Gods and Men

"Finally, a full sentence! You're making progress, glow-girl. Tell me, if you're so shy about everything, why do you think you were sent here in the first place?"

"I can heal..." Ashera said hesitantly, not sure if that was the reason or not, but it was the only thing she could think of.

"Her?" Myrddin piped up, "You're asking the healing, glowing girl why she's here? Interesting"

Ashera stared at Myrddin, confused by his questions, and somewhat upset at being called glowing girl or glow-girl by everyone.

"I mean, if you think about it, it makes a fair bit more sense to have her than myself. If we're to expect action and danger, would it not be a good idea to have someone on hand capable of healing?" Myrddin continued.

Ashera was about to respond when she heard a noise from the road. It sounded as if someone was approaching. Getting nervous, she moved behind the others. Maybe this was the last member of their group? The spirit had said they would be joining them later...
"Do you hear..." she began to ask the others, wondering if they heard the footsteps too.

Jocasta did hear, which is why she got up and casually wandered over to her packs, pulling out her crossbow.

"I hear something," she said cheerfully, in sharp contrast to her calculating face, "Any chance of you shedding a little light on the situation? And I'm talking literal here."

"um..." Ashera said, "I don't really know...i usually don't...when I'm scared I just...things are still developing..."
Slowly she trailed off, looking down at the ground. Hearing the footsteps getting closer, she looked back up, nervous again, and starting to glow a little more.

Axel leaned down and wispered to Asher. The wolf stood and silently moved off towards the noise to scout it out. Bow in hand onve again, Axel waited forAsher to signal friend or foe.

Asher signaled to Axel foe. The footsteps came nearer, then stopped. There was the sound of a sword being pulled out of its sheath, then the footsteps began again, this time running in the direction of the campsite. A large man burst out of the bushes and ran to attack Myrddin (the only one without a weapon and exposed).

Jocasta swore, pulling the bolt out of the crossbow for safety's sake as she threw the bow itself at the charging man.

Damn crossbows. Take too long to wind. Wish I could shoot better with a regular bow.

Jocasta grabbed Myrddin by the back of the shirt and shoved him behind her as she drew her longsword.

"If you can't fight, get back!" she yelled.

The man slashed at Myrddin as he was pulled away, managing to graze his arm. He then turned to Jacasta with a wide grin, and settled into the stance of an expert swordsman. He began on the offensive, attacking quickly and in rapid succession.

Jocasta warily fended off the blows, not willing to risk anything fancy. When she felt secure enough to spare the attention to talk, she took the time to say, "Axel, now would be a good time to shoot him."

Axel loosed a shot that buried itself deep in the man's sword arm. He shot again, this time the arrow penetrated the man's leg. Drawing his short sword, Axel moved closer to the Hopefully mostly disabled man.

The man switched his sword over to his other hand, and pulled the arrow out of his leg. He growled at them, and continued to fight, his other arm just as good with a sword. He darted to the side and tried to grab Ashera with his injured arm.


When the man reached for her, Ashera flinched backwards and there was a flash of light.

Axel shielded his eyes from the glare just in time to save his darker vision. Seeing an opening, he brought his sword down and carved a large gash in the man's fore arm, and followed with a kick to the man's chest, sending him tumbling over backwards.

The man dropped his sword and stared at the group.
"I thought it would be easy," he said, "I just want her."
He gestured at Ashera with his chin.

Axel stood with his sword pointed at the man. "Why."

"My brother is sick...he needs a healer"

Axel continued to stare at him, skeptical of his story.

Jocasta stared at the man in disbelief.

"Oh, for fuck's sake. How did a man as stupid as you ever learn to pick up a sword, let alone use it? Yir's skies above and the seven hells below, did you think of just asking instead of attacking a trained fighter and a forest-man? I should take your head now, since you aren't using it."

Nice story, she told herself, but it doesn't explain why he attacked, especially why he took a swipe at Myrddin first. Anyone with half a brain would wait until we're sleeping before trying anything. Although crediting him with half a brain seems generous at this point.

"I asked others but I can't pay them...a man told me that he'd pay me to take her and get rid of the rest of you, and I could keep her..." the man said.

Jocasta sighed. "What did the man look like?"

The man was starting to drift into unconsciousness, and all he could say was,
"Hood...he had..."

Axel wipes the blood off his sword and sheathed it. "We should treat his bleeding if we want to hear anything more out of him." He went over to his pack and removed a water skin and some bandages and busied himself dressing the wounds on the man.