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A seeming moment of eternal silence followed as they drew their weapons. It was broken by the earth-shaking pounding of sixty horses bearing down on them heightened by the harsh, gleeful cries of their foes. Victory would be sure for them, their master would be pleased. And they would be able to have some sport...
Lumiel whispered softly to her mount, a calming, soothing word before the brigands were upon them. This was only her second true battle, but one had been enough for her to adapt as was necessary. Although they were outnumbered, only so many of the men could attack them at once. If they had bows, she didn't know, but it would be stupid to use them now, they would kill their own men just as readily as their group, unless they were able to draw any of their company off.
Back and forth her blade flew, too quick for the men to follow, and she wrecked havoc around her. In her first battle, she had been injured, and she would not let it happen again. Her qualms of bloodshed and right and wrong disappeared before the necessity of her own life and those of her companions and any hesitance that she had had before was vanished.
So far, she had been holding her own and had been able to kill a few already in the first moments of battle. Her sword seemed to sing victory for her, though that was unlikely here. She did not look to her friends to see if they were alive, but listened and used what glimpses she could catch of them to try and see how they were. She heard a neighing scream behind her and heard Gorby give a cry as he fell. So they did have bows. Near her, Esgallhugwen was a dark force striking fear into the hearts of their foes. Even as they raised their swords against her, their hearts quailed.
Off farther to the side, she heard Merkaliel scream and she turned to see Lira falling to the ground. Somehow, they had made it almost out...and Gorby and Anson too, she guessed. But where were they? She had to take attention away from them. Gathering her will, she gripped her sword tightly. Her all too calm battle demeanor fell away in an instant to be replaced by a mad grin and glinting eyes. She gave a high, harsh, loud battle cry and raised her sword as her horse reared, kicking wildly at the men. The wind caught her hair and tossed it like a web in the air. The men were not sure what to make of it, she had so suddenly changed, and for the worst they feared.
"Come, come! And I will slay thee before the sun sleeps! I will show thee true pain and power, of which your foul master knows nothing!" she cried as demonically as she could. She then added in elvish, in the same voice, "Lira, run!" so that Lira would know that Lumiel knew she was in trouble. She laughed then, and it filled the air in strange echoes. Her foes now turned their attention to the main group; renewed by Lumiel's outburst and insult they seemed almost to forget about Lira and the hobbits.
Lumiel had no time to consider how the others had taken her actions nor if they approved of it. She had not become a Dark Queen as Eswen had, nor was such a queen in her. She had put on a show for their enemies and they had fallen for it. Though her heart remained calm, her eyes darted wildly and she cackled as her blade sought the soft, vulnerable flesh that gave such a scream. She only hoped she had given Lira and the hobbits a chance.
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