#earthrunes

And a winged figure also descends to defend the trod

OOC: don't want someone thinking I forgot about her

Coradel also continues to the trod.

Somewhere in the field, a man tries to figure out..what is he doing out here? Why is it winter? Why ...why is he dying?

She has her sword in hand once more, and takes her stance by August at the Trod, looking around the field for allies.

There are some, but not enough it seems. She doesn't see Magnus. She doesn't know what happened to Claire with those that did try for the fire. Her daughter? Her daughter flies bloody but unbroken. Dame Jennete works the edges. The Gwydion and Ailil sibs are...not in sight.

"Move... Move or die!" One balor hisses

"YOU SHALL NOT HAVE THIS, NOR ANY OTHER PRIZE!"

And then suddenly from the other side of the trod, there is the sound of a warhorn born of Nordic dreams

Stab, stab, stab, stab - all is focused now, the same concentration she brings to painting, but here she only has one crimson pigment

Brekke Shacklebreaker comes through the trod, her battle axe held high, and her eyes full of fury.

All hail Brekke Schacklebreaker! Hero! Chieftain! Troll ! ...boinker of Frank!

A silver hand wielding an axe removes the balor's lisping head. Besides her, a figure in Liam Colors CRUSHES a would goblin before it can try anything. Sir Vali cuts and hews..

((SHUT UP, BOT))

Frank charges in right after her....

((To the wah-wah-wah of a trombone as slackbot pipes up...))

My pleasure!

His great Liam blade is drawn and he uses it to great effect.

A truly Ugly axe , wielded by an even ulglier troll, hits a Thallian Ogre in the balls, "Only room for one Ogre here. "

Coradel is momentarily startled by the appearance of such support, but then laughs in triumph.

The rapier thrusts, impaling two thallain at once. Shis-ka-boggart.

If any had time to notice, they might see the boy with the golden blade has the most... unique... fighting style.

It's either utterly incompetent training, or genius.

He's hitting the bad guys so....

Her blade flashes and gleams...at least in the spots where it isn't covered with Thallain gore.

Vali seems to be bloodthirsty when it comes to these things.

And then... THEN... Rovers! The knights of the way are here. They have decided they can peek out of the trod...just a little. Sir Earl rides with them perhaps having delivered a message

Earl cuts and slices and...

Well, frankly, there is no retreat for the servants of the Fell! The Shadowcourt put too much focus on taking the untakable, and by the time they turn around, Agincourt has weapons working again. Leonora has revived tahnks to a Basselope lick and is firing

Coradel presses her attack, redoubling her strikes. As she said earlier: target-rich environment. And no need for mercy, none at all.

Sparrow has none - grounded, she can't rely on her usual strike and dodge, but her blade is wickedly sharp and the steel has drunk deep of thallain blood.

If any were to live, sparrow's attacks from above would have these nightmares experience, themselves, nightmares filled with the sound of wings... but as they won't live, that's really not a problem

The trolls are not a 'thin blue line' they are thick living azure wall of death. Vali's body glows with dragon's ire, but the Chieftain and Mountain, despite being 'grumps' move with such coordination as for the bruality they deal to be almost like a waltz of steel.

Both the Liam knights battle near their ladies, each using a sword suited to them, focused with sober intent on killing as many Thallain as they can.

And just like that, it's over. Victory is won..

The boy with the golden blade takes some time to shed whatever enchantment caused his speed, but at least he's able to confirm quickly that the threats have been defeated.

Sparrow droops, catching her breath and feeling her leg again. She grabs a branch to steady herself.

Coradel's surprised when suddenly there are no more targets. She looks around, then turns to Sparrow. "Deryn, you're fastest...find out the status inside, at the Bale!

"Yes..." And she puts the pain in a box, turning to press inside.

But then she realizes Sparrow's condition. "No, stop, don't." But Sparrow's already gone.

August looks at the winged Liam, and reaches to touch his own wound, smearing his blade, and taking off at high speed to the Freehold and Balefire.

She turns to others nearby. "Scout the field, make sure none have escaped."

"August..." But he's also swiftly gone.

Sparrow finds two Ailil, one she doesn't like, the other is becoming close to a sister to her, both look nearly dead, but appear to be keeping each other from going into shock by..telling jokes about house Gwydion "How do you get a Gwydion to change a lightbulb" "Wait, wait.. Inow this one... 'Unseelie scum, change is bad' " coughing and laughter

Around them, four dead fae hounds, and over a dozen shadowcourtiers

She processes this, dimly, and keeps going. Tiffany... Tiffany with an arrow.... fire first, duty first...

Tiffany is on a ledge, being tended by a boggan, "Later we'll get the arrow out, but if we do it now it will paralyze her"

Warhoundsandfae alike scour the fields

Coradel turns to the Rivervale contingent and offers her deepest thanks for their arrival. To the Rovers, she says, "The threat may be here yet. I must go to the Bale." She looks to the group of Trolls and Rovers. "Can you stay and defend this spot?"

August almost trips over a few bodies, moving so fast.... one, he stops and pulls into a fireman's carry, moving more slowly (and with greater pain) into the Freehold to the Balefire.