Watt-Evans, Lawrence - Annals of the Chosen 01 (54 page)

"I
guessed
as
much,"
Breaker
called
back,
preparing
for another
thrust—but
the
dog
had
had
enough;
it
leapt
from the
Archer's
back
over
the
fallen
tree
and
bounded
away, yelping
and
howling
and
stumbling.

Breaker
dropped
his
improvised
weapon
and
jumped
to help
the
Archer;
as
he
took
one
of
the
injured
man's
shoulders
he
found
the
Leader
at
the
other,
and
together
they
got the
Archer
to
his
feet.

"Are
you
all
right?"
Breaker
asked,
although
he
could
see that
the
Archer
was
not—blood
was
streaming
down
his back,
and
his
hands
were
red
as
well.

"I
don't
know,"
the
Archer
said.
"What
was
that?"

"Just
a
dog,"
the
Leader
said,
as
he
turned
his
wounded companion
toward
the
wagon.

"A
big
one,
with
the
Wizard
Lord
possessing
it,"
Breaker added.
They
did
not
bother
with
further
conversation
as
they hurried
the
Archer
to
the
wagon
and
hoisted
him
in.

Breaker
had
expected
confusion
once
they
got
inside,
but instead
he
found
three
women
waiting
and
ready,
the
Beauty in
the
middle,
the
Seer
on
her
right,
and
the
Speaker
on
her left;
they
stretched
the
Archer
out
and
bent
over
him
as
the Scholar
pulled
Breaker
and
the
Leader
away.

"What
..."
Breaker
began.

"It's
part
of
their
magic,"
the
Scholar
said.
"Babble
can talk
to
the
ler
to
see
the
nature
of
the
injury,
Seer
can
see
the strength
of
his
spirit
and
judge
what
needs
to
be
done,
and the
Beauty
can
heal
with
her
touch—not
completely,
not
any more
than
a
strong
priestess,
but
enough
to
help.
Let
them work."

Breaker
nodded,
but
then
shoved
past
the
Speaker
to
fetch his
sword;
once
armed,
he
climbed
quickly
back
out
of
the wagon.

"What
do
you
think
you're
doing?"
the
Leader
demanded, as
Breaker
pushed
past
him.

'There
could
be
more,"
Breaker
said.
"Why
would
the Wizard
Lord
stop
with
one?
He
hasn't
stopped
the
lightning or
the
rain
when
his
first
attempt
failed."
He
grimaced.
"And we
still
need
to
move
that
tree."

"Good,"
the
Leader
said.
"Come
on,
then."
He
turned,
and the
two
of
them
climbed
down
side
by
side.

They
had
scarcely
cleared
the
wagon
when
the
buck charged
at
them,
head
down.

It
was
a
large
deer,
its
antlers
tall
and
many-pronged. Without
thinking,
Breaker
shoved
the
Leader
aside
and snatched
his
sword
from
its
scabbard;
he
barely
dodged
the animal's
antlers.

But
then
the
sword
slashed
through
the
rain
and
pierced the
big
deer's
neck.
The
speed
of
the
charge
almost
yanked the
weapon
from
Breaker's
hand,
but
he
withdrew
it
as
the buck
thundered
past.

The
animal
turned,
blood
gushing
from
its
throat,
and dove
for
the
Leader;
Breaker
ran
a
pace
after
it
and
plunged his
blade
between
its
ribs
as
the
Leader
rolled
in
the
mud, trying
to
get
clear
of
the
buck's
hooves.