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Post by Brandwyn on Nov 19, 2011 17:48:27 GMT -5
(OOC: * This thread is for Enya and Heather only)
Heather left the Ranger Gathering with her arm still in a sling, her ranger horse laden down with herbs and fruit from Rick and a new apprentice in tow. She was in a pensive mood after the news they had just received and was mulling over her orders from Crowley. It was pretty amazing what could happen in just a week or two.
She glanced sideways at her new apprentice who was riding along beside her. She was new to everything and the girl was so shy she was almost dysfunctional. Heather hoped she would open up once they got out away from all the other people. Still, this was going to be a huge problem if she couldn’t overcome her shyness. Rangers had to be able to address people and sometimes crowds and portray authority. She was going to have to get over being afraid to talk to people. Heather wondered exactly how she was going to work her through that fear and get her to open up.
The girl had potential. She could climb pretty well; she seemed to be pretty smart and picked up on things quickly. Heather liked that, because she didn’t like explaining the same thing over and over and over. Usually that meant the person wasn’t paying attention, and although it often looked like Enya wasn’t paying attention, she seemed to absorb information quickly though and it was nice that she wasn’t prattling on and on and not paying attention to the area around them.
She noticed Enya’s feet were starting to stick out in front of her and she was slouching in the saddle, putting all of her weight on the horse’s hind end. “Sit up straight Enya and put your heels down. That helps your balance.” She edged Shasta closer to Storm and then held up her hand to Enya’s shoulder and dropped it down in a straight line. “Your shoulders, hips and heels should all line up perpendicular to the ground, like this. Sitting up straight and keeping your heels down and your toes pointed straight ahead instead of sticking out will give you good balance.” She moved Enya’s foot back and then pushed in on the small of her back to make her sit up straighter. “The way you sit affects how the horse moves and his balance. Eventually you will be so in tune with each other that all you will have to do is think about what you want and he will do it. For now, though, I want you to get the basics of horsemanship down so that they become instinctual.”
She nodded as Enya made the corrections. “I know this was a rather abrupt ending to the Gathering, but since you haven’t been to one before, I suppose that doesn’t really mean much to you. Normally the Gathering is where we can relax, let down our guard for three days and party. It is also for learning new things and passing on your knowledge to other rangers.”
They rode in silence for a bit, Heather keeping an eye on Enya’s posture. She was concerned about having a completely green apprentice with the turmoil in the Kingdom now and wondered how she was going to protect Enya if they ran into any trouble. Speaking of which…”Enya, we are traveling through some rough terrain and we could run into trouble before we get home. If that happens, I want you to follow my lead. If we end up in a battle, you can use your bow if you are comfortable enough doing that, but if it gets into tight quarters and they get within 20 feet of you, I want you to high tail it out of there at a canter. Just hang onto the horn, lean forward and tell Storm “find city”. He will take you to the nearest town or city and I will find you there. You wait for me no longer than a week. If I don’t show up, you go find the nearest castle and ask to meet with the Baron. Tell him what happened and ask for sanctuary. Then you write a report to Crowley and ask for help and send it by one of the Baron’s couriers. Stay there where you are safe until you get word from Crowley. Understand?”
She hoped she wasn’t scaring her new apprentice, but it was better to make plans than be sorry if they didn’t have it worked out. “So do you have any questions?”
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Enya
Apprentice Scribe
Posts: 109
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Post by Enya on Nov 19, 2011 18:51:11 GMT -5
" Uh OK i understand" Enya said looking at Heather " but lets up we don't run into any trouble "i think i can handle using my bow though i have used one before i think" Enya added looking around. Now that she was away from everyone she seemed to be a lot calmer " Sorry about seeming to nervous back there though.. Just never liked being in a huge crowd of people i don't know, i don't feel that safe" She said " iv been like that ever since i was attacked by bandits "She said. " and nope no questions" She said with a small laugh.
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Post by Brandwyn on Nov 21, 2011 12:15:25 GMT -5
“I hope we don’t run into any either, but somehow when you are a ranger, trouble seems to follow you around like a dog on a leash.” Heather quipped. “I can understand being nervous in crowds, but I would have thought that the bandits attacking you would have made you more comfortable in crowds,” Heather said thoughtfully. “I mean normally bandits attack lone travelers or small groups, so if you are in a crowd the chance of you being attacked by bandits again is pretty slim.” She glanced at Enya, “Not to be-little your feelings or anything, it is just that it is a curious reaction to the stress from the bandit attack.”
They rode on and Heather noticed Enya’s posture slipping again, though she was doing quite well for hardly ever being on a horse before. She was going to have to take it easy the first couple of days on their way back to her ranger cabin near the sea, otherwise Enya wasn’t going to be able to stand up when they got there. “Hold your head up and don’t slouch. You want to look in the direction you want your horse to go. That keeps your head in balance over your body and over the horse’s center of gravity. It also helps you to use your hands and legs, subconsciously, to guide the horse. You are doing good, but I think it is time for a break. Let’s stop at that stream up there and water the horses and have some lunch.” Heather suggested. “I have a feeling you are probably going to be starting to find muscles you never knew you had, but you don’t know it yet – not until you swing down from there and try to stand up.”
They moved to the side of the road where it was obvious many travelers had used this spot to camp. There was a circle of river stones placed for a fire and someone had even left a nice sized pile of firewood nearby. The stream was about 10 feet wide and probably around 2 feet deep with a pretty stiff current. It was easily crossed with the horses, but Heather would prefer not to try crossing here on foot, even with the submerged log bridge. One misstep and a person could be swept off and down the fast moving river.
“this is Butterfield’s Creek,” Heather informed her as she dismounted and lead Shasta up to the edge of the water and then squatted next to her horse’s front leg. She surveyed the far bank and looked up into the trees, watching the area around them while her horse drank. “Always keep a lookout around you while your horse drinks. You guard him when he is vulnerable and he will guard you when you are vulnerable. Never take it for granted that you are safe and there is no one around that would want to harm you. Not even when just outside of major towns or on well-travelled roads.” She instructed as Shasta took a long, long drink. Her bow was resting in her hand, seemingly on the ground at her side, but she had a firm grip on it and could aim and fire at a moment’s notice should the need arise. When Shasta finished, Heather leaned forward and scooped up a palm full of water, still looking around while she drank. When she finished she backed Shasta up so Enya and Stormy could get some water and watched to see if her apprentice had been paying attention.
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Enya
Apprentice Scribe
Posts: 109
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Post by Enya on Nov 25, 2011 19:04:45 GMT -5
Enya lead her horse to the water keeping an eye out on her surroundings while he drank.. once he was done she got her some water also. she then lead stormy over to where heater and her horse was and looked around some. before she looked at Heather staying quiet not knowing anything to say.
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Post by Brandwyn on Nov 28, 2011 13:01:36 GMT -5
Heather nodded, “Good job! Let’s get some lunch.” She pulled out some hais balls and venison pasties and handed some to Enya. “These hais balls are great for when you don’t have time to stop. You can eat them while you are riding and with the oats and nuts and honey they will give you lots of energy and keep you awake.”
“I was hoping to make it to the edge of Whitby tonight, but I don’t want to push you too hard, it being your first day in the saddle. You should take this time to walk around and rub some of this salve into your thighs and hind end. It will help relax the muscles and prevent cramping. You are going to be pretty sore tomorrow regardless, I’m afraid.” Heather handed her a small clay pot with a tight fitting lid. Inside contained a cream that smelled pleasantly of roses and chamomile. She figured they could rest here for an hour or two and eat some lunch and work on Enya’s bow skills.
When they were finished eating Heather picked out some targets and gave Enya a basic lesson in shooting. All during that time she was watching their surroundings and keeping an eye on the ranger horses because they would sense any danger long before she could. Fortunately there were no incidents and soon they were in the saddle again, riding in silence for a long, long time.
Around sunset Heather called for another halt in the middle of a moderate sized forest. They had left the regular trail a couple hours earlier and were threading their way across the woods in order to cut off a few hours of their journey. Even though they were travelling a little bit south as they made their way east, she shivered at the bite of the early fall wind. A hint of rain carried on the breeze as she dismounted and pulled her pack and saddle off Shasta and set them on a large fallen log. She took out a rag and rubbed her mount down, smoothing out the lines from the girth and rubbing out the itches. Then she pulled off the bridle and set out the bucket of oats for Shasta’s supper in the soft bucket she carried in her saddlebags.
“Let’s set up one of the tents. One of us can sleep while the other keeps watch and that way we will have a dry tent for tomorrow night as well.” Heather suggested. They were in wild country now and Heather debated about starting a fire. It could attract some unwanted attention if there were any outlaws nearby. A cold gust of wind made up her mind and she told Enya to go ahead and gather some firewood while she pitched the tent. She had found a small spring trickling up from the roots of a tree a few years back the first time she’d travelled this route. This year it was clogged with dead leaves and she had to dig it out and get it running again before she could fill the canteens and the coffee pot.
“Let’s see how you are at starting a fire.” Heather said cheerfully as she set the pot full of cold water on the ground next to the area she had cleared for the campfire. It was sheltered between two large rocks, but Heather knew the glow would still be seen through the trees. “Keep it fairly small and we’ll put it out as soon as we are done cooking.”
“So do you want the first and third watches, or do you want the second and fourth watches?” Heather asked as she began to prepare their supper, waiting for the fire to get hot enough to cook the food.
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Enya
Apprentice Scribe
Posts: 109
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Post by Enya on Nov 28, 2011 16:53:17 GMT -5
As Enya lit the fire she listen to Heather speak. " uh, ill take second and forth.. i'm kinda tired and i don't want to end up falling asleep"Enya said looking up after the fire was lit she stretched a little. " so how much farther is it that we have to travel?" She asked standing up and stepped over to where stormy was and ran her hand down his nose.
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Post by Brandwyn on Dec 2, 2011 23:58:07 GMT -5
“Second and fourth it is.” Heather agreed and took a scan of the woods around them. The hairs on the back of her neck were tingling and she knew from experience that was usually a bad sign. “I figure we will do 2 two-hour shifts tonight just to see how you do standing guard. It takes about a week to get home and most of the time we will be able to stay at inns along the way.” Heather set the food over the flames. “I like to sleep indoors whenever the opportunity presents itself.” She grinned at Enya, then grew serious. “Of course with this plague out of Norgate, I wonder if it wouldn’t be wiser to stick to the wilds.”
Heather didn’t like the sound of the plague and quite frankly it scared the stuffing out of her. She hated to get sick and she hated being around sick people. As a ranger, however, she was going to have to curb her natural instinct to flee and show by example that people should stay home and continue with their lives as usual if they are able with the exception of limiting contact with other people. The worse thing that could happen – and was happening- would be for infected people to run and spread the disease all over the Kingdom. Yet it sounded as if that is what was going on.
She wanted to know what was going on locally however, so if they stayed away from civilization then they wouldn’t know what was happening. She cooked the food in silence, keeping an eye and two ears on their surrounding.
After supper Heather helped Enya clean out the dishes and stow them back in the pack. “Well, you better get some sleep. I will wake you in 2 hours.” Heather suggested and then found a stump she could sit on and lean up against another tree. She pulled her cloak around her and the hood down low over her face. She took her arm out of the sling and her strung bow was held casually across her lap. She still had the sense that someone or some thing was out there watching them.
However her two hours passed with nothing out of the normal happening and so she gently shook Enya awake. “Your turn,” Heather said softly. “Keep a check on the horses, they will alert us if there is something out there, and I have had a feeling of being watched for a while now.” She instructed her apprentice. “If you find yourself dozing off wake me, even if the 2 hours aren’t up. If something does happen or you even think there might be something, wake me, okay?”
Heather made sure Enya was ready and awake and then she pushed Enya’s bedroll to the side and spread her own out on the floor of the small tent and crawled into it. Soon she was asleep in that light, half alert state she had developed from years of traveling alone.
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Enya
Apprentice Scribe
Posts: 109
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Post by Enya on Dec 3, 2011 17:34:25 GMT -5
Enya sat there keeping a watch fill eye out on her surroundings. But she also kept her eyes on the horses, Pulling her cloak tightly around her she sighed slightly. the little sleep she had got was good but she wished she could still be asleep, but she would be OK until it was time for her to sleep again.
When her turn was over she stood and walked over to heather and gently shook her to wake her up for her shift.
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Post by Brandwyn on Dec 5, 2011 15:55:19 GMT -5
Heather started to wake before she felt Enya’s hand on her shoulder. She’d heard the girl approaching and didn’t move until Enya had touched her. “Any trouble?” She asked as she rolled out of her blankets, pushing them back to the side of the tent. There really wasn’t enough room for two inside so she slid out of the tent, holding her bow and arrows in front of her. She stood up and slung the quiver over her back and settled the ranger cloak on top, scanning the woods. The moon was just setting behind the tops of the trees and the shadows beneath the canopy were deep and black. She still had the sensation they were being watched.
“Okay, you get some sleep and I will wake you later on for the last watch.” Heather said, but she figured she would likely let her apprentice sleep extra. She was too keyed up to rest anyway.
She took a walk around the clearing, just into the trees and checked on the horses. Shasta was raising her head and looking around after every other mouthful. Heather could tell something was bothering her but Shasta was sure what was wrong. “What’s out there girl?” Heather breathed in Shasta’s ear and then using her as a shield, quickly drew an arrow and knocked it as she scanned the woods over Shasta’s shoulder. She didn’t see anything and so she patted Shasta and then stepped into the trees, melting into the darkness.
Silently she moved from one patch of deep shadow to another, circling around their camp in an attempt to hide from whomever might be out there watching her. She finally found a good vantage point in between two large trees that formed a V at her back. She pulled her cloak down around her face and then stood, unmoving, leaning against the tree with an arrow set on the string, the bow hanging by her side. She waited…
An hour passed during which she remained alert and unmoving. She kept part of her attention on the camp while she tried to reason out the problem that was keeping her awake; her feelings for Ben and Rick and her friendship with them and Roary and Quade. The five of them were all classmates, having gone through their apprenticeships at the same time and had become pretty close friends. At least they were as close friends as she had ever had with anyone.
She went back over the time at the Gathering and the interactions she’d had with Ben and Rick and for the zillionth time tried to choose between them. It was impossible. Both had attributes that attracted her, both were fine rangers and caring human beings, both were sensitive even though they both had trouble expressing it. They both cared for her, of that she was sure. What she didn’t know was in what way they cared for her. They both had flaws as well. Rick was a known “schmoozer” and ladies man and had never before hinted at making a commitment with anyone – at least not until the last night of the Gathering…
Ben was reserved, quiet and hard to read. He didn’t show his emotions and he seemed almost afraid to be himself around her. Heather wondered if that was because he was uncomfortable around her, of if it was because he really cared about her deeply.
Why was she obsessing so much over this anyway? She thought and scanned the area again moving her head slightly in irritation at herself. It didn’t matter. She wasn’t going to able to see much of either one of them until the next gathering and it would be years before any of them retired. If she were to choose one of them and it grew serious enough for them to consider marriage, it would be likely that Crowley would force her to retire, just like Shanna had done. She had no intention of retiring in the next 10 years at least if not closer to 20. Of course by that time it would be too late for her to have children. She glanced toward the tent with Enya sleeping inside. Children. She’d never really been compelled to have any before, but suddenly it seemed like it was a worthwhile endeavor. Did she want children? She wasn’t sure.
She didn’t want to grow old alone and not be remembered by anyone; that was one thing she knew for sure. Children would ensure that wouldn’t happen. Children meant a husband. Which one of the two would be better husband material? ‘I need to keep my mind on what I am supposed to be doing here and stop this nonsense’ she told herself sternly.
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Ben… at least on the surface one would think he would be much more attentive and better suited to married life. With Rick she would be wondering if his eyes (and hands) were wandering, especially as he continued his ranger duties and was out on the trail for days at a time. Or would he be better? He was very good at anticipating her needs and willing to fulfill them, being very attentive. Would that last over the long haul? There was no way of telling.
She slowly moved her hand to rub an itch on her nose.
“Twang!” Heather ducked before she heard the sound, sensing the disturbance in the air. Rrrrriiiipppp! A crossbow bolt pinned the edge of her cloak hood to the tree right where her head had been a fraction of a second earlier. She ripped it free and dropped to the ground and rolled, and kept rolling as another bolt skimmed past her ear. She had seen the general direction of where it had come from, but couldn’t pinpoint it in the dark. However, since it was a crossbow, the assassin would now be reloading. This was her chance to flush him out.
She leapt up and darted across a lighter patch of ground and started to dive into a thicket of bushes and blackberry vines. The dive is probably what saved her life as another bolt slammed into her already injured shoulder right at the point and lodged in the joint.
“Aaaaiiii!” she screeched, unable to stop herself as the pain hit her and the force of the bolt pushed her to the side so she landed behind the thicket instead of in the middle of the briars she could now see. She rolled again, gripping the bolt and broke it off at the surface of her shoulder as she continued to try to find cover. Finally she rolled behind a huge fallen log and lay still, her cloak pulled around her. She held her bow across her and gripped the string with her injured arm. Blood ran down and dripped off her little finger and she wondered if she would be able to draw and fire.
She lay still and held her breath and then she could hear movement across the clearing. “I got her, Boss,” a gruff voice hissed. Heather clenched her teeth and drew the bow and fired. She reached back for another arrow before the first one found its mark, but the bolt in her shoulder caused her reactions to be too slow. Another crossbow bolt landed in the dirt where she had been lying. This one coming from a little farther to her left. So there were at least two if not three of them.
Her arrow had struck home, however and the one who had shot her toppled out of the tree line and lay unmoving on his back. Her arrow was pertruding from his chest. She had the second arrow knocked now, but was unsure of her target’s location since she’d had to roll out of the path of another bolt and then yet another one. She reversed direction and rolled back in the opposite direction just as the shooter got wise to her movement. Another bolt snagged her pant leg. For the moment they had her pinned down behind the log. She lay still again, feigning death.
“Get the kid.” Heather heard a very deep voice, one that sounded familiar and her blood ran cold. She couldn’t let them harm Enya. She waited for one of them to show himself and as she waited for mere fractions, her senses heightened and she could hear one of them breathing just off to her left. She fired her arrow, barely able to draw the bow fully and nearly lost it because her fingers were slick with blood. Then she was on the move again, darting through the trees and trying to lead them away from Enya. ‘How many are there?’ she asked as she darted back and forth and sunk down behind a rock.
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Enya
Apprentice Scribe
Posts: 109
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Post by Enya on Dec 5, 2011 17:17:27 GMT -5
Enya was sound asleep until she heard the camotion. looking up and slipped out of the tint and looked around. ~something wrong~Enya thought when she heard one say we got her Enya let out a deep growl. quickly she climbed a tree and looked around seeing the guys moved she growled " Leave her alone"Enya snarled throwing her voice to confuse the people. Enya was not shore what to do but the knew she had to get them away from Heather some way or another. Managing to keep herself calm as to try and keep herself hidden in the tree.
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Post by Brandwyn on Dec 5, 2011 18:55:53 GMT -5
“Boss, the kid’s gone.”
“Damn it! I told you to keep an eye on the tent. Go find her. She couldn’t have gotten far.” The deep voice growled. Heather was some distance from him now and smiled grimly. At least Enya had evaded them so far. She hoped the girl would lie low and stay out of site. She took a moment to tear off a strip from her cloak and tied it around her arm and over her shoulder in an attempt to slow the blood flow. Then she wiped her hand in the dirt to clean the blood off her fingers so she could still grip an arrow and the string.
“Gorst, where’d the ranger go?” The Boss growled, his voice nearer. “You two stay here at the camp in case she circles around and stay out of sight.” Obviously that was directed at someone other than Gorst. ‘So there are at least 4 of them still out there, maybe 5 if he was not talking to the guy looking for Enya’ Heather mused as she knocked another arrow. She waited, concentrating on the sounds of the man nearest her, coming closer.
He came into view, a few feet from the boulder, his eyes on the ground. Heather realized she’d left a blood trail. She fired and he dropped with a grunt. Heather reloaded and waited still listening intently to any sound that might give away where her attackers were. That voice was so familiar but she couldn’t place it.
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One of the men who was carrying a small horseman’s crossbow threw back the tent flap and kicked at the blankets. “Boss, the kid’s gone,” he called out softly and noticed the other end of the tent was flapping. He stepped around the tent, acknowledging his boss’s reprimand with a nod the man wouldn’t be able to see. It was too dark to follow footprints so he stopped and lifted his chin, sniffing the air.
“Leave her alone” Carson heard the girl’s voice over to his far left. He glanced that way and took a few steps in that direction and sniffed. He moved back again searching the air like a bloodhound.
The man moved a few more steps, right under the tree Enya was hiding in and sniffed, then he moved away a few feet, sniffed, turned and came back. “All right Girlie, I know you are here, I can smell your sweet scent.” He sniffed deeply. “You might as well come on out and we’ll go easier on you.” He walked around the trunk of the tree, peering into the brush. Then he looked up into the branches…
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Enya
Apprentice Scribe
Posts: 109
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Post by Enya on Dec 5, 2011 19:11:58 GMT -5
Enya took that moment to swing down out of the tree and slammed her foot into the mans nose, before she let go of the tree and back fliped in the air so she would not end up on her back. Landing on her feet she spun around and growled " You dare hurt my friend. my mentor. and now you want to hurt me?" Enya growled " Well you cross the line.." She said. Enya hid her fear well she stood her ground looking angry and ready to snap this guys neck if he came at her.
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Post by Brandwyn on Dec 6, 2011 20:34:46 GMT -5
“Arrrgghhh!” Carson dropped the crossbow and clutched his broken nose. “Yerg gonna pay for that!” He gurgled as blood ran down his face. He crouched down as if he was going to pick up his crossbow as she landed in front of him.
"You dare hurt my friend. my mentor. and now you want to hurt me?" Enya growled "Well you cross the line..."
Without another word the bandit half straightened and lunged for Enya, intending to grab her around the waist and throw her to the ground.
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The leader approached Gorst’s body cautiously, peering into the bushes and moving forward in a crouched position. Heather could hear him and make out a faint movement in the shadows, but the boulder blocked her direct view.
The leader nudged Gorst with his toe but there was no response. Heather heard him growling as he reloaded his crossbow. As he was hunched over the bow pulling back the string Heather stepped out away from the boulder and fired an arrow almost point blank into his lower right side. She reached for another arrow, straining against the pain in her shoulder.
He grunted in pain but instead of dropping the bow he began to raise it…
She knocked the arrow and swung it in his direction…
He pointed the crossbow bolt at her heart…
She pointed the arrow at the haft of the crossbow bolt just behind the point…
She fired. He fired…
Her arrow pinned the crossbow bolt to the haft of the crossbow just in front of the fletches so it never left the bow.
“Damn Rangers!” he growled and threw the crossbow at her. Heather ducked and drew her throwing knife in her left hand and her saxe in her injured right hand as he took two steps toward her.
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Enya
Apprentice Scribe
Posts: 109
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Post by Enya on Dec 6, 2011 20:43:54 GMT -5
Enya slipped closer to him at the last moment she dropped to the ground and rolled between his legs before she spun around kicking her legs out while keeping balanced on her hands she attempted to knock the mans legs out from under him " You messed with the wrong girl mate.. I know how to defined myself" Enya snapped before she got to her feet. Her eyes if anyone looked at them looked deadly , Anyone would know Enya was angry.
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Post by Brandwyn on Dec 7, 2011 12:12:50 GMT -5
Carson missed her as she dove between his legs, clutching at the fabric of her cloak which slipped through his fingers. Then he crashed to his knees as the double barrel kicked him in the back of his legs. “Damn!” He grunted and then rolled onto his butt, turning around so he could reach her.
He stretched his hand out lightening fast and latched onto her ankle in an iron grip. Chuckling evilly, he began to drag her toward him and pulled out a long narrow fillet knife from his belt. “Yer awfully purty ta be cuttin’ up, but seeing as how ya won’t learn yer lesson the easy way…” The knife blade glistened in the dark faintly reflecting the minimal light from the clouds overhead. Carson’s nose was still bleeding and it lay at an odd angle across his face but it didn’t seem to be bothering him very much.
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Heather threw her knife with her left hand, knowing she couldn’t flick it correctly with her dominant arm because of the arrow tip in her shoulder. Her aim was slightly off and it sliced the side of his throat and thudded into a tree trunk behind him.
He clutched at his throat and lurched sideways, moving slightly away from her and Heather took the opportunity to kick him in the guts.
With a gurgle he fell over and grazed his head on a rock on the way down. He lay still as Heather stood over him with her saxe knife in hand, breathing hard. She backed up a step, sliding up against the rock out of the line of fire from the others she knew were still there. For a moment all she heard was the sounds of Enya struggling with her attacker.
She grabbed a fist-sized rock and hurled it at the fallen man in front of her in order to determine if he was really unconscious or not without coming into his reach. He didn’t move but lay there on his stomach with the rather severe cut in his neck oozing blood all over his left hand that was still clutching the wound.
Heather carefully squatted next to him, her saxe knife poised above him and gently felt for breath on her hand under his nose. She felt her palm grow hot and moist. He still lived. Quickly she fished her thumb restraints out of her belt pouch and looped them around his thumbs, tying his hands behind his back. Not wanting him to bleed to death before she could question him, she tore off another bit of her cloak and wrapped it around his neck, slowing the flow of blood. Slowly she stood up.
Thwack! A crossbow clattered into the rock right behind her head and Heather ducked back instinctively. She sheathed the saxe knife and readied another arrow. There were still at least three men out there to take care of.
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