Continued from here
13th Day of Winter, 512AV
Peace could turn to war on the flip of a coin, in Tortuga's experience. The key was to never be so blind or complacent as to think you were ever in peacetime. For twenty-five years the human had walked the world as a sellsword. He had killed more men than he could remember and bowed to more masters than he cared to. But what kept him alive, more than his skill and size and strength, was keeping his eyes open. Noticing the signs that heralded death and doom... and betrayal.
Roth's head scratch was too slow to be a mere whim. It was a signal. He saw the shifting grasses and the glinting stel behind them as Razkar opened his mouth, and when his scream hit the breeze-
Tortuga's arms snapped out and grabbed Roth's shoulders as the shorter man went for his word, jerking him forwards-
-slamming a headbutt into his face with the rim of his helmet.
Bones crunched and cracked and Tortuga kept his grip, keeping the traitor close as the first volley of arrows whistled out of the grass.
Two of them aimed at him thudded into Roth's back instead.
"SLAUGHTER THEM!"
Razkar was already moving by the time the arrows were airborne. He and the Burned Man threw themselves to the side and crawled/scurried/jumped into the tall grass beyond the clearing. Staying out in the open was nothing short of suicide at that range and against a dozen archers. But Razkar saw the bearded bandit die in Tortuga's arms, the big man walking back quickly with his new human shield.
"What do we-"
Razkar rasped his order from cover, already moving fast and low, hand ax in his right hand, knuckleduster wrapped around his left. They had to break this ambush, and that meant taking out the archers. Already he could see members of their party falling and jerking as shafts flew into them, outnumbered and surprised by the attack. They needed to move...
"C'mon!"
Followed by the Burned Man he ran through the grass, skirting the clearing, coming up on the left flank of the archers hidden there. He saw movement the closer he got, a shape become a figure, a figure with leather armor and a bow, a head swinging round to see a raging Myrian leap at him from the grass-
-a shallow scream, the roar of Razkar and his ax swung in the rising sun. The archer collapsed backwards with his throat cleaved open, looking like a massive red mouth sprouting under his chin. Next to him another archer was turning, notched arrow in his rising bow-
"BASTARD!"
-the Burned Man hacked down with his sword and split the bow and arrow in twain. The archer had just enough time to stare in shock at his ruined weapon, then the Burned Man reversed his grip and plunged the sword through his gut.
Razkar kept moving. Two dead was a start, but not a great one, and they had plenty left. He jumped over the gurgling body he had just created, past the Burned Man, and crashed into the archer beyond them.
Just as the man fired an arrow.
13th Day of Winter, 512AV
Peace could turn to war on the flip of a coin, in Tortuga's experience. The key was to never be so blind or complacent as to think you were ever in peacetime. For twenty-five years the human had walked the world as a sellsword. He had killed more men than he could remember and bowed to more masters than he cared to. But what kept him alive, more than his skill and size and strength, was keeping his eyes open. Noticing the signs that heralded death and doom... and betrayal.
Roth's head scratch was too slow to be a mere whim. It was a signal. He saw the shifting grasses and the glinting stel behind them as Razkar opened his mouth, and when his scream hit the breeze-
Tortuga's arms snapped out and grabbed Roth's shoulders as the shorter man went for his word, jerking him forwards-
-slamming a headbutt into his face with the rim of his helmet.
Bones crunched and cracked and Tortuga kept his grip, keeping the traitor close as the first volley of arrows whistled out of the grass.
Two of them aimed at him thudded into Roth's back instead.
"SLAUGHTER THEM!"
Razkar was already moving by the time the arrows were airborne. He and the Burned Man threw themselves to the side and crawled/scurried/jumped into the tall grass beyond the clearing. Staying out in the open was nothing short of suicide at that range and against a dozen archers. But Razkar saw the bearded bandit die in Tortuga's arms, the big man walking back quickly with his new human shield.
"What do we-"
Razkar rasped his order from cover, already moving fast and low, hand ax in his right hand, knuckleduster wrapped around his left. They had to break this ambush, and that meant taking out the archers. Already he could see members of their party falling and jerking as shafts flew into them, outnumbered and surprised by the attack. They needed to move...
"C'mon!"
Followed by the Burned Man he ran through the grass, skirting the clearing, coming up on the left flank of the archers hidden there. He saw movement the closer he got, a shape become a figure, a figure with leather armor and a bow, a head swinging round to see a raging Myrian leap at him from the grass-
-a shallow scream, the roar of Razkar and his ax swung in the rising sun. The archer collapsed backwards with his throat cleaved open, looking like a massive red mouth sprouting under his chin. Next to him another archer was turning, notched arrow in his rising bow-
"BASTARD!"
-the Burned Man hacked down with his sword and split the bow and arrow in twain. The archer had just enough time to stare in shock at his ruined weapon, then the Burned Man reversed his grip and plunged the sword through his gut.
Razkar kept moving. Two dead was a start, but not a great one, and they had plenty left. He jumped over the gurgling body he had just created, past the Burned Man, and crashed into the archer beyond them.
Just as the man fired an arrow.
