The Summer Siege by Lyx Robinson EPUB & PDF – eBook Details Online
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- Author: Lyx Robinson
- Language: English
- Genre: Historical Romance
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THRAIN
Year 870
Waning Moon of June
My axe weighs heavy in my right hand. I’m sweating on the leather-bound
grip, eyes on the sails ahead of me.
Our fleet is turning into the mouth of the river Clyde. All around us,
teeming green countryside parts for us, deceptively welcoming. It’s a bright,
changing day; shafts of sunlight pierce through the clouds, illuminating
spots of the river, and the country we’re poised to ravage.
I can feel Tamsin in the hold of my ship. She’s in my head, in my body.
It is utter strangeness to feel the pair-bond now, on the cusp of battle. Her
heartbeat dictates mine; her breath exits my lips. The fear that thrums in my
lower belly has to be hers; it weighs heavy as lead, whereas my anticipation
of battle has always been like the sparks of a fire, light and dizzying.
How does one push out an influence like that? Last time we had
controlled the pair-bond, we had been bent together, skin against skin. Now
I’m facing only open air, and she’s huddled in the darkness below, scared
out of her mind.
I close my eyes. Get out. I try to throw the intention at her, frowning.
Get out. Please.
No one has accosted us from the clifftops. We take the opportunity to
manoeuvre in the large mouth of the Clyde, reordering the fleet. As per
King Gofraid’s orders, Ivar, Olaf and I are leading the entire fleet now; we
will have to sail the furthest to launch our pincer attack on the royal fort of
Dumbarton.
For a while, we simply glide along as though in a dream. Then we see
two stone towers ahead on either bank of the river. Both stand on rocky
heels of land; both undoubtedly defended. Spiked wooden walls surround
each tower, several stories high. It’s an easy guess that archers await within.
We were warned that the Britons have a deadly range with their
longbows. Squinting ahead, I can see a second pair of towers a little way
ahead.
No matter. They cannot force us ashore even if they shoot at us from
there. We’ll sail past these and absorb their attacks easily.
“SHIELDS!” Ivar yells – Olaf and I repeat it, and those behind us arm
themselves accordingly.
Fear spikes in my gut as I lift my shield. Not my fear; Tamsin must’ve
heard the cry.
It’s beginning.
Eyes on the towers, I encourage those men who are still rowing,
protected by our shields. Anticipation makes the air feel cooler against my
skin, as though I could feel every particle of spray from the ship’s
backwash.
There are archers in those towers. No doubt about it.
But they aren’t attacking us at all.
We sail past the first two. I glance across the waters to Ivar, who’s
frowning at the second pair up ahead. Olaf seems to be thinking on his feet,
puzzling out whatever trap this might be.
We let the wind and waves carry us until maybe a dozen of our ships are
sailing between both checkpoints.
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