| Fantasy Fiction posted April 22, 2023 |
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Contest Entry
The Escape
by DragonSkulls
The author has placed a warning on this post for violence.
It wasn't my first choice for how to wake up. I thought it was all just a wicked dream but clearly it was not. The Gastiff Clan had us bound and gagged and had stopped under the cloudless, star-filled sky for the night. These savages raided our hamlet, murdering every last man, woman and child except for us four. My husband and his small army of warriors were out earning a bounty when we were attacked this morn. Why they spared only us four women is still unknown. Perhaps they knew I was Lord Clechan's wife and the other three were wives of his generals. We were tethered to a huge oak tree with our hands bound behind us. I must have passed out from the exhaustion of that day's journey. I awoke sitting upright.
I spotted a single night watchman patrolling the area. Each time he passed, I dropped my head and closed my eyes as if still asleep. We were tied a good distance from the rest of the clan's men. Eventually, I freed my feet from the restraints. I scooted closer to the tree to give the rope that tethered me some slack. There was plenty for what I had planned.
On the guard's fifth pass, I reached behind me and pinched Lady Gail's meaty backside. She awoke with a muffled yelp that drew the watcher's attention. Once he was on the other side of the tree, I stood up, turned and grabbed the rope binding me to it. The moment he stood back up after leaning over to slap her, I swung myself around the tree and him. The momentum yanked his face straight into the bark. With the rope now around his neck and me back on the other side of the tree, I used both of my legs for leverage and savagely pulled until his body stopped convulsing. I let loose and his corpse flopped on top of Lady Gail.
I unsheathed his dagger and cut myself loose, then the other three. We were the wives of warriors and well trained in the art of combat. Our captors would regret letting us live through their slaughter.
Beneath the harvest moon...we killed. We'd muffle each man's scream with the same filthy rags that were forced down our throats. In a single motion, the three would grab, confine and gag as I'd thrust the rusty dagger into the jugular. One by one, their wretched clan silently died.
Nearly to the horses we'd use for escape is when one soldier awoke and spotted us. I skillfully threw the dagger that ended his life but not before he alerted the rest of the small army. Grabbing every weapon we could along the way, we hacked and slashed until we mounted the stallions. I cut the rope that was keeping all the rest in place and jabbed the rear horse in its behind. They scattered into the darkness.
We tried to flee but couldn't outrun their arrows. The other three women toppled off of their horses behind me. If they didn't die instantly, they'd soon be dead. "I'm sorry, my sisters," I wailed as I fled.
I knew the direction I was heading but surely they did as well. I was certain they had at least three horses besides any they might have caught. It was a good day's travel before I'd make it home. Knowing they weren't far behind and knowing I didn't want to run my horse to death, I decided to stop and fight whatever foes might follow briefly behind.
I tied my mare to the brush and climbed a tree on the trail I just passed. As predicted, the first lone soldier followed closely. He stopped when he came upon my horse. Perhaps it was sheer luck that he stopped right underneath me. I dropped from the limb and skewered him with a saber that pierced his torso from his neck down to below his heart. Before he crumbled off his horse, another soldier came riding up. Now in the saddle, I drew the spear from its holster and charged. Calculating distance and speed, I hurled the weapon into his horse's chest. Its front legs collapsed while I unsheathed the sword on my back. The soldier flew forward against the momentum of my blade. His severed head bounced in the dirt.
I dismounted, hid and waited for the next. Going by sound rather than sight, I jumped out and chopped his horse's right hind leg. He plummeted from the beast to the earth. Before he could even right himself, I was on him and viciously cleaved his ribcage in twain.
I had to flip his carcass over to retrieve the bow from his back. Just as I picked up an arrow and primed it is when the next soldier came charging around the bend. With precise accuracy, the arrow plunged into his face. I grabbed the reins of his horse as it passed, kicking him off as I swung myself upward into the saddle.
Another soldier raced up beside me, his steed keeping pace with my own. Well armored, I doubted the damage my sword could actually do. So, I did the unimaginable. I jumped from my horse right onto him. We crashed to the dirt. After catching my breath, I leapt up and swung the heavy sword. My foe easily parried my attack and then kicked me to the ground. I got up and tried again with exactly the same results. This time I was seriously hurt. He was laughing as he towered over me. "Goodbye, wench." he mocked as he raised his massive sword to end me.
That very moment, my hamlet's flag crested the hillside and my loving husband was the first in sight. The soldier over me instantly tried to flee. An archer's arrow pierced his left leg and he fell screaming.
He'd be the first to die by my husband's hand. The Gastiff Clan knew not of what horrors awaited for their breach in their signed treaty of peace. But they were soon to find out.
it wasn't my first choice writing prompt entry
It wasn't my first choice for how to wake up. I thought it was all just a wicked dream but clearly it was not. The Gastiff Clan had us bound and gagged and had stopped under the cloudless, star-filled sky for the night. These savages raided our hamlet, murdering every last man, woman and child except for us four. My husband and his small army of warriors were out earning a bounty when we were attacked this morn. Why they spared only us four women is still unknown. Perhaps they knew I was Lord Clechan's wife and the other three were wives of his generals. We were tethered to a huge oak tree with our hands bound behind us. I must have passed out from the exhaustion of that day's journey. I awoke sitting upright.
I spotted a single night watchman patrolling the area. Each time he passed, I dropped my head and closed my eyes as if still asleep. We were tied a good distance from the rest of the clan's men. Eventually, I freed my feet from the restraints. I scooted closer to the tree to give the rope that tethered me some slack. There was plenty for what I had planned.
On the guard's fifth pass, I reached behind me and pinched Lady Gail's meaty backside. She awoke with a muffled yelp that drew the watcher's attention. Once he was on the other side of the tree, I stood up, turned and grabbed the rope binding me to it. The moment he stood back up after leaning over to slap her, I swung myself around the tree and him. The momentum yanked his face straight into the bark. With the rope now around his neck and me back on the other side of the tree, I used both of my legs for leverage and savagely pulled until his body stopped convulsing. I let loose and his corpse flopped on top of Lady Gail.
I unsheathed his dagger and cut myself loose, then the other three. We were the wives of warriors and well trained in the art of combat. Our captors would regret letting us live through their slaughter.
Beneath the harvest moon...we killed. We'd muffle each man's scream with the same filthy rags that were forced down our throats. In a single motion, the three would grab, confine and gag as I'd thrust the rusty dagger into the jugular. One by one, their wretched clan silently died.
Nearly to the horses we'd use for escape is when one soldier awoke and spotted us. I skillfully threw the dagger that ended his life but not before he alerted the rest of the small army. Grabbing every weapon we could along the way, we hacked and slashed until we mounted the stallions. I cut the rope that was keeping all the rest in place and jabbed the rear horse in its behind. They scattered into the darkness.
We tried to flee but couldn't outrun their arrows. The other three women toppled off of their horses behind me. If they didn't die instantly, they'd soon be dead. "I'm sorry, my sisters," I wailed as I fled.
I knew the direction I was heading but surely they did as well. I was certain they had at least three horses besides any they might have caught. It was a good day's travel before I'd make it home. Knowing they weren't far behind and knowing I didn't want to run my horse to death, I decided to stop and fight whatever foes might follow briefly behind.
I tied my mare to the brush and climbed a tree on the trail I just passed. As predicted, the first lone soldier followed closely. He stopped when he came upon my horse. Perhaps it was sheer luck that he stopped right underneath me. I dropped from the limb and skewered him with a saber that pierced his torso from his neck down to below his heart. Before he crumbled off his horse, another soldier came riding up. Now in the saddle, I drew the spear from its holster and charged. Calculating distance and speed, I hurled the weapon into his horse's chest. Its front legs collapsed while I unsheathed the sword on my back. The soldier flew forward against the momentum of my blade. His severed head bounced in the dirt.
I dismounted, hid and waited for the next. Going by sound rather than sight, I jumped out and chopped his horse's right hind leg. He plummeted from the beast to the earth. Before he could even right himself, I was on him and viciously cleaved his ribcage in twain.
I had to flip his carcass over to retrieve the bow from his back. Just as I picked up an arrow and primed it is when the next soldier came charging around the bend. With precise accuracy, the arrow plunged into his face. I grabbed the reins of his horse as it passed, kicking him off as I swung myself upward into the saddle.
Another soldier raced up beside me, his steed keeping pace with my own. Well armored, I doubted the damage my sword could actually do. So, I did the unimaginable. I jumped from my horse right onto him. We crashed to the dirt. After catching my breath, I leapt up and swung the heavy sword. My foe easily parried my attack and then kicked me to the ground. I got up and tried again with exactly the same results. This time I was seriously hurt. He was laughing as he towered over me. "Goodbye, wench." he mocked as he raised his massive sword to end me.
That very moment, my hamlet's flag crested the hillside and my loving husband was the first in sight. The soldier over me instantly tried to flee. An archer's arrow pierced his left leg and he fell screaming.
He'd be the first to die by my husband's hand. The Gastiff Clan knew not of what horrors awaited for their breach in their signed treaty of peace. But they were soon to find out.
I spotted a single night watchman patrolling the area. Each time he passed, I dropped my head and closed my eyes as if still asleep. We were tied a good distance from the rest of the clan's men. Eventually, I freed my feet from the restraints. I scooted closer to the tree to give the rope that tethered me some slack. There was plenty for what I had planned.
On the guard's fifth pass, I reached behind me and pinched Lady Gail's meaty backside. She awoke with a muffled yelp that drew the watcher's attention. Once he was on the other side of the tree, I stood up, turned and grabbed the rope binding me to it. The moment he stood back up after leaning over to slap her, I swung myself around the tree and him. The momentum yanked his face straight into the bark. With the rope now around his neck and me back on the other side of the tree, I used both of my legs for leverage and savagely pulled until his body stopped convulsing. I let loose and his corpse flopped on top of Lady Gail.
I unsheathed his dagger and cut myself loose, then the other three. We were the wives of warriors and well trained in the art of combat. Our captors would regret letting us live through their slaughter.
Beneath the harvest moon...we killed. We'd muffle each man's scream with the same filthy rags that were forced down our throats. In a single motion, the three would grab, confine and gag as I'd thrust the rusty dagger into the jugular. One by one, their wretched clan silently died.
Nearly to the horses we'd use for escape is when one soldier awoke and spotted us. I skillfully threw the dagger that ended his life but not before he alerted the rest of the small army. Grabbing every weapon we could along the way, we hacked and slashed until we mounted the stallions. I cut the rope that was keeping all the rest in place and jabbed the rear horse in its behind. They scattered into the darkness.
We tried to flee but couldn't outrun their arrows. The other three women toppled off of their horses behind me. If they didn't die instantly, they'd soon be dead. "I'm sorry, my sisters," I wailed as I fled.
I knew the direction I was heading but surely they did as well. I was certain they had at least three horses besides any they might have caught. It was a good day's travel before I'd make it home. Knowing they weren't far behind and knowing I didn't want to run my horse to death, I decided to stop and fight whatever foes might follow briefly behind.
I tied my mare to the brush and climbed a tree on the trail I just passed. As predicted, the first lone soldier followed closely. He stopped when he came upon my horse. Perhaps it was sheer luck that he stopped right underneath me. I dropped from the limb and skewered him with a saber that pierced his torso from his neck down to below his heart. Before he crumbled off his horse, another soldier came riding up. Now in the saddle, I drew the spear from its holster and charged. Calculating distance and speed, I hurled the weapon into his horse's chest. Its front legs collapsed while I unsheathed the sword on my back. The soldier flew forward against the momentum of my blade. His severed head bounced in the dirt.
I dismounted, hid and waited for the next. Going by sound rather than sight, I jumped out and chopped his horse's right hind leg. He plummeted from the beast to the earth. Before he could even right himself, I was on him and viciously cleaved his ribcage in twain.
I had to flip his carcass over to retrieve the bow from his back. Just as I picked up an arrow and primed it is when the next soldier came charging around the bend. With precise accuracy, the arrow plunged into his face. I grabbed the reins of his horse as it passed, kicking him off as I swung myself upward into the saddle.
Another soldier raced up beside me, his steed keeping pace with my own. Well armored, I doubted the damage my sword could actually do. So, I did the unimaginable. I jumped from my horse right onto him. We crashed to the dirt. After catching my breath, I leapt up and swung the heavy sword. My foe easily parried my attack and then kicked me to the ground. I got up and tried again with exactly the same results. This time I was seriously hurt. He was laughing as he towered over me. "Goodbye, wench." he mocked as he raised his massive sword to end me.
That very moment, my hamlet's flag crested the hillside and my loving husband was the first in sight. The soldier over me instantly tried to flee. An archer's arrow pierced his left leg and he fell screaming.
He'd be the first to die by my husband's hand. The Gastiff Clan knew not of what horrors awaited for their breach in their signed treaty of peace. But they were soon to find out.
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Writing Prompt for this challenge, if you dare to accept it, you must write a complete story of at least 1000 words beginning with the sentence: It wasn't my first choice for how to wake up. the sentence may be put into quotes for dialogue, but must not be changed in any other way or added to. |
This is a continuation of my poem/story of 'The Broken Pact.' It's in my portfolio if interested.
Thank you for reading.
DS
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and 2 member cents. Thank you for reading.
DS
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