the hated foe. Only a few were hanging back, to let the crush lessen. One was Corrain. He met Gefren's gaze, a frown creasing his forehead. Stifling his own unease, the captain turned abruptly around and went after his lord.
* * *
'Do you think he has the stomach for this fight?' Corrain urged his horse to draw level with Gefren's stirrup. He leaned sideways to see past the riders ahead to the blue-cloaked figure riding beside Halferan. The track through the fens had been only just wide enough for two horses.
About half the force rode ahead of their lord and his knot of trusted troopers, the remainder following behind. Travel-stained, horses roughly groomed, every man rode straight-backed and alert, impatience for this battle on every face.
'Do you think this wizard can do all he claims?' Corrain persisted.
'He slaughtered those raiders at the harbour.' Gefren looked bleak.
'He saved my life,' Avayan said robustly, riding on Corrain's other flank.
Corrain shook his head dubiously. 'He wouldn't watch those corsairs hanged. He asked me if they were all dead before he'd join my lord in the outer ward.'
'He's no milksop.' Narich turned in his saddle to look back at them. 'He couldn't handle that stallion if he was.'
'True enough.' Doubt still shadowed Corrain's eyes.
'How can they not see us?' Hosh was riding behind with Elkan.
'Magic,' Elkan said repressively.
'Everyone's plain as day,' Hosh persisted. 'Where's that blue light he raises his visions with?'
Elkan glared at him. 'Shut up or they'll hear us coming regardless.'
'Or I'll leave you behind bound and gagged again.' Corrain looked back over his shoulder. 'I won't come back to get you a second time.'
Hosh opened his mouth to laugh until he saw Corrain's expression. He subsided into uncertain silence.
'How far to the corsair camp?' Avayan asked quietly.
'Not far.' Gefren looked up at the sun high in an untroubled sky. 'That rise where we last camped was the end of the solid ground.'
'This is salt marsh.' Narich pointed at a tangle of dirty red stems beside a cluster of tall dark green plants with sharp, toothed leaves. 'See, samphire and spearweed.'
The plants suddenly shimmered as if seen though a heat haze that this spring day couldn't hope for. Azure light flickered on the edge of sight.
'There's your magic,' Elkan grinned.
A flash, brighter than lightning, dazzled them, painful in its intensity. Another came, then another, blinding radiance exploding on all sides.
'What--?' Corrain groped for his sword hilt, struggling to force his eyes open.
Narich cried out in startled anguish as an arrow buried itself in his shoulder.
'Corsairs!' Gefren bellowed, standing in his stirrups and drawing his sword.
Corrain ripped his blade from its sheath and flailed wildly around, purple smears blurring his vision. More men yelled as raider arrows bit deep. Fearful horses whinnied and stamped. Corrain's mount tossed its head wildly, ears pressed back flat.
'Help me!' Hosh was unhorsed. He struggled to his knees, flailing wildly at shimmering lights whirling all around.
'Leave the horses!' Gefren dismounted as he shouted the order
'I can't!' Narich could only cling on with his unwounded hand as his horse reared, lashing out with its fore-feet.
Elkan was still mounted, slashing his sword at the lights circling Hosh. A glimmer dodged sideways before darting forward to run up his blade and sink into Elkan's hand. He yelled and dropped the weapon. The stink of burned flesh and charred leather floated over the salt scent of the churned mud. Elkan fell and screamed only once as his terrified horse trampled him.
Corrain dropped to the path and let his horse go. He scrubbed at tear-filled eyes with the back of one hand as he brandished his sword blindly.
'Stay at my back and I'll stay at yours.' Avayan slid from his saddle and pressed his shoulders to Corrain's. 'I can't see,' he raged.
With the purple stains in his vision fading to yellow, Corrain glimpsed a figure
* * *
'Do you think he has the stomach for this fight?' Corrain urged his horse to draw level with Gefren's stirrup. He leaned sideways to see past the riders ahead to the blue-cloaked figure riding beside Halferan. The track through the fens had been only just wide enough for two horses.
About half the force rode ahead of their lord and his knot of trusted troopers, the remainder following behind. Travel-stained, horses roughly groomed, every man rode straight-backed and alert, impatience for this battle on every face.
'Do you think this wizard can do all he claims?' Corrain persisted.
'He slaughtered those raiders at the harbour.' Gefren looked bleak.
'He saved my life,' Avayan said robustly, riding on Corrain's other flank.
Corrain shook his head dubiously. 'He wouldn't watch those corsairs hanged. He asked me if they were all dead before he'd join my lord in the outer ward.'
'He's no milksop.' Narich turned in his saddle to look back at them. 'He couldn't handle that stallion if he was.'
'True enough.' Doubt still shadowed Corrain's eyes.
'How can they not see us?' Hosh was riding behind with Elkan.
'Magic,' Elkan said repressively.
'Everyone's plain as day,' Hosh persisted. 'Where's that blue light he raises his visions with?'
Elkan glared at him. 'Shut up or they'll hear us coming regardless.'
'Or I'll leave you behind bound and gagged again.' Corrain looked back over his shoulder. 'I won't come back to get you a second time.'
Hosh opened his mouth to laugh until he saw Corrain's expression. He subsided into uncertain silence.
'How far to the corsair camp?' Avayan asked quietly.
'Not far.' Gefren looked up at the sun high in an untroubled sky. 'That rise where we last camped was the end of the solid ground.'
'This is salt marsh.' Narich pointed at a tangle of dirty red stems beside a cluster of tall dark green plants with sharp, toothed leaves. 'See, samphire and spearweed.'
The plants suddenly shimmered as if seen though a heat haze that this spring day couldn't hope for. Azure light flickered on the edge of sight.
'There's your magic,' Elkan grinned.
A flash, brighter than lightning, dazzled them, painful in its intensity. Another came, then another, blinding radiance exploding on all sides.
'What--?' Corrain groped for his sword hilt, struggling to force his eyes open.
Narich cried out in startled anguish as an arrow buried itself in his shoulder.
'Corsairs!' Gefren bellowed, standing in his stirrups and drawing his sword.
Corrain ripped his blade from its sheath and flailed wildly around, purple smears blurring his vision. More men yelled as raider arrows bit deep. Fearful horses whinnied and stamped. Corrain's mount tossed its head wildly, ears pressed back flat.
'Help me!' Hosh was unhorsed. He struggled to his knees, flailing wildly at shimmering lights whirling all around.
'Leave the horses!' Gefren dismounted as he shouted the order
'I can't!' Narich could only cling on with his unwounded hand as his horse reared, lashing out with its fore-feet.
Elkan was still mounted, slashing his sword at the lights circling Hosh. A glimmer dodged sideways before darting forward to run up his blade and sink into Elkan's hand. He yelled and dropped the weapon. The stink of burned flesh and charred leather floated over the salt scent of the churned mud. Elkan fell and screamed only once as his terrified horse trampled him.
Corrain dropped to the path and let his horse go. He scrubbed at tear-filled eyes with the back of one hand as he brandished his sword blindly.
'Stay at my back and I'll stay at yours.' Avayan slid from his saddle and pressed his shoulders to Corrain's. 'I can't see,' he raged.
With the purple stains in his vision fading to yellow, Corrain glimpsed a figure
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