FireStorm

"It is only proper that we introduce ourselves" she said courteously, "I am Lady Adrienne and these.." she indicated her companions with a wave of her hand ... "my sisters Lady Aimee and Lady Avery." They gave small nods as she mentioned their names, their eyes never leaving the stranger. "And you are?"

He dropped his arms once again to his sides and when he spoke; his voice was warm and cultured with an accent that bespoke of one from the region of Forendale.

"It's a pleasure to meet nobility here in the wastelands my Ladies, a very rare thing indeed. I am called Lurec, and I too am a sojourner."He smiled.

Adrienne tilted her head slightly to acknowledge his introduction. She sheathed her knife and out of the corner of her eye, saw her sisters do the same. Then Avery spoke

"You should know that it's dangerous to travel these parts alone Lurec" She said softly, her voice cultured distinctly carried the lilting tunes of the Star lands, the same accents her companions spoke with.

He chuckled, his laugh warm and hearty, "I thank you for your concern my lady but it's not me I'm worried about, You three look as though a strong wind could blow you away"

Aimee's outraged gasp filled the air. "Why you...you... Cur." She spat out eyes blazing with anger at his insult. "How dare you speak about us in this way? You know nothing about us, so do not presume to speak out of turn."

Adrienne was similarly angered at Lurec's insult but she held her peace and chose instead to study the features of the man before them. She could tell that he was an arrogant idiot, probably one of those men who believed women were incapable of taking care of themselves. Well she could certainly teach him a thing or two in self defence, she thought to herself in barely suppressed glee.

Suddenly she stiffened and glanced about her warily. Beside her, Avery picked up on her sister's alarm and became alert also. Adrienne shot a quick glance at the stranger and saw that he too was also aware of the impending danger.

Without warning a knife whizzed past her, so close that she could hear the soft hiss as it passed her ear, the air it carried in its wake stirred the tendrils of hair that had escaped from the cloth she'd used to bind it. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Aimee dive out of the way of the weapon, as she crouched into a low spin and stood up again this time her dagger held lightly in one hand. Avery threw her own dagger in the direction the knife had come from and they could hear the scream of an injured person as it found its mark. Lurec cursed loudly and fluently and from the folds of his cloak, withdrew a hammer, its blade wickedly curved and deadly. He spun around as several figures detached themselves from the fog and advanced towards them each carrying swords and knives like the one thrown. Adrienne unsheathed her own weapon and stood teeth bared in anger, daring any one brave enough to come and dare. The attackers paused for a fraction of a second. Then, with a war cry, they launched themselves at their prey. Lurec growled and swung the hammer as the first man reached him. There was a resounding clang as it collided with his opponent's sword. He drew his hand back and swung again, this time connecting with his opponent's neck and severing the head from the rest of the body. Immediately he turned to face another man, the blade of the knife stained with the blood of his first victim.

Avery ducked as a heavily bearded man swung his sword at her, the momentum of the swing as the sword missed its target causing him to lose his balance and stumble. Avery twisted and drove her knife into him as he crashed to the ground. Quickly regaining her feet, she punched another man square in the jaw, wincing slightly at the pain that shot up her arm as it connected. The man howled but recovered quickly and threw his own punch. This time she was not fast enough and the fist connected solidly with her stomach forcing a pained gasp from her. She doubled over from the impact and her attacker saw his chance. With a feral grin, he raised his sword to strike; Avery tensed for the killing blow... which never came. She glanced up to see that he had fallen over, a knife sticking through his back and Aimee bending to retrieve her weapon. Aimee looked at her sister and helped her up.

"Are you alright?" she asked and Avery nodded, still recovering from the near-death experience.

"I'm fine," she replied. "Thank you". Aimee did not reply as they were suddenly swamped on all sides. They got back to the business at hand. Avery searched for Addie and spotted her sister in combat with another bearded man, she did not seem in any immediate danger.

Adrienne swore furiously as the sword sliced through her cloak, tearing the fabric. Fortunately, that was all the damage the sword inflicted on her person. She raised her dagger and slashed at the offender, wounding him in the right eye. He howled and dropped his sword to place his hands over his wounded eye and Adrienne put him out of commission with a well-aimed kick to his head. Suddenly an arm closed over her throat from behind, cutting off her circulation. Her hands instinctively reached up to grasp the arm and try to free herself, all to no avail. She could feel the stirring of panic deep in her stomach as her lungs struggled for air. Spots danced before her eyes and her feet left the ground as the same hands lifted her. She fought hard but she could not overpower the brute strength of her attacker. Her mouth opened in a wordless cry for help and perhaps the spirits watched over her, for suddenly, the arms dropped from her neck and she could breathe. She sank to her knees because her legs could offer little support for her air-starved body.

"Are you alright my lady?" Lurec asked as he bent down and gently brushed wisps of her hair from her face. She raised her green eyes to meet his worried blue ones. She opened her mouth to speak but no words would emerge. The combination of little sleep and food not to mention the strangling had made her so exhausted that all she wanted to do was lie down, close her eyes and never wake up.

Finished with dealing with the danger, Avery and Aimee saw their sister's distress and hurried over anxious looks on their faces. Around them lay the bodies of their attackers, dead or dying which they ignored.