Frosthold-The Sanguine King

[Jeremy Davis]

~Hearing the signs of fighting stop, Ty looked around. The women warriors had come out the victors of this battle, but their leader realised that it would only be short lived and ordered a retreat. The other warriors grabbed the men they had fell and lifted them into the trees, depositing them in the higher branches where it would take some time for them to be found. The leader as Ty had come to see, talked with the warrior that was watching Thyri and Ty, then the two slaves were ordered to their feet and lead to the front of the pack as the group headed away from the stream.

Bare feet padded on the ground as Ty and Thyri tried to keep up. Ty was growing tired but she was still able to keep the pace, Thyri however was starting to feel the fatigue.~

Keep moving sister, I dont think they will keep this up much longer. I don't know what is going to become of us now, but if we were going to be killed Im sure that they would have done so by now instead of dragging us along.

 

[Ithica]

They were less than halfway to the horses when Hrist heard a cry from behind them and deduced that the slavers had found the bodies of their companions. It wouldn't take them much longer to find their tracks. Hrist urged the two warriors that would remain with Ty and Thyri to go faster as she dropped behind with the three other archers. Hrist paired off the archers and had two of them keep within sight of the rest of the group while she and her partner, Hildr, fell behind to give an advanced warning.

They heard someone following them so they hid in the underbrush. A large angry looking guard crashed through the trees and Hildr took him out with an arrow. Three more guards burst through the trees and two were taken out by arrows but the third ran, yelling profanities, towards Hrist as she dropped her bow. She drew her sword and blocked his attack. Hildr nocked an arrow to her bow and, when she had a good shot, took out the man fighting Hrist. Hrist ran her sword through his chest and after he dropped she sheathed her sword and picked up her bow. Since no one followed immediately Hrist and Hildr ran to catch up with the group. They ran past the other pair of archers who were hiding and protecting their retreat.

Hrist and Hildr just got back into sight of the rest of their group when they heard fighting taking place behind them. They again hid but were worried when they heard a woman scream. Hrist was sure they lost someone and knew it was true when only one of the archers was seen running towards them.

"She's dead. They have crossbows now." The warrior said as she ran passed them.

 

[rengadeirishman]

Cahir and Forgall

Cahir heard some sounds of fighting and the scream of a woman. "Thats it! keep up Forgall!" Cahir charged down into the woods with Forgall close behind "FAUGH A BALLAUGH!" Cahir roared "AR nDUTHCHAS!" Forgall answered swinging his halberd in a challenge, They entered the woods where the slaver guards were attacking. Cahir leapt off his horse swinging his blade staff, scalping one guard while Forgall did his famous battle leap from off his horse, where he brought the spearhead of his halberd directly down on his enemy. He cleaved the guard from the top of his head down through his genitals, leaving a neatly sliced human corpse oozing blood and gore on the ground at his feet. Forgall then spung to the next enemy and with a mighty swing, buried the axe head of his halberd into the enemy's chest throwing him into a tree trunk. Cahir parried the clumsy sword strokes of the guard he was fighting with ease, all of a sudden the guard punched him in the face. More shocked then injured, the guard got a swipe in at his arm. Cahir roared in pain then knocked the guard to the ground, he then let loose a blast of magic on the guards prone body, leaving a large crater and a few fragments where the guard had been. Forgall and Cahir then continued into the woods.

 

[Jeremy Davis]

~Keeping in pace with the warriors as best she could, Ty urged Thyri along with her. The warrior who talked with Ty circled back to halt any attackers along with a few other warriors. Ty then heard cries of battle and assumed that the SLaver's guards were uponm the warriors. No matter who won, Ty and Thyri would b the spoils of this war.

The warriors directing Ty along, led them through the trees skillfully and Ty was having trouble keeping their pace, but soon they got a moment to stop when they reached the area where the warriors left their horses. Ty and Thyri kneeled by a tree between a few horses using them as cover as the warriors who ran with them took up their bows, put and arrow to it's string, and hide in blinds waiting for the others.~

 

[Ithica]

Hrist and Hildr waited for an attack that didn't come. They could hear fighting going on and, being unsure of what was going on, got up and started running back towards the rest of the group. When they got to the horses, the sounds of fighting continued behind them. Hrist jumped on her horse and reached down to help Ty up when they were attacked. Hrist couldn't see how many there were but knew they were surrounded. She threw herself off of her horse just as she saw Hildr fall off her horse with an arrow in her chest.

 

[rengadeirishman]

Cahir and Forgall

They saw women with guards on their heels, all of a sudden one of the women fell of her horse with an arrow in her chest. "FAUGH A BALLAUGH!" Cahir yelled "AR nDUTHCHAS!" Forgall roared behind him. They threw themselves on the guards, Forgall gored one on his halberd pinning him to the ground, he then drew his large battleaxe and massive broadsword and started swinging. Cahir decapitated one guard but was seized by a large one who threw his staff down. The big guard tackled him and held a knife over him, Cahir slammed his elbows into the guard's and rolled him over, Cahir released his runeblade and slammed it into the guards chest. Cahir leapt up and Forgall finished his last opponent, and they prepared for more.

 

[rengadeirishman]

Cahir and Forgall

They saw women with guards on their heels, all of a sudden one of the women fell of her horse with an arrow in her chest. "FAUGH A BALLAUGH!" Cahir yelled "AR nDUTHCHAS!" Forgall roared behind him. They threw themselves on the guards, Forgall gored one on his halberd pinning him to the ground, he then drew his large battleaxe and massive broadsword and started swinging. Cahir decapitated one guard but was seized by a large one who threw his staff down. The big guard tackled him and held a knife over him, Cahir slammed his elbows into the guard's and rolled him over, Cahir released his runeblade and slammed it into the guards chest. Cahir leapt up and Forgall finished his last opponent, and they prepared for more.

 

[Ankara]

Shayla

Shayla heard shouts coming from outside the wagon. She peeked through a crack in the wood and saw men arming themselves and running towards the forest. Slaves were being ordered into the wagons. Once the wagon was full a man with a large knife in his belt stood near the door. She looked around, most of the slaves that were in the wagon looked like they had been slaves a long time. She didn’t expect to get any help from them, but a few of them looked like they had been recently bought, or kidnapped. Maybe she could convince them to help her escape. Everyone she talked to however, ignored her. The last woman pushed her. Shayla fell right into the guard. While she was falling she decided to use her momentum to push him further. To her surprise he fell right out the door. Shayla landed on top of the guard knocking the wind out of him. She pulled the knife free and jumped to her feet while the guard gasped for air.

She looked around and saw three men staring at her in surprise. She waved the knife at them while she backed away. She snarled a little, hoping that they would think she was crazy and just let her go. She hadn’t counted on them all charging her at once. She sliced one across the arm, and kicked another one in the leg. She tried to strike the third man with the knife but lost it in the process. They backed up, circling her. Shayla got the impression that they were just toying with her when they started to push her. She spread her wings out, knocking one of them down, but the others jumped on top of her before she could take off.

 

[Ithica]

Hrist hit the ground and checked to see if Ty was alright. She looked through the legs of the horses and saw Hildr. Hildr was laying on the ground trying to stop the bleeding and looked over at Hrist. "Keep down," Hrist told Ty, "and follow me."

The attackers still hadn't closed in on them and Hrist could see that their attention was drawn back towards the direction that her group had been running from. Hrist led Ty through the horses towards Hildr. Hrist turned to Ty and said, "Help her stop the bleeding." She looked up at the horses that had been trained to stand still even with a battle surounding them. "You will be alright here; the horses will protect you."

Hrist moved away from them and got her bow out again. She started taking out the few guards that had cross bows. They were easily taken out because crossbows were slower to reload than the bow she had. Now that Hrist had stepped out into the open to get a better shot, she could see that the guards had been destracted by two warriors that had joined the fight.

 

[Jeremy Davis]

~Ty, though unnerved by the whizzing of arrows overhead, crawled on her belly to the fallen warrior. Once there she got back to her knees and looked at Hrist.~

Yes Mistress, I will do what I can to help...

~Ty's ear flicked as she looked over the fallen warrior. She took a piece of her tunic and ripped it so that it would be an inch shorter, then used the material to press against the warrior's wound. When the warrior winced at Ty's touch, Ty whispered and tried to calm the woman.~

Shhh... Mistress, the wound doesn't look bad. Ty will try to stop the bleeding until we can get you to a healer.

~Ty wasn't sure if the wound was bad or not, but the arrow protruding from teh warrior's chest didn't look good. Ty did her best to stop the bleeding and reassure the woman.~

 

[Ankara]

Shayla Fae'Danan

Shayla tried to fight her way out from under the men. She kneed one between the legs. As he crouched over in pain, Shayla crawled through the opening he made. Shayla scrambled to her feet, trying to make a break for the trees. She spread her wings and took off from the ground but a pair of hands grabbed her ankles and pulled her hard to the ground. She felt her head hit the ground hard. Dazed alittle, she tried to get her ankle loose. She started to scream for help, hoping that maybe one of the other women in the wagon would come to her aid.

 

[rengadeirishman]

Cahir and Forgall looked at the women warriors, and a brief flash of realization passed through forgalls eyes "I am Prince Cahir MacCernach clann O'Dochartaigh, and this is my Sworn Blade Forgall MacFionn clann Fiamhain." Cahir said "May I ask who you are?"

 

[Jeremy Davis]

As the wound bled and filled the piece of cloth that Ty ripped from her slave tunic, Ty would ripp another strip and apply it to the wound. The more the woman bled the shorter Ty's tunic got until finally Ty was left naked caring for the woman. Covered from the elbow down in blood, Ty knew that the woman she was caring for was not going to make it and that it was only a matter of minutes.

"It will be alright, Mistress. Ty will not leave your side or give up trying to help you."

Not sure who she was trying to reasure, herself or the dying woman in her arms, Ty looked around for someone else to help her. Unfortuantly everyone else was in battle so all she could do was wait for help that may or may not come.

 

[Ithica]

The battle pushed Hrist over towards the new arrivals. Being too close to continue using her bow, Hrist threw it to the side and pulled out her sword.

"I am Prince Cahir MacCernach clann O'Dochartaigh, and this is my Sworn Blade Forgall MacFionn clann Fiamhain. May I ask who you are?"

Hrist was surprised that this boy was a member of the royal family. The royal family and the warriors of Lough Orainn didn’t traditionally get along. Parties with opposing views didn’t usually create the best allies but the extremist ideas within her tribe had been changing since the last leader was in power. Hrist slashed through her opponent and replied,

“Hrist. And you have impeccable timing.”

 

[rengadeirishman]

"I do what I can," Cahir said, as his runeblade removed a guards legs from his torso he laughed as he heard the scream of guard that Forgall had sent flying overhead "Beautiful day for a battle is it not?"

 

[Ithica]

"Beautiful day for a battle is it not?"

Hrist smiled and said,

"Yes, though I do prefer when the odds are more in my favor. I was waiting for back up but we are here looking for an elf that they kidnapped."

 

[rengadeirishman]

Forgall was surrounded. He roared a challenge, spinning his halberd "WHO MOVES FIRST!!!???" he roared toward his opponents. One guard made a tentative halfstep and Forgall immediately brought his halberd down on the guards head. He then thrust backward with the the spiked bottom and killed one of the guards behind him. The others rushed him. He took a shortsword to the shoulder but killed all of his attackers. "I am getting old," he muttered to himself "Prince! Are you okay?" he called to Cahir. "Yes Forgall, I am fine." Cahir blasted two away with a spell "Why didn't the Elves go after her themselves? A warband of dragon elves would have made short work of these guards" He asked Hrist.

 

[Ithica]

"That is between us and the elves, boy. We would have made short work of them if we hadn't been surprised and I'm expecting the rest of our group any minute now."

Hrist bristled at the prince's comments and continued fighting the guards around her. They were starting to thin out when she heard a scream from back through the trees where the wagons where.

 

[rengadeirishman]

"Easy lass, I meant no offense. I simply wondered why the Elves won't do their own fighting. Its positively un-elven." he said killing another guard "How many bloody guards do they have?"

 

[Ithica]

Hrist looked around and noticed that they were no longer being attacked. The rest have probably gone back to the wagons to prepare a defence, she thought.

"Perhaps a little over twenty well armed guards. It's a delicate matter with the elves so we have been proceeding cautiously."

 

[rengadeirishman]

"Aye I understand that." Cahir said, collecting his bladestaff. "Oi, Forgall, theres a sword in your shoulder." Forgall looked down, his war rage subsiding "So I do" He grunted as he pulled it out of his shoulder. "That was jolly."

 

[Ankara]

She placed her hand on her temple where she had hit her head. It was bleeding. She used her other leg to kick the ankle grabber in the face. He swore as her heel broke his nose. She jumped to her feet. From behind her she felt someone strike her with the hilt of a sword. The ground jumped up and grabbed her, pulling her down into unconciousness.

 

[Jeremy Davis]

Ty's eyes scanned around looking for someone to help her, but after searching for a few moments she realised that she was alone. She looked down at the woman in her arms and saw that her eyes were distant and when she leaned her head down to hear if she was still breathing there was no air making Ty's ear flick against her head only a gurgling sound. Ty laid the woman down on the ground and used her fingers to close the woman's eyes.

"I am sorry that I could not do anything more for you, Mistress, but Ty is not a healer. You are in a better place now though I'm sure."

A tear streaked down the side of Ty's face, which she quickly wiped away. Now was not the time for tears. She looked over to where she last saw Thyri but couldn't tell if Thyri was still there, so Ty sunk to her belly and crawled between the horses' legs until finally she made it to the tree Thyri was hiding behind before. Thyri was not there and Ty then realized that she must have made a break for it when the chance had arisen. Safely behind the tree and able to see all around her, Ty sat down and pulled her knees to her chest and waited until someone came to claim her.

 

[Ithica]

Hrist found the remaining three of her warriors and started to plan her next move. Suddenly through the tree the sounds of a battle could be heard along with screaming, possibly from the remaining slaves at the wagons. Hrist picked up her bow and looked over at Cahir and Forgall. They looked like they enjoyed a good battle and wouldn't pass one up. With that in mind, she didn't feel that they would need any encouragement to join in and took off through the trees with her warriors.

When they broke through the clearing Hrist could see that Reginleif had arrived with the rest of their group. They were currently picking off the rest of the slavers and looked like they had everything well in hand. Hrist asked the warriors with her to stay with Forgall and Cahir, with the understanding that they were not to restrict their movement but to make sure they don't get attacked by accident and then left to go find Reginleif.

Hrist ask a few of the warriors where Reginleif was and eventually found her standing over an unconscious elf. Verdandi handed Reginleif a small bundle and was just saying,

"This is the girl. She has a nasty bump on the head but she should be fine. Give her these when she wakes up; it will help with her headache."

Hrist payed her respects to Verdandi before addressing Reginleif. Verdandi is one of the three wise women who look after the warriors of Lough Orainn and there is always three in homage to the Fates. The youngest and just starting out is Urd, the second is Verdandi, who is a middle aged woman, and the last is Skuld, the oldest and the one with the most power. After paying her respect to Verdandi she told her,

"Back through the trees you will find two slave girls. The one named Ty can help you if you need assistance. There are also a few wounded, possible dead back there as well. Thank-you"

and with that Verdandi eyed the strange men as she passed them to where Hrist had left the horses and slave girls.

Hrist patted Reginleif on the back and said to her,

"Reginleif, not that I don't appreciate what you have done, but you didn't follow orders and I'll need a full accounting of your actions."

Reginleif looked around and took a deep breath and said,

"I wasn't even half way back when I heard the battle start. When I finally got back and we broke camp quickly but it took longer to get back down the ravine than we thought and we ended up going another way. The going was easier but it took us directly into the slavers camp. When we got into the clearing we saw the guards attacking the elf and surprised them. It worked to our advantage because they were busy with the elf and looking in your direction for the attack. We have no casualties and we have left no survivors on their side."

"Good work, Reginleif." Hrist said, "You have done very well. Send a group out to scout out the surounding area to find anyone who may have escaped, whether it's slave or slaver have them brought back here."


-------------------------------------------
Verdandi found the horses and the body of Hildr. There was nothing more to be done so she looked up to find the slaves and found one of them huddled by a tree.

"Hello. There is no need to be afraid child. What is your name?"

 

[Jeremy Davis]

Ty waited and hoped that someone would return to the horses soon. It didn't matter who it was, she was a slave and could be owned by whoever took her. If the slavers were victorious she would be returned to the wagon and possibly beat for being a runaway slave. If the elves have been victoriuous it was not know what would become of the cat-slave.

Ty's ears picked up the sound of movement coming into the clearing and she peeked behind the tree and saw another warrior return to the horses. Ty moved to the other side of the tree where she could be seen. The warrior spoke to her and she moved over to her and fell to her knees in front of her.

"I am called Ty, Mistress. I tried to save the other Mistress, but there was nothing more that Ty could do for her. She just recently passed." With a hard swallow at her failure, Ty waited to see what would become of her.