Trilverda - Winds of the fall

Chapter 21

Gill did what his nephew suggested, he hauled the crying old man and hid behind a tree. “This isn't the first time we hide in a tree, eh?” he couldn’t see his friend in such pain, Erik whimpered, blood pulsed out of his arms and tainted the ground. Gill had no cloth to wrap it around his hand, the coat couldn’t be torn. “Just hang in there, make us invisible if ya can, Igor can take care of these Helgevarian savages”

Igor sharpened his ear, he turned around listening to the dry leaves and fallen branches cracking. Few footsteps, they were loud, Igor steadied himself and the axe in his hand. Another arrow flew towards him, he dogged it with chance.

Three wild men jumped from the bushes, huge hammers and axes swinging in their rotten hands. Their teeth had been carved out at the front, a thick wolf pelt covering their body with nothing inside. Scars all over their faces and bodies, those men had seen battle.

Igor charged his horse towards them, drove his axe below. He chopped off one's arm out of his shoulder. His horse collided with another man, probably shattering his bones, he flew in the air before landing in the ground, unconscious and bleeding from his mouth. One remained, didn’t move towards the horse. Igor dismounted, blood in his axe and red droplets on his golden beard.

Another man came from behind, covering his savage friend. It was the archer who shot Erik down, he had his bow readied, an arrow pointing at Igor. He shot the arrow, Igor dodged it once more. He raged and charged at them with his huge body and bloody axe, managed to chop of the head of one bandit and pushed away the archer out of his balance. The head went rolling towards Gill, he kicked it away.

Igor laughed, a demonic laugh, it made the savage’s face pale. “Who tried to shoot me?? Ooo is it yooou?” Igor taunted, pointing his bloody axe and licking the blood around his face. The bandit pushed himself away, he got and ran towards where he came from. Igor threw his axe like a dart. The axe drove itself inside the bandit's skull, he fell, dead.

Igor rushed towards his uncle, Erik's body didn’t seem to move. “Is he all right?”

“Looks like he has lost a lot of blood” Gill replied, he had pulled out the arrow and thrown it away. He kept pressing the wound to reduce the blood flow.

Erik exerted his other hand and pointed towards the forest, “C-cross the wo-woods and take me to D-Dirgiv”. Igor looked at his uncle. Gill carried Erik and took him to his horse. Igor rushed from behind and mounted his horse.

“Sit clam” Gill rested Erik on his horse, he could barely maintain his balance. “Igor, we have to move as fast as we can”

“I'll take the charge of his horse only if ya tie him to he horse” Igor let out, recent victory's joy didn’t last that long.

Gill did what his nephew suggested and fastened Erik to the horse. “Now, we shall fly”

Clasping the leather, Igor pulled the horse towards him. Gill mounted and hit his horse. Igor did the same, they left the forest hoping to reach Dirgiv as soon as they can. The horses flew with the wind, thorny bushes tore their skin but it didn’t bother them, sturdy horses of Olfran had seen worse days.

“What a dinner it was. Haha, never had eaten such beautiful pork belly in me whole life.” Reynor blabbered, picking his teeth. His eyes reddened, the wine had tickled his nerves and intoxicated him.

Reynor knew nothing about had happened in his absence. Just two normal guards stood at the door outside his room. Reynor's safe return made Timmer even more in the dark. And the fact that he didn’t even try to save his king pushed a little dose of guilt in his heart. The words crawled to this throat but he frowned, he didn’t wish to worry his King. “One of the many perks being the Northern King”