Rebels of Vulvar (Vulvarian Saga Book 2), стр. 30
The veovarks moved forward in opposite directions. With a sickening lurch and a sharp jolt of pain, the ropes lifted my body from the ground until I was suspended between the massive draft animals. I was helpless. The ropes grew taut, and sudden wrenching pain ripped through my body. I screamed, unable to restrain it. The veovarks were pulling against one another, sending flashing wrenches of agony through my body.
Suddenly, there was a loud snapping sound as one of the wrist ropes broke. Without thinking, I grabbed the other wrist rope and tried to force it off my wrist over my hand. There was a brief flash of pain when the second rope was torn off over my hand and darted away into the darkness. My body hit the ground, knocking the breath from me. The veovark continued forward, dragging me across the ground by the ropes still tied to my ankles. Warriors rushed toward me, but then as if by magic, the shafts of arrows blossomed in their chests. Another arrow penetrated the neck of an officer standing nearby. Shock and confusion erupted among my would-be executioners. I snatched up the sword of the fallen officer and used it to slash at the ropes tied to my ankles, cutting both. Leaping to my feet, I ran directly back toward the caravans.
The first light of dawn was breaking. I skidded to a stop and threw myself beneath the caravan I had attempted to enter earlier. Snatching up the katana, I rolled out the other side, regaining my feet and finding myself standing in front of Dabar Cooke, who was still sitting on the large rock beside the fire at the center of the circled caravans. It seemed all the warriors had dispersed after my executioners had dragged me away and were striking the tents to prepare to resume their march.
With a look of alarm, Cooke shot to his feet, drawing his sword. The short rakir was no match for the length of the katana. When Cooke lifted his sword to the guard position, I swatted it aside with my blade and then chopped down, separating Cooke’s sword hand from his arm at the wrist. As he grabbed at the blood-spewing stump with his other hand, I slashed his left thigh, sending him to his knees. Raising the katana high above my head, I hacked down again across the back of his exposed thick neck, the razor-sharp blade passing through the thick muscles and bone. His head plopped to the ground at his knees and rolled a short distance away.
As I turned away from Cooke’s crumpled corpse, a dozen warriors rushed toward me with swords and spears in their hands. Arrows found homes among them, piercing backs and chests. I slashed at a warrior with an arrow protruding from his shoulder with my blade as I bolted past him and ran east as fast as my legs would carry me. Bursting into a tree line, I almost crashed into Emer, who stood with the bow in her hands. She released an arrow and then wheeled about to the east. We ran side by side through the trees and across a narrow clearing.
As we entered another copse of trees, we arrived where Emer had tied the baacaases after leading them near the rebel camp. Behind us, pandemonium reigned once again. We leapt to our saddles and galloped away as fast as our mounts could carry us. Once we reached the stream, we turned the baacaases north and slowed to a trot.
“I thought that went well,” Emer said. “I saw you finish the great Dabar before showing the rebels your heels.”
“It wasn’t what I’d planned,” I said. “But, in the end, it seemed the only way. You disobeyed my orders. You were to wait with the baacaases.”
“As you saw, I waited with the baacaases,” Emer said with a grin.
“You were told to wait by the brook.”
“Oh, I must have missed that part of your instructions, commander,” Emer smirked. “Besides, if I’d missed cutting that first rope with the arrow, you would have had no arms with which to slay the Dabar.”
I laughed. “So, that’s why the rope snapped.”
“What now?” Emer said with a self-satisfied smile.
“We ride for Thiva,” I said. “After speaking with Cooke, it became clear he was the force behind the rebellion. Without him, I feel certain the rebel army will fall into disarray.”
“You think they will retreat to Nisa?”
“No, once they choose a new Dabar, I think they will continue the march to Thiva. But, I think now is the time to strike them on the march. If we blunt their advance, then they may lose heart and retreat towards Nisa. Our archers could then follow and harass them. We could bloody them and diminish their number on the way south until they grow hopeless and surrender.”
“That sounds like an effective plan,” Emer said. “Assuming you can convince those in command of Thiva to adopt it.”
“I intend to do my best to persuade them,” I said, as we continued to ride north. “Victory over the rebels and the end of the rebellion is now within our grasp.”
16
An Ungrateful City
Emer and I rode straight to my mother’s residence after arriving back in Thiva. I was confident if I could convince my mother to adopt my plan, she could persuade the council to send the warriors to meet the rebels on the road.
“Before you told me the killing of Cooke would produce a martyr,” my mother said. “It was your opinion that would only strengthen the resolve of the rebels to continue the insurgency.”
“That’s before I met the man, mother,” I said. “It became clear to me that the force of his will drove the rebellion. Without him in command, I think the