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Post by joanzy on Apr 17, 2007 3:29:26 GMT -4
“The grunthians aren’t as loud as you’d think. They can creep through our city so quietly we’d even have trouble hearing them if we weren’t waiting.
When you’ve lost as much as we have, you come to expect more loss. The raids happen almost daily; they’ve lost the element of surprise. Not that they need it. You must understand, Grunthar is a powerful city. They have sheer strength on their side. They break down our doors and trample our gardens, take our children and our friends; we’re not as strong as them, plain and simple.
That’s why we have to be cunning, my dear. Your father’s taught you how to move without being seen; how to be precise with your arrows, hasn’t he? You are young, but you are strong, and it’s the strength of our people that keeps our entire city out of the slave pens. We’ve no one, save Yniri, on our side.
So, do not ask for help, my dear. No one will come. Be brave.”
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Post by Steph on Apr 17, 2007 19:07:24 GMT -4
Three arrows appeared as one in the Orc's forehead. He dropped to the ground as the rest of his band of slavers stared stupidly in all directions, looking for the source of the deadly projectiles.
Blav, being the strongest, had been placed in charge of the group, but that didn't help much. One thing about Orcs; they valued strength over intellect. Together, the bunch might have enough intelligence to boil water. They certainly had the strength to rip a tree out of the ground.
Blav muttered, “He dead. Find stick-thrower. Crush.”
The Orcs fanned out, searching high and low (mostly low) for the “stick-thrower.”
Well camouflaged, Ru'ubine H'uud (Roo to her friends. “No jokes, please”) nocked a blunt-tipped arrow, aimed for the nearest Orc's left ear, and let loose. The arrow pierced his eardrum and continued through what little brain he had, coming to rest with the tip sticking 12 inches out of the other ear. The blunt tip had taken a large chunk of brain matter on its course, leaving the bit of brain hanging from the end.
Erl jerked as the arrow hit, bellowing, “OWWWWWW!!!!!!” as he slumped to the ground.
The remaining three Orcs gathered around Erl, chuckling at sight.
Gersk laughed so hard that his heart gave out and he too died on the spot.
Blav and Rop fell down laughing, kicking their feet and holding their sides.
“Rop! We come to get slaves! HOHOHOHO!!!! This more fun!”
Blav wiped the tears from his eyes.
Snot ran down Rop's face as tears streamed down his cheeks. “Blav! You see Erl? Him yell, 'OWWWWW!' “
“No! More like, 'OOOOWOOOOWWWW!”
Roo made a motion with her hand along with a slight squeaking sound. Silently, the wolves padded into the clearing, surrounding the last two Orcs.
The pair were laughing so hard, they didn't notice the 5 wolf packs around them until it was too late.
As the wolves feasted, Roo chuckled to herself, “That oughta make Reth happy...crazy Elf thinks I'm only out for myself.”
The forest warden faded soundlessly into the undergrowth.
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Post by joanzy on Apr 20, 2007 2:06:42 GMT -4
A trail of arrows, bowed at an angle, their heads buried in the ground, pave the path to Ynara. Nothing grows on the trail anymore; it’s all been stomped out by countless feet. We fight them, as if there was any glory in it, fearing for our families, our friends, our neighbours. Their numbers dwindle, over time, but still we press on.
A movement in the shadows, a twig breaking outside your door, is an alarm. They could be slouching through our city at any time. They bring rifles and blades, break our locks and steal our young.
I saw one slipping through a broken door last night. He had no weapon, his fist splintered the door easily. There was just a little girl inside, her back pressed against the wall. Yniri knows where her parents were; I saw no one else when I slipped in behind him. He sneered at the girl, warm saliva dripping from his teeth. The girl’s breath became ragged, and she began to sob; she was terrified. And then, it was over…
There was a hot spray of blood, and the orc’s hand reached for his throat where the arrow had pierced. I couldn’t help but smile while clasping my bow at my back. That’ll teach you, stupid thing. I saw a dull recognition in his eyes before they rolled back in his head.
The girl hadn't stopped wailing. I didn’t know what to do, but take her away from that place. She said nothing, as I took her by the hand and led her out of the house.
She didn’t look back, not once, as we stepped over that barren trail of arrows.
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Post by Steph on Apr 20, 2007 8:24:09 GMT -4
Roo crept quietly to the edge of the clearing. Slowly raising her bow, she let fly an armor-piercing arrow, catching the Orc squarely in the chest. He fell amid the bodies of his fellows.
The Yniri fighters were shooting arrows in all directions at once. The Orc slavers were slowly overwhelming them. Roo unleashed a hail of arrows; arrows that unerringly found hard Orc flesh, but penetrated nevertheless.
A smashing sound to her left rear caused her to whirl instinctively and fire at the Orc's back as he disappeared through the doorway. Her shot had been a fraction too late. A muffled shriek emanated from inside the dwelling.
THE CHILD! Roo had seen her parents scramble from the abode only moments before and rush into the fray on the bridge. They had vanished amid the tangle of bodies, both Elven and Orc, fighting for their homeland. Roo hoped that they had taken several Orcs to the Kingdom Of Yniri with them.
As Roo was about to break cover and dash into the tree-home, she caught a flicker of movement out of the corner of her eye.
Inspecting the moving shadow more closely, a grin spread across her face.
"Uh-oh," she thought. "Reth and Orcs.....I'd LOVE to be a fly on that wall."
Without thinking, Roo flipped her bow to the side, as one would swat a gnat. Two Orcs, one behind the other, were dashing in Roo's direction. The lead Orc staggered backward into the second, knocking them both off the cliff.
Reth emerged from the tree-home with the Elf-ling girl in tow.
Reth's bow was in her left hand, holding tightly with her right to the child.
"Bad move," thought Roo. "Leave both of your hands free to fire your bow. Have the child cling to you or follow you closely, but leave your hands free."
As Roo finished her thinking and was drawing down on an Orc rushing headlong toward the fleeing pair, Reth suddenly kicked her foot toward the Orc.
A small flight of darts unloosed from her boot and swarmed into the Orc's face. Several small explosions followed closely and the Orc, now headless, dropped to the ground. The little girl paused long enough in her dash for safety, to bend down, collect some Orc blood and smear it across her face.
Roo was entranced, her hands causing arrows to fly of their accord into hapless Orcs, watching the saga unfolding.
The little girl pivoted, grabbed a small dagger from Reth's hip, and followed her parents into battle.
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Post by seaneleth on Apr 20, 2007 23:02:35 GMT -4
He watched from the tree, and felt a sorrow he couldn't entirely explain, driven by factors he could quite place, for both sides.
He knew the Ears could see him, if they cared, but the Tusks, who would care, couldn't.
The sounds came of battle, of screaming, and he turned in his perch to watch. Shortly, there was a small explosion, and he looked up from the sight of the little girl charging so bravely, so stupidly, to see the circling vultures. No doubt they were the victors in this. There didn't seem to be a way for either the Ears or the Tusks to be...
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