Hers to Choose Read Online Free Page A

bore a horse and rider to the earth. This time as Eric screamed to fall back, far fewer returned and Eric surveyed the grim, bloodied faces of his warriors. A sharp hail turned his attention to Captain Biron, trotting toward his position with four horsemen following him. Thank you, great Goddess; I was certain I’d lost him. Eric closed his eyes in weary grief for the brave men who died this day. His certainty grew by the minute that he would be among their number by the end of the day. Not for the first time, he wondered where Sophi was. I hope she and her flight are far from this battleground. Perhaps their sacrifice would give her time to warn the Oshtesh .
    Biron drew abreast. “Thought you’d want to consolidate our numbers.”
    “Yes, well done, Jon.” Eric turned to the small assembly. “Gentlemen, what say you? Continue the charge against the Haarb or evade them? I won’t think less of any man who wishes to stay alive to see his loved ones and chooses the latter.” He turned in his saddle and surveyed the remaining numbers of Haarb milling on the valley floor. The Haarb commanders knew better than to attempt a charge up a steep grade over uncertain ground. The Haarb dead lay piled like cords of firewood but the Haarb living still outnumbered his horsemen. They lay in wait for the Verdantians like a giant spider waits for its prey.
    He turned back to his men. “We have given them a hearty distaste for Verdantian steel but their numbers may win the day. Know this—whatever we do here will save countless numbers of our countrymen. Nothing short of a Verdantian blade will stop the Haarb. It might as well be ours that decimate this Haarb troop.” He held each man’s gaze for a moment in the universal acknowledgement of one warrior for another. He knew them all, had fought beside them in many campaigns. There were none better. Green Ride’s Lieutenant Crawford spoke up as he was considering his words.
    “We’re with you, sir. If you led us into hell, we’d be at your back. I think I speak for all of us.” A murmured response of agreement sounded from the men.
    He looked toward his captain. “Jon?”
    His second shrugged and grinned broadly. “Always figured I’d wind up in hell.”
    Eric felt honored by such loyalty but he prayed fervently that the great Goddess would guard each one of them. He sat for a moment, holding their names up to his deity, a brief hiatus in the confusion of battle, then nodded to his men. His quiet voice carried clearly. “Gentlemen. It is an honor to serve with you. Let us show them how Verdantia welcomes invaders to her soil. Let us remind them why they lost the war. Queen’s Guard, prepare to charge.” He wheeled his horse to the sound of swords clearing their scabbards.
    With a brandish of his saber, he screamed, “Charge!”
    At a dead run, breasting the solid line of enemy spears and pikes, the Verdantian horse smashed into the Haarb forces. Simple survival ruled the day. Eric’s arms numbed as he blocked lethal strikes and viciously gouged and slashed at enemy after faceless enemy. Endless wave after wave of enemy broke upon his flashing crimson blade. His knees urged his kicking and plunging warhorse into the midst of another melee when he had slain those around him. His sword arm labored. In the choking dust of the battle, his lungs barely drew air fast enough. He no more dispatched one enemy than another rose in his place.
    Eric’s vision grayed. Bright blood covered him, flowing from a myriad of slashes and stab wounds. Many battles had tested him but none had carried such certainty of death.
    A berserker rage consumed him as h e savagely parried and thrust, oblivious to his own injuries, determined to take as many Haarb into death with him as he was able to bring. The enemy soldier facing him gave a cry and fell away, but this time none replaced him. He looked around to find the next. An arrow whistled by his body, impaling an attacking Haarb through the eye.