Chapter 3: The Reachmen
Asha stood, frozen to the spot, unable to move or even think as the Reachman approached her, lowering his sword as he did. He had dark face paint smeared across his features and he studied her with a gleam in his eye. “Not the usual hunters we catch out here.”
“She was carrying this,” said a Reachman, lifting the pack.
“Running away?” asked the lead Reachman. “Looking for a more exciting life? One away from the tyranny of your priests?”
He lifted the back and shook it upside down. Aside from a small piece of dried venison that was her mid-meal, there was nothing in it as it was meant to hold the meat from the hunt. “She’s got nothing,” shouted a Reachman, throwing it down.
She was roughly grabbed from behind by two Reachmen who pinned her arms behind her back. She didn’t cry out, struggling to breathe in her panic. Their leader moved in, staring at her while his companions held her tight. She struggled against them, unable to look at their leader in his war-painted face. He leaned down, taking up her whole vision. “Tell me…if not running, what are you doing?”
“H…hunting,” she stammered.
“Without a bow?” he asked. “You aren’t alone, are you?”
She flicked her gaze down, struggling to hold her tongue. Nothing would get her to betray Wulfin. Hopefully, he would escape and tell the others. The Reachman pulled away and said, “Keep your eyes out for others. Let’s move out in case they have already spotted us and are getting help. Tie her up.”
She was roughly pinned by one of them while the other went to grab a rope.
An arrow flew from the trees and hit the Reachman holding her in the back. He screamed and fell as Wulfin yelled, “Run, Asha!”
She had just enough sense to bolt for the trees when she saw a familiar wavering in the air in front of her. She threw herself sideways as a wood hand, spiked twig finers splayed out, appeared and a spray of thorns missed her by inches. The Reachman behind her who was about to grab her was pierced through the chest in multiple places and fell back with a gurgle. “Spriggan!” yelled one of the Reachmen.
The raiders panicked, two firing their bows at the woodland creature rather than Asha. Both hit its chest and it screeched in anger. It lashed out and slashed one Reachmen who collapsed in a spurt of blood, screaming for help. Asha pushed past their leader and into the undergrowth. The thorns of the bushes and trees scratched her face as she rushed heedlessly on. She crashed into a figure and fell. She screamed and scrambled away when she felt someone grab her arm. “Asha, it’s me!”
“Wulfin!” she cried, grabbing hold of his arm. “What do we do?”
“Let’s move!” he yelled, “Back home!”
He took her hand and ran, pulling her along so she almost fell many times. They found the rough dirt path through the forest and had just turned on it when Reachmen charged out of the tree line. “There! They are ov-”
The Reachman’s call was cut off when Wulfin sent an arrow into his exposed midriff. The enemy continued to charge at the pair, blocking their path to Shriekwind. Wulfin handed Asha the bow while pulling out a knife. “Use this.”
“But, you are a better shot.”
“I have other weapons.”
Asha’s eyes widened. “What? You know you aren’t allowed to use that.”
“Tell that to them!” he said, facing the Reachmen and extending his off-hand. Flames appeared and he threw out a hand, the flames shooting in a gout toward their attackers. They yelled, several attempting to dodge while two screamed as they caught fire. Asha drew back the bow and aimed at the Reachman drawing his bow to fire on her. She fired a split second before and threw herself aside as his arrow whizzed past while hers found its mark. The Reachman fell into the undergrowth where eight more appeared.
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“It’s another raiding party,” yelled Asha, drawing and releasing a second arrow.
Wulfin jumped back as a sword nearly cut him. “Switch!”
She spun around and shot an arrow into his attacker while he spun around her and unleashed another gout of flame. The undergrowth began to smolder and burn. Smoke filled the air and drifted across the path, causing Asha’s next shot to miss. “We need to get out of here.”
“Run, Asha,” said Wulfin. “I’ll follow.”
“Not happening!” she said, “I won’t leave you-”
She was distracted when an arrow flew past her and grazed her shoulder. She yelled in pain and nearly dropped the bow. Another Reachman emerged from the trees and tackled Wulfin. They rolled on the ground, fighting to stay on top, and their knives forgotten on the ground. Asha drew an arrow. “Wulfin!”
A Reachman was almost upon her, she fired point-blank and pierced the man’s chest. His momentum carried him into her and she pushed him aside, his body crashing onto the two combatants rolling on the ground. Wulfin used the temporary distraction to free himself, grab his knife, and stab the man. He stood, calling, “Asha!”
She turned to see a sword slashing down and her arm flew up as she fell backward. She felt its sting and she dropped the bow, cradling her arm. Flames shot over her head and engulfed the man who screamed and writhed away. Wulfin stood over her. “Are you alright?”
“Yes,” she whimpered, her words a clear lie. She hunkered down, clutching her arm and feeling the blood well up. Reachmen now surrounded them, men on all sides, warily watching the flames licking around Wulfin’s fingers. The Reachman leader emerged from the smoke and yelled, “Shoot him! Don’t just stand there, shoot him!”
A lightning bolt streaked from out of the smoke followed by a clap of thunder as the Reachman leader was lifted from his feet and flung like a rag doll over their heads and up the path. The smoke cleared as a party of horsemen rode into the clearing. In all the chaos and burning shrubs, they had failed to hear the hoofbeats until they were almost atop them. Most of the horsemen wore full-plated armor, each layer gleaming, dragon heads mounting the shoulders and helmets. At their head was a figure in dark robes and bronze armor with open-mouthed dragon heads on his pauldrons. The mask was a shining moonstone and held a stern expression, slanted eyes unreadable and slits for a nose. A spiked crown was upon his head and he spun a staff of bronze with another dragon’s head. It was clear he was a high-ranking dragon priest.
The dragon priest lowered the staff over the horse's head and swept it in a slow arc. A beam of lightning came from the dragon's mouth on the staff and sprayed in a line, crackling energy engulfing anything it touched. Reachmen screamed and fell writhing to the ground and Asha was sitting up just enough to see the beam of lightning moving her way.
She struggled to stand but was too slow. The lightning was upon her when Wulfin jumped in, his arms outstretched. A shimmering ward stood between them and the lightning. It struck his ward and stuck, crackling and causing him to buckle and nearly collapse. Still, his arms held strong, his muscles shaking from exertion.
The lightning died out and he released the ward. Wulfin collapsed to the path, almost landing on Asha. She grabbed hold of him and pulled him close. “Wulfin? Are you alright?”
He was shaking but nodded. The Dragon Priest’s guards rode past them, trampling the writhing Reachmen on the ground and hacking at those who had their backs turned, fleeing into the thick forest. Asha helped Wulfin to stand up, both shaking from the effort and turned to face the dragon priest. Asha bowed low and spoke, “My lord, thank you for saving us. We would have perished if not for your timely arrival.”
The cold mask looked down at her in silence. Then the dragon priest turned to his guard and yelled out in the dragon tongue, “MeyZ KENDOV. HET NOK GeiN VOTH Lah.”
When he spoke in that ancient and magic of tongues, the air shook with power and fear filled Asha’s heart. She clutched at Wulfin in terror. He, meanwhile, still seemed in a daze, swaying on his feet. The horsemen abandoned their pursuit and wheeled their mounts around. They surrounded the two Intended and brandished their swords menacingly. Asha felt the terror within her mount. “But, my lord, we are Atmorans, not Reachmen. We are faithful followers of the dragon, of Alduin World Eater, of mother Kyne.”
“Our home is just north of here,” added Wulfin. “Shriekwind Bastion is not far. Surely you were heading there when you rescued us?”
The moonstone mask tilted and a voice spoke in common. “Magic is forbidden to be wielded, unless under the service of the Dragon Cult. You have broken our laws.”
“It was to save us!” said Asha. Wulfin tried to pull her back, to silence her, but she continued, “Surely, you would not punish a most faithful servant who only used magic in self-defense against the savage Reachmen?”
“We will decide your fate at the bastion,” said the dragon priest. He gestured to his guards, “GRON NiiN.”
The dragon tongue spoken was authority itself. She could not tell what exactly he had said but his intent was soon made clear. Four guards stepped down from their horses and roughly pulled the Intended apart, tying their hands behind their backs and throwing them over the pommels.
They were prisoners of a dragon priest.