The infected villager's scream sent chills down the back of Rhian. She stepped back unconsciously as he lifted his sword. Perhaps, she had underestimated him. He would fight through the pain until the battle was won. Pride began to bubble in her. However, ten with a maniacal laugh the man swung his sword at her. He clipped her side, a mere flesh wound that stung mightily, as she dodged startled. She clutched her side as blood spilled over her hand. Maybe it wasn't quite a small flesh wound as she expected. The man raised his sword again and Rhian dropped and rolled as he brought it down... onto Badir's shield. Rhian grimaced as dirt and small pebbles stuck to her cut. She struggled to her feet as Badir thrust the man back and clobbered him into an unconscious state with the back of his hand axe.
Rhian smiled at him. "The pain... must have driven him insane," she said shakily. She knew that she couldn't fight any longer that day and it pained her deeper then the wound itself. She could barely stand as her head swam. She was compelled to fight, her father had fought till his last breath escaped him, and she wished she had his strength. He had fallen to his knee so man times under the blades and dogs of the One God but he still fought, fought for her and her mother.
"Really, the pain? I thought you had exposed him to your wit and nature, friend," he said as he offered his shoulder.
"Ai, we all know that would make any man desire to plunge a sword right into my mouth," she said jokingly with a wink.
Badir took it for what it was worth and closeted the underlying meaning. "Rhian, we must flee for now to Ailis and Wennie. The battle is nearly lost and soon they will scurry across our countryside. We must protect our homes," he said.
Rhian laughed. "Don't patronize me, Mouse of Seven Tails, if they win they will not retreat to where the have already past, forward to the fort they will march heralding death with them. The fight is lost or won today on this field and I will tarry no longer in this conversation," she said. She steeled herself to stand and to replace her sword, now too heavy in her hand, with the pair of sai she had been recently given to her by her blind seer grandmother. She had never used them or trained with them before. She rushed forward slashing at the Undead's faces.
Badir wanted to scream and shove his axe in the most uncomfortable place on her body. A good fighter there was no denying it, but she had the brain of a berserker. He followed after her, hoping that she didn't cut him in her attempts to master the weapons.
As Rhian attempted to grasp the concept of the three pronged dagger she slashed at another creature, it howled as she loosened one of its eyes. It began to spew and she turned her back to keep the acidic vomit from burning her face. A hand grasped her and yanked her out of the way. Rhian nearly fell from the unexpected movement and the pain from her slashed side. She opened her eyes expecting to see Badir and swallowed her curse as her eyes fell upon the singly most attractive man she had ever seen. His green eyes were large luminous pools surrounded by long dark lashes. His fiery red hair of the Island people was confined in five big cornrows that ended at the back of his head and cascaded down to just below chin level. He had a delicate bone structure in his face that complimented his lithe elven body frame.
"You've been struck," he said concern. He quickly killed the remaining nearby offending creatures. Then trusting in the nearby Badir, ushered the wounded Rhian against the nearby trunk of a tree. He removed a pouch from beneath his cloak of a great grey wolf pelt and withdrew from it a bandage and a vial. "Drink," he commanded and Rhian obeyed. The liquid was warm and tasted of cinnamon.
"What was that?" she asked.
"Rat poison," he laughed at her startled face. "Ai, teach you to accept drinks from attractive strangers without asking first what�s in it? My people call its Dragon's Blood, but truly it�s a mixture of herbs that dull pain and a dose of alcohol. And a small squirt of fire lizard's blood for fighting spirit," he said.
"You jest," scoffed Rhian.
"Never, though, I believe you could do without the fire lizard's blood. Your spirit seems quite in like with battle," he said as he began to quickly and expertly bandage her wound. It surprised Rhian how little it hurt and how quickly her strength was renewed.
Rhian tried to lift her sword but found it still too heavy to carry with her wounds. The man took her sword and handed her his own. It was lighter with a more tapered blade and had a pearly bone handle. It was quick and felt strong in her hand.
"I'll be needing that back if you will after the battle," he said, before departing into the frenzy.
"How will I find you?" demanded Rhian trying to plunge into it after him.
"I'll find you, I am fond of that sword and will collect it in the Land of the Dying if need be," he yelled before being swallowed into the battle.
Rhian threw the stranger to the back of her mind as she rushed forward with renewing strength into the battle. She caught a glimpse of Cahira, seemingly injured cradling her hands against her stomach, she was so concerned she instantly forgot the stranger and was oblivious to the fact the man helping her along was Chief Commander in Arms Caden Amita. "Badir!" she yelled and pointed to the wounded Cahira. He nodded and the two made a quick dash for her.
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