Omens of Kregen Read Online Free PDF

mercenaries he had recruited from overseas.
    The lead voller in which we flew, dubbed
Heart of Imrien
, was not overlarge and I intended to use her as the headquarters ship. Aboard flew men and women close to Delia and me.
    Our intelligence from the northern provinces over the Mountains of the North in what was now the kingdom of the usurping and self-styled king of those regions was sparse. The general assessment was that he did not have considerable strength in the air. Our plan therefore was to use our air and avoid a direct land battle until the rest of the army came up. That was the plan.
    How many times in the past have I said: “That was the plan.” And how very very many times has that plan gone awry!
    We sailed on, searching the ground ahead for signs of our opponents.
    Heart of Imrien
, as I have said, was not an overlarge specimen of voller. She possessed a structure corresponding to a raised forecastle of a terrestrial galleon, with a slightly higher poop. She had but the one fighting top, and this square battlemented fortress was supported by four stout masts, cross-braced and served by ladders.
    There was no reason at all why, in the air, the first sightings should be made from this fighting top; the fact remains, they were.
    “Fliers!” screeched down the lookouts.
    Up ahead of us, whirling like autumn leaves, the forerunners of our enemy’s aerial armada swept down full upon us. They came on with demonic speed, swirled along by the breeze which blew in our faces. There looked to be a lot of them. A deuced lot of them.
    Our trumpets pealed out and the drums beat to quarters.
    Our aerial sailors ran to their stations. The soldiers carried aboard, tough kampeons all, formed up. They were experienced enough to know when to leave one aspect of the approaching fighting to the experts.
    My bowmen could shaft as well as any, and when it came to handstrokes then my lads yielded to no one in Vallia.
    There was practically no time between the first sightings and the onslaught.
    “Fluttrells, mostly,” said Captain Voromin.
    “Aye.”
    The wide-winged birds bore on, a flutter of color and brightness through the air.
    I said to Targon: “Make sure the lads are armored. There will be time for that.”
    “Aye, and time for slaying thereafter.”
    “Yes, And tell the proud-necked fellows to keep their fool heads down.”
    With a clanking groaning the first ballista loosed. These weapons were the superior gros-varters of Vallia, throwing rocks or darts, as suited the occasion and the target. I didn’t bother to see what shooting was made. It seemed to me there were enough birds out there to soak up all the fire we could hammer out and still have enough aerial-borne warriors left to break through and make the attempt to land on our decks.
    Delia said in her rasping voice: “And, you hairy graint, where is your armor?”
    I cursed. By Makki Grodno’s diseased intestines and dripping eyeballs! If I didn’t trot off and don armor, Delia never would. She would stand at my side, shoulder to shoulder, and trade handstrokes with these reivers of the air.
    “Very well. Come on — and for the sweet sake of Zair, let us hurry!”
    For I had seen enough to know these fluttrells were flown by flutsmen, bandits of the air, mercenaries of bloodthirsty nature and heart-stopping habits.
    Strapping up a breast and back I struggled with the buckles. The breast fastened up and the back refused to go easily. I nearly left the confounded thing off, but Delia rapped out: “Put it on!”
    She was right. In these nasty affrays some protection for your back is more important at times than a breastplate. You don’t see the blow from the rear that knocks you over. After that your head is off or your inward parts are displayed for the world to see.
    Rushing back onto deck from the arched opening to the cabin we shared, I was in time to see the first of the flutsmen make their attempts to land on
Heart of Imrien
. Korero the Shield sprang