Mackluckie watched as the company rode hard and fast for the forest, he grabbed his horn that hung from the saddle of the Drolf standing next to him. He blew it twice,and his troops sprang after the retreating quarry, leaving five fallen Alptraums, four dead Drolfs, and seven men lying on the ground. He grimaced, Jason Sterling had a crew of hardy men.
* * *
Adrenaline pumped through Abraham's veins as they raced toward the treeline. He chanced a glance back, what he saw wasn't comforting. The advantage that the company had had, was now vanishing at a rapid pace. He turned back around, and shouted a warning up to Jason. Riding next to Jason, Silas turned around on his steed, notching an arrow. Taking aim, he let fly. After hearing a dull thud, and a bone rattling shriek, they assumed one Drolf had fallen.
Before any of them could congratulate Silas, Jason yelled through the wind, "We're almost there, get ready to jump off the horses and load your bows. If we all-"
But before he could finish his command, out of the refuge that they were trying to gain, spilled nearly eighty men. All of them armed to the teeth. All of them ready to do anything that they could to stop the fleeing band. Hemming them in from in front, and the monsters approached from behind. There was no way that they would be able to break through the oncoming wave of fresh soldiers. They were trapped.
Jason reined his horse in, once everyone had gathered around him, "Split into two groups. Ab, Silas, Emeric, and Gideon go west and get out of the way before they hem us all in. Obadiah, lead the Amos, Saul, and Thomas in the opposite direction. I'll hold them off here-"
Odin rumbled disagreement, "You will do no such thing. You can not alone withstand these two combined warhosts. Two are better than one, I say. Amos take Saul and Thomas, now." He turned and glared in defiance at Jason.
Jason was about to object, but their enemies were closing in fast. He sighed, "Fine. Remember, to meet up at the Fort. Obadiah, you can stay, everyone else, fly. NOW!"
The appointed groups galloped in opposite directions. Confused, the enemy stumbled to a halt. They had not expected the company to split. Least of all, going in two different directions, and leaving behind two of their own. Coming to their senses, and ignoring the shouting and threats of their commander, who was standing on a knoll a little way away from the battlefield, they zoned in on the quarry standing midway between the two armies.
Mathie watched in frustration as his armies ignored his remonstrances. He mounted his Drolf and descended into the battle to try to restore order, and send out parties to pursue the retreating groups. He ignored the command of Queen Lydia echoing through his head to stay out of the battle. He didn't want his quarry slipping out of his grasp.
Jason Sterling and Obadiah Odin watched as their pursuers gained them. They looked at each other, then grasped each other's forearm. "Elohim with you," Jason intoned.
"And also with you." Obadiah responded.
Turning so that they were back to back, they started chanting the old Aleppian battle chant. "The Warrior is my Rock and Fortress, whom shall I fear?" With a mighty shout, their enemies fell upon them. They continued to chant as their swords swung like lightening. "The rumbling enemies crash on Him like water on the stone-cold cliffs. Whom shall we fear?"
They felled as many as were in their reach, but more and more replaced the fallen. "The spear and arrow fly, but whom can pierce the protection of my Lord? My enemies surround me, and scoff and say, 'Where is your God? Who will protect you?' But whom shall I fear with Elohim's Hand of Protection on me?"
Jason fended off three men at once, as Obadiah was pressed with two Alptraums from the back. Jason jabbed to the man on his right, which put the ruffian on guard, and the other two launched themselves at him, thinking that he had put his guard down. Jason sidestepped the first swing from the third man, and spun, swinging. Hearing the satisfying crunch of the metal biting into the shoulder blade, he grimaced. Expectant, Jason dropped to a crouch as a sword whistled through the air above him. He swung his sword and flipped the soldier that had started on his left onto his. The man hit the dirt, but Jason finished him off before he could think of getting up.
As he anticipated the first soldiers move, he rolled backward. Jason collided with the soldier, knocking him down. Jumping up, he spun around and dispatched the soldier as he was struggling to get to his feet. When Jason turned to see how Obadiah was dealing with each other, a searing pain pierced the back the back of his leg. He looked down and saw a spear protruding from his kneecap.
He tried to pivot, but he was tripped and pushed down to the ground. Someone grabbed the spear shaft and wiggled. Sterling's face contorted in rage and pain as he let out a cry of agony. He struggled in and out of consciousness, but one of the last things he remembered was Obadiah hurling a man ten yards, before he was finally tackled by five men and thrown to the ground.
Then Jason knew no more.
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