So I Was Minding My Own Business...

The longer of the two blades found a home in the gut of one of the briggans, a spin pulling the blade back free from the now corpse that had dropped his innards all over the ground in a stinking, steaming pile. He was going to traumatize these poor kids, he thought absently, as the next bandit stepped forward and he thrust both swords into the man's gut, a foot coming up right after to kick the man away. He noticed the woman moving, getting the kids away, heard her instruct them, and then call to him. Yes. Yeah, he could keep the slavers busy while she got the kids hidden.

Cassian dodged a sword stroke, aimed at trying to cleave him in half, from crown of head to balls, stepping backwards, and in a practiced motion, flipping his grip on the shorter of the two blades, catching one of the slavers in downward stab into his back, and using the momentum to bring the longer of the two blades down through the back of his neck, into the body, another kick sending the corpse to the forest floor. Blades freed, he swung them once, down ward to clear the blood from them, his blood pumping loudly through his ears as he caught the quip from the woman, and he came over to look down at the one she had just beaned on the back of the head.

I tend to find that bigger blades, he started, as he stabbed the long blade down through the man's back, through the heart, a quick death, rather than bleeding out for prolonged period. Help with that. Are any of the kids hurt? He didn't know a lick of magic, but he had his emergency kit of potions and healing herbs and bandages that he carried everywhere with him that could help bandage up a couple of scrapes if needed. Are you hurt? He asked belatedly, it taking a moment to register that she might have caught a blade in the process. She moved so well that his first assessment had been that she was fine, but he knew better -- once the battle started to wear off, wounds would make themselves known quickly.

Cassian Maxwell, before you ask, and no I've no designs on dragging you all anywhere but somewhere safe right now. She had fought hard for these kids, so, he knew it had been the right call. They were close enough to the Antivan border that they were probably heading through to Arthlan, and the more he had a moment to think, the more certain he was of that fact.

@Calista