Rush the Soldiers #6

“I’ll create a distraction,” you say, scrambling to your feet.
You know you have but moments to act.
Dorbane grips his axe and Valda slips her jeweled knife from her belt. Unfortunately, all you have is a tree limb you’ve been using as a walking stick. Not much against swords, you think to yourself, but it’ll have to do.
“Spread out,” you whisper and then dash around the tree line of the camp. Your heart is pumping, your mind reeling for ideas…the soldier is feet away from his victims.
You notice a sword, stuck in the ground next the soldier by the fire. It’s without a sheath. The soldiers back is still turned to you. The other two soldiers don’t notice you moving about. Suddenly, you see Valda creeping into the camp from the opposite side, knife in hand.
It’s now or never, you think…and dash towards the fire.
“HEY—YOU!!” shouts the soldier closest to Valda. Drawing his sword, he runs towards you! He’s completely missed the Gypsy. This grabs the attention of the soldier now leaning over the prisoners. It also alerts the man sitting by the fire.
You reach the fire just before the sitting soldier can grab his sword and pull it free. With all your might, you swing your walking stick. It strikes him squarely across the jaw. There’s a sickening crack and the man spins, then collapses to the ground.
He doesn’t move.
“Kill them now, Gunther!” you hear someone yell, and instinctively, you drop the stick and pull the sword free with both hands.
There’s a second shout. One of pain. The soldier called Gunther, the one near the prisoners, has dropped his knife—Valda’s small blade protrudes from his left shoulder, buried to the hilt. He stumbles, but doesn’t fall.
“A little help here!” cries Valda, dodging sword swings from the third soldier. You can see a fresh cut across her arm, blood seeping to her elbow. But before you can react, you hear the war cry of a Kutollum. Dorbane bursts into the firelight, swinging his axe.
“Strike at a girl!?” he screams in rage, “A child!??” The soldier barely deflects the powerful blows. “You coward! You,…you…donkey dung!!”
You want to grin, but your attention is immediately drawn to a flash of movement. From the corner of your eye, you see Gunther.
He has drawn his sword with his uninjured arm…and is about to execute the prisoners.


Save the Hostages, go to page #7