Two soldiers flew back into the stack of crates, crushing them as they fell. Wood splinters, food stuffs, and bottles of liquor all went up into the air as the soldiers landed. The area was littered with apples, pears, and grapes, whole and smashed. There were bottles of liquor smashed upon the ground bleeding their contents into the dirt. What made the things worse was the undamaged bottles now rolling along the dirt at everyone's feet. Ash watched the men as the stumbled to get up.
One had a large splinter in his side which he removed without thinking, and as he did the blood began to rush out, pooling on the ground beneath him. As the other man got to his feet Ash ran into him, rushing him with his shoulder. They fell back violently. The solider folded backwards as Ash slide over him. He stuck his hands forward, tucked his head and recovered into a roll. As Ash got to his feet and turned his gaze back to Farrah, he noticed what they had fallen over. It was the hope chest.
He checked it. Tried to open it. It still would not open. Well at least it's still secure, he thought to himself. Ash flung the chest towards Farrah.
"We need to protect this."
Farrah glanced at the box tumbling toward her, "The chest." She said as she blocked the swinging blade of one of the soldiers. One of her people. She had left some time ago in search of a way to help her father. But even before then, she had never really had a relationship with the people of Hylaen. Her father was distrustful of everyone save his closest advisors, and even they had been kept on a very tight leash. To these men she was the object of affection of their king. The gift given to him by the women he loved. But, they had no idea she even existed. To them, she had fled the castle and abandoned her people years ago. To some, she had even attempted to murder her own father.
So it came at no surprise to her that many of these men wanted her, or, wanted to hurt her. She positioned the chest to her side as she deflected the onslaught of incoming blows and strikes. The wind blew the stench of burnt flesh in her direction. She winced and coughed. Ash joined her positioning himself so the chest was between them both.
"They just keep coming, don't they? He said, "Are we entirely sure Tyr isn't on their side?"
She parried the swing of another solider and then kicked out his leg, leaving him lying on his back below her. She thrust Ash's sword deep into his belly, "Could be. Or maybe the god of war is just waiting to be impressed." Farrah said as she pulled the blade from the soldier's body. She used her free arm to wipe blood and sweat from her brow.
Another explosion came from behind the soldiers, tossing a handful of them forward. "He's not impressed yet?" asked Ash breathily, as he wiped the sweat from his brow. He scanned the men to see who would attack next. He was tired. But, having felled a score or two of men, the remaining soldiers were less enthusiastic about running in on them.
Two soldiers glanced at each other and nodded. The one on the right attacked first, thrusting his spear at Ash. He was slow and sloppy. Ash easily avoided the strike and gripped the shaft of the spear. The man on the right attacked with a swift but overweighted downward swing. Ash dropped back, shifted his hip and pulled the spearman into the path of the swordsman's blow. It hit home in the spearman's shoulder and found rest in the center of his chest. Blood sprayed. The swordsman's face was painted ruby and it shone like mask of death in the dying rays of the sun. His eyes grew wide. Ash ripped the spear from the dying solider's hand and thrust it into the swordsman's stomach. He released his grip to remove the sword from the spearman's body and used it to sever the swordsman's head. "I like the weight of this" Ash said, as he turned to Farrah and wiped the newly formed sweat from his brow. "I think I'll keep it." He said smiling.
Ash felt a gentle wind blow from the east and amongst the clang and clatter of steel on steel he could hear the soft rustle of leaves. "Euan?" Ash asked.
"Aye."
Ash tuned to see Euan standing atop the chest.
"Good to see you. You here to help?" Ash asked the boy.
"Aye, I was, but it seems you and the lass have it under control here." Euan replied with a wide smile and quickly raised eyebrows. A scream of pain came from behind Ash. He turned. Before him a solider with a sword jutting out from his gut. The solider dropped to his knees to reveal Marric standing behind him hilt in hand.
They stood there face to face, eye to eye, and in the briefest of moments an eternity passed between them. "Betraying your own men now...brother? Ash asked.
"Tools Ash. They're tools that no longer serve their purpose." Marric replied as he walked toward Ash.
"Tools? Marric... People. Are not. Tools." Ash responded. His knees buckling. He caught himself. However, he remained bent over, hands on his knees, breathing shakily. Euan and Farrah continued to fight off men to Ash's rear and side.
Farrah saw him struggling, but knew not to draw any more attention to him than needed. She would need to clear a path to him. Marric reached for him, "Let me help you brother."
Ash slapped away Marric's hand. "Help me. Help. Me. You tried. To. Kill me. You. Brought the. Hylaen army to. Invade. To kill. My father." Ash said, struggling between breathes, panting.
Ash swung at him with his sword. Marric easily and effortlessly stepped out of the path of the blade, "Ash, you are unaccustomed to using magic. It requires energy. You are strong brother, but magic is still new to you. Your body isn't used to it yet. It doesn't yet understand how to handle the flow of energy. You need to rest and recover your strength." Marric reached for his brother once again.
"Rest. There are men. Your. Men. Here in the forest. Just outside my. Father's castle. Waiting to invade. Men. Solider's. Who are trying. To. Kill me. Ash said, he jaw flexed as his chest rose and fell hard and fast.
"I need to get to Ash." Said Farrah to Euan, "Help me." Euan smiled, "All ye had to do lass was ask."
Euan raised his index finger casually and began to draw a circle in the air. The dirt, leaves, and other debris from the battle began to lift and spin around circularly. There were only a few men remaining and the torrent created by Euan caught enough in its eye to allow Farrah to reach Ash. She ran within the eye of the howling torrent as it blinded the solider without with dirt and bashed those who tried to enter with debris.
The howling came not only from the growling speed of the winds, but from the cries of the men trapped within. Euan was still atop the hope chest, as it gave him a better vantage point from which to view the battle. Being the size of a child had its drawbacks. His feet trembled. Euan looked down to see the chest beginning to vibrate and then shake every so subtly.
He jumped down, "Place the heart within and hope will keep it safe until love will birth it anew." Euan said quietly to himself. The corners of his mouth raised ever so subtly as he continued the make a circle in the air with his finger.
As Farrah ran towards Ash an arrow buzzed by her face, just missing it. That's where those men ran to. They went to get the bows. I knew we shouldn't have let them run off, thought Farrah as she reached Ash and quickly slide an arm under his "On three, help me lift you up and put your weight on me. One. Two." Farrah said as she braced herself to take his weight and walk him to safety, "Three". She could feel the winds beginning to slow around them.
She grunted under his weight. She was also tired, and Ash was a big man. A fire burst of fire flew by Farrah's side. She sipped her head around to see that it came from Marric.
"Damn you Marric." She said.
"It wasn't for you." He replied as the man he hit fell burning to his death, but before he could scream an arrow pierced his chest, killing him instantly.
"Let me help you." Marric said, as another arrow flew by, knotching his shoulder. He gripped it with a wince.
"Now you want to help? You tried to kill him...And me. You tricked my sick father into lending you his army. All so that you can kill Ash's father." Farrah said as she stared at Marric coldly, still struggling to bear Ash's weight. Marric heard the buzzing of another arrow buzz by his left ear. He turned quickly to see the man who shot the arrow. Marric let loose a bolt of lightening at the man.
Lightening moved faster than fire, and at that distance speed was everything. The archer fell to the ground convulsing before his heart stopped, followed by his entire body. Marric turned back to Farrah, his eyes meeting her's, "Our father..."
Farrah shook her head, "Oh. Our father? You two are brothers. You share a father. And, you want to kill him. Great. Just great," Farrah said in reply as she felt the warmth and clamminess Ash's forehead.
Farrah turned Ash back in the direction of Euan and the hope chest, "I don't know who's worse Marric. You... Or my father." She left her words to linger in the air as she struggled to move Ash to safety.