Apprentice

I caught a glimpse of Jenna using those long legs to cover the ground quickly in the same direction. Jenna was faster and had longer strides she entered the woods ahead of me, and was pulling away. I struggled to keep up, but my short legs just couldn’t match the strides and pace Jenna set. I fell behind quickly.

I could smell the smoke now, and hear the roar of the fire. I lost sight of Jenna in the haze, but kept pushing myself onward. I started to hear more noise, at first I thought I was hearing the pigs calling in terror, but as I got closer my apprehension grew. The pig like noises sounded to organized to be just pigs. It was then I heard a bellow of rage "Come on you sons of sows. Feel my fury." Other bellows covered up the rest, but I knew that was my uncle, and I was instantly afraid of what I was going to see.

Slowing at the tree line I gasped for breath and took in all the images of what lay before me. In front of the hours, by a large oak stood my uncle, in front of my aunt with his massive smith hammer held high. There were six orcs arrayed in front of him with sword, spear, and axe. The barn was completely engulfed in flame, and the house was starting to burn. Looking farther around I saw Jenna being wrestled to the ground by another orc, who had dropped his axe to tackle her. Jenna was struggling to get loose, but the orc was too strong and heavy. I dashed over to them scooping up the axe. I raised the axe high and brought it down onto the creatures back. I heard the snap of bone, and felt a spray of blood hit my face. The creature let out a squeal of pain and collapsed a top my sister.

I cried "Jenna stay there and play dead, I must help Kalten."

I turned without waiting for a response and charged toward the back of the orcs. The two orcs with spear were tormenting my uncle with little jabs that stung and made him bleed, the rest were waiting for an opening to dive in. My uncle saw me coming and turned to engage one of the orcs with a spear. The other orc squealed with delight raised his spear for a killing thrust, and died when my axe cleaved his head from his shoulders. My uncle bashed in the skull of the other spear wielder, and crushed the ribs of another orc with an axe. Now the odds were better, but we were still outnumbered, and I was not a fighter.

The orc closest to me turned and brandished his axe advancing toward me. The other two orcs spread out around my uncle. I do not know what happened next, all I remember is trying to defend myself with the stolen axe. I was spun around after a particularly vicious swing and felt pain explode on my right shoulder before I blacked out.

I do not know how long I was unconscious, but when I awoke I was dazed, sore, and hurting. I must have been out for a couple of hours because the sun was almost gone and shadows crept across the former farm.

Struggling to my feet I looked around for my family. I didn’t have to look far. My uncle lay a few yards away a sword run through his belly, his hand still gripping the hammer that had smashed his killers’ skull in.