Post by Horas on Nov 20, 2008 13:55:29 GMT -5
Ondrew cursed, as Shadd leaned on him further, as they hurried through the underbrush. His uncle cursed as a stumble over a tree root jarred his wounded arm. The young Burley could hear the sounds of men, and see the flicker of torches not far behind them. The Liddles were catching up. That bowman who had escaped at the ford had found his people quicker than Ondrew had expected, and soon the chase was on. They had been hounded for several miles in the dark, and their lead was rapidly deteriorating.
“I canna go on lad, leave me here, and make a run for it.” His uncle said, but young Ondrew grunted his disagreement, as he played with the strangely angular piece of flesh that was the remnants of his ear.
“We are gonna haft to make a stand.” He said. “Here’s as good as any. Uncle, I’m sorry but you’ll have to be the bait.”
“Aww I had a good life son, don’t fret.” Shadd said, still good humored even in this dark time.
“We’re gonna get out of this Uncle, don’t talk like that. You…” Ondrew gestured towards the young clansman, “Help me find some creeper vines.” Together they tore vines off a near by old white tree with a trunk three times thicker than even his cousin Roger Burley. Ondrew stood back for a moment, as he puzzled out the line of approach, before he and the other man set it up.
”Alright, Uncle you lay there, and start crying out in pain when I give you the word. …”
“Should be simple enough” Shadd said, clutching his hatchet in his hand.
Ondrew scowled, “When they come a running, we’ll yank the vine and set upon them. Okay?”
The two men nodded, Quietly Ondrew got into position. And gestured towards his Uncle.
“AWWWW You bastards, don’t leave me! AWWW MY ARM!!!!”
As if on cue, one of their pursuers gave a shout, and men started moving in towards Shadd. Five of them came at a rush.
“NOW!” Ondrew yelled, yanking on his end of the vine. The first man saw it coming and tried to leap over it, but the second man missed it, and fell forward, catching the first man’s boot, and sending him smashing to the ground just inches from Shadd’s feet. Shadd, quick to seize an opportunity, brought his hatchet down on the prone man’s skull.
“Burley!” Ondrew yelled, as he threw himself into the battle, slashing with the axe he had taken off the Liddle man just a few hours before. The clansman hewed his way through the Liddle men, hacking at them with the long-bearded axe.The fighting seemed to last forever, but it must have been only a few short minutes. A sweep of his weapon brought one of their attackers to his knees. As Ondrew turned to finish him, he felt half a dozen piercing burns in his back. He swiveled and his axe took off the arm of the man with the morningstar, who howled and fell. Ondrew split his skull with a blow from the axe. The field was quiet. Uncle Shadd, he saw right away, had died. A Liddle had speared him with a pitch fork.
He touched the wound on his back gingerly, the index finger of his left hand sinking almost to the first knuckle. There were five more just like it across the small of his back. Ondrew did not know much about healing, he was no woods witch or herbalist, but he knew he was in trouble. Resting his axe on his shoulder, he began to trudge forward, in the direction of where Uncle Shadd had said their relative’s family lived.
After an hour of walking, Ondrew felt dizzy from pain and blood loss. He leaned on the haft of his axe, to serve as a walking stick. Still he could see a cabin, in the background. Timber walls with a sod roof, built into the side of the hill. Stumbling, he came to the door, and wrapped twice, before passing out.
Results:
Ondrew Burley improves to Expert Ambush
Ondrew Burley improves towards Master Axe.
“I canna go on lad, leave me here, and make a run for it.” His uncle said, but young Ondrew grunted his disagreement, as he played with the strangely angular piece of flesh that was the remnants of his ear.
“We are gonna haft to make a stand.” He said. “Here’s as good as any. Uncle, I’m sorry but you’ll have to be the bait.”
“Aww I had a good life son, don’t fret.” Shadd said, still good humored even in this dark time.
“We’re gonna get out of this Uncle, don’t talk like that. You…” Ondrew gestured towards the young clansman, “Help me find some creeper vines.” Together they tore vines off a near by old white tree with a trunk three times thicker than even his cousin Roger Burley. Ondrew stood back for a moment, as he puzzled out the line of approach, before he and the other man set it up.
”Alright, Uncle you lay there, and start crying out in pain when I give you the word. …”
“Should be simple enough” Shadd said, clutching his hatchet in his hand.
Ondrew scowled, “When they come a running, we’ll yank the vine and set upon them. Okay?”
The two men nodded, Quietly Ondrew got into position. And gestured towards his Uncle.
“AWWWW You bastards, don’t leave me! AWWW MY ARM!!!!”
As if on cue, one of their pursuers gave a shout, and men started moving in towards Shadd. Five of them came at a rush.
“NOW!” Ondrew yelled, yanking on his end of the vine. The first man saw it coming and tried to leap over it, but the second man missed it, and fell forward, catching the first man’s boot, and sending him smashing to the ground just inches from Shadd’s feet. Shadd, quick to seize an opportunity, brought his hatchet down on the prone man’s skull.
“Burley!” Ondrew yelled, as he threw himself into the battle, slashing with the axe he had taken off the Liddle man just a few hours before. The clansman hewed his way through the Liddle men, hacking at them with the long-bearded axe.The fighting seemed to last forever, but it must have been only a few short minutes. A sweep of his weapon brought one of their attackers to his knees. As Ondrew turned to finish him, he felt half a dozen piercing burns in his back. He swiveled and his axe took off the arm of the man with the morningstar, who howled and fell. Ondrew split his skull with a blow from the axe. The field was quiet. Uncle Shadd, he saw right away, had died. A Liddle had speared him with a pitch fork.
He touched the wound on his back gingerly, the index finger of his left hand sinking almost to the first knuckle. There were five more just like it across the small of his back. Ondrew did not know much about healing, he was no woods witch or herbalist, but he knew he was in trouble. Resting his axe on his shoulder, he began to trudge forward, in the direction of where Uncle Shadd had said their relative’s family lived.
After an hour of walking, Ondrew felt dizzy from pain and blood loss. He leaned on the haft of his axe, to serve as a walking stick. Still he could see a cabin, in the background. Timber walls with a sod roof, built into the side of the hill. Stumbling, he came to the door, and wrapped twice, before passing out.
Results:
Ondrew Burley improves to Expert Ambush
Ondrew Burley improves towards Master Axe.