Thread: Darkness Has Its Teachings (Athene & Alvis Alendran)

The bottom of the ship scraped along hte beach, digging in and landing firmly. Goormr stepped off the bow and dropped to the surf. Water flared under his impact, adn he took a few long strides towards the beach proper. There was a series of further splashes as more and more men dropped to the ground. As Goormr strode forward, he knew that the force he brought to bear was a mighty one. Smaller perhaps, than was possible givent he ships, he still had one and a half long hundred warriors. It was a force that would take some dedicated resistance to even slow. As the men assembled, Goormr drew a horn from his hip. He raised it to the sky, a gesture to call attention to what he did. He opened the cap of the horn, adn poured a measure of the mead within ontot he surf, a thanks to Njord for safe passage. He titlted the horn to his lips and drained the rest of the mead. He let the horn fall, and accepted his shield from one of his men. They moved on without a word, each warrior being well practiced in this craft. Most of hte warriors were in step behind him, but more than a few swept out in a wide circle, moving to act as flanking forces if battle was joined. Failing that, they could help corral any prisoners that might become available. There was the faint sound of shouting. However it had happened, it seemed like those that lived here had known of their coming, adn had started ot react. Goormr gave a whistle to call his people to order, adn formed up into a cohesive unit, adn advanced on the sound. They broke fromt he cover of the woods, adn emerged intoa field, a village before them, the target of this raid. And what was more, there were warriors surging towards them. Goormr allowed hismelf a grin. Meet them! He shouted. His own warriors gave a roaring shout, the sound rising far beyond the level that any single human could achieve, the call of battle nearly a physical thing the way it hammered from the coming raiders. They all moved closer, closing ranks, and preparing for hte coming battle. Each warrior carried a shield, a spear, and some varient of a perosnal weapon. The spears became rather important as the warriors trot forward a few paces, before drawing back adn throwing. Spears lanced out fromt he front rank, the sparpened iron points sabbing into more than a few of the oncopming warriors, in other cfases slamming into shields with enough force to arrest any momentum that the foe may have been gathering. Screams of pain adn fear were starting to permeate the air now. The village may have more than several warriors, but hte oncoming force was enough to shatter small armies. Outnumbered by a large margin, the Viking warriors came on. Goormr swept his shield around, and pushed a spear away from hismelf, only to slam an axe into a body. Blood sprayed fromt he wound, the mist of it painting his face and chest with a spatter of red. He didn't hesitate, didn't flinch. A man was now dead at his hand, but he ignored it and kept moving forward. The tight ranks of his people were shattering hte more scattered reistance of the other warriros, and they came ever closer tot he town. There was a part of him that fervently wished that someone among the enbemy would take a mroe proper command, organize the resistance, give them a proper fight that he could be proud of overcoming, that woudl show him true glory for this raid. The Vikings kept moving forward as an inexorable tide.