Free Master of Hawks by Linda E. Bushyager Page B

their way, while insubstantial shadow-soldiers made of spells and mist attacked from the trees with spears of flame. Ramsey rode forward, seemingly oblivious to the destruction around him. His frightened men cowered on their mounts and tried to stay close enough to him to be protected by his sorcery. Although they feared magic, they knew their only chance for escape lay with Ramsey.
    As Jaxton joined the group, the ground ahead surged up like a fountain, and rocks and debris pummeled them. Ramsey's powers seemed to be weakening, and beads of sweat glistened on his dark forehead. Jaxton gripped the Thantos spellstone in his left hand and used it to spin a web of force that protected them from the hail of stones.
    A few of the soldiers looked at him with terrified awe as they realized that he now controlled the Pendant of Thantos. Others were too numb even to notice.
    The shadow-soldiers became wisps of vapor and disappeared, the hail of dirt and rocks lessened, and the earth ahead of them rippled and quieted. Then the attack stopped altogether—they had traveled beyond S'Mayler's effective range of a few miles.
    While the men had fought, the clouds from the west had become dark thunderheads. Now they broke, and the rain pelted down on the battle-weary soldiers- Threeforks and the road to Swego were covered by a sea of rain that would last for hours.
    Jaxton could barely make out his companions through the sheets of water. The men were still stunned and frightened, not yet realizing that the sorcery had ended.
    Ahead a man slumped forward. He crumpled from his horse to lie unmoving in the mud.
    Recognizing the osmur cloak half-covering Lord Ramsey's still form, Jaxton galloped forward.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    7
     
     
    While massing clouds above Threeforks transformed bright azure into dull gray, the dark town had become a study in crimson. Scarlet flames leaped from building to building along a narrow street that had turned blood red.
    From his vantage point atop the wall-walk surrounding the inn's courtyard, Hawk felt as though the battle below had lasted forever.
    He had spent the first part of the interminable day as he had the past several—contacting hundreds of birds to trace Ramsey's progress without attracting the attention of the falcon-telepath. Even though he had fleetingly contacted the man several times during the reconnaissance, his shield evidently had been strong enough to hide his presence, for the telepath hadn't been able to attack him and had not suspected their trap.
    Then he had rechecked the layout of the town with his eagles, making sure that no one from a bird's view could detect the fortifications and the hiding men, or determine that the soldiers masquerading in black and silver were not the men who had originally worn those uniforms.
    The jaws of their trap had closed even more cleanly than they'd hoped- Hawk had never expected the troops to take the bait so enthusiastically, but they had—and he could see that the far end of town had become a charnel house for most of the soldiers. Some of the troops at the tail of the column had managed to escape back up the Buchanan Road, but most had been trapped along the street or in the courtyard.
    Hawk leaned forward, aiming an arrow through the slitted parapet of the wall-walk. A black-uniformed soldier was trying to batter his way through a shuttered window into the tavern- Hawk released the arrow. The soldier crumpled when the shaft entered his back.
    Before Hawk could fire another arrow, men in the courtyard below began to surrender- Imperial soldiers threw down their swords- Those who were not wounded raised their arms above their heads in submission . The inn's door opened and some Yorkmen took them prisoner.
    Turning to the other side of the walkway, Hawk saw Derek S'Mayler lean against the wall and look toward the burning town. Multicolored lights burst around him in a deadly pyrotechnic display. S'Mayler swayed slightly, as though his large