To the North!
Hidden amongst the bushes that lined the side of the road, Nerini watched a group of more than 2 dozen trollocs that she had been following for days. Raising her special whistle to her lips, she blew two short, two long, then two short blasts. Gripping Deathsong, she rushed towards the surprised trollocs. Around her, 40 soldiers emerged from hiding and ran to do battle. Then they hit the trollocs like a tidal wave.
Flowing smoothly from trolloc to trolloc, Deathsong singing her own tune, she cut down every half-animal shape she came near. Wetness trickled down her face unheeded- she always cried when she battled. Suddenly, Nerini was face to face with a Myrddraal. Her blood chilled, shivers running down her spine. The look of the eyeless is fear- that was a Myrddraal's first defense. With a roar, she lunged towards it.
Mother. Father. Adrina. She had time for that one thought before Deathsong met the Shadowspawns blade with a shower of blue sparks. The Myrddraal flowed from stance to stance with a boneless grace, black cloak hanging behind it perfectly still no matter how much the wearer moved. Yet, no matter how fast the creature moved, it was no match for Nerini. As Nerini's sword stroke detached its sword arm from the body, and her second swipe severed the eyeless' head from the neck. Even then, the Myrddraal thrashed; even when you killed one, it refused to admit it was dead for a full day.
"Blood and bloody ashes." Just then, Nerini became aware of area around her. Bodies were strewn across the ground, but not all were trollocs. Hantain, her Second in Command, limped up.
Wearily he saluted her with his sword. "34 trollocs dead." Looking behind her, he added, "And one Myrddraal." Nerini didn't even blink. Used to her attitude, he continued. "All but 5 men have injuries, and 6 were cut down." Hantain waited.
Nerini sighed and rubbed her temples. Would this never cease? No, she told herself firmly. Not until I defeat the person who sent the shadowspawn and avenge my family and all other defenseless people. "Go tend the wounded. We'll camp in that clearing back about a mile." Hantain nodded and left, calling out orders as he went.
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At camp, when smells of rabbit meat still lingered in the air, a scout ran in from the north. Blood covered the side of his face, and his right arm was hanging limply by his side. Immediately he was taken to a healer's tent to get stitched up, while somebody ran to go fetch a person of authority.
It was Maduran, Nerini's Captain of her troops, who came. It was also him who first noticed the wounded messenger was trying to say something.
Maduran turned on the men gathered around the sickbed. "Get out! Now!" The 10 odd soldiers scrambled hastily for the tent doorway. Once out, Maduran got up and closed the tent flap in the faces of the men gathered there. Resuming his seat by the young man, he leaned in close to hear the message.
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The soldiers clustered around the tent were startled when Maduran strode out of the tent suddenly, his face twisted in some weird way. If some men hadn't known him better, they would've sworn that look was one of fear.
Maduran was scared. He had just heard a message meant for his Lady Commander, and it scared him shitless.
"Beten! Go get Nerini! Don't ask questions, go!" Beten didn't even bother to salute before taking off at a dead run towards Nerini's tents. Maduran noticed the rest of his command looking at him strangely. Not in a mood to deal with this, he snapped out at them, "Go to your tents or I'll give you work to do!" Each man left hurriedly. They had never seen this side of their Captain, and they didn't want to know what he might do like this.
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Nerini arrived a moment later, sliding to a stop panting. "What is it, Maduran?" she asked quickly.
Maduran motioned shortly to the tent behind him. "This man has something you may just want to hear." Nerini nodded and entered.
Sitting down next to the man, Nerini leaned in close to listen to what the messenger had to say. Several seconds later, she stood up quietly and addressed Maduran without taking her piercing green eyes off the man. "Captain, gather the troops for battle. We have flaming several bloody hundred trollocs heading this way, with a bloody male Aes Sedai bloody leading them. This flaming valley has five hours at best before it is submerged in bloody trollocs and dreadlords. Go!" Maduran bolted.
Nerini looked down on the body, lost in thought. She had lots of planning to do before those shadowspawn overwhelmed. She didn't know how she could possibly over come them, with only 200 men at her back. The male Aes Sedai could beat them alone. There is one way to beat them, a voice in her head taunted her. You could beat them alone, except for maybe the male channeler. She shook her head firmly. No, she told it firmly. I will not reveal to them what I really am. They would lose all faith in me, and then, for the rest of the trip they would stay only because of their oaths to me.
Nerini thought a bit more, and then sighed. It's the only way. I have to do this. Stepping out of the tent, she went in search of Hatain.
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
So? How do you like it? Good? Bad? Review and tell me!
Hidden amongst the bushes that lined the side of the road, Nerini watched a group of more than 2 dozen trollocs that she had been following for days. Raising her special whistle to her lips, she blew two short, two long, then two short blasts. Gripping Deathsong, she rushed towards the surprised trollocs. Around her, 40 soldiers emerged from hiding and ran to do battle. Then they hit the trollocs like a tidal wave.
Flowing smoothly from trolloc to trolloc, Deathsong singing her own tune, she cut down every half-animal shape she came near. Wetness trickled down her face unheeded- she always cried when she battled. Suddenly, Nerini was face to face with a Myrddraal. Her blood chilled, shivers running down her spine. The look of the eyeless is fear- that was a Myrddraal's first defense. With a roar, she lunged towards it.
Mother. Father. Adrina. She had time for that one thought before Deathsong met the Shadowspawns blade with a shower of blue sparks. The Myrddraal flowed from stance to stance with a boneless grace, black cloak hanging behind it perfectly still no matter how much the wearer moved. Yet, no matter how fast the creature moved, it was no match for Nerini. As Nerini's sword stroke detached its sword arm from the body, and her second swipe severed the eyeless' head from the neck. Even then, the Myrddraal thrashed; even when you killed one, it refused to admit it was dead for a full day.
"Blood and bloody ashes." Just then, Nerini became aware of area around her. Bodies were strewn across the ground, but not all were trollocs. Hantain, her Second in Command, limped up.
Wearily he saluted her with his sword. "34 trollocs dead." Looking behind her, he added, "And one Myrddraal." Nerini didn't even blink. Used to her attitude, he continued. "All but 5 men have injuries, and 6 were cut down." Hantain waited.
Nerini sighed and rubbed her temples. Would this never cease? No, she told herself firmly. Not until I defeat the person who sent the shadowspawn and avenge my family and all other defenseless people. "Go tend the wounded. We'll camp in that clearing back about a mile." Hantain nodded and left, calling out orders as he went.
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
At camp, when smells of rabbit meat still lingered in the air, a scout ran in from the north. Blood covered the side of his face, and his right arm was hanging limply by his side. Immediately he was taken to a healer's tent to get stitched up, while somebody ran to go fetch a person of authority.
It was Maduran, Nerini's Captain of her troops, who came. It was also him who first noticed the wounded messenger was trying to say something.
Maduran turned on the men gathered around the sickbed. "Get out! Now!" The 10 odd soldiers scrambled hastily for the tent doorway. Once out, Maduran got up and closed the tent flap in the faces of the men gathered there. Resuming his seat by the young man, he leaned in close to hear the message.
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
The soldiers clustered around the tent were startled when Maduran strode out of the tent suddenly, his face twisted in some weird way. If some men hadn't known him better, they would've sworn that look was one of fear.
Maduran was scared. He had just heard a message meant for his Lady Commander, and it scared him shitless.
"Beten! Go get Nerini! Don't ask questions, go!" Beten didn't even bother to salute before taking off at a dead run towards Nerini's tents. Maduran noticed the rest of his command looking at him strangely. Not in a mood to deal with this, he snapped out at them, "Go to your tents or I'll give you work to do!" Each man left hurriedly. They had never seen this side of their Captain, and they didn't want to know what he might do like this.
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
Nerini arrived a moment later, sliding to a stop panting. "What is it, Maduran?" she asked quickly.
Maduran motioned shortly to the tent behind him. "This man has something you may just want to hear." Nerini nodded and entered.
Sitting down next to the man, Nerini leaned in close to listen to what the messenger had to say. Several seconds later, she stood up quietly and addressed Maduran without taking her piercing green eyes off the man. "Captain, gather the troops for battle. We have flaming several bloody hundred trollocs heading this way, with a bloody male Aes Sedai bloody leading them. This flaming valley has five hours at best before it is submerged in bloody trollocs and dreadlords. Go!" Maduran bolted.
Nerini looked down on the body, lost in thought. She had lots of planning to do before those shadowspawn overwhelmed. She didn't know how she could possibly over come them, with only 200 men at her back. The male Aes Sedai could beat them alone. There is one way to beat them, a voice in her head taunted her. You could beat them alone, except for maybe the male channeler. She shook her head firmly. No, she told it firmly. I will not reveal to them what I really am. They would lose all faith in me, and then, for the rest of the trip they would stay only because of their oaths to me.
Nerini thought a bit more, and then sighed. It's the only way. I have to do this. Stepping out of the tent, she went in search of Hatain.
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
So? How do you like it? Good? Bad? Review and tell me!