ggk.thelionsofal-rassan-第113章

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　There　was　no　need　for　plications　here。
　　〃These　men　will　be　hungry　now；　and　vulnerable。　Get　back　to　the　others。　Tell　them　we　attack　now；　in　Ashar's　name。〃
　　The　god's　stars　were　steady　above　them。　The　new　Jaddites　were　dismounting；　even　as　he　watched。　Their　horses　were　being　led　away　by　servants。　These　men　would　be　fighters；　Aziz　knew；　but　on　foot？　Against　one　hundred　of　the　best…trained　Muwardis　in　Al…Rassan？
　　A　moment　later　Aziz　heard　the　sound　of　hooves。　He　stood　up　and　looked　back。　He　saw　the　curved　line　of　his　tribesmen　approaching。　One　man　came　sweeping　up　to　him；　the　reins　of　Aziz's　horse　in　one　hand。　Aziz　swung　up　onto　the　saddle　cloth　while　the　horses　were　still　moving。　He　pulled　his　hammer　free　of　his　belt。
　　He　heard　a　scream　from　one　of　the　cookfires。　The　sound　broke　off　sharply。　Someone　had　shot　an　arrow。　There　were　other　cries；　the　desperate　sounds　of　men　caught　utterly　by　surprise。
　　They　reached　the　low　fence　and　hurdled　it。　Aziz　lifted　his　own　voice　then；　crying　Ashar's　name　in　triumph　beneath　the　watching；　holy　stars。
　　They　did；　in　the　darkness　of　night；　what　they　had　e　out　from　Fezana　to　do。　They　killed；　and　more　than　that。　A　message　was　to　be　given　here；　and　the　northerners　were　not　to　be　permitted　to　avoid　that　message。
　　There　was　some　resistance；　which　offered　a　kind　of　pleasure。　The　fifty　men　who　had　e　were　soldiers；　but　they　were　outnumbered　and　on　foot；　and　the　Muwardis　knew　exactly　what　they　were　doing。
　　Aziz　had　already　identified　the　leader　of　the　soldiers　and　chosen　him　for　his　own；　as　a　captain　of　the　tribes　had　to　do　if　he　wanted　to　keep　his　honor　and　rank。　He　raced　up　to　the　man；　wheeling　his　hammer　in　anticipation…but　then　had　to　rock　wildly　in　the　saddle　to　avoid　a　leaping　sword　blow　from　the　northerner。
　　The　man　was　no　longer　young；　but　he　was　quick；　and　had　very　nearly　been　deadly。　Aziz；　going　past；　turning　his　horse；　saw　the　tribesman　behind　him　fall　to　a　second　slash　of　the　same　sword。　The　Jaddite　mander；　a　dark；　tall　man；　shoved　the　tribesman　from　the　saddle　and　swung　himself　up　on　the　horse　in　the　same　motion。　The　two　leaders　faced　each　other。　Aziz　smiled。　This　was　life；　this　was　what　a　man　lived　for。
　　The　Valledan　screamed　something　suddenly；　and　brandished　his　sword　high。　It　was　too　flamboyant；　he　was　too　far　away。　A　distraction。
　　Aziz　turned；　instinctively；　and　saw　the　boy　with　a　blade　ing　towards　him　from　behind。　If　his　horse　had　been　stabbed　Aziz　might　have　been　in　peril；　but　the　boy　disdained　such　tactics；　swinging　upwards　for　the　Muwardi's　ribs。　Aziz　blocked　the　blow　and　then…something　he　had　done　a　hundred　times；　at　least…brought　his　hammer　across　and　down；　through　the　feeble　parrying　of　that　sword。　He　smashed　the　boy's　skull；　felt　it　break　like　the　shell　of　an　egg。
　　〃Diego！〃　the　Valledan　leader　cried。
　　Aziz　laughed　aloud。　The　dark　Valledan　drove　his　seized　mount　forward　and　chopped　at　the　neck　of　Aziz's　horse。　The　sword　bit　deep。　The　animal　screamed；　rearing　wildly　on　its　hind　legs。　Aziz　fought　to　keep　his　seat；　felt　himself　sliding；　and　saw　the　northerner's　long　sword　ing。
　　Had　Aziz　ibn　Dabir　been　a　lesser　man　he　would　have　died　then。　He　was　a　Muwardi　though；　of　the　Zuhrites；　hand…picked　to　e　to　Al…Rassan。　He　hurled　his　body　from　the　saddle；　away　from　the　sweeping　blade；　and　hit　the　ground　on　the　far　side　of　his　horse。
　　He　came　up　with　his　left　shoulder　hurting　but　his　hammer　ready。　It　wasn't　necessary。　Aziz　saw　that　the　Valledan　had　been　dispatched　from　behind　by　two　of　the　tribesmen。　One　sword　had　gone　in　so　far　it　had　e　out　through　the　man's　breast　where　he　lay　on　the　ground。
　　Aware　that　he　had　lost　more　than　dignity　in　this　encounter；　Aziz　strode　over　and　seized　the　sword　from　the　second　tribesman。　Enraged；　he　severed　the　dead　man's　head　with　a　blow。　He　spoke　a　mand；　breathing　hard。　One　of　his　men　leaped　from　his　horse　and　pulled　down　the　lower　clothing　of　the　dead　man。　Aziz；　not　troubling　to　be　neat　about　it；　castrated　the　Valledan。　Then　he　seized　the　dead　boy；　flipped　him　on　his　belly；　and　dragged　the　headless；　emasculated　captain　on　top　of　him；　as　if　they　had　been　lovers　butchered　in　congress。
　　It　was　all　a　matter　of　sending　a　message。　Making　the　Jaddites　brutally　aware　of　what　they　faced　if　they　remained　in　the　lands　of　Ashar　so　far　from　their　pastures　in　the　north。
　　Aziz　looked　up。　An　outrider　was　racing　towards　them　from　the　eastern　edge　of　the　hamlet。
　　〃More　of　them！〃　he　shouted。　〃Riding　from　Fezana。〃
　　〃How　many？〃
　　〃Fifty。　Maybe　more。〃
　　Aziz　scowled。　He　badly　wanted　to　stay　and　defeat　these　men　as　well；　especially　since　his　own　disgrace；　but　surprise　was　gone　now；　and　the　new　Valledans　would　be　mounted　and　ready。　His　orders　had　been　clear；　and　he　understood　them　too　well　to　disobey；　whatever　pride　might　desire。
　　He　ordered　the　withdrawal。　Dead　Valledans　were　strewn　through　the　camp。　The　food　and　the　supply　wagons　were　burning。　They　rode　out　to　the　north　and　crossed　the　river　by　the　narrow　bridge。　The　last　men　chopped　it　down；　just　to　be　sure。
　　They　raced　back　to　Fezana　without　incident；　were　known　and　admitted　at　the　southern　gate。　Aziz　made　his　report　to　the　governor。　Then　he　and　his　men　were　immediately　detailed　to　join　others　in　fighting　the　fires　that　had　begun　in　their　absence。　It　appeared　that　someone　had　chosen　a　poor　moment　to　perform　an　entirely　proper　act：　dealing　with　the　Kindath　of　the　city。
　　It　was　mid…morning　before　Aziz　ibn　Dabir　fell；　exhausted；　into　bed。　His　shoulder　had　begun　to　hurt　quite　badly　during　the　labors　of　the　long　night。　He　dozed　fitfully；　despite　his　fatigue；　knowing　that　word　would　be　travelling　south　across　Al…Rassan　and　then　the　straits　to　the　desert　all　too　soon。
　　Word　of　how　Aziz　ibn　Dabir　had　been　on　the　very　brink　of　defeat　in　bat　with　a　single　Valledan　and　had　only　been　saved　by　the　intercession　of　men　he　led。　Aziz　was　painfully　aware　that　the　extent　of　his　own　contribution　to　the　ambush　at　Orvilla　had　been　to　kill　a　child　and　then　mutilate　a　man　others　had　slain　for　him…which；　among　the　tribes；　was　woman's　work。　Yazir　might　tolerate　this；　in　a　captain　of　experience；　but　his　brother　Ghalib；　who　manded　the　armies　of　the　Majriti　for　him；　was　less　likely　to　do　so。
　　And　Aziz　happened　to　be　one　of　those　who　knew　the　origins　of　the　extremely　unusual　thong　Ghalib　ibn　Q'arif　wore　about　his　neck。
　　
　　He　could　not　remember　feeling　so　pure　a　terror　in　all　his　life。　His　heart　was　pounding　uncontrollably　as　he　raced　over　the　plain；　he　thought　he　might　actually　lose　control　of　himself；　fall　off　the　horse；　be　trampled　to　death　by　those　who　followed　in　his　wake。
　　That　might　be；　thought　Rodrigo　Belmonte；　a　blessing；　the　way　shooting　a　horse　or　a　hunting　dog　with　a　broken　leg　was　a　gift　of　mercy。
　　He　was　a　horse　or　a　dog　like　that。
　　He　was　a　father　trying　to　outrun　the　arc　of　time　to　his　son。　Terror　was　in　him；　defined　him；　made　his　mind　a　blank　of　dread。
　　Nothing　like　this；　ever　before。　Fear；　yes。　No　honest　soldier　could　truly　say　he　had　never　known　fear。　Courage　lay　in　fighting　past　that；　through　it；　rising　above　it　to　do　what　one　had　to　do。　He　had　faced　his　own　death　many　times；　and　feared　it；　and　dealt　with　that　fear。　He　had　never　felt　what　he　was　experiencing　now；　in　this　night　of　Al…Rassan；　hurtling　towards　Orvilla　for　the　second　time　in　less　than　a　year。
　　And　with　that　thought；　Rodrigo　saw　the　fires　burning　ahead　of　him　and　knew…a　soldier；　a　trained　soldier…that　he　was　too　late。
　　He　heard　a　sound　in　the　night。　A　name；　his　own　voice　crying；　over　and　over；　the　one　name。　His　child's。　It　was　dark。　It　was　dark　under　the　stars；　and　there　were　fires　ahead。
　　The　Muwardis…it　would　have　been　Muwardi　warriors；　of　course…had　left　by　the　time　he　came　racing　up　to　the　low　stockade　and　leaped　it　and　flung　himself　from　his　horse　amid　burning　wagons　and　tents　and　slain；　mutilated　men　he　knew。
　　He　found　Ibero　first。　He　had　no　prehension　of　how　the　man　had　e　to　be　here。　The　little　cleric　lay　in　a　pool　of　his　own　blood；　black　in　the　light　of　the　fires。　His　hands　and　feet　had　been　cut　off。　They　lay　a　little　distance　from　his　body；　pieces　of　a　child's　torn　doll。
　　Rodrigo　smelled　burning　flesh。　Some　of　their　people　had　been　t