It had been instinct, rather than fighting tactics that had saved Usher, but for the moment, he was free and the Pict was blind. He gazed up and stared for a moment as the Pict clawed frantically at his eyes, blinking back tears, peering about, searching the shadows blindly. The eyes were red in the blue face and the warrior began rolling them erratically and cursed in the strange, coarse Pict tongue before rubbing at them again, which only seemed to be adding more dirt and blue woad, which in turn made him even madder. Then his head snapped up and, blinking rapidly, his watery gaze turned in Usher's direction once more. Usher stopped breathing, only exhaling when the sightless eyes moved past him.
Throwing back his head, the warrior let out a shrill undulating cry and several birds erupt
