Battle in Wood [ Happy Birthday Whisperwind! :* ]
From author said:I wrote this story with dedication to Whisperwind, who has today her birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY Dear! :-* :-* :-* I hope You Whisper and You everybody will enjoy itVatt'ghernPS. Everybody! Let's give her best wishes here!
[size=18pt]Battle in Wood[/size]
[size=10pt]The Sun was slowly bending down to the west. Golden sunrays were being reflected by the tract of the water and flickering happily were bidding farewell to the Order-men. There was whole see of them flooding out of the gates. At first spearmen – they were walking lightly, evenly and happily. Even more, since they could hide behind their shields from jarring sun. After them, a bit heavier and louder full-plate- armoured knights were budging up. Some of them were holding their helmets under their arms. They were marching evenly, rattling rhythmically with armours and kindling gasps amongst townswomen and escape amongst ducks. When armoured detachment passed by, to the riff-raff’s eyes emerged cavalry. In the vanguard of the formation, equipped in full steel plate armour, beautifully adornment shields and plumes, rode dressed in light armour leader. Vatt’ghern was also without shield and helmet. On his face was gentle smile. When he was passing by clump of kids, watching the marching out with eyes like watermelons, he pulled his sword from behind his back and saluted to them with it. He kindled with this flare of happiness. He looked back and with gentle nod suggested the same to the rest of riders. When they passed by, to the public eyes occurred missile formations – crossbowmen and archers were dressed lightly – only in chain mails and light helmets. This detachment was almost noiseless. They were walking in loosened formation, because of what people weren’t so interested anymore and started getting back to their works.Army after leaving the city have loosened its ranks, they stopped goose-stepping and with singing on their lips tended towards wood. At the sight of red flags, flying on the wind, peasants were making break in work and were waving happily with their hats to the soldiers. Suddenly from the wood shot out another cavalry detachment – this time light one. Vatt’ghern rode to the side, to the reconnaissance commander, listened to the report, back-slapped with gladness and let him join the army. On his own rode in front of detachments and pointed direction of the further march – the wood.[/size]***
[size=10pt]Scoia’tael scout nearly have fallen from the tree when he saw what forces trespassed into the wood. He gave the agreed signal and observed Order-men march.Elves were prepared for that – they have known for a long time, that some Order expedition was being encroached. They quickly mobilized commandos and hied off to set an ambush. They heard march right after finishing preparations and froze. Scout on a tree was waiting with giving the signal to the right moment. He could see clearly, how spearmen slowly walk right in the middle of a trap.Suddenly one of them pointed bush and belled on the detachment. Spearmen quickly formed ring and covered themselves with shields. Hail of arrows was glancing in vain off them and at the same time cavalry withdrawn with Vatt’ghern in the vanguard. Elves, confident after such a perfectly organized ambush, shot out of the bush and darted upon spearmen who, as their commander in the middle of the ring – Wallace directed, set out spears, forming by the same schiltron. First Rebel rows broke against it, pushed to the death by impetuous comrades. Next rows were coming more careful and carefully were “picking at” the phalanx. They weren’t left without casualties by this, but they didn’t give in.They were so busy with Wallace’s formation that they didn’t spot missing armoured detachment coming from the opposite. Kreutz used this fact as much as the full-plate-armour noise let him. Rebels in no time organised second front and with fury were fending off traitorous attack.Suddenly the air was pierced by sonorous: “ROOOSEEE!!!” emanating from both flanks. With flags flapping on the wind and deafening bray from nearly two hundred throats. Order cavalry was charging towards stunned Rebels. The ground was shuddering under horse hoofs, and the air was furiously vibrating from the noise. Only Vatt’ghern wasn’t charging. He was calmly observing, how cavalry is falling into the Squirrels, literally crushing them. He smiled gently and directed his horse into running archer. He unhurriedly caught him up and chopped down with a sword. He turned around and looked upon treetops, where scout was thanking heavens for his harbourage. Vatt’ghern unhurriedly drew up the Sign in the air, concentrated energy and dashed Igni in his direction. The Sign exploded on scout’s chest, torching him and shaking off on set upright spears. Rebels had now only one way of escape – direction, from where the first Order-detachment came. They darted in this direction, leaving heavy-armoured Order-men behind, even cavalry wasn’t chasing them, unwilling to tire their horses. The rests of elven army shot out of the wood and dreaded found out that there was awaiting for them another ambush. Hundreds of bowstrings clanged, and towards Rebels scudded black bolt-and-arrow cloud. Rebels were not falling, as they were strewed with the force, that missiles were hitting them. Spiky corpses were backing up, and even though teen nonhumans managed to survive. Yet they scattered. Some run further towards bowyers and died all cocurently with second volley of the bows. Somebody ran in the side, becoming the object of two crossbowmen bet and soon brought the won to one of them, falling on the ground with arrowhead jutting out of his eye. The rest turned back, directly at trotting light cavalry and died from their spearheads.[/size]***
[size=10pt]Order forces had been directed to the glade by the wood to regroup, and Vatt’ghern decided to ride round battlefield with light cavalry formation in search of wounded.They found a few distressed Order-men, who they were riding back to the rest of the army and one badly wounded elf. He couldn’t move his arms, and instead of legs there was a hole at the reins level and guts pouring out of it. Vatt’ghern forbad soldier with gentle move of hand to finish elf off. He jumped down from the horse, approached the warrior and as he saw that elf would like to say something, he crouched down.- Speak, friend…- I’m not… - elf choked – I’m not your friend, filthy D’hoine!- Evelienn Wedd aep Aenyeanna ess… Que suecc’s?- Don’t murder Elder Speech with these filthy lips!- First of all, I wanted to show you respect, you want to be respected, while you can’t respect on your own, or even take the respect given to you… - elf wanted to say something, but Vatt put finger against own lips – let me finish, please – he smiled kindly, because elf closed his mouth – Secondly you overuse the word “filthy”, do you really feel better by offending us? Many times before the rebellion, while strolling in the streets of Wyzima, I stroke up dwarf, everyone was kindly answering my questions, chatting, laughing. Elven women always were taking kindly to my help, and giving me it on their own…- What help?!? What were you doing with them, Bloede D’hoine?!?- Keep your hair on and let me finish… One I helped to open snapped door, other I helped to get rid of Kikimora from her basement, few I helped to win through waylaying goons…- Maybe… maybe you are right… I judged you too rashly… But you are exception! Only you were sticking up to nonhumans!- No, not only me. Everybody was gladly helping…- But multitude of humans are afflicting nonhumans! Otherwise you wouldn’t have to help us!- You’re wrong again… You aggravate. You were hounded by mugs, such as humans are hounded by too, citizens are mostly not favourable to you… but they aren’t also malevolent to you. – Here he made a pause, but elf didn’t reply anything, so he continued – When I was approaching elves, they were offending me. I wasn’t making issue of this, just going away, hoping that it’ll change one day… And thirdly Essea neen D’hoine – he smiled gently.- Squaess’me…- It’s ok. Now… you wanted to say me something, didn’t you?- Yeá. You’ve already answered my questions. Will you do me a favour? Finish me off.- Esse creasa… Esse valoë. – he pulled his sword out and when elf closed his eyes, he stood over his head and drove the blade in elf’s forehead. The skull crunched and elf passed away with smile on his lips.Vatt’ghern hid his sword, backed the horse and showed other raiders that he is ready to go. Then he felt gentle vibration of his medallion. It was rightly informing about danger – behind a tree some elf woman was already straining bow. Probably she had been knocked out during cavalry storm and by dint of that she didn’t die in a battle. He didn’t see her, but he managed to pull out the sword and rebound the arrow. He turned around and spotted as elf is straining another arrow on the bowstring. From this one he just avoided it and then drew up Sign in the air and disarmed her with Aard. Light raiders were just a moment from her, but he managed to shout “NO!”. They stopped almost touching her with spearheads. Vatt’ghern saluted, jumped off the horse and ordered soldiers not to interfere.- You’ve got your chances, cross the blades.Rebel didn’t think twice. She pulled her sword out and pounced to attack. Vatt eluded from the hit and cut through her back – ineffective, she managed to turn and parry. She pulled back the sword and tried to cut slantwise from the bottom. Steel of the swords groaned when touched one another, Vatt did pirouette and twirled his sword. Elf skimmed her hair from her forehead and attacked again from overhead. Swords cannoned right over the Order-man’s head, clattering sonorously. Elf didn’t predict, that he would stay in place and she tumbled down on the ground. She raised on her knees and spotted that Vatt already got up. He was approaching her now with blade near ground, just now she spotted that she had dropped her sword. Order-man picked it up and thrown to her. She caught it with raised eyebrows.- Why did you do that? You could have just kill me!- Without a fight? It can’t be! What example would I show to my inferiors? – he smiled happily.- How are you called? I want to know, who so honourable decided to die of my hand.- Essea Vatt’ghern.- Whisperwind, my pleasure. – they took a bow to each other gently and returned to fight.Whisper stabbed. Vatt left her blade under arm and made along it a pirouette, finishing with a hit with fist into rebel’s face. She caught her nose and bowed down while the Order-man went two steps away. She took her hand out of her nose, looked if there is blood and then looked at opponent with reproach. He only with honest smile and shrugged. She smiled too and attacked once again. But this time she marked her hit like she would intend a strong hit and when Vatt was supposed to elude, she attacked fast. She met with, set in the last second, aggressive feint. Vatt used surprise he taken her by and powerfully hit from bottom. Whisperwind tried to defend, but the Order-man disarmed her. The sword flew far away. This time though instead of easing off and waiting for opponent to take up her sword, he bladed her. Elf heard many times that death doesn’t hurt. But this was unbelievable – she felt nothing at all. In front of closed eyes she still could see this change in Order-man’s eyes. She carefully opened her eyes and looked on her torso, there, where should be wound. Over sword’s blade blood was slowly flowing towards rain guard. Her eyes were slowly walking over the strong of sword, but she found out surprised that sword wasn’t lapsing into her body, but was going further, under arm. She slowly turned her head and horrored jumped back. In front of her face she saw misshaped in deadly grimace Drowned Dead’s face. They were standing like that for a while more, until Drowned Dead slipped down on the ground and Vatt’ghern lowered his sword. He saluted with it to still stunned Whisperwind and with swashbuckling smile on lips and flames in eyes he hid it and backed the horse. He gave a nod to the soldiers and they get on the ride to, probably finishing reorganisation, army. A few metres further he turned his horse for a while and waving with one hand and taking in the rains he shouted for goodbye:- Va Faill!- Va Faill – whispered back the elf and saw Order Commander as far as she managed to.[/size]For Whisperwind
[move][size=24pt] :-* :-* :-* HAPPY BIRTHDAY AGAIN DARLING!!! :-* :-* :-*[/size][/move]
