants rushed to restore the barricade. Keyoke mourned inwardly for Dakhati's reserves, still fighting on the other side; he prayed their deaths would be hard-won and their pain honourably brief. The sacrifice would give their fellows the time to restore the broken barricade inflict more disproportionate damage on the Minwanabi Fifty or more Minwanabi casualties lay in the clea~
Keyoke revised his estimate to nearly three hundred ened.
dead or critically injured. The sky showed the day half~
and their position no worse - perhaps even stronger~ d.
at first light.
And yet no man knew how many companies
Minwanabi' had sent against them. :,r;
Keyoke repositioned himself to gain a view over barricade. If any in Dakhati's small band were alive to ef a retreat, they would shortly be attempting to ren Keyoke knew his own soldiers were well drilled in the~ but more than once he had seen battle stress confuse ord The Acoma Force Commander stayed at hand to rest' any hot heads from attacking their brother soldiers. g They waited under the blistering sun in an airless de that now stank of sweat, excrement, and death. Sound, battle echoed off sheer walls of damp rock. Minutes drag by, and flies swarmed. Keyoke and the other seasoned warriors watched anxiously for the first green Acoma helm to appear on the trail beyond the barricade. i In time, Keyoke accepted what he had expected all along, Dakhati and his company had continued their charge p all chance of retreat. They had no intention of return), The Strike Leader who led them understood as well Keyoke that eventually the Minwanabi must preys Beyond hearing orders, Dakhati's little band was simI intent on killing as long and as many as possible before death overtook his company. Keyoke raised his eyes to heaven and silently wished the a great killing. Putting aside feelings of loss for his o' brave warriors or concern for what this defeat would mean for Lady Mara, Keyoke bid three more servants and the small, nimble water boy to attempt to slip away over the barricade If Dakhati had driven the enemy far enough up the defile to enable