e&tg 49

[rone]

Yem fell down with a grunt.  His partner charged at Ĥavar, but i interposed myself to give the dwarf time to reload.  The halfling certainly knew how to handle his mace; it was a heavy weapon for him, but he whipped it around as if it were a stick.  I spent my time parrying it at first until i got a good measure of his length and rhythm.  I was about to give him a good cut when i saw some movement in my peripheral vision.  I turned in time to parry the newcomer's mace with the butt of my axe.  Now i had to use the haft of my axe like a staff, blocking to and fro while trying to get a good swing in.  The newcomer tried to press me, and i took a chance by sweeping his front leg out and knocking him down; i then let my momentum turn me around and gave the first thug a good chop, which he half-parried and half-dodged.  I kept going at him, waiting for the other one to recover, and when i felt him behind me, i drove the end of my axe backwards, stabbing where i hoped he'd be.  The first thug saw that my reach was suddenly shortened to almost nothing, and reared back.  I anticipated his swing by taking a step back, turning in place and whirling my axe around in a circle.  My blade cut through his right arm and into his chest.

I pulled my axe free quickly and turned to face the newcomer.  He was on the ground, face down.  I rolled him over and saw that the butt of the axe had caught him in the left eye, leaving an unpleasant hole.  I turned towards Ĥavar, in time to see him land a powerful right hook on his halfling's face and knocking him to the ground.  He turned towards me and grinned.  Then i felt something hit my shoulder and turn me around.  I saw a halfling behind a tree, reloading a repeating crossbow and taking aim at me.  Then i heard a screech and i saw a body fall on top of the halfling.  Kohasadi landed next to the prone bodies and set upon my attacker.  His screams did not last long.