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A Half Elven Story: part 1
The smell of salt and sea rose up as spray cooled her face.The boat rocked under her boots, but her excitement at completing her training and what awaited her pushed any other senstation from her body and mind. Not even the slightly ill fitted armor chaffing through her leather tunic and leggings could ruin this moment. Wrapped in the sound of the gulls crying and the crash of the waves against the boat and the harbor she gazed up, there was the city of Qeynos. It's walls seemed to glow in the morning light. I haven't seen home in months, it'll be so good to see Dad again and visit Mom's grave. I'll use the flowers I gathered on the training Isle.
Mayve awoke to a rough shake of the shoulder and the harsh voice of her commanding officer barking orders. So much for dreams of Home, she thought wryly rising and pulling on her sword belt and shield. The regiment was on the move, dawn not yet fully near and the chill air bit down beneath the armor and leather everyone wore. At least she could smell coffee from other side of camp. They were chasing rumors...well that was the sentiment among the younger paladins. Orcs on their way to Antonica? As if the gnolls weren't bad enough Mayve shook her head at the thought, better to seem the fool for too much caution than a fool for not enough.
After everyone was ready they pulled into formation and fell into a brisk march. Orders circulated back through the ranks that they were going to a farm across the vale where the rumors seemed to originate from. After all, this was only a scouting party, barely half a dozen paladins of varying shades of green as Ironhill had put it.
They found a smoking husk of what had once been a farm.The cawing of crows and the wind whistling through the smoldering timber frame the only sound. Corpses were strewn across the road and the stentch that greeted Mayve was almost too much to bear. Tears stung her eyes for more reasons than she could count, the smell, smoke and a rush of anger and sadness that threatened her training and discipline. After a quick search of the farm and the intial scouts reports, it was confirmed, Orc attack and all too recent. But what happened next cought Mayve off gaurd. A cry went up among the regiment to track the orcs down. It was the first time in months of serving under Ironhill that Mayve hesitated. She gave her opinion on the matter, but was crushed under the enthusiam of the others to track the orcs.
The orcs found them.
Mayve kicked an orc back to buy some time as she quickly whispered a ragged prayer of healing. She was feeling the drain on her strength. Can't give up...if I fall this day, Goddess let me go swinging my blade not laying it down. Warmth spread through her weary limbs as some streangth returned and she felt, more than saw as the blessing did the same for the few of her companions still standing. She could hear the clash and clang of metal on metal all around her.
Dodging a blow from the right she shifted her weight and sunk her blade deep under the arm the of an orc on her left piercing it's heart. It took little to duck a strike from behind. Gravity and already being slight of stature were lending a hand. But the feel of the swipe above her head sent a chill down her spine. Spinning with what force she could summon, light flared around the edge of her blade. Mayve managed to slash the orc behind her and the one on her right they sparked satifyingly when her blade made contact.
A blazing pain arched up her leg as a an orc sank it's dagger through the tin plate. With a cry Mayve cracked the orc in the face with her shield. It grunted heavily as it went spinning to the ground, blood and spittle and what looked like a tooth flew with it. Glancing around she saw she had but a moment and took it to pull the dagger from her thigh gritting her teeth against the flood of pain. They just kept coming and now she couldn't even see any of the lads in tin plate like hers and Ironhill...he'd long since disapeared from view.
She tried to dodge a mace strike aimed for her head, but still got grazed. Blood trickled down the side of her face threatening to blind her if the pain in her skull didn't do it first. through blurred vision she saw a glint at the top of the hill. Mayve's heart leaped, her gut told her all would be well now. Reinforcements it must be. Thank the Goddess.
She opend her mouth to shout up to the men on the hill, but it turned to a gasp as a sharp pain pierced the back of her skull and all faded to a cold dark black.
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