You think you are never going to have to kill when you are tired and drunk?
The words haunted me as I swung wildly, barely able to keep my feet. I'd put my back to a tree to help. Three spears kept probing and seeking a way to my body and I kept them at bay, mostly, taking a shallow wound here and there, arms and legs dripping and stinging. I was vaguely aware of what was happening behind them but they were not. If they had been they would have been running and not trying to get their spears into me. Sapphire had been killing while I had been surviving. The middle of the three collapsed without a sound, his spine severed at the neck; he pitched forward into me, incidentally shielding me from a spear thrust his body turned aside. The one to my left flew back, a spry of blood from his face telling all anyone should want to know about his story. The third had spun and backed a pace. Sapphire, standing exactly in front of me, blade extended in front of him, moved forward a pace, and the barbarian turned and ran. Sapphire threw his sword and reached out for mine, which I surrendered, turning my head and struggling to focus on the Alendi as he staggered back to his feet, his back laid open from shoulder to hip and the sword nowhere in sight. Sapphire went after him and I staggered away from the tree, looking around drunkenly. I counted. Seven, making… I thought about it. Ten. That was right. “Damn, you're good,” I mumbled.
He passed me back my sword without comment and I sheathed it on the third attempt.
“I think the dogs would be better,” I heard him mutter as he went after our horses.
Well I didn't. I'd seen them. Great big slavering monstrosities as big as any dog I could imagine and not the thin lanky type of dog either. I imagined ten of them breaking through the undergrowth and heading our way. Ha! See how well you do against them, tough guy! Bastard. “Sorry.” I didn't think I had been speaking loud enough for him to hear. I shook my head. Damn, I was drunk.
I'd fallen off my horse avoiding the first spear thrust as they burst through the undergrowth. They'd been laying in ambush, like they knew we were coming. I swear Sapphire killed the first one as though he'd been laying in ambush for them. Wasn't sure. Too busy falling off my horse. He'd come back for me though. “Good man, Shapphi,” I muttered to myself as I staggered away from the tree.
“Can you get on?”
He was there with the horses. I shrugged. “No idea. Let's see.”
The drubbing he gave me that night made the other pale into insignificance. I think he may have knocked me out, but I'll never be sure.