The Anvil (92 page)

After
a
few
seconds
the
rest
of
the
Arstanians
spotted
them
and
Alex
had
them
wait
a
second
longer
.
He
raised
his
sword
above
his
head
and
started
running
towards
the
enemy
yelling
.

The
cavalry
archers
shot
at
them
as
the
rest
started
towards
them
.
Tom
followed
Alex
and
soon
was
fighting
along
with
him
.

Tom
swung
his
axe
at
the
first
Ilemite
soldier
within
his
reach
and
crushed
his
helmet
.
Tom
jumped
at
at
an
enemy
rider
and
knocked
him
off
his
horse
.
Tom
grabbed
the
reins
and
swung
into
the
saddle
.

He
silently
thanked
the
times
Alex
had
him
practice
horseback
fighting
as
he
rode
through
the
enemy
.

Tom
swung
back
and
once
he
was
behind
Arstanian
lines
hung
his
shield
on
the
saddle
.
He
turned
the
horse
around
and
charged
back
.
He
ducked
as
a
spear
was
thrust
at
him
and
quickly
swung
his
axe
at
the
enemy
’
s
head
.

Tom
’
s
horse
reared
as
a
man
on
foot
swung
his
sword
at
Tom
.
One
of
the
horse
’
s
hooves
hit
the
man
on
the
head
and
Tom
winced
as
the
man
fell
.
Two
more
infantry
men
ran
towards
Tom
and
he
killed
one
with
a
stone
spike
he
magically
made
hit
him
in
the
head
.

The
other
man
got
to
Tom
and
tried
to
get
behind
him
.
Tom
turned
the
horse
and
swung
at
the
man
,
who
blocked
the
blow
with
his
shield
.
The
man
swung
his
sword
at
Tom
,
who
dodged
it
.

After
exchanging
a
few
more
blows
Tom
realized
he
couldn
’
t
defeat
this
man
on
horseback
and
that
he
didn
’
t
have
time
to
dismount
.

So
Tom
decided
to
surprise
the
man
.
He
swung
his
axe
again
and
leaned
down
. “
Bah
!”
Tom
shouted
and
the
man
hesitated
 
only
a
moment
,
but
the
short
time
he
hesitated
was
enough
for
Tom
to
deliver
two
quick
,
powerful
strikes
,
the
second
getting
passed
the
man
’
s
defense
and
hitting
his
neck
.

Tom
looked
up
and
saw
the
rest
of
the
enemy
soldiers
backed
up
against
the
river
.
He
dismounted
,
got
his
shield
and
gave
the
horse
to
a
cavalry
man
whose
horse
had
been
killed
.

Tom
ran
towards
the
last
of
the
men
and
glided
over
them
,
landing
in
the
river
.
He
hit
the
first
man
before
he
could
turn
around
in
the
water
.
Tom
found
good
footing
in
the
shallow
river
and
hit
his
shield
with
his
axe
. “
Fight
me
if
you
dare
you
cowards
!”
Tom
yelled
at
the
Ilemites
.

He
kept
insulting
them
until
two
in
the
back
turned
and
began
heading
towards
him
.
They
reached
him
and
he
dispatched
the
first
with
one
blow
and
blocked
the
second
’
s
spear
.
He
retaliated
and
rammed
the
man
with
his
shield
,
making
him
stumble
.
He
lunged
forward
and
killed
the
man
,
but
hit
his
foot
on
a
rock
.

Three
more
Ilemites
began
making
their
way
towards
him
,
one
was
killed
by
an
arrow
but
the
other
two
made
it
to
Tom
,
who
quickly
killed
them
.

As
Tom
killed
the
second
of
the
attackers
the
twenty
remaining
Ilemites
surrendered
and
the
Arstanians
began
tying
them
up
.

Alex
told
Tom
to
fly
back
to
Command
and
tell
them
they
had
won
.
He
landed
in
the
courtyard
again
and
walked
up
to
Command
.

He
finished
telling
them
as
they
heard
a
horn
blast
,
signalling
the
Ilemite
army
was
attacking
.
Tom
flew
to
the
bridge
,
where
the
Anvil
was
told
to
meet
.

He
waited
a
moment
as
his
troop
arrived
and
got
in
their
lines
.
He
led
them
to
the
bridge
.
They
stopped
as
they
got
onto
the
bridge
,
each
man
pulled
out
their
javelin
,
prepared
to
throw
and
waited
for
Tom
’
s
command
.

He
waited
a
moment
then
said
the
command
to
throw
.
Seventy
five
javelins
soared
through
the
air
towards
the
advancing
enemy
.
All
along
the
line
men
went
down
,
some
never
moved
again
,
some
crying
out
in
pain
and
some
simply
had
to
advance
with
the
javelins
in
their
shields
weighting
them
down
.