Tales From The Emerald Isles: Hope Chest

12

Two soldiers flew back into the stack of crates, crushing them as they fell. Wood splinters, food stuffs, and bottles of liquor all went up into the air as the soldiers landed. The area was littered with apples, pears, and grapes, whole and smashed. There were bottles of liquor smashed upon the ground bleeding their contents into the dirt. What made the things worse was the undamaged bottles now rolling along the dirt at everyone's feet. Ash watched the men as the stumbled to get up.

One had a large splinter in his side which he removed without thinking, and as he did the blood began to rush out, pooling on the ground beneath him. As the other man got to his feet Ash ran into him, rushing him with his shoulder. They fell back violently. The solider folded backwards as Ash slide over him. He stuck his hands forward, tucked his head and recovered into a roll. As Ash got to his feet and turned his gaze back to Farrah, he noticed what they had fallen over. It was the hope chest.

He checked it. Tried to open it. It still would not open. Well at least it's still secure, he thought to himself. Ash flung the chest towards Farrah.

"We need to protect this."

Farrah glanced at the box tumbling toward her, "The chest." She said as she blocked the swinging blade of one of the soldiers. One of her people. She had left some time ago in search of a way to help her father. But even before then, she had never really had a relationship with the people of Hylaen. Her father was distrustful of everyone save his closest advisors, and even they had been kept on a very tight leash. To these men she was the object of affection of their king. The gift given to him by the women he loved. But, they had no idea she even existed. To them, she had fled the castle and abandoned her people years ago. To some, she had even attempted to murder her own father.

So it came at no surprise to her that many of these men wanted her, or, wanted to hurt her. She positioned the chest to her side as she deflected the onslaught of incoming blows and strikes. The wind blew the stench of burnt flesh in her direction. She winced and coughed. Ash joined her positioning himself so the chest was between them both.

"They just keep coming, don't they? He said, "Are we entirely sure Tyr isn't on their side?"

She parried the swing of another solider and then kicked out his leg, leaving him lying on his back below her. She thrust Ash's sword deep into his belly, "Could be. Or maybe the god of war is just waiting to be impressed." Farrah said as she pulled the blade from the soldier's body. She used her free arm to wipe blood and sweat from her brow.

Another explosion came from behind the soldiers, tossing a handful of them forward. "He's not impressed yet?" asked Ash breathily, as he wiped the sweat from his brow. He scanned the men to see who would attack next. He was tired. But, having felled a score or two of men, the remaining soldiers were less enthusiastic about running in on them.

Two soldiers glanced at each other and nodded. The one on the right attacked first, thrusting his spear at Ash. He was slow and sloppy. Ash easily avoided the strike and gripped the shaft of the spear. The man on the right attacked with a swift but overweighted downward swing. Ash dropped back, shifted his hip and pulled the spearman into the path of the swordsman's blow. It hit home in the spearman's shoulder and found rest in the center of his chest. Blood sprayed. The swordsman's face was painted ruby and it shone like mask of death in the dying rays of the sun. His eyes grew wide. Ash ripped the spear from the dying solider's hand and thrust it into the swordsman's stomach. He released his grip to remove the sword from the spearman's body and used it to sever the swordsman's head. "I like the weight of this" Ash said, as he turned to Farrah and wiped the newly formed sweat from his brow. "I think I'll keep it." He said smiling.

Ash felt a gentle wind blow from the east and amongst the clang and clatter of steel on steel he could hear the soft rustle of leaves. "Euan?" Ash asked.