Thread: The Prophecy (Tesora & CharmSnake)

The girl scurried out from under the carriage and stumbled her way frantically across the muddy road, clutching her gown together and escaping noisily through the brush. She would be easy enough to track down later. Before she had disappeared, the ranger had taken a running start, planted the end of the staff into the mud and vaulted himself upward, shimmying further higher until the pole's apogee landed him neatly atop the carriage and out of sight of the two remaining attackers. The leader whistled for his steed. The horse bobbed his head and stepped forward but refused to come. Slithering across the carriage roof he peered down at the leader who was cautiously rising to his feet. The ranger was about to pounce. Gar! the one-eyed man in the brush warned his leader. Gar, looking up just in time to see the ranger falling towards him, caught him on his powerful shoulders. The lithe ranger kept from being thrown by gripping the brute's head between his thighs. Then employing a similar technique to what he used on his previous victim, he planted the end of the staff between the bandit's knees and twisted, toppling the both of them to the muddy road. As he rolled away the one with the patch had joined the fight and bore down on him with both hands on the hilt of his blade, driving it down towards him like a stake. It slashed his sleeve open as he rolled and he felt the sting of the cut. Twisting the grip of the staff to release the catch he pressed one end into the ground shortening it. Then with two more quick flicks of the wrist he pointed it at the bandit and re-extended it. The end shot out instantly into the attacker's groin sending him doubling over in agony. Jumping to his feet, he spun back around to find the leader charging him with sword overhead. With a savage yell he chopped down mightily. The deft woodsman held the staff above his head to parry the blow. With another heavy grunt the barbarian took a huge cut at his knees. The ranger jumped neatly over the attack and going with the momentum of the swing whacked him in the side of the head with the staff. The big man staggered and fell over with his neck in front of the wheel of the cart. The woodsman leapt over the brute and smacked the first horse on the rump. Kiaahh! he shouted and the carriage rolled forward over Gar's head, finishing him off. This left only Drogba with his eye patch limping away in pain. He chased him down with ease, kicked him over and pounced. One quick jerk of his knife to the throat and the last one was done too. The fight was over. He stood up in the rain and put away his staff. The carriage creaked and jangled away while he knocked some of the mud from his leggings and boots. The bandits' horses had taken off as voluntary outriders. His arm stung. He'd been cut pretty good just below the shoulder. Perhaps he'd find some tree oil for it later. The sound of the horses' heavy hooves faded into the silence of the pelting rain. Now it was time to find the girl. Her small feet made deep sloppy prints in the mud and her trail was easy to follow. Trampled grass and snapped twigs led the way. It didn't take long at all. After a couple of minutes he could hear her heavy breath. Pushing back a branch he found her sitting in the shadow of a stone outcropping. Lightning flashed illuminating the pale skin of her face and chest against the dark soaked fabric of her tattered gown. She was thoroughly soaked from head to toe and splotched with mud. Dark red hair hung down matted wet and clung to her face. There was a slight smearing of blood on the side of her neck as if she wasn't aware that she'd been pricked. He stood at a moderate height with broad shoulders and sturdy thighs. In the flash of lightning his complexion showed faintly coppery and he took her in with eyes of extremely pale blue. The collected along the edge of his hood and ran to a slight point in the middle, dripping neatly down before his nose, never his vision. They had to go. He reached down towards her and extended his hand to help her to her feet. Come.