A choke hold. That's what Natalie said to do. A hand over the mouth and an arm around the throat. They both quietly approached the two lookouts from behind, and before Roen could blink, Natalie was dragging off one of them without a sound.Â
But hers was on the wooden stairs, and when Roen stepped onto the plank, it creaked. It was just enough sound to make the sentry turn his head slightly, his eyes going wide in alarm just as she reached him. She felt him struggle as she wrapped her arm around his neck, his feet kicking the wooden ground. It was loud enough to be heard by those below.
"The sentries!" came a cry, from where the other four were gathered below. Roen began to drag the man in her arms backwards, and as she did so she slowly felt his struggle lessen from being robbed of air. But her eyes shot to the first figure that charged up the stairs, an older man, armored in chain coif and mail, his blade drawn.
"Ruva, wait--!" came a call from below.
"ALA MHIGO!!" The first man let out a booming cry, heedless of the protests behind him.
"Curses! You cover me now!" Kage yelled, standing up and drawing his staff.
Natalie rushed forward with her sword and shield, ready to meet the man they called Ruva, trying to place herself in front of Kage. Roen heard a sharp split in the air as an arrow sailed by, just missing the charging man. She quickly spotted C'kayah down below near the base of the stairs behind another outcropping of large stones; the miqo'te was drawing another arrow. Roen shoved the man she had been holding to the side, and he fell to the dirt landing a few yalms below the wooden planks. She drew her short sword, readying herself for combat as the other figures charged up the stairs.
She recognized one of them.
The gleam of the dark blue armor and the frighteningly large lance he carried... Roen had seen that armor and lance before.Â
It was her Master of Arms. Her mentor.Â
Gharen Wolfsong was rushing up the stairs to meet them, his lance drawn.
She froze. Her spinning thoughts held her limbs hostage. She saw Kage casting with his staff in hand, sending crackling dark aetheric energies towards the lancer. With a sinking feeling, Roen saw Gharen falter for a moment in his ascent, one hand going to the wooden stair to steady himself. But Gharen shook his head and remained upright. Kage muttered something about his spell being resisted. Â
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Another sharp whistle broke the air; this time a blunt tipped arrow finding its mark on the third figure rushing up the stairs. Roen could see he was a younger highlander, perhaps eighteen winters by his face. He had no weapon in hand, he was rushing up armed only with his bare hands. C'kayah's arrow sent him stumbling forward on the stairs, a low grunt escaping his lips. He looked dazed, but not down. Past him clambered up a highlander girl who also had no weapon in hand. She looked no older than sixteen, but was charging up the stairs to meet them in full fury nonetheless.
"Pa!!! They are shootin'!" the girl yelled, her eyes going to the first man who had charged up. She had nearly reached the top of the stairs when she fell forward. "Kuugh!" She grunted, clutching her side. C'kayah's blunt arrow had found another mark, cracking the girl in the ribs. The miqo'te archer leaped over the rock he had been using for cover, running to the base of the stairs.
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Natalie met Ruva's charge, ducking low with her shield aimed at his legs. That sent the older man stumbling to the ground, but he quickly recovered with a swing of his sword aimed at her midsection. Natalie leaped back just barely dodging the edge of the blade. Their swords clashed, the metallic ringing echoing into the night. And yet Roen could still not move.
"Wait--" She finally managed, holding out her hand towards Kage who was preparing another spell. Things were happening too fast.
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Natalie glanced back to Roen, and she could see that the Sultansworn seemed confused as well. Clearly their war cries and makeup did not speak of smugglers or profiteers. She swung her sword hard at Ruva's trying to knock it away. She backed up a step and planted her weapon into the wooden planks. "All of you! Stop for a moment!" she shouted.
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Her calls for a pause did not go heeded. Indeed, things were still happening at a breakneck pace. Ruva took a moment given by Natalie to look to the girl -- his daughter -- coming up behind him. "Flee, girl! The boy too! This deal's done!" He began to circle Natalie, seemingly trying to find an opening or buying his daughter some time.
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The girl did not stop. "Can't, Pa! They are still shootin'!!" As soon as she was back on her feet, she charged for Natalie, trying to tackle the miqo'te. The girl was quick, and had impressive momentum. But she was still no match for a trained and battle-hardened Sultansworn. Natalie caught the girl in her hands and used her momentum to swing the girl back around, sending her crashing into her father.
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Roen's eyes widened at what followed. The older man was too close to the edge -- and it looked as though they were both going over the side of the bridge.Â
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Ruva kicked back at his daughter, shoving her forward and himself away, trying to get her back to the edge of the bridge as much as possible... before he hurtled out of sight, plummeting to the ground at least twenty yalms below.
"Daena?!" came another call, the younger man on the bridge sounding panicked. He had risen after being knocked down by C'kayah's arrow, and leaped down to face off against the archer, who now had a barbed arrow trained on him.Â
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The highlander girl twitched for a moment, looking at Natalie. There was retaliation in her eyes and her white knuckled fists shook with anger. But when she glanced to the empty space where her father had been, she froze with horror. "Pa!" With a choked sob, she turned and made a dash down the stairs. "I'm coming," she called out, her voice hoarse.
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"Please... wait. Stop!" Roen cried out, her hands going up, dropping her sword. Even as she did so she saw Gharen leap over them all with quickness and height that seemed almost supernatural. She saw him swing his lance at Kage's feet, knocking him to the ground. But he paused, his helm turning her way. It was obvious he had recognized her voice despite her mask.
That was when she heard that familiar sharp hiss in the wind, another arrow let loose. Except this one was not from C'kayah. It was from behind her. She realized too late that the sentry she had released and pushed off to the side had regained his bearings. That's when the piercing pain from behind robbed her of breath and sent her to the ground.
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"Damn it!!" She heard Natalie cry out. The Sultansworn's face twisted with rage, and in an instant she spun with the swing of her shield, sending its sharpened tip into the throat of the sentry who had just let loose his arrow. The sickening crunch of the spine churned Roen's stomach as the highlander archer crumpled to the ground, blood spurting from his throat.
Gharen let out a low feral growl, his lance spinning and slamming onto Natalie's sword arm, stunning her, then spinning and crashing his haft against her feet, knocking her to the ground. He pointed the tip of his deadly lance at her throat, and let out an ear splitting whistle. "Stand down!"Â
"There has been a mistake..." Roen began to say between gasps, but her words were drowned out by a low rumble behind them that also shook the ground. It was all she could do to steady herself on her hands and knees. Natalie fell on top of her protectively, shielding her with her own form.Â
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Roen looked back up towards Natalie and Gharen. They both had their hands up to shield their faces, and were looking over their shoulders towards the mine.Â
From the mine entrance now billowed black, ominous smoke. Tendrils of flames could be seen licking out out from the mouth of the cave. Natalie held up one hand towards Gharen as she curled the other under Roen's, helping her to stand. Gharen lowered his lance just a little, and motioned with it toward the descending stairs. Â
That was when the next explosion boomed, deafening them all.
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But hers was on the wooden stairs, and when Roen stepped onto the plank, it creaked. It was just enough sound to make the sentry turn his head slightly, his eyes going wide in alarm just as she reached him. She felt him struggle as she wrapped her arm around his neck, his feet kicking the wooden ground. It was loud enough to be heard by those below.
"The sentries!" came a cry, from where the other four were gathered below. Roen began to drag the man in her arms backwards, and as she did so she slowly felt his struggle lessen from being robbed of air. But her eyes shot to the first figure that charged up the stairs, an older man, armored in chain coif and mail, his blade drawn.
"Ruva, wait--!" came a call from below.
"ALA MHIGO!!" The first man let out a booming cry, heedless of the protests behind him.
"Curses! You cover me now!" Kage yelled, standing up and drawing his staff.
Natalie rushed forward with her sword and shield, ready to meet the man they called Ruva, trying to place herself in front of Kage. Roen heard a sharp split in the air as an arrow sailed by, just missing the charging man. She quickly spotted C'kayah down below near the base of the stairs behind another outcropping of large stones; the miqo'te was drawing another arrow. Roen shoved the man she had been holding to the side, and he fell to the dirt landing a few yalms below the wooden planks. She drew her short sword, readying herself for combat as the other figures charged up the stairs.
She recognized one of them.
The gleam of the dark blue armor and the frighteningly large lance he carried... Roen had seen that armor and lance before.Â
It was her Master of Arms. Her mentor.Â
Gharen Wolfsong was rushing up the stairs to meet them, his lance drawn.
She froze. Her spinning thoughts held her limbs hostage. She saw Kage casting with his staff in hand, sending crackling dark aetheric energies towards the lancer. With a sinking feeling, Roen saw Gharen falter for a moment in his ascent, one hand going to the wooden stair to steady himself. But Gharen shook his head and remained upright. Kage muttered something about his spell being resisted. Â
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Another sharp whistle broke the air; this time a blunt tipped arrow finding its mark on the third figure rushing up the stairs. Roen could see he was a younger highlander, perhaps eighteen winters by his face. He had no weapon in hand, he was rushing up armed only with his bare hands. C'kayah's arrow sent him stumbling forward on the stairs, a low grunt escaping his lips. He looked dazed, but not down. Past him clambered up a highlander girl who also had no weapon in hand. She looked no older than sixteen, but was charging up the stairs to meet them in full fury nonetheless.
"Pa!!! They are shootin'!" the girl yelled, her eyes going to the first man who had charged up. She had nearly reached the top of the stairs when she fell forward. "Kuugh!" She grunted, clutching her side. C'kayah's blunt arrow had found another mark, cracking the girl in the ribs. The miqo'te archer leaped over the rock he had been using for cover, running to the base of the stairs.
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Natalie met Ruva's charge, ducking low with her shield aimed at his legs. That sent the older man stumbling to the ground, but he quickly recovered with a swing of his sword aimed at her midsection. Natalie leaped back just barely dodging the edge of the blade. Their swords clashed, the metallic ringing echoing into the night. And yet Roen could still not move.
"Wait--" She finally managed, holding out her hand towards Kage who was preparing another spell. Things were happening too fast.
Â
Natalie glanced back to Roen, and she could see that the Sultansworn seemed confused as well. Clearly their war cries and makeup did not speak of smugglers or profiteers. She swung her sword hard at Ruva's trying to knock it away. She backed up a step and planted her weapon into the wooden planks. "All of you! Stop for a moment!" she shouted.
Â
Her calls for a pause did not go heeded. Indeed, things were still happening at a breakneck pace. Ruva took a moment given by Natalie to look to the girl -- his daughter -- coming up behind him. "Flee, girl! The boy too! This deal's done!" He began to circle Natalie, seemingly trying to find an opening or buying his daughter some time.
Â
The girl did not stop. "Can't, Pa! They are still shootin'!!" As soon as she was back on her feet, she charged for Natalie, trying to tackle the miqo'te. The girl was quick, and had impressive momentum. But she was still no match for a trained and battle-hardened Sultansworn. Natalie caught the girl in her hands and used her momentum to swing the girl back around, sending her crashing into her father.
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Roen's eyes widened at what followed. The older man was too close to the edge -- and it looked as though they were both going over the side of the bridge.Â
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Ruva kicked back at his daughter, shoving her forward and himself away, trying to get her back to the edge of the bridge as much as possible... before he hurtled out of sight, plummeting to the ground at least twenty yalms below.
"Daena?!" came another call, the younger man on the bridge sounding panicked. He had risen after being knocked down by C'kayah's arrow, and leaped down to face off against the archer, who now had a barbed arrow trained on him.Â
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The highlander girl twitched for a moment, looking at Natalie. There was retaliation in her eyes and her white knuckled fists shook with anger. But when she glanced to the empty space where her father had been, she froze with horror. "Pa!" With a choked sob, she turned and made a dash down the stairs. "I'm coming," she called out, her voice hoarse.
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"Please... wait. Stop!" Roen cried out, her hands going up, dropping her sword. Even as she did so she saw Gharen leap over them all with quickness and height that seemed almost supernatural. She saw him swing his lance at Kage's feet, knocking him to the ground. But he paused, his helm turning her way. It was obvious he had recognized her voice despite her mask.
That was when she heard that familiar sharp hiss in the wind, another arrow let loose. Except this one was not from C'kayah. It was from behind her. She realized too late that the sentry she had released and pushed off to the side had regained his bearings. That's when the piercing pain from behind robbed her of breath and sent her to the ground.
Â
"Damn it!!" She heard Natalie cry out. The Sultansworn's face twisted with rage, and in an instant she spun with the swing of her shield, sending its sharpened tip into the throat of the sentry who had just let loose his arrow. The sickening crunch of the spine churned Roen's stomach as the highlander archer crumpled to the ground, blood spurting from his throat.
Gharen let out a low feral growl, his lance spinning and slamming onto Natalie's sword arm, stunning her, then spinning and crashing his haft against her feet, knocking her to the ground. He pointed the tip of his deadly lance at her throat, and let out an ear splitting whistle. "Stand down!"Â
"There has been a mistake..." Roen began to say between gasps, but her words were drowned out by a low rumble behind them that also shook the ground. It was all she could do to steady herself on her hands and knees. Natalie fell on top of her protectively, shielding her with her own form.Â
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Roen looked back up towards Natalie and Gharen. They both had their hands up to shield their faces, and were looking over their shoulders towards the mine.Â
From the mine entrance now billowed black, ominous smoke. Tendrils of flames could be seen licking out out from the mouth of the cave. Natalie held up one hand towards Gharen as she curled the other under Roen's, helping her to stand. Gharen lowered his lance just a little, and motioned with it toward the descending stairs. Â
That was when the next explosion boomed, deafening them all.
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