Here's a new fanfic from myself, if I take a while to update it'll be because I'm drowning in schoolwork and other stuff like that (not alien abduction or anything).
I was reading Halt's Peril and suddenly thought about writing a story based on that time where Crowley and Halt face down Thorgan the Smasher in their earlier days as Rangers.
May contain a few minor spoilers and also contains some violence.
The watchman on duty yawned and stamped his feet, trying to blink away the sleep from his heavy eyes. He glanced at the sky, judging the passage of time by the movement of the slim crescent moon teetering on the edge of the horizon. His watch would be over soon and he was thankful for that.
He was a watchman for a small village located in the northeastern of Araluen; precious little happened here apart from the odd brawls that broke out in the local tavern and the occasional raggle-taggle groups of bandits that sometimes appeared every now and then, nothing that was a serious threat to their safety.
At that thought the man suddenly straightened and renewed his efforts to remain alert. Recently in this fief a large group of bandits had been terrorizing people; at first it was just waylaying travelers on the road, now the situation had escalated and the group had grown larger and more confident, attacking various hamlets and villages throughout north-eastern Araluen. It had been bad enough that they hadn't been dealt with when King Oswald was in charge, now, with fewer men to help guard the small country villages after the war against Morgarath, the bandits were striking small hamlets more and more, taking advantage of their unpreparedness.
He shivered briefly, shifting his grip on his spear to adjust his cloak. It was very early spring so the nights were still cold and bitter despite the warmth of the day.
The watchman jumped briefly at the sound of feet treading on the road behind him, twisting around he relaxed as he was the familiar figure of one of his friends who was also a member of the watch. Their numbers were fewer after the recent war and he'd lost some good friends but at least not all of them.
'Anything happening?' asked the new arrival quietly, scanning the area surrounding the main road leading up to the village.
'No,' grunted his friend in reply, 'All quiet out there.'
His companion nodded, 'Aye well, it still pays to be cautious what with that devil Thorgan roaming these parts with his crew.'
The watchman nodded grimly in agreement and they both stood in silence for a moment wrapped in their thoughts, 'Well,' said the first one after a few minutes, 'I'd best be on my way, I've a warming drink awaiting me back home and can't be late.'
His friend chuckled, 'Wish I could join you but-' he stopped speaking suddenly, freezing, staring out into the darkness beyond.
'Did you hear that?' he said nervously.
The other watchman didn't get to reply as a spear sailed out of the darkness the watchman let out a cry of alarm as his friend went down and bandits started to run towards the village along the main road, materializing out of the darkness, 'We're under ata-!'
He was cut of adruptedly as a club wielded by a bandit thundered into the side of his head. If the man had been conscious he would have quailed at the sight of the man who wielded it. Standing far taller than most men with lank strands of dark hair and a ragged beard partially covering a pockmarked and scared face he was a fearsome sight made even more terrifying by the massive war club which he held clasped in one hand. The man barred his teeth in a grim semblance of a laugh.
'Come on lads!' he bellowed in a deep voice, his eyes wild and remorseless for the havoc he and his men was about to unleash on this village; then he lead the charge into the village, his crew charging after him roaring battle-cries at the top of their lungs wielding a vast assortment of weapons, plundering, burning and terrorizing.
People stumbled out of their beds or were dragged from them as bandits ran into peoples houses, grabbing anything that looked to be of value and knocking anyone aside who tried to defend their families or goods. Members of the watch, their numbers lessened by the war, tried to rally but against a screaming band of cutthroat men, outnumbered three to one, stood little chance against them and were quickly quelled despite their most valiant efforts.
An hour later when the crew of bandits had gone on their way, laden down with the villagers possessions, the hamlet was almost unrecognizable. Flames licked out of windows, leaping from house to house, whilst men as well as women frantically tried to quench the flames. People, many already injured or grieving for the loss of loved ones in the recent war, had to deal with yet more loss and grief as their homes burned before their eyes and their friends and family were found injured or dead.
Thorgan the Smasher had struck again.
So, first chapter, please tell review and tell me what you think.
Hopefully, I'll have the next chapter up in a couple of days but that depends on how much schoolwork I can manage to shift -_-