Thundershield

Chapter 4

As they approached the edge of the tree line and the clearing of the camp they heard the lick of flames and screams. They halted at the edge to take in the scene before them and it was not a pleasant one. Nearly every stead in the camp was ablaze. Men on horseback barked orders at warriors on foot who were beginning to torch the remaining homesteads.

Others were dragging the tribe's women and even some of the children out into the open before tearing their clothing off them and raping them like beasts. The other more lucky children were simply hacked to pieces or flung into the fires of the burning steads. All the men of the tribe had been killed, that much was evident. It was no longer a fight or skirmish, it was the complete and utter cleansing of one tribe by another. Such things were not unheard of up here in the Northlands, but they were still not a very common occurrence.

Olaf stepped out of the tree line with little hestation and raised his greatsword in the air before bellowing a loud and rage fuelled curse at the warriors slaughtering his tribe. Vilgrid drew his hunting bow and let loose an arrow toward the camp. It smashed into a warrior's face dropping him instantly. Vilgrid too let out a hateful war cry. Though it was less loud and thundering than his older brother's, it still dripped with malice and rage. 

The two of them charged out towards the nearest warriors followed closely by Ragnar who charged behind them before he even realised what he was doing. He was still too taken aback by the horrible sight before him to shout in rage, though pure and true barbarian rage coursed through his veins. Vilgrid let loose several more arrows, all of which found their mark, downing five warriors, a testament to his skill with a bow before he drew his own axe.

Ragnar had a short sword and his chopping axe clenched tight in his fists as he followed his brothers into the fight. They were all going to die. Ragnar knew this and accepted it. He was young but he was still brought up a Northman. His only desire now was to make his death cost as much as possible to the people who slaughtered his tribe. Olaf was the first to reach the warriors, somewhere along his charge he had taken an arrow to the shoulder. However, his rage was so gripping he did not even seem to notice it. He smashed into the first warrior with his shoulder knocking him flat onto his back with his momentum and sheer bulk. He swung his greatsword out in a wide arc disembowelling another man to his left. 

'Kord curse you bastards!' he roared as he slew another man with his massive greatsword, nearly cleaving him completely in two.

By now Vilgrid had also reached the melee. He quickly swung down his axe and neatly decapitated the man who Olaf initially knocked over as he tried to regain his footing. Switftly sidestepping an incoming blow just in time he bashed his assailant's brains out with his axe.

Olaf had killed two more men in this time but had also taken as many hits too. Another arrow lodged itself in his mid-section and he was now bleeding from a gash on his left leg. Despite this he still fought on like a raging bear, a testament to his namesake but it was clear his injuries were beginning to take their toll.

Ragnar had just now reached the fighting his shorter stride taking longer to cover the distance. While not as skilled as his brothers, he did manage to get his first kill. A large overweight man who sought out an easy kill in Ragnar stood before him taunting him. His mistake was in assuming the boy knew nothing about fighting a larger opponent. But growing up with two older brothers teaches you a few tricks from an early age. 

Ragnar charged the man before swinging a high with his axe and the warrior fell for the bait, a lot like Olaf had what seemed like a lifetime ago now. Quickly dropping to one knee Ragnar shoved his sword up into the fools crotch, all the way to the hilt. The round warrior's legs gave way and he let out a gurgle of pain before slumping over onto his side to bleed out in slient paralysing agony.