The Anvil (72 page)

Alex
was
supposed
to
lead
a
small
group
of
soldiers
to
kill
or
arrest
them
. “
Should
I
bring
my
spear
and
throwing
axes
?”
Tom
asked
him
when
he
told
him
.
Alex
shook
his
head
“
No
,
these
are
trained
soldiers
,
so
it
wouldn
’
t
be
smart
to
use
weapons
you
aren
’
t
familiar
with
.
But
bring
your
training
weapons
,
Tyler
is
coming
.”
then
saw
a
question
forming
in
Tom
’
s
mind
and
continued
“
And
bring
your
new
axe
.
That
is
not
too
new
,
as
you
already
know
how
to
use
an
axe
.”
and
Tom
nodded
and
went
to
get
ready
.

Soon
they
stood
just
outside
the
town
with
a
group
of
about
ten
warriors
,
in
the
front
near
Tom
was
one
of
his
sparring
partners
,
Tyler
,
the
only
one
who
trained
with
him
using
an
axe
and
spear
as
he
was
also
learning
a
new
weapon
,
the
axe
,
and
was
highly
skilled
at
the
spear
.
They
would
follow
the
Ilemite
survivors
and
on
the
way
pass
a
fort
where
they
would
get
more
troops
to
help
them
.

They
set
off
,
Alex
in
front
,
Tom
and
Tyler
,
who
was
one
of
the
best
warriors
in
the
town
,
just
behind
him
while
the
rest
walked
behind
them
.
Most
didn
’
t
where
their
armour
and
were
talking
as
they
were
not
close
to
the
enemy
.
Tom
and
Tyler
talked
about
a
large
variety
of
topics
,
from
armour
to
hunting
to
their
pasts
.
Tyler
,
who
hadn
’
t
been
out
of
the
desert
very
much
hadn
’
t
learned
much
water
magic
,
asked
about
spells
and
Tom
asked
about
desert
survival
skills
and
wildlife
.

The
fact
that
Tom
was
good
with
axes
and
learning
the
spear
and
Tyler
was
the
opposite
,
they
had
been
able
to
teach
each
other
as
they
trained
.
Tyler
had
short
curly
brown
hair
,
brown
eyes
and
was
thickly
built
.
Tyler
was
an
orphan
and
no
one
knew
who
his
parents
were
but
had
been
raised
by
a
general
store
owner
and
his
wife
.

Tyler
had
joined
the
town
militia
the
year
before
,
he
was
fifteen
now
.
They
set
up
camp
along
the
river
and
before
dinner
the
two
boys
went
to
the
edge
of
the
camp
to
practice
.
Tom
pulled
out
his
practice
axe
while
Tyler
got
his
practice
spear
.
They
often
started
like
this
,
both
with
their
best
weapon
.
The
boys
stared
at
each
other
for
a
moment
then
,
in
the
setting
sun
,
they
jumped
at
each
other
.
Tom
swung
his
axe
downward
as
Tyler
put
his
shield
up
at
an
angle
.
Tom
’
s
axe
slid
off
the
shield
and
Tyler
tried
a
jab
with
his
spear
,
but
Tom
tilted
his
shield
,
sending
it
towards
the
ground
.

Tom
knocked
the
spear
from
his
hands
and
almost
hit
Tyler
in
the
head
with
the
axe
handle
,
but
Tyler
dodged
and
pulled
out
a
dagger
.
They
circled
for
a
moment
then
jumped
at
each
other
,
this
time
Tyler
tried
a
stab
with
the
dagger
,
but
Tom
blocked
it
with
his
shield
while
he
cut
at
Tyler
’
s
neck
.
Tyler
didn
’
t
see
the
attack
coming
so
he
didn
’
t
block
it
,
but
Tom
,
who
had
strengthened
the
muscles
used
to
swing
and
stop
an
axe
,
stopped
the
swing
in
time
to
not
hit
him
.

Tom
put
the
axe
against
his
neck
and
they
started
again
.
After
a
while
Tom
switched
so
both
had
a
spear
,
then
Tyler
switched
so
he
had
an
axe
while
Tom
had
a
spear
,
then
Tom
switched
again
so
they
both
had
axes
.
They
put
down
their
practice
weapons
and
went
to
dinner
after
a
hour
.

The
following
day
was
the
same
,
except
instead
of
camping
they
slept
in
the
fort
they
were
getting
reinforcements
from
.
The
next
day
they
left
the
fort
and
again
headed
west
.
The
group
now
had
about
seventy
five
people
in
it
,
fifty
more
people
had
joined
.
Only
about
fifteen
of
the
troops
were
female
,
as
was
usual
for
Arstanian
military
,
the
women
were
allowed
to
join
but
mostly
men
joined
.