The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum - View Single Post

mark12_30 · 10-26-2004, 08:26 PM

She was so limp.

Mellonin hoped that Gwyllion had fainted; hoped that she would wake again; hoped that they would survive these slavering, drooling pursuers. The girl beside her bled; her own face hurt, and the girl behind them struggled on, slashing and running, slashing and running.

Mellonin heard fewer of the snarling voices. She risked a glance over her shoulders. One of the swamp-men had fallen from the dark-haired girl's knife, and now half of the pursuers were clustered around him. "Brave girl!" she cried. But that was all the breath she could spare, for the other half were still chasing them. Turning forward, she ran on. The goldenhaired girl beside her was struggling hard but doggedly kept up.

She heard hoofbeats, and flinched. Not the merchant and his henchman! Her head jerked up and she looked; a strange horse was galloping towards her, ridden by a wild young... "Aeron!" Behind the horse came a man on foot, sword drawn. But Aeron rode up, and looked down at their burden, gazing into Gwyllion's eyes.

In vain Mellonin hoped for some response from Gwyllion. Behind her she heard the darkhaired girl fighting desperately, and she wanted to help her, wanted to -- to do something; but all she could see was Aeron, his eyes, his twitching face, his hand as it clenched and unclenched. He screamed, cursing, and leaped from his horse. A merlock came, and died on his knife; Aeron joined the girl, and fought beside her. More merlocks died.

More men were coming; Mellonin looked up.

"Ravion?"

He came on foot, passed Mellonin, and joined Aeron and the darkhaired girl. Blood ran, and in horror and fear she watched, but it was not Ravion's blood that stained the ground. Dark corpses lay on the ground. More merlocks came, and more died; more horses were approaching, and arrows whistled past. In the confusion she knew only that Gwyllion was dead, and that she and the two other women were not; not yet.

Strange voices cried Rohirric names; a dark boy crying "Bella, Bella!" leaped off of a lanky chestnut and hacked into merlock after merlock.

"Nethwador!" cried the goldenhaired girl. "Liornung... oh, they have come!!"

Three remaining Merlocks turned and ran. One by one they fell with arrrows in their backs.

The ground was slippery with blood. Mellonin looked around in a daze. Ravion was wiping the blood from his blade. Where was Raefindan? Aeron had returned to her side, and in a broken voice was talking to Gwyllion. Mellonin looked down at the girl she still held clutched in her arms. Her eyes were wide; her face white; her breast, drenched with blood. Mellonin began to weep, and her knees gave way.

10-26-2004, 08:26 PM	#539
mark12_30 Stormdancer of Doom Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Elvish singing is not a thing to miss, in June under the stars Posts: 4,349	Mellonin She was so limp. Mellonin hoped that Gwyllion had fainted; hoped that she would wake again; hoped that they would survive these slavering, drooling pursuers. The girl beside her bled; her own face hurt, and the girl behind them struggled on, slashing and running, slashing and running. Mellonin heard fewer of the snarling voices. She risked a glance over her shoulders. One of the swamp-men had fallen from the dark-haired girl's knife, and now half of the pursuers were clustered around him. "Brave girl!" she cried. But that was all the breath she could spare, for the other half were still chasing them. Turning forward, she ran on. The goldenhaired girl beside her was struggling hard but doggedly kept up. She heard hoofbeats, and flinched. Not the merchant and his henchman! Her head jerked up and she looked; a strange horse was galloping towards her, ridden by a wild young... "Aeron!" Behind the horse came a man on foot, sword drawn. But Aeron rode up, and looked down at their burden, gazing into Gwyllion's eyes. In vain Mellonin hoped for some response from Gwyllion. Behind her she heard the darkhaired girl fighting desperately, and she wanted to help her, wanted to -- to do something; but all she could see was Aeron, his eyes, his twitching face, his hand as it clenched and unclenched. He screamed, cursing, and leaped from his horse. A merlock came, and died on his knife; Aeron joined the girl, and fought beside her. More merlocks died. More men were coming; Mellonin looked up. "Ravion?" He came on foot, passed Mellonin, and joined Aeron and the darkhaired girl. Blood ran, and in horror and fear she watched, but it was not Ravion's blood that stained the ground. Dark corpses lay on the ground. More merlocks came, and more died; more horses were approaching, and arrows whistled past. In the confusion she knew only that Gwyllion was dead, and that she and the two other women were not; not yet. Strange voices cried Rohirric names; a dark boy crying "Bella, Bella!" leaped off of a lanky chestnut and hacked into merlock after merlock. "Nethwador!" cried the goldenhaired girl. "Liornung... oh, they have come!!" Three remaining Merlocks turned and ran. One by one they fell with arrrows in their backs. The ground was slippery with blood. Mellonin looked around in a daze. Ravion was wiping the blood from his blade. Where was Raefindan? Aeron had returned to her side, and in a broken voice was talking to Gwyllion. Mellonin looked down at the girl she still held clutched in her arms. Her eyes were wide; her face white; her breast, drenched with blood. Mellonin began to weep, and her knees gave way. Last edited by mark12_30; 10-27-2004 at 03:38 PM.