By the Sword - By Sara Flower Page 0,73

stop until we’re all dead. Do you want your innocent loved ones on the run, too? We gave the queen our word that we would protect her and her people. Please, stay and fight. General Edandir would have said the same thing if he were here. What would he think of us if we quit now?”

“And where is he?” shouted a knight from the crowd.

Several shouted their agreement.

Sanere ignored them.

“This is your calling, people. If God is with us, then who can be against us?”

“Remember who it is that you are fighting for!” said Endil.

A surrendered Malinorian knight stood then. Many gasped when they saw that he was only a boy of fourteen or fifteen. He was the same one that had surrendered to Tanel.

He approached General Sanere.

“I will fight with you,” he said.

The army fell silent. They stared at the young Malinorian. He looked around and then spoke.

“You spared my life when I would have taken yours. Malinor has no respect for enemies. I’ve seen what your God can do. He protected you from the beasts.”

“If you mean it, then get out of that armor,” said Sanere.

The boy complied.

“Thank you for your bravery, son,” said the commander.

Dressed only in a thin tunic and pants, the new recruit stood bravely next to Sanere. Tanel removed his breastplate and ran down the hill, making his way over to the one that they stood on.

“Take this. You may need it more than I,” said Tanel.

He fastened the armor on the boy.

“Thank you,” the lad said.

Tanel prayed that the lad would survive the day. He had more courage than many of the young warriors that were twice his age.

Five more of the kneeling Malinorian soldiers rose and removed their armor, taking their place next to Sanere. Tanel breathed a prayer of thanks to God as even more came, stripping themselves of their past allegiance and joining with the righteous army. More than that, they were taking a step toward God without any consideration of their own gain.

Many of the retreaters stopped in their tracks and watched the moving display of loyalty.

“Will you not stay?” Commander Sanere called. “Ittonifer’s surrendered men have agreed to join us in the face of adversity.”

Some returned.

The great enemy army drew nearer, but Tanel’s faith in God’s deliverance had deepened so much that he craved to charge into battle. They had come so far. He was not going to throw it all away now.

“Archers, rejoin with Sir Tanel and fire on my command!” said Commander Sanere.

Chrissa smiled at Tanel as she walked by him.

“See you down there, Commander,” she said.

She was acting as though the whole thing was a game.

“Be careful, Chrissa.”

The archers raced up the hill to stand with Tanel. He was too nervous to be happy about his new responsibility. Tanel’s bowmen formed two lines parallel to one another, waiting for the command to release their swift arrows on the enemy. The opposing army was close now.

Several moments passed, but Commander Sanere had not ordered them to fire yet. The mass of Malinorian soldiers was getting too close. Tanel would have fired at them several moments ago.

“Steady, soldiers,” said Commander Sanere.

Tanel’s heart thudded rapidly. He could now see the whites of his enemies’ eyes. In moments, their armies would collide.

“Fire!” the commander shouted at last.

Hundreds of arrows whistled through the air and rained down on the unshielded Malinorians. From where he stood, Tanel could see that several hundred men had fallen, but it had barely made a dent in the numbers. He drew another arrow.

“Fire!”

Another series of arrows speared into their enemy, but the Malinorians were running faster. The sword fighters of Sanctus charged into the formidable army. The battle had begun once again.

*****

General Edandir’s heart raced as he directed his firedrake over the battling soldiers. Where in the realm did all of those Malinorians come from? Ittonifer had outdone himself this time.

The general ached to go down there and aid his soldiers, but he had to complete some crazy mission first – a mission that involved rescuing Jalarn, no less. He could barely believe what Uittan had told him to do, but he also knew that the prophet would never tell a lie.

He landed his dragon on the roof of the castle and climbed down the thick vines that covered the side of it. With the intention of entering through another open window, Edandir heard Ittonifer’s thick voice just below. He and Jalarn were standing by the castle entrance.

Edandir jumped down just a few paces away