The passage was three meters of dark and the courtyard at its far end was bright spring noon. Temur drove into it at pace because there was no room to stop.
The first shaft came from the lean-to on the east wall before his horse had fully went through the passage mouth, aimed at the exit.
It went into the right shoulder low, the horse checking hard against it and stumbling two strides sideways on the stone before Temur drove it left with his heels to push through the exit.
His arban rider coming through behind him took the second shaft through the upper thigh and made a grunt through clenched teeth and kept his horse moving.
The courtyard opened ahead. Twenty-five meters of paving to the back wall.
The defenders spread out in the space, some in the open and two at the lean-to on the east wall. The emir was already at the back with the five personal guards still around him, one hand on his arm, moving him backward toward the wall without turning away from the fight.
