07-01-2016, 11:24 AM
Ellie noticed a group of soldiers approaching the inn; she noticed at the rear was their commander, a man touting a flowing cape. With them was a battered man toting Bern's colours. She slowly slid the window open and stuck her head out for a better view, but the men disappeared under the cover of a nearby building, save for two crossbowmen who were watching the skies.
Gently, she shut the window and made a move for the stairs, motioning for the old man to hide if he could. She scampered down the hallway and jogged part way down the stairs when she saw another familiar face - the Keeper, Yuri! She smiled and waved in his and Paige's direction when gasps filled the room. Her eyes immediately turned to the door as it swung open, the clatter of soldiers entering the inn with their prisoner; too slow...
She darted back to the top of the stairs and shouldered her bow - there'd be no using it in such tight quarters. She pressed her back firmly against the wall and listened carefully as the men flooded into the inn.
"Prep the prisoner for interrogation. You two, get your crossbows to the windows upstairs. Shoot anything that flies. I am Commander Raul. This inn is now our base of operations. You all have the honor of being drafted into the Imperial Lycian Army."
Not today, Commander.
Ellie stepped quietly back towards the old man's room and drew one of her daggers; she slipped back into the man's room and left the door ajar - just enough to hear the men approach. She could hear them mumbling as they scanned the rooms, kicking in the locked doors as they made their way down the hall.
"This one will do, I'll stay here."
One set of footsteps seemed to leave another behind, coming ever closer to Ellie's room. She could hear him stop for a moment, just on the other side of the door. In the next breath, the head of a crossbow found its way into the room before the door was nudged wide.
"Hey, got an ar-" the man shouted as he spotted Ellie. She lunged towards him, knocking the crossbow upwards and thrusting her dagger furiously into the abdomen of the crossbowmen as she tackled him back across the hallway. With every stab, the man sputtered, hacking up blood, until he went limp - the seconds seemed like minutes.
"What's that?" said the other man as he stepped into the hall, checking left and then to the right, directly towards Ellie. In a panic, she darted towards him and drew her other dagger. The man drew back his crossbow and loaded a bolt, prepared to fire as Ellie ducked low and tackled him at waist height - then they fell, for what seemed like an eternity, down the stairs into the open air of the inn. Everyone stood, dumbfounded by the scene, as Ellie found herself on her back under a much, much bigger soldier than she first thought.
"Fool!" he shouted, punching Ellie hard in the ribs, and once more in the nose. She felt the warmth of blood gushing down her face, dazed and confused. She could feel herself being pulled to her feet from behind as she dropped her dagger - totally helpless.
Gently, she shut the window and made a move for the stairs, motioning for the old man to hide if he could. She scampered down the hallway and jogged part way down the stairs when she saw another familiar face - the Keeper, Yuri! She smiled and waved in his and Paige's direction when gasps filled the room. Her eyes immediately turned to the door as it swung open, the clatter of soldiers entering the inn with their prisoner; too slow...
She darted back to the top of the stairs and shouldered her bow - there'd be no using it in such tight quarters. She pressed her back firmly against the wall and listened carefully as the men flooded into the inn.
"Prep the prisoner for interrogation. You two, get your crossbows to the windows upstairs. Shoot anything that flies. I am Commander Raul. This inn is now our base of operations. You all have the honor of being drafted into the Imperial Lycian Army."
Not today, Commander.
Ellie stepped quietly back towards the old man's room and drew one of her daggers; she slipped back into the man's room and left the door ajar - just enough to hear the men approach. She could hear them mumbling as they scanned the rooms, kicking in the locked doors as they made their way down the hall.
"This one will do, I'll stay here."
One set of footsteps seemed to leave another behind, coming ever closer to Ellie's room. She could hear him stop for a moment, just on the other side of the door. In the next breath, the head of a crossbow found its way into the room before the door was nudged wide.
"Hey, got an ar-" the man shouted as he spotted Ellie. She lunged towards him, knocking the crossbow upwards and thrusting her dagger furiously into the abdomen of the crossbowmen as she tackled him back across the hallway. With every stab, the man sputtered, hacking up blood, until he went limp - the seconds seemed like minutes.
"What's that?" said the other man as he stepped into the hall, checking left and then to the right, directly towards Ellie. In a panic, she darted towards him and drew her other dagger. The man drew back his crossbow and loaded a bolt, prepared to fire as Ellie ducked low and tackled him at waist height - then they fell, for what seemed like an eternity, down the stairs into the open air of the inn. Everyone stood, dumbfounded by the scene, as Ellie found herself on her back under a much, much bigger soldier than she first thought.
"Fool!" he shouted, punching Ellie hard in the ribs, and once more in the nose. She felt the warmth of blood gushing down her face, dazed and confused. She could feel herself being pulled to her feet from behind as she dropped her dagger - totally helpless.
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