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defensive posture. Sandin then threw his dagger. It landed in Dreibrand s
right pectoral and stuck.
Dreibrand yelled indignantly. Sandin laughed at his rival s pain and dismay.
Dreibrand took another step back and faltered as he coped with the shock that
stampeded through his body.
Frantic to distract Sandin from his wounded brother, Atarek broke from the
line.
"Your wife is a whore, Promentro. She moaned in my arms and begged for more,"
Atarek yelled.
The heckling snared Sandin, who whirled to face Atarek. Sandin had merely
meant to kill Dreibrand in front of Atarek as a bonus bit of cruelty, but
perhaps he would have to reverse the order of the
Veta brothers deaths.
Tytido panicked and lunged after Atarek. When Tytido tried to shove Atarek
back to the line, Sandin swiped at Tytido, who jumped aside and awkwardly
deflected the flat of the sword with his gauntlet-protected hand. Sandin
thrust at him again and caught Tytido in the armpit where no armor protected
the flesh. At the same moment, Atarek attacked Sandin, who ducked to avoid
Atarek s knife, squatted, and thrust his sword upward beneath the bottom edge
of Atarek s armor.
Sandin removed the blade as fast as he put it in. The penetration of steel
into flesh had been expertly brief. Although Sandin enjoyed the abrupt
confusion on Atarek s face, he spun away from the teetering elder Veta because
Dreibrand required the same treatment.
The image of Tytido and Atarek engaging Sandin had entered Dreibrand s brain,
but he had not processed what was happening. He remained completely focused on
killing Sandin, and he knew the moment had come. With his left hand, Dreibrand
threw his dagger, which caught Sandin in the stomach when he turned around.
Now that he had a free hand, Dreibrand pulled the dagger from his chest and
advanced on his quarry.
Pain altered Sandin s features. He struggled to react despite the erupting
pain in his vitals, but his body failed to produce a defense. Dreibrand did
not hesitate nor offer quarter. He leaped toward
Sandin and kicked him across the chest, which knocked him down. Dreibrand then
shoved his sword into the heart of his enemy, lifted the blade, and hacked
Sandin with two triumphant strokes.
Dreibrand shouted a victory cry. He gave voice to his ascendancy and vented
the terrible emotions that had carried him to power on the strong current of
his human will.
10. Tribute to the War God
Dreibrand s exultation ended as his heaving lungs gasped for air. Sweat
streamed down his shoulders and back, and his body steamed in the cold. He
leaned over and let his sword slide from his hand. Blood rained onto his pant
leg from his wound, but the sight of Atarek and Tytido sprawled nearby
distracted him.
Dreibrand stumbled to his brother. With trembling legs, he collapsed next to
Atarek. "What are you doing?" Dreibrand asked.
"I made a mistake, Brother," Atarek said, and when he clutched the brown
grass, his bloodied hips and thighs penetrated Dreibrand s perception.
Wide-eyed with denial, Dreibrand shook his head. He had to be hallucinating.
How could Atarek have gotten hurt? When Tytido moaned nearby, the events
clicked in Dreibrand s head. He had seen Sandin strike at them.
"Are you all right?" he asked stupidly.
Atarek lifted his head and blood spilled over his lips. Dreibrand cried out
weakly and touched
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Atarek s mouth as if he intended to put the blood back in the body. Atarek let
his head fall back to the cold ground. Dreibrand put his hand over Atarek s
wound, and the hot wetness of the blood terrified him. The blood continued to
flow. The wintry air pulled delicate steam from the leaking torso.
Dreibrand s warriors had rushed forward with delight for his victory, but
dismay stalled their advance.
Dreibrand shouted to them desperately. "Get a rys who can heal! Get a rys
healer!"
Men reacted to his wretched plea for help. Warriors turned and ran toward the
rys camp.
"Dreiby," Atarek said. His voice already sounded far away.
Dreibrand bent close to him and promised that help was on the way. He babbled
to his brother about surviving bad wounds. He would be all right.
With a sterner tone, Atarek whispered "Dreiby, stop lying to me."
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