Death of Kings

the scream dribbled away to a gasp

as I drove Serpent-Breath down. I drove it at his breast and that great blade tore through his mail, forcing the shattered links down through his breastbone and ribs and right into his rotten heart, which exploded under the steel’s thrust

bright-mailed horsemen in the dawn

They still fought, but they bent back, and the Danes streamed into the gap. The

then he glanced at the flooded ditch that had sheets of thin ice crusting its wat

He rested his hands on his saddle’s pommel and stared at me

They were still beating their weapons on their willow shields and the day was lightening to cast long shadows across the frost

That is our banner!” I shouted, pointing Serpent-Breath at the charred cross and hoping my own gods would forgive me. “

” I shouted, pointing Serpent-Breath at the charred cross and hoping my own gods would forgive me

In a night of cold and chaos and death, he sounded confident and certain