[Kryssal]

Gorath had missed a shot at the wildman Jesslyn was fighting with and was sighting his second shot when he heard the arrow coming for him. He had been so intent on hitting his target that he narrowed all his senses.

The dark Elf immediately shifted toward the trunk, but he was too late. The arrow struck in his side with such force that he lost his footing and fell twisting still to one side. He held tightly onto his bow, which was what saved him from the entire fall to the ground. It caught lengthwise against two branches. In the lashback of stopping suddenly Gorath lost his grip on the bow, but in the second it happened he was able to gain his surroundings and spread his feet so that he would catch one of the larger branches just to his side.

The impact of landing on such a small space jarred his whole body and fire darts lanced up from where the arrow stuck out of his body. It hadn't gone all the way through and the feathered end had been broken off in the fall, causing the wound to rip up with the arrow as it broke. He was loosing a lot of blood, but couldn't take the arrow out himself without causing much more damage.

A noise made Gorath's ears prick up and his head snapped around to find the source. Two wildmen were running toward his position while another was sighting him with another arrow. Gorath quickly got behind the tree to avoid the arrow and glanced up at his bow just above him. The wood had split and the bow was useless. He was still a good way up in the tree and the wildmen would have to climb to him.....except for that bowman. Snatching out a dagger he slid up as far as he could against the trunk. He would have to do this without getting hit by the arrow that was undoubtably still trained on his spot. Gorath took a deep breath then whipped into view and launched his dagger. He had held onto the trunk with his other hand and now pulled with all his might to get back into cover. He had heard the release of the arrow and as he retreated to his former spot he saw it spiral past him at the same time he heard a cry and thud. His dagger had hit mark.

There were still two more wildmen coming. Grunting he looked down at them. One was starting to climg the tree, the other was throwing badly aimed poisoned darts at him that never came close. They need more training. The Elf thought briefly before moving to jump to another tree.

Lets keep them on the groung while I find help. He knew that he couldn't take them both on. All he had left was his sword and one short knife which he preferred to keep. Moving between the trees would take longer than usual, but he could still keep a pace, even with an arrow in his side.

That arrow will only make me weaker. I need help quickly...

~*~

Leena was still battle lusting. She had killed many of the wildmen, as had her group. There were almost no enemies left... and she still wanted one.

She heard a cry off toward the east side of the camp and she immediately started off for it. After a few minutes of light jogging she came upon a cluster of tents. She slowed and crept towards the first one. Wild men could be in any of them. Three of the seven had the flaps closed. Her breath rasped in her throat as her chest creaked.

She had many cuts and once when a wildman had stomped on her chest she thought that some of her ribs might have cracked. They certainly felt like they were broken, but pain was nothing and discarded.

The priestess was almost upon the first tent when it exploded out on her and she found herself set upon by one wildman. She clashed blades and smiled viciously as he pushed her back a step. With a shove into his sword the wildman made her sidestep and she saw into tent where another wildman sat with a small tube in his mouth. Her eyes widened and a burst of anger escaped in a yell as the dart entered her.

She was dead.

But not yet. Swinging in a huge arch that let her opponent hit her side armor and cut through to draw blood she swept down and sliced through his head.

In the distance she heard a yell that sounded like her name, but that wasn't important anymore.

The wildman in the tent, who was more a glorified boy than anything, was terrified. He had a short sword and held it in front of him in a sort of lame defense. He didn't put up any kind of fight and she ran him through in her initial run.

Trying to come out of the tent her leg buckled and she fell across the way.

~*~

There were no wildmen in sight anymore, only vague calls in the distance. Annanodolwen and Lanaey were struggling to help the wounded. Some died in their arms and others would survive.

There was a closer cry than most and Annanodolwen glanced around. She saw a female cut down a wildman and turn toward a tent she was by. The scholarly Elf recognized the warrior.

"Leena!" She yelled across the grounds causing Lanaey and a few other soldiers that were helping to turn and glance.

They saw her rush into the tent. Lanaey immediately stood up and started running toward her friend, unsheathing her sword yet again. As Lanaey came up to the tent, almost gasping from the pain her body was flooding her with, she saw Leena collapse in the entrance of the tent.

"Check those tents in teams!" She called to the eight soldiers that had followed her run.

Lanaey fell to Leena's side and held her head. A foam was starting in the priestess' mouth and she jerked as a fish on land. Annanodolwen came up to them out of breath and went to the ground as well, looking over Leena's form. The dart wasn't hard to find, sticking viciously out of the neck. Lanaey was only looking into Leena's eyes so Annanodolwen reached over and gently pulled it out. It wouldn't make a difference.

"I...I killed them..." blood seeped from Leena's mouth as she tried to speak.

Lanaey nodded and patted her shoulder, though she doubted the dying woman felt the touch. The poison would be fire throughout her body.

"You avenged Thagon. Go with peace and join your Knight." Lanaey's eyes stayed locked with Leena's and soon her body stopped jerking. Annanodolwen leaned over and kissed the still face while Lanaey closed the lids.

"I'm sorry lady," a soldier had come upon them. "But -"

Lanaey stood up violently cutting off the man. Suddenly she started running toward the trees with Annanodolwen calling after her.

~*~

Herebrand had started giving orders to his men about helping the wounded and searching out for any wildmen left when Galain's mind snapped at him. Spinning he stared into the trees where his brother had been. He was no where in sight. Quickly scanning the surrounding trees he saw two wildmen running on the ground heading east. Looking just up and in front he saw his brother struggling to move through the trees. The wildmen were gaining.

Pushing several soldiers aside he started running as fast as he could toward his brother. Even from this distance Galain could see the blood spills. Behind him Ohtaredan grabbed Herebrand's arm and started after.

~*~

Deigeth had his eyes locked upon the Elf in the trees above him. It wouldn't be long until he stopped or fell and this brought Deigeth great pleasure. He had never had the priveledge of killing an Elf before. The town and cause was lost, but this was his. Most of the allies were done fighting and too preoccupied to notice them in the treeline. The wildman felt as safe and secure as he could considering enemies were all around, but he would make this last kill and escape to other ventures. There were always gangs in cities that he could join.

The Elf was almost done. He looked as if he would fall at any moment.

Suddenly his partner cried out and started sprinting toward the thick of the forest. Glancing around he saw too many enemies. For a moment he was frozen, then he brought his blade up against another male Elf while a female Elf streaked past them several paces away. Deigeth was focused on parrying with the Elf before him, but he heard the death cry of his former companion and knew he was by himself. It didn't take long for even that companion to die.

~*~

Annanodolwen cried after Lanaey, then saw what she was running toward. One of the dark brothers was set upon by two wildmen in the trees. Calling to the soldiers that were able around her she ran as fast as she could after them, but she was almost spent.

More runners were coming from the side and the scholarly Elf recognized the other dark brother with Herebrand, Ohtaredan and a small host of men behind him.

Lanaey ran down the wildman that had started to flee and sliced his back open. As he fell crying out she pinned him to the ground with her sword running completely through. It didn't take the body long to stop juttering.

Galain, Annanodolwen could now make out, parred four hits with the wildman before the wildman tried to push him away and run. He had seen the host of soldiers coming. Galain kept step with the man though and soon had an opening from the panic ridden man. With a quick slice Galain cut him open and kicked him down. The wildman couldn't move anymore and would die quickly, but Galain now ignored him and called up to his brother. Gorath fell and hit the ground on his back, unconscious.

Annanodolwen was now there and went down to him. She saw the arrow and all the blood first.

"Take off his leather!" Galain stripped it as fast as he could. Annanodolwen went to his back as the soldiers came upon them. "Herebrand, hold him up like this. Now Galain, break off the rest of the feathered end and push it through."

The unconscious Elf made no sound as the arrow punched through his skin and came out the back. Annanodolwen grabbed the offending object and pulled it out. She looked up for another person to yell at only to have Ohtaredan already holding the cloth out to her. She snatched it and started pressing against the wound, Galain doing the same on the other side. They bound him and she checked his pulse.

"It is not as strong as it should be, but he should be fine if we can get him medicine and water. It was below the lung....I think it missed important organs. He needs cleaning so infection won't set in."

Herebrand called for horses and the men quickly had a makeshift stretcher bound between two horses. Galain went with his brother to the House. He knew enough to keep his brother alive.

"Come ladies," Herebrand called to the Elven women. "There are others who need help."