Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Tokiwong" data-source="post: 1532088" data-attributes="member: 961">Side Story...Chapter 5 - Part 2She raised her longbow, and took careful aim as the small humanoid crept through the tangled brush, trying to remain hidden and failing as the lithe woman lined up her shot.  She let the arrow fly, and the aim was true as the goblin stumbled forward from the impact of the arrow, and then fell face down in the damp earth and brush.Four days of hunting, to track these dangerous scout of the Winter Wolf.  The woman whistled as she settled into her hiding spot once more.  A whistle replied to her in the waning darkness as the sun slowly rose in the east and crept into the sky, its light peeking through the branches.The woman opened her water skin and took a small draught of its cold contents as she brushed hr golden hair from her fair face.  Her forest green eyes scanned the dense forest for more of the scouts.  Her eyes caught the sight of her pet prowling through the trees, her friend, Ember a female wolf with an ebon coat and piercing gray eyes.  The wolf slinked through the trees, sniffing for more of the loathsome goblins as it made it way to the dead goblin laying face first in the damp soil; its black blood pooling around the wretched humanoid.  Its skin was a putrid mix of green and gray, and littered with scars and tribal tattoos.The woman jumped when she heard a distant roar, followed by several shouts and the sound of combat, and metal upon metal.  She smirked and motioned for Ember to follow as she stood in a fluid motion and rushed towards the sounds o fighting, it was just like him to charge in head by himself without help.She slid down a hill and rolled into the brush.  She rose to see a lithe lowlander dressed in a dark green cloak, that seemed to shift with the colors of the woods, as if to mask his presence as he whirled and spun, wielding a wicked double bladed sword, one end glowed with fire, while the other end had more subtle although quite lethal enchantments.The woman sighed, “Ember, why do I even bother, I knew he would charge in without even trying to ask for help,” glancing to her wolf companion.  The wolf just shrugged in reply.She focused on the vicious melee, already four goblin bodies lay on the ground bleeding from vicious wounds as the lithe human warrior spun, and parried attacks from two hobgoblins dressed in polished chainmail trying to flank and outmaneuver the lone human.  He ducked low to avoid a war hammer and ran the hobgoblin on his left through, and then simply reversed the motion stabbing the flaming end through the sole remaining hobgoblin.He pulled his blade out and walked toward the woman, as both bodies collapsed to the ground.  He spun the double bladed sword with ease and smiled.  He glanced to where the woman was hiding, “They are all dead, the scouting party as much too weak, not a normal move for the Winter Wolf,” he spoke in perfect Anderlar.The woman rose, “My thoughts exactly, Baile, not a single giant among them, I think this was a feint, or maybe just a test of our defenses.”Baile nodded, as he pulled his hood back from his head, revealing shaggy dark hair, and stubble on his weathered chin.  His looks were rugged from many days and nights out under the stars and his eyes were dark and brooding, almost intense in nature.  He stopped right in front of the woman and spoke, “I know that look Julia; you think I should have told you first before I attacked.  I gauged the threat, they were conscripts at best.”Julia rolled her eyes, “We are supposed to work together Baile, that is how a partnership…”Baile cut her of with a deep kiss, “Yeah I know, lets strip the bodies for materials and return to the fort, and report in what we found.”Julia sighed, “We don’t have much to report, Baile, just another small scouting party at best, maybe raiders at worst.  Besides that can’t be all of them,” she knelt down, “these tracks are much bigger they are…”“Frost giant tracks,” Baile whispered, “he is hiding just across the clearing and three goblins have been circling around on us.  You can handle them, I will take the giant, when you finish with them, please oblige me with some help.”Julia shrugged, “I will think about it,” as she knocked an arrow.  She turned and dashed behind a tree and motioned for Ember to flush out the stalking goblins.  The wolf howled as the goblins squealed from their hiding place.  Julia whipped around the tree and let an arrow fly, ducking behind the tree once more, already knowing the arrow found its mark.  In the distance she heard a gurgling, and the sounds of the goblins squealing as the wolf set upon them.Baile rushed back down into the clearing, as the giant decided to reveal himself by tossing a boulder at the young lowlander ranger.  The fifteen foot tall giant lumbered out from behind the copse of trees hefting a mighty ice forged greataxe.  The blue skinned brut had long white straight hair, and wore a pelt of bear hides over iron chainmail, the standard of the Winter Wolf worked into the design of its armor.  Baile grinned as he spun his double bladed sword to the ready, the flaming end pointed towards the giant as it charged the ranger.Baile rolled aside as the huge axe passed over his lithe frame.  He dashed quickly spinning the double bladed sword at the giant’s tendon, cleanly cutting it, causing the brute to collapse under its weight.  It bellowed loudly, as Baile jumped onto the creature’s chest and tried to plunge the flaming end of his blade into its neck but a single massive fist smashed into the young ranger sending him sprawling to the ground several feet away, his mind spinning from the blow.Baile stumbled to his feet, as he heard Julia’s voice shout, and the squeals of the goblin and the howl of the wolf.  But dominating the sounds bouncing in his head, were the curses of the frost giant, as he continued to stumble in his blurred vision stupor.  The giant had struggled to his feet, using a thick tree to lean upon as it loomed over the confused and stunned ranger.  Baile shook his head as he stumbled towards his double bladed sword stuck in the damp earth.  Julia though focused her eyes on giant, narrowing them as she took careful aim, and then let the arrow fly!  It stuck into the frost giant’s eye, causing it to recoil, and slip towards the ground on it back once more, with a thunderous sound.  Baile instinctively rolled forward and picked up his weapon in one smooth motion, his vision clearing.Baile shouted, “Thanks Julia… now to finish this!”</blockquote>

Verification