“BANG! BANG! BANG!”

The drums sounded loudly!

We both clicked into action. Running from our safety and out into the battlefield of our encampment. Three tents were alight with flames. They had walked right into our trap.

Eák and I fought side by side. An attacker came from the right and I met him with an elbow. My sword came down on one rushing my left and I ducked an attack from above. Eák kicked high, taking down an attacker from the front, bringing his sword down with a crash. His wrist flew out effortlessly, releasing two daggers that easily pierced the chest of two more.

For a moment, I was so absorbed in watching his movements, so effortless, that I nearly missed the attacker from around the tent. A sword came around from the side. I moved to block, but before I could bring my sword up, Eák’s blade was between me and my attacker. I looked at him, as he shifted forward and engaged the man aggressively. Anger painted on his face.

After a few minutes of battling, we signalled for the secondary squad to move in. We had them pinned down and it seemed as though the battle was ours…

Again the call went out….

Squad two move in…

Move in…

Nothing.

For what felt like ages, we waited, pushing forward and awaiting the planned support.

I recognized the uniforms as they began to descend onto the battlefield. Finally, the back up squad had presented themselves. I was so relieved, I nearly forgot how angry I was they were so bloody late. Nearly.

That’s when I noticed it... These men were not coming to our aid. Their horses raced towards us, drawn, over the heads of the attackers and accelerated right for us. Eák’s body racked into mine, as I was thrown across the dense forest floor.

Without time to think, I grabbed onto Eák and rolled with him away from the hooves coming down on us. I noticed now, we were fighting alone. Whatever loyal men we had, had been eliminated. We stood alone against at least thirty oncoming attackers. Even with our abilities together there was no way out of this… At least not alive.

I leaped to my feet, grabbed Eák’s wrist and made a break for the river. The rapids were high, which absolutely could’ve killed us, though the alternative most definitely would’ve. I pulled a confused Eák along and yanked him into the freezing water with me. At first, it seemed as though my plan would fail, as the soldiers chased after us. But as if on cue the waters roared and the shocked men stumbled backward.

That same gust, sent Eák and I tumbling beneath the waters surface. I hugged his body to mine, clutching, straining, and praying to The Gods we would survive. A rock to the knee had me gasping, as my face splashed above the water. I heard grunts and cries from Eák, as he too found the sharper edge of more than one rock. Even still, I felt his strong hands holding me. I strained with all of my strength. If we could just stay together, I told myself. If we could just stay together, we could survive this…

What felt like an eternity later, I pulled my broken and bleeding body up the rocky embankment. I don’t know where the strength came from, but I dragged an unconscious Eák up the mound to a piece of dry brush. And with that, I collapsed.