The two with swords were closest, and trying to spread out to flank Braylar. He slowly retreated, shield up, the arm with Bloodsounder cocked behind it, the flail heads falling just behind his shoulder. The Brunesman on the right made a quick move as if he would engage and Braylar pivoted to him, but it was a feint; the other Brunesman came in fast and the captain must have either anticipated it or felt it through Bloodsounder, as the flail shot out without him turning to face the opponent directly, snapping straight out across his body, whipping over his shield edge. The Brunesman didn’t get his shield up in time, and as he was springing forward, had no chance to dodge-the Deserter heads struck him just below the rim of his helm. If he had a nasal, it might have protected him from some of the damage, but he didn’t, and he had to have lost one eye, possibly both, but the fountain of blood prevented me from telling which. He screamed and dropped his sword, stumbled and fell, gloved hand spread over his eyes and face.
The other Brunesman had already been moving in as well, hoping their staggered attack would have forced the captain into a mistake, but Braylar reeled the flail heads back and had them arcing out again, with minimal movement from the wrist or hand. The Brunesman blocked the strike as he stepped in, deflecting the heads slightly, but losing sight of Braylar for an instant. That was all it took-Braylar sprang forward and tripped the Brunesman, redirecting the flail heads as he did, and bringing them down hard across the back of the soldier’s helm as he fell past. The Brunesman tried to break his stumble with the shield but Braylar was relentless, closing right behind him, striking again before the soldier could regain his balance and bearings, the Deserter heads coming down directly on the crown of the helm. The Brunesman went down on his face and didn’t move again.
Captain Killcoin spun around just as the heavily armored Brunesman with the big axe closed in, but held off attacking as he sized Braylar up, and there was something about the way he moved that suggested he would prove a tougher opponent, even without a shield. Not frantic or even hurried, but alert, poised. He moved like Captain Killcoin.
The axeman had the benefit of range with the longer weapon, and one that looked like it could dole out horrendous damage with a single blow. I didn’t imagine many weapons looking as dangerous as Bloodsounder, but this axe certainly matched it.
Advancing, the Brunesman changed his guard, raising his weapon above his head, and Braylar shifted his shield slightly as he started sliding to his right. The Brunesman altered the angle, moving with Braylar, and then came in fast, the axe rising a bit higher before coming straight down. Braylar had already stepped back out of range, but the Brunesman slowed the descent and then thrust the long weapon more quickly than I expected possible.
Braylar’s shield snapped down, pushed the tip aside, and I thought he might advance as well, try to close the distance in order to bloody Blood-sounder again. But the Brunesman had his axe up as he took another step in. Braylar was attempting to move out of range but couldn’t avoid the blow entirely-he had to block it with his shield, though he didn’t take the weapon on directly, but deflected it and then stepped back and to his right.
I took aim, seeing a brief opportunity, but as the combatants shifted I jerked the crossbow up as I squeezed the long trigger, fearing I would hit the captain, and the bolt flew harmlessly off into the distance.
Braylar continued to circle, just outside the Brunesman’s range, but also well outside his own range of being able to deliver any kind of blow. I wondered why he didn’t try to close the space-was it respect for the weapon, or the man wielding it? Was he simply measuring his opponent, pacing the blows and movement and looking for the right opening to exploit?
The Brunesman came in again, guard high, feinted a blow coming left to right, then changed course, cutting the opposite way as he stepped in. Braylar knocked it aside, stepped out of range and avoided the next blow completely, and then came forward fast. The Brunesman attacked, Braylar blocked, but the Brunesman turned his weapon and caught the back of Braylar’s shield with the curved point at the rear of the axehead, jerked it hard, pulling Braylar off balance slightly.
The captain slipped on the grass and fell to his knee.
He was scrambling to get back to his feet, but the Brunesman didn’t miss his opportunity. With surprising speed, the large blade rose and fell, and this time, being half on the ground, Braylar wasn’t able to slip the blow or merely turn it. The axe head came down and sent wood chips flying as it nearly shattered Braylar’s shield.
The Brunesman attacked again, axe blade quickly rising up and down, ready to cleave the captain in twain. Braylar rolled to his right, barely dodging the weapon as the axe bit into the earth like a plow head. The Brunesman brought it up to strike again, grass and dirt flying from the blade as Braylar got to his feet, retreating a few steps to shake the ruined shield off his arm and draw his suroka.
He crouched, Bloodsounder in one hand, suroka in the other. Neither seemed like they would do a very good job stopping the axe, especially if the arm holding the suroka was injured at all. The Brunesman started forward again, and while I’d seen the captain in trouble on the battlefield before, he suddenly seemed to be in more danger than ever. I looked around-the other Syldoon were fighting off Brunesmen of their own and no help at all, and Soffjian was squaring off with one as well.
I finished reloading and started running to try to get in a position to shoot my crossbow again, hoping I could find a good angle before Braylar got chopped into bloody bits.
The Brunesman swung the axe, thrust again, kept pressing forward, moving from one attack to the next smoothly, almost casually, as Braylar was on the defensive, stepping out of range or dodging the large but surprisingly fast weapon until he found himself losing room to maneuver as he nearly backed into the wall.
I thought I had a shot, raised the crossbow, sighted, and then it was gone. Cursing myself for hesitating, I ran closer.
The Brunesman stepped to his left, trying to keep the captain pinned, and then came in again, the axe moving in a blur. But Braylar rushed forward as well, getting just inside the axe’s reach-the Brunesman struck him in the side with the haft, clanking on the lamellar, and knocking the captain hard to his right. Braylar managed to break his fall by sticking Bloodsounder’s haft onto the ground, the flail heads trailing in the grass behind him, and looked up to see the axe at its height.
I was lining up another shot, sure it would be too late, when Braylar launched himself under the axe blow, rolling into the Brunesman’s knees, knocking the larger man backwards and bowling him over. The Brunesman’s helm bounced off the ground, and Braylar scrambled on top of him, knocking his arm aside, striking him in the face with the splinted vambrace three times, then pulling the coif aside just enough to drive the long suroka blade into the man’s throat.
He climbed off and was getting to his feet when another heavily armored Brunesman with a great helm and an oval shield and spear was there, thrusting. Braylar managed to knock the spear point aside with his suroka so it skidded off the lamellar cuirass, but the Brunesman pulled it back, and the spear head lashed out again and again, each time just knocked off line and missing the mark as the Brunesman advanced and Braylar scooted back into the wall.
I was raising my crossbow when I saw a blur behind the Brunesman and heard metal on metal. A throwing axe fell to the ground behind him and the Brunesman spun to face the threat, not knowing that his attacker was Mulldoos, ten paces away.