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Back A Burning Sea
Chapters (54)
  1. CAST OF CHARACTERS
  2. PART ONE
  3. CHAPTER ONE
  4. CHAPTER TWO
  5. CHAPTER THREE
  6. CHAPTER FOUR
  7. CHAPTER FIVE
  8. CHAPTER SIX
  9. CHAPTER SEVEN
  10. CHAPTER EIGHT
  11. CHAPTER NINE
  12. CHAPTER TEN
  13. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  14. CHAPTER TWELVE
  15. PART TWO
  16. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  17. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  18. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  19. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  20. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  21. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  22. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  23. CHAPTER TWENTY
  24. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  25. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  26. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  30. PART THREE
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  33. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  34. CHAPTER THIRTY
  35. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  36. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  37. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  42. PART FOUR
  43. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
  44. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
  45. CHAPTER FORTY
  46. CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
  47. CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
  48. CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
  49. CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
  50. CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
  51. CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
  52. CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
  53. HISTORICAL NOTE
  54. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Alexios was at a standstill – an easy target for a skilled lancer at the charge – but at the last second his horse lurched right; Alexios deflected the spear-tip off his shield then lunged with his sword, taking his attacker in the belly. The Arab slowed and slumped away. Already Alexios had turned his horse and was yelling at Erlan to do the same but he hadn’t seen another horsemen appear out of a gully behind him. Erlan shouted a warning that came too late. Alexios turned just as the lance-tip found its mark. His body arched in pain as Erlan reached him, flinging his shield into the Arab’s face. The rim sliced like an axe into the bridge of his nose and the man went over. The lance was drooping out of Alexios’s body. The captain threw down his shield to tear the tip free. With a yowl of pain, he got it out and dropped it to the ground.

‘Can you ride?’

‘Go. . .’ he said, his voice a gasp. ‘I’ll follow.’

There were more horseman appearing from the left, spurring on into the skirmish. Einar and the other guards had reached the bottom of the slope and were climbing up the other side towards a shallow ridge lined with trees. Aska was still with Erlan. ‘Time to run, boy,’ he called in Norse and snatched Alexios’s reins. His heart was hammering at his breastbone as he dragged the beast after him. His own reins were flapping loose; he had to trust the little filly to keep her footing but together the pair of them were slow. He looked back. Two, then three other riders emerged from other gullies. They were gaining, no doubt of that. Alexios’s face was a pale grimace.

The horses slowed for the climb where the going was loose. Rocks shattered under hoof and the mailed horsemen continued to close, sensing a kill.

Then Erlan’s heart fell. Because above him, five, six, seven more horsemen were spilling from the ridgeline, howling like wolves and brandishing long curved blades, their black braids flying behind them. He checked the gap to their pursuers but the Arab lancers were now pulling up and turning away.

He didn’t know what was happening – he couldn’t see Einar or the others up ahead – but there was no escaping this new threat. ‘Erlan,’ called Alexios, his voice cracking. ‘Hold up.’

With little choice, he did as Alexios said. They came to a halt as the new riders closed on them. ‘Here.’ Alexios reached into the neck of his tunic. ‘Take this.’ He held out the parchment.

‘I thought—’

‘Take it,’ the Byzantine snarled. ‘Get it to the emperor. Keep it safe.’

‘But—’ Erlan took the parchment, wild-eyed. ‘Who are these others?’

‘We’re in your hands now, Northman,’ Alexios grimaced as the first of the riders circled round them whooping at the sky. And then, slowly, he toppled over into the dirt.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Illustration