A glance back to make sure that the others are with him and the rasp of steel clearing its scabbard come together with the downright boyish grin flashed towards Sir Keith before Adonis swings back towards the fray and gives voice to the family cry of "A Campbell, A Campbell!" both to dishearten the foe and warn the unhorsed rider that aid is mere heartbeats away.

Karl draws his sword and runs toward the fray.

The rescue party have now gone about three-quarters of a mile and as they round a bend they see a couple of figures with wolves now swarming about them.   One is standing but appears to  be wounded - the other is on his back with a wolf atop him.

Their bloodlust appears to have dulled the pack's senses and you feel surprise run through the air as you charge down the last dozen yards.


...

To the west Eldor slumps to the ground at the mouth of the trail, exhausted.  The night seems strangely quiet now, even the leaves seem to have stopped rustling..

 Charging with rather more enthusiasm than accuracy, Sir Campbell gives another battle-cry and charges squarely into the fray, aiming more or less directly for the downed man struggling for his life and attempting to draw the attention of the wolf - and as many other wolves as he can attract - away from their bleeding prey with wild swings and plenty of noise.

 ---

22:31, Today: Sir Adonis Campbell rolled 19 using 1d20. A rescue, a rescue!.

 Doubt that'll hit much. ^_^

Brakkus takes a deep breath, closes his eyes, and begins to concentrate.

Beren, his sword unsheathed, scanned his surroundings nervously.

Karl moves as near the wounded man as possible, swinging at any wolf that comes his way.

Thomas comes roaring in with the rest of his compatriots swinging the great weapon in a wide arc.

17:49, Today: Thomas Keith rolled 12 using 1d20. Strike the Wolf!.

Sir Adonis, astonishingly, fails to hit anything but the shock of his heavy-footed arrival does push the wolves away from the fallen soldier.

Thomas and Karl together slay one wolf, and Harou and Creldo put paid to another.  However you realise that there are a LOT of the creatures, more than on the previous night, and they appear to be coming out of the trees on all sides - if you are not careful they will cut off your retreat.

The standing man is a slim blond-haired fellow, looking like he has already had some stuffing knocked out of him.  On the ground lies one of Hadrik's men, still conscious and bearing his weapon but with a nasty leg wound.  He shouts something about the moon and getting the f*ck away from here...

[ooc: actions/rolls for round 2 please...]

...

Beren is keeping an eye out and is joined by the Athelsham men who make a circle with shield and spear.  Further back Hadrik's men have their bows ready.

Brakkus wipes his brow, trembling a little.

 Once firmly grounded over the wounded man, Adonis swings again with rather more in the way of vicious accuracy, giving forth his battle-cry of "A Campbell, A Campbell!" once more with obvious gusto before gaining just enough clearance to refine things a little, as he snaps to the man who had been fighting "You fellow, help your friend to his feet, stay in the centre of us - we'll fall back on the Inn!"

 ---

 01:19, Today: Sir Adonis Campbell rolled 3 using 1d20. Choppy choppy.

Thomas does not need to be told twice and begins to help cut a path out of the circle of wolves. He swings the sword in a murderous arc at any wolf crazy enough to close on them.


OOC: 21:01, Today: Thomas Keith rolled 13 using 1d20. Cut a path out for the injured.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:04, Wed 24 Mar 2010.

"What ails you, Brakkus?" Beren asked. "Did you sense... something?"

The thin fellow seems to understand Adonis' shout and half kneels to haul his companion to his feet.  With his other hand he whips a long, thin sword deftly in the faces of the advancing wolves.

There are almost a dozen wolves close around you now and a couple attack each one of the humans.  With Thomas' help you manage to start moving back along the path before they can completely encircle you.

Adonis sword cuts a huge gash in a wolf that was already bleeding and it slumps to the ground.  Creldo stabs another through the heart.  No-one else manages to land a solid blow.  Meanwhile Karl takes a nasty bite to the leg  as does the nameless thin chap.

At least now you are moving and the wolves cannot single out any one of you.

[ooc: actions/rolls for round 3 please]

 "Back to where the path narrows, then we hold them as we fall back!" shouts Adonis, retreating step by grudging step as his blade lashes back and forth before him, less singling out any individual wolf for attention and more seeking to keep the others from pressing closely enough to break up the defensive line that's the only thing keeping the humans alive just now, in the press of such overwhelming numbers.

 ---

19:26, Today: Sir Adonis Campbell rolled 14 using 1d20. Hack n' Slash.

Thomas backs down the path keeping close to the group and takes a swing at any wolf fool enough to come into his reach.

OOC: 14:28, Today: Thomas Keith rolled 20 using 1d20. Slash any wolf fool enough..

Not that I will hit the wolf fool enough...

Karl backs down the trail, slashing at any wolf that comes near.

Haro, who had been following the whole time, fires his bow at any wolf that separates from the pack.

d20: 9

In fact the path does narrow as Adonis had spotted and as you move back it becomes harder for the wolves to swamp you with your numbers.  Also it may be that the trees are growing thicker here for the wolves seem to desist from trying to cut around your flanks.

Karl despite his wound manages to ram his shortsword down the throat of a wolf as it leaps at him - and Harou's arrow strikes true, sending another animal whining away from the fight. Creldo helps defend the skinny lad as he gets the wounded soldier into a jog.

[ooc: assuming the following battle order as the path narrows.  A frontage of 4 wolves versus 2 ranks of 3 humans.  Adonis, Thomas and Creldo in the front, with the rest behind.  Remember you are walkiing backwards.

Actions/rolls for round 4 please]

...

Back at the mouth of the path, something strange is happening.  The ground seems to shimmer and move, though no sound issues.  Brejgun grins admiringly at Brakkus and Beren, then nods for them to step back.   The big Thane passes his shield to a retainer and unlimbers his great axe.  He begins to stamp his feet and mutter to  himself.     Beside him Brejgun also readies his weapon

 Almost between one sweep of his blade and the next, Adonis pulls it back in for a viciously executed stop-thrust against the nearest wolf, forming a solid center to the defence as the line pulls back into the relative cover of the trees with another cry of "A Campbell!" before the realisation that they're going to need some way to break contact in due course occurs to him and he hunkers down behind his shield to call behind him, "Harou - an eye to our rear as we fall back. The rest of you, does any man have flint and tinder?"

 ---

 22:22, Today: Sir Adonis Campbell rolled 1 using 1d20. Choppy choppy.

"Of course!"

D20: 13

As the group backs up and Thomas gets a rhythym going with Adoins he brings the great sword down in a heavy overhand chop on a wolf as it strays too near.

OOC: 15:12, Today: Thomas Keith rolled 2 using 1d20. Attack wolf coming close.

This message was last edited by the player at 19:14, Sun 28 Mar 2010.

Eldor pulls his fingers out of the dirt with an effort. Being connected to an element could sometimes be hard to come back from.

He stands and staggers slightly using his bow for support he leans forward and taking a deep breath of cold air straightens.

Eyes now clear and with a slight smile on his face he pulls up his bow. Planting 3 arrows in the ground in front of himself he notches a fourth one in the bow bringing it up to align down the path ready to give the rescuers covering fire as soon as they break clear of the trees.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:32, Sun 28 Mar 2010.

Brakkus steps back behind the warriors and readies his bow.

And Beren stepped behind Brakkus who was behind the soldiers, holding his sword...

The retreat is gathering a reasonable rhythm now, you manage to move backwards at almost a trot.

Adonis slays a wolf outright while Thomas and Creldo between them make short work of another.   One fanged mouth finds a loose spot in Adonis' armour but otherwise no one is harmed. 

From the rear rank the thin fellow is using his free hand to throw pebbles with surprising accuracy, hitting a couple of snouts in the process.  Harou fires another arrow which strikes a wolf but the creature does not seem in any way deterred by the pain.

[ooc: actions/rolls... and Adonis' cunning plan for next round please]

...

At the mouth of the trail Hadrik is now cursing in old Mercanian and his eyes are rolling somewhat.  Eldor and Brakkus have their bows at the ready and Beren... is forming a third line of defence.