Chapter III - Fight

Partial chapter. Plenty to go, but I did want to post all I had on this so far...

   III. Fight 

 

Bryce barked orders every few moments, as he kept the column of knights on alert.  “Where are those damn scouts of ours?”

            The group had been moving all day, on orders to pursue the Northmen, against the advice of the Lieutenant, but she was determined to find the perpetrators who slaughtered her family, no matter the cost.  Bryce rode up to her on his horse, halted his armored beast and gave a slight bow from his saddle.

            “These trees milady, this forest puts us at a disadvantage, our horseman cannot maneuver so well here,” Bryce warned.

            “Going around this forest would take add days to our journey, we have given our foes too much of lead already.”

            “Very well,” he turned. “You there, watch that left flank!  Look alive gentlemen!”

            She reviewed her surroundings and took a brief second to admire the large pine trees that had engulfed her brave troop.  This ancient forest began to block the early afternoon sun, offering only glimpses of daylight among the long shadows.  Victoria looked to her left and watched the knights react to Bryce’s commands and they continued forward.  As she looked beyond the front of the line, a flock of birds evacuated several trees on the right side of broken path.  The blare of a horn shattered the relative quiet of the forest.  It was not a familiar tone to her.

            “Northmen!” shouted a voice from her right.

            “Steady!” shouted Bryce.

            Two more horns sounded from their left and from behind them.

            All the knights tried to calm their mounts as they spun in varies directions trying to anticipate attack from any side.  Sounds of metal, rhythmically banging on wood filled the air, accompanied by war cries.  Among the war stories Vi had been told over the years, she understood this tactic of intimidation by the Northmen, as she could feel all of the tiny hairs on the back of her neck jump up in response to the noise.

            “Company, dismount! Cried Bryce.

            As the knights began to scramble off their horses, the foreign battle cries grew louder.  An arrow buzzed loudly past her ear and sailed into one of her soldier’s nearby horses with a sickening thud.  The horse screamed in pain, as a second arrow left the forest and found the leg of a knight on her right side, piercing his armor. 

            “To me, brave knights, gather around Lady Victoria!” Bryce commanded.  “Our Queen must not fall this day!”

            Among the chaos, Victoria took a brief second to appreciate the promotion to supreme sovereign.  She started to get off of her horse when a bearded warrior moved into her line of sight.  He held a long spear and charged toward her horse.  After a brief delay, Victoria moved again, but her left foot was caught on the saddle.  One of her knights grabbed a crossbow off his mount, but he would not be able to fire in time, the warrior had quickly closed the gap to the princess and slammed the spear into her horse.  Victoria was unable to free her foot as her horse fell, the air flew from her lungs as she collided with the ground.  Her left leg remained trapped under her dying horse. Bodies moved in from every direction, as swords clanged on shields.  Bryce stepped forward and ran his sword through the gut of her attacker.

            “Lady Victoria!” he yelled.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            Bryce barked orders every few moments, as he kept the column of knights on alert.  “Where are those damn scouts of ours?”

            The group had been moving all day, on orders to pursue the Northmen, against the advice of the Lieutenant, but she was determined to find the perpetrators who slaughtered her family, no matter the cost.  Bryce rode up to her on his horse, halted his armored beast and gave a slight bow from his saddle.

            “These trees milady, this forest puts us at a disadvantage, our horseman cannot maneuver so well here,” Bryce warned.

            “Going around this forest would take add days to our journey, we have given our foes too much of lead already.”

            “Very well,” he turned. “You there, watch that left flank!  Look alive gentlemen!”

            She reviewed her surroundings and took a brief second to admire the large pine trees that had engulfed her brave troop.  This ancient forest began to block the early afternoon sun, offering only glimpses of daylight among the long shadows.  Victoria looked to her left and watched the knights react to Bryce’s commands and they continued forward.  As she looked beyond the front of the line, a flock of birds evacuated several trees on the right side of broken path.  The blare of a horn shattered the relative quiet of the forest.  It was not a familiar tone to her.

            “Northmen!” shouted a voice from her right.

            “Steady!” shouted Bryce.

            Two more horns sounded from their left and from behind them.

            All the knights tried to calm their mounts as they spun in varies directions trying to anticipate attack from any side.  Sounds of metal, rhythmically banging on wood filled the air, accompanied by war cries.  Among the war stories Vi had been told over the years, she understood this tactic of intimidation by the Northmen, as she could feel all of the tiny hairs on the back of her neck jump up in response to the noise.

            “Company, dismount! Cried Bryce.

            As the knights began to scramble off their horses, the foreign battle cries grew louder.  An arrow buzzed loudly past her ear and sailed into one of her soldier’s nearby horses with a sickening thud.  The horse screamed in pain, as a second arrow left the forest and found the leg of a knight on her right side, piercing his armor. 

            “To me, brave knights, gather around Lady Victoria!” Bryce commanded.  “Our Queen must not fall this day!”

            Among the chaos, Victoria took a brief second to appreciate the promotion to supreme sovereign.  She started to get off of her horse when a bearded warrior moved into her line of sight.  He held a long spear and charged toward her horse.  After a brief delay, Victoria moved again, but her left foot was caught on the saddle.  One of her knights grabbed a crossbow off his mount, but he would not be able to fire in time, the warrior had quickly closed the gap to the princess and slammed the spear into her horse.  Victoria was unable to free her foot as her horse fell, the air flew from her lungs as she collided with the ground.  Her left leg remained trapped under her dying horse. Bodies moved in from every direction, as swords clanged on shields.  Bryce stepped forward and ran his sword through the gut of her attacker.

            “Lady Victoria!” he yelled.