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.Emelasuntha swung her sword, andwith a surprised look on his face a Black Shield s head fell sideways,only stopped from falling off completely by a strand of flesh.Once the initial thrust of the sudden attack was absorbed by thewell trained Black Shields, they formed a solid wall, and althoughEmelasuntha s Tribesmen attacked again and again it provedimpossible to break their formation.The baron smiled.His Black Shields would be able to tie up thequeen s men, he reckoned, for an indefinite period of time.Time wasthe last commodity he wanted to squander. Xirull, he shouted to his sergeant, you keep that murderousbitch and her hounds at bay.I ll leave you forty men.That should bequite sufficient.Meanwhile I m off to Elmshill with the rest.Take norisks.Just keep her from following us. He pointed at several men, one after the other. You, you, you, with me.And you. He turned his horse around, and he left the scene of the skirmishat full gallop, followed by some twenty Black Shields. 478 Andrew AshlingIn the heat of the fight it took a while before Sobrathi noticedthat a some had left the main group. There, she shouted at Emelasuntha, The coward is runningaway. He s not running away, the queen shouted back, fending off asword blow, he s running towards Elmshill. Jerruth, it shot through Sobrathi s head. We must breakthrough. Half an hour later, the baron made his group leave the Highway.He had seen what seemed to be a barn, some distance from the road.The noise of so many horses had made two farmhands comerunning outside, pitchforks in their hands.They looked at the BlackShields, alarmed. Don t be afraid.We are Black Shields on the king s business.We need your barn for a few hours.Nothing will happen to you, thebaron called out to them.Although not completely put at ease, the farmhands loweredtheir pitchforks, looking indecisively at each other.The baron and his men dismounted. Kill them and bury them.We can t have all kinds of stories goingaround. Before they realized what the baron had ordered, before theyhad a chance to raise their pitchforks again and defend themselves,several swords landed in their bellies.Almost without a sound theyfell down.The Black Shields led the horses, except four, into the barn. Bonds of Fear 479 We re but a few miles from Elmshill, the baron said to four of hismen. Ride up until the road to Garstang, then turn left.From then onstay as much as possible undercover.If Emelasuntha s brood is therehe will have posted guards.Be very careful and don t let them seeyou.I just want to know if they re there, how many there are of themapproximately and if there is a blond young man with them. 480 Andrew AshlingGrunwell had posted guards all around the main hill and near theroad to Garstang.To the north were fields that offered no cover, and tothe east, in the direction of where the Highway ran were woodlandsthat were difficult to cross on foot and as good as impossible tomanage on horseback.Grunwell had done his best, but it was a mistake of course.Hehad too few men for such an extensive operation, and with that manysentry posts he fragmented what little forces he had over a far toolarge terrain. Grunwell, Eymar said, returning from a survey of the easternside of the terrain, there s something I think you should see withyour own eyes. Very well, Grunwell answered, standing up from his place neara smokeless fire on the inner court. Your highness, you d probablybetter accompany us, if you please. Jerruth stood up as well and grabbed his sword.Although thereseemed to be little or no tension left between the two men, he feltjittery nonetheless.Eymar didn t look at him.They descended the hill. There, at our right is the most eastward of the three little hills, Eymar said. The terrain is fairly even from here up to the road.Onour right are woodlands that seem impenetrable.They are for themost part.It s mostly brushwood, thicket and undergrowth, but look Bonds of Fear 481closely there. Both Grunwell and Jerruth looked in the direction he pointedout.They saw nothing out of the ordinary, except what seemed tothem like a solid wall of trees and underbrush. Come, Eymar said, walking up to the woodlands.He stepped behind a man high bush, made a turn around anotherone and suddenly they saw a path, broad enough for a man onhorseback. It s invisible from the outside.How did you find it? Grunwellasked. I d like to say by being thorough, but actually it was sheercoincidence.I had to relieve myself. All the same, excellent work, Eymar, Grunwell said. Do youknow where it leads to? I followed it all the way.It leads to the Garstang road, not ahundred yards from the crossroad with the Highway.On that end itis inconspicuous as well. Grunwell stood motionless for a few minutes, thinking
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