Many dead littered the little valley, but the Thune still greatly outnumbered all the infantry in sight. Once out of the valley, in the slowly growing daylight, and with range to properly use their bows, it would be easy hunting. With primal screams of rage and anguish, now that they could see them retreating to a nearby hillock with the horses to make a last stand, they charged again, screaming curses and vows to make the survivors wish they hadn’t. Continue reading Thune Runner XIII →

Another wild hack came at Jispin, and he countered with a sharp slash of his own, cutting her arm to the bone. One-handed she attacked again, and once more Jispin blocked and countered. Shortly, it was over, and he had a chance to cut another slave free of his restrictive bonds before he had to fight off another revenge-minded Thune. Continue reading Thune Runner XII →

Centurion Maximus Aelianus worked beside his men in the dim moonlight, moving more by feel than anything else. He took another break to listen. He could hear horses in the distance. “QUIET!” he hollered. The sounds of chopping, digging, and armor halted. Silence fell about the draw they labored in. The rapid beat came clearly to everyone’s ears. “TIME! To the hill!” Continue reading Thune Runner XI →