Chapter 2: a duo of three
"Get those silly brats!" a loud drunken voice hollered as he rallied a group of thugs from within the inn. The scene opens to a loud a rowdy evening in the village of Til, an outpost in the North that had been sacked and conquered by the Valtrex family during the past winter. The town shared the fate of many in the realm. Big bloated soldiers and mercenaries barely better than brigands ate and drank hearty and lorded over the land in the most grotesque of fashion. They always did the same thing in the towns too small to have a ruling family, they setup in the local inn or the largest farmstead and began treating it as their personal domain. "Kill THEM!" a different voice hollered as three young people darted out of the inn quickly. The trio were two boys and a girl. The girl was roughly 16 in her age, she had her hair cut short to give the appearance that she was a boy and dressed as such, this was because the older of the two boys knew what her fate would be had they discovered her. The women of these occupied towns found themselves frequently with bastards in their bellies, and with horrid nights filled with drunken bodies atop them. The older boy in trio was wise to these ways and sought to protect the girl. Her name was Claire. She was fair of skin, and despite her short hair she was still obviously beautiful, to help her keep the obvious hidden she wore a thin scarf around her face to help conceal her. She was a skilled little girl and thus the older boy gave her knives to be her weapons to go along with her abilities to pick locks.
The older boy was named Ion, he was roughly 19 years of age. A man descent height, and while his frame would normally result in a man suitable of being a heavy knight, the years of famine had taken toll on his body and he was skinny but thus agile. He carried a sword and while he was basically untrained in proper use, hunting and practice were still useful to him, however today was proving to be his first chance to use them on aggressive targets. His mother took Claire and the younger boy in to their home and they survived together as a family ever since the Valtrex occupation began. Ion clearly took great personal protection over both of the younger two. "Keep your siblings safe!" his mother called to him before disease took her nearly a year ago. Ion's mother treated and addressed them as her own children since she took them both into her home. She loved all three of them, and her desire to protect and see them to survive eventually resulted in her life fading due to malnourishment.
The youngest of the three was a boy no more than ten years old. The boy was given a short spear to carry by the older boy, when really Ion had no intention of letting him get into combat. "Kyler! Come on, we have to get out of here!" Claire called to the young boy. The three had been days without food and decided that now would be their best chance to steal a meal from the inn of their town that used to be a lovely free village. The three bolted into the woods quickly trying to lose the mainstay of the force pursing.
"Get them!" the ringleader cried out. "Spread out into groups and slay whatever you find!" he called. There wasn't a large force of men stationed at the small town of Til, however there were more than enough to cause problems for the locals, after the famine and abuse the soldiers almost outnumbered the local folk. the ringleader returned to the inn with his top rank people while 4 squads went separate ways into the woods to find what they could. Each squad had 4 to 8 men and they knew they would catch the trio and quickly discipline them.
After a couple of hours wandering the woods the trio knew they did not have the stamina to go on further. "My legs hurt Ion." Young Kyler called out. "I know we need to keep going but if we go further, without rest I doubt I could help in a fight." Ion knew the predicament on them. He knew Kyler was tough enough to not bring this to him unless it was serious. Also he knew his own skills were not exactly adept in the ways of the sword.
"Look there is a crew coming nearby." Ion spoke to his family. "By their sound they cannot be one of the big groups." He looked to Claire who was catching her breath after all the running. She halted her heavy breathing and smiled to Ion as she believed he had a plan to see them through this trouble. "These guys were heavily drunk when they started chasing us. It has been several hours but they should still be slow with their weapons." Kyler looked excited at what he was hearing, his youth was betraying him. While he wanted to steal food, he really wanted his first taste of battle as many young men foolishly desire. "I doubt they will be able to block hardly any of our attacks and they perhaps will not have any armor on them. let's get ready and slay them quick, loot them and then make for the hills where we can camp. The other two agreed that the plan was their best chance at survival.
"I see their trail!" soon the voices of the party following them caught their position. The group was small band of fattened axe wielders. The stench of brew and mead still hot upon their breath, so strong it nearly reached the trio before the light from their torches. Each of the three positioned themselves hidden behind a different tree to allow further advantage when they made their initial strike. The band spread thin their group of five as they hollered and called out to the young people they pursued. The goal of which was to lure them out from the shadow under false promise of lesser punishment.
Soon the steps passed the trios positon. Ion asked them to wait until they fully were in front of them. He wished to gain the best advantage of them before striking.
"YAHHHH!" Claire boldly leapt forward plunging her blade deep into the side of the first man. He spit blood wildly as he fell over in violent agony unable to retaliate as he fell powerless and screaming. The girl quickly removed her knife from the brigand's side and proceeded to slit his throat staying low the whole time. "One down." She whispered in false confidence. She was trying to embolden herself despite the fear and danger around her. The men turned toward their downed companion and now found themselves ready for combat.
"HAHHH!" As an axe thrust downward toward Claire she jolted back and the face of the weapon buried itself into the corpse of the fallen brigand. Claire noticed that as the man attempted to remove it from the body, that the head was stuck in the breastbone of the fallen man. Claire with fear and terror upon her virgin of battle face, having just made her first kill recognized the opportunity at hand. She stabbed wildly under the jawline of the man bewildered by his poor luck. Bringing him to his knees quickly in a succession of 6 uncoordinated slices.
The other 4 moved to purpose at the sight. "NOW KYLER!" Ion called to the younger boy as they emerged from their hiding place. Kyler moved to be beside Claire. He pulled her back from her two kills. And they sized up the two moving toward them. "Which one do you want?" the young boy made a statement as if he had tasted many a fight before, when in reality he was more green than the young maiden was to the ways of combat. Claire signaled that she would take the one on the right leaving the one on the left to Kyler. The young boy smirked at the chance to claim a kill.
Meanwhile, Ion had gained the attention of two of the brigands. Sure Ion had hunting experience and had many times killed beasts to feed the family, yet he was not arrogant or confident in his skills. He was glad however that he got two of them in this situation as he did not want Kyler or Claire being smaller and physically weaker being forced to take on two at once. Also being that both were focused on him, he knew that no one was running back to signal for and find the other groups. "Come here boy, its time for you to meet my axe!" an exhausted and hungover man bellowed as he swung his axe. The chop came quicker than Ion expected, he was able to dodge it, but it left him unbalanced and unable to block or return a thrust from his sword. The other man took this opening shoved the unsharpened top of his axe into the young swordsman's chest. The blunt blow toppled him back a few feet causing the next chop from the first man to miss the boy's head barely.
"Uhhh!" Ion grabbed his side quickly before he regained his balance. He knew he had to make the next move count.
Over nearby Claire now having to face the enemy 1 on 1 without surprise was in quite a predicament. She charged forward and made a jump at the man. He being of descent strength caught her midair by her neck. "My my, are we hiding a beauty underneath those scarves?" the man quickly recognized that she was a woman and fair. His grip wasn't tight but his reach made it impossible for Claire to hit his vitals. She gasped hard for a deep breath and slashed at his arm, gaining a strong blow, but not a severe one to endanger or limit him. However, it did release his grip from her. She hit the ground and moved her free hand to her chest as she breathed heavy. The man winced and yelled then kicked her in her chest knocking her over. "YOU LITTLE BITCH!" he hollered to the girl grasping as her chest on the ground. "You're too feisty for your own good." He kicked her again "I was going to give you special treatment!" he grabbed his arm that was cut dropping his axe. "Uhh that hurt." He moved back to cover his arm and stunt the bleeding offering Claire a moment of respite.
Kyler immediately as his foe came forward charged and attempted to stick him with his spear like a downed boar. He thrust with a smile, even as the brigand repelled the spear thrust. He thrust again and again the image of a hero was playing in his young mind as he glanced each of his thrusts. "I am Kyler and I bring you death!" he yelled "WHA!" the young boy loosed his grip at the wrong moment, the brigand flailed his free arm and knocked the spear from his hand. Reality had set in for the boy. His eyes opened he turned his head to see his arms no longer with spear in hand. He turned back only to see an axe coming forward with authority, and in this moment the boy in Kyler came whimpering out. He ducked and stepped back, then again and again as chop and swat came toward his person.
"What is the matter boy?" the brigand called. He brigand knew the boy was on the ropes. Before too long the boy tripped and fell backward. "HAHAH!" the brigand thought. "Time to die. The brigand lunged forward Kyler in a panic moved his hands into the ground and felt the spear he had previously lost. In a moment of reflex he picked it up and pinned it into the ground below him. Kyler closed his eyes in terror as he pictured his end upon him.
"SHUUNK!" the young man opened his eyes to see the brigands axe deep in the ground to the left of his head, and the tip of the spear sticking out of the back of the brigand. Kyler began hyperventilating at what was before him.
Ion in that moment managed to cleave the jawbone off one of his two combatants. And was now in a fight mono a mono. He and his opponent were tired from the toils of fighting yet both knew the fight was still on. The brigand decided to make a costly error perhaps brought on by drink. He threw the axe at Ion. The young man reacted quickly and parried the blow the flying axe changed direction and found its way into the back of the man who was tormenting Claire. "Sorry Charlie." The now emptyhanded man called as he saw his friend drop to his knees and try to realize why his ability to move was now removed of him. Ion took this opportunity to strike the surprised man and drove his sword straight through his opponent. The man still surprised turned his head to meet the young man's face; he then spat blood upon him as he dropped to his knees and keeled over dead.
The young maiden still holding her side, hobbled to the man who with an axe in his back. He was confused as to why he no longer was able to control his own movements. He was turned around and trying to reach for the axe in his back. Claire pulled herself to her feet and leveled her knife upon his neck. "WAIT WAIT! WA…" the woman dared not let him talk further as she shoved the knife deep into his throat, he fell forward and with his fall the knife was released from his throat. She stood now overlooking the bodies of her first three kills on this late night. She never pictured that it would feel quite like this.
Kyler was still shivering with the dead brigand atop him as the older boy pulled the boy's spear through the back of the dead brigand. He then kicked the lifeless body off his young companion. He then sheathed this sword and extended a hand to pull the young Kyler to his feet. Kyler slowly reached forward and then pulled himself to his feet with his friend's help. Ion handed Kyler his spear which he took. "Ion are…..are you hurt?" Kyler regaining his senses noticed the older boy favoring his left side.
"I got a couple of blunt shots to the ribs and a light cut on my shoulder, but I am going to be fine after a rest." Ion smiled as he tried to know what to say in this situation, her could tell that his young family was troubled greatly by the fighting each in their own way. "Claire are you okay?" he asked the young woman who was now cleaning off her knife. "Are you injured?"
"Nothing serious." She was bleeding from her mouth, and leaning forward to take pressure off her ribs but was otherwise okay.
"Ion. I froze." Kyler teared up as he took ownership of his perceived failure.
"You killed your enemy, and are still alive." Ion hugged the young boy. Kyler hugged his brother back as tears flowed with greater force. "That makes you a warrior in my book brother." The young boy smiled as he still cried. Ion at times forgot just how young Kyler really was.
Claire was still standing over by the men she killed, three in all. Ion saw this and moved to embrace her. As her hugged her from behind she grimaced until fully recognizing it was Ion. He gently kiss the back of her head. "I am proud of you Claire." She fell to her knees and grabbed hold of Ion's arm as she felt a slight bit of humanity overpower her in the moment. She leaned her head back upon his arms. She was thankful for Ion's comfort. The moment was what she needed, somehow Ion was wise enough to know what both she and Kyler needed to pull them through this trying experience. Kyler moved over and nuzzled next to Claire. The three slew six brigands, drunken brigands, but brigands all the same. The swordsman, the thief, and the fresh recruit felt more experienced, but knew the toll and cost of it.
After a few moments, Ion asked the others to help him loot the bodies of any valuables. The three gathered any money and healing potions on hand, they left the axes, as they were all heavy and clumsy weapons for their frames. The group then quickly moved onward to a nearby hill that Ion had knew of a hunting blind where people would store things during hunting treks. These blinds didn't have anything in them these days, but only locals knew where they were and the locations were dep in the woods offering ample protection for the three to take residence for the time.
The group found an appropriate one within a few hours walk. They all dropped and began resting their bodies without any attempt to tidy the place or setup any bedding. Kyler passed out in the corner while Claire laid herself up against the side of Ion. She was confused about so much tonight. Ion had explained prior why she needed to look like a boy, but she had never experienced it firsthand until the look the man who tormented her in battle tonight gave her. She tried to sleep but found her mind racing same as the older boy. "Ion, why are men like that toward women." He honestly knew of lust and desire, but still really had no understanding of their particular demeanor towards Claire. Yes she was pretty, he was aware of this, but why the sight of her sent them into a frenzy the young man honestly could not understand. Yet, he tried to give her an answer he thought made sense.
"Claire, you are young and absent the stain of years." He said as he looked away from her toward the roof of the blind, which was no more than a lodging dugout of the side of a small hill. "Perhaps in their ugly and violent lives, women absent the ugliness they have seen are something amazing to them?" he could tell from the corners of his view that she was not comforted or understanding of that answer. "I honestly don't know sister." Ion knew the two with him were not his biological family yet he saw them as family nonetheless and was thankful to have survived their foolish thievery. He looked over at the small bounty they had collected, it was merely enough for them to share for 4 days, but it was infinitely more than they had prior.
Soon Claire eventually drifted off to sleep which helped relax the older boy. He was thankful. "Praise be to Kaya for another moment's life." He too soon closed his eyes to sleep as dawn approached the dugout.
_AUTHOR'S NOTE_
I hope you guys enjoyed the first taste of active heroism and action :) what do you think of Claire, Ion, and Kyler. i will not give any spoilers but i do hope that i showed these three as having enough initial emotional complexity. obviously in the midst of a battle scene giving depth and breadth to new characters can be tricky.
i know that so far the story may seem like an unrelated serious of 3 chapters yet it imperative for world building and setting up the grand scheme of the world. :)
any thoughts or ideas?