Scarred Man Read Online Free PDF Page B

still. Slave put him out of his mind and advanced on the next horse.
    This guard was even less aware than the first. His swing whistled over Slave’s head and he seemedsurprised when he looked down to see his leg sliced open by the Claw. He screamed and fell from his horse. Slave whirled around in time to duck the swinging blade of another horseman as he rode past. As the blade sliced the air above him, he grabbed the man’s arm and pulled hard, jerking him out of the saddle, dislocating his shoulder in the process. Slave wrenched the arm back further, destroying the joint completely.
    The prisoners started yelling as Slave systematically destroyed the guards, distracting two still on horseback, leaving him to face two on foot, one mounted and the two driving the wheeled cage. The driver holding the reins was pulling the wagon around, to give the other man a clearer shot with his bow. Slave heard the dull twang of the release and the hissing of the arrow as it slithered through the air. By its sound, it was apparent that it was heading wide, so he ignored it and concentrated instead on the approaching men on foot.
    Both were armed with swords that had seen much use. Slave’s anger rose as he guessed what kind of use the weapons had seen. He snarled and sprang forward, catching them by surprise. The one on the left tried to raise his blade, but the Claw was faster, while the one on the right attempted a clumsy lunge which grazed Slave’s shoulder. At the blow, Slave felt the black rage start to build. The man before him grunted in exertion as he drew back for another swing, but Slave hesitated in his counterattack. He feared the lack of control and indiscriminate killing that came with the black rage more than he feared these clumsy fighters. Fromdeep within, Slave felt the anger, the hunger for chaos, the need for violence begin to build again. The guard struck home with his blow, sending Slave to his knees, the Claw slipping from a hand suddenly numb. As the weapon left his grip, the need for violence faded. Slave breathed a heavy sigh, but the sound of hooves pounding towards him cut short his relief.
    He sprang back up to his feet and slammed his fist into the face of the guard on foot before diving out of range of the swinging sword. The man staggered back, into the path of the horse. He screamed once as the heavy animal trampled him underfoot. Slave continued to roll as the horseman tried to bring his mount around.
    A cry from the line of shackled prisoners distracted both Slave and the horseman. The slaves had rebelled, joining together to overpower the two guards on horseback, pulling them both down. Slave watched as the previously hopeless slaves savagely ripped into the downed men. At the sight of this, the last remaining guard on horseback gasped a curse and urged his mount to a gallop, away to the north. The archer on the wagon fired off one last arrow which also went wild before the driver called to his horses and slapped them with the reins to harry them into a gallop, following the other guard. Slave was content to let them go, but one of the slaves took up a spear from a dead guard and hurled it towards the fleeing wagon. A horse went down with an agonised squeal. The wagon was thrown off balance as the horse fell, dragging the otherover. It crashed into the two entangled horses and rose up over them. The two men were thrown clear and the wagon crashed down onto the frozen ground, shattering into splinters under the combination of the heavy cage and speed.
    A spontaneous cheer erupted from the slaves while some scrabbled around amid the wreckage that was the two guards they had killed, searching for the key to their chains. The man who had thrown the spear stood tall and regarded Slave with a speculative eye.
    â€˜Our thanks to you, visitor,’ he said. ‘But why?’
    â€˜Why what?’ Slave replied. He knelt beside his Warrior’s Claw and stared down at it.
    â€˜Why risk