09-06-2017, 06:43 PM
What followed the twang of her bowstring was the sound of glass shattering - right on target. In that moment, Ellie could make out the silhouette of Shad through the moonlight, darting towards the now bewildered bandit. Within moments, the scuffle was little more than the sounds of bone meeting bone as Shad pummeled the life from the man; a poor career path, Ellie thought.
Ellie looked away a moment, allowing Shad his taste of vengeance, until voices filled the air about them - three of them, she thought. Facing Shad, reeling in his rage, her thoughts were confirmed as he gestured towards her; three fingers, three voices. Ellie faced the stairs where the bandit now lay motionless and spotted a light moving towards the edge directly above them. The light flickered ever so slightly in the wind, but she knew what it meant.
She slid towards the edge and dropped down to the pass below, patting Shad on the shoulder as she brushed by and drew another arrow. She nocked and drew hard, kneeling at the base of the wall and aiming straight up in anticipation of their impending visit.
"Oi, Carl! You nappin' on duty again, you slouch?" bellowed one of the voices, the others laughing in response. Ellie blinked once, took a deep breath, then blinked hard one more time before the light from the torch began to make its way over the ledge. A faint glow brushed across Ellie's forehead, and then there was a moment of silence.
"Carl? Are you-"
As the brigand leaned over the edge, focusing on the lifeless husk of his friend Carl, Ellie released her bowstring and pivoted, standing tall as she nocked another arrow and planted one foot firmly on the step below her. With a sickening thunk, the man was cut short, and Ellie let a second arrow fly for good measure.
THUNK!
The torch fell to her feet, lending light to the recession in the rocks in which they stood, and the brigand tumbled lifeless to the ground; a single arrow protruding through the crown of his skull, and another planted firmly in his abdomen. Ellie stepped down the stairs quickly as she nocked another arrow, scanning the tops of the pass for any other attackers.
"What the hell!?"
"Fuck! Where are they!?"
Ellie's heart was racing as she heard the voices getting closer, and she knew the fight was upon them. They'd never even found their way into the castle, and now they had nowhere to run. Ellie shot a glance of worry towards Shad, his face twisted with rage in the glow of the torch resting on the steps.
"I'm sorry," she mouthed, turning back to the steps, bow drawn taught.
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Several leagues to the East...
The pounding of hooves echoed through the otherwise undisturbed countryside; they slowed, however, as they approached a grouping of tents. Faint light shone through the canopies, offering a small glimpse of a resting wyvern in the center of the grouping. The rider disembarked with haste, approaching the nearest tent.
"Hold, stranger!"
The rider stopped abruptly, standing at attention. He turned to his left, facing the voice. The Bernese soldier approached, a firm grip on the hilt of his blade. As he approached, he noticed the Bernese armor beneath the rider's cloak and relinquished his blade.
"My apologies, sir; I've been sent to deliver a message. Is Sergeant Vael in attendance this evening?"
"Aye. May I ask, what is the message?"
"I cannot say with certainty, it seems a ransom of some kind."
"Surely you're joking! We stand on the brink of war, we can't possibly be bothered by bandits!"
"I agree, sir... but surely, you have family at home, do you not? I know I do - and I'd want to know."
The soldiers locked eyes for a moment, when their attention was broken by the sleeping wyvern; no longer resting, it raised its head and eyed the duo. Just to its left, a figure emerged from the glowing tent before it, placing a hand gently on the wyvern's neck. The soldiers met eyes once more, the guard nodding as he took a step away from the rider.
"Sergeant, a word!"
Ellie looked away a moment, allowing Shad his taste of vengeance, until voices filled the air about them - three of them, she thought. Facing Shad, reeling in his rage, her thoughts were confirmed as he gestured towards her; three fingers, three voices. Ellie faced the stairs where the bandit now lay motionless and spotted a light moving towards the edge directly above them. The light flickered ever so slightly in the wind, but she knew what it meant.
She slid towards the edge and dropped down to the pass below, patting Shad on the shoulder as she brushed by and drew another arrow. She nocked and drew hard, kneeling at the base of the wall and aiming straight up in anticipation of their impending visit.
"Oi, Carl! You nappin' on duty again, you slouch?" bellowed one of the voices, the others laughing in response. Ellie blinked once, took a deep breath, then blinked hard one more time before the light from the torch began to make its way over the ledge. A faint glow brushed across Ellie's forehead, and then there was a moment of silence.
"Carl? Are you-"
As the brigand leaned over the edge, focusing on the lifeless husk of his friend Carl, Ellie released her bowstring and pivoted, standing tall as she nocked another arrow and planted one foot firmly on the step below her. With a sickening thunk, the man was cut short, and Ellie let a second arrow fly for good measure.
THUNK!
The torch fell to her feet, lending light to the recession in the rocks in which they stood, and the brigand tumbled lifeless to the ground; a single arrow protruding through the crown of his skull, and another planted firmly in his abdomen. Ellie stepped down the stairs quickly as she nocked another arrow, scanning the tops of the pass for any other attackers.
"What the hell!?"
"Fuck! Where are they!?"
Ellie's heart was racing as she heard the voices getting closer, and she knew the fight was upon them. They'd never even found their way into the castle, and now they had nowhere to run. Ellie shot a glance of worry towards Shad, his face twisted with rage in the glow of the torch resting on the steps.
"I'm sorry," she mouthed, turning back to the steps, bow drawn taught.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Several leagues to the East...
The pounding of hooves echoed through the otherwise undisturbed countryside; they slowed, however, as they approached a grouping of tents. Faint light shone through the canopies, offering a small glimpse of a resting wyvern in the center of the grouping. The rider disembarked with haste, approaching the nearest tent.
"Hold, stranger!"
The rider stopped abruptly, standing at attention. He turned to his left, facing the voice. The Bernese soldier approached, a firm grip on the hilt of his blade. As he approached, he noticed the Bernese armor beneath the rider's cloak and relinquished his blade.
"My apologies, sir; I've been sent to deliver a message. Is Sergeant Vael in attendance this evening?"
"Aye. May I ask, what is the message?"
"I cannot say with certainty, it seems a ransom of some kind."
"Surely you're joking! We stand on the brink of war, we can't possibly be bothered by bandits!"
"I agree, sir... but surely, you have family at home, do you not? I know I do - and I'd want to know."
The soldiers locked eyes for a moment, when their attention was broken by the sleeping wyvern; no longer resting, it raised its head and eyed the duo. Just to its left, a figure emerged from the glowing tent before it, placing a hand gently on the wyvern's neck. The soldiers met eyes once more, the guard nodding as he took a step away from the rider.
"Sergeant, a word!"
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