Diary of Eddard Pt. 2

A commotion in the corner of the inn's common room drew my eye.

A powerful looking barbarian had taken a barmaid and held her forcefully on his lap.  It was her cries of protest that drew my attention.  The rest of the inn, from staff to customer's were ignoring the scene.  Even as I stood up, one other in the common room stirred.

I had seen him come in.  Hood up, face well hidden, I assumed him to be just another warrior, and because of that, dismissed his presence.  He moved into the scene even before I rose from the table.

"Stop!" He said, throwing off his hood.  The man wasn't tall, but heavily muscled.  Chain mail armour added bulk to his size.  Then the light allowed me to look at his face.  Noticeable Orc features decorated it.  Half-Orc?  "She is unwilling.  There is no honour in that."

Unlike the crowd of inn, I could not ignore the scene.  It turned my stomach to think that someone would take an unwilling woman.  I felt it necessary to intervene as well.  A quick size up of the opponent, however, and I knew that certainly alone, I would get my ass kicked.  Turned out I wasn't alone, but even so, I doubted our chances.

"Do you know who I am?" asked the barbarian with a sneer.

"I don't care," I replied quickly.

"There is honour in battle.  The fight is worthy.  So Tempus says.  This is not battle.  This is not worthy."

"Spoils of war," The barbarian replied, laughing.  The woman cried out as he kissed her, violently and without care.  He made a motion and several men, dressed similarly to him rose.

I then knew him for a company commander.  Doubly cautious, I was still compelled to act.

A big man pushed through the crowd as the mercenary commander rose.  "Anyone interferes will die," he said, brandishing a massive sword, with a blade the colour on night. 

I heard the half-orc cast a spell.  As the mercenary cast aside the woman, roughly.  He laughed again, "Don't go anywhere.  I won't be long."  He leered.

The half-orc hit him.  Hard.  I think the mercenary was surprised by the hit, and shook his head to clear it.  He took a swing back, barely missing.

I got the girl out of harm's way.  I told her, as the sound of another hit on the mercenary seemed to echo around the room, "stay here, you'll be safe."

The half-orc landed another massive hit, but the light of combat lit his eyes.  He didn't seem to feel it.    He swung for a third time, a wild blow that didn't touch the half orc.

The next swing of his connected, and the half orc staggered.  Even though I had flanked  the mercenary, I missed my first swing.  I wasn't trained in brawling.  The half-orc hit him again, another massive blow.  Then I landed one, and the mercenary commander looked as though he was starting weaken.

The mercenary, desperate now, looked for an opening in the half-orc's guard.  Even has he took his fifth hit,  the half-orc's swing left his face unguarded.  The mercenary took full advantage, and hit the half-orc hard.  The light left the half-orc's eyes as fell, spinning to the floor, unconscious.

He turned to face me, and swung.  I took a hard hit that sucked the wind from my guts, spoiling my aim as my own hit went wide.

His next swing missed me as I popped him one in the belly.  He hit again, a step forward uppercut that caught my chin and lifted me off the floor to land flat on my back.  I wasn't unconscious, but I couldn't move.

The mercenary whipped out a dagger and moved on the unconscious half-orc.