A troll crashed into her horse, and she went down. Her horse neighed wildly as the troll tore into it. Lucenna stifled her whimpers as she tried to pull herself out from beneath it.
The ground rumbled with incoming riders, and she fought desperately to break free. The mercenaries burst out of the smoke with the Horde chasing after them. Klyde charged for her and swept his skull blades through the air, beheading the troll. Its hot, reeking blood splashed her in the face.
“On your feet, lass!” Klyde jumped down and dragged her out from under the dead horse. Taking her waist, he tossed her up onto Onyx’s saddle and leaped up behind her. Trolls came screeching through the smoke, more than ever before.
Klyde cursed. He kicked his heels, breaking into a gallop across the marshes. “Head for the gorge!” he shouted at his men. “We will make our stand there!”
The narrow passageway would make it easier to fight them back.
Lucenna cast out spells left and right, taking down any troll that got too close. They caught up with Zev and Dyna riding with Rawn on Fair. The rumble of racing hooves and beasts came from all round them.
They made it through the veil of smoke onto the end of the marshes, the gorge within sight. But this Horde was as fast as the horses. They leaped onto the last flank and men started to go down.
Olyver and the first unit rounded to defend them.
“Keep riding!” Eagon yelled to Klyde as he yanked on his reins. “We’ll cover you!”
Klyde gritted his teeth but kept going, and they raced for the gorge.
When they reached it, Rawn called out, “Above us!”
Lucenna whipped her head up. Trolls growled from the edge of the steep rock walls of the gorge, some already leaping down. They landed between them and the mercenaries riding to their aid, Eagon in the lead. It was an ambush.
Lucenna looked up at the desiccated trees in the soft earth at the top of the gorge and threw out her hand.
“No, lass!” Klyde shouted.
But her power flared out and hit the ledge. Trees came down in a violent slide. The ground shook as they rained down like massive spears, falling through the Horde. After several seconds, when all was still, she took in the newly formed dam at the base of the creek. The barricade was at least twelve feet high, constructed of splintered wood and twitching limbs. Dark blood seeped into the water.
Lucenna shook with trembling breaths.The mercenaries…
“Eagon!” Klyde bellowed out frightfully. He listened for a pause, his chest heaving.“EAGON!”
Only silence answered.
CHAPTER 13
Lucenna
Lucenna’s mother had taught her to win her battles with strategic intelligence, not rash desperation. But that’s exactly what she did. Her legs shook as Klyde’s cries for his best friend filled the gorge.Gods … no. Please no.She had only wanted to counteract the ambush.
“I’m sorry,” she said, her eyes welling. “I didn’t mean?—”
Klyde dismounted and ran to the logjam. “Damn it, Eagon, answer me!”
“Aye, Captain, I’m here!” the lieutenant called back from the other side.
He stumbled to a stop, his entire body sagging heavily as if the relief almost knocked him over.
Lucenna closed her eyes, thanking all the Gods.
“Is anyone hurt?” Klyde called earnestly. He continued to the barricade and climbed up some of the logs. He reached the midway point, looking through an opening.
“Some injured,” replied the echo of Eagon’s voice, sounding much closer. He must have climbed the wall on the other end as well.
“Any dead?”
The silence was a breath too long. “A few fell in the marshes to the trolls…”
