[coronatiger]

Thoughts on March 6th

Olivia and I were sitting on the hill and talking again when Lady Karita came charging down the road. She had spotted the inquisitor’s party and signaled for us to prepare. Va’lyndra made an ice slick on the road and we scattered some leaves and dead grass on top. I lay down in my trench and put my mask on. Olivia covered me with a blanket and buried me beneath a thin layer of dirt.

I shivered with anticipation and hoped I wasn’t shifting the dirt. I imagined lying there, completely defenseless and in the open, being pierced by halberds. Oddly enough, when the thunder of hooves approached, I calmed down. The steady trot indicated to me that the riders didn’t suspect a thing. When they passed, I pushed away the dirt-covered blanket and leapt to my feet. The riders didn’t spot me as I pulled an arrow, took aim at one of the two in the back and let loose, just as he shouted “Ice!” to warn his companions of the treacherous ground ahead.

My target must have had help from up high, for the bow twisted in my hand, and the arrow took flight across the field. He pulled his horse to a stop, but the other four riders tumbled head over heel as their horses slipped and fell. The escorts wore bared halberds on their backs and one of them cut deeply into the horse in front.

Ilzo stood up and activated the tripwires, quite needlessly, and wasted valuable time before striking out with Surkalpi. Lady Karita fired a lightning bolt into the throng. I shifted my grip on the bow and drew another arrow. Vice-Captain Vidkun, who had been riding in front, steadied himself on a tripwire and started pulling his horse off the ice, but the knights converged on Ilzo, who occupied the only spot of ice with gravel on it. The one who had remained outside the ice slick came at him from the side, using the length of his halberd to reach the orc. The one Ilzo had cut struck out from a crawling posture, also with a halberd. The last two pulled knives and tried to close with him.

Ilzo failed to parry the halberds and took serious damage, but when I put a bodkin arrow through the back plate of the rider, he turned towards me and Lady Karita, shouting about archers. Lady Karita had had no practice with the lightning wand before, and her next bolt flew wide. Ilzo dropped Surkalpi, which was getting in the way, and tried to punch one of the knifemen.

Off to my right, Va’lyndra came into my field of vision, running down the hill. She was supposed to be on the other side of the trap, but perhaps she would be more useful here. She and Lady Karita would keep the rider away from me. They would fight two against one, and would hopefully take him down before the inquisitor joined the fray. Ilzo had three opponents to contend with, and looked in dire need of help, so I put an arrow into the back of a knife fighter. Ilzo took cut after cut from the knives, none of them deep, but they were adding up.

Va’lyndra toppled the rider with a dehydration spell and Lady Karita hurled a throwing star at Vice-Captain Vidkun, who dodged. He shouted “Kill the heretics!” and charged towards the disguised high human.

The halberdier that Ilzo cut at the beginning of the fight finally collapsed, and one of the knife fighters disengaged and drew his halberd to go help his boss. The other got another bodkin arrow in the back.

The inquisitor had drawn a sword that was even larger than Lady Karita’s and swiped at her. I winced at her feeble attempt at acrobatics. She put her weight on the wrong foot, and the blade connected. Miraculously, she remained on her feet, and Va’lyndra blasted the inquisitor with the dehydration spell. Lady Karita shook off the blow and focused on her defense, but her opponent weaved his blade past hers and made a deep gash across her stomach. She dropped to the ground. Another blast from Va’lyndra took down the Vice-Captain.

Ilzo grabbed the last knife fighter and tackled him to the ground. He took hold around his neck while the knifeman kept stabbing. They were out of sight in Ilzo’s trench, so I fired at the halberdier advancing on Va’lyndra, but missed.

Va’lyndra had to be out of mana, for she engaged the halberdier in melee, staff whirling in an ineffective all-out attack. The halberdier attacked with two rapid strikes and Va’lyndra’s flying shield interposed itself. The shield fell to the ground. I drew another arrow, but Va’lyndra brought down her opponent before I could shoot.

Ilzo picked up Surkalpi and decapitated the two fallen opponents within his reach. Blood was flowing from his multitude of wounds, and he was trembling, barely able to stand up, but I raced towards Lady Karita, pulling a healing potion from my pouch and dumping it in her mouth. I gestured at Va’lyndra, trying to convey “get Olivia!” before running back to my trench, where I had more potions. This time I went over to Ilzo, and he emptied all eight of my bottles.

Olivia came down the hill and I pointed at Lady Karita’s fallen body. She crashed to her knees, healing salves at the ready, but it was no use. Our friend was dead. Va’lyndra reminded us we needed to hurry. Olivia bandaged the two surviving knights and their captain, and I tied them up, just as we had planned. Va’lyndra tried to help the fallen horses, but found out that healing potions don’t fix broken legs.

One of their horses had run off during the battle and two had to be put down. We had enough horses, so I figured we would leave the last two behind. I made lifting gestures at Ilzo and pointed to the hog-tied inquisitor. He tossed him over the shoulder. I carried Lady Karita’s corpse with as much respect as I could muster, and we returned to camp.

I tied the prisoner across the horse Luffe had gotten for us and Lady Karita to her own mount. Ilzo returned to the battlefield to help Va’lyndra tidy up. Olivia and I demolished the camp and prepared to move out as soon as Ilzo and Va’lyndra returned. Suddenly, Ilzo roared. I dashed over the hill and spotted two villagers running away. I thought it was time to go and gestured as much. Va’lyndra came over and gave me four arrows, two of them broken. The last two had flown off. She asked why I wasn’t speaking, but I glanced meaningfully at the two tied-up knights and remained silent. I nodded in thanks for the arrows, though.

We left, and the sun began setting. Our prisoner woke up, and I took off my mask and my helmet, and untied the gag I had in my mouth, forcing it upon the inquisitor instead. Va’lyndra and Ilzo stared at me. “What? I couldn’t be sure they wouldn’t recognize my voice, and I wanted a reminder not to speak before we left the survivors behind.” I don’t speak during performances, so my voice is hardly as famous as my body, but I didn’t want to take any chances.

Va’lyndra alternated between scouting the way and hiding our tracks, so going was slow. We hope any followers will have trouble finding us, and if they’re coming from Surd, we’ll have at least two days’ head start. I doubt the villagers have the balls to follow someone who just butchered an elite squad.

I gave Olivia the main responsibility for watching the prisoner while we traveled. Since Va’lyndra had other duties, Olivia was the most observant person there. I kept an eye on him myself as well, but it was Olivia who alerted me to the attempted escape, so I rode over and slapped him a couple of times to let him know we knew what he was doing. On our next stop, Va’lyndra encased his hands and feet in wood. She wasn’t as confident in my knots as I was, apparently.

We made camp after a couple of hours and removed the gag to feed Vice-Captain Vidkun. He immediately shouted for help, that he was being kidnapped. I calmly told him there was no need to shout, and by the way, we already knew. I hoped my mild tone would convince him that yelling was futile, but he kept at it until Va’lyndra sprayed his face full of water. I blindfolded and gagged him again, and explained that we would feed him tomorrow, if he didn’t annoy us. Then I packed him in blankets and took Olivia to bed. Va’lyndra had the first watch, as usual.