Sorry about the shortness, I've had trouble thinking what to add and thought that I should get some down before I totally get over the story…

Chapter 2

Gareth wanted to leave the group, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Deep down inside he was a coward, it was why he was an outlaw now. Thinking it was easier to steal a loaf of bread than to do a day's work to earn it got him the attention of the local guard. After killing one and maiming another he had run off to the forest and joined this band of not-so-merry-men.

But now? Well now he was seriously regretting the decision which had led him to this scene of carnage. It was the forth town that they had attacked this week. During each atrocity Lorath grew more blood hungry. The madness was in his eyes easily visible for all to see. Some had chosen to leave. Lorath had hunted them down and they had returned, like him, blood hungry and crazy.

He'd thought about faking his own death, but decided against it when he saw what happened to a villager that had tried it. It had started with the new man performing a 'blood eagle' on him and had just gotten worse from then on. That was another reason Gareth wanted to leave, the new man.

The man had walked out of the woods three days ago when they had been pillaging one of the other towns. Joining in the slaughter without a word he had managed to spill almost as much blood as the leader and when the blood rage had settled Lorath had walked up to him, smiled a bone chilling smile and accepted him with a small nod.

Gareth had become a hard man amongst the outlaws, he'd earned their grudging respect with his willingness to do what it took to survive and by his skill with sword and crossbow. But since the new man had joined, well he felt like when he was ten years old and getting thrashed by his father for breaking a window. The new man, that's what they called him as he hadn't said anything to any of them since he had been there, only whispered into Lorath's ear and pointed new directions for them to take. If he hadn't joined then Gareth might have taken the chance and left, but it was far too risky now. It was almost uncanny the way he seemed to know what you were thinking. Looking up, Gareth realised that the new man was staring at him and he looked away hurriedly.

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'He comes milord, seeking your destruction,' hissed Jonathon as he sniffed the air and looked off into the trees from the direction that they had come.

'What of it? Have I not slain all in my path? One lone hunter will surely not be able to defeat me!' replied Lorath, his words dripping a hatred and loathing of all things.

'Be wary milord, this one possesses much power… Much power indeed, he, perhaps more than anyone else could possibly be your undoing.'

'Let him come, I'll hack him from crotch to gizzard and feed what's left to the dogs!' he said, withdrawing the weapon from the crude sheath he had strapped to his back. The body lying at his feet let out a moan of pain as the weapon lanced down and plunged into his chest.

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Time was slipping by fast as Azrael tracked the outlaws, no matter how fast he moved he seemed unable to catch up. He had almost lost hope, until today when he arrived in Ichtendorf. One of the bodies was still warm and he could see fresh tracks moving off into the woods surrounding the area.

He started to follow once more when a sense of wrongness hit him. He readied the spear and backed into the clearing looking all around not sure what was wrong, but knowing that something bad was going to happen. After a few minutes he lowered his weapon and sighed, Damn, there must be another village close to here. I have to hurry if I'm to be of any help.

With that thought he raced into the trees. Almost getting decapitated by a sword that swung out at his head. Only his extraordinarily fast reflexes saved him and even then he lost some hair. Screaming a howling war cry, the bandit leapt at him, sword ready to plunge deep into Azrael's chest. There was a faint look of surprise in the bandit's face as he landed on the end of the up-turned spear, which Azrael had quickly braced against his foot.

Hearing more war cries from the clearing, he swept up the man's fallen sword and charged back into the open area, looking around at what seemed to be a score of bandits which had come leaping out of their hiding places amongst the trees.

This is going to be a very bad day…he thought as the bandits charged.