Five of Swords
an excerpt

But there was no time to ponder about that now. Shaking his head, Garym followed his sibling’s example and focused on the men beyond. They were coming closer to the edge of the Ackaris Mountains, where the foothills started giving way to the towering peaks beyond. It was easy to find a good place for an ambush between the grassy knolls, especially with the large rock formations that jotted out of the earth at certain intervals.

They had been chasing this scouting group for over two hours and it seemed that the time for the final confrontation had come. Garym could feel the hostility in the air, could hear it humming in the atmosphere. They were waiting for them effectively; there was no doubt about that.

It was just like their General said: “Let them think they have chosen the battleground themselves. Let them think they have the advantage. It will only make it sweeter when you prove them wrong as you crush their shields and cut them to the ground.”

The blue eyed Prince grinned wickedly. Sometimes the General’s enthusiasm was contagious, especially when his words demonstrated to be correct most of the time.

A message was relayed down the ranks to where the two princes were riding. “My Lord Garym, they await beyond the next hill; after the bend in the path.”

“How utterly predictable,” he replied with a dark chuckle, bringing his hand up to his shoulder and unsheathing his battleaxe.