Arden (Mages of the Flame #1) FIRST DRAFT

Part 24: The White Lion

Still reeling from the explosion of magical energies Chester staggered across the room and scooped Bronwyn into his arms. She was breathing and her eyes flickered back and forth beneath their lids.

"Bronwyn? Can you hear me?" He tried shaking her gently to wake her.

"She pushed herself too far. She hasn't been trained for this."

"Morrigan? Are you ok?"

Morrigan pushed himself upright and paused. After a mental check of his body he climbed to his feet and wobbled. "I will be. Where's Sallus?"

Through what little was left of the doorway Chester saw Sallus laying still surrounded by the splintered remains of the door. He was still breathing but unconscious. But where Bronwyn's collapse was a mystery Sallus' cause was obvious. The wall behind him was spattered with light, bloody raindrops where his skull had crashed into the stone. Chester's nose wrinkled at the smell of burning in the air.

Bronwyn stirred. She opened her eyes in three long confused blinks as her brain put the pieces back together. She was on the floor. Chester was upside down. Her head hurt. She could hear the distant ringing of sword on shield. Sallus was...where?

She tried to rise but only got a few inches before giving up.

"Bronwyn? Are you ok?" said Chester.

"Everything hurts."

"Did you break something? You're not bleeding."

"It hurts inside."

"Can you get up?"

"I don't know. Sallus?" she croaked.

"You beat him. I don't know how."

"Morrigan?"

"He's here. He's recovering too."

"Did we win?"

"Not yet," said Morrigan.

"But we stopped Sallus," said Chester.

Morrigan walked stiffly to the twisted remains of the window leading and looked down into the courtyard, now deep in twilight's shadow. "There are still Mages and soldiers to fight. They won't stop just because we tell them Sallus is defeated."

"Who's fighting?" said Bronwyn. She tried to rise again but Chester gently pressed her shoulders back to the floor. He found a cushion, wedged it under Bronwyn's head and joined Morrigan at the window.

"Donovan and his men?" Bronwyn asked.

Chester stood on tiptoes for a better view. A great white sword swung in huge arcs, repelling two Elemental Legion. Another soldier, more ornately armoured than the rest, stood back from the rest. His sword point rested on the tiled floor like a cane. The balconies around the courtyard were beginning to fill with men armed with crossbows, and here and there a robed figure.

Chester bit his lip. "No. Just Donovan."

*****

The Legion were the best soldiers Donovan had ever fought. This was no great surprise. He had only selected the best when he captained the Lions, and he had trained Rydan his deputy in the skills required to turn a good fighter into a great one. The same deputy now stood at the back of the courtyard holding his helmet under one arm, and casually resting his other hand on the hilt of his own greatsword. He called out instructions to his men like the desperate battle in the courtyard was just another training session.

"Don't be fooled by his swings. They are wide to draw you in. He's not overbalanced. He knows how to use that sword. Don't parry. I said don't parry! Duck, evade, press him on the backswing. Take away his options. He has space. Close it. Close it! Don't-"