Hearing the loudly approaching party angered the ringleader. Who were these cocky, brash travellers, daring the would-be brigands to show themselves before they were ready? Heat flushed his pale face red, his eyes taking on a hard, steely edge. Dawe was built like a bully, large, but lanky, yet to fill out his frame as a full grown man. He cut an imposing figure, still, despite his youth, his muscles large and well-used from brawling with his peers and enemies alike in the city streets. His confidence from being the biggest, toughest boy on his block exuded as he swung his mace in prepatory anticipation. "If a fight is what these cretins want, then a fight is what they'll get. We'll show them who's in charge around here!"
He motioned for his band to follow his lead. The one on the horse finally dismounted, neither an expert horseman nor having an exactly battle-hardened steed. They stood three across, taking the full width of the road, with the leader's younger brother hanging slightly behind. The four-some trotted around the bend of the trail, weapons raised menacingly. Dawe had the only real weapon, but the heavy, bent rods and improvised chain-and-lead-ball were nonetheless dangerous in the hands of the thrill seekers.
Lo'en stopped abruptly as she saw the men, boys really, come at them, letting Gia and Theuse pull ahead slightly. She almost laughed. None of them could have been older than 20, and although the leader was taller than Theuse and the one on his right looked fatter than all three of them rolled together, she could instantly gauge that these boys were not entirely experienced in their bandit-ness. Still, it never paid to underestimate the foe and they did outnumber them by one. Despite this, she could never take the wisest path and couldn't resist an attempt to goad them. "Aren't y'boys a little old t'be playing bandits an' knights?"
The half-elf raised her bow, taking aim at the largest target- the fat boy to the right of the leader.
Dawe grew infuriated, her taunt hitting exactly as intended. No one dared talk to him like that, not his mother, father, no one. "You... stupid, ignorant elven bitch!" He spluttered as he took the first move. His target was chosen more wisely than Lo'en would have guessed, as he unexpectedly stepped forward to swing the heavy mace at what he perceived as the biggest threat- Theuse with his drawn sword. His buddy on his left started swinging his chain and advanced to close in on Theuse as well.
Just Passing Through
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Jaspenellar
- Citizen
- Posts: 305
- Joined: Tue Jun 17, 2008 8:56 pm
- Name: Loen
- Race: Half-Elven
Re: Just Passing Through
This was almost depressing. Really, Gia would have been sad if she hadn't been... well, trying to keep the wolf in check, because there was little enough chance that Lo'en would trust her enough to follow if she saw the docile, seemingly demure young woman turn into a wolf of the same mass and made of claws and fangs.
The young bandits were so desperate, Gia almost felt pity for them. Almost. She leapt forward in a motion that seemed more animal than anything humans were capable of, rolling to the ground over her shoulder, and drawing her knife lightly across the back of the knees of the one headed towards Theuse with that nasty chain. The man wasn't wearing anything to cover the backs of his legs from attack, which was a stupid move. A favorite trick of the wolf was to hamstring her victims, and this was the same idea, just with a metal claw instead of sharp teeth.
The downside of this was that as she rolled back to her feet, her dress was covered in blood down the front. She stifled a sigh and backed off slightly, watching analytically as the man she had slashed folded backwards, howling like a wounded animal. Fear scent filled the air and Gia couldn't help but growl. She knew by the slight stinging that her eyes were pure yellow, and she could feel her canines lengthening... no. There was no time for that, not now.
Looking around, she spared a glance for Lo'en. The elf seemed fine, and Gia held herself ready for the next target who got too close to someone she classified as 'not enemy.'
The young bandits were so desperate, Gia almost felt pity for them. Almost. She leapt forward in a motion that seemed more animal than anything humans were capable of, rolling to the ground over her shoulder, and drawing her knife lightly across the back of the knees of the one headed towards Theuse with that nasty chain. The man wasn't wearing anything to cover the backs of his legs from attack, which was a stupid move. A favorite trick of the wolf was to hamstring her victims, and this was the same idea, just with a metal claw instead of sharp teeth.
The downside of this was that as she rolled back to her feet, her dress was covered in blood down the front. She stifled a sigh and backed off slightly, watching analytically as the man she had slashed folded backwards, howling like a wounded animal. Fear scent filled the air and Gia couldn't help but growl. She knew by the slight stinging that her eyes were pure yellow, and she could feel her canines lengthening... no. There was no time for that, not now.
Looking around, she spared a glance for Lo'en. The elf seemed fine, and Gia held herself ready for the next target who got too close to someone she classified as 'not enemy.'
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Jaspenellar
- Citizen
- Posts: 305
- Joined: Tue Jun 17, 2008 8:56 pm
- Name: Loen
- Race: Half-Elven
Re: Just Passing Through
As sardonic as Lo'en appeared, she still lacked the hardened heart to open fire on the teenagers in front of her. Even as they took the first step and swing, the half-elf hesitated, resulting in Gia achieving the first strike.
The bully went down momentarily, shocked at the pain stinging across the back of his thighs, but the lightening fast girl had misjudged the depth and force with which one needed to slice (with a knife) through healthy, living tendons. He lay on the ground, shouting obscenities in anger and pain, rolling slightly to one side, convinced that he had been hamstrung, as was the intention of the action.
"What did you have to do that fer?" The fat one yelled in a piteously high, nasal voice. He started brandishing his metal pipe, but only half-heartedly, intimidated by the speed at which he had just witnessed the strike. In the 2 years he had rolled with Dawe, he had never witnessed anyone fell the big brute down so quickly and easily.
Dawe, however, was much less prone to shock and arguably far more stupider than the fat one. He used the distraction of his blubbering cohort, both the crying and the feinting swings, to step in and swing his mace at Theuse. The poor man, attention fixed on Gia, convinced he had seen something subtle change in her, was caught unprepared. The heavy end of the weapon thumped against his head before he had a chance to properly duck, though to his credit, he had begun to move as he caught the motion out of the corner of his eye. As his body slumped to the ground, the brute on the ground realized his legs were not completely immobile and slowly eased upright, trying not to draw attention to himself.
In the same motion, the ringleader had continued his forward movement, not waiting to calculate how much damage his blow had done to Theuse. Considering the only well-armed opponent dispatched, he began to advance slowly and deliberately toward the crouching girl, keeping one eye on the half-elf with the bow. "Not so brave now, huh little girls?"
The swiftness with which Theuse collapsed angered Lo'en. The half-elf wasn't upset with Theuse himself- her anger stemmed from her own indecision, resulting in another's demise. The youths before her were clearly rotten through, why was she hesitant in letting lose her arrow? The leader's words cut through the roaring fury she felt in her mind and gave focus to her attention. Almost as swiftly as Gia's earlier movement, the half-elf switched her target to Dawe. In less than a blink of an eye, the arrow, at such close quarters, sprang from the taut bow and was through the boy-man's calf before the snap of the bow string could be processed.
"Leave us now, or the next one'll be in your chest," Lo'en growled, her voice low and serious as she reached for another arrow in the small quiver hanging at her side.
The bully went down momentarily, shocked at the pain stinging across the back of his thighs, but the lightening fast girl had misjudged the depth and force with which one needed to slice (with a knife) through healthy, living tendons. He lay on the ground, shouting obscenities in anger and pain, rolling slightly to one side, convinced that he had been hamstrung, as was the intention of the action.
"What did you have to do that fer?" The fat one yelled in a piteously high, nasal voice. He started brandishing his metal pipe, but only half-heartedly, intimidated by the speed at which he had just witnessed the strike. In the 2 years he had rolled with Dawe, he had never witnessed anyone fell the big brute down so quickly and easily.
Dawe, however, was much less prone to shock and arguably far more stupider than the fat one. He used the distraction of his blubbering cohort, both the crying and the feinting swings, to step in and swing his mace at Theuse. The poor man, attention fixed on Gia, convinced he had seen something subtle change in her, was caught unprepared. The heavy end of the weapon thumped against his head before he had a chance to properly duck, though to his credit, he had begun to move as he caught the motion out of the corner of his eye. As his body slumped to the ground, the brute on the ground realized his legs were not completely immobile and slowly eased upright, trying not to draw attention to himself.
In the same motion, the ringleader had continued his forward movement, not waiting to calculate how much damage his blow had done to Theuse. Considering the only well-armed opponent dispatched, he began to advance slowly and deliberately toward the crouching girl, keeping one eye on the half-elf with the bow. "Not so brave now, huh little girls?"
The swiftness with which Theuse collapsed angered Lo'en. The half-elf wasn't upset with Theuse himself- her anger stemmed from her own indecision, resulting in another's demise. The youths before her were clearly rotten through, why was she hesitant in letting lose her arrow? The leader's words cut through the roaring fury she felt in her mind and gave focus to her attention. Almost as swiftly as Gia's earlier movement, the half-elf switched her target to Dawe. In less than a blink of an eye, the arrow, at such close quarters, sprang from the taut bow and was through the boy-man's calf before the snap of the bow string could be processed.
"Leave us now, or the next one'll be in your chest," Lo'en growled, her voice low and serious as she reached for another arrow in the small quiver hanging at her side.