The sword made a swoosh sound as it was guided down by its beholder. With ease and without fear Leslie beheaded the man before her, giving him a swift death. All around there was madness in the small village. The intruders had set fire to anything and everything moments before the crack of dawn, while everyone was still asleep in their beds. Now smoke, screams, and the clashing of steel filled the morning air. Leslie wanted every invader here to die at her hands. She wanted the man in charge of leading the attack on her home most of all. He would die last if he wasn't already.
"Leslie," a light feminine voice shrilled through the air.
She turned around to seek out the person calling out her name in desperation. A mix of emotions ran Leslie as she watched her younger sister being dragged away by a warrior. Cyra fought the raider abducting her earning her not but a swift punch in the jaw that left her limp and being tossed like a sack of potatoes over his shoulder. Yelling a battle cry that had to have been heard all the up to the heavens, Leslie made way for her sister, cutting down every foe that stepped in her path along the way. She dodged the swing of a mace and tossed up her sword deep into the man's belly. Withdrawing her sword and taking a step back the man fall forward. Leslie simply jumped over the limp body before her and continued on.
"No," she shrieked as Cyra was thrown over a horse with the man quickly straddling the horse and taking off. Leslie sought for a horse of her own to ride and made a mad dash for one that aligned in her eyesight. Leaping onto the back of a black stead she took off after her sister. She had plans to show no mercy other than to give the man a slow tortuous death. Soon Leslie was not far behind and rode the horse hard to finish the distance between them. Sword in hand she urged the horse to gallop faster.
I will kill him!
She felt the pain in her shoulder causing her to gasp sharply. Her sword fell out of her hand and into the dirt. Somehow she managed to dodge another arrow shot in her direction and to keep her place on top of the stallion. She eyed her surroundings looking for the archer while still working on catching up to her sister's abductor. A new arrow flew but this time from the rear. Leslie took it as a sign she had passed the archer. Kicking her heels into the flank of the horse Leslie urged it to close in on the tiny distance that remained. Coming up on the rider's side she took a leap at him before he got a chance to notice her presence. Leslie and the man fall down onto the ground as their horses continued on with Cyra still on the animal's back.
Ignore the pain and get back on your feet. Leslie repeated it in her head like a mantra.
Taking in deep shallow breaths Leslie scrambled to her feet before the invader could get to his feet but she was brought down to her knees as another arrow hit. She cried out from the pain that radiated from her shoulder and now from the back of her leg. Reaching behind her she pulled the arrow out from her leg. Gasping in pain she went for the arrow in her shoulder. Counting down to three she quickly yanked. She let out a scream through clenched teeth.
"I'm gonna kill you boy."
Leslie tried to move but it was too late. He was over her in a second. His big hands went around her neck. On her back Leslie attempted to dislodge the heavy man on top of her body. She brought up her fist and punched the burly man square in the face. Leslie found great satisfaction at the sight of the blood trickling from his nose. He seemed not to take notice of the blood dripping down his lips and chin; if he did he showed it by simply squeezing tighter.
White spots appeared before her eyes and everything started to blur. Leslie willed herself to fight with whatever she had and to dig deep. Today was not the day she wanted to die. Her fingers franticly inched one of the arrows closer.
"Stop your fighting and die like a good little boy. This is what you get when you play warrior. "
She gripped the arrow tightly. Managing a smile she went for his eye. Without waiting she tossed him off and rolled to her side. Fighting the tiredness she felt, Leslie got to her feet, and withdrew the man's sword from his waist. Standing above the howling fighter Leslie chuckled and positioned the sword at his neck.
"Know this Viking it was a woman not a boy who sent you to your damned grave," Leslie said harshly. She spit on the ground and raised the sword into the air.
"Ragnar!"
Leslie looked up to see what looked like the man's double sprinting in their direction bow in hand.
"The archer," Leslie breathed in disgust. She'd kill him just the same as this Ragnar. Drawing back Leslie got ready to deliver a deathly blow when she heard someone step up behind her. Before she had a chance to turn around and fight she was knocked upside the back of her head. Once again she became friends with the ground except this time she wasn't getting back up for a minute.
"My eye Sorin, the bitch took out my eye. Hand me my sword. I'll teach her the true meaning of battle. I am going to cut out both the girls' eyes and wear them around my neck," Ragnar said in anger as he stumbled to his feet, holding the arrow jetting from his eye.
"Her?" Sorin said with a raised eyebrow as he eyed the unconscious figure in the dirt. It was impossible Sorin thought as he looked up at his friend questioningly. Even if it were true how in Thor's hammer had Ragnar, an excellent fighter, let a woman best him. Surely he was mistaken. It was a surprise just to see Ragnar on his knees about to meet his death but from the hands of a woman that was unimaginable.
"Ragnar," Elgin said breathlessly as he finally made his way over to his twin brother.
"Elgin, take your brother back to the longboat I will be there shortly with the others."
"Nay not until I cut out the bitches eyes."
"Ragnar you will do nothing. I want you back on the vessel. Harold has what we came for and is loading it as we speak."
"I have unfinished business and I am not leaving until I get it done," Ragnar yelled as he made a move to reach for the sword on the ground. Sorin pushed him back away from it.
"Who is in command here Ragnar, you or me? I gave you an order and I don't like for anyone and that includes you to ignore it, be it man or woman alike."
"Come Ragnar. We need to get the arrow out," Elgin said as he placed a hand on his brother's shoulder and urged him to walk in the direction where the longboat was docked.
"Denying a man his vengeance that is new of you old friend," Ragnar spat out as he stormed off. Sorin waited until Ragnar and Elgin took off into the trees to walk the path they'd taken to reach Harvest Landing. True Sorin never intervened when a man sought his vengeance but there was no time. They had to set sail now that they had the woman.
Sorin looked down at the figure and kneeled. He slowly rolled the supposed woman fighter over onto her back. He frowned as he saw no endowments of a woman's figure. More so he presumed he was looking at a young man around the age of sixteen. There was no long hair that flowed from the head but short shoulder length raven hair that was full of twigs and leaves. The face was dirty, some slight bruising around the left eye, and the lips were cracked. No there was no woman here. Unless he removed the armor she wore then he would indeed find it was a woman Ragnar had been fighting. Sorin sighed heavily and withdrew the small knife from his side. He decided he would give his friend his vengeance. If he wanted the boy's eyes so be it.
Leslie groaned at the throbbing pain in her shoulder, leg, and at the back of her head.
"Pray now boy too the god or gods of your choosing as you take your last breath."
Her eyes shot open. She glanced up to meet blue eyes and then the small dagger in his hand. Instant anger set in.
"Fight me fair you Viking dog." Leslie said through clenched teeth.
Lips tight Sorin observed the young boy for a moment. He nodded and stood up straight. Sorin decided he would allow the boy to die an honorable death. Sorin picked up Ragnar's sword and handed it over.
Leslie grunted and nodded her head. She accepted the sword he handed to her and stood up. Leslie blocked out the radiating pain running through her body.
"Tell me your name," Sorin said as he slowly withdrew his sword.
"It is of no concern to you," Leslie said with a frown on her face.
"A simple request, I wish to know the name of the boy who has bested my man."
"Woman," Leslie said as she raised an eyebrow. She let it sink in that he was about to killed by one and she had killed her share of men. He wouldn't be the first or the last to die by any sword she wielded.
"Aye Ragnar said you were a woman. I suppose that explains his easiness with you. Not I boy for I will hold nothing back. Tell your lies to someone who is more willing to believe them and perhaps play your game."
"Shall we begin our dance then Viking," Leslie asked in annoyance. She vowed to take him out quickly. Be damned if he thought her male or female. He would lose this fight today.
"Aye but first speak your name," Sorin said as he slashed his sword through the air taking a step to the side while flexing his arms.
"You will not get it. Come," Leslie said as she moved her sword first. Sorin merely stepped aside to avoid her attack.
"I asked you for your name boy," Sorin said nonchalantly.
"Leslie. I am not a damned boy but a woman who is going to end you," she said as she lifted her sword and pointed it in his direction. Sorin merely chuckled as he looked upwards towards the clear blue sky. All the while agitation started to engulf Leslie. It was starting to get on her blasted nerve him calling her a boy repeatedly.
She struck again and this time Sorin moved his weapon. The swords clicked together. Leslie pulled back first to raise her steel yet again and to be met with the same amount of force from Sorin. She didn't know he was putting little effort into his strikes. Sorin played with her matching his strength to hers to see what she had to offer.
"If what you say is true, by Thor show me a woman's naked body and a pretty face," Sorin said each word with the swipe of his sword against Leslies.
"Perhaps I shall show you my body when you are choking on your blood," Leslie spat out in anger as she pulled back. She needed to catch her breath. Her wounds caused her to be well over exerted than normal. No less she was not going to stop until it was her or the Viking lying in a pool of blood. Overlooking her body's exhaustion she resumed fighting.
"You look a little tired there boy," Sorin said as he brought down his sword with a powerful force against Leslies. He heard the grunt of pain but Leslie kept her face free of any emotion. He wanted her to understand it would be he who walked away victorious. They both felt the vibrations and then the sound of hoofs approaching.
"It appears that neither of us will die this day," Sorin said as he finally used his full strength. He moved swiftly to disarm Leslie and finished by swiping her leg forcing her to the ground. Leslie growled as she got back to her feet. Sorin was already running in the direction Ragnar and Elgin had taken. She glanced backwards to her men riding towards her direction. It sunk in why the Viking had taken off her men had been victorious in the village. Leslie went to pick up the sword Sorin had tossed a few feet away from her reach.
"Coward," Leslie screamed as she took off running after him. She heard the men yelling at her back telling her to wait. Breathing heavily Leslie ran through the bushes catching a branch across the cheek that caused a small wound. She seemed not to notice her attention on Sorin up ahead. A woman's scream made her come to a halt. A dark memory from long ago invaded her mind. Leslie shook it away and cursed herself from merely remembering.
"Cyra," Leslie said as she ran with a sudden burst of energy. Her sister would not have the same fate.