EE 1 EE 2

My thoughts scatter and I barely think. In an instance my swords are drawn and I take my stance. I dart my gaze to the left and right quickly and notice Steve has done the same, and Laura and Emma have separated and are in their own stances.  The first man I see is one with a heavy silver Ax. His face is scruffy and dirty. His eyes filled with something wild, and he’s aiming to implant his ax into my skull. I never gave him an option.  I spin on my heel and bring my right sword in an arching dive to where I would assume the man would have landed, and I was right. My blade finds its mark in the man’s upper back and he freezes in pain and lets out an agonizing yell. I roll over the man’s back and rip the sword out at an angle, causing more damage. I plant my feet on the crunching snow and fall straight to a kneeling position as I duck a Great sword that sings through the empty space above me. I shoot my arms out forward and push off my feet and in an explosion of motion I find myself face to face with my opponent. I can see the tips of my blades from over his shoulder, his face is younger and he appears to be in fear and in pain. I slam my foot into his stomach and kick him off my swords, that’s when I notice that the fighting around me has stopped. The thugs have stopped and are slowly retreating into a group, all their eyes fixated on me. I turn to Steve, he gives me a quick grin and laughs. “Nice job.” I relax when the men have left and laugh myself.  I look at Emma and Laura who return to their stuck together position. I see that Laura’s Azure eyes are filled with fear as our eyes meet for the split second before she shuffles past me quickly, Emma following.

A few hours pass and we are just making it to the bottom of the mountain. Ever since that fight I have felt so terrible, like my insides are twisting ever since Laura looked at me in fear. “Don’t beat yourself up about it, just know that you did the right thing and saved us all.” Steve said reassuringly as he put his arm around me, but I felt anything but reassured. I glanced back just above Steve’s hand on my shoulder to see Laura and Emma, talking quietly to each other. I have the strangest feeling they’re talking about me because when they notice me staring they look away and go silent, as do I. I let my gaze set on the dirt as I weight myself, a murderer? That’s the first time I’ve actually killed anyone, and I didn’t have a second guess about it.  A protector? Did I save us? I don’t know. Steve squeezes my shoulder once and keeps his arm around me. He stopped attempting conversation with me as he noticed my grimace.  I don’t remember how we got to our campsite, but all I know is I’m on a log next a fire in the middle of a prairie and the cold mountain is now in the near distance, but far enough for us to escape the cold. “Where are we going?” I ask without thinking. Laura and Emma look up at me almost agitated, but something about their gaze sets me on edge. I almost see a grin on their faces. I turn to Steve to see that he is looking at me, he notices it too. He laughs to confuse the girls and it works. “We’re off to the nearest village ya dolt!” I put my head down and laugh. “Yer one to talk ye gingerbeard!” He quickly and over drastically runs a hand over his chin to feel the slightest hint of stubble and pretends to faint. I can’t help but laugh, now genuinely. I peer at the two girls who have now decided to laugh themselves. I walk over and pick Steve up from the ground where he ‘feinted’; his back is covered with dry dirt. A good sight to see considering all we saw in the mountains was white snow and gray rock. He gets up rather quickly and stumbles forward, I have to take a step back to regain myself from him. He chuckles, but speaks quietly. “Remember those daggers when we were ambushed? Where are they now?” He stands straight now and smiles at me. I laugh pretending I heard a joke, but the thought now corrupts my mind.  Do those two have knowledge on how to sue daggers? If so why? A dagger is a mischievous weapon and has always carried a negative reputation for its actions.