The Crusader's Crown (Tales of the Brotherhood Series Book 1) by James Mercer (ink ebook reader txt) 📗

   “Come on move yourselves,” he shouted, grabbing a man-at-arms and pushing him towards one of the ladders.

  Maybe five minutes had passed since the brothers and Jimmy had gone to find a way on to the wall. Robert prayed that they were already in position because time was running short.

   “Be ready to seize those shields,” Robert had said quietly, to the two Varangians who had started to steal out of the alleyway behind him.

  It had been Ridley who had seen the two kite shields with their Templar crosses painted upon them. They had been neglected for the time being, leaning against the wall, a little further down from where they were hiding. Although the shields seemed so close they were too far away for the other two to remain hidden. It was maybe because they were of such importance that their white surfaces almost seemed to glow in the surrounding torchlight.

  Bringing the crossbow level with his line of sight Robert aimed. He breathed in and then pulled the trigger on the deadly weapon.

  The Templar was shouting up at one of the men above the gate.

    “What are you looking this way for you idle turd? They’re out there not in ….”

  The bolt had struck him hard in the back and propelled the knight forward. With such a short distance to travel, even armour as fine as his was not going to stop the deadly missile from driving through mail and the gambeson beneath it.

   “Now,” hissed Robert.

   “Attack, we’re under attack,” shouted a sergeant, who had been near to the knight who was now writhing on the floor.

  The ploy had worked. The enemy were briefly distracted from preparing to repel the attackers approaching the walls on the outside of the town. More of those on the parapet had turned to look and see what had taken place. Eyes quickly darted around the confines of the town’s entrance looking for the new threat.

  Only a few moments passed before the dying Temple knight’s men responded.

    “Over there!”

  Athaelstan and Ridley had been spotted seizing the two shields. Locking them together, their short-swords drawn and the wall protecting their back. They waited for the inevitable. Robert too had been sighted, but with the absence of a shield he darted back to the alley for cover. Luck had smiled upon him as he heard a bolt ricochet off the wall where his body had been only seconds ago. Then drawing his sword, he too waited.

  The tempting target of the two strangers was working. Four bolts now protruded from the kite shields they huddled behind. Others that missed had imbedded into the wall behind them.

  There was a pause while the bowmen reloaded the slow contraptions but it did not matter. Men-at-arms had started to approach the two who had stolen the shields. The sergeant, who had raised the alarm, approached the darkened alley accompanied by another. Robert waited patiently knowing he had the advantage of the alley which was too small to allow both men to attack at the same time. However the lack of light would have a consequence on all of them, no matter how skilled they may be.

  The sergeant and his companion were about to enter the shadows when the scream of a man in agony came. Confident that his crossbowmen had downed one of the two assassins to his left, he smiled cruelly.

   “Kill the other one. I’ll deal with this murderous scum by myself,” he said to the man-at-arms.

   “But sir, they both still stand,” the man shouted.

  A war cry then sounded followed by another shout of pain, but this one seemed further away. Maybe it was the enemy outside? Yes that was it.

   “Sir they’re on the walls.”

   “What?” he replied, looking to his left to see both of the enemy still crouched behind their shields.

  Robert had had only the quickest of chances to glance towards the walls when the first cry came. This time it was his turn to smile.

  While they had been reloading, Cherik had seized his chance and charged the man engaged in fitting a fresh bolt to his crossbow. The blonde haired wild man had driven his blade into the crossbowman’s side, causing him to scream in pain. Before he had even had the time to pull his sax loose his brother had sped passed him and ran for the next man along the walls.

  The second bowmen had just finished winding back his crossbow when he saw the man coming for him. The savage ran at him with some type of axe, raised in the air, to strike down on his head. He had no time to fire so had no choice but to raise the crossbow to block the strike. As the axe clashed onto his weapon, there was a snap and the bolt flew up into the pitch black sky. Then he too yelled in pain as a thick blade was rammed into his gut. He had not seen the blade in the barbarian’s other hand.

  Those few seconds, while the sergeant had looked to the left in alarm, were all Robert had needed. Without a second thought he charged forward.

   “Spurling!” he shouted as he burst from the shadows.

  The sergeant was without a shield as well but was too close for Robert to get a killing stroke in. The other man however did carry a shield and readied himself for his attacker. Bringing up his elbow, Robert smashed it into the sergeant’s face, crushing his nose and causing him to stagger backwards. In the same motion Robert feinted a strike at the second opponent, causing him to raise his shield, exposing some of his stomach. Sweeping his sword across the man’s middle, his blade only tore through