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[Medriev]

Telkya was also hoping for aid as she raised her sword again and uttered a prayer to Corellon. She stabbed out with her blade and drove it into the side of the arborean before her. As the sword struck home, a surge of healing energy passed along it and into Telkya, restoring some of her strength and spirit. To the north, Enlishia and Lavren resumed their assault on the hag, the ranger loosing two arrows, one of which drove into the creature’s side. Lavren loosed more black energy but the blast flew wide of the hag as his first had. Then the hag howled again and the elf and the ranger were hurled painfully into the north wall of the chamber.

The arborean before Telkya seemed to smile as it heard the hag howl again and then rushed at the elf maid with its blade before it. It stabbed out with its sword but Telkya dodged to the left and slapped the blade away with her own weapon. To her right, Telkya heard Litiraan chant another spell and this time, a curtain of flame seared from his wand. The fire engulfed the arborean, burning its clothes and the skin beneath but also tore into the thicket to the elf’s right. From beyond the thick thorns and vines, the hag screeched as the flames reached her too and for the first time since the battle had begun, Telkya smiled.

Erlmoor surged at the two scythe-wielders, feinting at the one to his left and then sweeping his blade across into the side of the other arborean. The creature fell back but as it did, the sword-wielder rushed at Dulvarna and drove its blade into her thigh. She staggered back a step but then lashed her blade low into the creature’s left leg, sending it reeling back from her. The scythe-wielders rushed at Erlmoor a moment later, slashing their weapons high and then low to cut wounds in the dragonborn’s right thigh and left hip. He roared and staggered back from his enemies while they kept coming forward and parried desperately, hoping as Dulvarna had hoped that aid would soon come.

Telkya loosed a bolt of divine power from her amulet that narrowly missed the fire-scarred arborean and the creature took another step back as though it pondered retreat. Beyond the creature, Telkya saw Enlishia rush into the open space again and turn her bow on the hag. The ranger loosed two arrows quickly and the hag screeched as they drove into her chest and belly. Lavren came forward to join his friend, turning his wand on the hag and this time, the bolt of black, crackling energy he loosed, drove into the hag’s chest. The crone gave one final screech of pain and anger and then fell to the earth floor. The arborean seemed to panic then but gestured with its left hand as though reaching down and raising something from the ground. Moments later, thorn-covered vines burst forth from the ground and seized Lavren, Litiraan and Telkya, their spikes piercing their flesh and their powerful fronds holding the three companions in place. The bark-skinned creature turned and fled around the corner of the hedge maze, rushing east and then vanishing from sight as it blended into the green background of the thickets.

Erlmoor chanted a prayer to Lathander and as his blade glowed brightly, he struck out at the scythe-wielder before him, slashing his blade into the creature’s shoulder. A surge of healing energy flowed up the sword and into the dragonborn, restoring some of his strength but then the arboreans came forward again the paladin and the warrior woman were pushed back onto the defensive. A scythe tore into Erlmoor’s shoulder and drove him back but beside him, Dulvarna held firm, holding her enemy at bay. Still, the assault was furious and both Dulvarna and Erlmoor began to wonder whether the time to retreat was at hand.

Telkya and Litiraan struggled against the vines that held them and could not break free but Enlishia, unhindered, started after the fleeing arborean. She reached another open space to the east with a square pool at its centre and heard the sounds of battle to the south. She started to turn the corner but as she did, the burned and wounded arborean appeared beside the thicket next to her and stabbed out at her with its blade. The sword plunged into the ranger’s right thigh and she twisted away while reaching for an arrow to nock to her bowstring. To her left, she saw Dulvarna and Erlmoor fighting fiercely against three arboreans and knew that she had to slay this one so that she could go to their aid.

Erlmoor looked back as he heard movement behind him and saw Enlishia face to face with another arborean. Realising that his friends were not far away, he summoned all the strength he had left and raised his sword above his head to strike a mighty blow. The blade came down and clove into the shoulder of the arborean before him. The creature collapsed to the floor and dropped its scythe though it was not slain and reached out quickly to recover the weapon.

The sword-wielder came at Dulvarna in a rush again but she was ready and parried each of its sword thrusts before countering with a sweep across the arborean’s chest. Dulvarna swept Aecris on and as the scythe-wielder that Erlmoor had felled tried to rise, her blade clove into its left arm and sent it lurching to the right. The creature hissed and lashed out wildly at Dulvarna, the scythe’s point driving painfully into her left thigh. She staggered and fell back, wondering if retreat was truly the only choice now, but then she heard Enlishia’s bow sing behind her and knew that she and Erlmoor had to hold.
Enlishia leapt back from the arborean she faced and loosed an arrow into the creature’s chest. It lurched back and as it did, the ranger nocked another shaft to her bowstring and fired. This arrow drove into the creature’s throat and burst out the back of its neck. The arborean seemed to gasp and hiss and then it collapsed to the earth floor of the chamber.