Free Sword Destiny by Robert Leader Page B

to deliberately place his own chariot on the other side of Ramesh.
    As they charged into the fray, it was Ramesh who set the pace, thrashing his horses and adding his own defiant war cry to the thousands of throats shouting and screaming all around them. All too soon the charge was checked as the front rank chariots tore through each other, turned, and the fighting commenced. In the turmoil, Rajar let his horses turn and drop back so that he was just behind Ramesh, and leaning forward, he deftly thrust the blade of his spear into the still turning wheel of Ramesh’s chariot.
    The spear was torn from Rajar’s hand but its work was already done. The wheel spokes shattered and the side of the chariot dropped. Ramesh was flung out and then the broken chariot rolled over him as it spun to one side, dragging the horse team off balance.
    Rajar whipped up his own team and raced on, as though unaware that anything had happened behind him. He sped along the line of battle, stopped to let his own guard form around him, and then un-slung his bow and began firing arrows into the ranks of Maghalla without once looking back.
    Ramesh was left to the mercy of a gleeful group of Black Monkey Clan foot soldiers who charged forward to cut him down. In the same split second, Gujar hauled round his chariot team and smashed through them, trampling their leaders under his horses’s hooves. His chariot wheel crashed into the remains of the broken car and harness that still trailed behind Ramesh’s staggering team, and for the moment he was trapped. Without hesitation, Gujar abandoned his chariot, leaped down and ran to protect Ramesh.
    Another tribesman was leaping at the young prince with a wicked curved sword. Gujar cut him down before the curved blade could fall and helped Ramesh stagger to his feet. The monkey men were on them again and Gujar’s blade whirled in frantic swordplay to keep them at bay. Then the guard captain and the guards Jahan had appointed to watch over his nephew caught up with them. The odds were almost even and a ferocious hand-to-hand battle flared, the Monkey Clan scenting a victory and the Karakhorans fighting desperately to save their prince.
    It could have gone either way, but then another horse team thundered up, whirling a fast chariot flying the black orchid of the House of Tilak around the perimeter of the close-fighting circle. Kasim stood upright in the chariot, letting fly with arrow after arrow from his singing bow. Each feathered shaft scored a razor-pointed kill and a painted savage dropped in the bloodied dust. The Karakhoran swordsmen took heart and cut and slashed with new vigour. Gujar’s sword arm was tiring and the blood was running back down the hilt and over his wrist to his elbow, but then the guards closed ranks in front of him and there was a moment of respite.
    He was still supporting the dazed and badly bruised Ramesh with his free hand when another chariot skidded to a halt beside him. Nirad leaned out and shouted his name. Gujar hesitated for a moment, and then decided that Nirad was no part of this, even though he and Rajar were brothers. Quickly he helped Ramesh up into Nirad’s chariot.
    His own chariot and the broken remains of Ramesh’s chariot were still entangled together. Kasim drove up to them, exchanged his bow for his sword and cut both pairs of struggling horses free, and then retrieved the proud banners of the silver panther and the double-headed axe. Gujar jumped up behind him, grinning his relief and offering his thanks.
    Nirad reined in alongside them. “What now?” he shouted.
    â€œGujar must have a new chariot,” Kasim decided. “And Ramesh must be taken back to the city. We will head back to the bridge.”
    â€œI am unhurt,” Ramesh insisted. “The breath was knocked out of me, that is all. I can still fight.”
    â€œThen you, too, need a new chariot.” Kasim was adamant. “You are a prince of Karakhor.