(OOC - TIMELINE TO EXPLAIN EVERYTHING: http://laurelinarchives.org/node/40833_)
After the reformation, grounds were clearly set as to what their new purpose was, and how to attain it. With the leadership of the Blood Arbiters, the traitorous Davind Redweller, now dead, this left the road clear. The filthy brigands who had stolen their home and murdered their people would be scattered and disorganised without that coward to lead them, or so they thought....
The five wandering Knights rode atop their horses at high speed, rushing through and between the trees, down the battered trail. Their red cloaks tattered and flew in the wind, ripping on branches and bushes, and their backs ached from constant riding in their armour at such speeds.
"Hurry, my kinsmen, they will soon be upon us!" Ordered the Eorl, Ortellus Falheim. Earlier in the day, they had believed they were safe, that the foul miscreants would war amongst themselves, giving the Knights of Redhall a slim chance of retaking Karthmere. Apparently not, as they had fallen into their trap.
As soon as they left Bree they had ventured into the woods, oblivious to the rebel forces surrounding them as they wandered into their grasp unknowingly. That was around an hour ago, and since then they had been attempting to outrun the barbarians. Luckily their steeds were swift, so they had outran the majority of the Blood Arbiters' forces, but it was not enough.
Suddenly, three arrows bolted through the air, one hitting the shoulderpad of the Eorl, another his horse's leg, and another missed entirely. With a thud, it grounded him and he came rolling down a small slope. Thainor Aldran, First Ranger of Redhall, whirled around, and called back the others,
"Redcloaks! Our Lord has fallen!" And with that they darted back and dismounted at the helm of the slope, helping Ortellus up, who simply ripped the arrow from his shoulderpad carelessly, nodding in thanks to his bannermen. Readily, they drew their swords, and Thainor drew an arrow, awaiting either the Eorl's orders or a foolish brigand to stumble upon them. Hopefully, the large force hadn't caught up with them, thought Ortellus.
Brutishly, a grotesque warrior, axe in hand, stumbled through towards them. Though before he could call on his allies, an arrow head was protruding from his neck, and his body slumped on the floor. Grinning, Thainor nodded at the others, before loading another arrow.
"Quickly, Eorl, you can use my horse and I will remain to hold them off," blurted Valaric, a loyal bannerman to House Falheim, but before Ortellus could even refuse, a plethora of barbaric brigands came from the same area as the first one, armed with crude, blunt swords and axes. With a roar, the four of them charged the Knights of Redhall. Though they were ready.
Another arrow was let off, penetrating the breastplate of the largest one, who simply shrugged it off. Ulric was the first to move forward, swinging his broadsword in a downwards arc towards the closest one, who deftly blocked the blow with a sword of his own, and booted him back in the groin. But before he could end him, Sir Aeden rushed forward, ramming his blade into the gut of the Blood Arbiter, and drove him to the ground.
On the other side, Valaric was battling with the one whom Thainor had shot on the lower breast earlier. He laid down blow after blow but the gargantuan man just took every hit, and brought his axe down into Valaric's thigh, and grasped him by the throat, staring him deep in the eyes as he began to lift him into the air, strangling him. A voice echoed through the small pass,
"Valaric!" Came a shout from Thainor, who let loose another arrow in the neck of the barbarian. He dropped to the floor, grasping the blood-soaked arrow stuck in his throat, and Valaric quickly crawled away, hurrying in-case he crushed him in his last breath.
The last Blood Arbiter charged for Valaric, seeing his obvious weakness, and brought his axe high in the air to swing down onto the knight. Just in time, the Eorl stepped forth, blocking the heavy strike with his blade and elbowing him in the jaw. As he staggered from the blow, his chest was ripped in the middle as Ortellus' broadsword swung up and into him, ending him in a pile of his own blood on the floor.
Ortellus glanced about, assessing the situation. They were one horse down and had a wounded knight. No man left behind, thought Ortellus, before he gave orders to the men:
"Ulric, Aeden, you take the horses and ride north to the watchtower. Alert the guardsmen of our situation and of the Blood Arbiters. Hurry, our lives depend on you!" And with that they hurried away, riding off into the mists. Carefully, the Eorl walked over to Valaric and carried him down the slope to the bottom by a stream where they could wash the wound and perhaps hide from the larger warband, as that was only one of the many scouting parties of the Blood Arbiters' forces here. They could number in the hundreds, he thought, before turning to Valaric and laying him down.
"Seems it wasn't as simple as we had first anticipated. If anything, they've grew more organised than when they were under the leadership of Sir Redweller. There is going to be a struggle ahead.... Let us hope we are ready, lest the Order of Redhall be lost to the ages, and Karthmere to be held by evil men forever."
