Sept 2002
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, I'm just borrowing them. The
story, however, is mine.
A New Beginning
Chapter 7
Steel flashed and another death cry rendered the air. Gilthanas
kept his back to Leth as the young elf used his vantage point to aim
true arrow after another into the fray. All around the elven prince
were bodies of Orcs that had dared come too close. The column had been
traveling peacefully when Gilthanas had sensed something amiss. He'd
warned the commander just as the first boulders came thundering down the
trail followed by a hoard of Orc and a few giants. The column had
split, most of the knight engaging in hand to hand combat as swiftly as
possible. But numbers were not on their side. Slowly the solamnics, who
were outnumbered five to one, began to loose their ground. Gilthanas
had found a rocky outcropping that was defensible and sent Leth up with
his bow. So far neither of them had been hurt but the Solamnics, for
the hundreds of Orcs they were killing, couldn't seem to thin out the
numbers.
Suddenly Leth yelled a warning as a giant made it's way towards
them. "Aim for the eyes." Gilthanas shouted back at him. Elven steel
flashed as he lunged at the knees of the giant, forcing it to parry.
Gilthanas struck again, this time hitting his mark and the giant
bellowed in pain as Gilthanas sliced deeply into its knee. A huge club
was brought down to smash the elven prince but it never hit its mark as
three arrows in rapid succession pelted its face. Gilthanas dodged out
of the way, getting clipped, barely, on the shoulder as he did so. He
was spun around and flung away as the giant bellowed again. His whole
left side felt numb from the glancing blow and he shifted his stance as
he got to his feet. Yelling an elven war cry he slashed again at the
creature's injured knee as Leth continued to send arrow after arrow at
the creature's face. Finally one hit it's mark and sank through the eye
socket into the ting's tiny brain. It froze and then began to spasm as
the body registered the last commands from the dying brain.
Gilthanas heard Leth shout just as he was about to take another
swing at the monster and his eyes widened as the thing began to topple,
arrows sticking out of it's face from every which way. He leapt out of
the way, barely and cried out in pain as the handoff the giant smacked
down onto his ankle. He felt the shock clear through his body as he
swore he heard bone break.
"Gilthanas," shouted Leth, "Look out!"
Gilthanas looked up through his pain fogged vision and raised his
sword to block the descending weapon that an Orc slashed at him. He
searched for his rage and pain as a means of strength and threw the Orc
away. The things stupid eyes widened as Gilthanas pried his foot from
beneath the hand of the giant and then turned to face the Orc, balancing
on one foot. An arrow streaked from the bow and landed with a meaty
thunk in the middle of the Orc's chest as Gilthanas lopped the thing's
head from its shoulders. He looked up as a Solamnic war cry echoed
trough the valley and felt the world falling away from him as the sock
of his injury finally caught up with him. He saw a whole new battalion
of Knight enter the valley before passing into oblivion.
"My Prince." Leth jumped from his vantage point as he saw that the
route was on and ran to Gilthanas' side. He kept a watchful eye out for
any Orc or giant that would threaten his liege and drew his sword to
deter anyone who would come close enough. Finally the battle was at an
end and he sheathed his sword, kneeling at Gilthanas' side. He checked
the prince over for injuries and winced, seeing the mangled foot. He
prayed they would not have to remove it.
"Are you alright?" asked a female voice as a shadow passed over his
and Gilthanas' forms.
Leth looked up, seeing a woman who was beautiful. Her lips were a
shade too thin, her nose too straight and her hair the colour of straw
but she was a vision, an angel to his sights and he smiled, "My Lady, my
lord has been injured. I'm fine but I fear he may lose his foot." He
motioned to the mangled foot and sighed, his face sorrowful.
"Your name, good elf?"
"Legathas. This is Gilthanas Solostran." He told her, "My liege
and lord."
She looked at the body of the elf and Leth swore he saw something
akin to fear and longing in her eyes briefly before she shut it out. "I
am Lady Arlena Plata." She turned her head, "Healer, Swiftly."
A middle aged woman appeared as the command died away. "Yes, Lady
Arlena?"
Arlena motioned to Gilthanas, "His foot has been injured gravely.
Save it, no matter what it takes. He would never stand for being
without it."
The healer's eyebrows rose, "My lady, I can make no guarantees.
That foot is badly damaged."
Arlena pulled the healer off to the side, out of earshot from Leth,
"Mirna, That's Gilthanas Solostran of the royal elven house. Save the
foot, no matter what it takes."
"Yes my lady," Mirna turned and moved over to Gilthanas and
proceeded to set the foot. Leth looked at her sceptically as the Lady
Arlena moved away. He caught the flash of pain in her eyes as Gilthanas
moaned from pain. The healer went about her movements swiftly and then
placed her hands on the elf's foot, closing her eyes. Slowly, ever so
slowly, the foot regained it's normal shape.
Leth looked at the woman amazed as she tore her hands from the
ankle and then sat back, breathing heavily, "I can do no more. The
bones are intact, but he will not be able to walk on it for at least a
tenday. I'm sorry, I can do nothing more."
Leth nodded his thanks, "I appreciate your swift move, my lady.
Thank you."
Mirna smiled at him and then proceeded to wrap the ankle in a
bandage and splinted it. "Keep him off that foot, I will send someone
with a litter to help you carry him to the keep."
Leth nodded and the healer moved off to help what other ways she
could.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, I'm just borrowing them. The
story, however, is mine.
A New Beginning
Chapter 7
Steel flashed and another death cry rendered the air. Gilthanas
kept his back to Leth as the young elf used his vantage point to aim
true arrow after another into the fray. All around the elven prince
were bodies of Orcs that had dared come too close. The column had been
traveling peacefully when Gilthanas had sensed something amiss. He'd
warned the commander just as the first boulders came thundering down the
trail followed by a hoard of Orc and a few giants. The column had
split, most of the knight engaging in hand to hand combat as swiftly as
possible. But numbers were not on their side. Slowly the solamnics, who
were outnumbered five to one, began to loose their ground. Gilthanas
had found a rocky outcropping that was defensible and sent Leth up with
his bow. So far neither of them had been hurt but the Solamnics, for
the hundreds of Orcs they were killing, couldn't seem to thin out the
numbers.
Suddenly Leth yelled a warning as a giant made it's way towards
them. "Aim for the eyes." Gilthanas shouted back at him. Elven steel
flashed as he lunged at the knees of the giant, forcing it to parry.
Gilthanas struck again, this time hitting his mark and the giant
bellowed in pain as Gilthanas sliced deeply into its knee. A huge club
was brought down to smash the elven prince but it never hit its mark as
three arrows in rapid succession pelted its face. Gilthanas dodged out
of the way, getting clipped, barely, on the shoulder as he did so. He
was spun around and flung away as the giant bellowed again. His whole
left side felt numb from the glancing blow and he shifted his stance as
he got to his feet. Yelling an elven war cry he slashed again at the
creature's injured knee as Leth continued to send arrow after arrow at
the creature's face. Finally one hit it's mark and sank through the eye
socket into the ting's tiny brain. It froze and then began to spasm as
the body registered the last commands from the dying brain.
Gilthanas heard Leth shout just as he was about to take another
swing at the monster and his eyes widened as the thing began to topple,
arrows sticking out of it's face from every which way. He leapt out of
the way, barely and cried out in pain as the handoff the giant smacked
down onto his ankle. He felt the shock clear through his body as he
swore he heard bone break.
"Gilthanas," shouted Leth, "Look out!"
Gilthanas looked up through his pain fogged vision and raised his
sword to block the descending weapon that an Orc slashed at him. He
searched for his rage and pain as a means of strength and threw the Orc
away. The things stupid eyes widened as Gilthanas pried his foot from
beneath the hand of the giant and then turned to face the Orc, balancing
on one foot. An arrow streaked from the bow and landed with a meaty
thunk in the middle of the Orc's chest as Gilthanas lopped the thing's
head from its shoulders. He looked up as a Solamnic war cry echoed
trough the valley and felt the world falling away from him as the sock
of his injury finally caught up with him. He saw a whole new battalion
of Knight enter the valley before passing into oblivion.
"My Prince." Leth jumped from his vantage point as he saw that the
route was on and ran to Gilthanas' side. He kept a watchful eye out for
any Orc or giant that would threaten his liege and drew his sword to
deter anyone who would come close enough. Finally the battle was at an
end and he sheathed his sword, kneeling at Gilthanas' side. He checked
the prince over for injuries and winced, seeing the mangled foot. He
prayed they would not have to remove it.
"Are you alright?" asked a female voice as a shadow passed over his
and Gilthanas' forms.
Leth looked up, seeing a woman who was beautiful. Her lips were a
shade too thin, her nose too straight and her hair the colour of straw
but she was a vision, an angel to his sights and he smiled, "My Lady, my
lord has been injured. I'm fine but I fear he may lose his foot." He
motioned to the mangled foot and sighed, his face sorrowful.
"Your name, good elf?"
"Legathas. This is Gilthanas Solostran." He told her, "My liege
and lord."
She looked at the body of the elf and Leth swore he saw something
akin to fear and longing in her eyes briefly before she shut it out. "I
am Lady Arlena Plata." She turned her head, "Healer, Swiftly."
A middle aged woman appeared as the command died away. "Yes, Lady
Arlena?"
Arlena motioned to Gilthanas, "His foot has been injured gravely.
Save it, no matter what it takes. He would never stand for being
without it."
The healer's eyebrows rose, "My lady, I can make no guarantees.
That foot is badly damaged."
Arlena pulled the healer off to the side, out of earshot from Leth,
"Mirna, That's Gilthanas Solostran of the royal elven house. Save the
foot, no matter what it takes."
"Yes my lady," Mirna turned and moved over to Gilthanas and
proceeded to set the foot. Leth looked at her sceptically as the Lady
Arlena moved away. He caught the flash of pain in her eyes as Gilthanas
moaned from pain. The healer went about her movements swiftly and then
placed her hands on the elf's foot, closing her eyes. Slowly, ever so
slowly, the foot regained it's normal shape.
Leth looked at the woman amazed as she tore her hands from the
ankle and then sat back, breathing heavily, "I can do no more. The
bones are intact, but he will not be able to walk on it for at least a
tenday. I'm sorry, I can do nothing more."
Leth nodded his thanks, "I appreciate your swift move, my lady.
Thank you."
Mirna smiled at him and then proceeded to wrap the ankle in a
bandage and splinted it. "Keep him off that foot, I will send someone
with a litter to help you carry him to the keep."
Leth nodded and the healer moved off to help what other ways she
could.