(Venora) Saber's Edge

[Kayleigh]

Cylus 26 717

Location: The Road to Venora

Kayleigh rubbed her upper arms together with shivers as she walked alongside the farmer who guided his oxen through the snow, his wagon creaked loudly as the wheels slowly rolled through snow. The sound of crushed ice and slush seemed to be the continuing ambiance she heard as they walked together, while she often checked to make sure the man's ox wasn't under any real stress. Such strong creatures they were, seeing this one reminded Kayleigh of Uphrisca's own ox. Except this one, unlike Uphrisca's, was a lighter brown and had a white spot above his nose. "I appreciate ya roamin' with me miss, but surely a carriage would've suited you better in regards to reaching Fort Venora?"

"That's quite alright," Kayleigh answered as she held her eyes forward to the east, "I prefer traveling by foot anyhow. I'd like to see much of Rynmere, even if Cylus isn't over quite yet." Their direction remained unchanged ever since they'd left the city of Andaris, and with only a few rests made with a campfire Kayleigh felt eager to reach their destination. She didn't know anything about the surrounding territories, nor about the baronies and royal clans of Rynmere.

She had other reasons for coming along on this trip with the farmer, albeit she never really let on just what they were. Between public executions at the pyre, and the recent events involving bandits and foul play in the city; she'd thought it high time she quit lingering safely behind walls. She wanted answers for these events, and if she could she'd do whatever her power allowed just to put an ease to troubled minds. Though she were a mere foreigner to these people, she'd grown impatient and determined to see what she could do to help. "So you ever had to use that sword of yours?" The farmer inquired curiously as he encouraged his ox further along.

"Several times in fact," She answered with a quiet exhale of air, "I'm no expert with it but I'd like to think I can hold my own."

The wagon groaned loudly and somehow the ox slowed down to a stop past her, one of the wheels somehow stuck in a frozen rut when she turned to look. Not only did it look like it'd been jammed in a spot of ice, but the wheel in general seemed to be packed with snow also. Which meant trouble if they couldn't get it unstuck somehow... "Seven help me..." The farmer cursed under his breath as Kayleigh saw him sigh a white cloud of moisture.

"Here, lemme help." She offered as she approached the ox first to see if the wagon produced strain on the animal, the creature of course let out a sound 'moo' as it appeared to be quite uncomfortable.

"Appreciate it miss."

"Kayleigh, please." She told him with a soft grin as she then knelt down where the wagon wheel was. Both she and the farmer inspected it to find snow packed within the bearing, while the wheel itself seemed rooted in several inches of icy snow. "Treid spare us." She muttered silently as she looked to her traveling companion. "You wouldn't happen to have a knife would you?"

"I keep a few spare tools in back, I'm sure there's somethin' we can use to chip off the ice." The farmer answered as he stood back up to head around behind the wagon. Kayleigh looked a little more closely at the wheel and then rose to a stand, a hand rested on the ox's neck to try and soothe the creature.

"There there, just hang on a few trills..." She murmured to the animal as she noticed he started to move about anxiously, Kayleigh initially thought it was due to the animal's own discomfort at first. However...

Her eyes caught movement ahead of them and she turned to see what it was; two well armed men dressed in fur padded armor were approaching, swords at their waste and hoods to cover their heads from the snow. "Havin' trouble are we?"

"Just a minor hitch." She answered them with eyes on the second man, "nothing we can't fix ourselves." She felt the hand of the farmer slightly tug on her right arm, but Kayleigh remained still as her left rested on the hilt of her own saber at the waist.

"Well that's too bad." The first man chimed as they drew closer to the wagon and ox, once Kayleigh had seen that the second one had indeed drawn a dagger from his sleeve, her own sword sang out with a ring in the cold as she held it's point to the men. Neither one seemed impressed. "Come now, that's no way t' treat yer saviors."

"Never said we needed saving," Kayleigh retorted with the edge angled away from her, "besides saviors don't go brandishing hidden blades."

"You're a clever one, quite mouthy too." The second man remarked with a grin under his hood. "Should be fun cutting up that pretty face."

"You two don't scare me, I've encountered worse things than a pair of bandits on the road. You two would especially put Stekir to shame." Kayleigh insulted as she nudged for the farmer to back off, when she felt her right arm completely freed she brought her hand up to hold the weapon better. Clearly these men never even heard of the name Stekir, a fact that reminded her she should be a seasoned adventurer by now. Still her heart pounded heavily, and while she didn't want to admit it... she was terrified.

Yet now that she held her sword more comfortably in her dominant hand, she felt capable of holding her own against two armed men. Maybe... Last time she fought a human being, she'd nearly lost her life due to the fact he was far more skilled than her. Now of course... she could fight with clarity in mind. "Stay back," She murmured to the farmer, "I won't let them near you or this animal."

[Muse]

They'd been watching the road for trials now, taking note of the foot traffic despite the late Cylus chill. To-trial was the trial that the VII had planned their strike across all of Rynmere, and with the dawn, all across the Kingdom, the foolish populace would be reminded of their power. In addition to their coordinated attacks, lesser members were simply given the permission to let loose and have a good time however they saw fit.

The four figures huddled in the cold, two on one side and two across the gravel and stone road far enough away to be well hidden in a leafless copse of trees. Hand motions passed silently between them at the braying of an oxen, the beast's breath a heavy cloud in the frigid air. While Kayleigh and the farmer talked, desperate to keep warm through their light conversation, the rut that had been carefully carved into the road did its job, catching the wheel and trapping the travelers just as the bandits had planned.

Once they'd given the pair a bit of time to become distracted with their problem, two hooded, masked men made their move. They didn't sneak so much as saunter, one with daggers and the other with a broadsword already out and ready.

The farmer didn't even peep so much as cower, slipping toward Kayleigh as if to warn her, but it was too late.

The woman managed to draw her weapon, even with the dagger-wielding bandit so close,

"Jus' a pair, eh? Y'sure, lass?" The man laughed, raising his blade and shifting his stance. The whistle of an arrow rang in the frigid air and thunked into the wood of the wagon as if to assure the travelers that the bandits they saw weren't the only ones nearby. The ox grunted and strained in its reigns, afraid.

"I dunno what a Stak-eer be, but it doesn't sound half as dangerous as us. In the name of VII, hand over all yer valuables an' we may decide not to leave ye both bleedin' here in the sardin' cold." The one with the sword was still grinning, and he shifted his stance, threatening the farmer.

The man looked to Kayleigh for a moment before his hands began reaching into his pouch, "P-please, take my goods. T-t-there's not much in there. And you c-c-can have my oxen. Please, sers, I've got children. Spare us." He was preparing to hand over the coin.

The dagger-wielding bandit eyed Kayleigh's sword with a snigger, "Do ye know how to use that 'r is it jus' for show? Just throw it down with yer coins an' save us the trouble. Yer a bit too pretty to die here between Andaris an' Venora. Nobody's gonna find yer body for at least a handful o' breaks."

He stepped forward threateningly, now armed with two daggers, the hint of leather armor under his cloak,

"Whassit gonna be, lass?"

The other bandit was distracted taking the farmer's coin, though if Kayleigh had been able to look, the man she'd traveled this far with was reaching for a knife with his other hand, a sidelong glance at the woman revealing he trusted she knew what to do with her weapon and that he was willing to fight back with her despite the archers they couldn't see in the woods.

[Kayleigh]

It seemed she underestimated these crooks already, a mistake she would have to avoid making twice at this rate. With the whistle of an airborn arrow heard, her eyes widened with surprise once the thwap sound pounded from the wagon. The poor oxen sounded terrified right about now, and in that moment the creature wasn't the only one. The bandits mocked her little insult and in turn, demanded that they handover their valuables; all in the name of some group known as 'The VII.' Her companion outright gave in with the intent to surrender, clearly valuing his life above the hard earned values he possessed.

Kayleigh glanced to him shockingly with a few steps taken away from the two, unsure how she should handle herself in this situation as of now. Her stomach felt all twisted into knots while her heart drummed wildly, she'd never once anticipated being caught up in a dangerous situation such as this. They had an archer in the distance... were two men well armed to the teeth, and had more than just common experience with these hold ups. Something about this didn't seem right all of a sudden, their timing here just as the wagon proved caught in ice and snow... Her eyes narrowed as she still held the blade dearly, her body almost in a tremble all over as she couldn't decide on the cause. Both fear and the cold were pretty heavy factors right about now...

Too pretty to die? These men weren't kidding around obviously, but neither was Kayleigh when she remained in her stance. It's true she only had modest experience with the weapon, a recent duel with a noble practically confirmed her actual inexperience with the weapon. Yet she wanted to believe she could hold her own, especially after her last sword fight deep within the confines of Ne'haer's underground. There were no words from here in this moment, defeat seemed already a hefty risk on her behalf and even then... she felt her rhetoric wasted on these wretched fools before her. They didn't even know what a Stekir was. Didn't actually surprise her to be honest, just meant her jokes wouldn't be understood in these foreign lands.

She had a decision to make then. To fight or to go down bravely.

Kayleigh pressed herself into thinking more calmly of the situation, to process the situation a little less intensely as to avoid being so driven. The other bandit seemed too occupied with counting his easily spared coin, and with a brief glance beyond her shoulder it seemed the farmer would stand up too. So... she wasn't going to be alone in this fight. Their numbers were too little since they hadn't a count on the archers, Kayleigh wanted to imagine that one was all they had hidden away, though if they were a group then there could've very well been three or four more... So how to handle this entirely? She could've gone straight for the dual-wielder, barrage him with a series of strikes to test his reflexes. Or...

"Pier and Pre curse you." She muttered with her cold fingers tightly gripped on the hilt of her saber, her eyes shot from the bandit with the two daggers to the other one closer to her. In one circular motion of her hand she brought the blade up from her left, then downward to the right arm of the bandit that bullied her traveling companion. She pulled the saber downward with all her might in her next step, the blade's edge faintly whirred in the cold air as it's edge sliced right through her target's wrist. With his hand still clutched at the coin it still held dearly, the severed limb fell right into the snowy mud with blood spurts from the cuts on both limbs. The bandit she'd assailed naturally reeled and roared in shock from the moment, completely caught off guard by the idea of a woman standing up against their lot. They had another thing coming...

With a blink to shut out the image of blood she'd momentarily glimpsed, Kayleigh spun around with her blade intended to rise in an arc. Her sword arm brought around from her grounded rotation, Kay's saber rushed into the crossed position of the second bandits daggers as the metal clashed with a loud ring. "I'd like to think I can use it." She then proceeded to taunt as she reeled back with a retreat of her blade, she'd yet again spun around with the sword held close to her body with point being held upwards. Kayleigh then knelt into a knee-bent position as she readied herself for an advance, hopeful that she could manage to avoid any incoming attacks from her current aggressor.

[Muse]

The wounded banded gurgled in pain and clutched what was left of his limb to his chest in shock and surprise. Kayleigh’s courageous move was just enough of a confirmation for the farmer next to her who’d been readying his humble hunting knife, the man charging forward like an animal freed from his cage with a flash of metal at the already bleeding bandit, overpowering the man with a quick knee to his stomach and bringing his blade up into his side. The pair barreled over into the snow, the farmer willing to risk an arrow in order to bring the wounded bandit down for good.

The other bandit was laughing, stronger than Kayleigh and letting his strength obvious as he parried her move with his daggers, pushing her back a step or two across the slick, ice-covered road,

“Maybe a little.” He hissed in a hot cloud of breath, giving her that moment after she’d wounded his companion, “But no’ enough, lass.” She retreated as he shoved to disengage, and the bandit shifted his stance to one side just as the dark-haired woman bent to ready herself for another advance.

An arrow whistled past her and lodged once again into the wagon. Then another, the second one grazing the warm layers of fabric on her shoulder.

The wounded bandit whined and hissed in pain, but it was mortal pain, the farmer having made fatal motions with his hunting knife. Raising the bloodied blade again as if to make another violent stab, a third whistle cut through the frigid Cylus air and the arrow lodged in his thigh, sending the farmer scrambling backwards with a cry of anguish and surprise.

With that, the dagger-wielding bandit whistled, loud and clear, winking at Kayleigh as he leapt toward her, one dagger in a defensive position ready to parry her blow while the other he swiftly brought forward in a slash toward her sword arm, hoping to leave an incapacitating sort of gash once he got past her attack.

At the other man’s whistle, the two bandits who’d been firing from the woods would throw down their bows and charge through the snow, their dagger-wielding superior clearly assuming they three of them had the upper hand despite the loss of their companion, bleeding out as he was on the cobblestones with a few wheezes and a steaming red stain.

Had Kayleigh been able to listen and pay attention to anything or anyone save for her attacker, however, she would have heard the strange sound of metal against cobblestone, a thump thump of swift footfalls as if someone in armor were charging up the road at them. It was just as the bandit parried her slash at his person and his other dagger bit past her warm layers and gnawed hard into the muscle of her bicep that the scene exploded in bright, warm light as if someone had lit a handful of torches into the darkest of nights, Cylus’ shadows crawling away from the wagon and the ox, the mortals locked in combat, the others crunching through the snow and ready to pounce into the fray in a few more moments, two bandits drawing their weapons.

The dagger-wielding bandit hissed, the light bright and unexpected given the cover of seasonal darkness they'd grown used to. As the farmer groaned in pain and the bandit stepped in, ready to strike at Kayleigh again, a blonde woman in armor seemed to literally appear into the scene, longsword cutting short the advance of the man who was ready to attack the dark-haired musician again with a slash across the man's chest, leaving him open for another blow from Kayleigh should she take the moment into her own hands.

A Moseke Knight perhaps, though the tall woman was alone and without a horse this far between Andaris and Venora, she flashed an amber-eyed smile and wordlessly continued the motion of her swing, stepping past the other woman in order to stand between her and the charging bandits,

"Well met," She huffed almost cheerfully, "I'm exceedingly confident you can use that saber just fine. Let's make sure no one else forgets that to-trial."

[Kayleigh]

Admittedly she'd put herself well into the path of harms way just by standing up to these two, she knew what she'd signed up for the moment her blade severed the hand of the bandit however. When she reeled back in a manner of defense and felt the first arrow whip past her, she remained completely still with widened eyes at her current target. How close was that arrow to hitting her or her traveling companion? Clearly the ox wasn't getting any more comfortable either, since another 'thwap' rattled the wagon to stir the poor trapped animal a little more. Then a second arrow flew just over her shoulder and she felt it then, it's tip the first to clip the fabrics of her clothes as it flew past her loosened hair.

Had it struck the surface of her skin though? Almost. She spared a glance out of fear to find that her pink skin remained intact, while the fabric itself had a clean rip across the top. Immortals be praised! Kayleigh didn't know if she could've managed with a bleeding shoulder, given she had to fight with herself to avoid seeing the blood the one handed bandit was losing now. The farmer had taken the initiative to assail that one earlier, only now it seemed he too had been clipped with an arrow. Only this time the aim was more direct compared to the one Kayleigh almost suffered, as the farmer had found himself shot in the thigh amidst his struggle. She scowled with a 'Pff' sound spat from her lips she readied herself, the point of her saber still upwards as she remained bent at the knees for a moment.

Her opponent held both daggers differently as one seemed to be held backwards while the other regularly, which meant he could've very well be mounting a parry or a well coordinated assault. She couldn't tell for sure, just had to determine the best countermeasure to follow. Thus she went in with a shove of her foot against the cold ground, her sword arm brought behind her as she swung at him from her right to hit the first dagger. Her attack had been deflected with ease as her sword arm still carried forward in front of her, the second dagger brought in for the counter strike the bandit prepared to assail her with. Evidently she'd underestimated the bandit's skill with the daggers, since he seemed easily capable of deflecting blows and parrying them with his own.

Yet she wouldn't let this be the end of her. Just as she erred in her judgement she also reconsidered her stance, her left arm brought up to hopefully catch the incoming strike of the second dagger. Sure enough it struck across the surface of her skin and tore at her flesh, almost as smoothly as a butter knife would cut through butter no less. Kayleigh hissed as she tried to pull back from him but her feet betrayed her, the ice and snow made the movements to back peddle far more difficult than usual. Yet even when she found her momentary retreat unavailable, another occurrence much more strange and different happened. Light. Come to think of it she did briefly hear heavily armored footfalls, if only for a moment before her saber briefly clashed with the dagger.

A woman. That was initially all that Kayleigh could register for the moment, Her appearance brief and amazingly timely when it happened. She flashed a smile to Kayleigh with amber eyes, and then stood a new stalwart obstacle between her and the bandits before them. Sure enough this woman had the presence and demeanor of a knight, but what that instance was before Her appearance was beyond Kayleigh really. Light? It was undoubtedly a flash of brilliant light, one that threw off both the bandits as well as both Kayleigh and the farmer once it happened. The knight seemed to remark on Kayleigh's skill with the saber, her comment a confidence inducing and also reassuring token Kayleigh took with a soft grin. She could hold her own well enough, but whoever this lady was certainly held better skills all on her own.

Such confidence nearly made Kayleigh feel able to join and contribute to this fight, to take this further to the limit now that such confidence had been given. Clearly this knight wasn't ordinary by any means, but that would remain to be seen before the fight was over. Yet Kayleigh had another problem as well... blood. Her left bicep had been injured and thus her fear confronted her as well. What was she to do in this particular moment? Her legs felt weakened already and her heart raced frantically, she could've considerably started hyper ventilating if she weren't breathing so heavily already. No... She had to remain strong! Even if she felt a tremendous fear wash over her, she held onto that courage she briefly had earlier. This stranger was here now, and if she could help then Kayleigh would do everything in her power to assist.

"I'm honored you feel that way," She muttered as she then held the saber low behind her, her left arm held before her as she defensively stood next to the knight. "I'm no expert by all means... but I won't let fear and doubt hold me back."

"Not in this fight." She silently promised as she eyed her bleeding wound severely, determined to overcome the panic it tried to induce.

[Muse]

"Good. Let's enlighten them, then." The arc of the blonde knight's weapon connected with the short sword of one of the charging bandits, tossing their swing to one side and opening them up for a backswing or a quick attack from Kayleigh. It would have to be the latter because the woman kept her forward momentum, using the rest of her swing to meet the second charging bandit with the bright metal of her gauntlet, literally catching the blade in her mailed hand with a grin that would have lit up a room.

The dagger-wielding bandit, now bleeding from the wound across his chest that had cut through his leather cuirass, and his deflected companion were readying themselves to turn back on Kayleigh. A loud snap was heard and the farmer groaned, having broken the shaft of the arrow in his thigh before leaping back into the fray—literally. The wounded commoner flashed his hunting dagger in the darkness of Cylus and charged toward the back of the bandit engaged with the night, clearly rather feisty for a farmer and quite inspired by the sort of confidence and leadership in battle that seemed to exude from the blonde woman's very pores.

Depending on how Kayleigh chose to react to the options left open for her, whether she took her chance to strike at the charging bandit the knight had deflected in her direction or whether she took back up combat with the wounded dagger-wielding bandit, she could feel the warmth of confidence and courage seep into her chest, giving her focus and slowing her heart. The warmth began like a strangely searing heat around her arm—her wounded arm—as if someone had laid a hand there, and grew to tingle up her spine and fill her chest like a breath of fresh air. It was tangible, if the dark-haired woman was aware of it at all.

The wound on her arm hurt, but it wasn't a distracting pain. Or, rather, the pain almost felt more motivating than it did detrimental to her ability to assess the battle as it unfolded around her. Not a well-trained warrioress by any means at this point in her life, Kayleigh still found herself with a wellspring of tactical understanding for some strange reason, able to weigh her choices in a better light—light!—as if she'd been advised by someone else.

The deflected bandit struggled to recover, clearly not as skilled as his other two companions. The bleeding bandit who'd originally attacked Kayleigh seemed to be growing more enraged and less afraid, which hopefully meant he'd make more mistakes instead of less,

"When we're finished with th' lot 'f you, I'll make sure to carve VII into your pretty faces." He spat, "That way those who find your cold bodies'll know who owns this stretch o' road."

"We'll see about that." The blonde knight chuckled almost tauntingly as she shifted her grip on her weapon against the third bandit, the two of them locked in a bit of a stalemate between their blades.

[Kayleigh]

One thing that never seemed to change was how wild and fast combat would always ensue, one way or another moments always seemed short-lived to the singer. In this instance she'd found herself not only saved by a skilled warrior, but also motivated to live to the new expectation set for herself. Kayleigh too was her own warrior in this moment and she did more than struggle, she fought to prove her value as one among the lot of bandits before her.

Not only was she still in the fray but her traveling companion as well, as the farmer somehow seemed invigorated to stand up against their common enemy. With the first bandit deflected towards her from the knight, Kayleigh's saber hung low as she charged in for an upward strike from her right. The bandit with the inexperience in close combat being her target, she quickly flung herself forward with a twist to her left as the saber soared higher. Iron caught leather and, somehow, tore through with enough force from her momentum, and resulted in Kayleigh's blade striking the man across his chest in an upwards angle.

Determining him as nearly dispatched she twirled around quickly to hold her blade out to the dual wielder of the bunch, both saber and sword arm straight as she glared him down from her place. She'd been so wrapped up in her focus that she nearly failed to recognize the change in her attitude. Calm, confident, and even warm. A glance spared at her injury led her to question it's origin, since it felt like this bolstering confidence started there.

As her being felt filled with vibrant warmth and the cold seemed a less problem, Kayleigh focused back on her current opponent standing before her. By now the bandit she attempted to cut down would've found his footing, if he were still able to stand at all from her quick blow she delivered before. She didn't need the thought of blood to distract her from the battle itself, even when she felt it's fading warmth trickle down her skin of her arm. The dual wielder cursed them nearly in a state of fury, a boon Kayleigh would hope serve her well in their current situation.

Anger and frustration were often quick ways to suffer and impede on performance, and in combat that proved a dangerous problem to encounter as well. Considering the bandit seemed ready and impatient to dispose of them, Kayleigh merely watched with her eyes narrowed on the man. Her other two companions seemed ready and fit enough to continue as well, with the Lady Knight beside her confidently testing the statement of the dual wielding bandit yet. With her breaths coming in deep and steady Kayleigh glanced over to her, her face still heavy with focus as she nodded in agreement.

"Right." With her weapon drawn in close she held it's hilt a few inches above her chest, her arm shot forward to jab at the bandit when she took the first step. "I'll test his reflexes now that's his concentration is disrupted!" She mentally issued herself as her body proceeded to move.

To the others locked in combat it would've appeared Kayleigh attacked too early, that her saber were thrust into the jab a bit too soon since she'd merely taken a couple steps. Yet Kayleigh's intention was to directly assail the dual wielder with a meager attack, to test not just his reflexes but also observe his patterns as well. She wanted to watch how it was he reacted and what his exact response was in parrying or deflecting her simple jab.

[Whisper]

One most common factor in combat is that one party with nigh always underestimate the skill required to take another down. The bandits had seen a girl, the weaker sex, an easy target. They had surely underestimated the sheer will a woman could possess. Alone, she had shown courage, strength of mind and fortitude enough to make for a worthy adversary of the bandits.

But she was not alone. The Knight continued to fair well against her own opponent. It appeared that she was actually enjoying the light banter with the baffled bandit. If anything, she seemed to almost be dragging out her scuffle longer than was decent. With each blow and strike, the he bandit weakened where the woman seemed rejuvenated.

To call it an even fight would have been a gross misrepresentation, even if it would have looked that way to a causal observer, had their been any around too cowardly to defend innocent travellers from the bandits. Against Kayleigh, the bandit lunged forward again, blade in hand as he dodged the girl’s own attacks. He had misjudged, and made no effort to parry the oncoming jab of Kayleigh’s saber. “Weapons do not belong in the hands of women,” he crooned throatily as their blades clashed once more and their faces came within inches of each other. But his agile movement was far too slow.

A sudden bush of pain jolted throughout the bandit’s body. His stomach ache, his arms lost their tension, and his legs began to weaken. ‘She will not get the better of me,’ the man thought bitterly as he dropped onto his knees, on the ground. His tongue was soaked in the taste of his own blood. Bruised and winded, with a leg in agony, he grappled at the leg of Kayleigh, intending to drag her down to the ground with him.

When it comes to a fight against people with now law or order to control them, there’s no feigning honour, no code. All that mattered to them was the win, and to take nothing for granted. It was why so many honest folk, skilled or otherwise, would lose, given the ability of the enemy to do what they wish above the law. Gangs of bandits attacked as a mob, often in ambush, praying on the weak.

The bandit dragged in a haggard breath, wincing from the strain that took on his bruised ribs. He knew he had limited strength left in him - which was bleeding out of his wounds faster than a dog chased a bitch in heat. If Kayleigh fell, his next attack would see the curl is of hand into a fist before he aimed directly for the nose.

[Kayleigh]

Kayleligh might've threwn all her form into that last assault she made towards the man, her strength normally not near enough to steer him off course... or so she thought. The girl hardly relented as their faces drew closer in towards one another, her eyes alight with drive now that she had the will to stand up to him. He made a rather snide remark of the fact weapons were tools not meant for women, and somehow the girl could only scoff as their weapons gritted against one another menacingly. What did this man know?! He was just a common thug determined to prey on the weak, only surprised to find his victim had the will to fight back. Yet he faltered!

Somehow his strength waned the more she pressed against him, and suddenly it looked as though she could probably win this fight! "Is that what you believe?!" She tested a little scorned with him, yet her rage remained tempered as she continued. "Weapons belong to those willing to use them! Willing to take a stand against foolish men like you!" Just then it seemed as though she had won against all odds, that this man fell because of the injuries and hope was assured! Kayleigh couldn't afford to celebrate yet even if he seemed to spurt a little red, as his eyes narrowed fiercely on her while he fell to his knees.

"Wha?" Their weapons slipped past one another and he lunged for her leg, arms wrapped tightly to pull towards his form and bring her down. Kayleigh's intention to move backwards nearly prevented this however, between the ice and this man's pull she couldn't remain on her feet. In just a moment she staggered and nearly fell, her other leg bent to catch her at the knee while the one pulled moved forward to bring her down. When she was eye level with him he proceeded to throw a punch, the direction spiked straight for the center of her face in fact. Almost too late with her reaction the girl drew her upper body sideways, her knee pulled up to where she could tuck it into a roundhouse kick from the side. The frontside of her ankle felt a shot of pain flare up, as the leather of her boot crashed into the shoulder of the bandit before her.

In spite of her reaction Kayleigh fell on her back with a grunt after her quick reversal, her elbows used to drag her away as she tried to recover her ground; with her saber still in hand.

[Whisper]

Though the bandit had clearly had the intention of falling, she seemed surprised when she actually did topple. His aim in his own lunch was far off, swinging at air a good few inches above and left of where the girl’s nose actually was. His knuckles did not even knock against the girl’s forehead, so poor was his aim. Kayleigh’s aim, on the other hand, was much closer to its intended target.

Purposefully or not, the front of her boot collided with her opponent’s upper torso, just lower than the shoulder and slightly farther into his chest. It then ricocheted back against his elbows as his body was flung backwards, which forced his arms upwards at a fast enough speed to dislocate one of the bandit’s shoulders. The man would have screamed, where he not already winded by the blow against his rib cage. The still-functioning hand gripped at the damaged arm as he fell onto onto side - only aggravating the wound further still. Groaning, the bandit slowly angled his legs to manoeuvre himself onto his back, utterly spent.

Soon Kayleigh, who had been making an effort to shift away from further onslaught, would realise her opponent would not be following her. If she looked around, she might see the final blows of the other bandits going down. The Lady Knight, with impeccable timing earlier on in the battle, had continued this streak at the end and was already walking over to Kayleigh. The bandit she had been fighting was on the ground too, very clearly unconscious.

The woman was smiling brightly as she bent down to pick up Kayleigh’s fallen saber before extending a hand as an offer to help the brunette up. “Are you injured?” She asked if the girl took the proffered hand, and she would calculate how much support she might have to provide her comrade to stand, as well as considering aides for stability once up. “You fought well, Kayleigh.”

The pair had not yet been introduced - how could they, when sparing a moment to chat could have resulted in one or both of them tugging on Vri’s trouser leg with sheepish expressions - yet the Lady Knight Kew her name. Whether that registered with the young woman was another matter. “You are victorious in a battle courageously fought. With loyal friends by your side, Pier and Pre could not have judged it any other way. I believe, then, the decision of the bandits’ fate falls to you.” If Kayleigh stood with need for limited aide, her blade would be returned to her at this moment, as the pair stood over the bandit who squirmed in the floor, clutching at his arm.