I thot I had slipped away quiet like. I didn’t realize der friends had been tracking me. Tey must ha’ been following ta trail o’ blood, nat mine but der friends.
I admit, I was unprepared. Wen dey burst from ta woods, I had na time ta draw me weapons. It was close fightin, personal, messy..
Heaven
I think t’was my “souvenir” dat saved me ta first blow. I had saved the face o’ the man I thot had gored me. It adorns me shoulder on me shield arm now. I heard ta man’s sword whistling as he slashed fer me neck. I turned, and when he saw dat face, he blanched, and his blow went high. I barely ducked under, closed, buried me fist up to ta wrist in his belly, and grabbed him round ta neck to slam his spine down on me knee. Ta crack I heard talt me he were done. I grabbed his sword off him and braced meself as ta others came in, four more o’ ’em.
Ta next one came in wit a spear. I barely managed ta party ta blow as he thrust fer me innards. I pulled him inta me by the shaft o’ his spear and cut so deep inta his neck wi’ the sword dat I couldn’t get it back out.
Somethin flashed towart me an I ducked, turnin ta see a axe in a nearby tree where my noggin had once been!
Ta axe man threw another, and it landed in me shoulder o’ me shield arm. Ta sword was no use ta me, bein stuck like it was, so I quick grabbed me shield, put it on me right arm, and leapt towards him, landing a jab wi’ the shield rim tat broke his teeth clear down to ta gullet. He went down hard. Might live, but he’ll wish he didn’t!
Two more, one wi’ a spear an one wi’ a club left.
I threw me shield at em, but it warran’t na use. It went wide o’ ta target, landing on ta ground. Me sword was in me carry bag, an hard ta get to, so I pulled me blackthorn club instead.
Those two were good, VERY good! They closed, working together ta catch me on both sides. I got ta admit, they nearly had me .
The clubber leapt in on me right, tryin fer a quick strike ta me temple. I parried him with ta blackthorn, no surprise there. His friend tried ta immediately follow with a sort o’ jab wi’ his spear, but I saw dat coming an stepped farwards, outta dat spears way, grabbed ta shaft, spun tawards him an broke ta spear against me. I jabbed him wi’ the head o’ ta blackthorn, striking him ta sleepytown, an threw ta end o’ his spear at his friend, where it landed right nice in his throat.
When the spear man came to, I had trussed him up good round ta arms and ankles. I was warmin his feet for him in a fire I’d built. I thought it might loosen his tongue a little if I made him good an comfortable. Mostly he screamed at first, an tried ta pull his feet outta ta fire. Ungrateful snot! Pulling his legs away were no good, what wi’ the bodies o’ his friends in his lap ta weigh him down.
I gave him just enough time ta get a little toasted before I really started asking questions. Turns out he and ta others were raiders what captured slaves. Thieves, the lot o’ ’em. Part o’ a gang he said, what profited from selling flesh fer money.
He threatened me wi’ how his gang leader, some giant o’ a man, would rend my bones when he found me. ‘Parently his boss man had escaped from a cell recently an was staging some BIG comeback.
Tha was all I needed ta hear. I let him rest his head on ta ground… beside ta rest o’ him, once I struck it from his shoulders o’ course.
I came out o’ it wi’ another sword (funny forward curved thing, swings like an axe, I like it!), the head from a spear that I’ll fashion a new shaft for (the worth o’ a spear is well proved ta me now!), an a lovely throwin axe what was meant fer me head. No bad fer a day’s work. Nice o’ them ta give em ta me! I rewarded their bodies wi’ the heat o’ the fire.
Kinda smells like greasy bacon. Anyone else e’er noticed tha?