[The Fifth]

* * * * * Rhûn Nation * * * * *

Khuleln quickly dismounted Spidernose. The horse stared and whinnied as the were-bears surrounded Kasteni. The guards had their weapons drawn, and the blades gleamed as they reflected the starry skies. Khuleln heard the fierce, primal growl of a were-bear lustful of blood. Having no time to think, and jerking his sword out of its sheath, he pointed it forward like a deadly lance and charged at a were-bear.

The bear heard Khuleln's footsteps, and stopping whatever it had been doing, bared its yellowed, daggery fangs at Khuleln. The man lunged towards the bear like a falcon for its prey, but the bear's reflexes were quicker and with the swipe of a massive claw, knocked the sword out from his hands and clattering onto the floor. The bear loomed up upon him. He was burning with fear, but he also heard the cries of Kasteni and the guards, Ulwyte and Lovek as they were battling the bears. He wanted to join them.

The bear was soon upon him, and Khuleln was knocked down towards the ground. His back ached from the impact, but he still groped for his sword, mere inches away from his outstretched fingers. He could hear Spidernose's hooves clomping on the road, and the hooves went slightly nearer. The great dark-brown bear raised a gigantic claw, about to swipe it down...

Then, there was a neigh, and a black flurry of claws and hooves. It happened so quickly that Khuleln was quite confused, but then he realized that the bear no longer was there. Instead, the bear was wrestling with Spidernose, who was wild and mad with fear. But why did the cowardly steed do such a deed, and spare the Variag? Khuleln stood up, shaken, and grabbed the hilt of his sword. Spidernose and the bear danced together in battle, but the horse appeared to be beaten down by the bear, with ragged, raw scratches over his haunches and neck. Soon the horse fell when its eyes were gruesomely gouged out and blood was spattered everywhere...

[ October 01, 2002: Message edited by: The Fifth ]