WOT Adv 82

---- The Wheel Turns ----
"Out of the stable!" you shout with a commanding voice. "Out of the stable! To me! To me! Pick up any weapons you can!"

With a well aimed overhand swing with your makeshift flail, you slam the grappling hook atop another skull from behind, sending him falling to the ground. The villager facing him gives you a grateful look and a grin and then turns.

You stoop and pick up a small bow the Seanchan soldier was carrying and scoop up a small quiver of arrows.
The villagers start scrambling out of the burning stable in answer to your call, swirling the smoke as they crawl out the opening, coughing and waving their arms for breath. Shouldering the bow you move to towards them.

"Where's Keb?" you ask one of them. The smoke is getting think, but you think you can still see her fighting two warriors.

"The lady? She's still inside." A villager informs you and then moves off to engage another Seanchan soldier that managed to get around the south end of the stable past Maynard.

You spare a glance and see Maynard surrounded by four soldiers. The man fairly dances with his blade moving in a fluid motion, like a dance almost, parrying, counter striking, parrying. In a deft thrust behind him, without even turning his body, without even looking, he skewers a Searchan and then yanks his blade out to face the remaining three.

"Light help me, should I meet a Warder in combat." you whistle to yourself.

More soldiers round the corner of the north side of the building. You can see some eight to ten shapes gathering, some of them wielding bows.

"Burn me, they've moved the archers into position around the north end of the stables!" The villagers, according to your orders are now clustered around you. Move up and engage them! Spread out! Before they shoot!" You shout to the villagers and some start to move, even as bows are drawn taut to bring them down.

Another villager drops from his wounds, but he takes the last of the five guards with him. His boar spear falls to the earth.

Behind you, you hear a familiar war cry and can see a familiar shape. Broad shoulders wielding wicked looking two-handed axe is charging to help Murdoc.

"Thenlir," you breathe a sigh of relief. "Maeslyn did come then, thank the Light." Just then another explosion of fire erupts just behind two of the soldiers engaging Maynard, consuming them in its fiery depths.

"A Damane! They have a Damane!" one Seanchan cries in dismay, patting out the flames.

Another Seanchan comes through the stable opening you and Maynard used and starts to engage two villagers, the rain pounds on his metal helm.

You see the man and whirl the flail twice around your head with both hands. "Duck!" you yell to the villager. He drops to the ground an the grappling hook catches the soldier in his face, crushing his face. He gurgles for a moment and then is still. The villager looks at you with wide eyes, his hands clasping a broken board for a weapon.

You salute him and move near to the dying villager who had the boar spear, wondering whether or not if you should keep the flail. The heavy grappling hook gives some decent damage, you look at it admiringly, but the rope is becoming somewhat frayed.

The fighting continues around you. Villagers armed with boar spears and clubs rush the soldiers to the north, led by the man with your hand axe wearing the enemy armor. Arrows rush out to meet them, but in the darkness they go wide. They continue onward with a courage that makes you proud and soon the din of attack and parry are heard among the sounds of the rain.

You scan to the south, water dripping into your eyes, and can see Thenlir engaging Murdoc cautiously from behind. Murdoc eyes this new foe warily and parries Thenlir's attacks and then with a series of complex moves Murdoc and Maynard are engaged in lightning strikes against each other.

"You will all die Oathbreakers!" Murdoc sneers at Maynard. "There is no hope for you. The Return will have you!" He launches towards him with a series of lighting fast moves, getting inside his guard and gashing his shoulder.

"Burn you!" Murdoc shouts.

Another fireball slams into the same two Seanchan soldiers, sending them sprawling to the earth. Their charred corpses burn for a moment until the drizzling rain puts them out, leaving a foul smell in the air.

For the moment, that leaves Murdoc and Thenlir facing Murdoc alone. You look again and you see a lake of mist rise out of the ground, its cold grey tendrils soon engulf Murdoc, Thenlir, and Maynard with thick billows of fog, and after a few seconds they are completely obscured and you can see nothing inside the strange roiling mist. Confident that they can deal with Murdoc and hold the southern side, you turn your attention to the rest of the battle field.

Those who rushed to engage the Seanchan on the north side of the inn appear to be outnumbered two to one. But you can also see through drifts of smoke, that Keb is injured, favoring one leg and she's guardedly engaging two Seanchan soldiers who are trying to get around her.