[Rinfanawen]

Diera flashed her blade brightly in the sun, as she made ready to face her foes. She was forced to make herself delay the attack longer than the others for the simple fact that she could not keep from laughing. Watching such graceful Elves and already comical Lossoth fall through the icy water caused her to break out in a prolonged laughter, and that’s saying a lot. She breathed deeply. It was time to kill.

She ran forth at an exhilarating sprint onto the ice. Her long sword was raised high above her head in the air. Though a frost was indeed in the area, she felt it not. Her heart beat quickly. It reverberated through her head to the same quickening pace of her snow-covered feet. She felt a slight chill on her legs as she ran, but her focus was directed solely on a lone Elf at the near side of the battle. The immortal one had been leaning near one of the holes trying to help a friend out of the frigid water, but the Elf now stood upright facing Diera. He pulled an arrow from the long quiver at his back and put it to his bow.

“Go on, Elf demon,” Diera shouted as she ran. “Try to resist me!”

The Elf shot a single arrow in the direct path of her, but Diera dodged it easily. Her long, golden-hilted sword soon met the Elf’s short sword in close combat. The force of Diera’s sprint threw the Elf back onto the ice. The Elf was quickly back on his feet with sword outstretched. Diera removed the small knife from the inside of her right boot, her sword being in her right hand. She rushed at the Elf. The Elf stood ready.

The battle between the Corsair and the Elf lasted for many extremely eventful moments. Suddenly Diera saw the Elf slash his sword at her left forearm. True was the strike, and it sliced through all layers of her clothing until it broke her skin. For the first time in a long while, she felt real warmth return. She cried out in anguish. The knife dropped from her hand, lost in the arctic snow below. Diera knelt in great pain. She stared up cruelly at the smiling Elf, and then beyond at the broken ice behind him. Soon you will join your friend in the frozen waters, Diera thought, as if the Elf could read her mind. Diera leaped forward with her sword before her. The Elf blocked her quick blow, and their swords clung together as Diera began to push the Elf back. The Elf resisted some, making the process slow, but Diera pressed on.

“I do not fear you, filthy Corsair!” the Elf yelled as he struggled to push back her sword.

Diera’s eyes widened at the absurd thought of her being considered filth. With all of her strength, she pushed the Elf through the hole in the ice and into the bitter water. She smiled as she spoke, “Perhaps you should have feared me, you filthy land-dweller!”
The Elf sunk below the water.

Diera paused for a moment as the pain in her arm increased. She held the wound firmly with her right hand. Blood started to seep through her fingers in little rivers flowing down her hand. She began to tear off a piece of cloth from her shirt to wrap the wound with, but she was distracted by an unpleasant voice in the air.

"Maybe if you beg and grovel, I will save you," said Jynne, not too far from where Diera stood.

Diera watched as Jynne held a rope to which an unfriendly Lossoth was holding. The Snowman flung his spit at Jynne.

"Such nobleness," Jynne said silkily. "Have you ever noticed that nobility is often the sword plunged within a brave man's heart?"

Jynne, with a slash of his knife, severed the rope. Diera quickly ran towards Jynne. With her blood-covered hand, she gripped hold of his shirt tightly.

“What was that?” Diera scolded angrily. “You listen to me, Jynne. I hate those Elves as much as you do, probably more, and I enjoy nothing more than ending their pathetic immortal lives...but do be humane about it, please! That goes for Lossoth as well.”

Diera removed her grip from Jynne’s shirt. Taking no notice of any remark Jynne might have made to her comment, if he made one at all, she returned to the perilous battle on the ice.