[Valier]

Vaenosa was enjoying the peace of the on coming twilight. She enjoyed the time to herself, to scout the area ahead of the group. It gave her a sense of independence and a slight hint of belonging to a group. Vaenosa shifted on Nay's back and moved her bow from one hand to the other. She was leaning Nay to turn around and head the short distance back to the group of riders, when a strange noise began from overhead.Vaenosa cocked her head to the sound, it sounded almost familiar...yet different.


Thunk..........thunk, thunk. Arrows came flying from all directions, some whizzing passed, others grazing or hitting the group. Vaenosa's eyes went wide, she was so surprised she was almost dazed. Everything seemed to be happening so fast.

With a sickening Thwack an arrow lodged deep in her thigh, bringing her back to her senses. Men began to charge from all directions.Nay squeeled in fright and took of, nearly leaving Vaenosa behind. She regained her grip on his reins and pulled back. She was facing away from the scattering group heading towards the right side of the hill. She turned Nay around and almost screamed in the effort, the arrow still lodged in her left thigh was seeping blood down her leg, but she would not leave the others to die.

Readying her own bow, Vaenosa saw Sythric fighting with two Men to her left, but before she could help, Nay squeeled and turned towards an on coming man approaching from behind them, followed closely by another.
Vaenosa let fly a missle, but it went wild, she followed the first quickly with another, it hit the man hard under his out stretched arms, but he continued towards her arms reaching for her.

As he drew closer Vaenosa grabbed for the blade on Nay's side, but Nay had other plans. He drew up in anger and thrashed the man with his hooves. The man went down. He was trampled by Nay's feet as he began to charge at the second quickly approaching man. The man had an evil look and smiled as he saw the advancing woman and rider. Vaenosa dropped the blade as she fumbled to regain her bow and attempt to load another missle, before her estranged horse ran them straight into an oncoming sword.

Nay just kept on charging, head down straight for the now slightly puzzled Easterling. He readied his sword, waiting for the on slaught. Vaenosa's heart quelled as she saw her own death approaching. She struggled to over come her fear, she had seconds left....She raised her bow and shot.
The missle landed in the neck of the surprized Man, splurrting blood from his wound. Nay did not stop, he charged the man as a bull cow would an intruder into his pasture. He plowed his head straight on and knocked the man back at least three meters. Vaenosa could no longer hold on and she was tossed from Nay's back landing hard on the steaming earth.

She lay looking up at the sky. The sounds around her were deafening. The screams, the clashing of blades. Vaenosa closed her eyes, as a tear rolled down her tortured face. But she would not give up. Get up you ninny! You are fine! Get up and do not back down! If you die, then at least you did something in your life that was not selfish! Get up! She rolled onto her right side and staggered up into a sitting position. In her hand, white knuckled she still held her bow. She reached up over her shoulder and found her quiver still there, but only two arrows remained.

She stood and looked around in horror. Many lay wounded , she could not tell from which side. Then a scream of a woman, brought her to her senses again. She saw atop the hill a woman crumpled on the ground and a figure wrestling with a Man atop him. Her mind was set. She looked for her blade, but to no avail. So she loaded her bow and dragging her leg she set off for the hill.

She passed bloodied bodies on the ground, but she kept her eyes solely on the Man ontop of the struggling lad. As she reached the bottom of the hill her leg gave out and she fell to the yellowing grass. She screamed her frustration and pain. She pulled herself up so she was kneeling and lifted her bow. She steadied her hand and let it fly. It sunk only into the leg of the attacker and did nothing to stop his attack. Vaenosa cried as she pulled out her last arrow. Please, let this hit it's mark! she prayed as tears streamed down her face. The world around her seemed to stop as she pulled back her bow string.

Two things happened at the exact same moment. She let her arrow fly and she felt a searing pain hit her in the back. She screamed out in pain as she began to slip from consciousness. She raised her head to see if her arrow hit, but she was sinking slowly to the ground. Where is Nay I wonder? Where has he gotten himself to? Was all she could think as she slumped to the ground, stuck from behind with a spear from one of the many fallen Easterlings.

She lay staring at the blood soaked ground. She tried to get up but could not. Her vision blackened.....She passed out.