Janet
**Somewhere east of the East Silnarian border**
Here, a long, meandering river ran from the mountains to the coast. Beastkins villages and towns scattered across it's courses.

Twila would be near one of the village. A larger than usual one, with unending field of golden wheats, in middle of being harvested by the Qua of the villages. Like most beastkin land, the numerous Qua dominated the population, making up nearly most of the lower classes of beastkin society.

On a dirt road that led to the village centre, a pair of centaur armoured in chain mail patrolled the road, clearing the way for a horse drawn cart of alcohol to be transported to a nearby town.

The village centre was big, with most of the villages houses concentrated there. Many of them looked new. There was a partially completed palisade, with a few crossbows mounted on top of it. Scores of abandoned houses scattered around the outskirts of the village.

For the weary Traveller, there was an inn in middle of the town, a small establishment. Its purpose was indicated by a wooden sign hanging out on the door - A mug, with two handles, and an inflated, almost comedic bubble on top of the mug.

Qua childrens (Little buggers, some may call) are playing around merrily in the street.
Derek
*The adventuring squire wandered into the village with a sword by her side and a shield on her back, she lifted her visor under the smell of fire and the sound of people, crystallizing her eyes, forcing them to respond to the light of day, regaining her sight for the time being, she smiled kindly towards the kids, giving them a small, greeting gesture as she walked past them, her blue cloak lifting a little under the breeze of the field before noticing the centaurs, giving a slight bow as she approached, signaling she wasn't a threat*
Janet
*The three kids gathered in the street turned toward her. All three of them had a semi humanoid face. One had a pair of non finctional, decorative moth like wings on her back. They ran up to her, running circles around before a grumpy looking Qua man scolded them, picking up the moth girl and taking her away.

She waved goodbye at her with his little hand.

Her presence made the few villagers remaining in the village centre talk to themselves. Most adults were out in the field, except for a grumpy looking Brayer. He walked up to Twila.*

"You... Foreigner? Want beer? Go inside." *He pointed at the inn.*
Derek
*She waved back at the girl with a bright smile before turning to the brayer with a surprised look on her face, widening her eyes in a bit of shock*
Twila: o-oh! Pardon my disturbance, I am but a passerby, thank thee...
*She wrapped her hands on her chest with a rather apologetic stance, perhaps she thought herself an intruder, regardless, her visor slowly lowered before it dropped on her face and she flinched by the sudden darkness and loud tink of the metal*
Twila: Wha- ngh... Oh bugger...
*Her voice was a bit broken and ashamed as she struggled to lift her visor*
Janet
*The brayer looked a bit confused at what she said.*
"P... Ar... Don? What you saying? Me not knowed good Common." *The Brayer explained, before her visor dropped onto her face and she flinched.*
*From the other side, she could probably hear a mixture between a snort and a laughter from the brayer.*
"Me think you metal thing that go up not work good. Go fix. We have smith. Very good."
*Everything here seems to be quiet so far.*
Derek
*She rose her visor and sighed before using a flat hook on the side to lock it in place*
Twila: ah... Right... Northern common... I forgot thine language derives from midland common... Pardon me... 
*She cleared her throat while moving a strand of hair away from her eyes*
Twila: uhh... What is the word... Ah, right, right... Uhh...
*She snapped her fingers near her head and shut her eyes trying to compose a sentence in regular common*
Janet
*The Brayer watched her adjust her helmet with curiosity. It looked like a foreign, unfamiliar design to him. For a horned creature like him, wearing a normal helmet was out of the question, and the local blacksmith weren't skilled enough to make one...*
"Me is confused." *The brayer said. If she examined him closely, this Brayer seems to be a warrior of some sort, carrying a pair of spears on his back on the back of an oversized shield. He also carried a longer than usual one-handed sword.*

*Suddenly, the sounds of rapid trotting could be heard. The pair of centaurs Twila might've seen earlier (or felt) earlier trotted into the village centre rapidly.*

"Sounds the alarm! Knife-ears!" *The centaur practically screamed, in their own native language.*
Derek
*She sighed, giving up trying*
Twila: well... Thou art not alone in that regard... 
*She flinched as they past her*
Twila: what the- what is happened?
*She turned to the Brayer a bit confused with the sudden exchange, taking a few steps towards the palisade walls of the inn, holding the pommel of her sword, looking at the sky, in a mixture of fear and confusion*
Janet
"Knife-ear here to take our people to sales. You fighting?" *The Brayer asked, before turning away without waiting for an answer. He rushed toward a tower in the centre, unlocked the door, and up the stair.

On top of the tower, he started hitting the pair of gongs there, alerting the villagers nearby of an attack. Then he rushed toward a recently renovated beacon hut, igniting a fire that would send a column of smoke into the air.*
Derek
Twila: knife ear... Sell people... Slaver elves... Alright I will fight with you! 
*She attempted to say it in a way he would understand nodding and unlocking her visor, closing it and pulling out both her sword and shield*
Twila: show me the way! I will follow!
*She adjusted her cloak and tightened the straps of her shield to her left arm*
Janet
*The minotaur came back from the beacon hut, with a small beacon fire rising into the horizon. He held two spare quiver of arrows, which he gave to the pair of patrolling centaur. 

A group of adult Qua men and women rushed back in, into the presumed village armoury, coming out with spear and shield, along with some swords and axe on their belt. Most of them were unarmoured, or only wearing a helmet. Many of them were either using two spears overhand with a pair of sword and shield, or a powerful flatbow, combined with a shield and a holstered sword. Having four arms were convenient*

"We go out and fight them. Knife-ears want slaves, don't want dying. We give them good fight, they go away without take slaves." *The brayer explained their simple plan.*
Derek
Twila: I have idea! Go in groups from two sides, I will go front, Knife ears don't want hard fight, I distract them, give you signal, you attack from two sides, surprise them and make them run, I will help guards yes?
*She spoke slowly, but loud and clear so her words could be better understood, rising her visor so they weren't muffled*
Janet
"You going to alone them? That dangerous. You sure?" 

*The brayer seems to be unsure about her plan. But if a foreigner is volunteering to be a bait, then he can't see why not. After all, she seems to be best equipped person in the whole village..*
Derek
*She clashed her sword against her breastplate and nodded*
Twila: I am, I train for war, this will not be bad, slaver elves are cocky and prideful, they not expect a full plate warrior 
*She said tightening her heater shield and heading towards the gates of the village, almost regretting her choices, but thinking that this was the best option regardless*
Twila: tell the others! Go!
Janet
*The leading centaur adjusted the quicers on his back, and then turned toward Twila*,"They on the road into the village. Maybe twenty or forty of them, most have horses and caged wagon."

*The centaur then departed, presumably to skirmish with the elves. The Brayer returned to rally the villagers, who seems to be still readying themselves and forming into two group*
Derek
*She stepped out of the gates and her shield forward with her sword on the side, her cloak flowing with the with, she was breathing slowly, rising her visor as if to negotiate with the elves, but rather, she was waiting for the villagers to get into position and waiting for the elves to arrive, she looked very much like one, with white hair, pale skin and blue eyes, while her ears were hidden beneath her helmet*
Janet
*After walking for a while out of the main road, she would see the main party of elves. Large indeed, with almost thirty of them standing around in circle, herding a few adult farmers and even children they've caught out in the field, mounted riders were moving from the party's main position, herding stragglers into two overloaded wagon, practically cramping them on top of eachother.*

*Most of them were well-armoured and armed, equipped with a set of mass produced, almain-rivet armour and visorless helmet. Two mages with spellcasting staffs accompanied them, the staff most likely used to reduce the strain of casting spells on their own body. They also had their own archers, with most of them wearing a brigandine and carrying a longbow. 

One of the rider carried a composite bow, and were well-armoured, with his horse covered in protective, linen barding. He seems to be armoured in a quality set of three-quarters armour, not unlike the knight herself.*

*The elf noticed the newcomer in plate.*

"OI! YOU THERE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" *The rider called out toward Twila in fluent Silnari common. The elves around him seems to be whispering and talking amongst themselves*
Derek
Twila: as knightess of the north and protector of these lands, I command thee to return from whence thou camest, thine presence is an obstacle in diplomacy, return home in peace, for my word is of iron and will cometh to my frigid home 
*She flipped her sword around and gripped her weapon firmly by the blade, like a mace, to be ready to fight the lightly armored elves, should they make the mistake of defying the word of a supposed armored noble*
Janet
*The rider laughed, ignoring her threat and turning aside. A second just as well armoured rider moved over to where he was, and they started talking amongst themselves.*

"Afraid not lady! You're coming with us, in the cage!" *The rider declared, riding forward with the other rider, one toward each of her side. A group of elf with shields and mace trailed behind on foot.

The rider will take a turn to arrive at her position, and the one on foot, three.*
Derek
Twila: there is not need for conflict, petty elf, thine aggression against my person will be an act of war, release thine prisoners at once, and leave, or perish a dishonorable death 
*She unlocked her visor and dropped it into position, fixing the hook for combat, presenting her shield and taking a rath guard*
Janet
*The elf doesn't seem eager to talk. The two surrounded her on left and right, staying some thirty feet away. Both of them drew swords.*

*The three group of elven infantrymen continued advancing on her. The heavily armoured rider turned toward them,*"Faster!"
Derek
Twila: So be it... Then Perish... Attack! Now!
*She commanded, rolling to the side, flipping the sword and charging at a lightly armored slaver, presenting her shield and the tip of her blade at the elf, taking measured steps so her footing could be firm when arriving to thrust the sword into the elf, bracing for any casts that could hit her armor, untying her cloak so it wouldn't encumber her*
Janet
*The lightly armoured footman seemed to be surprised by the onslaught. He quickly backstepped, holding out his shield to block any strike coming his way, while he hide his mace behind the shield. 

The two riders rounded behind her, ready to attack, when a sudden roar could be heard from the side. Heavy war arrows flew out from the wheat fields to the side of the road, and two of the high elf fell from taking arrows to their lower limb and knee, screaming in pain. One group had all the archers, escorted by a handful of melee-equipped Qua, a larger group with only melee-equipped Qua charged from the other side. The two riders went off away from Twila, trying to fend off the centaurs who is now attacking them. The elves at the wagon that weren't caught up in the initial volley scrambled for their shields and cover.*

*Twila would arrive in front of the lightly armored slaver. His shield would be in the way of any sword thrust. His buddies are now dealing with the charging Qua. It seems to be one on one, for now.*
Derek
*She anchored her feet knowing she was heavier than the elf and used her strength and body weight behind her shield to push back the elf, standing ready for any attackers, she slammed her shield against his trying to take him off balance*
Janet
"Agh!" *He screamed, surprised by the ferocity and the speed of her shield bash. His shield swung out to the side along his mace, as he stumbled backward.*
Derek
*She pounced on the elf and pulled out her rondel dagger, aiming for his face and jabbing it in with a warcry*
Janet
"Wha-" *The elf screamed, attempting to dodge the dagger by wriggling his head around. It hit the side of his helmet, then it deflected into his cheek, penetrating into his skull and killing him instantly. Shame, he probably would be worth something in ransom.*

*Now that the elf is finished off, she could probably pick a new target. There were plenty of elves engaged in chaotic combat around her. The two riders seems to be nowhere to be found. Twila could probably pick out her next victim.*
Derek
*She sheathed her dagger and picked up the elf's mace, hiding beneath her shield and looking for the mages before simply sneaking on the nearest busy elf and bludgeoning his head with the top heavy weapon*
Janet
*One of the elf was busy engaged in combat with another Qua. Though he was better armoured and had a longer sword, the Qua has been keeping his at bay by poking his two spears at him threateningly. As he readied himself for a charge to knock him down, he felt a sudden loud ring, and the entire world went black for him. He fell onto the ground unconscious after the mace connected with his helmet.*

*The Qua grabbed the elf's sword, and then raised his shield, letting out a loud, guttural scream of victory, before running off to help his comrades.

It seems she's attracted the attention of an elven mage some twenty feet away, along with an archer holding a sword. The mage turned toward her, pointing the staff at her.*

"FIREBALL!" *He chanted in Zodaer. The crystal on top of the staff glowed, and moments later, a baseball sized ball of fuel and flame would be flying toward her direction.*
Derek
*She ducked and hid behind her heater shield, holding it at an angle to disperse the impact of the fireball over the surface, hanging the mace on her belt and reaching for a spear*
Twila: great, he saw me... Come on, come on... Spear...
Janet
*The fireball hit her shield, dispersing throughout the surface, fizzling into a small flame that would flicker away. The mage readied for a second cast.

There was a conveniently located, 1.8 meters long spear located on the floor, probably dropped from one of the high elf.*
Derek
*She rolled towards it holding her shield out and pulling the shaft towards herself, standing up, looking for the mage with the shield over her head*
Janet
*The mage casted another fireball. It hit her chestplate, where it dispersed into a harmless flame, sending some uncomfortable smoke toward her nose and heating it up slightly.*

"Should've learned more than fireball." *The elf next to him said.*

"Shush!" *The mage called out, readying a THIRD fireball. It seems he'll be casting fireball for quite a while. High elf were, after all, known for their exceptional mana regeneration ability.*
Derek
*She coughed and squinted her eyes, holding the spear like a javelin, aiming for the mage with tearing eyes, she ducked behind her shield and opened her visor to breathe, holding the spear in a lance position*
Janet
*The mage seemed to understand what she intended to do, and instead of casting a third fireball, opted to run away into the chaos of the melee, instead of risking a spear running him through. 

The archer too, fled away from the chaotic fight.*
Derek
*She opened her eyes as the smoke wore off, dropping her visor and locking it close, looking for a lightly armored elf, locking the spear under her armpit and standing up, presenting her shield with the spear under the right curse*
Janet
*She found another elf. This time, her back wasn't turned toward her, and instead she seems to be ready for a fight. She had a kite shield strapped to her hand, and an ordinary, mass produced arming sword on her other. She stood 15 feet away, circling her cautiously.*
Derek
*She dug the tip of the spear on the ground and picked up her mace, charging the elf with her shield forward, expecting a block or a sidestep, bracing for arrows and fireballs as her armored back was exposed*
Janet
*The elf took a backstep, and then decided to step to her right, punching out his shield toward the left in an attempt to deflect her, while performing a simultaneous attempt to slash her in her foot with her longer sword. No other ranged combatant attempted to attack her, probably because of the chaotic fight still going on.*
Derek
*She used the bash to her advantage, moving her shield to the side with hers, rotating her body and throwing a powerful back kick to the groin, the blade sliding over the plate of her shin armor, leaving a scratch as it bumped over the knee plate*
Janet
*The kick connected with the groin of the elf, hitting the tassets that partially protected her. It sent her recoiling backward in pain. She took a few steps backward - if Twila let her, and recovered her balance, panting in pain.*

*The fight around her seems to be going in favour of the beastkins. The sheer number of bow-equipped Qua seems to be too much for the high elves to handle.*
Derek
*She didn't allow it and ran in with a back to front swing of her mace aimed at her jaw to finish the job, she looked for the armored elves or the mages keeping her guard up so no opponent snuck up on her, looking back and forth*
Janet
*The mace hit her, shattering her jaws. She dropped onto the ground, incoherently screaming in pain. The mages seems to be fleeing in the chaos. She found the second well-armoured rider earlier, circling around the Brayer she met, with a lance in his hand, prodding at him defensively, while the Brayer blocked strikes from his spear with his shield.

The fight is happening some hundred feet away.*
Derek
*She ran towards them, holding her shield forward and her mace near her belt and looking out for a spear, javelin, mancatcher or opponents trying to stop her*
Janet
*No man catcher found, but there were plenty of spears lying around on the ground, with a javelin or two. No opponents stood in her way. She could approach to within 30 feet, before the rider would disengage and point his spear at her.*
Derek
*She picked up a spear and held it under her armpit, aimed at the horse's neck in case she could aim for the heart or head, holding her shield forward and taking a firm stance, baiting him to charge*
Janet
*The elf doesn't seems to eager to engage her in combat, instead pointing his spear toward her, while looking around at the fight going on. 

The Brayer ran away the moment the elf disengaged, running behind Twila for some reason.*
Derek
*She walked forward towards him, keeping a low stance and her shield at an angle, her head low and the point of the spear aimed at the horse's face, attempting to frighten the animal into panicking*
Janet
*The elf turned the horse on the spot, trotting away from her roughly twenty feet away. The horse seems to be keeping its calm for now. Perhaps it is a well-trained war horse.*

"Steady.." *The elf said.*

*The brayer returned from his trip behind Twila, holding two scavenged spear in one of his hand.*
Derek
*She jabbed the spear a few times in the air, taking a quick step forward each time, getting ready to either attack the elf or the eye of the animal, walking towards the face of the equine*
Janet
*The elf prepared to turn his horse and retreat again. As she closed in on the elf, she could hear a "Whoosh" In the air, and a sharp wooden object flew from her side toward the equine, slashing it in one of its leg.

That panicked it, making it lose its balance and kick its leg wildly, throwing the elf off the side of the horse with one feet stuck in stirrup. He impacted the dirt road with a thud, before the horse's body fell on him, pinning his leg down. He dropped the spear off into a drainage ditch.*
Derek
*She didn't hesitate for a moment and ran forward, dropping her spear and pulling out the mace, delivering a measured blow to the side of the head aimed to either knock him out without permanent brain damage or giving him a concussion, assuming he didn't have padding beneath the helmet*
Janet
*The elf, seeing an ANGRY woman charging at him with a mace in her hand, tried to avoid a death. He rose his hands (on the floor), screaming in common,*"MERCY!" 

*If she decided to whack him in the head anyway, he'd be dazed, but not quite knocked out for the next few seconds, thanks to proper linen padding underneath the helmet.*
Derek
*She dug her feet in the floor, lifting some dirt and throwing a faint swing, purposely missing him and she took a step back, hanging her mace, walking up to the horse's head, kneeling and using her healing touch, resting the horse's head on the floor*
Twila: shh... Shh... Do not move... I will come back for thee...
*She turned to look at the elf as if directing her words to him as well, her sweet, calm voice was oddly comforting, a stark contrast with her combat prowess and cold blooded, calculating fighting style*
Janet
*The elf let out a shocked gasp when the mace almost connected, and his face contorted in fear. The wound mended on the horse's leg, enabling it to stand up. It seems to be still panicking and kicking wildly, and ended up ramming the elf into the ditch, face down.

While Twila went away, the Brayer decided to walk close to the elf, and stomped on his butt, sending his face deeper into the dirt.

The leader-like elf rider earlier were now within sight again. He seems to be shouting orders.*

"Retreat! Retreat!" *He called out, before turning tail and riding away first. The high elves that is not injured, dead or captured ran away, while a group of vengeful villagers chased them on foot, with some shooting arrows in their general direction.*
Derek
Twila: that is enough! He not a threat anymore, he is better left alive 
*The mail and plate twinkled as she approached, unwrapping her heater shield and hanging it on her back*
Twila: look for wounded knife ears and gather them, perhaps we could trade them back
*She said, pulling out her dagger in case the elf tried anything*
Twila: go now, I will take care of him
Janet
*The brayer nodded, and the villagers started to gather the wounded and the dead. Two of the high-elf were killed, one by Twila. Roughly seven of them were injured and/or captured, ignoring the leader that was left behind. The rest had fled, with many of them leaving swords and shields behind.

The two wagons were abandoned with the four draft horses pulling them.*

*The elf turned around, coughing up dirt, staring at her with a dazed look in his eyes.*
Derek
Twila: the battle is over, know that I have honor and will keep my word not to kill thee and thine followers and treat thee with a modicum of hospitality, if thou promises to never return to these lands once thine troops are sent back home, I am a warrior, but my word is my oath
*She held a thick rope to tie his hands* 
Twila: thine wrists... Present them
Janet
*The elf nodded in panic, presenting his hands toward her. Anything to save his life, even if he might renege on his promise.

The brayer came back from the group.*

"You, foreigner, you know of healing, we need heal, many of us hurt from fight. This person and others, we knowing of people who take release money."
Derek
Twila: I will tend to the wounds of the most harmed, mild wounds will wait until my hosts designate a location for thine imprisonment, for now, rest assured that as long as thou art under my custody, I can guarantee thine safety 
*She tied a strong noose around his wrists and secured it with a tight loop*
Twila: now follow my lead and do not resist
*She took him by the wrists towards the rest of the elves looking at the more wounded, specially the one with the shattered jaw, walking up to her and resting her hand in her cheek*
Twila: this is severe, please, allow me to tend to thee