Free Shield of Lies by Jerry Autieri Page B

one of his men who had been alert enough to grab a shield handed it to him.
    "A shield? This is not a fair fight." Throst withheld his smile. A fair fight was never in his plan.
    "Deal with it, bird shit."
    The semicircle pulled back as Pepin leapt forward with a wild shout and his sword high. Throst skittered to the right and avoided the undisciplined blow, his blade licking Pepin's arm as he carried past. His men began to shout and cheer, encouraging Pepin to kill Throst and be done. As Pepin regained his balance, he smiled at his companions and laughed with them, as if he had only toyed and would now become serious. Throst smiled as well, jumping his sword in the palm of his hand.
    Both men went into a crouch, Pepin behind his shield with his sword held against its edge. Throst considered grappling Pepin, but his size gave him a slight advantage and might encourage one of the onlookers to strike him. The worried look in Pepin's eye betrayed all the swagger and curses hurled from the others ringing them. They circled each other, and Throst easily led him to the position he wanted. He planted himself in the grass when he aligned the sun to his polished blade. Now he only needed Pepin to launch his attack to pull off his tricks.
    "You're afraid to come out from behind your shield? You're worried I'll cut your handsome face? It'll be an improvement."
    Pepin growled but did not jump at the taunt. Throst had patience and knew Pepin's friends would cajole him into action. The strike came suddenly, but Throst saw it in Pepin's stance before it launched. Pepin counted on his shield to pin Throst's sword arm, and he would follow through with a slash at his leg. It was what Throst wanted. He had the rare ability of equal skill with either hand.
    As Pepin charged, Throst flashed sunlight in his eyes. The charge stumbled but did not stop, giving him the delay to toss his sword into his left hand as Pepin's shield rose up to pin his arm. In that instant, Throst hacked down and chopped the back of Pepin's thigh to the bone. The meat of his leg split and blood gushed. Pepin screamed and careened forward with the momentum of his spoiled attack.
    Throst whirled and followed up, stamping on Pepin's sword hand. Blood pumped from the gaping wound and his companions cried out at the sight of it.
    "I yield," Pepin shouted and cried, releasing his sword. Throst kicked it away.
    "Have I defeated you?"
    Pepin nodded, his face twisted with suffering as he turned on his back. "Who are you?"
    "None of your concern."
    Throst rammed his sword into Pepin's throat, nearly decapitating him in a single blow. The others fell silent at once, and Throst faced them with his gory blade ranging before him. Now was the key moment. Men would either accept him as their leader or another would challenge him.
    "Pepin was a weak turd, not worthy of you. That's why I came here. Do you only dream of stealing food from the Franks and picking the crumbs the Northmen leave you? Did Pepin tell you that you were doing better with him than alone? Did he constantly remind you of how good life was without a lord to follow? Yet, what have you got? Look at you. You're living in a hall crumbling on your heads."
    "But our bellies are full," one of the men challenged him, and nodded at a few for encouragement.
    "Eating is all you want? Listen to me. Eating is good. I am hungry, for food but also for more. I want power and wealth just like all of you. Will you find it hiding here between the Northmen and the Franks?"
    "You don't have anything to give us," said another man. "You're full of golden words, but have no real gold to put on my arm."
    "You all know Jarl Ulfrik Ormsson. What if I told you we could have his treasures?" Throst smiled and let his offer take hold, the men sharing skeptical glances. "That's how big my plans are, and how much more you can ever get than following Pepin. Who is with me in this?"
    The largest man, his head and beard forming a frizzy circle of red hair