Another arrow whistled past him, and struck its mark square in the chest, and then Gawain's longsword was in his hand, and he swung Gwyn to the right, cutting across Elayeen and putting himself between her and the three remaining Morlochmen on his blade's side. There were still four on Allazar's side, but they had shot their bolts, and Allazar would have to fend for himself.
They were through the enemy in an instant, and the reach that Gawain's blade gave him caught the Morlochman completely by surprise when Gawain cut him from the saddle.
Gawain swung Gwyn further around to the west, heading straight for Elvendere, intending to circle around to bring Elayeen's bow and his own arrows to bear before the enemy could reload their crossbows. He heard Elayeen's horse whinny, but a quick glance over his shoulder showed that she was still close behind him, already nocking another shaft to the string. But that glance revealed more than the relief of her presence. For in the distance, from the east, another group of dark-clad riders were approaching…
There was no time to try and identify them though. The enemy had turned, and Gawain let loose an arrow almost simultaneously with the thrum of Elayeen's bow. Two more Morlochmen fell. Then he heard Elayeen's horse screech, and the dreadful sound of the animal crashing to the soft Jurian earth. A crossbow bolt sailed harmlessly overhead and he flicked a glance behind him. Elayeen was down, but staggering to her feet, and Allazar was reining in beside her.
Gawain turned, and hurled another arrow with such rage that it nearly blasted clean through the Morlochman's chest when it struck, knocking the warrior from the saddle. Three remained, and while one fired a bolt in his direction, the other two were riding straight for Elayeen and Allazar.
Gawain had no time to string another arrow, and drew his blade. The Morlochman was leaning out of the saddle, swinging his curved sword at Gawain, and when the steel clashed, it was the curved blade that shattered, and the force of the blow knocked the warrior out of his saddle. Gwyn came to a thundering halt, turned, and Gawain killed the downed rider with a looping swing of his blade as he charged back towards Elayeen and Allazar.
What he saw made his stomach lurch as a fresh explosion of adrenalin flooded through him. Elayeen stood, casting aside the broken remains of her bow and drawing her long knife, blood streaming from a gash in her thigh as she stared furiously at the two riders bearing down on her.
Allazar pushed her to the ground, and stood above her, his arms held forwards, pointing at the Morlochmen while he chanted. Streamers of dazzling white light shot from his fingers into the enemies' faces, blinding them, and bolts flew wide of the mark as horses reared and charged harmlessly past the wizard and the wounded elfin.
Gwyn screamed in rage and lurched forward with fresh urgency, and Gawain saw the briefest flicker of pain in Elayeen's eyes as he charged past her. The world suddenly took on a black tint, and Gawain felt a new strength flood through him. With aquamire clarity he knew what had happened even as he leaned from the saddle to cut down the first of the dazed Morlochmen. The downed Black Rider was on his feet, striding relentlessly towards Elayeen and Allazar even now. It had been the poisoned shaft from its crossbow that had struck Elayeen's horse after the first clash of arms and their wheel towards Elvendere.
The last Morlochman waved his sword vainly, aware that someone was closing on him, but to no avail. Gawain slashed him almost in two, and then charged back to where Elayeen lay on the ground by her dead horse, Allazar frantically tearing strips from his robe to bind the wound in her leg.
Gawain leapt from the saddle and was by her side in an instant.
"Bad?" he asked.
"Bad enough." Allazar mumbled, his hands red with Elayeen's blood.
"An arrow from my quiver raked my leg when the horse went down," she gasped. "Mithroth…"
He followed her gaze, towards the Black Rider clumping towards them.
"There is worse to follow." Gawain scowled, nodding to the east, where the second party of riders were coming on, relentlessly.
"Dwarfspit." Elayeen spat. "Is there no end to the blackhearted bastards?"
"There is to one of them at least." Gawain announced, and loped off, blade in hand, running towards the grotesque figure in charmed armour.
The creature raised its crossbow, and fired, when Gawain was twenty paces from it. He didn't care, and simply swung a fold of his arrowsilk cloak in front of him, and felt the harmless impact. Then he was swinging the blade, screaming abuse at the monster with every smashing impact of the sword upon the black armour. Rage boiled through him as he hammered the creature with blow after blow, smashing the mask clear of the Rider's head and staring malevolently into the black eyes that stared coldly back at him. Then with a crackle of aquamire, he swung the blade again, and took its head clean off.
This time, there was no jolt of something when Gawain struck, and the death-blast that exploded all around him was like a welcome wind on a hot day. The shattered remains of charmed armour clattered to the ground, and Gawain glanced up at the approaching force, identical in strength and numbers to the first.
He turned on his heel, and ran back to Elayeen and Allazar. The wizard had bound her leg as best he could, and had succeeded at least in stemming the flow of blood from the wound.
"It probably makes no difference." Allazar sighed.
"At least, mithroth," Elayeen grimaced as with Gawain's help she stood, "We shall greet the yonderlife together."
"We're not dead yet." Gawain glowered darkly. "Take Gwyn, ride for Elvendere. She has the wind for it."
"I shall not leave you. You are mithroth…"
"Someone must greet Callodon and Juria at Ferdan." Gawain urged.
"I shall not suffer athroth again!" Elayeen cried through Gawain's strange aquamire, and for the briefest moment he felt a wave of remembered agony flow from her as she clutched his arm. It was terrifying, and humbling.
He nodded, and then turned to face the enemy. "I may get three, possibly four, with arrows. Allazar, you must ride for safety, and then Ferdan."
"No!" the wizard gasped. "I have run for safety too often! I may not harm the races of Man, but these are not men!"
"Then if there is a yonderlife, I won't mind so much if they let one whitebeard in."
"Thank you."
"I'd want something to torture during the dull moments."
"Thank you."
Gawain strung an arrow, and strode forward a pace or two, and waited. The earth beneath their feet began to tremble as the enemy thundered towards them, the sound of hooves and the snorting counterpoint of horses breathing hard shattering the peace of the warm spring afternoon. Gawain closed his eyes, remembered the Fallen, and then hurled his arrow towards the Black Rider at the centre of the enemy line.
The earth rumbled, he could feel it beneath his boots, and he'd hurled his second arrow when he heard Elayeen cry out his name. At the same time, a sighing whoosh overhead made him look up, in time to see a swarm of arrows hurtling high overhead. He watched, stunned, as they arced downward, watched, transfixed, as they rained down upon the enemy. And then flinched as the thundering of hooves reached a deafening crescendo and a dozen mounted elves charged past him towards the enemy line, already firing a second salvo of shafts at the Morlochmen.
Gawain, Elayeen, and Allazar stood transfixed as the two lines of opposing riders smashed into each other. Riders fell on both sides, and horses wheeled to face each other again. Except two, which continued to charge on towards the trio. Gawain sprinted forward, hurling his arrow at the Black Rider. But the shaft flew slightly wide of its mark and ripped through the charmed armour on the creature's arm, sending the crossbow it held clattering away.