He felt the need to reiterate, that he was there when she needed. Iris craned her neck to look over the ragged edge of the crevice. The blasted abbeys had no bottom that she could see. The ground had split open, revealing endless free fall, if Corvin had let her go.
He caught her and didn't let go. Turning to him, huffing, struggling to steady his breathing. She raised her eyes to look up and gasped.
" What?" He didn't bother to open his eyes.
" They are here," Iris huffed as she pulled herself up to make herself seen.
" Fantastic," Corvin jumped to his feet and leaned over the edge to retrieve his hunting knife. A simple tool that had served him well, over the ages. A good luck charm.
Stuffing it in his boot, he grabbed her wrist studying the scrapes and grazes that lashed her hand.
Ripping a sliver of cloth from his tunic, he deftly wrapped it around her hand, " It will have to do for now," He grumbled as he tied the knot on the back of her hand.
" Thank you," Iris hugged her hand to her chest, rubbing it to feel the extent of the damage inflicted.
" Don't thank me yet," He said as he began climbing up the hill with long strides.
As he walked he began collecting his and her belongings, scattered all over the hill, along with the daggers that she impaled in the ground during their tumble down the hill.
No surprise that they went down at such dizzying speed. The ground had shifted making it steeper than it already was. Dakran stood atop the hill with the rest of those who were able to wield a sword, holding the war Ironstone banner.
The outlook was rather grim as she peered over the edge of the crater in the ground. Just like the crevice she'd almost fallen into, it seemed bottomless. But they could easily be seen, or better said their blood, splattered and smeared all over the walls of the crater, caught in the rocky spikes in the fall.
It was rather poetic. Their own size, albeit menacing and frightening had been their own demise.
" So...," Dakran drawled, " We come to help and you spend every spare moment rolling in the grass, bumping uglies," He smirked and gave Maya a sideways glance, who flushed the same instant.
" Where are the others?" Dakran carried on, when Corvin shrugged, picked a grass blade and placed it in the corner of his mouth as he glanced down at the bottomless crater.
" Down there," He pulled the grass blade out of his mouth and gave it a thoughtful look," I guess," He shrugged, shoving the grass blade back in his mouth.
" The grass tastes funny," He said nonchalantly, walking around the massive crater to join the others.
" Some of them retreated to the forest," Eisza chimed in, pointing towards the forest.
" How did your little stunt go?" Eisza pressed further, as she jumped off the horse, and leaned forward to have a better look at the mess they had made.
" You know," Eisza trailed off," I always knew you were crazy but this..." She shook her head and returned to the horse.
" Actually," Corvin sighed, " It was her idea. I just implemented the plan," There was no plan. That was not what they had discussed nor hoped.
Iris sighed and looked over the forest. As the sun rose in the sky, the massacre was clearly visible. Hundreds upon hundreds of corpses piled up on the forest ground painting the ground scarlet red.
Dakran shook his head, " We should finish this. Light it up," He instructed, as from behind a couple of young boys, dragged barreles on the ground and rolled them into the pit. More followed, over fifty of them, rolled off the hill into the pit below, crashing and thumping against the uneven walls of the pit.
" And only you could think of something so disturbing to do to a bunch of monsters," Corvin mumbled as the boys threw their torches into the pit.
It didn't take long for the flames to flare to life, rising over the mouth of the pit, blazing hot as she and Corvin took a step back to prevent them from catching fire.
" A little warning would be useful" Corvin smirked, as he began ascending towards the hill.
" What did you think it would happen?" Dakran smirked," bath them," Corvin shrugged, as he wrapped an arm around her waist watching the fire burning along with everyone else.
" It's time to end this," Dakran waved a hand directing the small army towards the forest.
" Are you two coming, or are just going to sit here and gawk at the fire?" Muffled groans of pain, and screams began rising from the pit, along with the sound of claws scraping against the stone. They weren't dead. Iris scrunched her eyes closed. They were being burned alive.
A roar, an infuriated roar crested the air making everyone halt in their place and look over the forest where the shikari had retreated.
" Be prepared," Dakran warned," Leave the horses behind. Will take only the carts and the barrels. From here onwards will travel on foot," He said as he jumped off his horse, and so did everyone else. It didn't appear to be the initial plan, but he'd adapted rather quickly.
" What is the plan?" Iris stepped forward, as everyone began placing their travel sacks on their back and taking the horses to a nearby thicket of trees.
" Don't die," Dakran replied simply, in a tone that sent shivers down her spine.
She'd never seen him, so grave, commanding and frankly downright frightening.
Maya smiled and waved a hand towards Eisza, who tipped her chin, picked up something off the floor and made her way towards Iris.
" This is made out of sindrif skin," She held something that looked like armour but not armour.
" Sindrif?" Iris quirked up a brow, examining the vest like armour.
" They don't exist anymore, but once upon a time, they roamed the North. Their skin was impenetrable. They were peaceful creatures. They mostly graze and lumbered over the lands. When the monsters began ravaging our lands they were the first ones to die. They starved to death," Eisza, fastened the last buckle on her sides and patted her on her shoulders.
" They had to boil the skin to be able to cut through it, but it still provides protection against conventional weapons. It might save your life," Eisa said over her shoulder, as she began moving forward following the crowd of what appeared roughly about fifty people.