[Flashback] Stranger Things (Caelum)

[Rhuryc]

"Petch!" Rhuryc growled low to himself, angered more by the the wound than hampered by it. When Caelum came to his side he did little more than caution the man, motioning with one arm - the one that still held its full range of motion - to stay down. The hooves gave neither of them time to exchange pleasantries. His head snapped up and his countenance darkened, narrowed eyes focusing on the sound more so than the vision. Two? Three? They wouldn't be able to take the riders as a pair. "Move!" Rhuryc moved. Or sprinted, rather, distancing himself from his companion and doing what he could to draw the riders' attention. One split off. Damn it! Nowhere near as fast as a horse, the swordsman jammed a foot into the ground and spun, his shield arm held low while he raised his blade, one shoulder rearing back in tandem with his purser's descent. Whack. Rhuryc's blade scythed through the air and ripped into the horse's leg, separating the limb from the torso and forcing the poor creature into its ground. A sickening snap heralded its death. The rider came next. Flung from his saddle, the man hit the ground and rolled. Rhuryc followed. Before he even so much as began twitching, the Syliran shoved his blade down into exposed flesh. That was one. Now, the other. His sweep of the camp lead to genuine surprise. Not so far away he watched a wounded Drykas limping about while the second rider slumped upon his mount, the latter of which had taken to galloping forward as per its last command. "You alright?" He called out and closed the gap between them, his eyes still up and weary as he searched for their friend the archer. In the far distance he could make out more hooves, a rampant beat leading away from the campsite. Damn it all. "We need to move," He spat and gave the fellow a quick once over, stopping once he reached his side. "It looks shallow. Can you walk?"

[Caelum]

"Walk? Screw walking, mate," Caelum spat. The long dagger was crammed into his belt while he eyed the arrow protruding from Rhuryc's shoulder. Cheeks were flushed and his mouth pressed into a thin line. Pain radiated from the shallow cut in his thigh and opened aching mouths against the nerves in his arm that was still in its sling. With a twitch of fingers, he jerked his elbow free of that sling and stepped behind the swordsman. "Don't kill me," he grunted. Circling thumb and fingers about the arrow shaft where it met the bloody cloth of Rhuryc's coat. With his other hand, he grasped the arrow beneath the fletching and snapped it clean off. "We'll take the head out later," a beat, "So you don't bleed to death." He was moving then, surprisingly graceful in the wake of his bumbling failures in combat. The saddlebags he had removed from the grey Windrunner dancing restless and closer were heaved up and in a swift series of familiar motions, he rigged Vega back into riding ready. "We'll take that bay," authority startled itself smooth through his voice. "We're riding." Vega laid his ears flat while his rider hesitated, assessing the bay mare one of their attackers had left them in his death. In the space between heartbeats, he moved, ducking under the arch of the horse's neck to take hold of the bridle. The horse bucked and fidgeted, but the Drykas held steady with a low murmur of words until she settled. "Come on," he urged Rhuryc, looking up to jerk his chin at the man. Vega had a yvas versus saddle gear which was more difficult for a non-Drykas to ride. Otherwise, he would have offered the man his own mount.

[Rhuryc]

"I've had worse." A grunt. That was all. Rhuryc paid little mind when Caelum broke the shaft. He shrugged off the pain and instead focused on the task at hand. Riding. Right. His sword found it's sheath. Heavy steps brought him to the abandoned mount where he snatched the reigns and wasted a great deal of time staring. The last time he rode a horse was years ago. Not to mention it almost got him killed. Lovely. One foot found a stirrup. Rhuryc lifted himself up and over the mount, his rump firmly placed in the saddle after a great deal of fuss from his shoulder. He felt it scream at him. Blood and ashes. Between the wound and his hate of four legged beasts the man wore an ever present scowl and though he was a poor equestrian, he could at least ride. Or steer. "I've about as much grace on a horse as a drunkard on ice, but you lead and I'll follow. It's better than taking another thrice-damned missile to the back." His tone dripped with acid. Rhuryc did not like being shot. He waited for Caelum. At first the warrior struggled, his new mount baying and stepping all about at its unfamiliar rider. They traveled backward before Rhuryc finally reigned the creature in and gave it a swift kick to the flanks to give chase. While lacking any sort of real skill he did his best to fake it. His gaze focused on the lithe fellow before him, watching, observing, and drawing in as much as he could. From the posture to the sway of motion, Rhuryc mimicked to the best of his abilities; his back straightening - so much as it could - and his gestures broadening to incorporate what it was he saw. They road, though where in all the hells they were going he had no idea.

[Caelum]

"Heels down," Caelum instructed, his mouth still skewed to the side. A blood smeared hand unclenched from Vega's mane to gesture, the line of his own body following to stand as example. "And grip with your knees. Lean forward. Put your weight on her shoulders, Rhuryc, and don't fall." With that they launched into the copse, clearing it with a dangerous weave between the last line of protective sycamore to the yawning stretch of moonlit clearing beyond. Their mounts stretched out their necks, spurred by the urgency of those they bore and the din of the miniature battle to which they had just been witness. Before them fled cloud shadows, sprawling and grotesque in shapes that were fleet in their race across the land. Caelum threw his eyes to those heavens, taking note of the lay of the stars until he found that which he sought. It pointed in the direction of far Syliras and away from their freshly dead left littering a campfire. There was, if he recalled correctly, a cave filled with dripping stalactites a league and a little to the left. He had occupied it once seasons gone, borrowing it for shelter from an especially cruel storm. He urged Vega in that direction, knowing the stolen blood bay would follow and, thus, his unlikely partner. Luck was low, however, and from an outcropping broiled the remains of the party that had ambushed them. Suspicion sank fangs into Caelum's consciousness even as an arrow whistled through the night, spitting itself in the earth after scraping Vega's broad shoulder. The windrunner screamed and his rider held on, cursing.

[Rhuryc]

"Heels down," He muttered and followed suit. Rhuryc leaned in to the beast's neck and clenched the saddle with his knees, his heels digging into the flanks of the creature as they took off into the night. He lurched with every gallop, his shoulder burned and the remaining arrowhead threatened to tear his skin with every step, but Rhuryc did not stop, nor did he complain. They still had distance to clear. The horse's grunting matched his own. There, in the darkness, the two strained to remain in control, one grasping reins with white knuckles, the other running into exhaustion. What a pair they were. Horse, as Rhuryc named him, did the work on his own. He fell instep behind the Drykas native, unwavering, taking ques from the superior breed and working in haste. It was almost impressive. Until the arrows came. Rhuryc barely had time to react before Horse hit the ground. He felt himself fly from the saddle, the sudden halt of momentum tossing him aside like a rag doll. What a surprise. His side slammed into the dirt and he forced himself into a roll, scattering with a wild flail until he came to a natural pause. Damn it all! His body ached, his shoulder burned, every inch of him shook from pain and adrenaline. Somehow, he stood up. "Go! I'll hold them." He spoke with an unnatural vigor. Metal shrieked into the darkness, his blade brought to bare with shield in opposite hand. Not that it would do him much good. Rhuryc could barely lift his right arm let alone utilize it. No matter. "Come on then you cowards." The ferocity of his voice was matched only by the sorry state of his appearance. "Time to meet your end."

[Emblem]

Congratulations! You Get Glorious Experience! Caelum Skills Riding: Horse- 3 XP Horsemanship- 2 XP Weapon: Long Dagger- 1 XP Medicine- 1 XP Teaching- 1 XP Leadership- 1 XP Lores Ambushed on the Kabrin Sharing Camp Taking Over the Situation Syliras Shenanigans: Nothing here Rhuryc Skills Riding: Horse- 3 XP Horsemanship- 2 XP Weapon: Shield- 2 XP Lores Ambushed on the Kabrin Sharing Camp Comments : Its too bad this thread couldn't be finished as it was quite entertaining. Good work! If you have any questions or concerns please PM me!