Free Balestone by Toby Neighbors Page B

man’s hands and feet several times. Some woke but were groggy, unsure of what was happening. Bu’yorgi’s knife, a metal blade he’d probably taken in plunder, wasn’t sharp enough to rip through the bonds. He was forced to saw at the ropes.
    Rafe turned to the sentries. One was running toward them with his club held high. The other three were staggering, and Rafe knew that Tiberius’ spell would bring them down. Rafe stepped into a clearing where he had room to maneuver his sword. It was a precision weapon with a long, narrow blade ideally suited for thrusting, not parrying heavy clubs. But the sentry had both hands on his wooden club, which was raised above his head. There was no doubt what he planned to do or how he was going to attack.
    Rafe waited until the raider was in range of his sword and then stabbed the blade forward, turning his body and putting his weight behind the thrust. The man ran screaming into the blade, which pierced the soft flesh just below his sternum. His momentum carried the raider far up onto the blade. He swung the club, but with no real strength now, and Rafe caught it in the air above his own head with his free hand. He watched the sentry die, and as the man fell, he let gravity pull the raider from his blade.
    Rafe loved the way the blood glistened on his sword blade in the firelight. When he turned back to Bu’yorgi, the large man had freed three of his warrior companions, but none of them looked fit for a fight.
    “ Somni Incantatio ,” Tiberius said.
    “No,” Rafe said loudly. “Let them fight.”
    “You won’t bewitch me, wizard!” Bu’yorgi shouted, spitting after the last word.
    Then, to Rafe’s surprise, he turned and ran. Rafe couldn’t believe his eyes. Tiberius started chanting again as Bu’yorgi slowed. He cursed and tried to keep running, but he collapsed at the edge of the camp. Rafe turned around, but there was no one left to fight.
    “No,” he said in disbelief.
    The three raiders who had been cut loose were rubbing their faces but couldn’t stop yawning.
    “It’s not fair,” Rafe said. “Let them fight me. Please, Ti.”
    But it was too late. With a few incantations of his spell, the men were asleep again. Rafe screamed in frustration, and Tiberius just laughed.
    “Go tie them up, you big baby. I’ll go after the wagon.”
    Rafe reluctantly obeyed, grumbling the entire time. He tied up the sentries first, then retied the men Bu’yorgi had cut loose. Finally, he walked to the edge of the camp and found the leader of the raiders. The big man was snoring. Rafe kicked him in the ribs, rolling the man over onto his back.
    “Wake up, you big lout. Let’s finish this.”
    But the raider was sound asleep. The knife he’d used to cut his companions free was now lying in the grass, and Rafe kicked it away before dropping to one knee and tying the big man hand and foot. When he stood up, Tiberius was leading the wagon back into the camp.
    “That was fast,” Rafe grumbled.
    “Dancer showed us you had prevailed,” Lexi said happily.
    “Don’t be so upset, Rafe,” Tiberius said. “If you can’t fight, at least you can eat.”
    Rafe’s mood improved considerably. He hurried back to where the dried carcass of the oxen waited. He hacked off a chunk and passed it to Tiberius, who ate ravenously. Rafe was more careful with the cuts for Olyva and Lexi, but Olyva refused the food. She smiled at Rafe, and he ate her portion of the meat.
    “I must go and help the tribe,” Olyva said.
    “We should help,” Tiberius said.
    “After we eat,” Rafe argued. “And then we need to see to the prisoners.”
    “I’m going to make sure these horses are properly bedded down,” Lexi said. “We wouldn’t be here without them.”
    Tiberius nodded and helped Rafe pull down one of the barrels of water from the bed of the wagon. Then they all went to work.

Chapter 9
    Tiberius
    Eight adults and two children were dead. The fever had ravaged their bodies, which had been