The clashing of steel echoed through the valley. There was panicked screaming, pained crying, and violent shouting as masked men fought against a small family of merchants. The father and his two sons, armed with simple spears, were outnumbered by the six robbers. They had swords, clubs, and axes, and weren't afraid to use them. One of the sons was already wounded in the leg by a sword and one of the girls were cut by a sword, crying in her mother's arms. The robbers made it clear that they were going to kill everyone present, and that's if they were lucky to get a quick death. The girls were fearful of what their fate would be if their brothers and father died. Not to mention the men weren't warriors, they were merchants. They were never even trained to fight.
The bandits swarmed the merchants and were quickly able to kill the defenders. Only one of the robbers were even wounded, and he only took a minor cut to the shoulder. The three men died, their heads decapitated and bodies taken as the women were captured, tied up, gagged, and tossed into the back of the wagon. The thieves would take the wagon and ride away to their lair. It was an abandoned fishing hamlet that they used to smuggle goods to their blackmarket contractors. Stolen goods, slaves, contraband, all under the guise of simple fishermen. The robbers congratulated themselves on a job well done as they moved their cargo to their store houses. The women were put into a barn with the other prisoners. Women and children who have been robbed by these men. As they spoke about indulging in their spoils there was a ringing in a distance. A signal that their contact was on it's way. No rest for the wicked.
The men went to do one final check on their loot. Most of it was food and other perishables, as well as things like smoked meats, butter, and even spices. In the barn there was also four older women, seven young women, and five young boys. All in all, quite a bounty for this small band of thieves. They made sure to prey on folk along a longer, more remote path. They even made sure to bring along the bodies of anyone who they killed, tossing them into the river so no one would find their corpses near where the bandits robbed others. They were through and made sure that the typical traveler or patrol wouldn't be able to trace them. But their time was up.
A boat would arrive to the docks of the fishing hamlet. It was a medium sized sailboat, suitable to be manned by a single person or a small crew. But something was wrong and the robbers knew it. There should be at least three people on the boat but they didn't see anyone. The robbers were immediately on guard and picked up their weapons to investigate. First they checked the ship and sure enough, there was no one on it. How it even managed to reach shore and for someone to ring it's bell was a mystery. They immediately suspected foul play when suddenly they hear the stomping of footsteps. The prisoners somehow managed to open the barn and were running away. Two of the bandits immediately left to go chase after them. That's when she struck.
As one of the brigands ran pass a hunt, a large sword appeared from around the corner, intercepting the man as he ran pass. The force of the swing and his own momentum bisected the bandit, cutting him in half. This surprised the other bandit who had ran passed but wasn't attacked; in that moment of surprise she struck again. She slammed the edge of her shield against his head, knocking him aside as she stabbed her sword through his body, causing him to scream in agony as he started to bleed to death from the sucking chest wound. This alerted the other four. They would arrive to see a lone elven woman, dressed in knightly armor and also soaking wet, with a blade stained red, and two of their allies dead on the ground. They could only ready their weapons as she charged right at the four of them.
The two with swords readied themselves as one with an axe and one with a club tried to move around to flank. But the knight moved faster, charging into the axe-wielding bandit and knocking him over with her shield. The club bandit swung his cudgel at the knight but his weapon simply bounced off her plate. The two swordsmen engaged her, aiming for her unarmored helmet. But all she needed to do was raise her shield and push, parrying their swing. By the time the axe wielding bandit stood up, the lone warrior had swung her sword into the one of the swordsmen, severing his arm. He roars of pain alarmed the bandits who were not dwindling to just the three of them. The club wielding bandit smashed his weapon into the back of the girl's head, causing her to finch forward. The other one tried to stab his sword through her face as she faltered, but she managed to stay on her feet and the blade bounced off her pauldron.
It was time for her counter attack. As the swordsman's blow was deflected by her armor, she slashed upwards and across the bandit's body, going from groin to shoulder. Carrying the momentum around she stepped around the club-wielding bandit and ended up behind him, pushing him forward with her shield to cause him to stumble as she brought her two-hander down across his back, grasping her blade with both hands for full power. She partially bisected him, with only bits of flesh around his stomach area remaining attached. Even his spine was severed. Finally there was the axe-wielding bandit. In a span of about twenty seconds, the six bandits were reduced to one. The elven woman looked to the final survivor. She had a small wound on the back of her head and a slight grass where the sword had missed her face deflecting off her armor, but she was otherwise perfectly healthy unlike the dismembered corpses around her. "P-Please! Have mercy! I surrender! I swear!"
His words fell on deaf ears. As soon as the man put his weapon down the quiet elf ran him through with her sword. Right through the neck. Then she twisted the blade, gripped it with both hands, and turned with the full force of her body, decapitating him and creating a small fountain of blood where his neck once connected to his skull. Letting the bodies fall where they were, the lone warrior wiped the blood off her blade and when to check on the prisoners. Many of the women were crying over their newfound freedom, as well as the lost of their close family members. Some were trying to find their belongings among the stolen goods. Others were just in a state of shock. Regardless, the elf knight stayed with them until they began to leave the fishing hamlet to return to their homes.
The women left, some on foot, most taking wagons or horses the bandits had. They took whatever they could from the storehouse. The knight asked for nothing. When asked who she was or where she was going, she didn't respond. Instead she simply pointed in a direction to the north; in the direction of a city. That's where she was going. If anyone wanted to follow her, they were welcomed. She would be walking. And walk she did. Stopping only once to rest, tending to her wounds and cleaning her equipment, the girl would arrive to the town of Thaoswen. She had escorted three women, the women who were suppose to get here with their brothers and father. Their bodies were still in the wagon. The bandits didn't get a chance to toss their corpses in the river. They were thankful for her help but the warrior didn't respond. She simply nodded her head and left them to mourn. She had business in this town.
Soon the errant knight would appear at a guild. A crowd of people had formed here. A few elves, a few humans, and some more exotic races. A Centaur surprisingly enough, plus a beastkin and an orc. There was also a dwarf sitting with an elf, presumably the two guild leaders. The girl simply walked up to the group, nodding her head as she took a small card from her pocket and handed it to the elf smoking from a pipe. On it was all they needed to know about her.
"Quiet. The Thunderstriker. Swordsman. Scribe. Mute."
