Stefan and Valeria waited in silence. The minutes passed as they waited, and waited, and waited. Every sound made them jump. The door opened and Lilith appeared.
"My Lord," she said. "They are here."
"How many?" asked Stefan.
"Seven," replied Lilith. "But they are the best fighters they have. They will put up a fight."
"So will we," said Valeria. "Let's go."
She picked up her quiver and her Daedric bow. She then glanced at her father and Lilith.
"I won't miss," she said.
She ascended the stairs as the sounds of them approaching could be heard outside the door. Stefan drew his huge sword and waited for them to come. Lilith drew her dagger and skulked in the shadows. The door flew open and a large thrall stood in the doorway holding a huge Orcish War-hammer.
"Your daughter," said the thrall at the sight of Stefan. "We want her."
"You can't have her," replied Stefan. "I would rather die than give her to you."
"Then I guess that's your last request fool," said the thrall.
He swung his war-hammer at Stefan. Stefan dodged it as it slammed into the wooden floor, leaving a huge crater.
Valeria, who was leaning against the wall at the top of the stairs, drew her bow and loaded an arrow. She moved from the wall and fired a rusty arrow at the thrall. It scythed through the air and slammed into his shoulder.
He roared in pain as she hid behind the wall again.
"FUS RO DAH!" shouted Stefan. The large thrall and his companions were blown clean off their feet and sailed through the door out into the grounds at the front. Stefan advanced on them, Lilith behind him. Valeria bounded along the corridor. She kicked open the door to her grandmother's spare room and darted inside. She climbed onto the wardrobe and slammed her quiver on the windowsill. She threw open the windows, loaded an arrow and waited.
The fight spilled outside. She fired another arrow into the thrall at the back. It cleaved through his neck. He fell in one and died. Lilith leapt forward and began fighting two at once. She slashed her silver dagger at the smallest. He dodged. She slashed again. He dodged. He slashed her. She dodged. An arrow flew past her left ear. It missed and slammed into the ground.
The second thrall lunged at her. Lilith kicked him. He stumbled. She kicked him onto the floor. His companion lunged. Lilith dodged, slashing his arm with her dagger. He screamed in pain. His companion found his feet. Lilith kicked the other aside as his companion lunged at her. Another arrow landed inches from Lilith. She ducked as the thrall lunged at her. She blocked his sword with her dagger. She kicked him. She thrust her dagger deep into his stomach. She glared at him, smiling. She pulled out the dagger. He clutched his stomach and fell to the floor in a pool of blood.
The second thrall lunged at her. He was angry at the death of his companion. Lilith blocked the sword with her dagger. An arrow flew past her and slammed into the thralls eye. He fell in one. Lilith looked up to see Valeria leaning out of the window. She smiled at her. Valeria motioned her head. She loaded another arrow as Lilith raced to help Stefan.
Stefan was fighting three on one. The largest thrall was giving him the most trouble. His huge hammer swung around cleaving apart the air. Stefan ducked and dodged to avoid losing his head from this massive hammer. The thrall slammed it into the ground as Stefan dodge again, creating a huge hole.
"Come on!" called Stefan. "Are you going to hit me or not."
The huge thrall roared in anger and swung his hammer again. Stefan blocked it with his sword and struggled to hold up against this thralls immense strength.
The two other thralls closed in on him, trying to kill him while he blocked the thrall. Stefan used both hands to block this enormous hammer. He was holding for now, but he could feel his strength waning. His arms were starting to shake as he held against the hammer was hard as he could. An arrow flew past him. It slammed into the thrall next to him. It carved through his neck. He landed in a heap. Stefan pushed with all his might. He pushed the hammer off of him. He slashed his leg. The huge thrall fell onto one knee.
Stefan turned his attention to the smaller thrall on his left. He fired lightning at him blocked the other thrall with sword.
"FUS RO DAH!" he shouted again.
The thrall he was fighting launched into the air and slammed into a tree. He was then struck in the forehead with a rusty arrow. The arrow penetrated his skull and fixed him to the trunk of the tree.
Lilith turned her attention to the second smaller thrall. They began duelling indiscriminately. Lilith ducked as he swung his huge sword at her. She fired lighting. He swung. She ducked. She fired lightning. He swung. She ducked. She fired lightning again. Her dagger nicked his leg and he stumbled. She slit his throat. He fell onto the ground and choked to death.
The largest warrior wasn't going to go down the easy. Valeria had already fired several arrows into him and he still hadn't dropped. His leg was slashed but still he was still continuing to fight. He swung his hammer again. Stefan blocked it with his sword. The hammer clanged onto his sword. The thrall swung again. Stefan blocked him once more. Lilith fired an ice spike at his leg. The thrall screamed in pain and fell onto both knees. Another arrow sailed through the air and slammed into his back.
The thrall stood up. He swung his hammer again. Stefan ducked as the weapons whistled over his head. He felt his hair billow as it missed him. Lilith hit him again with ice spike. Stefan shot him with the lightning. The thrall swung at Lilith. She ducked, rolling out of the way. Stefan swung his sword and cleaved through the thrall's hammer. He cut the handle in half. The hammer fell to the ground leaving nothing but a stick in the thralls hand. Stefan thrust his sword into the thralls chest. He roared loudly and fell to the ground in a heap. Stefan pulled out his sword and wiped it on a nearby bush.
"That's the last of them," said Lilith looking around.
Stefan breathed heavily and sheathed his sword. Lilith slid her dagger into her scabbard and looked down at the corpses on the ground.
"Well fought my Lord," she said.
"And to you," replied Stefan.
A sound of footsteps approached them from behind. Stefan turned to see Valeria approaching them. Her bow was over her back and her quiver shook on her thigh.
"Nice shooting," said Stefan putting his arm around his daughter.
"I learned from the best father," she said smiling up at him.
He beamed at her and kissed her on the top of the head.
They stood in silence for a moment.
"My Lord," said Lilith. "We should head to Whiterun immediately. They are also going to send some warriors there. Farkas is leading them."
Stefan looked at her.
"Then Whiterun is where we shall go," he said.
He released his daughter and began striding up the dirt path to the road. Lilith looked at Valeria and they jogged to keep up with him.
"Whiterun isn't far," said Stefan. "If we walk fast, we'll make it."
"How long will they be before they reach Whiterun?" asked Valeria.
"Not long," said Lilith. "They may have already arrived while we were fighting them."
Stefan began to walk faster. Valeria and Lilith jogged to keep up with him.
"Farkas is the target," said Stefan as they descended the hill. "We just took out their best fighters. The ones with him won't be as powerful. But we must hurry."