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Back A Night of Flames
Chapters (76)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise forMATTHEW HARFFY
  3. BY MATTHEW HARFFY
  4. Title Page
  5. Copyright
  6. Dedication
  7. Maps
  8. Epigraph
  9. Contents
  10. Place Names
  11. One
  12. Two
  13. Three
  14. Four
  15. Five
  16. Six
  17. Seven
  18. Eight
  19. Nine
  20. Ten
  21. Eleven
  22. Twelve
  23. Thirteen
  24. Fourteen
  25. Fifteen
  26. Sixteen
  27. Seventeen
  28. Eighteen
  29. Nineteen
  30. Twenty
  31. Twenty-One
  32. Twenty-Two
  33. Twenty-Three
  34. Twenty-Four
  35. Twenty-Five
  36. Twenty-Six
  37. Twenty-Seven
  38. Twenty-Eight
  39. Twenty-Nine
  40. Thirty
  41. Thirty-One
  42. Thirty-Two
  43. Thirty-Three
  44. Thirty-Four
  45. Thirty-Five
  46. Thirty-Six
  47. Thirty-Seven
  48. Thirty-Eight
  49. Thirty-Nine
  50. Forty
  51. Forty-One
  52. Forty-Two
  53. Forty-Three
  54. Forty-Four
  55. Forty-Five
  56. Forty-Six
  57. Forty-Seven
  58. Forty-Eight
  59. Forty-Nine
  60. Fifty
  61. Fifty-One
  62. Fifty-Two
  63. Fifty-Three
  64. Fifty-Four
  65. Fifty-Five
  66. Fifty-Six
  67. Fifty-Seven
  68. Fifty-Eight
  69. Fifty-Nine
  70. Sixty
  71. Sixty-One
  72. Sixty-Two
  73. Author’s Note
  74. Acknowledgements
  75. About the Author
  76. An Invitation from the Publisher

I passed on his words to the others. They groaned, but without delay, half of us placed our shoulders to Gullbringa’s sides, while the rest took up the rope that Eadmaer had coiled around a tree partway along the path. It was hard going, just as Ingvar had said it would be, but I was surprised that the boat moved as smoothly as it did. Gersine and I were given the task of collecting the logs from the rear and running them to the prow, where we placed them beneath the keel once more. For a time, I thought it was a better job than manhandling the bulk of the boat, but I soon changed my mind. The logs were heavy and my arms quickly ached from lifting them. I was breathless and drenched in sweat from having to rush back and forth. Even Gersine, always so pleased to help, grumbled after a short time.

As we neared the point where the path we followed drew closest to the waterfall, the air was misted and cool. The crash of the water drowned out all sound, even our angry expletives as our shoulders and backs burnt from the exertion of hauling the boat up the hill.

Such was the absolute smothering of all sound, that none of us heard the attack when it came.

Forty-Three

The first inkling I had that something was wrong was when Gersine failed to appear with the log he had been lugging. I waited for a moment, then called out to him. There was no response. I knew he would not have heard me over the waterfall, so I hurried back to where I had left him. He had been tiring for some time. Perhaps he had chosen just to pause for a time, to catch his breath. God knew I wanted to rest a while. Maybe I should ask Ingvar to give us a moment’s respite.

When I saw him, I thought at first he was reaching down to lift his log, for it was at his feet. But as I watched, he staggered backward a couple of paces. His face was twisted in agony.

Still I did not know what had occurred, but clearly, my friend was in trouble, so I began to run towards him, calling his name. Gersine didn’t appear to hear me, for he did not look in my direction. Aghast, I watched as he fell onto his side in the mud. As he toppled over, a shaft of light illuminated his leg and at last I saw the object of his pain. An arrow, fletchings bright in the sunlight, jutted from his right calf.

I skidded the last few paces, sliding down next to him where he lay. His face was pale and grimacing, his teeth white. Blood bloomed through his leg wraps.

“Attack!” I shouted as loudly as I could. “To arms!”

I scoured the woods, but could not see the archer.