the stone-faced man across
the bridge. The two met near the center of the wooden structure,
swords striking as each man tried to get an advantage. The leader
of the bandits hit at Urith, who defended himself with his battered shield.
However, several of the thugs behind their leader threw spears
which struck the ossane, sending the animal down. The Esterblud
jumped off his wounded ossane, landing on the long neck of the
bandit’s mount. His weight forced the animal’s head down to the
wood planks, causing the bandit leader to fall awkwardly and
sending the warrior down on planks. The ossane immediately climbed
to its feet, forcing the Esterblud to move aside as the panicked
animal ran by him, jumping over the dead ossane which blocked the
path. His quick glance over to his friends revealed savage fighting
with the bandits. Arvim took on two enemy fighters attempting to
come onto the bridge from behind Urith.
Three thugs faced Urith, and he charged them, yelling the wild cry of his
clan. His first sword strike missed its target, but he managed to
parry a counter-stroke from one of the bandits. His momentum
carried the warrior into the enemy, knocking him flat. Urith kicked
him in the groin. However , the fighter was forced to throw up his shield as another
attacker came at him with a battle ax. The Esterblud deflected the
ax, but his arm took the jarring energy as the
shield broke. Fortunately, the enemy’s momentum sent him to the
edge of the bridge. Urith swung his sword into the back of the man
who fell away into the stream below. Coming back to the bandit
holding his crotch, the Esterblud swung his sword down, sending his
enemy’s head tumbling along the bridge.
The leader of the bandits was on his feet, striking
at Urith, who was able to parry the stroke.
While younger than his opponent, the Esterblud knew he held an
advantage on the Aberffraw and he quickly exploited his knowledge.
The leader tried to come in close against the larger Esterblud,
striking at his neck with a long-bladed dagger. Urith saw the move coming and threw up his battered shield,
striking the man in the mouth. The blood poured from his lips, and the leader fell back, slicing his
sword into Urith’s shield which finally shattered, sending wood
pieces across the area. The flying wood distracted the bandit for a moment, but the young Esterblud seized the
advantage, coming around with a long sweep of his Clovel Sword, which struck the man in the throat. The
blood spattered across both men as the leader of the bandits
grabbed his neck in a doomed effort to staunch the wound.
Urith pushed the dying man to the side, picked up
the battle ax and dropped his shield, then
strode toward the two men who still sat on mounts, holding the
slaves. As one of the bandits tried to escape, the ossane began
dragging the slaves, strangling them as they were dragged along the
gravel. The Esterblud sprinted forward, sending his battle ax into
the back of the bandit. The Fates were on Urith’s side that day for
the ax embedded in the thug’s back. The Esterblud caught up with
the ossanes just in time to cut through the rope holding the
struggling women and children who gasped for air like fish out of
the water . He glanced down at the girl who
bore a distant likeness to his dead wife. He saw the blonde hair girl’s eyes widen with fear as she stared at
his blood covered face and scar. The look enraged the warrior even more, and he turned back to the last of the
bandits on his side of the river. He saw the fight across the
stream was coming to a close as the remaining bandits had begun to
give themselves up to the warrior skalds. The thug in front of
Urith smiled nervously throwing his hands over his head after he
came down from the ossane, deciding it was better to be branded a
bandit than to die. The thug showed the warrior, his intentions as
he let go of the rope holding the captives who quickly loosened
their bindings and scattered. However, the Esterblud was not
the bridge. The two met near the center of the wooden structure,
swords striking as each man tried to get an advantage. The leader
of the bandits hit at Urith, who defended himself with his battered shield.
However, several of the thugs behind their leader threw spears
which struck the ossane, sending the animal down. The Esterblud
jumped off his wounded ossane, landing on the long neck of the
bandit’s mount. His weight forced the animal’s head down to the
wood planks, causing the bandit leader to fall awkwardly and
sending the warrior down on planks. The ossane immediately climbed
to its feet, forcing the Esterblud to move aside as the panicked
animal ran by him, jumping over the dead ossane which blocked the
path. His quick glance over to his friends revealed savage fighting
with the bandits. Arvim took on two enemy fighters attempting to
come onto the bridge from behind Urith.
Three thugs faced Urith, and he charged them, yelling the wild cry of his
clan. His first sword strike missed its target, but he managed to
parry a counter-stroke from one of the bandits. His momentum
carried the warrior into the enemy, knocking him flat. Urith kicked
him in the groin. However , the fighter was forced to throw up his shield as another
attacker came at him with a battle ax. The Esterblud deflected the
ax, but his arm took the jarring energy as the
shield broke. Fortunately, the enemy’s momentum sent him to the
edge of the bridge. Urith swung his sword into the back of the man
who fell away into the stream below. Coming back to the bandit
holding his crotch, the Esterblud swung his sword down, sending his
enemy’s head tumbling along the bridge.
The leader of the bandits was on his feet, striking
at Urith, who was able to parry the stroke.
While younger than his opponent, the Esterblud knew he held an
advantage on the Aberffraw and he quickly exploited his knowledge.
The leader tried to come in close against the larger Esterblud,
striking at his neck with a long-bladed dagger. Urith saw the move coming and threw up his battered shield,
striking the man in the mouth. The blood poured from his lips, and the leader fell back, slicing his
sword into Urith’s shield which finally shattered, sending wood
pieces across the area. The flying wood distracted the bandit for a moment, but the young Esterblud seized the
advantage, coming around with a long sweep of his Clovel Sword, which struck the man in the throat. The
blood spattered across both men as the leader of the bandits
grabbed his neck in a doomed effort to staunch the wound.
Urith pushed the dying man to the side, picked up
the battle ax and dropped his shield, then
strode toward the two men who still sat on mounts, holding the
slaves. As one of the bandits tried to escape, the ossane began
dragging the slaves, strangling them as they were dragged along the
gravel. The Esterblud sprinted forward, sending his battle ax into
the back of the bandit. The Fates were on Urith’s side that day for
the ax embedded in the thug’s back. The Esterblud caught up with
the ossanes just in time to cut through the rope holding the
struggling women and children who gasped for air like fish out of
the water . He glanced down at the girl who
bore a distant likeness to his dead wife. He saw the blonde hair girl’s eyes widen with fear as she stared at
his blood covered face and scar. The look enraged the warrior even more, and he turned back to the last of the
bandits on his side of the river. He saw the fight across the
stream was coming to a close as the remaining bandits had begun to
give themselves up to the warrior skalds. The thug in front of
Urith smiled nervously throwing his hands over his head after he
came down from the ossane, deciding it was better to be branded a
bandit than to die. The thug showed the warrior, his intentions as
he let go of the rope holding the captives who quickly loosened
their bindings and scattered. However, the Esterblud was not
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