Greenwood Knight

Chapter 26

"The Devil! I am Deuced." Erec growled.

He did not fault Cameron his desire, but rather the timing. Erec would rather retreat and send the ten forward to scout the tree line with half a dozen archers for cover. Failing that for urgency, he might have a least called for those half dozen archers to give them some cover as they searched.

The men behind him advanced slowly as soon as Cameron dismounted and began to spread out to inspect the scene. What Erec wanted to do was mootable at best and nothing remained save for him to dismount and assist...and pray that he was only paranoid. He determined to do as Cameron had done and draw his sword upon dismount.

It may be that he was helpless and exposed, but damn it, he would have the comfort of is blade in hand. His thoughts so settled, he began to dismount and jerked his head sharply toward the forest as an all-too-familiar whir reached him.

"Arrows!" he shouted seconds before one slammed into him, striking his shoulder at the side and lower edge of his pauldron and sinking deep.

His momentum and the push from the impact tossed him mercilessly to the ground, still partially frozen from the long harsh winter. With his foot yet in stirrup, he twisted as he fell, striking first upon the injured shoulder, and seconds later upon the back of his head behind his ear.

Erec grunted as stars burst in his vision and his body bounced back into the air. In those seconds before he fell again, he was sorry that he had not donned his helm. In the next heartbeat he was slammed once more to the ground. The double blow to head and shoulder kept him from feeling the awkward twist of his foot where it was stuck in the stirrup.

Erec slammed his eyes shut against the dizziness and struggled to get air into his lungs. Battling the urge to faint, he gritted his teeth and pressed his shoulders against the ground, lifting his hips enough to kick free of the stirrup that twisted his knee and ankle at a painful angle. At last, his leg fell to the ground with a thump and he was powerless to do anything save close his eyes and fight to remain conscious.

If only he could draw a breath...

It felt like ages as he struggled before he was at last able to breathe again. In truth it was mere minutes. His first coherent thought was to wonder if his men had been likewise cut down. A heartbeat later he registered the sounds of battle around him: the clash of swords, the rage-filled growls and grunts, the clank and thump of metal upon armor and mail, and the cries of pain.

He lifted his head to look around, instantly regretting the motion as pain seared intensely, burning every nerve from scalp to toe. Hissing air sharply through tightly clenched teeth, he pushed back the blackness pressing in upon him.

At the thundering approach of horses his eyes flew open.

Lord above! He was helpless... Nay! He was not.

He forced aside the shock and pulled his sword, letting it rest upon the ground beside him as he clenched the handle tightly. His relief upon realizing that the riders came from his army burst like a bubble in the next instant, completely as if it had never been. More horses approached. And from the opposite direction.

The enemy charge had begun.

Erec could not get to his feet. Even if he might somehow manage it, he knew that he could not keep to them. The arrow struck him at an odd angel as he was turning. He could feel the shaft pressed between his ribs and the lower edge of his pauldron. Each time he shuddered or flinched, his armor pressed on the shaft, shifting the arrowhead and sent a new wave of pain and nausea.

Which was also accompanied by an almost overwhelming desire to let go and surrender to the darkness clouding the edges of his vision.

Thought the air was cold and the ground frozen beneath him, he felt sweat beading his brow as a shiver racked is body. He let out an involuntary cry.  Gulping air, he barely managed to stay awake. A shout sounded too near to him. Turning his head, he peered beneath the skirt of Zeus's armor.