wound
as he shook his head, trying to wipe his eyes while blood fell down his chest. Spitting out several
teeth, he blindly lifted his shield to a desperate attempt to
defend himself. While he expected another attack to finish him, he
instead heard the familiar sound of grunts, sword strokes and death
groans of a battle around him.
As Urith finally cleared his vision, he heard
ossanes galloping away. The Esterblud carefully lifted his helmet to get a better view and saw two
riderless mounts speeding away. He sensed the
last attacker must be next to him before he peered up at the man
who still sat tall on his mount. Urith slowly rose to his feet,
unsure what to expect.
“ You fight as one of the demigods, Urith of the Penhda clan.” The man sheathed
his sword. The gray hair hanging on the enemy warrior’s shoulders
whipped in the wind. His action and the Vulthnal accent surprised
Urith. “I see no need to continue this fight. Let us stop now since
we have both suffered ugly wounds.”
Momentarily stunned at the gesture, Urith saw the bloodstain spreading across the leather
breeches of his enemy. The man held his hand tightly on his hip, and the Esterblud decided his sword must
have struck the warrior during the fight.
The Esterblud spit more blood and saliva on the
ground as he tried to speak, one side of his face numb. “My father
was right, always watch out for the old warriors. You had the
advantage, why did you stop?” Urith kept his hand on his face,
putting pressure to stop the bleeding.
“ Because I’m old and you have
greater mettle. Besides, I have no love of the Aberffraw,” said the
warrior quietly as he looked at the bodies
near his mount’s feet. Urith realized it was the old fighter who
killed the remaining Aberffraw warriors. Wounded, the man still
killed two younger men.
“ Seems strange but that is your
affair. What is your name and why does a Vulthnal ride with th is trash raiding our lands?” Intrigued and
impressed by the warrior, Urith had trouble
getting the words out.
“ I’m called Kirowan . I’m an outcast, and the
Aberffraw gave me koinons to scout this land.
We were to report whether any warriors were in the area as part of
the main body traveling north. You forced these Aberffraw into a fight, so I was obligated to earn my koinon .” He reached down behind him to pull a
cloth from his bag. The Vulthnal warrior ripped off part of the material with his bloody fingers, stuffing the
piece into the wound in his side. The Esterblud instantly
recognized the name. Kirowan was known as one of the greatest
Vulthnal leaders before he was forced to flee his land when the sea
bandits took over.
“ I thought you foolish,” the enemy
warrior continued, “but, I admit that I would have done the same in
my youth. When my sword tip missed your eye socket, and I made the mistake of letting you strike me
in my hip, I knew.”
Urith waited for him to finish
his words, but the man turned his ossane away. “What did you know?”
Urith asked, his face now burning with a fiery intensity.
“ I realized you have the Fates
behind you.” The older warrior saw the look of disbelief on Urith’s injured face. “No, I’m in earnest. You
blindly lash out, and your sword is able to
penetrate the finest Vulthnal chain. In my past, I would have
struck true, and you would be dead. Afterward,
I would have feasted in the village with the remaining Aberffraw,
holding your sword as my trophy. But today, I bleed like you.” He
looked at his wound. “I’m too old to be a mercenary any longer. I
see evidence that my heart no longer matches the mettle of my
sword.”
“ You surprise me with your words.
The songs of Kirowan I’ve heard say nothing of mercy,” countered
Urith wondering if he was being lied to by the stranger. “Why did
you save me from the other warriors?”
Kirowan stared hard at him. “If you grow old, you
will learn differently. There are times when a
fighter must know which side has
as he shook his head, trying to wipe his eyes while blood fell down his chest. Spitting out several
teeth, he blindly lifted his shield to a desperate attempt to
defend himself. While he expected another attack to finish him, he
instead heard the familiar sound of grunts, sword strokes and death
groans of a battle around him.
As Urith finally cleared his vision, he heard
ossanes galloping away. The Esterblud carefully lifted his helmet to get a better view and saw two
riderless mounts speeding away. He sensed the
last attacker must be next to him before he peered up at the man
who still sat tall on his mount. Urith slowly rose to his feet,
unsure what to expect.
“ You fight as one of the demigods, Urith of the Penhda clan.” The man sheathed
his sword. The gray hair hanging on the enemy warrior’s shoulders
whipped in the wind. His action and the Vulthnal accent surprised
Urith. “I see no need to continue this fight. Let us stop now since
we have both suffered ugly wounds.”
Momentarily stunned at the gesture, Urith saw the bloodstain spreading across the leather
breeches of his enemy. The man held his hand tightly on his hip, and the Esterblud decided his sword must
have struck the warrior during the fight.
The Esterblud spit more blood and saliva on the
ground as he tried to speak, one side of his face numb. “My father
was right, always watch out for the old warriors. You had the
advantage, why did you stop?” Urith kept his hand on his face,
putting pressure to stop the bleeding.
“ Because I’m old and you have
greater mettle. Besides, I have no love of the Aberffraw,” said the
warrior quietly as he looked at the bodies
near his mount’s feet. Urith realized it was the old fighter who
killed the remaining Aberffraw warriors. Wounded, the man still
killed two younger men.
“ Seems strange but that is your
affair. What is your name and why does a Vulthnal ride with th is trash raiding our lands?” Intrigued and
impressed by the warrior, Urith had trouble
getting the words out.
“ I’m called Kirowan . I’m an outcast, and the
Aberffraw gave me koinons to scout this land.
We were to report whether any warriors were in the area as part of
the main body traveling north. You forced these Aberffraw into a fight, so I was obligated to earn my koinon .” He reached down behind him to pull a
cloth from his bag. The Vulthnal warrior ripped off part of the material with his bloody fingers, stuffing the
piece into the wound in his side. The Esterblud instantly
recognized the name. Kirowan was known as one of the greatest
Vulthnal leaders before he was forced to flee his land when the sea
bandits took over.
“ I thought you foolish,” the enemy
warrior continued, “but, I admit that I would have done the same in
my youth. When my sword tip missed your eye socket, and I made the mistake of letting you strike me
in my hip, I knew.”
Urith waited for him to finish
his words, but the man turned his ossane away. “What did you know?”
Urith asked, his face now burning with a fiery intensity.
“ I realized you have the Fates
behind you.” The older warrior saw the look of disbelief on Urith’s injured face. “No, I’m in earnest. You
blindly lash out, and your sword is able to
penetrate the finest Vulthnal chain. In my past, I would have
struck true, and you would be dead. Afterward,
I would have feasted in the village with the remaining Aberffraw,
holding your sword as my trophy. But today, I bleed like you.” He
looked at his wound. “I’m too old to be a mercenary any longer. I
see evidence that my heart no longer matches the mettle of my
sword.”
“ You surprise me with your words.
The songs of Kirowan I’ve heard say nothing of mercy,” countered
Urith wondering if he was being lied to by the stranger. “Why did
you save me from the other warriors?”
Kirowan stared hard at him. “If you grow old, you
will learn differently. There are times when a
fighter must know which side has
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