Krag raised his shield to block incoming arrows. Javo did likewise.

Javo remembered his charger, and, fearing a hit by a stray missile, backed up to stand between it and the archers. To his surprise, Krag joined him so that the horse was protected behind their shields.

"Here is the honor of those you cut covenant with, Sir Javo," Krag said, an arrow thunking into his shield.

"I deserve rebuke and perhaps even mockery," Javo admitted, through clenched teeth. "The only man with honor along this whole bloodstained defile is the very one I was trying to kill until a moment ago."

"Apology accepted," Krag said. "Do you have any suggestions as to a course of action?"

The arrows were coming faster and heavier now. Javo glanced quickly around his charger to the rear. The last of Krag's warriors were still. Now the archers were concentrating on the only men still standing. And then there was the Imperial Guard closing from the front, probably soon to have the weight of the entire army behind them.

The sorcerer wailed some high-pitched chant. The hood had fallen back, now. A soft, young, white-haired head was exposed, with piercing blue eyes. The face was male, though the voice, gestures and hands of the sorcerer had feminine qualities. He pointed at his army of snakes while chanting and, on his command, they turned from the fallen Bruk warriors to creep, en masse, toward Javo and Krag.

"We have to attack the Dijolians," Javo said. "The archers will have to slacken their bows to avoid hitting Tral or his knights with us among them. It's not much of a chance, but it's a better chance than we'll have with those snakes."

Krag shuddered. "Verily."

"It certainly looks as though we will soon meet the god of your Bruk ancestors. If he exists."

Krag nodded. "I plan to feed him well on my way to meet him. And when those fiendish serpents reach us, they'll be upon the enemy as well."

"How fast can you run, Krag the Wrecker?"

Krag flashed him a curious glance. Javo outlined his plan, in between blocking arrows with his shield.

"Your proposed gambit is the essence of madness," Krag said, when he was done. "I wish I had conceived it."

Despite everything, Javo grinned.

"I count it a privilege," Krag continued, "that I will die fighting beside a warrior of your courage and skill."

Even considering the effect of the wind and rain on the archers' aim, it was miraculous that Krag wasn't hit in the next few moments. He loosened the straps on his shield and forced his arms through them so that the shield rode on his back. Wielding the great axe in one hand, his other pulled the warhammer from his belt. He growled curses at the sorcerer, the snakes, and the archers.

Javo backed up and stepped into his stirrup. With quick, practiced efficiency he swung into the saddle and found the reins with his gauntlets still on. Hanging his halberd, handle-down, from the cantle loop, he spurred his charger forward while smoothly unholstering the lance secured vertically for march.

Tral's Imperial Guard, dismounted, evidently didn't know how to react to a charge by a mounted knight. They couldn't scatter to get out of his way, for the pass was too narrow even where they were. They couldn't flee, because knights of the Guard simply did not run from battle.

They chose to squat behind their shields and brace for collision.

The lance still pointed skyward until Javo was almost upon the front rank. At the last instant he couched the lance and swung it to bear.

The lance grazed the edge of the shield braced by Javo's first victim, and with the force of a charger at full gallop behind it, skewered the knight with a terrific, violent jolt.

This was not a training or tournament lance with blunted tip, designed to shatter on impact. This was a war lance, designed to break off in sections. The first section, about a hand's breadth in length, snapped off inside the breast of the first knight, whose lifeless, armored body was driven back through the ranks of his fellows from the force of the blow.

Demonstrating unparalleled skill for someone who just had the shock of such an impact travel through his arm and into his whole body, Javo scored another hit on his way through the formation. Another armored corpse tumbled through the ranks, bowling over everyone in its path.

When the Black Lancer broke through the back of the Guard, two of the knights were already dead, while several others were either unconscious or injured, by the collisions with their dead companions and the pounding hooves of the charger. Even those physically unscathed by the sudden violence of the charge reeled in shock from what had just happened.

Then, with a blood-curdling roar, a berserking Bruk giant crashed into them. His axe severed heads, arms, legs, and cut some men in half. His warhammer smashed into helmets and armor, crushing whatever was inside.

The Guard turned to focus their collective malice upon this enemy just as, having wheeled his charger behind them, the Black Lancer bore down on them from the rear.

Again, the lance only scored two direct hits, but the collateral damage was widespread, opening up multiple targets for axe and warhammer. Even Krag's boots scored kills--sending enemies screaming over the ledge into the canyon.

The dark clouds now came looming over the pass, dumping a wall of water. Lightning cracked the blackening sky and outlined the ground with yellow and blue energy.

"Krag!" Javo cried, above the thunder. "Fall back toward the funnel!"

It took repeated attempts by Javo for his words to penetrate Krag's berserker rage. When they did, Krag only replied, "Serpents..."

"Your helmet!" Javo reminded him.

The Guard was in such disarray now that retreat wasn't absolutely necessary in the short term. But Javo wanted the Guard to follow them back toward the funnel, keeping the archers out of the fight. And then if they timed it so that the deluge swept the pass in advance of them, that could prove advantageous as well.

As it turned out, the Guard was in no mood to press the attack, especially when the wall of rain caught up to them. Fortunately, the archers had used up nearly all their arrows. Now the only obstacle between the two warriors and escape was the plague of serpents.

That was enough.

"This I don't know how to fight," Krag said, through chattering teeth, as the swarming red mass drew closer.

"Nor I," Javo said.