After long days of preparation, doubt and anticipation, the assault on Kheledul finally began as such things usually began, in a burst of enthusiasm and over-confidence.
Each of the four squads of attackers had a clear-cut objective, at least when the battle began. It had fallen to Xandilif the Banshee and Masin, Knight of Rohan to deal with a Morroval Blood-witch who had journeyed to Kheledul to represent the Stained Court in this plan which the heroes were seeking to stop. Known as Lyr the Twiceborn, Xandilif had heard of the monster and her sorceries, and was none too pleased with what she had heard.
Waiting on the ridge above Kheledul, Masin watched the strange elf slowly wrapping her hands in thin leather straps before pulling on her steel gauntlets. From what he could tell from the few times he had dealt with her, Xandilif, known as the Banshee, was quite different from her sister Xanderian, in fact different from any elf he had met or heard of in legend. Where an elf was supposed to be wise and cultured, Xandilif was brutal and coarse...and she leered at him like a sailor on leave.
As the elf took up her blade which was nearly as tall as she was, called SilverWand, Masin cleared his throat awkwardly. "Ummm...Xandilif....I...I have never faced a creature such as this witch...what...what should I expect, as according to Xanderian you actually...lived amongst them for a time?"
The elf rolled her eyes and looked at him. "Different clan...but yeah, I am pretty damn familiar with 'em. A lot is gonna depend on how long she has had to build herself a nest. If we are lucky she will still be staying on the boat the Monk said she come on, as the Dourhand are scared shiteless of the Daughters of the Caverns."
Masin nodded softly. "And if she is no longer on the boat?"
Xandilif flexed her shoulders, the bones of her spine cracking. "Then we won't be lucky."
Masin nodded again, noting wisely that was all she had to say on that...he braced himself as they were preparing to move out. "Any tips?
The elf lowered the visor on her helmet with a snap, now fully encased in crimson steel, cold and implacable as death. "Stay behind me...be careful of scents...and don't bleed."
And so the attack began, with the field of Dourhand being slain by their own, and the gate left open to enter (see Battle of the Spike - Part 1). As the assault squad rushed in while others sought to steal the Spike away, the two broke away from the larger force and raced towards the docked ships, seeking their quarry.
The two ran across the seamless flagstones, leaving the others to their own fights. It pained Masin to leave Miss Addie and his other friends to battle without him, but he understood this task was vital. If they could not destroy this monster, then they must at least keep it busy, even at the cost of their lives.
Suddenly the elf slid to a halt, looking at long trails of blood dragged across the pale stone of the port, leading towards a low building with a heavy, metal-banded door. The door itself was painted with strange symbols in brown, which as they drew closer, was clearly dried blood.'
Xandilif spats. "Shite..the bitch has had time to dig in like a proper tick. Shield up, soldier, time we earn our next meal."
Masin nodded and braced himself, responding immediately to the elf's martial attitude. She reminded him of many old campaigners and officers he had known in Rohan, only...well..more elfish, and more female. He looked closely at the door, unsure, and looked back at Xandilif questioningly as he placed his hand against it to check the temperature. He seemed almost disappointed that it seemed perfectly normal. Was not fell magic supposed to be icy cold?
Xandilif leaned on SilverWand for a moment, noting the knight's unspoken question. "We gotta go in, one way or another Paramour. She's in here, ya can tell. I will go left, you stay a step back and watch the right....just keep your head about you...and by Elbereth's knickers don't get cut.'
Masin smirked and gave her a huff as he tapped the plate armor, forged of good Riddermark steel. Not a chance anything was cutting him, he thought. He turned the knob of the door and charged in shield high, pivoting to the right. At first he thought the elf had made a mistake and they had stumbled into some meat storage or butcher shop, for several sides of meat dangled from hooks. He remembered such a room on his uncle's farm when he raised sheep. However as he looked more closely he realized that the bodies that hung from the hooks here were not sheep, but dwarves, and a man or two...bled dry.
Masin gritted his teeth, focusing on the task at hand, and following the elf. He held his shield in front of him and started to push his way past the dead hanging flesh to the stairs at the other end of the room.
He met no resistance, perhaps the place was deserted. The scent of blood however grew stronger as he began to descend the stairs beside Xandilif, broken glass beneath their feet. Several lanterns were shattered on the ground, having been ripped out of the wall. Masin found it odd that they had been ripped out rather then just extinguished. He picked one up, holding his shield in his other hand as he examined it..noting the heavy brass had deep gashes though the metal. They looked like..claw marks? Continuing, he tried to stay as silent as he could, listening and looking to the ground for any kind of marking or tracks, but the broken glass was making a crunching noise beneath their boots.
As he reached the bottom of the stairs ahead of the elf, a powerful blow landed on his shield, spinning him to the side. All he saw was a flash of red moment, accompanied by the beating of wings, then a spray of blood as SilverWand swept past him. There was the thud of steel connecting to flesh, then something screamed, something not human.
Masin turned and quickly followed the scream, thanks to long training and hard won experience not needing to see it. He charged past Xandilif hoping to slam whatever creature she faced. He grunted as he felt the shield connect solidly with a foe, and over his guard he got a clear look at the enemy's face..she was a woman, with high cheekbones and deep gray eyes, long black hair tinged with red. With a cry of horror he pulled back, but the impact had knocked her down, letting him see the wings gracing her slim arms, her bare breasts gleaming in the red firelight. She stared up at him, pitiful and afraid, her perfume of lavender and sage surrounded him.
Masin froze, struck by the sight of her. He had never seen a creature like this, and as his eyes looked over the form trying to discern if he could help her a voice inside of him roared. Xandilif's voice, saying, "No time for romance, Paramour, end it!" just as the creature hissed and launched towards him, fangs first. Masin cried out and lifted his sword, driving it into what he assumed was the heart of the creature, which screamed and turned into an oil red smoke, leaving blood drops on his shield.
Recoiling back, Masin watched Xandilif strike down three smaller examples of the creature with one swing of SilverWand as they swarmed around her. She reared back and shouted "LYR!!! Enough with the fodder..you know what we're here for, you filthy little SNACK! COME TO MOMMY!!!"
Masin steeled himself, certain he was not going to be fooled by their tricks again, and charged forward ready to slam his shield into whatever beautiful beast might come at them next, careful of his footing as the ground was growing slick with fresh, pungent blood. From somewhere deeper in the building he heard someone calling his name, a sweet feminine voice. The voice filled his heart, seeming so familiar and he looked up as his heart ached for whatever sweet soul might be held captive by these monsters, still alive in all this blood and flesh.
He charged forward through the next door, heedless of the fact Lif had told him to stay back. Dealing with several Morrovale, clearly aiming to pin her down, the elf could only shout. "PARAMOUR..NO!! just as a set of claws rang off the knight's shield, He had bearly gotten his guard up but the blow knocked it out of his hand
Masin heard the yell a moment too late but he skillfully tried to back away from whatever had taken his shield, swinging his sword in defense. It felt to him as if the blade had cut through silk but then another slash barely caught his face just along the jaw, leaving a thin line of blood. Falling backwards, he caught a glimpse of the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, dressed in a gown of purest satin, her long auburn hair like a rich waterfall...as he watched her, she slowly licked his blood from her talons...and he fell backwards into bed. The straw filled mattress was deep and well tended, smelling of ceder. A fresh springtime breeze was coming through the open window.
He rose up on his elbows and looked around his bedchambers. "What a strange dream..." he thought to himself as he rubbed his face, noting he needed to shave. "Bat women, evil dwarves, crazy elf girls...the ale last night must have been off."
Elsewhere in the house he could hear his wife, Arralyn in the kitchen already, humming to herself..her nightgown was across the foot of the bed.,..smelling of linen and her. Masin rubbed his eyes again and a smile came to his lips as he heard the sweet hums of the woman he loved. He picked up the nightgown and brought the fabric to his nose.
A soft sound, and he glanced up to see her standing in the doorway, stirring spoon and bowl in hand, her auburn hair tied back...making his favorite griddle cakes, smelling of warm oats and cinnamon. She smiled broadly. "Now you are after my bed clothing? Didn't you get enough last night, you stallion?" She turned to walk back to the kitchen, the swell of her belly just beginning to show, the scent of her hair coming back to him on the breeze. "I am not a cat, you can't get me with twins that way...but I suppose we might try."
She winked over her shoulder and he lay back in the bed for a moment, smiling before reaching for his trousers. It was so good to be home.
TO BE CONCLUDED
