The Battle of Murkwood

The Eastern Bandits were taken by surprise when the hundred riders suddenly appeared out of nowhere and began killing their crew members.

"Sound the horn," Shout their leader, a Majiryan named Roan,"Sound the horn."

A deep and long sound of someone blowing on a horn echoed through the area. As if in response, another sound of blowing horn came from the north, which was a small wood, whose name was borrowed by the village of Murkwood.

"Retreat, to the wood, retreat," Shout Roan, turning his horse around and riding towards the wood but it was too late. A spear came flying. It was not intended for him but... He could not even get out of the village.

"Ahhhhh,'' He shout in panic and he fell down on his back as his horse buck up, neighing in pain. The spear had struck his horse left neck, from whence direction the spear came.

"What the.... "Shout Roan, picking himself up. His words were cut abruptly as he felt the cold tip of a blade on his nape.

"The beast will be killed swiftly," Said a cold, angry voice behind him,"you, on the other hand will not be."

"Spare me," Said Roan,"I will tell you everything."

Roan did not meant it. It was just a bluff to get some time before the main force arrive.

"Who said I want any information?" Said the voice, cold as ever,"I don't."

Roan flinched as he heard it. As soon as he felt the cold tip of the blade disappeared from his nape, he jumped and lunged towards his fallen sword. There was a swish, the sound of a blade hitting empty air.

Roan grab the sword and turned around quickly in a defensive stance sensing that his opponent was going to take another Slash at him. He held the sword to parry a downward strike.

He was right. A large curve blade of a huge glaive came towards him but from a direction he didn't expected.

The attacker was riding on a horse and lowly leaning on the left. His weapon was a long glaive with a large blade. The strike came from below. Roan couldn't react quickly enough to defend himself.

"Ahhhhhh," hollered Roan in pain as he felt the blade its mark.

It was not a strike with power but a light and precise upswing. The target was between his legs. The strike had cut his codpiece and his scrotum into two.

"I told you I won't kill you swiftly," Said Kain, looking down at the man squirming and flailing on the ground with disdain.

He jumped down from his horse. He gave no attention to Roan but moved towards the horse which was lying on the ground, a spear stuck on its neck. It was in pain, breathing heavily and whimpering.

"Forgive me," Said Kain,"You were innocent but such is war."

He unsheathed his sword and plunged it inside the horse chest, stabbing its heart. The horse gave one last powerful neigh and breathed its last.

"Enemies from the wood," Shout a voice.

"To the wood," Shout Kain, sheathing his sword, grabbed his glaive stuck on the ground and jumping back on Danko.

The riders started to followed him as he rode north towards the wood, one after another.

As soon as they came out of the village, they saw the enemy lying in wait at the forest line of the wood, a hundred or so metres away. Many were mounted and looked heavily armed.

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"They are just a measly force," Said Marvin, looking at the hundred riders that had came out of the village.

He had been put in charge of the attack. The plan was to attack the villages with small detached forces while the larger forces stays hidden. Marvin thought that the idiots had taken the bait.

"Commander,"Said his second lieutenant,"The opponents have warriors in their rank. Half of them are warriors."

"They have only two sky warriors,"Said Marvin, "The rest are mud. We have seventy Warriors, out of which six are sky warrior. There is nothing to worry about. Also our numbers are superior so is the quality of fighters.The others are going to be here soon as well. This won't even be a battle."

Their mission was to bring back the head of the chief, who was called Skinjer the Red Ogre.

"Now, charge," Shout Marvin with all his might, brandishing his scimitars, which had an otherworldly gleam in it.

All Four hundreds, both mounted and on foot charge at the enemies with all their might. The enemy on the other hand didn't moved at all. They stood their ground, spread out in a line.

"Enemies from the west." The news came as a surprise. Marvin look east. Two hundred men had appeared, all of them in foot. They were farther than three hundred metres.

Marvin realised why the enemies hadn't rush at them. The enemy reinforcement was no mere footsoldiers but....

"Shields," Shout Marvin, frantically,"Let up your shields."

His guess was correct. A large shower of arrows came towards them from the east. The charge came to a halt as the bandit army became noisy with cries and screams of pain.

"Don't stop," Shout Marvin, parrying away arrows headed for him,"Charge at them. Sam, you take the east with two hundred, I will take the South."

"But Commander, it will make things wors...."

"I am the commander," Shout Marvin,"do as I say?"

"As you say," Said Sam.

It was at this time that the enemy riders started to charged at them. The enemies had reorganized themselves in several columns and charge down on them.

The other detached force on the other hand was in bad shape. The enemies were loosing lots and lots of arrows,which were thinning down the ranks.

"How can they shoot so fast?" Marvin thought, taking a look at the other force. It was as if each of the enemy archers were shooting three aways at one.

"You shouldn't look away," Said a voice before him.

Marvin turned around and saw a huge blade smeared with blood came came on him.

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As the two armies fought, a hooded rider was watching it on top of a hill.

"As I thought," Said the man,"It is the new Viscount who is posing as the bandit chief."

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