Post by The Smith on Jan 29, 2009 10:02:29 GMT -5
Ser Wulf Pyke came to, the panicked shouts of men ringing in his ears above the din of a battle. He could smell smoke. He opened his eyes, he was lying face down on the deck of his ship. Around him a fire was raging, his senses were now starting to turn on, he could feel the heat of the inferno. On the upper deck he could see Qhored Harlaw issuing commands as he was locked in a swordfight with another man. He felt a blinding pain shooting through the back of his head, that’s when his memory started coming back to him.
They had attacked a ship, but it had been a trap. Their ship had been shot with fire arrows. Why would someone have planned to trap them? How could they have known they were going to attack? Wulf didn’t have time to contemplate these questions, he tried pushing himself to his feet, but he fell back to the deck when he realised his left arm was badly cut. He shifted his weight onto his right arm and tried again, his body aching with the effort. The other ship, the one they had attacked was beginning to pull away from the burning hulk that remained of Qhored’s ship. Friend and foe alike were jumping onto the other ship, to save themselves, and the fight was continuing over there.
Wulf’s vision was blurry, men pushed past him in an attempt to escape. He stumbled forward, trying to ignore the pain in his head and arm. The effort was too much for him however, and his knees started to buckle when he felt an arm grab him under his shoulder and pull to his feet. He turned to see Qhored.
“Qhored, who the fuck are they?” Wulf grunted to his nephew.
Qhored leaned over and picked up an axe from a dead body and shoved it into Wulf’s hands. “Get to the other ship, The Reaper is no more,” he said, and with that he was gone to cut down the last of the enemy who remained on his ship.
Wulf blink to clear the haze and smoke from his eyes. There wasn’t much time left to get to the other ship, it was nearly out of reach. He looked back to Qhored, who was stuck fighting the last brave man who remained on board. He ran back, and landed his axe into the man’s shoulder, cutting through mail and leather and skin and muscle. The man screamed and dropped his weapon.
“Come Qhored, we have to go,” Wulf shouted. Qhored looked at what was left of his ship and nodded. The two ran to the front of the ship’s deck, jumping over dead bodies and dodging roaring flames. Without calculating the distance between The Reaper and the other ship they leapt across the gap.
The flew through the air and smacked into the other ship. Qhored managed to grab hold of the rail with both hands, but Wulf had only managed to get a hand to an oar-hole. Qhored pulled himself over onto the deck, the looked back down to see Wulf’s situation. Qhored cursed and grabbed a rope, throwing it down to Wulf. He didn’t have time to pull him up however, as he heard the footsteps of someone charging at him from behind. He twisted about and raised his sword just in time to block the blow. He cut at the man, slicing him deeply across the face. Two more men came at Qhored and soon he was losing ground against the combined attack of the three men. He was edging back towards the rail, parrying and blocking to the best of his ability. He pushed his back up against the rail and one of the men aimed a kick at him to push him over, which only earned them a deep gash across the limb.
Things were looking dire for Qhored when Wulf finally managed to pull himself up. He stood up on the rail, and jumped into the group fighting Qhored, cutting one of the men’s arms clean off as he landed and scattering the other two for a moment. Qhored and Wulf didn’t leave the men long to reorganise though, as they ran them through where they stood and cut them down.
Qhored now had a moment to take in the scene. A good portion of his men had made it over and were still fighting. He shouted for those that could to rally to him, and he surged against the main group of the enemy, which seemed to be protecting their captain.
Qhored and Wulf fought back-to-back, spinning around and cutting down any who came within the length of their weapons. The captain and a group of five men ran at the two of them, forcing them to break away from each other and try hold the attackers off. Wulf went low and caught one in the knee, sending him sprawling to the ground shrieking. Qhored danced away from two of the men then forced his sword into the stomach of a third.
Reorganised and reenergised, Qhored’s men soon turned the tide of the battle in their favour. With the battle fury on them they slaughtered the opposing crew, and it wasn’t long before men were throwing down their weapons and begging for quarter.
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Several hours later, Qhored emerged from the captain’s cabin a bloody mess. The captain had held out for longer than he expected, but eventually he had sang, they all do. He approached Wulf, who was captaining the ship as they returned to King’s Landing.
“Get anything from him?” Wulf asked.
“It was Saltcliffe,” he said through gritted teeth, “Saltcliffe was behind this.”
Wulf looked stunned, “Janos Saltcliffe?”
Qhored nodded. “It would appear we have a traitor amongst us who informed Saltcliffe of the direction we were heading in. He left this trap for us hoping we would take the bait.”
Wulf looked out angrily at the crew, “who could it be?” His axe hand flexed.
Qhored didn’t reply.
Results
Lord Qhored Harlaw’s Naval Battle increases to Master
Lord Qhored Harlaw’s Sword increases towards Master
Ser Wulf Pyke’s Naval Battle increases to Master
Ser Wulf Pyke’s Axe increases towards Grandmaster
They had attacked a ship, but it had been a trap. Their ship had been shot with fire arrows. Why would someone have planned to trap them? How could they have known they were going to attack? Wulf didn’t have time to contemplate these questions, he tried pushing himself to his feet, but he fell back to the deck when he realised his left arm was badly cut. He shifted his weight onto his right arm and tried again, his body aching with the effort. The other ship, the one they had attacked was beginning to pull away from the burning hulk that remained of Qhored’s ship. Friend and foe alike were jumping onto the other ship, to save themselves, and the fight was continuing over there.
Wulf’s vision was blurry, men pushed past him in an attempt to escape. He stumbled forward, trying to ignore the pain in his head and arm. The effort was too much for him however, and his knees started to buckle when he felt an arm grab him under his shoulder and pull to his feet. He turned to see Qhored.
“Qhored, who the fuck are they?” Wulf grunted to his nephew.
Qhored leaned over and picked up an axe from a dead body and shoved it into Wulf’s hands. “Get to the other ship, The Reaper is no more,” he said, and with that he was gone to cut down the last of the enemy who remained on his ship.
Wulf blink to clear the haze and smoke from his eyes. There wasn’t much time left to get to the other ship, it was nearly out of reach. He looked back to Qhored, who was stuck fighting the last brave man who remained on board. He ran back, and landed his axe into the man’s shoulder, cutting through mail and leather and skin and muscle. The man screamed and dropped his weapon.
“Come Qhored, we have to go,” Wulf shouted. Qhored looked at what was left of his ship and nodded. The two ran to the front of the ship’s deck, jumping over dead bodies and dodging roaring flames. Without calculating the distance between The Reaper and the other ship they leapt across the gap.
The flew through the air and smacked into the other ship. Qhored managed to grab hold of the rail with both hands, but Wulf had only managed to get a hand to an oar-hole. Qhored pulled himself over onto the deck, the looked back down to see Wulf’s situation. Qhored cursed and grabbed a rope, throwing it down to Wulf. He didn’t have time to pull him up however, as he heard the footsteps of someone charging at him from behind. He twisted about and raised his sword just in time to block the blow. He cut at the man, slicing him deeply across the face. Two more men came at Qhored and soon he was losing ground against the combined attack of the three men. He was edging back towards the rail, parrying and blocking to the best of his ability. He pushed his back up against the rail and one of the men aimed a kick at him to push him over, which only earned them a deep gash across the limb.
Things were looking dire for Qhored when Wulf finally managed to pull himself up. He stood up on the rail, and jumped into the group fighting Qhored, cutting one of the men’s arms clean off as he landed and scattering the other two for a moment. Qhored and Wulf didn’t leave the men long to reorganise though, as they ran them through where they stood and cut them down.
Qhored now had a moment to take in the scene. A good portion of his men had made it over and were still fighting. He shouted for those that could to rally to him, and he surged against the main group of the enemy, which seemed to be protecting their captain.
Qhored and Wulf fought back-to-back, spinning around and cutting down any who came within the length of their weapons. The captain and a group of five men ran at the two of them, forcing them to break away from each other and try hold the attackers off. Wulf went low and caught one in the knee, sending him sprawling to the ground shrieking. Qhored danced away from two of the men then forced his sword into the stomach of a third.
Reorganised and reenergised, Qhored’s men soon turned the tide of the battle in their favour. With the battle fury on them they slaughtered the opposing crew, and it wasn’t long before men were throwing down their weapons and begging for quarter.
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Several hours later, Qhored emerged from the captain’s cabin a bloody mess. The captain had held out for longer than he expected, but eventually he had sang, they all do. He approached Wulf, who was captaining the ship as they returned to King’s Landing.
“Get anything from him?” Wulf asked.
“It was Saltcliffe,” he said through gritted teeth, “Saltcliffe was behind this.”
Wulf looked stunned, “Janos Saltcliffe?”
Qhored nodded. “It would appear we have a traitor amongst us who informed Saltcliffe of the direction we were heading in. He left this trap for us hoping we would take the bait.”
Wulf looked out angrily at the crew, “who could it be?” His axe hand flexed.
Qhored didn’t reply.
Results
Lord Qhored Harlaw’s Naval Battle increases to Master
Lord Qhored Harlaw’s Sword increases towards Master
Ser Wulf Pyke’s Naval Battle increases to Master
Ser Wulf Pyke’s Axe increases towards Grandmaster