Solo [Windmount/Bronze Woods] Canting up the Kabrin

[Lorden Ladis]

76th of Winter, 514 AV

Framing the grogginess of the morning on his air-chilled face, Lorden's boots crunched snow, before the toes of his leather shoes, slipped through the small wooden barn door. The knight noted the pleasurable change in temperatures, with relief; as he removed himself from the wet winter air, and entered into the Windmount Stables. Lorden exhaled the last of the winter air from his lungs, before setting his leather boots moving out before him; the knight counted the stalls with his thawing eyes as he began to walk the length of the barn.

One, two, three. They did say stall ten? Five, six, seven, eight, Lorden mused as his feet moved; after a few moments, the knight came to a stop, right in front of one of the furthermost stalls. Glancing into the small enclosing over the wooden wall that enclosed it, with inquisitive eyes, Lorden probed what he could see of the open room's inside. Tilting his head to the right a bit, the knight starred at the creature, that stood in the corner of the wooded stall.

As Lorden burrowed his eyes into it, the beast began to move towards the knight curiously, coming fully into the light of a torch, that rested on the wall adjacent to it's home. Revealed by it's own inquisition, the head and bust, of a velvet-colored horse came fully into the knight's sight.

Lorden glanced around from side to side, slowly turning his head. Seeing no one, a cautious glow flared momentarily in his blue eyes. His eye growing a bit wide, self-doubting smile formed on Lorden's red face, as locked orbs with the horse. Taking a breath trepidatiously, Lorden took a step in the direction of the wall that separated him and the red colored equine; his opened ears picking up on the sound, of his boots sliding against the dirt floor.

The knight starred at the horse that now hung it's head out over the stall, looking for some form of small cue. When the horse simply starred back at him neither dumbly nor intelligently; the knight, with a self-amused shrug, all but visible in his eyes, inched a hand out forward, somewhat cautiously. His gesture was met with slow-paced good will, as a wet tongue slowly fell from the horse's black lips, to meet the hand that rested under it's snout. A smirk beginning to slink itself across his face, Lorden moved his palm to rest on the horse's nose, right below it's large brown eyes. The knight couldn't help but grin at the beast appreciatively for a tick, before allowing his hand to slide from it's snout.

With the day's task in mind, Lorden regretfully stepped to the side, his arm trailing behind him, as it fell from the horse's nose. The armored man walked to the right for a moment, before coming to face a small piece of wood hinged to the horse's stall.

The knight reached his hands out, grabbing the top of the small gate that served as the stall's door with his left appendage. Meanwhile, he wrapped his dominant hand around said gate's latch. Hooking his fingers underneath the silver piece of hardware, Lorden released a stalled breath, as the latch sprung up, shaking the gate free from it's attachment to the barn wall.

[Lorden Ladis]

76th of Winter, 514 AV

Lorden surveyed the horse's stall as it came into full view, looking gratefully on at the tack and halter that hung on the wall and shelf, that was furthest from the velevet steed, that the knight shared the room with.

Well at least I won't have to find somebody, to give the gear to me, Lorden thought, his eyes drifting to the velvet colored giant, that stood graciously beside him.

Smiling, Lorden reached out his right hand, in the direction of the horse's large ears. The knight's eyes grew wide, when surprisingly, the horse's head tilted to the side in an accepting manner, offering what Lorden figured must have been a favored spot. Now, grinning like a squire in a snowball fight, Lorden reached to touch the horse's neck, ruffling his nails back, forth, and around the offered patch of hair, as his fingers connected with the coarse surface.

The knight indulged the horse for a moment, before slowing his itch of it's ears. Lorden moved his hand up from behind the equine's head, before patting the beast's brow in conclusion. His eyes dimming a bit, Lorden trailed his hand away from his stall-mate, and turned to face the tack-covered wall; before having something occur to him

"Now boy, your going to have to help me here," Lorden said, catching what might have been an error in his words as they fell from his mouth. The knight glanced over his shoulder inquisitively, directing his eyes towards the horse's hindquarters, as he removed a leather saddle-pad from the stall's thick shelf.

"Excuse me, your going to have to help me *girl*," the knight said, still smiling, as he moved his blue eyes to look at the horse's own orbs.

"My point is, ridding has never been my best 'subject," Lorden admitted, continuing his one-sided conversation with the horse. As he spoke, the knight turned towards the other inhabitant of the stall, with the saddle pad suspended between his two hands.

The knight took a step towards the horse, moving the leather object around in his grasp, as his feet disturbed the hay flooring. Grabbing both sides of the pad with opposite hands, Lorden stretched his arms up and over the horse's back; the knight was careful to watch the horse as he did moved to tack her up.

Easy girl, Lorden thought, unsure in his abilities. Lucky for the unskilled knight, while the mare did glance inquisitively over her shoulder, her noble bloodlines and firm training kept her from reacting to her handler's self-doubting aura.

"I think we'll get along fine for the day, girl," Lorden said, noting the horse's more than amiable behavior. As he spoke, relief was plain in the knight's azure eyes.

[Lorden Ladis]

76th of Winter, 514 AV

Lorden lowered his arms, gently setting the saddle pad he held, down on to the mare's backbone. Carefully, the knight slipped his hand out from under the sides of the leather pad, and moved them to tug and readjust said piece of equipment. Lorden's hands fumbled around inexpertly, and somewhat questioningly, tugging and pulling the saddle pad, as to try and align it properly.

Squinting, Lorden allowed his hands to fall to his side, the knight was not all that sure, that the pad looked any more 'aligned' than when he began. Lorden shook his head from side to side very slightly; it wasn't going to get any better, not with his experience.

Having aligned the brown saddle pad to the best of his abilities, down along the horse's withers; Lorden stepped his left foot to the side, and turned his torso, whirling himself from the horse about ninety degrees. Eyes focused to the left, the knight inclined his head towards the shelf on the wall, that was also to his left; Lorden went through the tack resting thereon, probing the equipment with his inquisitive azure orbs. Satisfied as he could be, the knight turned the rest of the way away from the horse, to face the wall he was looking at, more fully.

Lorden stepped forward once more. Glancing to the large leather saddle, that sat heavily, on the shelf's alcove, the novice horseman reached his arms up, before tucking his fingers under both sides of the seat's curve. Grasping the dark brown leather, Lorden lifted the saddle from the shelf, turning to face the opposite direction of where the wooden ledge hung. As the knight moved his arms, the stirrups and steel clasps of the saddle, scrapped against the wooden plank, that they had just previously sat upon.

Noting the weight of the the thing, Lorden stepped up to his mount, hefty leather seat in hand. Upon coming within arms reach of the horse, Lorden moved his right hand to grab the bottom right-side of the saddle, that he was transporting. Pulling his dominant arm upwards, the knight lifted the malleable leather of the saddle, so that it bent upwards somewhat. Glad to be rid of the unwieldy thing, Lorden pushed the saddle up and over the horse's back, and on to the saddle pad that sat there. As he sat the saddle down, Lorden allowed the right-side of said seat, to fall back in to it's original shape, and round out on the red horse's side. Giving the right-side of the saddle one last tug, Lorden allowed his dominant arm to cross back over the mare, and come to rest at his side.

The knight took a light step back, taking in the alignment of the saddle and the leather pad sitting under it. Lorden's brow furrowed for a brief moment, before he stepped back up to the horse. Taking his right hand, the concerned man tugged the saddle, bringing it up further along the lump in the horse's back, known as it's withers; the action conforming the leather seat more comfortably, to the inward curve of the red mare's spine.

Nodding to himself, Lorden turned away from the horse, and her saddle. Glancing at one of the hooks on the wall, the knight starred at the long, wide, piece of padded leather, that dangled there, suspended against the well-maintained wood.

[Lorden Ladis]

76th of Winter, 514 AV

Lorden stretched for where the padded girth dangled, bringing his right hand to grab the top of the leather strap, while moving his left to grasp further down it's length. With his fingers sinking into the furry-side of the girth, that would keep the horse's stomach comfortable, Lorden tugged upward, lifting the tack from the un-oxidized hardware, that it hung on.

As the black girth unhooked from the wall, Lorden moved his left hand down to the bottom end of it's length. With both sides of the leather strap in his grasp, the knight positioned it so that it ran flat across his palms. Starring down at the many-buckled monstrosity in his hands, Lorden's blue eyes grew somewhat. Swallowing slowly and almost subconsciously, the knight turned to face his female friend.

"I shouldn't figure on you walking me through this, should I?" Lorden said in the direction of the horse, his brow furrowing, as he spoke. The equine simply titled it's head at him.

"No. I really didn't think so," Lorden sighed, stepping into elbowing distance of the horse.

Lorden allowed the left side of the girth to fall from his left palm, making it perpendicular with the ground. Bending over boldly, Lorden examined the buckles that hung from the bottom left-side, of his borrowed horse's saddle. Squinting unwittingly, the knight lifted the girth he was carrying up a bit, placing it near the lowest part of the saddle. Noting the similarities between the hardware on the saddle and girth, and knowing the general gist of what he had to do, Lorden moved the girth underneath the buckles, of the brown leather seat.

Lorden began to run the straps of the leather girth, through the loops and buckles of the cow-skin saddle, rather ungracefully. Buckles bumped against buckles, but eventually, the knight slipped the last strap through securely.

That's one side finished, Lorden thought hopefully, glancing over the belt-like rig, that he had just worked with. Taking a tarried breath, Lorden slid his hands away from the buckles of the tack. Continuing his task, the knight's hands moved down, to grasp the side of the girth, that still hung unfastened from the mare's saddle.

I'll have to go to the other aside, Lorden thought, holding the bottom of the leather strap. Glancing between the horse's legs, Lorden squinted, before shaking his head.

Allowing the girth to swing free of his hand gently, the armored man began walking around the mare's flank. Making sure not to touch her as he did so, as to not scare the hulking horse, Lorden rounded the mare.

Finding himself on the right-side of the reddish horse, Lorden bent his chest over. Now able to see through her legs, the knight stretched under the horse's body, and wrapped his fingers around, the edge of the girth that dangled, over to her other side. With the leather strap now firmly in his hand, Lorden pulled the girth under the mare's body, and lifted it against her stomach. Straightening his back as he pulled the girth from under the mare's underbelly, Lorden brought said piece of tack up to the buckles, that hung from the side of the saddle he now stood by.

The armored man began fiddling with the familiar buckles, repeating the process of looping and clasping everything, as he had on the opposite side of the horse. Once more looping the last of the straps that he saw, Lorden stepped eagerly away from the horse, never noticing the buckle he had left unfastened.

Unaware of his mistake, Lorden brought his leather soles down against the ground, reversing the round he had done of the horse moments ago, and coming out from behind her near the stall door. Gratefully looking upon the almost empty wall of tack, Lorden reached for the bridle that hung on a hook there, all on it's lonesome. The knight wrapped his fingers around the thin mask-like tack, turning and stepping as close to the horse's face as he had gotten, up to this point.

With the bridle in hand, Lorden stretched the leather straps that comprised it apart, and brought the metal bit that hang from them to the mare's mouth.

"Come on girl," Lorden coaxed encouragingly. When the horse didn't respond, verbally or otherwise, Lorden urged the metal against her nose gently. Almost hesitantly, the horse opened her snout, and took the bit in between her teeth.

That wasn't so bad, Lorden thought to himself, before looking at the metal that sat in the horse's maw.

Well at least not for me, the knight continued to muse, his heart a bit heavy. Allowing his mind to clear, the soft-eyed man, slipped the rest of the bridle up and over the remaining portion of the horse's nose, and settled it's straps behind her flimsy ears. Reaching his hands down from the horse's head, Lorden grabbed for the straps that dangled off to each side of her snout, and secured them together, right under the mare's nose.

"All right girl, I think we can go now," Lorden said to the air, taking the black reins that dangled from the bridle, into his right hand, as he spoke. With the leather straps in his grasp, the knight urged the horse over to the left, and out the open stall door.

[Lorden Ladis]

76th of Winter, 514 AV

...

Hooves and boots trotted slowly along stone, as Lorden led his borrowed mare, by the reins, out of the gates of Syliras. Stopping at the point in which stone began to give way to dirt underfoot, and the shade of the overhead gate abruptly faded, the knight tugged his horse's reins backwards a bit. The armored man figured he should give some slack, so as the horse pulled along, he took a few slowed steps himself. Meanwhile, Lorden's non-dominant arm continued to pull on the leather straps. The man felt a small pang of relief, when the horse began to slow her trot; as she did, the knight glanced over his shoulder, to glare inquisitively at one of the two armed men, who were not far off to either side of him.

'On orders,' Lorden communicated to one of the guards, furling and unfurling his fingers, as he signed in Ekeldi; the non-verbal language of the Syliran Knights. A part of Lorden wanted to just mount his horse then and there, as his fellow knight began to raise his arm to respond in kind, but that would have hardly been polite.

'Orders?' the guard questioned, his fingers moving fluently.

'Just patrolling north, nothing worth your worry' Lorden signed in a somewhat less practiced manner. The black-haired knight turned his head away from the gate, and instead began to face his horse. The guard really didn't need any more information, and Lorden was a still a bit too tired, to make idle tittle-tattle.

Facing his horse, Lorden reached up to grab the silver stirrup that sat raised on her saddle. As the knight's fingers wrapped around the stirrup, he routinely slid the hardware down the leather straps, that they were suspended on, bringing it to rest beside the mare they sat upon's ribs. Lorden gave the lowered stirrup a tug, before turning, and beginning to walk around his horse's front.

Rounding the mare, the knight stuck his hand out. As the man approached the horse's left side, he looped his outstretched non-dominant hand, into the left stirrup that hung there, pulling it down as he walked, and never really stopping his idle gait.

With his walk un-compromised, Lorden allowed his leather soles to fall on to the dirt a few more times, rounding the flank of his mare in the process. As the knight drifted past the horse's brown tail, he walked forward for a tick, before rotating and coming to stare at the equine's saddle. Lorden lifted his right hand, and less than eagerly, placed it on the raised curve, of the leather seat's front.

Here we go, Lorden thought, taking a deep breath.

Exhaling his trepidation-filled mouthful of air, the knight lifted his right leg, and tucked the heel of the related foot, into the stirrup that hung near it. Taking a minute to re-play his actions in his mind, Lorden took a breath, before kicking his left leg against the ground. Trying to trust himself, the knight pushed against the saddle with his hand as well, using the upward pressure from all his appendages, to swing his leg over his horse's hindquarters. After a tick, the knight fell, a little-too roughly for his taste, into his mount's brown saddle.

Lorden reached his hands forward, probing the area above the saddle, and running his leather-clad fingers through the mare's coarse mane. A shot of annoyance worked it's way through the base of Lorden's skull, before it formed into a full on suspicion. Tilting his head to the right a bit, the man looked down at the horses snout, with a ruffled brow. Sighing, Lorden gazed upon the leather straps that crossed over the horse's ears, and hung annoyingly under her nose.

Good gods, Lorden thought as he slipped from the mare's saddle, not quite sure whether to be amused, mad, or embarrassed.

A conflicted frame of emotions was displayed on Lorden's face, as he walked to the front of the horse, lifted the dangling rains all the way over her head, and went through the repetitious process of remounting. By the time the knight was back in the saddle, he had given up trying to react emotionally to the situation, deciding to focus on getting to his assignment; it was less convoluted that way, and a lot less of a headache.

Lorden reached his hand forward, before he grabbed the leather reins successfully this time. Thinking back to his days as a squire, the knight looped the ropes he held, up over his left pinkie and into the same palm. Lorden then grabbed the remaining length of the reins, with his right hand.

Feeling ready to go, the armored man squeezed his legs into the horse's ribs. As the mare took a step forward, her rider shifted uneasily in the saddle, a look of unbelief in his blue eyes.
...

[Lorden Ladis]

76th of Winter, 514 AV

Lorden trotted the mare down the tree-lined trail, his stiffening rear sliding uncomfortably, in the slightly rocking saddle. For a moment, the knight considered dismounting his horse, and assuring that her tack was on correctly. Shaking his head mentally, Lorden glared cautiously around at the snow covered woods.

Never know whats in between the tre-, Lorden's trepidation-filled musings were cut short, when a shrill scream entered the knight's ears.

Where? Lorden thought, squeezing his thighs together a bit. The knight glanced around worriedly, his horse speeding to a cantor. As the mare's hooves picked up speed along the road, her armored rider was treated, to a further agitated shaking of her saddle.

Lorden drove his horse up the road somewhat urgently, his ears open to any sounds the wind might carry. With a raised head, Lorden caught the sound of howling, as it was carried from further on in the woods, by the cool air of a winter breeze.

Always just another damsel, Lorden thought, with a less than genuine smirk. Pulling his horse inexpertly to where the sounds appeared to emanate from, the knight began to cantor his horse. With a semi-solid confidence in the direction he was committed to travel towards, the metal-clad rider sped atop his mount, driving her deeper into the white woods.

Cautiously noting that no more screams appeared to guide him, the knight sped his horse ,whipping his red mount into a speed, which was a little faster than he was comfortable with. Guiding the horse to the edge of a snowy bank, worry was apparent in the knight's eyes.

After covering a bit of ground, Lorden noted that he coming on to the top of a steep embankment. Not wishing to fly off into whatever lie below the snowy bank, Lorden pulled in his mount's reins with his non-dominant hand. Biting the metal bit into her teeth, Lorden brought his horse to a sitting trot, before slowing what had previously been an inexpertly-executed full canter, to a hasty stop. As his mount slowed her hooves to sink idly into the snow, Lorden looked over to the edge of the snowy hill top they stood on, stretching his eyes out over the horses neck, to peer into the small clearing below.

Petch, the knight thought, gritting his teeth at the site below him. In the clearing before Lorden, a few armed men, some not even fully dressed, backed up against a small circle of tents, the had been pitched around a carriage. The men brandished swords of varying lengths, all pointing out trepidatiously towards the lupine forms, that circled them hungrily.

The mounted swordsmen took in the count of the sword-wielding men, trying to ignore the growling that reached his ears.

One, two, three, four, the knight's eyes drifted from man to man.

Only four? the knight thought, pressing his teeth together with more force.

Glancing at the multi-colored wildlife that surrounded the men, Lorden didn't need to count them. The wolves were at least a pack of six.

As he assessed the scene, a movement caught his eyes, from in between the circle of men. Allowing his eyes to drift inquisitively, Lorden saw the face of a little girl, as she pointed outwards with her finger. The knight's searching eyes grew a bit wide.

Is she pointing at me? Lorden thought to himself, his heart skipping a beat, as he did. Looking on at the blond haired child, Lorden noticed that some of the men whom kept glancing back at her and the woman that she clung to, began to glance up to his hill as well.

Closing shut his eyes for a moment, Lorden tried to calm himself. The knight took a breath. When his heart refused to quell it's growing beating despite his efforts, the man allowed his eyelids to, less than eagerly, lift back upwards. With his newly reopened and dilated blue eyes, the knight glanced over to his side. Figuring if he circled in the area around the clearing, he'd find a way into it easily enough, Lorden began to speed up his horse, driving her over the snowy hill that they stood upon.

[Lorden Ladis]

76th of Winter, 514 AV

The knight drove his mount over the low-lying slope of snow, passing through the trees that surrounded the small open clearing. Looking on ahead of him, Lorden racked his brain for an idea, as he watched the wolves close in on their circle of prey.

Its definitely not an intelligent thought, Lorden thought, allowing his right hand to slip from the reins and down to his belt.

But its what I've got, the knight continued assuring himself shakily.

Lorden pulled his arm up as it wrapped around the leather handle, of the blade at his side. Drawing his arming sword, the armored rider began to cantor his horse, once more. With every hoof-beat, his right leg pulled the stirrup it rested in down. And with every hoof-beat, his saddle swayed un-routinely to the right.

Barely fighting the urge to drop the eyelids of his widened blue eyes, Lorden inched ever closer to the circle of lupine creatures. With but a few feet in between him and the clustered wolf pack, the brave knight began to lean to the right, stretching his arm up as he did so. And as he bent to the right, so too did his saddle.

Slipping from the leather seat with a gasp, Lorden collided loudly on to a mass of mangy white fur and bone; his armor clanking with force against the beast. As the knight fell, his horse ran for the safety of the clearing's edge.

[Lorden Ladis]

76th of Winter, 514 AV

Lorden rolled from over the top the squealing wolf's cracking spine, gasping as the breath was knocked from him, the knight's body bouncing in the steel form surrounding it.

Taking a few unyielding breaths, the downed man got a chill, as he heard a throaty growl emanate from his side. Rolling over to his right side by force of will, the movement seeming to drive the air into his lungs as he passed through it, the knight starred into the eyes of his would-be aggressor. Locking eyes with it, Lorden flailed his right arm in a lengthwise movement, aiming at the white-furred monster snarling beside him. The only thing his arm cut through, though, was air.

Sword! Lorden's mouth fell agape, as he began to look to the right and left. But just as the man thought he caught the glare of steel, a heavy force rammed itself against his prone form.

The white wolf rolled Lorden on to his back with the force of it's body. Eyes wide with a mix of adrenaline, anger, and even fear, Lorden grabbed at the wolf's throat, halting it as it lunged for his own.

"For the love of Sylir, be off me!" Lorden exhaled angrily, as he brought a sloppy right cross, across the front of his attacker's snout. As the metal fist connected, a bloodied tooth flew from the wolf's mouth, almost catching Lorden in the eye, before sliding wetly down the side of his face.

Blinking as the blood from the tooth aggravated the edge of his eyes, the knight reached his left arm down, unhooking his buckler from off of his belt. Giving his stunned enemy no leave, Lorden swung the unhooked metal shield against the lupine's bloodied maw, before pushing the buckler against it's collarbone with a shove.

"And this is where you die," the knight proclaimed in an adrenaline-induced shot of anger. With the buckler pressed against the nipping wolf, keeping it at arm's length, Lorden allowed his right hand to reach across and touch his scabbard. Angrily the knight drew the dagger from where it hung in the smaller sheath, which was affixed to his main armament's larger one. With his remaining blade, Lorden stabbed out and upward, only to once again pierce air, as his aggressor's snout dove down and past his buckler.

Following the wolf's movements with his eyes, the knight gritted his teeth, as the snow-colored beast bobbed and began to wrap it's maw, around the steel mail of his outstretched sword arm. Feeling the pressure of the wolf's teeth began to enclose his armored arm, Lorden fearfully slammed his buckler once more into the wolf's head, this time aiming for nothing in particular.

Metal collided bluntly against flesh for the second time that day, and as the buckler hit the wolf, it's teeth let up ever so slightly. Just barely catching the opening provided, Lorden pushed off further with the buckler, distancing the lupine's mouth off to the right. Ready to be rid of the vicious hunter, Lorden inexpertly, but figuring a neck was a neck, no matter what blade; drove home his dagger with his freed arm, through the wolf's trachea area.

A quick whine worked it's way into the air, before fading just as sharply. Spurred by the sign of life, albeit a pained one, Lorden withdrew his knife from it's fleshy sheath, and jammed it through the wolf's left eye. And just as blood began to drip over Lorden's right arm, the knight heaved the slumping beast that had fallen atop him, over to fall into the snow to his side.

Taking a few tarried breaths, as his dilated orbs took in the ironically beautiful morning sky, Lorden thanked the gods silently, and hoped they would further oblige him. Knowing time was of the essence, the knight cut his battle prayer short, and glanced over to where, he had thought he had seen metal glowing among the snow.

With the faintest of relieved smiles, Lorden rolled his cumbersome form over on to his stomach, pushing to his knees once he was there. Now standing, the knight, bloodied dagger in hand, trotted away from the struggle, and to where his short sword lay. Lorden sheathed the minuscule weapon, that was in his grasp, before urgently retrieving the one that lay at his feet.

Larger armament in hand, the knight whirled to face where the travelers were swinging their own blades, only one of them, really doing any true damage, to the beasts that attempted to circle in on them.

"I'm on my way," Lorden cried across the few feet of snow; more assuring himself, than the men engaged in the struggle. The black-haired man took a determined, albeit tarried breath, and stepped towards the fray.

[Lorden Ladis]

76th of Winter, 514 AV

Lorden walked forward, driving into the advancing circle of wolves, who had left their crushed comrade behind. Cautiously, the swordsmen slowed his step tremendously, driving into a careful side-tread, as two of the wolves turned inquisitively to face him. The twin beasts lurked forward to threaten the knight, one lowering it's head and furrowing his snout, the other simply growling. But when neither wolf, took more than a few angry steps, Lorden stopped circling the beasts, and drove himself towards the closest one.

With his buckler out, and his sword hand tucked behind the shield, Lorden meticulously approached his prey. The knight dropped himself into a basic stance, his right leg moving back to balance him, as he walked.

Despite the trepidation in his eyes, the tall swordsman slunk forward into cutting range of the wolf, bending his left knee and using the added range to drive a sidelong slash, under his small steel shield. His arming sword drew blood, corrupting the pure snow underfoot, and mangling it's targets nose. Unfortunately, the injured beast was less than slain, and quickly shot itself forward, slinking under Lorden's guard.

Instinctively, the knight raised his shield to glance at the lupine, who was shooting for his legs. Luckily for Lorden, the wolf's searching teeth, found only the steel plate of his greaves. Coming back to his senses, from the shock of the wolf getting so close, Lorden drove his hand towards the side of the animal's neck. With a grunt, the knight impaled his blade, through the wolf's thick brown mane, and into the muscles held within.

With the beast more than shocked into complacency, Lorden lumbered his heavy boot up at speed, glancing his leather toe into the wolf's thick jaw. The knight used the wolf's body's motion to draw his blade from it's neck, as the brown carcass bounced limply to the left.

[Lorden Ladis]

76th of Winter, 514 AV

The knight was sweating, and he couldn't help but note his labored breathing. Worried for the well-being of his caravan driving friends, Lorden glanced tiredly over his shoulder, to where they stood fighting. The circle of wolves was all but broken now, human clashed with animal to varying levels of success, in an unorganized scuffle, that stretched for at least thirty feet all around.

"Three are dead," the knight took a breath unwillingly.

"Do not lose hope, the gods of good, stand at our side this day," Lorden encouraged, a part of him trying to speak their victory into existence. Clearing his dry windpipe, the knight turned around fully to face the others, trying to see where he was needed.

As he turned, the swordsman's eyes grew wide. Lorden watched as one of the four defending men swung his short sword, missing his target completely, only to have the same wolf he swung at, slink under his guard, and bury it's teeth into the side of his stomach. Gasping something between a moan and a scream, the merchant fell. As his body collapsed; the relentless wolf dived for the injured man's throat, stopping his scream, and any future sound from escaping his mouth.

Gritting his teeth in anger, Lorden shot forward, flying towards the woman and little girl that stood behind the dying man, as fast as his feet would carry him. Watching with a heart as heavy as an anchor, the knight spurred his speed, as the girl's mother stepped between her daughter and the wolf.

Tyveth give me your strength, Lorden thought, throwing his sprinting body into his target, his arms spread out wide, just as the wolf nipped at the edge of the girl's mother's dress.

Lorden wrapped his arms around the wolf as he contacted with it, his heavy armored body sending it's massive form rolling along with him. Protected as he was, by his plate and mail, as the two rolling forms came to a stop, the panicking beast could find no hold on Lorden, despite it nipping uncontrollably.

Struggling to his knees, Lorden's eyes grew wide as he bent his wrist back, and beat the wolf's face with his buckler thrice times. Nearly gritting his teeth to pieces, the swordsman's blade found a hold in the wolf's mouth, as the monster tried yet again to bite him. With a rage he couldn't help by embrace, the knight drove his arming sword, and his hand, into the wolf's maw.

As the beast spammed, in the last throes of it's life, Lorden began to withdraw his sword and arm from it's snout, as he was not too keen, on being so near the wolf's sharp incisors.

Lorden filled his diaphragm fully, as yet another fallen animal fell into the snow, the knight breathed deep against his will. Driving down to his hands, the knight began to lose all but the last bit of his breakfast.

When the last of the heaves finally left him, a man spoke behind him.

"Ser," the deep voice said wearily, trying to get Lorden's attention.

Fear running through his spine, Lorden shuffled to his feet, turning to hold his sword out towards the source of the noise. The knight's eyes softened somewhat, as he took in the sight before him, only to have the blue grow wide in confusion soon after. The swordsman dropped his blade without thinking, to have it hang by his side.

Lorden's mind was blank of any thoughts, or will to form words, as he starred on at the man before him. The knight's eyes were slow to drift from the merchant's face, to the lifeless child, that the man before him, held in his arms.

"I thought you said, the gods of your order, were with us?" the brunet said brokenly, noting the sword pen on Lorden's lapel.

I thought they were, Lorden thought, almost ready to speak blasphemy. Before he opened his mouth, however, a dull thought worked it's way into his mind.

"You're still alive," the knight offered dryly, unable to think all that clearly. As he spoke, the merchant in front of the knight, looked at him like he was purple and had bat wings.

"The best parts of me lie dead," the man said, anger and grief framing itself on his face. As the man spoke, Lorden glanced behind him, to where two puddles of blood colored the snow, a woman's body lying in the larger one. Not far from the gut-wrenching scene, was the limp form of a grey wolf, a sword still jammed into it's eye. The knight shook his head back and forth, in unbelief.

"I-" the knight gulped, finding that his throat was too tight to allow words passage. Lorden took a choppy breath.

"I'll take you to Syliras," Lorden said, starring the man in the eyes, in a somewhat emotionless manner. As the words left his mouth, the knight turned briskly away from the merchant.

"Where are you going," a voice inquired from behind the knight.

"I'll need my horse," Lorden replied, barely holding his emotions in. Without stopping, the conflicted knight continued walking, moving towards the direction of where a red mare sulked behind a tree, her saddle hanging from her right side.