Gwennol raked her nails on the man's hand as he choked her, pulling back as her eyes turn bloodshot, her lips purple. She gasped for air that would not come, twisting in the sick man's grip. The door to the hut slammed open and Pren burst into the room, his eyes drawn to the center of the floor Gwennol struggled. A look of pure anger crossed his face and he shouted out in a deep threatening voice, "LET HER GO."
The scarred man was in the shadows when Pren entered the room. The young woman could see him but could not but squeak a warning to her rescuer. The hidden warrior then swung his axe, the air whistling.
Pren turned around to see an axe swinging towards him, moving to the side but it hit him, slicing deep into his left bicep. The big man roared out as he reached to grasp the man around the throat by his right hand, trying to overpowering him.
Bresin darted from the other room, her dagger out and she screeched at Pren, attacking him as he fought back against the scarred man.
Pren dragged the scarred man in front of Bresin's path, slamming a hard shoulder into the man's chest in an attempt to make them stumble back! The scarred man grabbed for Pren's arm but the shove was hard enough to knock him back on his heels. Bresin's dagger slipped into the scarred man's shoulder, causing him to grunt in pain and the force of Pren's shove made him stumble,
"You stupid cow," the scarred man cursed at her, blood flowing down his shoulder blade and he shoved her aside to use the momentum to come back and attack Pren, his axe flashing in the dim light.
Gwennol yanked at the sick man's hands and finally reached out towards his face, trying to claw at him but he moved out of the way. A sudden raucous cawing was heard and flurry of black fathers swooped in from the door, aiming at the man strangling Gwennol.
Pren rushed forward to meet the man in the push towards him, the axe not being able to swing far and the handle of it just hitting into his arm! A hand moved up to the attacker's throat, while another moved down to the man's forearm, gripping tightly to both.
Cysgod pecked at the sick man's eyes, squawking loudly. He finally let go of Gwen's throat and she collapsed, wheezing sharply. The scarred man fought but was over powered, his own breath being squeezed out by the big warrior's hands. Bresin rose and scrambled forward, aiming to stab the attacking craban.
He kept his large hand around the man's throat, looking over to Bresin scrambling before he goes to slam the mans head as hard as he can onto the side of the wall, aiming to land the temple to the corner to knock him out. The scarred man's head bounced off the wall, his body slumping as he struggled to remain conscious.
Pren darted forward, sending his axe downwards onto Bresin's back. The warrior woman screamed in agony as the axe came down, splitting her thin leather armor with ease and breaking her ribs, her spine crushed under the heavy blade. She fell against the sick man who now struggled to get away from the craban and now the dead weight of the woman.
Pren swung his axe again onto the woman before he looked to the man who had played sick. Rage burning in his deep dark eyes as he aimed his axe for the mans throat. The sick man had no chance and his last breath is cut off by the axe slicing through his jugular, the hot blood shooting out to paint the wall and Pren's lower body.
The big warrior then turned after the swing, heading to the scarred man and grabbed around his neck, looking into his still conscious eyes. "You should of known better not to attack me," He then moved his arm, pushing him back and swung his axe against the man's chest to give him a slow and painful death. The scarred man grimaced, trying to pull his axe up and the nightmare of facing Pren once more came true. This time, rather than a scar he would receive death, his sternum crushed under the heavy blow.
He breathed deeply through his nose for a little while longer, dropping his axe as he lost the red haze of the blood lust that was on him. As his anger faded, he went over to Gwennol, "Are you alright?"
Gwennol laid face down, her face turned to the side. Cysgod perched on the dead man and flapped his wings, pecking out the eyes, the most choice morsel.
Pren got down on his hands and knees, tilting her head to check for breathing, his brow furrowed as he peered down at her.
Gwennol did not move but for her fingers twitching slightly, the rise and fall of her back hardly visible. Pren took her hand and then turned her over, drawing her small form onto his lap. "Breathe. Live," He frowned as he looked down at her, Dernwyn crawling out of the furs and going down to lie on Gwennol's chest, a slightly rumbling from the kitten could be heard.
Pren muttered out, "Lhanuch will burn...the Uch Luth will die."
Cysgod cocked his head, the beady black eyes watching. He cawed and flew up to the rafters. Dernyn kneaded his furry paws against her chest, purring now that the frightening noises were gone. Gwen stirred slightly, her eyelids fluttering. Her face was pale now, the red flushing faded but the finger marks on her neck stood out, already bruising.
Pren looked down to her as she moved, a smile forming at the corners of his lips. "Breathe."
Gwennol breathed shallowly, her lips parted, smeared with blood as she had bitten her tongue in the struggle. Her eyes slowly opened and she peered up at him, her lips moved but no sound would come.
Pren placed one of his arms underneath her legs and another one at her back, he then pushed himself up through his knees and carried her in his arms. Gwennol laid there, still limp, with Dernwyn clinging to her robes. Outside there were voices, a loud arguement suddenly halted by a short gruff word from the Brenin.
Glynn Brenin looked at the carnage within the hut, three bodies with axe wounds and at Pren and the Derudh, "What happened here?" He stormed, his eyes black and flashing. Pren shot an annoyed glare at the Brenin as he passed. He turned to the boy, known to be the son of the 'sick man' he grabbed the boy's arm, roaring at him, "What happened?!"
The boy stuttered the story out, nearly in tears as he spilled the subterfuge the scarred man had concocted to get back at Pren for the disfiguring wound and the death of his wife, an Ox clan archer cut down by the big man's axe years ago.
The Brenin looked up, silent for a moment, then nodded, sending the boy away with a shove. "This was not the work of the people of Lhanuch, Pren, do you hear me?"
Gwennol stirred in the strong arms, mouthing words again, her voice rasping, "Pren....?"
"The only thing that makes me angry at the Algraig is that they have such weak warriors," Pren growled out, gesturing his head to the dead three in the room. He looked down to Gwennol with a nod, looking to the Brenin before he headed back towards to the hall.
The Brenin stood stiffly, "You may rest here until she is better, but then you must leave. You've brought nothing but death once again to our people."
Pren snarled back at him "I will leave when I choose. Even if she has grown better."
The Brenin stepped forward, flanked by his armed men, "You stay at my discretion. Only to honor the Derudh will I let you get away with that remark." Gwennol shook her head, weakly tugging at Pren's tunic, shaking her head, "No more...Uch Luth broke...hospitality..."
She winced and went quiet, but her river colored eyes sought the Brenin, penetrating his stoic mask. The older man looked down first, knowing the shame his people had brought on an already shamed tribe. Pren took in a breath and a deep angry frown appeared on his face, he opened his mouth ready to shout before his tunic is tugged. He looked down before he just grunted to the Brenin and his men before he pushed past to the room.
Gwennol turned her head to rest against his chest, her breath still wheezing.
Pren places her down on the rug, brushing her hair from her face, kneeling down next to her. "Anything you want?"
Gwennol swallowed and nodded, "Tea...but not yet." She pulled him close to her, clinging against his strong body.
Pren nodded as he is pulled closer, still slightly angry. Gwennol trembled against him, silently shivering as the shock wore off. Finally she spoke, rasping hoarsely, "He wanted to kill me, said you killed his wife, the sick man's sister."
He replied simply, "He wanted and tried to kill you. So I killed him."
Gwennol nodded, pressing her face against him, her long auburn hair falling around her shoulders, "Thank you...thank you for coming for me."
Pren said, "I would not leave you."
The young woman curled up against him, wincing as she swallowed, "They tried to trick us, you were right to want to keep me at your side. Pren, will it be like this everywhere? Will you enemies always be around?"
Pren put an arm around her to comfort her. "It is the Algraig who dislike me. Unless you have any enemies, then no. It will not be like this."
Gwennol shook her head, rubbing the marks on her neck gingerly, "I do not, unless it is someone that hates our order." She sighed, reaching up to stroke the kitten's fur as he wandered over, investigating the feathers on her robe. "Do you wish to stay?"
He looked down at her, "'We are not leaving until you are better."
Gwennol nodded, whispering, "Then I need to make a tea. If you would boil some water." She sat up, reaching for her bag, "And if you would find some honey."
