Swordsong [Alex!!]

[Zane]

Swordsong rang through the forest, there was a fight going on. The combatants were a few brigands and a well armed individual with a massive warhammer. though the Man was quite outnumbered at four to one, he held his ground.

"Tell me you rogues, what made you decide to attack a blind man?" The man asked, trying to start a friendly conversation in a not so friendly fight, parrying one blow and retaliating with another.
"Twas that coin purse you carry." one stated, sidestepping the head of the hammer, he was weary of the massive head but the man seemed to be more or less non-aggressive, for now, "Are you sure you're blind? Your too good at this."
"Yes, I am very blind, but you four make a large bit of noise in your armor so I know where you are." He lied, he then thrust the hammer butt into the stomach of one of the brigands, following through with a high swing aimed at the temple, the rogue died instantly. "Whose next?"
"What the hell? You killed him!" the pause that was associated with that brigand's exclaim got him a blow to the knee, shattering it, and a swift blow to the temple, snuffing out his light/
"What, you attack me then expect me to let you live? Life doesn't work like that. You attack a Guildfist you die, that is a fact of life."
The two remaining brigands looked at each other, this man was a Guildfist? Deciding not to test if what the man said was true, they ran.

"So bothersome" baldur sighed as he returned his hammer to it's hold on it's back. "How long are you intending to stand there Elf?" he said to the newcomer.

[alex_xr]

Tass, let lose two arrows, on the two men fleeing.   " Never turn your back on your enemy" She said more to her self, as she walked over and retrieved her arrows. She reluctantly looked at the man standing there, He fought well for a blind man. " Blind huh?" She said returning her bow to her back.   She walked a bit eyeing the man as if taking his measure. " You see well for a blind man, I would say your either not blind or you see in some other way. " 

Tass toyed with her hair as she stood there staring at the man. She had decided he wasn't a threat but that didn't mean he wasn't.  She had never heard of a Guildfist, but these men seemed to fear him once he said it. and how he handled himself showed the man knew how to fight. Tass, just hoped she didn't have to fight the hulk of a man.

[Zane]

"I can rule out one of your theories." Baldur moved his hands to the back of his head, removing the black blindfold and looking in the woman's direction. His eyes were highly unfocused and clouded over, pigmentation devoid from his retina. "Still believe that I am not blind?" he returned the blindfold over his eyes and started to circle the girl.

"Tis rather an odd occurrence to be attack by brigands, tis very queer to have those routed brigands shot down. Nonetheless you saved me the trouble of hunting them down so I thank you, my name is Baldur Guildfist, might I ask you yours?"

[alex_xr]

She was surprised, he was blind.  " Most call me Tass"  She said looking at him as he started to circle him, keeping an eye at her.   He was right,  it was odd, but it was purely luck. " I think its good luck that I happened to approach when I heard your swordsong, and someone needed to put down fools"   Tass, shook her head. Her curiosity was getting the best of her. She had to ask, so she did. " So what is so special about an Guildfist that it inspires two men fighting a blind man to run away so suddenly? "  She was truly interested, as she had never heard of a Guildfist and this man was part of their family or something with his last name.

Tass just smiled and waited warily following the man with her eyes, only turning if she needed to. She would not let him have her back. She would not let him leave her sight, she didn't want to risk anything. This was one of those moments where the wrong move can get you killed.

[Zane]

"Well Tass," Baldur began, still circling and beginning to talk with his hands, "If you have never heard the name Guildfist then I can only assume that you know not of Guildfist Castle. A beautiful Mont carved from a mountain in the Thunderbacks, near impossible to get to in one piece if you know not the way. I was headed there actually, before I was attacked. Anyway, Guildfist castle is home to a very elite group of warriors, named the Guildfist. Their attacking force rivals that of the roaming religion Cleara Verdad. If you come to the castle capable to fight, they take you in. If and when you leave you are a force to be reckoned with. That would be why they ran. Enter a boy and he will leave a man. I was born as a Guildfist, my mother being a descendent of the original clan."

[alex_xr]

" Impressive,  May I accompany you and see this place if it is as impressive as you say it is, perhaps I could learn a thing or two. "  Tass said wondering if she really meant it or not.  A group the size of the verdad.... That was impressive.  and he was a descendant, that explained it.   She went through her options at the moment and it seemed leave or follow as her only ones.   

A group of elite warriors.. She wondered if they would show her something or perhaps she was too seasoned.. or maybe they didn't take woman.. or elves. She had come up with a million reasons why he would say no.  Yet not a single reason why he would say yes.  She just waited, wondering what his next move would be. Not wanting to break the silence as  it was better than saying something foolish. 

[Zane]

"That is a very good question." Baldur paused, pondering over what to do, "Guildfist normalites require one to find their own way to the Mont. But you did help me." He was silent for a moment. Be was thinking. Finally after a moment, he spoke up. "I can guild you to the Castle, but I cannot help you with any of the obstacle that await us on the path."

[alex_xr]

Tass shrugged " That is no problem I am more than capable of taking care of my self. " She  wondered what the worse that could show its face anyways, a well armed party such as them would surely deter most.  Tass looked him over.  "Well shall we go? unless you wish to loot these fools. "   She didn't like lingering in one spot on the roads, it was a bad idea unless you were with a large group or absolutely sure that all was fine. 

Tass smiled as she  waited  wondering where this castle was, surely it couldn't be that hard to find and get into. I mean she had gotten this far.

[Zane]

"It's still a three day journey to the Thunderbacks from here. I would like to get to the Mont posthaste. So I shan't loot them. Besides I have little use for money and I love my armor so all is well. if you want to loot them then go ahead. I won't wait for you though." With that he walked onward.

[alex_xr]

Tass laughed as she followed him with no delay, There wasn't a chance she was going to risk losing the man. Also she had no need for their loot, She had all she needed at the moment.  " So what brought you away from your castle? " She was sort of curious why the man had left.

It was a funny thing how one could just start traveling with someone after a short encounter.  Tass just kept walking, keeping up with the man wondering how he knew where they were going. It was going to be interesting following an blind man to some grand location such as they were.  It was no wonder the man was attacked, maybe he was aimlessly wondering due to his blindness or something.

[Zane]

Baldur kept up a brisk pace, obviously avoiding any gnarled roots on the path. "Simple and Selfish reasons. Life in Guildfist castle is fairly isolated. I wanted to see the world, but as I quickly learned. The world is very pretty but filled with ugly people, like those that would attack a blind man making his way home. But I wouldn't let that deter me. The reason I'm heading back is I miss my home, I'm eager to see it again."

[alex_xr]

Tass nodded and kept up, having no problem keeping up with the human's pace.  " I agree, that is an apt description of the world. " She smiled and looked around, keeping an eye out, She hoped that they weren't going to be a target again. The disadvantage of traveling with company, is that she couldn't as stealthily walk among the woods. She liked to sneak up on her foe, so she could use her bow. She was good with it. Better than with her whip.   

Tass, knew what he meant, home was a wonderful place, and she sometime wished she could go home. That was neither now or there, so she kept up with Baldur.  It was going to be a long trip she felt.

[Zane]

The two walked in silence for a while, not really must to say, and a vast number of reasons to be listening. Finally, as the sun started to set, did Baldur slow down, still yet to stop. "If you are intent on joining the Guildfist then you should know, people have died trying to make a claim to our name. Guildfist training is brutal, even more so to outsiders. Also we base most things on symbolism, such as the name Guildfist. It's a reference to our origins. We were once a Mighty guild of warriors, so much so that the dwarves decided to build us a permanent home. Carving it out of the the mountain and build the castle city under the ground. Our emblem became an international symbol for aggression, which at the time it was a fist. Somewhere along the line we took the name Guild of Fists which was later shortened to Guildfist. Another form of Symbolism is our weapons, in Guildfist custom, if you can trust you weapon to save your life, you give it a name. My Hammer has the name Animos, which is two references, Animos is Asgardian for Courage, but it is short for Animosity. The symbolism is the balance between bravery, fear, aggression, temperament, and cruelty." He stopped his speech but kept walking.

[alex_xr]

Tass listened, she could tell the man was very serious about the Guildfists. " Such a history and I have never heard of them, I feel ignorant. "  She was afraid, she could take anything they could throw at her, she felt confident of her bow, and a bit of her work with her whip.  " I am in awe, you make me doubt my ability, to be honest. The sound of your group of warriors is great,  and their history sounds amazing. " 

Tass had never named her weapons, both of elven make, they were elegantly made yet strong and deadly. She would not take anything less then them.  It was a present from her family when she left, they wished they would serve her well. She had never found weapons that had equaled them as most craft of men left her wondering how they called them weapons , but as she looked at his hammer, she knew that it was a great weapon.

[Zane]

"That's the point." he still continued to walk, the darkness becoming onset. "You come to us doubting, or longing, or weary. all of which can lead to demise. The Guildfist will iron it out of your, make you courageous, wise, powerful. With out help you can turn a handicap into an advantage. But be warned, Doubtful, longing, and intrusting will lead to death, if you show any sign one of those, we will use it to break you. A broken man has can do one of two things, fix themselves, or give up. The former is near impossible an the latter is lethal. We will try to break you, but that is because mended steel is stronger then tempered steel. Very few of those that have been broken have fixed themselves, but they are the strongest of us all, normally marked with the title of Princ-" Something was following them, fifteen paces to the right. Baldur grabbed Animos off his back. "We have company, friends of the brigands I would assume. Proceed with caution but don't stop walking."

[alex_xr]

Tass grabbed her whip, and kept walking, she had to show her strength to this man. Something about him demanded the best of you. She waited and  wondered what might be creeping up on her, and was ready to snap her whip at whatever may creep up towards her.  She wanted to make an impression on  the man, and feigned a limp as she kept walking, as if she had stepped on something.  Wondering if it would goad the men to man up and show themselves.   They had slowed compared to their old speed but she wondered if her decision was a good on or not, its what she would do had she been alone. 

[Zane]

Baldur walked on, Animos ready in his hand. "If they are only stalking us, then we will push on through the night, stopping to rest would be resigning ourselves to death. If they are waiting to attack, get ready for a fight, We will find out which it is up here, there is a clearing about five minutes ahead of us, if there are archers, stay behind me and pick them off, leave any close combatants to me. Do you understand?" He wasn't asking, he was ordering. They would live or die by his decision. the Former was more attractive an option.

[alex_xr]

Tass listened and let her whip rest on her hip, It was his order, so she would follow it.  She pulled out her bow and kept walking, Her bow out, she prayed silently and hoped they would survive.  She kept up their pace and stopped the limp.  Tass then held her breath as they entered the clearing, She looked around wondering if there were anyone, but no one was near by, It was errie.  She shook her head and prepared her self for a long night. The perks of stalking is if they didn't rest, the hunters became just as tired as the prey.

[Zane]

Once through the clearing, Baldur sped up. "They are stalking us, the farther out we get, the safer we are. I have a plan but we will have to wait till the darkest hours of the night, we shall act when the moon sets." Baldur did not relax his hammer though. Nor would he.

[alex_xr]

Tass nodded and kept up the pace, She was fine, and only a little tired, elves seemed to handle these sort of situations better.  Tass just kept up her hands on her bow, with an arrow half notched.  She wondered what his plan was, surely it was mad, but then again as long as the moon was out a little, she could see. She could see now just as well as any other time but she knew that wasn't the same for humans.  She spoke a little. " Just know if its too dark, elves can't see either, "  Knowing he had some sort of blind sense. 

Tass wondered if he knew if she was an elf.  She didn't know the extent of his sight.   She did know that he had a good ear, Baldur had detected the followers before she had. It was sort of embarassing to her, as she took pride in such skills usually.