Jaqueline had watched as the first group of darkspawn descended on her brothers, confident Julian could make short work of them. When the additional groups crested the hill...well that was troubling. If the pair could handle things, fabulous. If not...well...she couldn't let them be hurt. There just wasn't much time.
She soundlessly rushed to a place she saw earlier, praying the landscape would funnel the creatures as she expected. Reaching it, she quickly positioned a device she had been working on, running a light rope away from it to a place in the nearby trees where the shade was especially dark. She glanced up at her brothers, frantically watching as the darkspawn charged and were driven back by Julian. This was a matter of time...and she didn't know how long he could keep up. At best, his attention would be divided between the enemy threat to him and worrying about Tomas. At worst...well, she needed to not think about that option. She wouldn't allow it to happen.
She moved swiftly and silently, reaching a point far enough away from her device. It was time to act. Pulling two of the daggers from its concealed place in her cloak, she took a moment to aim and threw it with precision. They flew past Julian's head, humming as they sliced the air, reaching their mark and deeply embedding themselves in the neck of a darkspawn that was approaching as his attention was diverted. In the next instant, another dagger joined the pair. For a moment, the creature seemed frozen in time--save for the black ichor dripping from its mouth onto the handle of one of the daggers. The gentle patter of those drops hung in the air as the moment stretched on. And then, as if someone hit play and the scene sprung back into a whirlwind of motion, the darkspawn seemed to crumple under the weight of its own body.
Four other darkspawn turned in unison, hisses piercing the air as they searched the shadows for the origin of the daggers. Wordlessly, two broke away from the group, in search of this new foe. There was no time to think, and Jaqueline moved on instinct using the skills she'd long kept hidden. Her secrets didn't matter - her family was in trouble. And somehow, she had known they needed her help.
Without a sound and concealed by the trees and shadows, she sprinted around the edge of the clearing until she had a clean view of the creatures closest to her brothers. With nimble fingers, she drew another set of daggers from her bag, being careful to keep her hands away from the sharp edges. Even with gloves on, she was well-practiced enough not to touch the sticky red substance coating the blade.
Taking a silent breath, she threw them true, catching the darkspawn closest to Tomas square in the chest. She didn't stop to watch the life seep out from around the weapons' hilts, didn't watch as the second corpse fell - she needed to move again. This was her family. She had to protect them.
Now was the time for the device. As she raced toward the rope, she turned her focus inward for a moment, willing her voice to ring out from the point she had first been back when they appeared. She willed the bushes to rustle and mark her location far from where she was. When she reached the rope she spoke, her voice calling out to Julian from the treeline across the clearing, "You can help anytime." She pulled the cord, and the device launched a dagger at a darkspawn that had foolishly moved into its path.
The blade hit, sinking into the creature's side, but didn't find the same purchase it may have if she had thrown it. A gurgling laughter seemed to rumble out from the vile being. Slipping from her position, she approached from the creature's back silently and drew another blade, plunging it deep into the darkspawn's back with fury and twisting. As she felt its back arch and its muscles tense uncontrollably, she had to fight a powerful urge to stand over its body and spit on it.
Instead she released the handle of the weapon, glad for the protection her gloves provided. She darted back toward the shadows, knowing full well that both Julian and Tomas could have seen her - even if it had been just a glimpse. Had it been anyone else, she would have just been some faceless shadow moving across the forest floor...but her brothers would certainly not fail to recognize her.
It doesn't matter, they just need to be safe.
The words echoed in an endless loop, propelling her forward without fear of the consequences. It didn't matter. They just need to be safe. She just had to make them safe.
She soundlessly rushed to a place she saw earlier, praying the landscape would funnel the creatures as she expected. Reaching it, she quickly positioned a device she had been working on, running a light rope away from it to a place in the nearby trees where the shade was especially dark. She glanced up at her brothers, frantically watching as the darkspawn charged and were driven back by Julian. This was a matter of time...and she didn't know how long he could keep up. At best, his attention would be divided between the enemy threat to him and worrying about Tomas. At worst...well, she needed to not think about that option. She wouldn't allow it to happen.
She moved swiftly and silently, reaching a point far enough away from her device. It was time to act. Pulling two of the daggers from its concealed place in her cloak, she took a moment to aim and threw it with precision. They flew past Julian's head, humming as they sliced the air, reaching their mark and deeply embedding themselves in the neck of a darkspawn that was approaching as his attention was diverted. In the next instant, another dagger joined the pair. For a moment, the creature seemed frozen in time--save for the black ichor dripping from its mouth onto the handle of one of the daggers. The gentle patter of those drops hung in the air as the moment stretched on. And then, as if someone hit play and the scene sprung back into a whirlwind of motion, the darkspawn seemed to crumple under the weight of its own body.
Four other darkspawn turned in unison, hisses piercing the air as they searched the shadows for the origin of the daggers. Wordlessly, two broke away from the group, in search of this new foe. There was no time to think, and Jaqueline moved on instinct using the skills she'd long kept hidden. Her secrets didn't matter - her family was in trouble. And somehow, she had known they needed her help.
Without a sound and concealed by the trees and shadows, she sprinted around the edge of the clearing until she had a clean view of the creatures closest to her brothers. With nimble fingers, she drew another set of daggers from her bag, being careful to keep her hands away from the sharp edges. Even with gloves on, she was well-practiced enough not to touch the sticky red substance coating the blade.
Taking a silent breath, she threw them true, catching the darkspawn closest to Tomas square in the chest. She didn't stop to watch the life seep out from around the weapons' hilts, didn't watch as the second corpse fell - she needed to move again. This was her family. She had to protect them.
Now was the time for the device. As she raced toward the rope, she turned her focus inward for a moment, willing her voice to ring out from the point she had first been back when they appeared. She willed the bushes to rustle and mark her location far from where she was. When she reached the rope she spoke, her voice calling out to Julian from the treeline across the clearing, "You can help anytime." She pulled the cord, and the device launched a dagger at a darkspawn that had foolishly moved into its path.
The blade hit, sinking into the creature's side, but didn't find the same purchase it may have if she had thrown it. A gurgling laughter seemed to rumble out from the vile being. Slipping from her position, she approached from the creature's back silently and drew another blade, plunging it deep into the darkspawn's back with fury and twisting. As she felt its back arch and its muscles tense uncontrollably, she had to fight a powerful urge to stand over its body and spit on it.
Instead she released the handle of the weapon, glad for the protection her gloves provided. She darted back toward the shadows, knowing full well that both Julian and Tomas could have seen her - even if it had been just a glimpse. Had it been anyone else, she would have just been some faceless shadow moving across the forest floor...but her brothers would certainly not fail to recognize her.
It doesn't matter, they just need to be safe.
The words echoed in an endless loop, propelling her forward without fear of the consequences. It didn't matter. They just need to be safe. She just had to make them safe.
12-14-2022, 02:55 PM
