The Reformation Wars: The Unmarked Swordsman

Chapter 4

The end of their fourth day of travel drew near, and the gates of a Mintfeldian border town came into view on the horizon. Only a grove of trees and a few miles lay between the travelers and their destination now. 

Almost three days had passed since Alden had declared his suspicions to Tom, but yet no event had yet arisen to back him up. Only smiling faces and friendly farmers had greeted them along the roadway, as well as an occasional carriage owned by another senator. But yet, Alden remained on edge, his eye constantly darting around their surroundings. Tom figured the poor man's neck must've ached from turning so much. 

Guistan slowed the pace a little as they entered the grove of trees, just to give the horses time to take in the new surroundings and maneuver their way through easier. A refreshing wind rustled through the leaves and kissed Tom's face as they traveled through. 

Then an arrow penetrated the ground just in Exuberance's path. 

The stallion's ears shot up as it reared, screaming in terror. Tom's eyes widened. He released the reins and wrapped his hands around his steed's neck, just tight enough to retain his mount. 

"Easy there." he said in a voice slow and reassuring when Exuberance dropped onto all fours again. "We're alright. Now let me get down." 

After running hand through the horse's mane, Tom dismounted, unsheathing his sword with eyes darting about for the archer. Another arrow pierced a tree near Headstrong, startling the mare terribly. Tom scanned the treetops for movement, but still saw nothing. 

A third arrow headed straight for his head, but with one swing, he sliced the shaft in half. A fourth soon followed. He dodged. A quick glance revealed that Alden still struggled to retain his mount. Meanwhile, Guistan grabbed a bow, drew back the string, and fired his own projectile up into the canopy of leaves. A dirty-faced man dropped from above, neck snapping on impact with the ground. 

Tom spun at the sound of thudding footsteps behind him. He raised his weapon just in time to block a whistling blade. Batting the sword away, he backed off a few paces, eyes darting about as he studied his new opponent. 

Thick plates of metal protected the man, held together by leather straps. Right away, Tom spotted several vulnerabilities in the armor design, continuing to study it as he blocked another heavy blow. The gauntlets and vambraces had been formed by pieces so thick that the designers had neglected bicep coverings completely, leaving the bulging mass of muscle open to attack. 

Tom shoved the sword away from his face again. Then he swung low at a second vulnerability, the lower thighs just where the faulds ended. His blade bit into the Innutukian's flesh, drawing blood to the surface, and a hiss and growl to his lips. With widened eyes, Tom flung his sword to block a vengeful return strike. 

In the time it took for the Innutukian to raise his weighty arms for another swing, Tom slashed at his other leg. More blood oozed out. As the two continued fighting, giving the young knight his first taste of serious combat, the superiority of Monteraynian swordsmanship became clear to him. While his heavily-armored foe moved slowly and stiffly, with moves rendered predictable by the confines of his mobility, Tom's lack of armor allowed him to remain nimble and sporadic. Always in motion, he hardly saw an opening before he had already taken advantage of it. 

Finally, spewing blood from his exposed neck, the Innutukian fell at Tom's feet. Everybody's always said they're easy to defeat once off their horse, but only now do I see why. 

Wiping his sweaty brow, Tom glanced over at Alden, raising an eyebrow when he realized the old man had slain two of the armored men already. Surely, the scabbard didn't do that. Guistan had taken out a few more archers and currently, he focused his arrows on the gaps in the Innutukian armor. The other two Alcontean guards stood at either side of the carriage, poised to strike the moment an attacker came too close.