The Tide Rolls In - Rogin - Samheen 26th

[Brytan]

Samheen 26th - Gravetide

The day passed without much interruption to Rogin's training schedule. After he had cleaned up his slightly rusty blade, which took the better part of a mark, he found himself some driftwood and stones to make several suitable targets for practicing thrusts and cuts.

The sun rose higher and the practice got more agonising with every passing mark. Each jab and slice with the blade broke out more sweat than Rogin was used to and he had to pause and stop several times to drink and rest in the shade of several lone palmtrees which stood at the edge of a small rise.

The water waned down the tide for the first part of the day and came up higher as tradetide passed, driving Rogin's training further up into the cove so his feet didn't get wet. Raider didn't seem to mind the water at all, cooling him down in this hot desert climate.
As the sun set and Rogin set up camp, making himself a fire, it got much colder than it had been during the day. Upto the point where Rogin required extra covers to keep him warm in his sleep. He did manage to fall asleep however, being exhausted from the day's excersise. Only to be woken up several marks later by a noise coming from further down the cove. The moon and stars were clearly visible in the night's sky as Rogin woke to the sound of voices and footsteps close to where he had made camp for the night.

[Guest]

Rogins eyes flew open from the on coming voices. Raider was also starting to get uneasy.
He jumped up and put out the small fire with sand. He silently grabbed his sward and moved behind some broken barrels close to Raider. He didn't want to be too far from him in case the unidentified intruders decided that Raider would make a good prize.

Rogin still felt his muscles. They were still slightly tens from the training. But he felt very pumped and alert! He felt glad he started training that day because he needed it badly. But once you start up again everything comes back to you in a flash. Like you've never stopped.

Who was it that he might have to fight? Or was it just some travelers on a late night stroll? Whom ever it was, he was ready for them.

[Brytan]

As Rogin's eyes adjusted to the starlight after having been asleep after a long day of training he could make out several shapes heading in his direction. The splashing of ores in the water, combined with muffled voices was getting clearer and clearer.

He had hidden behind some barrel scraps and watched as several men rowed up the small cove in a less than seaworthy vessel, hardly larger than a rowboat, with a makeshift sail in the middle. He could make out three shapes in the boat, along with a cargo he could not readily determine in the minimal lighting on the water.

Rogin watched as the men got out of the boat and started dragging it ashore. When it was safely set on the sandy beach one of the men said; "I'll go see what that fire was all about, perhaps our guys are early." The man grabbed a lantern and lit it as he walked up towards Rogin's camp, noticing Raider almost instantly as the horse was less than comfortable with this unknown person moving towards him. "Guys, there's someone else here!" The man sounded alarmed and Rogin could see him draw a blade from his belt.

"Come out, whoever you are!"

[Guest]

Rogin saw three men come ashore dragging an object that he could not quite make out. This did make him curious as to what it was though.

When one of the men yelled out to him he was startled by the fact that they had seen his fire. This put him at a disadvantage. He did, however, have the advantage that they did not know that he was alone, at least he hoped.
He heard one of them also say that they were expecting others. This made him look around nervously. Hoping to catch a glimpse of others. This way he could either run.......or stand and fight if need be. Three men was a challenge but thought out precisely he should be able to take them out. Unless they were very experienced. Then that would be a bad thing. Besides who would take care of Raider?
Ok, next plan!

Run??? No, not an option!!! "I've never run from a fight and never will."
"I could be very friendly and help them with their cargo. But if they're traveling at this time of night, they probably don't want a stranger helping them. I could bluff them and make them think they were in danger. Hmm. How do i do that when they are expecting more back-up." he thought to himself.

Ok, here goes!

"Gentlemen, I assume you would not like to be disturbed?!" he said from behind the broken barrel. His words sounded confident.
"I as well do not wish to be disturbed. You mind your business and I'll mind mine. This way there will be no conflict and no unnecessary bloodshed. Think of the people you love and love you. How much they would miss you! So let's just say we've never met and go about our own business."
Rogin watched the men carefully, sizing them up. Trying to locate their weapons, if any. He was also planning his potential attack. Where he would be placing his feet how he would roll, from what angle best to cut the first man in half. Then regaining his stance to get ready for his next attack. While he was thinking about this he adjusted his sward in his hand, turning the blade downward.
This, of course, depends on the answer the three men would give. But if need be.....

Now it was time to wait and see.

[Brytan]

As Rogin spoke he could see the men disembark from the small vessel, all three of them now readying weapons in the light of the lantern the first one who had gotten of had lit. He could see several short swords and a scimitar in the dim light of the lantern. The faces of the men covered in shadow as Rogin was blinded by the light shining in front of them to anything behind the lantern.

When Rogin finished, a silence followed. A silence that was shortly thereafter interupted by laughter from one of the men. He was however cut short by the man holding the lantern, who started moving forward checking his surroundings with the light he carried, moving in the direction of where Rogin's voice had come from.

"Listen fella, you don't really think we want you gawking at our beeswax? I didn't ask you to show yourself. If we have to come looking for you things might not turn out to good for ya."

[Guest]

Rogin had hoped it would not come to this!

He waited till his eyes adjusted to the light. He was not a man that would warn twice. This meant that there was only one option open! His skills were about to be used once more. More men would have to die because of their stupidity. Or he would! But that was not the plan.

He saw that the men were armed. But he had the advantage, he could see them but they could not see him!

At this point in time his eyes had adjusted to the light. He could see that the man with the lantern was well in front of the men pulling the boat ashore. He judged the distance between them and the lantern man. If the distance was substantial he would be able to take out the lantern man without having to worry about the other men jumping in too quickly.
He would slice the lantern man in half and run back to Raider. he would jump on him and attack the remaining men on horse back. This would give him an even greater advantage. Though this meant that it would have to be timed precisely.

Rogin would attack from out of the shadows. What you can't see, you can't kill!!
He had been in situations like this before and it always worked out well.

All he had to do was wait till the distance was right.

[Brytan]

OOC: This thread is now impassable, which means you can not make any threads dated beyond this one until the current situation is resolved.

The men waited for a few moments to see if Rogin would comply with their demand. When it became clear however that Rogin had no intention of showing himself they decided to take a different course of action.

The man who had been moving land inward blew out the lantern, taking the cove back to the darkness of gravetide, with just the moon and stars to provide some minor illumination. In what little light remained, Rogin thought he could see the men move back toward the shoreline, where the glistening waves still rushed up gently on the sand of the island. Footsteps could be heard, shadows now seemed to teem around Rogin.

A bird shot overhead, shouting a cry of discontent as he was awoken from his slumber.

To his right, Rogin heard the snapping of a twig against a rock. To his left something rustled a bramblebush. Raider stood uneasy at the campsite, for his eyesight wasn't much better than his master's in these conditions. Rogin sat there, tensed up, awaiting a moment that had gone. His next action undoubtedly being of great importance.

[Guest]

It was apparent that these men were not total idiots. The situation had changed. If it was just the three he would have a decent chance. But now he heard, what might be, others approaching. He couldn't be sure though?!

His eyes adjusted much quicker this time, it must be the adrenaline pumping through his body.
He had only one chance to get out of this in one piece. That was to ride out like the wind on Raider! But! Seeing as the lantern man was still closer to him than to his own men, he would not go without some sort of victory. It was nearly 10 paces to the kill and 30 to safety for the fellow.

Rogin jumped up, grabbed Raider by the mane and spored him in the direction of the, formerly, lantern man. For Raider had turned into a warhorse over the years and seemed to love a good fight just as Rogin did. Together they formed a deadly team.
He wanted Raider to dig his hind legs into the sand and gave a mighty thrust forward. Rogin leaned in, raising his sword over his head, eyes fixed on his target.
He would never get a chance to reach his mates before Rogin would reach him if Raiders' muscles rippled and exploded with each and every stride. Rogins legs clamped tightly around Raiders chest. His arms would tense wielding his sword when he reached his opponent. Raiders speed, size and strength would be too overwhelming for him to be able to react. Rogin would try to swing his mighty sword downward. Aiming for the mans' side of the head, going from his right side down to his left. This wouldn't give him a chance to duck away. What ever he tried he would either lose his head or his left side.

Rogin would not stay to fight the remaining men. He didn't know how many there might be behind him yet and he wasn't about to stay and find out. Once he killed the opponent running back to his mates, Rogin would high tail it out of there. And not look back.

[Brytan]

Things started moving really quickly from that moment on. Rogin jumped up out of his hiding place and got up on Raider, which he barely managed seeing as how his trusty mount had no reigns or sadle to bear him. Nonetheless, he managed and he set his steed to charge at the men who were regrouping by the water or so Rogin could see.

Raider bucked a little as Rogin mounted, not being used to being ridden bareback. Also the assault didn't quite pan out as Rogin planned, seeing as how his horse was not quite the experienced warhorse Rogin had made him out to be in his mind. Rogin had to correct himself several times but in the mull sand it was hard enough to get good speed, let alone ride securely without strappings or reigns to control his horse, let alone using swords while riding like this which Rogin was not very much accustomed to.

All these little details, forgotten in the rush of adrenalin and the anxiety of the moment made Rogin tumble off of his horse in the middle of his swing, losing his balance at the height of his thrust, falling back first into the sand.

The gap between the men and him had closed, Raider spurred off into the darkness and within moments the three men surrounded him. Rogin could feel the sharp of a blade before getting knocked unconcious. Would he wake to see another day?

[Brytan]

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