Chapter 8: Understood

Talsmith

Johann and Rikard race through the streets of Talsmith. A group of townsfolk comes running around a corner trying to get to the castle.

"Make a hole!" Rikard yells, not stopping his sprint.

The group quickly parts allowing the the Ash Legion Commander and Lord Talsmith a clear path. They rush passed in a blur of red, gray and blue, white.

"Where is she?" Rikard calls back to Johann.

"She lives near the market."

"We put explosives there." Rikard grunts as he jumps over a broken crate on the ground.

"I'm aware! Hurry!"

As Rikard passes an alley, a Viking leaps out and chases after him. Johann takes his poleaxe, impaling the Viking in the back and forces him to the ground. Johann pulls his weapon free and races after Rikard, seeing him engaged with another Viking. Rikard parries a strike and thrusts the guard of Death's Glare into the man's neck. With a splash of blood and a choking gurgle the man falls to the ground. Seeing another Viking coming from an adjacent building Rikard charges for him.

"Keep moving!" Rikard orders as Johann runs by.

The Viking goes to strike at Johann as he goes by but misses and is thrown of balance. Rikard takes advantage of this to deal a heavy overhead strike, delivering a fatal blow. He turns and races after his brother. Two Vikings try to block Johann's path but he just barrels through them, knocking one to the ground. Rikard slashes out at the one standing, making a clean cut through his neck, and firmly plants his boot on the fallen Vikings neck.

"ÉG RÍF ÞIG Í BITA!"

Rikard looks up to see a Raider swinging his dane axe at the Lawbringer. Johann stumbles as the axe scrapes across his back. Johann turns to face the Raider as he raises his axe for another attack. Johann parries the strike and counters with one of his own.

"Zu Tode, mein feind!" Johann yells, delivering a devastating blow. The Raider takes several steps back, trying to regain his senses. Johann looks past the Viking to see Rikard charging towards them.

"Sterben!" Rikard rams his shoulder into the Raider's back, knocking them both to the ground. As Rikard gets up, he stabs the Raider in the chest. The Viking grabs at the blade trying to get free but looks up to see an armored boot rushing towards his head. With a final twist of his foot, Rikard pulls his blade free, and looks up as two great fireballs streak through the sky. Rikard looks down the road seeing a large group of Vikings heading their way. "Get ready to run!" Rikard shouts as he pulls a flare from his belt, lights it, and points it towards the Vikings. A bright red flare flies through the air high above the buildings. "Move!" Rikard sprints towards the Vikings, Johann closely following. They charge the Vikings.

-o0o-

Talsmith Catsle, Outer gate

A spiked flail crushes the skull of a Viking warrior.

A dagger slashes the throat of another.

A poleaxe impales a third.

"Hold the line! The bastards will not get through!" Robert orders. The Ash Legion soldiers ready themselves for the next wave of Vikings. A Raider and two Berserkers lead the charge of the next wave. "Ives, Ella, on me." The three stride forward to meet the Vikings.

"Volley!" Lambert yells from atop the wall.

Arrows fly overhead, felling several Vikings. The Raider takes an arrow to the shoulder but continues his charge. Robert meets him head on, dodging a strike from the Raider, and shoves the Raider back with the haft of his poleaxe. A Berserker attacks from Robert's flank. Ives crashes into the Berserker with his shield, knocking him to the ground. The second Berserker, a female, leaps over the male Berserker both axes raised high. Ives blocks the attack and shoves her to his left. The Berserker stumbles before she is grabbed from behind. Ella stabs the Berserker twice in the abdomen with her dagger before cutting the Viking's throat with her sword. Ella releases the Berserker, letting her fall to her knees clutching her bleeding throat. Ives towers over the fallen Berserker, swinging his flail, and brings it down hard on the Viking's head, smashing it to bits. Robert parries the Raider's attack. Grabbing the Raider, Robert shoves the him to the side, before sweeping his legs out from under him bringing the Viking to the ground and stabs him with the spike of his poleaxe.

The three ready to take on the remaining Viking soldiers, as two fireballs fly over the town. Following the path of the fireballs they see a red flare go up above the town.

"All archers ready a volley on that flare." Lambert orders. The archers notch their arrows, take aim, and draw back on the strings. "Fire!"

Dozens of arrows race through the sky and into the town.

-o0o-

Streets of Talsmith

Johann swings his poleaxe in a wide arc, striking four Vikings in one motion. Rikard thrust his sword into a soldier's chest using the momentum to throw the man back. He takes his sword by the blade and strikes another man's neck with the guard, pulling the Viking to him. Rikard takes the man's shield and goes back to back with Johann.

"Kneel!" Rikard yells. Johann complies, going down to one knee and raises his poleaxe ready to impale the next Viking. Rikard raises the round shield to cover both him and Johann. A volley of arrows rains down around them, killing the attacking Vikings. One of the arrows grazes Rikard's leg.

Rikard lowers the arrow laden shield, looking for any surviving Vikings. "Clear." he says, throwing the shield to the ground.

Johann gets to his feet, scanning the area around them. "Bloody hell."

"I didn't expect that to work that well." Rikard says, rotating his shoulder.

"You've done that before?"

"Oh, hell no!" Rikard taps his fist on Johann's shoulder. "Now, let's get moving."

Johann stares at Rikard before running after him. They rush down the main thoroughfare, hearing the battle cries of the Vikings surrounding them. Johann catches sight of another group of Vikings ahead of them.

"Take a right." Johann says to his brother.

Without a moments pause Rikard turns right entering a small alley between buildings, Johann on his heels.

"Take the third left, then the second right, and straight through the carpenter's workshop."

"This is an odd route." Rikard asks looking over his shoulder before taking a left.

"This is how I would get to Elsie for..."

"For your little rendezvous?" Rikard stops to look around the corner, spotting a pair a Vikings ahead, he holds up a hand to halt his brother. "Don't worry. I don't judge. Do mother and father know?" He whispers, still watching the Vikings as they begin to walk towards them.

"No, they don't. How many?"

"Why haven't you married her yet? Just two. I'll take the first one." Rikard knocks on the wall beside him. The Vikings both look towards the sound.

"Its not that simple. I was to be wed to some noble's daughter from Beaufort." Johann sees Rikard hold up three fingers, lowering one, then another.

A Viking rounds the corner, Rikard punches him in the jaw and shoves him farther into the alley. The second Viking comes around the corner to attack at Rikard's back, but is quickly halted as his skull is split by Johann's poleaxe. Rikard grabs the Viking by the back of the head and slams him into the wall twice before throwing him to the ground and stabbing his sword through his chest. Rikard turns back to Johann and motions for him to lead the way. They make their way down the alley, Johann stopping to look around a corner.

"You're a Lord now. You can marry whoever you want, and trust me the women from Beaufort are horrible anyway."

Johann looks to him, "You've been to Beaufort?" He holds his hand up signaling a halt as a group of Vikings runs by.

"Briefly. It wasn't pleasant. Far to confined." He leans against the wall. "Too many lords trying to get ahead of each other. Scores of fighting men used as pawns in a meaningless game of power." Rikard sighs in disgust.

"Sounds like there is a story there, but we need to keep moving." Johann rounds the corner and continues on.

"Aye, right behind you." Rikard follows.

-o0o-

Talsmith Castle, Outer Gate

"I'm getting really tired of these bastards!" Ives yells, crushing a soldier's wind pipe with the edge of his shield.

Robert impales a Viking throwing him over his shoulder. "We can't hold much longer!" he yells, seeing another wave of Vikings coming for them.

"We need to..." Ella yells in surprise as a Raider charges, lifts her over his shoulder, and throws her to the ground. The Raider goes in for a final blow raising his axe.

"Waga shuchuu ni ari!" With a heavy thud, a large kanabo slams into the Raider's chest. The Viking stumbles, falling on to his back. The Shugoki continues his attack, raising the club above his head he slams it down on the raider.

"I hate Vikings." Matsura says, offering a hand to the Peacekeeper.

Ella takes the offered hand and is pulled to her feet. "Thanks for the assist."

"Thank me when this is over." He turns to the approaching Vikings, roars, and charges towards them.

"Forward! Hold them at bay!" Onaga orders as the other Samurai charge through the gate. "Knights recover."

Ella, Ives, and Robert step back, letting the Samurai take their place. A volley of arrows flies over them towards the next wave.

"Where is the commander?"

"He and the lord went to help some straggling townsfolk." Robert answers.

"Bloody idiot." Ella mutters.

"Without aid?" Robert nods. "Satomie, Suda find the commander. Ensure his return." Onaga orders.

The Shinobi and Orochi don't respond, they merely slip through the Vikings and race into the town.

"How long can we hold the gate?" The Kensai looks to the Lawbringer.

"With your back up, we can hold a while longer but not much."

A Viking battle cry catches their attention. A Warlord was approaching. As were the Warborn.

-o0o-

Back Alley

Johann points to the building ahead of them. "This is the carpenter's workshop. After this it's just..." A woman's scream interrupts him.

They both race ahead. Another scream and the sounds of a struggle from the workshop. Seeing the door, Rikard lowers his shoulder. "Break left!" He shouts before slamming into the door, breaking it off its hinges. He stumbles and rolls right using the momentum to spring back to his feet. Johann charges in going left. The both ready their weapons.

They take quick notice of the Valkyrie in the center of the workshop. Then the Berserker clutching the spear impaled in his shoulder. The Valkyrie twists her spear, breaking something vital, as the Berserker goes limp falling to the ground alongside two other Viking soldiers. The Valkyrie takes a defensive stance upon seeing the Knights.

"Johann!" Behind the Valkyrie a woman sitting on the ground reaches a hand out towards the Lawbringer.

"Elsie." Johann moves towards her but the Valkyrie blocks his path.

Rikard lowers his sword and holds up his hand. ""Við erum hér bara fyrir stelpuna." The Valkyrie looks to him. "Þessi maður er eiginmaður hennar." He motions to Johann.

"Johann, she saved me form those men. They were going to..."

"It's alright I'm here now. We're going to get you to the castle. Rikard do we have a fight on our hands?"

"Working on it. Þakka þér fyrir að vernda, Elsie. Við viljum bara taka það til virkisins."

The Valkyrie lowers her spear but keeps her shield at the ready and steps aside. She keeps an eye on Rikard as Johann goes to Elsie.

"Are you alright? Did they hurt you?" he quickly asks.

"I'm fine for the moment thanks to her." Elsie bows her head towards the Valkyrie." But, I don't think your child is going to wait much longer."

"What?! Now?!"

"Johann, take her and go." Rikard orders.

"I'm not going to leave you on your own."

"Go now. That's an order. You're fighting for something more important now."

Johann nods, picking up Elsie in his arms he leaves the workshop.

After they were gone, the Valkyrie look back to Rikard. "Why?"

"Why?" he repeats.

"Why did you risk all by coming here instead of staying behind your walls?"

"It is because of people like her." He nods in the direction of Johann and Elsie. "Because she and that child are what I fight for. To give them a chance to live. Mine is a life of war. Theirs doesn't have to be."

A war horn sounds in the distance.

"So, what do we do now? Is this to be a final duel for one of us?" Rikard asks.

"No. This is no place to die. Join your Knights. Fight well in open battle." she levels her spear at him. "Should we meet again on the field there will be no quarter. Understand Warden."

Rikard bows his head and gives a mock salute. "You have my thanks. Fight well Valkyrie." Rikard backs out of the door and into the alleyway.

-o0o-

Streets of Talsmith

Johann runs as quickly as he can to the castle with Elsie in his arms. He goes into a house to avoid a group of Vikings. He waits for the group to run by.

"Are we going to make it, Johann?" she asks, looking up to him.

"Of course we are. We'll be there in no time."

"I can tell you're lying."

"Don't worry. Rikard bought us some time. We'll make it." He peers through the doorway.

"Rikard? That Warden is your brother?" she asks, pain evident in her voice.

"It's a long story." Johann steps out of the house. "It has to do with these Vikings. Otherwise, I doubt he ever would have returned."

"Stöðva!" A Viking yell from behind them.

Johann turns to see a trio of Vikings with weapons drawn. He didn't have time to react as the lead Viking let out a gurgle and clutched his neck. A figure drops down from the rooftop, landing on the other two and knocking them to the ground. Johann recognizes this figure as a Samurai Shinobi as they slam their sickle like weapon into the back of their skulls. The Shinobi stands and looks to Johann.

"I really hope Rikard was right about you." Johann says, giving the assassin a wary look.

"Where is the commander?" a voice behind him asks.

Johann turns to see an Orochi. "He was buying us some time. Look, we aren't going to make it on our own. Will you escort us to the castle?"

The Orochi looks over the Lawbringer and the woman in his arms. "Satomie, take them to the castle. I'll find the commander."

The Shinobi silently nods and walks past Johann towards the castle.

"Where was the commander last?" the Orochi asks.

A red flare shoots into the sky not far away.

"There he is." Johann looks to the flare.

-o0o-

Streets of Talsmith

Under the light of a red flare, Rikard shoves a Raider back and slashes at his leg, bringing the Raider to a knee. Rikard tears through the Raider's neck with the guard of his sword. He kicks the Raider away and prepares for the next Viking. Two soldiers charge him. Rikard blocks a sword with his own and grabs the haft of an axe with his free hand from the other. He rips the hand axe out of the Viking's grip and kicks him away. Using the axe, Rikard splits the skull of the other viking. He raises his sword towards the rest of the Vikings and puts his back to the wall of a building just as a volley of arrows rains down on the Viking group.

Rikard takes a moment to catch his breath. He suddenly drop to a knee and places a hand to his side. He looks at his hand and sees it streaked with blood. 'Ella is going to be angry.' he thinks. Preoccupied with his wound, Rikard doesn't notice a Berserker creeping up on him.

The Berserker raises his axe, but lets out a pained gurgle as a kunai is imbedded in his neck. Rikard gets to his feet as the Berserker falls to the ground and raises his sword. An Orochi emerges from the darkness.

"Shiki-kan" he bows his head slightly. "We need to return to the shiro."

Rikard nods as a large explosion lights up the night sky from the direction of the market.

"Lets move. Follow me." Rikard leads the Orochi through the alleys, heading towards the castle.

-o0o-

Talsmith Castle, Outer Gate

The Knights of the Ash Legion and the handful of Samurai were fending off the latest wave of Vikings. Surprisingly, the Samurai were adapting well to fighting alongside the Knights. Robert, Ives, and the Shugoki Matsura were holding the front line. Ella, the two Nobushi, and the Aramusha were slipping through any openings and dealing deadly strikes. Onaga stood at the gate calling out threats as they came, most notably was the Warborn Warlord issuing orders to the Viking soldiers.

A volley of arrows rains down around the Warlord, killing several vikings but the Warlord merely raises his arrow riddled shield and blocks yet another volley. The Warlord points his sword at the defenders. "Dreptu þá alla!" he yells, signalling the next wave.

From atop the ramparts, Lambert orders the archers to fire at will. His attention turns to the town as a large exsplosion erupts from the market. Lambert then spots a Lawbringer carrying a woman with a Shinobi at his side. He leans over the parapets and yells down to Robert. "Lord Talsmith across the way!" he points towards the Lawbringer.

Robert pulls his poleaxe from the neck of a Raider, looks up to Lambert, then out to Lord Talsmith. "Clear a path!" he yells

Matsura picks up a soldier by the throat, crushes it, and tosses the man at his fellows. With a roar the Shugoki charges forward bowling over all the Vikings in his path. Ives sprints after the Shugoki. Robert charges right after them, beheading a Berserker on his way. Matsura charges straight at the Warlord, raising his kanabo high. The Warlord parries the attack and shoves the Shugoki to the side. Ives runs forward, jumps, and bashes his shield into the Warlord staggering the Viking. Dazed the Warlord doesn't see Rorbert charging him at full speed with the pike of his poleaxe leveled at the his chest. The Viking let out a pained yell as Robert raises the him into the air on the pike. The Warlord goes limp and Robert drops him to the ground.

With the rest of the current wave being dealt with, Johann, Elsie, and the shinobi group up with the others and head inside the gate. Once inside the walls Johann places Elsie on her feet. She holds on to his arm for support. Her father, Harrison, and Aveline come rushing up to them.

"Get her inside now." Johann orders.

"Yes of course my lord. Thank you, thank you." Harrison says helping Elsie to the castle.

Aveline merely nods as she helps the woman forward.

Johann turns to look out the gate and takes several heavy breathes. "Pull back! Seal the gate!"

The surrounding Ash Legion troops look at the Lawbringer before turning to their own officers awaiting orders.

"Those are Commander Rikard's orders! Seal the gate!" he yells.

Onaga turns to Robert, waiting to see what he would do.

Robert lets out a frustrated grunt. "Seal the gate."

The Ash Legion troops quickly respond and close the gate. With a moment of respite the Knight and Samurai catch their breath. Johann turns to go to his men but is stopped by Ella standing in front of him.

"Where is he?" she asks coldly.

"On his way." he answers.

"And how is he going to get in?"

"We'll find a way." he starts to walk away but stops when a dagger is held at a gap in his armor.

"If he doesn't return, and the Vikings don't kill you. I will do it myself." she treatens, her voice cold as death itself.

"Understood." he replies walking off to join his men.

-o0o-

A/N:

Sorry this has taken so long. Hopefully we can get back on track soon. Anyway, thanks Sierro97 for following. Until next time.