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"What's that?"
Fid had frozen in the middle of the floor and Jaheira crashed into his back as he stopped abruptly. She swore at him furiously in a hiss, shoving the man forward. But Fid barely flinched, still listening. Jaheira rolled her eyes. "Great, now the great buffoon thinks he's hearing things-"
Vlad signalled sharply for her to be silent and Jaheira shut up immediately, watching him. The outlaws' leader moved towards the window, squinting out into the darkness. His eyes narrowed suddenly and he swore with a quick intake of breath before turning towards the door, his sword in his hand immediately. "We've got company! Seems Fid's candle attracted not only you two but a small band of Orcs as well!"
He grabbed Jaheira as he passed, pulling her out with him, but not before she had managed to give Fid a look so filled with utter contempt he flinched. The unfortunate outlaw moved quickly to the window, looking out into the darkness. "Hey, are you sure they're not just-"
He stopped suddenly, suddenly realising his position. He was alone, looking out the window for a hidden enemy, with his back uncovered, in an empty room. An empty house in fact - the door below clicked shut beneath him with a sound which would startling in the silence. He gave a low moan, before rushing down the stairs...and melting into the cupboard beneath them as the front door opened once again and a foul stench and a dark shape filled the doorway and corridor...
Fid knelt wide-eyed in the cupboard, crushed against some cloaks, his face pressed into them so he had to be careful that his scared breathing did not cause them to rustle too much. But as he was sitting there, even in his panicked state, he realised something about the cloak his face; they were covered in dust. All of them were. They haven't been used in weeks... the truth slowly dawned on Fid. The villagers had probably known about the orcs - they had staked out a doomed area!
His gasp must have been too audible, for there was a grunt outside the cupboard door and the sound of armour moving against leather stopped. The man froze, then steeled himself, gritting his teeth - despite his apparent cowardice, Fid was no fool, and the door pushed outwards. The sound of one of the orcs calling to another in the guttural black tongue covered the sound of the man's whispered count to three...
He slammed the door open with a yell, knocking the foul creature in front of it backwards, clutching at it's maimed face, dark blood gushing between itself gauntletted fingers. Fid didn't pause, running it through with his sword straight away, once through it's chest, then through it's throat, not taking any chances. Darting around it, he sliced powerfully through the air sidewards at the next orc's neck level, his yell covering the disgusting sound of steel through muscle and flesh. The orc's head rolled away and Fid was nearly sick as he saw it's lips move a few times before he looked away, swallowing the vomit that threatened to well up. He could hear the others outside and braced himself; he hadn't been able to prove himself against villagers in a raid this time, but now he had the chance to do it in this fight. As he jumped over the second orc's prone body, sword still in hand, and rushed out the door, he couldn't help the whisper at the back of his mind... Orcs are a little different from surprised villagers...
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