Ethos Mertyns, once the Royal Huntsman, once an esteemed friend of court and acquaintance of the Young Dragon is now ... well, the steward of the Heir of Baratheon. Not as prestigious, but it’s better than nothing, especially considering he was a deserter and suspected of other more nefarious activities. He slows his horse as he reaches the meeting place, decked in chain shirt, livery, sword and shield and such. With him is his squire, of course. “Lad, we’re going to have a damned fine time.” The knight says with a glance back towards the boy.
Halyn Grimm, the young squire of Ethos Mertyns, stands up in the stirrups to look around the woods. “I’m ready, ser,” the lad replies. His tone is almost too mature for such a young boy; the war in Dorne has aged him beyond his tender years.
“Good. Just make sure to stay out of harm’s way. I can’t be gutting bandits if I’m saving your hide.” Mertyns responds, smirking and sweeping his gaze back around the clearing. He reaches for a skin tied to his saddle, lifting it and drinking slowly. Could be water… could be liquid courage… Who knows?
Luthor is the next to arrive, emerging out of the fog dressed for combat in his blacked steel and full helm. Behind him ten knights of the Kingswood company follow him, along with his squire Barion, and his healer Watty. Luthor raises his visor and smiles as he sees the Mertyns knight and his squire have beaten him to the meeting spot. “Ethos,” he greets extending his hand to him.
Elmer is leading a small Lannister contingent himself, the tall knight armored lightly in chainmail instead of tourney armor, but his long heavy sword hangs on his belt. “Ahh, Ser Ethos, a pleasure, I haven’t seen you in a while.” he saluts, and grins to greet Luthor too.
Farin (Fa) pages: I’ve been trying. It keeps saying that I don’t have that.
Halyn brings his palfrey closer, exchanging nods with the other squires. But he keeps quiet in the presence of the knights.
Farin arrives at exactly the appointed time, his foresters following dutifully. “Sers,” he greets the group. “I hope we have not kept anyone waiting.”
Alek has arrived.
Ethos lifts his free hand in greeting, still chugging down whatever beverage he brought along for the occasion. Then he lowers the skin and reaches to clasp Luthor’s hand. “You brought too many soldiers with you. We don’t need that many.” Then he inclines his head towards Elmer with a grin for the large knight.
Luthor glances back at his men then back to Ethos. “Never hurts to be prepared,” he says as he grips hands with Ethos before withdrawing his hand and glancing around. “You’re not late Farin,” he says to his cousin. “But where’s Alek and his men?”
Elmer nods as he watches the company. “Ahh, now this seems like a mighty gathering for some bandits.” he muses thoughtfully. “Would any of you kind sers have anything to drink?”
A horse whinneys not soon after the words leave Luthor’s mouth. Its Alek and his men, looking slightly rushed and Alek not looking entirely pleased, but not angry. “Sorry to keep you waiting, sers, there was a slight mix-up in the orders I issued and the orders given.” He shoots a look at his quartermaster who shifts slightly. Alek swings off his horse, a man leadin it awayz
Ethos turns, noting Farin when Luthor addresses him. “Ah! Now I know this will be a grand time.” Mertyns says with a grin, and beckons to his squire. “Give the Crakehall some of the wine. You did bring the wine, boy?”
“Yes, Ser.” Halyn pipes up, bringing forward a wineskin for Ser Elmer.
The Prester knight tuts. “Wine is for winners,” he reminds, much to the chagrin of the foresters behind him. Sensing their silent disdain, he adds, “...though there will be a barrelful for every man that returns more than a handful of scalps to me.” And, as if by magic, the morale of his men is suddenly sky high, many of them murmuring about how badly they’re going to beat each other for said prize.
Luthor raises his hand in greeting to Alek. “Ser, good of you to join us,” he says with a smile to take the sting out of the words. “This is all of us,” he says, looking at the large band of men that have gathered in the little clearing. Night is fast approaching and there is ample fog upon the ground. Both of which will serve for the next part of their little expedition, if they move quickly.
“Farin, Alek, take the foresters ahead and have a look at the camp, if it’s all clear, pepper them with some arrows to scatter them and sound your call. Ethos and Elmer will go around to the east of the camp, myself and my men will come around the west. If all goes well we will be among them before they know it.”
Elmer takes the wineskin and takes a long drink. “Ahh, that feels good!” he grins and rides towards Ethos. “Seems we’ll be working together ser.” he makes a sign and his man fan out behind him.
“Aye, Warden,” Farin grunts, signalling for his foresters to follow. “You louts had better not waste any arrows on the trees; Gods know we need blood flowing, not sap!” he calls out as his own men fan into their “ranging” squads, trotting off ahead.
Mertyns chuckles, lifting his own skin to his lips again and drinking deeply once more. “Should be a pleasant jaunt, eh Elmer?” He loosens his sword in the scabbard, glances towards his squire on the palfrey to be sure that Halyn is close, then gestures to Crakehall, “Lead the way.” There’s a smirk on his face.
Alek nods at his orders, his own men sorting out into their squads. He moves to catch up with Farin, prepping his axe so that it would be easy to use. “A twilight massacre, huh? I only hope to the gods it isn’t us that get massacred.”
Elmer runs a hand through his thick, unruly hair and he grins. “They always say that…that’s how we started off that plesant trip to the beach..” He takes another long drink and he spurs his horse forward.
Luthor turns to Ethos as he and Elmer move to depart. “Remember, wait for the signal,” he warns the Mertyns knight, before he lowers his visor and draws his blade gesturing for his own men to form their pairs and follow him to the western edge of the rise that separates them from the camp.
Halyn follows behind Elmer and Ethos, riding near to Elmer’s squire. His young face is grave and solemn.
Farin has to chuckle at that. “If it is, it surely will not be /this/ unit on the receiving end. Nobody knows the wood better than the men in front of us. But remember that should the battle turn against us, ours is the unit that will be tasked with covering the retreat. Although…” he shrugs lightly, “The only retreat is likely to be theirs.”
Ethos presses his own mare to follow after the Crakehall, muttering beneath his breath, “I’m not much of a fan of beaches anymore.” Then he glances towards Luthor, “Yes, yes.. I heard you the first time!” There’s some exasperation in the knight’s voice.
Alek is going by foot, figuring a horse in the woods would only slow him down. “That is true, ser, but don’t tempt the fates. They are quite brutal when awoken.” He warns.
Luthor chuckles inspite of himself, the sound largely muffled by his closed visor. As his men take their positions he looks to Ser Ryck, the red haired knight at his side. “Ready?” he asks the former hedge knight. The ginger knight smiles. “As I’ll ever be. Lets just hope we don’t fuck this up.”
Elmer chuckles and nods towards Luthor, it’s the Warden’s ball after all, he’s just here to lend a hand, and he moves his horse to a light trot, his eyes alight with the pleasure of the hunt.
Mertyns trots his mount after Crakehall, glancing back once to be certain the squire is following. Then as they reach the position they’re supposed to be in, he leans in to mutter softly to Elmer, “If we move in closer, we’ll get first strikes at the bandits before the others scatter them to hell and back. I need some action to warm my blood.” He slides down from his horse then, drawing his sword and passing the reins to Halyn.
Halyn nods to Ethos as he dismounts. He takes the reins of Ethos’s horse in one hand.
Farin and the foresters creep closer, ever closer. Most of them are armed with their bows for now, although most carry shortswords at their hips, ready for any surprise. Farin still wears his morningstar about the waist, though a shortsword it strapped to his right leg, in the event of close quarters fighting between the trees. Silent and patient, they make thier way through, with no more futher temptings of fate on the part of the Prester Lordling.
Alek does not carry a bow. The Reyne knight, being hopeless, is more likely to harm someone on his side rather than the enemy. Instead, he muffles the blade of his axe, progressing on. His band of foresters all have longbows with them, primed and ready.
The bandit camp is more of a village than a camp. Rude huts and old pavilions fill the ground before the rise, as evening begins to settle, cook fires are lit, and food is set to cooking. While the odd pig or chicken is hurried inside to save them from the chill of the night. Women and children too wander among the huts, some clearly the bandits’ women and bastards, others, taken to work, or for other purposes.
Urick Strongbear, draped in his customary bearskin cloak, pays all of this no mind as he chews the final pieces of meat from a bone by the fire with his captain’s around him. His right hand, the man called Knightsbane, speaks. “Our spies say there’s a merchant leaving the city in three days, heading for the Roseroad. Says there’s goods from the Free Cities on it, out of that Braavosi ship that docked on the Seven Day. Ten men guarding it, sellswords all, as like to run as to fight.”
Strongbear nods tossing his bone in the fire. “We going to be able to sell any of it?”
Knightsbane nods. “Ulmer says he’ll…” the words are cut off by a boyish shout from the treeline. All heads turn in that direction, as a youth bursts from the underbrush running as fast as he can. “Someone’s coming! Someone’s coming!” he shouts at the top of his lungs as he runs towards the fire.
A top the rise next to Farin one of the foresters puts arrow to string. “Want him down?” he asks Farin with a nod to the boy.
“First scalp goes to you,” Farin replies to the forester, his face an emotionless mask. “Damn the luck, but they already know. It is now, or it is not at all. Ready yourself, ser,” Farin says offhand to Alek, turning to the rest of his men. “Release! Scatter the scum!” he shouts, and the rest of the foresters follow suit, giving the signal for the charge by letting fly a single volley into the camp, following the single arrow sent to shut up the child that had the misfortune of doing his job.
Ethos creeps closer, not waiting for Elmer or the signal or anything else. Not that he goes out of his way to draw attention either. When the boy raises the alarm and is silenced moments later, the Mistwood knight grins at the volley of arrows that signals the beginning of the fray. He plants his back against a tree, raises his sword, and waits.
Urick Strongbear is stunned for a moment, as the child grows feathers and drops before his eyes. Rodrick though drops low eyes trying to trace back the source of the shot when he sees the others that follow. “Arrows!” he shouts as the arrows land around him. Bandits go down screaming others wheel about in confusion, before Urick, two shafts piercing his flesh, roars. “Arm yourselves men! They’re coming!” as the big man runs for his maul and shield.
“What the FUCK is this all about!?” comes a muffled shout from one of the tents as an arrow pierces the top of it. A entirely bald, though incredibly burly man, with a height barely taller than a dwarf bursts forth, already armed with his sickle and small shield. “Did no one think to TELL ME?”
Elmer draws his sword and lowers the visor of his helm, the knight riding in, his Lannister cloak trialing in the wind. “Ahh, fun!” He charges forward, a yell of mirth and war as he engages the short , but burly bandit.
Benwyk the bland bandit runs around, confused. After a moment he picks up on what’s going on, and with an inoffensively festive yell, joins his brethern in charging the knights that dare to strike their ‘fortfied stronghold’.
Benwyk, surprised that he’s gone from confused to the front lines in no time flat, barely dodges out of Alek’s way before he realizes that he’s now locked into combat with the knight. “Oi,” he calls out, “Didja ‘afta come today? I almost made quota, damn it!” before striking out at Alek’s head.
If they hadn’t heard the arrows the sounds of shouting and confusion are enough to wake Luthor’s men to the fact the attack has begun. Raising his sword, Luthor leads the charge, his men, cross the level ground to the west of the rise on horseback and round the rise to find the camp in chaos, men and women arming, children running, animals fleeing. Luthor surveys it all through the slit of his visor before his eyes fall on one of the bandits, and he kicks his horse in his direction, Ser Ryck following on his heels as the rest of his men spread out in pairs to engage the bandits or contain the ones who are trying to flee.
Benwyk attacks Alek with his sword…
...and strikes him with a shattering blow!
Armed Urick Strongbear roars at the attackers. “Come fight me you bastards!” he roars his huge bushy beard dampened with spittle. He swings his maul to knock down a knight. “Who wants me!?”
Alek winces as the shot rings against the helm, tottering back, dazed for a second. “Well, I’m here to make sure you don’t make your quota!” He slices at Benwyk again.
Farin waits quietly until the foresters have all but joined the battle, watching silently from the back, ready to give the order for the men to sweep left or right. However, as luck would have it, there’s little time to play Hero of the Reserves, as he spots a bandit trying to get away. The lordling knight tsks, and draws his morningstar. “Maybe next time. But I will /not/ let another Bors Breakhelm sneak away again!”
Alek attacks Benwyk with his mass weapon…
...with no result as the two warriors battle!
Fredyn joines the fight late, lumbering out of the trees behind Luthor and raising his blade with a cackle. “I like ‘aving a knight’s ‘ead on me spike,” he says in a low voice, just loud enough to give Luthor fair warning before his blade is flying toward the man’s neck.
Fredyn attacks Luthor with his sword…
...and has his blow intercepted by Luthor’s shield.
Ethos waits a few moments longer, for things to be.. right? Ideal? Who knows with Mertyns. Then the Stormlord casually walks in after the initial surge of soldiers rushing into the mess and approaches Urick with an amused smile upon his face. “We’re here to fight you, you hairy horse’s ass!” And the Mistwood knight rushes forward with a wide slash at the bandity.
Ethos attacks Urick with his sword…
...with no result as the two warriors battle!
In the wild chaos of the melee, Ethos and Urick are carried apart from one another.
“Bloody fuck!” Bruno cries out, as Elmer’s sword grazes his head. “Watch where yer ridin’, little poxy shit!” he yells, before picking himself up, and insanely, running after the horse, swiping at its rider.
Bruno the Barber attacks Elmer with his mass weapon…
...and merely strikes a glancing blow!
Elmer laughs as he’s being called little by a dwarf, and he shifts in the saddle to avoid the stroke of the mace, but his own sword comes bakc in a quick backhand aimed at the dwarf’s face.
The warning is well used, and Luthor raises his shield in time to intercept the blade. He snarls. “Not today,” as he forces the weapon aside with his shield and brings his sword down into the opening from above.
Elmer attacks Bruno the Barber with his sword…
...and misses by a narrow margin!
Luthor attacks Fredyn with his sword…
...and has his blow intercepted by Fredyn’s shield.
Bruno ducks the next sword swipe this time. Sometimes, being really short comes in handy. He gurgles a growl of rage, and leaps forward, attempting to slice him open again.
Bruno the Barber attacks Elmer with his mass weapon…
...and strikes him with a shattering blow!
Urick smiles as the blade meets the haft of his maul and he pushes close to the Mertyns knight. “Then you’d best do a better job of it,” he snarls with a blast of sour breath, before he reels back and swings his maul in an overhand arc.
Urick attacks Ethos with his polearm…
...and strikes him with a shattering blow!
Farin attacks Rodrick with his mass weapon…
...and strikes him with a shattering blow!
Elmer gasps as he’s hit hard, and this time his own anger fuels up. Damn if he’s going to let some dwarf hit him like that! He puts all his strength into his next blow, aimed at the Barber’s shoulder.
Elmer attacks Bruno the Barber with his sword…
...and has his blow intercepted by Bruno the Barber’s shield.
Rodrick wheels to meet the Prester knight’s charge but doesn’t raise his shield in time and the morning star finds his mark. He curses and spits some blood onto the ground as he sets himself again. His shield is bloody red, with six broken shields painted crudly upon it. “Come on then, if I can’t run, may as well make you my seventh.” He swings his sword in Farin’s direction.
Luthor’s blow shaves some splinters off Fredyn’s wooden shield, and the big man huffs a laugh. “Not tonight, eh?” he grunts, then swings again, aiming for whatever part of Luthor he can hit.
Fredyn attacks Luthor with his sword…
...and strikes him with a powerful blow!
Rodrick attacks Farin with his sword…
...and has his blow intercepted by Farin’s shield.
“Not doin’ so hot a job at that though, are ye? Why dontcha just strip off yer val’ables now, and might be I’ll let ye live, eh?” Benwyk taunts Alek, before stabbing out with his blade, trying to catch Alek off guard.
Benwyk attacks Alek with his sword…
...and strikes him with a shattering blow!
Alek is driven from the saddle!
Ethos is slammed in the shoulder with the maul and staggers back a bit, stunned from the solid attack. He nearly drops his sword, “Fuck… all brawn and no brains, are you? I didn’t realize I was facing an ox.” He tightens his grip on his sword and swings it widely at Urick again in a sidelong slash.
Ethos attacks Urick with his sword…
...and strikes him with a powerful blow!
Luthor isn’t so amply warned this time and he feels the blow resound through his armor. He swings his shield out to win some space, the follows it with another diagonal slash from on high.
Luthor attacks Fredyn with his sword…
...and sees his blow go astray!
The maul strikes but it’s momentum buries its head in the dirt. So much so that when Ethos counter comes, he is struck with the full weight of it. The Urick spits and it comes out bloody. “Damn you to all Seven Hells, you little shit,” he snarls as he lifts and swings the maul sidelong as well trying to knock Ethos off his feet.
Urick attacks Ethos with his polearm…
...and strikes him with a shattering blow!
Ethos is driven from the saddle!
The almost-dwarf cackles as he raises his little shield up. The sheild doesn’t fare very well, garnering a very nice dent in it from Elmer’s full on attack, but beyond being shaken, Bruno remains unscathed. “Better luck next time, manling,” he spits, wheeling about for another slice at Elmer’s leg with his sickle.
Bruno the Barber attacks Elmer with his mass weapon…
...with no result as the two warriors battle!
Elmer blocks the next attack with his shield, and makes his horse dance on the spot as the dwarf is quite a fighter. His stab comes down quickly, aiming the tip of his sword at Bruno’s eyes.
Elmer attacks Bruno the Barber with his sword…
...and strikes him with a hard blow!
Fredyn spits on the ground, grinning at Luthor. “Huh,” he says eloquently, then swings his sword for another good blow.
“Seventh knight to hand you your insides? You recover remarkably well, for having pisspot blood,” Farin spits, setting his mount ready for a charge, swiping down at Rodrick’s head as he passes.
Fredyn attacks Luthor with his sword…
...and strikes him with a hard blow!
Luthor is driven from the saddle!
Ethos laughs openly as Urick spits out the blood, “The big bloody ox is upset!” He taunts, moving to sidestep, but snags his foot on a coil of rope on the ground. The maul slams into him and throws him to the ground with a crash into half-dead shrubbery, the sticks and twigs splintering under the landing of the Stormlord.
Bruno the Barber attacks Elmer with his mass weapon…
...and strikes him with a shattering blow!
Elmer is driven from the saddle!
Alek yells out as he’s knocked to the ground, growling as he stands, tottering slightly. The blow to the head has dazed the veteren a bit more. He glares at Benwyk, lunging again, swinging for his knees.
Luthor hits the dirt with a crash. Thankfully Ser Ryck is on hand to keep the bandit off his back while he struggles to his feet and finds his sword. Stunned he looks around and sees he’s not alone in being sent tumbling. Alek is down, and so is Ethos. “Bloody hells,” he curses as he pulls himself back into the saddle.
Alek attacks Benwyk with his mass weapon…
...and sees his blow go wild!
Elmer hasn’t drunk enough it seems and he shakes the dust off his coat of mail before he grabs the reins of his remonut and moving quickly in the saddle attacks Bruno again, determined not to be defeated like that.
Elmer attacks Bruno the Barber with his sword…
...and strikes him with a shattering blow!
Bruno the Barber is rocked back in the saddle by Elmer’s blow, but manages to keep his seat!
Urick smiles as the Stormlander knight goes down. He approaches maul in hand. “Yield, and we’ll ransom you back. Don’t, and I crush yer head,” he threatens clearly pleased with the success he’s had thus far.
Rodrick smiles as he pushes aside the morning star with his shield. “The seventh knight I’ve killed,” replies Rodrick. “A holy number, you should be pleased.” He swings his sword to punctuate the final word.
Rodrick attacks Farin with his sword…
...and strikes him with a powerful blow!
Caught off guard, thinking he’d made quick work of Ser Elmer, Bruno is caught from behind. Staggering, he barely manages to keep afoot, though he is bleeding quite profusely. He gasps, and suddenly his energy for swearing is gone, replaced only with a singualr blind rage, which he turns and uses to swing his sickle at Elmer’s midsection.
Bruno the Barber attacks Elmer with his mass weapon…
...and strikes him with a powerful blow!
For once, Ethos actually seems to consider this choice before him, sprawled as he is in a shrub with a large brute standing over him with a maul. Then, in a very unknightly, non-chivalrous fashion, he brings up his boot to kick hard at Urick’s abdomen while reaching quickly for his sword to follow-up in the impromptu attack.
Ethos attacks Urick with his sword…
...and strikes him with a powerful blow!
Urick is driven from the saddle!
Fighting his way back to Ryck’s side, Luthor takes over with Fredyn eager for some payback. There are no words for the bandit, only steel.
Luthor attacks Fredyn with his sword…
...and has his blow intercepted by Fredyn’s shield.
Elmer gasps as that sickle rocks him in his saddle, but he’s still got a chance here and he attacks with a flurry of blows, aimed at taking down the annoying dwarf.
Elmer attacks Bruno the Barber with his sword…
...and strikes him with a hard blow!
Bruno the Barber is driven from the saddle!
Fredyn howls with laughter, sounding like a drunken dromedary with a few missing teeth. “Get up, knight,” he offers, guffawing. “I want a real fight ‘fore I take yer head.” And then Luthor does, and he is still laughing when he raises his shield. “It’s a mosquito!”
Fredyn attacks Luthor with his sword…
...and strikes him with a shattering blow!
Farin tries to dance back from the attack, but his destrier is not so quick in these close quarters. Grunting, Farin takes the blow, turns, and swings out quickly, hoping to catch the bandit in an indefnsible position.
Farin attacks Rodrick with his mass weapon…
...and strikes him with a shattering blow!
Rodrick is driven from the saddle!
Benwyk dances a little more around Alek, but his juice is beginning to leave him, as he watches his allies fall around him like flies, going from sudden victory, to sudden defeat. “Ah…” is all he can say, “Didn’t I put you down already…?” before attempting to make it alittle more permanent.
Benwyk attacks Alek with his sword…
...and strikes him with a swift blow!
Elmer looks around as it seems he and his companions have finally regained the momentum and the bandits are dropping. He rests and takes a long drink before looking around to see if anyone needs help.
Alek seems to be taking a fair bit of punishment, growling to the bandit. “I won’t fall to flea-bitten scum like you!” He yells out as he takes the blow to his sheild, baring the brunt. He slices for Benwyk’s swordarm.
A flurry of blows is what it takes to kill the little strongman, it seems. Elmer punishes Bruno like the lowborn, lowseeing, low vantaged scum that he is. By the time Elmer is finished, there’s not a whole lot left recognizeable of the little man.
Elmer as he sees ser Luthor fight his foe, he charges forward, and brings his sword down in a heavy chop towards Fredyn’s shoulder.
Elmer attacks Fredyn with his sword…
...with no result as the two warriors battle!
Urick’s smile turns to an expression of fear as he finds Ethos’ sword in his guts. His maul falls from his hands and he grabs the Mertyns’ knight’s shoulders. “Help me,” he begs Ethos. “It wasn’t my fault.”
Across the field, Rodrick, Strongbear’s right arm, fares little better, knocked from his horse by Farin’s morningstar, the sellsword reaches up a hand. “I yeild.”
Alek attacks Benwyk with his mass weapon…
...with no result as the two warriors battle!
Fredyn’s blow causes white light to flash across Luthor’s vision for a moment, as he steadies himself on the saddle. He readies himself for another attack, but finds instead that Elmer is there beside him. Luthor wastes no time, and presses the advantage, swinging in fast and hard to take Fredyn down.
Luthor attacks Fredyn with his sword…
...and strikes him with a hard blow!
“Really. This just isn’t my day or yours. Yield, why don’t you? It’s best for both of us, really,” Benwyk attempts to reason again, before driving the point home with a downward thrust.
Benwyk attacks Alek with his sword…
...and strikes him with a shattering blow!
“ARRRRGH!” roars Fredyn when Luthor finally manages to land a blow. “That ‘urt!” He rounds on Luthor as the one who landed the blow—Elmer must wait his turn, it seems, for no man can swing his sword at two foes in the same swing.
Fredyn attacks Luthor with his sword…
...and misses by a narrow margin!
Elmer hears one of the bandits actually thinking they’ve got a chance and he yells towards Luthor. “We’ve got him now, ser!” he laughs, though there’s still some of these bandits have life in them.
Elmer attacks Fredyn with his sword…
...and strikes him with a swift blow!
“Help you? What the fuck would I be helping you with other than,” And Ethos tugs his sword free of Urick’s guts with a hard pull, “ending your life. You just threatened to smash in my damned skull you pathetic maggot!” Mertyns tries to manuever away from his foe’s grasping at his shoulders, bringing up his bloody blade to stab at Urick’s throat.
Alek resists yet another blow. “Yield?! Over your dead body!” Alek howls, launching another assault for Benwyk.
Alek attacks Benwyk with his mass weapon…
...with no result as the two warriors battle!
Urick gurgles a last bloody unintelligible word before he expires on the end of Ethos’ blade.
Luthor smiles when Fredyn’s blade misses it’s mark, and counters quickly with a back hand blow as the bandit reels from Elmer’s attack.
Luthor attacks Fredyn with his sword…
...and strikes him with a shattering blow!
Fredyn is rocked back in the saddle by Luthor’s blow, but manages to keep his seat!
“Drop your arms,” Farin orders. “BENNET!” the Prester knight shouts, looking to the nearest forester, who is holding off of his own attack for need of tending to a minor wound. “This thing has yeilded. Do make sure he cannot go anywhere. You are relieved of your need for scalps,” he commands, striding away from Rodrick, looking to the battle again. Seeing his counterpart getting the worse for wear, Farin rides to his aid, ready to attack by the time he gets there.
Benwyk sighs as it looks like he might be having to kill a knight instead of randomsoming him. “If you prefer,” he mumbles, cutting down at Alek one more time.
Fredyn roars again, and seems most affronted to be attacked by two at a time. “That ain’t sportin’,” he whines, blood on his face and running off his shield hand at an alarming rate. “Ain’t no way for knights to be!” And he strikes out blindly in Elmer’s direction, his blade aimed—sort of—for the man’s abdomen.
Fredyn attacks Elmer with his sword…
...with no result as the two warriors battle!
Benwyk attacks Alek with his sword…
...and strikes him with a shattering blow!
Alek is driven from the saddle!
Elmer cheers and whirls his horse around as Luthor delivers a powerful blow to the Bandit, but Elmer sees that glint in Fredyn’s eyes that wanrs him of incoming attack, preparing to receive it. “Sport? I do sport in a tourney not here!” and his own sword replies, snakelike, aimed at the guy’s face.
Elmer attacks Fredyn with his sword…
...with no result as the two warriors battle!
Ethos is rewarded with his slaying of Urick by being bathed in a considerable wash of blood. The knight shoves the dead bandit aside and rolls over, pushing up to stand as he wipes spattered blood from his eyes. The Mistwood knight stands as a gruesome figure as he looks around to take stock of the continuing battle.
Farin arrives just in time to see Alek cut down, not unlike his timing in getting to Landyll’s side in the ambush on the Bone Way. “You blackhearted slutspawn!” Farin yells, riding Benwyk down. “You will pay for that, tenfold!” he shouts, swiping down Benwyk’s way.
Alek is thrown to the ground, heavily beaten and bleeding in several places where his armour has been wrent. Still, the Reyne knight gets back to his feet, groaning lightly. After a few seconds, he merely keels over, passing out. One of the forresters darts out to try and drag the Reyne knight into the trees.
Luthor smiles when Fredyn’s blade misses it’s mark, and counters quickly with a back hand blow as the bandit reels from Elmer’s attack.
Luthor attacks Fredyn with his sword…
...and strikes him with a shattering blow!
Fredyn is driven from the saddle!
Farin attacks Benwyk with his mass weapon…
...and strikes him with a powerful blow!
“Another one? Look, I-” Benwyk gets out, before Farin smashes his shoulder in. “GahhhhhhHHHHH!” he cries, “Stranger take the lot of you!” he yells, leaping Farin’s way, his deadly blade flashing in the twilight.
Ethos focuses his eyes on the showdown between Benwyk and Farin next, and gives a loud yell, “You just keep him busy until I get over there, Farin!” Mertyns has his sword up and covered in blood as he is, he likely won’t be showing any chivalry towards this bandit either when he reaches the combatants.
Benwyk attacks Farin with his sword…
...and strikes him with a hard blow!
“Not before he takes you!” Farin cries back, wheeling about from the blow, losing much of his steam. He backs off a pace, watching Ethos begin his charge, and turns back to Benwyk. “You might want to consider yeilding,” he offers, then promptly charges.
Farin attacks Benwyk with his mass weapon…
...and strikes him with a hard blow!
Benwyk is rocked back in the saddle by Farin’s blow, but manages to keep his seat!
Elmer ‘s long drawn sword comes, up, shining with blodd as he applauds Luthor’s kill. As he looks at the field there’s only Farin and a bandit fighting on. He spurs his horse in that direction, but instead of attacking levels his sword at the man. “Surrender and you’ll have your life. You cannot prevail against all of us!:
Mertyns sees Benwyk batter his friend further and rushes up to flank the bandit. Without clever commentary or witty insults, the Stormlord just laughs as Farin mentions yielding and Elmer talks of surrender, and aims to slash at the man’s back. Chivalry is a spectator’s sport.
Ethos attacks Benwyk with his sword…
...and strikes him with a powerful blow!
Benwyk is driven from the saddle!
Benwyk drops his sword, falling to his knees as Elmer makes his offer. “Please! That’s all I’ve wanted from thi-gaaaaahhhhhrrrghhhhllllsssss…..s…..ssss….” he cries out, gurgling his life force out as Ethos ends all possibility of diplomatic efforts.
Fredyn drops like a ton of bricks, and his head splits open like an overripe melon when he hits the ground. He has only time enough to look startled before his eyes go dark and dead.
Even after so many battles Luthor has to turn away as the blood spills from Fredyn’s head to be soaked up by the dirt. His eyes survey the battle field, it’s strewn with bodies, and the screams of those camp followers that fled can be heard from where his men are rounding them up. Or at least, they had better be just rounding them up. He glances across the battle field to the hill, and the door set in its side. “That’s the penitent’s cell the informer told us about, where they keep their loot, dig Watty out of his hiding place and start the inventory, I’ll check on the others.” With that Luthor spurs his mount to where his friends stand next to the corpse of Benwyk. His eyes narrow with concern as he arrives. “Where’s Alek?”
A forrester pops out, waving. “Ser Alek is over here, sers! I dragged him to safety.”
Farin flicks him a silver for his troubles.
Ethos watches Benwyk for a moment, then claps Farin on the shoulder and starts prowling the camp for any others to fight.
Farin grimaces, trying to make a grin and failing. “I almost had him, you know,” he tells Ethos, though clearly not mening it offensively. As Luthor approches, he nods off to where a forrester is waving for assistence. “Jerald dragged him off that way. He’ll be needing a healer, with more haste than the gods will grant, I imagine.”
Luthor nods tiredly and removes his helm revealing another split lip and some brusing to the side of his head. He rubs the bruise absently and tucks his helm under his arm. “We have Watty, he almost counts as a healer,” he says with tired smile. “I’ll make sure he attends to Alek before his other business.” Then he reaches over and claps Elmer’s shoulder. “Thanks, another assist I owe you,” he says with familiar good humor. Then back to Farin. “How’d you fare? And where is Ethos going?”
Farin looks off in Ethos’ direction, expressionlessly. “Probably to loot his kills. Or to show his squire how to properly loot. Or both.” Then he turns and manages a small smile. “This chap managed to get my shoulder, but only light bleeding. Heavy handed, though. I imagine I shall fare well. How are you, coz?”
A few minutes later, Mertyns can be heard yelling for his squire. “Halyn! Get over here!” The knight then calls harshly at someone else, “Get the fuck away from him, that’s mine! I gutted him.” And he heads back to where he left Urick’s corpse in the shrub.
“Blow to my head was the worst of it, I think I fell on it again, it’s a bit hazy,” Luthor replies with a lopsided smile. “But otherwise I did alright. Thanks to Elmer I got one of them at least.” He glances around. “Yeah,” he says following Ethos with his eyes. “Probably both. How’d your men do?”
Farin watches them for a moment, then notices Bennet, still watching Rodrick. “They look to have done well; I hope I owe a few of them some wine barrels. Bennet over there got to sit out and watch over the one that yeilded to me. Claimed to have killed six knights. I was considering finding their families and sending each one a piece of him,” he says, with a grisly fascination. Then he shrugs. “Either that, or the wall.”
Spying his squire wandering the field, Luthor tosses the boy his helmet and dismounts. “If you can get him to give you the names, send them the pieces,” Luthor says as he wanders past the corpse on the ground and finds a place to sit. He glances around the camp and then skyward at the growing darkness. “Tell the men we’ll stay here tonight, but lets make sure we’re better secured than they were,” he nods at the field of corpses. “In the morning we’ll drag our prisoners back King’s Landing when everyone can see them.”