The Black Horseman

Chapter 12

“Kneel down and move slowly to the other side of the bench behind you,” Gwaynn whispered in her ear like a lover. “Hide in the bushes if you must, but while I live; do not move.”

 She couldn’t believe he sounded so calm, and began to wonder if perhaps she had misjudged his lack of interest. She did as he said without question, and gawked as the men slowly approached from both sides. Gwaynn stood unmoving between them, waiting for them with an apparent lack of concern.

The two groups of men, three from the rear and two from the front came to a stop about ten paces from Gwaynn. They said nothing. Three were holding their own kali, and two had long swords.

Gwaynn waited patiently, his breathing slow and easy. He was immensely thankful that the men had decided to corner him on such a narrow pathway. It would make it easier for him, especially when he had them both behind and in front of him. He studied the men as they approached, trying to read the nuances of their movements as Nev had taught him. One of the men in front, the one with a long sword, he was clearly the leader and the most aggressive. Gwaynn expected him to attack first, as did the other men, and after only a few seconds he complied.

Elise screamed, but Gwaynn did not hear it, instead he concentrated on the first attack. It was clumsier than he had expected, but he wasted no time to analyze it. He ducked under the stroke and dove past the leader, tucking into a roll as he went by. He struck out at the back of the leg of the man trailing the leader. The man yelled out and collapsed as Gwaynn smoothly continued to his feet, now facing four standing opponents all in front of him. He slowly backed up, getting some distance between him and the man on the ground. He did not want to worry about getting his tendons cut from someone who no longer posed any real danger.

The leader and his three companions followed, now moving after him with a bit more caution. Elise remained as quiet as possible as they approached her hiding spot; one of them glanced her way and she stifled another scream, then the man shifted and began moving her direction. Elise gave a squeak of terror but Gwaynn was already moving, blocking blows and racing quickly through the first two assailants and in a flash set about attacking the trailing pair. Though surprised, one of them managed to block Gwaynn’s blow, but the man who had moved on Elise lost his head. It fell and rolled under the bench she was hiding behind. Elise retched, her eyes locked on the blood draining from the stump of neck as the body fell to the ground.

Gwaynn, however, did not pause, but continued to press the attack. There were only three now, and they seemed very slow to Gwaynn. He blocked another blow from the leader, before slicing almost entirely through the right arm of another assailant. The arm hung from a thin sliver of meat and skin, and the hand attached to it popped open and dropped the kali it had held. The man screamed, and fell back holding his wound, blood pouring through the fingers of his good hand. He continued to scream until he too lost his head.

Elise cried out again and Gwaynn spun. The leader had suddenly changed tactics. He pulled back his sword and was attempting to grab a hold of Elise, who was desperately trying to keep the bench between them. Gwaynn rushed forward, though he instinctively knew that he would not get to Elise in time; the man was closing on her too fast. But without conscious thought, Gwaynn felt time slow around him. In a fraction of a second he tore forward, covering the entire distance in less than a heartbeat and without hesitation he thrust his blade into the exposed back of the leader. To Gwaynn the move occurred naturally; to Elise and her attacker, the movement was blindingly fast. The leader of the group crumpled and dropped to the ground, dead, his heart pierced. Gwaynn slowed and turned to face his lone opponent, but not before slicing open the throat of the wounded man on the ground after he made a pitiful lunge at Gwaynn’s right leg.

“Who are you?” Gwaynn asked the lone survivor, as hunger cramps gripped his mid-section. He tried to ignore them, and forced himself not to bend at the waist. His legs were shaky and it felt as if all the strength had gone out of his arms. “Who are you?” he repeated, the menace plain in his voice.