Razzius Grimm: The True Story You Were Never Told

The Ballad of Wyrn Grimm Part 1

Shosh! Thunk! An arrow soared through the air and sunk itself deep into the side of a thick pine tree inches above Wyrn Grimm's head. Suddenly, seemingly from nowhere, a hand reached up and grabbed Wyrn around his tunic and pulled him to the ground. "Are you daft?" Reinhardt asked, covering his own head with his free hand. A volley of five or six arrows smacked the tree immediately after. "You'll get us both killed you fucking dog!"

Wyrn squirmed and shimmied, trying to turn himself over. "I needed to see how many there were," he argued. He reached into his belt pouch and grabbed a bundle of twag. He put it in his mouth under his bottom lip. "Fhere's fix," he mumbled, nibbling at the twag. "They're low on farrows."

"Horse's ass, you twit!" Reinhardt argued. "Spit that poison out and tell me our situation!"

Wyrn shrugged and spat the twag all over the ground. Some of it oozed onto Reinhardt's tunic. The pair were forced into short quarters under a pile of brush. Sticks and thorns jabbed and cut at the two young squires.

Shoosh! Another arrow soared overhead and stuck in the ground nearby. Then another and another jabbed their way through the brush pile and clattered to the ground below. One almost hit Wyrn.

"A whore's ass to you!" Reinhardt bellowed to their attackers. He pushed some branches and sticks out of his own face. "Wyrn, we need a way out of here!"

"Shut yer ass up," Wyrn argued. "I'm thinkin' damnit!" He fumbled through a pouch at his waist. He pulled out a tinder and flint. "Bet you're glad I've got it now, ain't ya?"

"It still won't save us!" Reinhardt argued as Wyrn struck the steel and ignited the tinder. He threw it into the brushpile. "The fuck did you do that for, you idiot?"

Wyrn motioned to the pile. "It's the middle of summer and these sticks are bone dry. This will shield our escape!" The blaze bursted through the brush pile and ignited everything in sight. The pile was rather large and provided the two immense cover. The flames spread and spread and in mere moments, fire completely obscured their line of sight to their assailants. "Run!"

Wyrn stood, pulled Reinhardt to his feet and the two broke into a run in the opposite direction of the attackers.

"Do not stop, no matter what!" Wyrn ordered, pushing bushes and branches out of the way. "Get back to Haile and tell them what we found! If something-"

Smack! An arrow buried itself firmly into the back of Wyrn's left thigh. He collapsed and rolled end over end once.

Reinhardt stopped and made for his friend and fellow squire.

"Run!" Wyrn ordered. "Just go!"

Reinhardt ignored his words and tried to help the injured young man to his feet. Blood was everywhere and the sight of it made Reinhardt cringe. "Get up you fat cow!" Reinhardt shouted, lifting his friend. The two began moving again. "We go together or not at all!" He pulled and pulled, dragging Wyrn's crippled body with him.

Shoosh! Smuck! An arrow struck Reinhardt in the arm and made him drop Wyrn. The pair collapsed.

Wyrn knew what would happen if they were both caught and he struggled to think if it were just Wyrn. He reached over and ripped the arrow from his arm. "Come on!" He screamed. "We have...to get...to..." He mustered every ounce of strength and stood with Wyrn once more. "We aren't going to die here! Move it, you horse's ass!"

Wyrn pushed on, moving as fast as he could. In the distance he could barely see the treeline. They would never make it...never.

Slowly but surely, their bravado faded and the pair collapsed once more. Wyrn tried but couldn't stand. Reinhardt tried but collapsed. They had been bested. In the distance, the crashing sound of footsteps kept getting closer and closer.