The Longsword Chronicles: Book 03 - Sight and Sound
Page 31
“Dismount!” Gawain called.
“Longsword…”
But Gawain ignored Allazar. “Let the horses taste good grass before we continue on our way.”
Leather creaked and metal clinked as riders eased themselves to the ground, and then a rider hurried to the centre of the column from the rear.
“My lords,” the soolen-Viell oozed, though his apprehension was clear. “I do not understand this delay…”
“I don’t care what you understand, whitebeard. Your understanding isn’t required. You aren’t required.”
“But…”
“But nothing!” Gawain strode forward, reached up, and dragged the hapless elfwizard from the saddle to land heavily, stunned, on the ground at his feet. “I am Raheen! I do not speak up to the likes of you, you whitebeard vermin! Do you understand that? Do you? Or must I carve it into your skull with my boot knife to make it clear!”
Fear replaced shock in the soolen-Viell’s eyes, and he darted a glance up the hill to the forces gathered there, watching intently but still taking no action.
“Longsword…” Allazar cautioned.
He didn’t need to. Gawain knew that the elven escort were moving closer, watching nervously, perhaps even considering action. None of them would ever have seen a wizard treated thus. Then Elayeen spoke, her voice cold and harsh.
“Stent thool.” A simple command to the escort. Stand still.
“The Threnderrin Way is barred…” the soolen-Viell blurted.
The balloon of Gawain’s rage burst. He heaved the suddenly terrified elfwizard to his feet, dragged him bodily towards the slope, away from the horses and into clear sight of the elven force atop the ridge. Then he flung the unfortunate Keeve to the ground, towering over him, screaming down, taking short and furious paces around his victim as he raged.
“I don’t give a threken Dwarfspit for the Threnderrin Way! I don’t give a vakin kak about the Threnderrin Way! I wouldn’t piss upon the Threnderrin Way if it and all those upon it were on fire! Do you understand? Do you understand what you vakin halfwit morons have done! Do you!”
“Longsword…”
“You have condemned to death and destruction all the lands south of the Teeth! Yes! Even your own miserable stinking fungus-reeking refuge of a filth-filled forest! How long do you think it will be, you cretins! How long before the dark armies of the north burst through our pitiful defences and onto the plains! How long before they’re setting fire to every putrid pine and every miserable elf hiding behind it!
“Your Majesty…” Allazar tried urgently to calm his king.
“I tell you this, whitebeard scum! I tell you and all your kind and Thal-Hak and every elf hiding behind the skirts of this vakin Dwarfspit tree-filled den of treachery! I ride for the north! I ride to lead the pitiful and utterly futile forces gathering there to face Morloch and all the spawn he can muster and when I die there,” Gawain paused, his face flushed with rage, lungs and throat aching, “When I and all the other kindred races of Man die there, I shall die holding you and all the inhabitants of this ‘spitsucking forest Morloch Collaborators for your betrayal!”
End of Book 3