Even Gods Must Fall - Christian Warren Freed Page 0,78

All thought was focused on the coming struggle against the Dae’shan and their army.

The unlikely pair was less than fifty meters behind Ingrid’s scouts. With thoughts turned inward, the rebel army marching behind them, Groge and Ironfoot failed to spy the hidden enemy lurking ahead before they managed to kill the first of Ingrid’s forces. Ironfoot reacted first, drawing his axe and ducking behind an ash tree. He bellowed warning back to the column moments before dark-clothed mercenaries burst from the shadows.

Groge stared down at the smaller figures in shock. A month ago he wouldn’t have known how to react, but the series of running engagements with various enemies and the subtle urgings of power coursing through the Blud Hamr transformed him on fundamental levels. He no longer gawked wide-eyed as armed combatants came at him. The Hamr infused him with anger. Groge pulled his war bar clear and attacked.

The mercenaries recoiled upon seeing the Giant youth attacking. Their intelligence failed to mention the full extent of the menagerie Bahr had collected on his travels. Had they known a Giant was among them many wouldn’t have stayed with Skaning. Not that it mattered now. Groge dove into the enemy with recklessness only youth possessed. He caught the lead attacker across the side of the head. A sickening crunch echoed through the trees as the mercenary was driven to the ground, dead before he hit. Two others died before they realized what was happening. Groge hurried after the others, oblivious to the dark crossbow shafts bouncing from his iron-thick hide.

Ironfoot watched the Giant attack and felt sudden shame at being outdone by a race who claimed to despise violence. Snarling savagely, the Dwarf used Groge’s diversion to plow into the milling enemy ranks. His axe reaped a terrible toll in those first moments. An arm lopped off. A head rolled away. Slow to react, the mercenaries soon decided fighting the Dwarf was vastly more preferable than trying to battle a Giant.

Figures dashed past him. Ironfoot knew there was nothing to be done about that. He now had his hands full with a half dozen mercenaries trying to stab him. No matter how many got past him they wouldn’t amount to much trouble. Bahr and Ingrid had more than two thousand armed combatants with them, not to mention a Vengeance Knight. The enemy was as good as dead already. The Dwarf captain pushed those thoughts aside and hacked down to take a hand off at the wrist.

“What’s going on up there?” Ingrid demanded to no one in particular as sounds of fighting drifted back to the main body. She, and the others around her, drew their weapons and fell into defensive positions.

Bahr and Orlek pushed her behind them instinctively, despite her protests. There were times when leaders were expected to be at the front of an advance but other times when they were needed away from the fighting. Both men felt this was one of the latter. Bahr had a sense of dread without knowing why. The first crossbow bolt took one of the guards to his right. Pierced through the chest, he died without a sound. Bahr drew his sword, wishing for a shield. Neither his experience or his skills were enough to stop a guided missile.

“Cover! Prepare for attack!” Orlek bellowed. Instincts dropped him into battle mode. Long sword in one hand and hooked dagger in the other, Orlek crouched as more than a score of the enemy came into sight. He offered a toothy grin and attacked.

Bahr tried to understand what was happening before launching into anything foolish. The Blud Hamr was already exposed. Should Groge fall, all of their plans would be dashed against the rocks. The world would fail. Fortunately Boen had no such reservations. The Gaimosian launched into a furious counterattack the instant he spotted their attackers. Cold recognition blazed hotly in his eyes, telling Bahr what he needed to know. They were being assaulted by Skaning’s mercenaries. This knowledge led him to one inescapable conclusion: Skaning aimed to end his war tonight in an all-or-nothing gambit.

It was foolish at best. A maneuver that would likely result in the death of the entire mercenary company. Skaning either knew something the others didn’t or had grown mad with despair over successive failures. Bahr quickly, and rightly, guessed the rebels held the advantage and followed Boen. He’d just gotten the Gaimosian back and wasn’t about to risk losing him now. The Sea Wolf fell in a few steps