The Forgotten
Chapter 25

Lynden’s powerful first strike with his great two-handed blade caused the soldier’s head to roll in front of the other soldiers, all halting and afraid to go next. Not only his head, but the knight before them cut through the soldier’s blade, seemingly preventing any block from having an effect.

While the guards froze, Lynden continued to walk forward, having not stopped since blowing the horn. He saw them backing off but noticed another group of guards flanking him. He didn’t truly know how many had him cornered, though he knew he had to show no fear. Even with all the guards around him, none wanted to take the first strike.

“Fools, attack him now, or I’ll take your lives myself when I’m through with him.“Myval commanded, his voice echoing in a deep rumble across the square.

None disobeying the king, they all attacked at once. Closing in around the ebony-clad warrior to stop him from shattering any more weapons. Lynden had made the intended effect but didn’t think the fear of the King could make them attack, knowing that many would die at the end of his blade.

Not wanting to lose momentum, Lynden charged the first guard looking to break the circle around him. Dipping his chin into his shoulder, protecting his neck, he held his blade firmly with two hands in a forward thrust.

He ran at the guard as a wild swinging mace connected with Lynden’s body. His armour did a good job of preventing broken bones, though a blow like that will still leave a nasty bruise.

Having expected to shatter the knight’s ribs, the guard’s face drained of all colour and he saw the final moments before his life ended. The charging thrust penetrated the guard’s steel armour, the sword going right through his chest out the other side where the guard behind him took a jumping leap back to avoid being stabbed in the chest himself.

Lynden pulled the giant sword from the guard’s body, it being a curse and a blessing. The confined space made it hard to manoeuvre, but still the power of such a weapon made every strike deadly.

The brown-clad knight with the black blade while skilled can not fight such numbers. He had killed many already but they were being replaced by others. While he drew the blade from a corpse, he was taking heavy hits to his ribs and leg. The force of so many blows was enough to knock him off balance, yet the hit to his leg while not damaging to the armour caused him to stumble as he stood from the trauma.

Myval looked on at the knight being killed slowly in front of him, laughing before he said, “I thank you for wearing that armour, not only will it look nice on my wall but it will give you a slow death. Then once you’re gone, I’ll kill these rebels.” Gesturing at the prisoners as he finishes.

With a loud cry Lynden, who had been taking so many hits from guard, swung his sword in a wide arch making a full turn around his body.

Shouts of pain were let out as they attempted to parry or avoid the sword stroke. Those who were taken by surprise fell, three guards struck. Two laid unmoving while another was clutching his chest, a great gash in his armour had appeared.

The attackers had the upper hand but they all faltered allowing Lynden to rise. While his armour was tough, the constant strikes he had taken caused small dents to form in the perfectly sculpted breastplate.

As Lynden stood there clearly favouring his left leg, blood started to pool up around the helm and torso. A strike to the head grazed his face causing blood to flow freely from his cheek, staining his armour.

Between heavy breaths, the warrior said, “Let’s finish this.”

He grasped his sword with two hands, preparing himself to charge again before he heard the sound of horse hooves from behind him.

“Lynden!”

Two knives flew from Jessica’s hands as she charged atop the mighty horse towards the guards. The first struck one in the eye, while the second plunged into another’s shoulder. Both guards dropped to the ground.

The horse she rode did not let up its charge when weapons flew but barrelled through a guard blocking its path. The shield the soldier bore was broken in two places, his body crushed beneath the mount.

The circle around Lynden was shattered and the attackers gathered in front of the two figures and the beast. Jessica dismounted drawing two short swords, preparing herself for the next flurry of blows.

“Get out of here you fool,” Jessica said to the knight.

With a grim smile, the man replied, “Do you really think that I’ll leave you and the innocent people who are being led to the block?”

“Had to try. We have people on the way although we’ll still be outnumbered.”

The trio charged the ranks of the King’s soldiers, the warhorse dealing the most devastation by running through their shattered lines and kicking wildly, the ranks they had formed were useless.

Jessica had followed the horse, sliding through a gap between two guards, cutting their ankles, making them fall to the floor, not able to move.

Lynden was the last to strike, his blade now dripping with blood, parried a blow from a guard looking to cut his head from his body. Retaliating with a stabbing strike to his shoulder, the pain enough to make him drop his weapon. The knight was then done with mercy and cut through the guard’s torso with a swing that hit another attacker off their feet as they blocked with their tower shield.

The fighting continued with the soldiers falling like flies. The crowds of onlookers taking as many paces back as possible, not wanting to get in the line of fire of the three companions.

-

“Reece we need to get to the square now!” Suzy shouted, “Do you not hear the fighting?”

“Please don’t shout. There is a large group of troops approaching from the keep, we need to stop them getting there, or we are all dead.” Reece replied with more scorn in his words than he intended.

With tears rolling down her eyes for her husband, she grabbed her bow and nodded towards Reece in apology.

“We have the roofs, use their cover when you need to but otherwise reign hell on those below. We must stop them.” Reece ordered to all those with him.

The thirty patrons and soldiers spread out over the rooftops loading their weapons, though the lack of skill of the townsfolk from the inn clearly showing. With their hands shaking and sweat dripping down their face they fumbled with the arrows and bolts.

Aware of their inexperience, Reece raised his arm and dropped it, the order was given. Soldiers below started to cry out, dropping to the floor dead or raising their shields to protect themselves from the barrages of arrows, rocks and debris.

With little time to scout, they could not get a count of numbers though it was clear now that the lines of four across on the long streets went far back. They were betrayed by the number of turns in the roads. There were easily hundreds of guards that would overwhelm them quickly unless they act together as a unit.

“Aim for the guards within range and keep a lookout for any entering a building, if possible take them out before they get inside” Reece shouted to everyone around him.

A steady barrage hit the guards below, though this was futile as they could only impact such a small pocket of the enemy. Most of the townsfolk just threw or shot with random abandonment. As a result, only minutes later crossbow fire was being returned from the street and many fell back to cover, scared, wounded or worse.

A farmer bolted for the doorway, screaming, “No, no! We can’t win, I want to live!”

It didn’t take long before it was only Suzy, the trained hunters and soldiers that stood shooting down at the guards, though only landing glancing blows to their armour.

The kings’ archers and crossbowmen were in positions within houses or on rooftops themselves. They quickly dispatched two men and a woman who hid together behind a chimney.

Within minutes of getting into position the guards had killed about twenty people and injured a few more. If they stayed, they would all die.

With a loud call, Reece shouted, “Retreat! Run!”

Most followed, though another six had lost their resolve taking off in different directions. A few more of them died before they made it off the rooftops.

“Make your way out of the city, we can’t fight these men,” Reece said.

He then looked at Suzy and said quietly, “I’m sorry.”