Distraction

Elliv clings to the slippery bark of a tree limb ten Length above the ground--the only place he can see the cliffside above the south slope of Korben without exposing himself to the sentinels. Still, through the heavy mist of the rainstorm he can barely see what he’s looking for. But once Ketha ignites the chemical flare, he sees it clearly. Even in the rain it ignited, just like Maris says it would.

Elliv carefully slides down the trunk and crawls back under the bushes with Maris and Lein. He signs to them, “Go.”

Maris sits up and pulls one of the ceramic bottles from his bandolier. Its fuse has stayed dry in its little leather pouch. He leans over to shield it from the rain with his body, and pulls a sealed box of matches from his belt. He sticks one in his teeth and pulls it out, striking it, and sets it to the fuse. With the bomb sparking in his hand, he stands up out of his cover, and just as the sentinels turn their heads up at him, he throws it. It lands right at their feet. The sentinels run from their shelter, dive into a prone position, and cover their heads as the bomb explodes, tearing their makeshift shelter to shreds.

With the sents face down in a muddy puddle, Elliv can’t tell if their guns are submerged or not. Just as they start to rise, he stands and reveals himself. “K.R.A! Catch me if you can!”

They draw their pistols as Elliv, Maris, and Lein fall back and jump behind a boulder just behind their position. The click of a hammer falling--a misfire--but then a gunshot. A small tree trunk next to their cover explodes into wet splinters--the tree collapses. Maris lights another bomb and drops it where they stand. It erupts with a cloud of green smoke just as they retreat deeper into the woods.

They reach their next position and conceal themselves behind three large trees on the hillside. Elliv and Lein draw their sword bayonets. While Elliv holds the short sword in one hand, he takes his hunting knife in the other in a reverse grip. Maris prefers more direct methods. He clinks the iron knuckles of his leather gloves together in anticipation.

Elliv crouches down and peers around the tree trunk--four white coats advancing slowly through the muddy woods. Outnumbered, but no match, he thinks. He waits. They’re taking the obvious path he left for them--perfect. Beside him is a makeshift net holding back a nice stack of heavy stones--easy to find on this mountain. When the sents reach just the right spot, Elliv cuts the rope by his feet. Rocks roll right down the path. Two of the sentinels trip and two jump out of the way--one who does ends up slipping in the mud and falling anyway.

The three leap from their cover and charge down the hill. The standing sent takes a defensive position in front of his fallen comrades. As Elliv closes on him, he raises his baton to strike, but Elliv catches him by the wrist with the edge of his large knife and blocks his swing. With his other hand he thrusts his sword into the sent’s stomach just below the ribs, using his weight and momentum to push it straight through his body.

He sees movement in his periphery, and feels a hand grab him by the leg. As he looks down, Lein dives in with his sword, cutting straight through the wrist. The sentinel reels back, clutching at his arm below the stump. But Lein pulls his sword back and strikes again. He cuts halfway through his neck--blood and rain flowing down. He pushes against his chest with his boot for leverage to dislodge the blade.

As Maris closes on one, the sent gets to his feet first and swings for his head. Maris raises his arm and takes the blow from the heavy baton in his forearm. With his other hand, he punches the sent. He falls, bleeding from his nose. Maris pulls him up with one hand by his black helmet and punches him in the face again, and he goes limp.

Below them, the fourth one has gotten his footing, but Maris picks up the unconscious sentinel by his shoulders and throws him down the hill into him, and both go tumbling down the muddy hillside. The Helbender boys climb down after him. When he sees them coming he scampers back down toward the road. They pursue him until they reach their position behind the boulder, and wait there for the next wave to come.