Before I post the chapter, I have to say I'm soooo happy I got that problem worked out! Ok here it is. Let me know if you see anything wrong with it.
Chapter 2: Fierce Anger
For a few minutes the man just lay there stunned.
Meanwhile, Teinas was busy stopping the others from attacking their leader, Eivarlost. With outstretched arms he ran in, "Sheathe your weapons men for I am Teinas and this," he gestured to Eivarlost, "your captain. We only rush in like this, because we are angered at the way you are conducting yourselves: partying with dancing and drinking! Even killing each other," he kicked over the corpse by his feet. A dagger protruded from the dead man's heart.
"And even speaking of women in times of war," shouted Eivarlost, venting his rage on the man at his feet by kicking his steel-toed boot at his side. Ribs cracked, and the man screamed in pain, spluttering blood from his mouth as he did so.
"You, Ramein, I thought I could count on you," Eivarlost continued, "You're just like the rest of these brutes! No discipline," and with that he booted Ramein again but lighter this time.
Slipping out a dagger, Eivarlost bent himself down next to Ramein, "I ought to gut you right here and now, man, but I'll be merciful," after a pause, "this time."
Meanwhile, Teinas was explaining to the others, half of which were drunk and not completely understanding, that although they may be able to "act this way back in our homeland, Nersins Realm, we must never do it when engaged in war." One of the men pointed out that it was hardly war when they were just pillaging villages and killing those inside. His comment, however, went unnoticed.
"Aye, Teinas, that is exactly right," Eivarlost glanced over the men, "I thought I could expect more from you. As it is, you have weakened and delayed us from completing our mission."
"Eivarlost," Teinas walked over to him. Eivarlost snapped his eyes on him, "More than half of the men are either drunk or out," he indicated the snoring drunks, warm rum running down their hairy chins. Eivarlost's face twisted in disgust.
"I think it'd be best," Teinas continued, "if we camped here a few days to try to 'pick up the pieces'. It'd be no easy task dragging these men along with us in this condition."
"Agreed," said Eivarlost. Then turning back to the men, he asked, "Are there any here who are not drunk?" Out of the thirty men, only five stood up.
Eivarlost pointed to Ramein, the man who had just received a good beating a few minutes earlier, "Two of you will take this dog back to Nersins Realm to heal up."
With that, Eivarlost carefully stripped Ramein of his dark cloak and handed it to the two men who had stepped up behind him, "Take this and tie it to two strong boughs. You're going to have to carry him back."
When the two young men began searching the ground and finding only thin sticks, Eivarlost rolled his eyes and added, "You might have to cut them from one of these trees here." The men, thus enlightened, went right to work, using their weapons to cut the boughs from one of the trees.
Ramein, meanwhile, was sprawled out on the ground, his mouth in a puddle of his own spit-up blood. He was in so much pain that he didn't want to even groan. He just lay there, his ribcage cracked and a continual bleeding on the inside.
Finally, the two young men had fastened the cloak to the boughs they had just chopped down and were hoisting Ramein up onto it in order to carry him away. Ramein screamed in pain.
As Eivarlost watched them disappear into the thick darkness, he began to feel sick to his stomach. What had he just done? He nearly killed a man! No, Ramein deserved worse than what he got.
"But does that excuse my actions," Eivarlost wondered aloud.
"Talking to yourself," a voice asked.
Eivarlost looked up to see Teinas, hopping over sleeping men to get to him.
"No, I-," after a pause, "How're the men?"
"Oh sure, change the subject," Teinas teased. Eivarlost let out a short laugh and punched Teinas' arm.
"No, seriously," he said.
"They're calmer now," Teinas answered, glancing back at the sleeping men. A few sat up staring into the dancing flames of the fire. The night was peaceful.
Meanwhile, Teinas was busy stopping the others from attacking their leader, Eivarlost. With outstretched arms he ran in, "Sheathe your weapons men for I am Teinas and this," he gestured to Eivarlost, "your captain. We only rush in like this, because we are angered at the way you are conducting yourselves: partying with dancing and drinking! Even killing each other," he kicked over the corpse by his feet. A dagger protruded from the dead man's heart.
"And even speaking of women in times of war," shouted Eivarlost, venting his rage on the man at his feet by kicking his steel-toed boot at his side. Ribs cracked, and the man screamed in pain, spluttering blood from his mouth as he did so.
"You, Ramein, I thought I could count on you," Eivarlost continued, "You're just like the rest of these brutes! No discipline," and with that he booted Ramein again but lighter this time.
Slipping out a dagger, Eivarlost bent himself down next to Ramein, "I ought to gut you right here and now, man, but I'll be merciful," after a pause, "this time."
Meanwhile, Teinas was explaining to the others, half of which were drunk and not completely understanding, that although they may be able to "act this way back in our homeland, Nersins Realm, we must never do it when engaged in war." One of the men pointed out that it was hardly war when they were just pillaging villages and killing those inside. His comment, however, went unnoticed.
"Aye, Teinas, that is exactly right," Eivarlost glanced over the men, "I thought I could expect more from you. As it is, you have weakened and delayed us from completing our mission."
"Eivarlost," Teinas walked over to him. Eivarlost snapped his eyes on him, "More than half of the men are either drunk or out," he indicated the snoring drunks, warm rum running down their hairy chins. Eivarlost's face twisted in disgust.
"I think it'd be best," Teinas continued, "if we camped here a few days to try to 'pick up the pieces'. It'd be no easy task dragging these men along with us in this condition."
"Agreed," said Eivarlost. Then turning back to the men, he asked, "Are there any here who are not drunk?" Out of the thirty men, only five stood up.
Eivarlost pointed to Ramein, the man who had just received a good beating a few minutes earlier, "Two of you will take this dog back to Nersins Realm to heal up."
With that, Eivarlost carefully stripped Ramein of his dark cloak and handed it to the two men who had stepped up behind him, "Take this and tie it to two strong boughs. You're going to have to carry him back."
When the two young men began searching the ground and finding only thin sticks, Eivarlost rolled his eyes and added, "You might have to cut them from one of these trees here." The men, thus enlightened, went right to work, using their weapons to cut the boughs from one of the trees.
Ramein, meanwhile, was sprawled out on the ground, his mouth in a puddle of his own spit-up blood. He was in so much pain that he didn't want to even groan. He just lay there, his ribcage cracked and a continual bleeding on the inside.
Finally, the two young men had fastened the cloak to the boughs they had just chopped down and were hoisting Ramein up onto it in order to carry him away. Ramein screamed in pain.
As Eivarlost watched them disappear into the thick darkness, he began to feel sick to his stomach. What had he just done? He nearly killed a man! No, Ramein deserved worse than what he got.
"But does that excuse my actions," Eivarlost wondered aloud.
"Talking to yourself," a voice asked.
Eivarlost looked up to see Teinas, hopping over sleeping men to get to him.
"No, I-," after a pause, "How're the men?"
"Oh sure, change the subject," Teinas teased. Eivarlost let out a short laugh and punched Teinas' arm.
"No, seriously," he said.
"They're calmer now," Teinas answered, glancing back at the sleeping men. A few sat up staring into the dancing flames of the fire. The night was peaceful.
-Courtney-
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