leading the other team’s charge was at least six and a half feet tall and raised his wooden sword high above his head.
I am so lucky I am not on the front row. “ Step forward!” someone in my team suddenly shouted and we all stepped forward. The other team got closer and closer. “Again! Step forward!” The man shouted and we all stepped forward again. Now the other team was metres away and we had about a second. “And again!” We all stepped forward together straight into the charging men who were halted with a sickening jolt when they hit the shield wall. There was a crack as the big man at the front swung his sword at a shield and his sword fractured into splinters. There was a triumphant cry from our front row as the other team advanced and as more of the other team tried to penetrate the solid wall of shields. The big man only pushed a few men aside before the hitting swords and shields pushed him back. The rest of their team smashed into us and the line was slowly broken in to smaller skirmishes. We hung back; I was too scared to go forward. Then suddenly Donal stepped forward.
“Le t’s go!” he said and walked towards the middle of the fight.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“It looks like good fun so I am joining in!” he said over his shoulder. He then ran up to one of the big men on the other team and jabbed him on the arm. I went forward to help him as the big man turned to fight Donal. The big man brought his sword down towards Donal with huge force but to my utter astonishment he stepped inside the sword blow and slammed his shield into the man’s soft underbelly, pushing him off balance. I took my chance and slammed into him at the same time as Donal, sending the big man sprawling on the ground. Donal and I grinned at each other, we had taken him down! We had no time to do anything else though as another man was turning to Donal and I jumped forward to parry the blow before it hit him. The blow jarred my wrist and I dropped my sword. I yelped in pain and jumped backwards into Donal, bringing my other hand up to support the shield. I raised my shield to block the next blow from the man but he changed its direction mid swing and it hit my jarred arm. My arm shook in pain and I almost dropped the shield as well. Then someone ran into my side and I fell on to the ground and the man who ran into me tripped over me. The man turned around to smash me but the voice of the commander rang out calling us to stop and we did. We were called around the commander so I tried to get up but landed on my bad arm. Then next time I tried to get up, I quickly scrambled to my feet and headed towards the group now around the commander. I retrieved my sword and joined at the back, straining to hear what was being said but I could not hear much. Tain quickly tapped me on the shoulder and beckoned me to one side.
“Stay here , I am fetching the others.” He then went back to the group and got the others. “Ok, the first items have arrived early. A high official has come to see all goes well so look very smart and put down your swords and shields.” We put the weapons down and brushed the dirt of our uniforms. “We have already set up the area so all you have to do is the task. Now you have probably heard of Bombardiers, and what you are doing involves fireshot powder, which is what makes it fire. This means a big bang and a flash. Are you all ok with that?” We nodded and followed him through the compound. We reached the shed but he kept going right past it towards the far end of the compound where we hadn’t been to yet.
“Where do you think we are going? I asked Donal.
“I have no idea,” he said. “We could be going anywhere so don’t ask me.” We came to a palisade then passed through an open gate in it to the next area. We were all quite shocked as through the gate there was a large hole ten metres deep and fifty metres wide and long, which had obviously been dug about a year ago as there was
I am so lucky I am not on the front row. “ Step forward!” someone in my team suddenly shouted and we all stepped forward. The other team got closer and closer. “Again! Step forward!” The man shouted and we all stepped forward again. Now the other team was metres away and we had about a second. “And again!” We all stepped forward together straight into the charging men who were halted with a sickening jolt when they hit the shield wall. There was a crack as the big man at the front swung his sword at a shield and his sword fractured into splinters. There was a triumphant cry from our front row as the other team advanced and as more of the other team tried to penetrate the solid wall of shields. The big man only pushed a few men aside before the hitting swords and shields pushed him back. The rest of their team smashed into us and the line was slowly broken in to smaller skirmishes. We hung back; I was too scared to go forward. Then suddenly Donal stepped forward.
“Le t’s go!” he said and walked towards the middle of the fight.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“It looks like good fun so I am joining in!” he said over his shoulder. He then ran up to one of the big men on the other team and jabbed him on the arm. I went forward to help him as the big man turned to fight Donal. The big man brought his sword down towards Donal with huge force but to my utter astonishment he stepped inside the sword blow and slammed his shield into the man’s soft underbelly, pushing him off balance. I took my chance and slammed into him at the same time as Donal, sending the big man sprawling on the ground. Donal and I grinned at each other, we had taken him down! We had no time to do anything else though as another man was turning to Donal and I jumped forward to parry the blow before it hit him. The blow jarred my wrist and I dropped my sword. I yelped in pain and jumped backwards into Donal, bringing my other hand up to support the shield. I raised my shield to block the next blow from the man but he changed its direction mid swing and it hit my jarred arm. My arm shook in pain and I almost dropped the shield as well. Then someone ran into my side and I fell on to the ground and the man who ran into me tripped over me. The man turned around to smash me but the voice of the commander rang out calling us to stop and we did. We were called around the commander so I tried to get up but landed on my bad arm. Then next time I tried to get up, I quickly scrambled to my feet and headed towards the group now around the commander. I retrieved my sword and joined at the back, straining to hear what was being said but I could not hear much. Tain quickly tapped me on the shoulder and beckoned me to one side.
“Stay here , I am fetching the others.” He then went back to the group and got the others. “Ok, the first items have arrived early. A high official has come to see all goes well so look very smart and put down your swords and shields.” We put the weapons down and brushed the dirt of our uniforms. “We have already set up the area so all you have to do is the task. Now you have probably heard of Bombardiers, and what you are doing involves fireshot powder, which is what makes it fire. This means a big bang and a flash. Are you all ok with that?” We nodded and followed him through the compound. We reached the shed but he kept going right past it towards the far end of the compound where we hadn’t been to yet.
“Where do you think we are going? I asked Donal.
“I have no idea,” he said. “We could be going anywhere so don’t ask me.” We came to a palisade then passed through an open gate in it to the next area. We were all quite shocked as through the gate there was a large hole ten metres deep and fifty metres wide and long, which had obviously been dug about a year ago as there was
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