The Hire 137.

The Battle Of Almaic...

Along the top of the north wall of the city of Almaic. Commander Berric of duke Hargen's personal guard looks to the west as he and his men make their way along the walkway on the western half of the wall.
The commander who is also an accomplished swordmaster. Sees in the distance, the heavy bombardment that's still going on over on the west side of the city that's the capital of the duchy of Phelm.
War machines from both sides of the conflict, as they've being doing all day. Are still slinging and flinging loads at one another's positions.
The commander of duke Hargen's personal guard can't see too much of the city that way, where it's built up beyond the watchtowers, and where a wall could of, and should of been built in the opinion of the common born commander.
But what he can see of it, is that there's extensive damage to many of the buildings out there beyond the city proper.
The famous swordmaster, who along with his younger brother Gallene. Who he doesn't know if he's alive or dead after the battle of Savariss.
Are the two most well known commoners in the entire duchy of Phelm.
Looks away from that side of the city, and looks at the walkway along the top of the wall, further infront of him, when he hears the experienced guard Ludoc behind him, say "They've topped the wall again".
The commander of the duke of Phelm's personal guard sees that further to the west along the top of the wall. The enemy are on a section of the wall. Where the defenders, from the duke's army, both soldiers and mercenaries. As well as city guards, are fighting like crazy against them.
"Come on" says commander Berric to his men following behind him. They hurry along the walkway. And the swordmaster from the city of Savariss in northern Phelm. Flinches as a fireball cast by an enemy spellcaster. Hits the wards right next to him. Sending liquid flames upwards, and back out and away from the top of the wall.
The commander of duke Hargen's personal guard is just glad the wards there are still intact there. If not, he would of been burnt to a crisp.
Then the highly accomplished swordmaster is amongst the fighting along the section of the wall that the enemy has topped.
With longsword in hand, commander Berric wades forward through the melee. Pulling a city guard out of the way, who has been wounded. The swordmaster, not all that particularly tall. Stabs his blade to the side of a duke's soldier. Taking an enemy from the unruled lands in the Colevar Mountains in the arm. Causing him to drop his axe. And end up with a sword of the soldier infront of the commander, crunching into the front of his face.
Seeing, and hearing who it is that's come up behind them. Most of the defenders along this section of the wall, back away, to give the famous swordmaster and his men, room.
Except for those who are actually engaged with the enemy. Which aren't all that many, less than half a dozen. Though another has just got to the top of the wall, after jumping up off the scaling ladder that they've come up.
The commander of the duke of Phelm's personal guard slams his longsword into the side of an enemy soldier, who turns to face him. Sending the enemy soldier, spinning by him. To have Ludoc who is right behind the swordmaster. Shove the enemy soldier off the top of the wall, to the street below.
Commander Berric sees another of the enemy go down beneath a pair of city guards, and the swordmaster from the city of Savariss in the north of the duchy of Phelm, to call out "Push that damn ladder off the wall!".
Then Berric, who is blocked by a pair of the duke's soldiers. Sees two of the enemy, cutting down anyone who gets close to them as they fight back to back.
The commander of duke Hargen's personal guard sees it's two of the mercenaries all in black. Armour that's all black, surcoats that are black. And one with a black, lightweight summer cloak. That one has a pair of shortswords in hand. While the other, who is a woman of all things. Is fighting with a longsword.
Berric the swordmaster watches them. And would easily admit that he would be hard pressed to fight either one of them, and come out alive.
"Hell, what kind of mercs are they?" is what the commander hears Ludoc say behind him, as the experienced guardsman has also spotted those two mercenaries all in black.
"Out of the way" orders the commander of the duke's personal guards to the pair of soldiers infront of him. Who turn, and seeing it's the famous swordmaster, get quickly out of his and his men's way.
Berric hops over an injured city guard, and as another of the duke's soldiers drops when his throat is slashed open. The common born swordmaster swings his weapon over the falling body of the soldier, at the enemy mercenary all in black, who is using a pair of shortswords.
Commander Berric's longsword is blocked, and he quickly steps back to avoid a shortsword stabbed at his face.
The enemy mercenary all in black steps back too. And after a quick glance at the swordmaster's weapon, then his stance. He narrows his eyelids and looks at the chest of the common born commander of duke Hargen's personal guard.
Oh hell, Berric the swordmaster thinks to himself as he suddenly realises he's up against a highly skilled opponent, who rushes him.
The commander of duke Hargen's personal guard barely gets his longsword up to block one of the shortswords swung at him. The swordmaster from Savariss spins to one side to avoid the other shortsword, this one stabbed low at him.
The enemy mercenary all in black after the initial rush, steps back to once again be back to back with his female comrade. Who has just used her longsword to cut down a mercenary for hire in the duke's army.
"Oh shit" is what Berric hears Ludoc say behind him, as the experienced guard realises they're up against formidable opponents here.
The swordmaster glances back and sees that Ludoc is still carrying a spear, and he quickly says to the experienced guardsman "Use that when you get the chance".
Then it's commander Berric on the advance. Moving quickly forward, slashing his blade up from low to high as he attacks the enemy mercenary all in black.
One shortsword blocks the longer blade of the swordmaster. And though the other shortsword comes quickly towards him. Berric who used just the one hand to wield his longsword. Punches the enemy mercenary in the face. Sending him staggering backwards, and his other shortsword to wildly miss the commander of the duke of Phelm's personal guard.
Then Ludoc, who is considerably taller than his commander, stabs the spear he took from the eastern half of the north wall of Almaic.
And thrusts it forward over the left shoulder of swordmaster Berric. Taking the black clad enemy mercenary in the right shoulder. And though he grunts in pain. He takes hold of the shaft of the spear, and pulls it out of the hands of Ludoc.
And with the spear still in his shoulder. He advances quickly upon commander Berric.
"Fuck" mutters the swordmaster from the city of Savariss, who quickly ducks to avoid the loosely swinging spear shaft. And the shortsword thrown at him.
The thrown sword goes over him, then barely misses Ludoc. Before it slams into the face of the next member of commander Berric's company behind the experienced guardsman.
The swordmaster dodges the enemy mercenary's other blade. And though he can't get his blade up quickly to strike the fellow in black. He is able to slam the hilt of his longsword into the man's face.
Staggering him backwards, and to the side. Seeing his opportunity, commander Berric grabs the spear shaft. And pushes with all his strength. Sending the black clad mercenary through a crenellation between two merlons. And off the top of the wall.
"Fucking hell" mutters the swordmaster who is breathing heavily, while behind him, Ludoc who is standing back upright, shouts out a warning of "Watch out!".
The commander of duke Hargen's personal guard barely gets his longsword up in time to block the fast moving blade aimed for his head.
Swordmaster Berric staggers backwards, and finds the female mercenary all in black, doing what he can only describe as stalking him.
Taking a deep breath, commander Berric gets his longsword up again, and once again barely blocks the blade of the female mercenary in black. Who of all things, has striking blue eyes. And in the opinion of swordmaster from the city of Savariss, is quite attractive.
Trying not to get distracted by the black clad mercenary's beauty. Berric slashes at her with his longsword. Which she deflects with her own blade, which is of similar length.
The commander of the duke of Phelm's personal guard sees a soldier in the duke's army approach the mercenary from the otherside.
She must realise that there's someone behind her. As she spins around, whipping her longsword out infront of her as she does. Slashing open the throat of the soldier who is swinging an axe at her.
She completes the entire spin just in time to block the stab at her from Berric's longsword. The female mercenary all in black grins a viscous looking grin as she stares at the commander of duke Hargen's personal guard.
Fuck me, commander Berric thinks to himself as he knows he's up against an extremely skilled opponent, even if she's a woman.
Then as he's been taught since he was young by his father, who was a swordmaster too. Berric concentrates on his opponents chest, and shoulders. Which always gives away the movement of the person you're up against in battle. It's not the arms, or the hands holding the weapon or weapons they have. That give away their next move.
Berric takes another deep breath, as he notices that female mercenary all in black is doing the same thing. Concentrating on his chest and shoulders.
She moves first, and suddenly a dagger thrown by Ludoc, passes over the right shoulder of commander Berric. The black clad mercenary dodges it. And the swordmaster from the northern city of Savariss instead of swinging his sword at the enemy. Dives forward instead, beneath her slashing longsword.
Berric tackles her around the waist, and they go back a few feet through the air, before hitting the walkway. The commander of the duke of Phelm's personal guard. Finds himself being rolled beneath the woman, who though slimmer than him, is taller than the swordmaster.
Then Berric is stunned by a headbutt to the face by the good looking woman in black leather armour.
Though the swordmaster has his wits about him, to hold her right arm, so she can't drag her longsword between them, and cut open the throat of the commander of the duke of Phelm's personal guard.
Commander Berric grunts as he goes to shove the black clad woman off him. He doesn't have to, as she wrenches her arm free as she springs up off him.
The swordmaster quickly shakes his head. And as he goes to lift his blade up to defend himself. The female mercenary, has leapt up. And spun in midair, kicking as she does so.
Her right boot connects with the side of Ludoc's head as the experienced guard was charging her.
Ludoc goes staggering sideways, and thumps into a merlon, which he slides down, and slumps to the walkway, feeling more than a little dazed.
He's extremely lucky. For if the female mercenary in black had spun the other way, and had kicked him in the head with her left foot. The experience guardsman would of staggered off the back of the wall, and fallen to the street below.
Commander Berric who has a bloody nose and mouth from the headbutt he received. Stabs upwards with his longsword. As the enemy mercenary all in black, landed on her feet, facing him again.
Her own blade slashes to the right, blocking the swordmaster's weapon. Berric grimaces, and kicks out with his right boot, and finally gets lucky. As it connects with the female mercenary's left knee.
And using both hands on the hilt of his longsword, commander Berric basically roars as he swings the weapon from left to right with all his strength.
And though the black clad enemy mercenary goes to block the swordmaster's weapon. Her longsword is deflected. And the commander of duke Hargen's personal guard's blade slams into her right thigh above the knee.
As the female mercenary yells in pain and staggers sideways, wrenching Berric's sword out of his hands. She swings her longsword wildly down at him. Just missing his head and left shoulder. But cuts down his left arm. The swordmaster feels the blade bite through his leather armour and slice down his arm above the elbow.
Grunting in pain, Berric kicks out again as he lies there on the walkway. And gets the enemy mercenary again. This time in the right knee as she staggers sideways away from him. Unbalanced, she stumbles away, and with the commander's longsword still in her right leg, she falls off the back of the walkway, and goes out of sight as she falls off the top of the wall.
The swordmaster Berric lies there for a few moments, breathing heavily. Then wincing in pain from the cut to his left arm, he sits up.
And as others push away the nearby scaling ladder from the face of the wall. The commander of duke Hargen's personal guard looks over at the experience guard Ludoc, who is rubbing his head as he sits there slumped at the base of a merlon.
Ludoc looks his way, and says "Fuck". Commander Berric nods, and after wincing again as the cut along his left arm stings like hell, he says "Fuck alright" as he knows that they're lucky to still be alive . . . . . .