On the Run, part 2

"Then lead the way," grunted Astra to Andrea. The woman and the girl continued their progress through the corn fields, keeping as far away from the soldiers and their lackeys as possible. After some miles the corn ran out. Open land lay before them with a copse some distance away.

"Damnation!" growled Astra. "The Dragon's men are about like ants, we'll be spotted quite surely." she looked at the young Andrea. "You've already fought some this night, get ready to cut more men." With that the two dashed out of the corn field running at full speed towards the copse, in the direction of Arras Keep, still miles away, in hopes of finding refuge.

Indeed they were spotted and soon two handfuls of men, some wearing armor, some with shields, all having a weapon or two, were hovering about the women. Some traded insults, others more heinous comments... and then they dove in to fight. Astra was a warrior princess and she deftly defended herself and attacked at the same time. She had been trained to do battle and knew well the ways of death. Andrea was no warrior, no princess, and barely a woman. She held her dagger and thrust this way and that, sometimes hitting a target, sometimes whizzing about like a confused hornet. The men, too, varied in experience and training, but the men were large and full of anger. Blood and spit mixed with earth as the fight continued, iron clashed with bronze, fork with blade, and sweat soaked the air.

It lasted maybe ten minutes, and in the end Astra ran anew, making it to the copse, to cover and hopefully to a friendly keep. Andrea lay dead on the ground in a puddle of her own blood mixed with urine. A half dozen men lay dead as well, and those that still breathed could not stand, could not call out. Astra made it to the copse and she knew that she would have some time before the alarm went out, but not much time. She had known evil was afoot, she had tried to warn and protect the girl, now she was a stranger in a strange land with only the name of a keep to aid her... Arras.

1. Astra rests some in the woods, taking stock of her wounds and her options...
2. The Dragon's men in Croix Keep continue their subjugation...
3. Meanwhile Lord Fred continues his quest in the Shreken...

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