Spears of Redriver

Part Twenty - Ythara and Isidore

 Carthus led the way through the streets with fifteen men marching behind him as the sun beat down on them. He leaned on his spear like a walking stick and held a bronze shield in the other hand. His leather breastplate was cleaned and patched up, and he proudly wore his Maeli headband. Ythara was by his side, hands resting on the hilts of his scimitars as he strode along. The Ex-Coren Swords marched in several lines, all armed and ready.

Citizens eagerly moved out the way and ducked indoors at the sight of them. Several groups of blue-cloaked guards, usually in twos or threes, all seemed to pretend they didn't see the armed party, and Carthus wasn't sure if they were just scared or knew who he was. He had become somewhat notorious throughout Morside after saving the king, and he had some authority now, wearing the ring of the city.

Chars the Black of the Stone Citadel had told Carthus to take care of Isidore and the Coren Swords, so he was on official business in a way. However, he wasn't sure that Chars, or the king, would be happy with how he planned to deal with Isidore. The man ordered the attack on men loyal to Carthus and Ythara, and they would not stand by and do nothing.

"That is it" Ythara pointed ahead, at a two-story building decorated in banners of the Coren Swords. The streets around were quiet, and to Carthus' surprise, there were no mercenaries posted as guards at the entrance.

"They don't have guards or patrols?" Carthus asked as they drew nearer.

"Oh no, not anymore...the Coren Swords used to stand for something, they used to be something, but Isidore turned the Company in a gang, a band of thugs" Ythara spit to the side.

"That's good for us" Carthus nodded.

He led the group to a stop about twenty feet away, in front of the large double doors, and raised his spear into the air. There was a calm silence all around, one that always seemed to flow over Carthus everytime he led men into battle. He had done this before more than once when his clan would fight other nearby tribes or dwarven raiders from the mountain kingdoms. It all felt very familiar to him, and he was comfortable with it, happy even.

"Isidore!" the young Maad shouted suddenly and slammed the spear into his shield. Silence rolled over him again like a wave, and he waited a moment, "Isidore!"

"What in the blight do you want?" the large man stumbled out from the double doors with a group of Coren Swords at his heels. They looked tired and unbalanced, hungover. Each wearily held a weapon at the ready, although none carried confidence in their eyes. They nervously glanced over their former comrades.

"You attacked my men yesterday, did you not think it would come back to you?" Carthus asked sternly. He glared at Isidore, who only blinked between glances at Ythara and Carthus.

"You bastards think you can just leave the ranks of the Coren Swords and not pay what is owed? This is a brotherhood, we fight together and die together...you and yours, Ythara, are bastards with no honor!" Isidore shouted.

"We are without honor?" Ythara asked, stepping forward, "we honored our last commander by avenging his death at the hands of the Nadaens...you were the coward who forgot your commander and brother!"

"Coward?" Isidore held his hand back, open palm, waiting for someone to give him a weapon, but at Ythara's words, none stepped up. Isidore turned in a rage, "you are all cowards, these bastards come to our door, and you refuse to fight?"

"He's right Isidore" one of the men spoke up.

"He's right?" the large man grabbed the Coren Sword by the scruff of the neck and threw him to the ground between the two groups, "then you can go to them...is there anyone else here who would betray this house and brotherhood?"

The mercenaries shifted uncomfortably, most stepping back away from the giant warrior. The man between the groups stood and moved aside quickly. Carthus stepped forward, too angry to watch any more of the quarrel. He wanted it over with.

"This is done Isidore, and your men won't stand with you..." the young Maad spoke up. Isidore turned and faced him, and a smile crossed his broad face.

"So you're gonna kill me, huh? Is that it? Is that honorable?" Isidore asked, glaring at all the men who stood at his doorstep.

"I'll give you a chance to leave here alive if you beat me," Carthus said.

"You want to fight me? One on one?" Isidore laughed, "I will crush you with my bare hands!"

"Let me Carthus" Ythara grabbed the Maad Maeli by the arm, "this weight is on my shoulders...he attacked my people."

"Fine" Carthus stepped back reluctantly. He felt personally insulted by the commander of the Coren Swords, but Ythara was right.

"I am glad it came to this Isidore...we were planning to storm the House of the Coren Swords and kill everyone who raised a blade against us...but I like the idea of killing you one on one" Ythara waved both arms up, signaling the men to spread out. He grabbed his scimitars and pulled them from their sheathes quickly, "it could not have gone any better!"

"You won't be so glad when I'm done with you!" Isidore grinned. He reached back and grabbed a long double sided sword from one of his men.

The two warriors stepped into the center of the opening, circling each other slowly. The large man wasted no time and swung his massive sword overhead as he stepped in. Ythara moved with grace, easily avoiding the over-sized weapon. The blade clanged loudly as it hit the cobblestones, and both warriors recovered their stances. Carthus saw Ythara smile as they circled again.

Isidore swung the blade, again and again, lunging in, and spinning around, but each time, Ythara was gone. The bregir moved with elegance and ease, and every time the flurry stopped, Carthus saw a new cut gushing blood on the large man. Small cuts soon covered Isidore everywhere where there was no armor, and blood dripped from both of Ythara's scimitars. Isidore looked desperate, although he tried to play it off with a quick attack each time he got hit. Ythara continued to dance around the large man, entirely unscathed.

"Master Carthus!" one of the Ex-Coren Swords pulled the Maad's attention away. Carthus looked to where the man pointed and saw a large group of blue-cloaked guards marching in their direction.

"Damn it," Carthus said, turning back to the fight, "Ythara, end it! The Blue-Cloaks are coming!"

Ythara heard Carthus and dodged the last strike of the giant warrior, stepping in sideways and driving both blades into the man's abdomen. Isidore dropped his over-sized sword and fell to one knee, grabbing Ythara by the throat. He squeezed tightly, but the bregir only drove his blades deeper. Isidore let go and dropped to the second knee. Ythara yanked his scimitars free, and commander of the Coren Swords fell to the ground, blood soaking into the cracks of the cobblestones.