Derfel Cadarn

Trian Wallace! He wears a kilt too!

You flatter me Mr Z. I just want to be part of the guild and muck in like everyone else now. I'm quite happy doing my story which I guess can help as free builds.

Well, as you know, im writing a story about some of the events of Avalonia's past which explains how Artorious Rex came to rule. I assume I can carry on writting this as it is about past events? Even though all the characters I introduce will then now be part of Rex's current army on based in my land 'The Dark Isle'. Obviously I am now just a 'builder' taking part in GOH. I pledge my support for mighty Avalonia and will support my team mates and help the guild in any way I can. For those in other guilds who think Avalonia is weakened and slipping into chaos, be warned! The best is yet to come from Avalonia, we breed hero's and no other guild's will be taking this land! Avalonia needs to group together and get ready for a new era.

It can be hard keeping up with everyone's story's and characters. I'm only just coming to the end of chapter 1 of my story and I'm about to introduce a whole load of new characters who will go on and form the Dragon Flight. So lots of characters and back story's to try and keep track of.

Very true!

I can't see this ending well for Antyrian. Whats to stop others doing the same? It could plunge Avalonia into chaos! I pity whoever is the next ruler, I fear it won't be an easy task trying to keep things u see control.

Well once Lord Rex and his army have finished restoring the Dark Isle, we would then like to conquer Nocturnus, clean it up and turn it into a theme park hosting regular beer festivals. It would give all those Drow something to do with themselves, and create many job opportunities. Nocturnus would then be back on the map and people from all over Historica would come to visit!

I thought Trian was dead?

Lord Rex has stepped down to become Lord of the Dark Isle. He wants to live in peace and build the Dark Isle into a haven. He will remain a loyal Avalonian and his armies will be ready to march against anyone who threatens Avalonia. He also looks forward to seeing who will be the next ruler! Someone needs to step up.

Lord Rex will be having new adventures in Historica. One of the reasons for stepping down is so he explore without worrying about the running of the land. But he will never be without worry, Avalonia is home and he will always want the best for it. Remaining loyal, Rex will be ready to fight for Avalonia if the need arises. In the mean time, he's off to search for new places in the mystic Isles. On another note, perhaps a competition to decide who will be the next ruler of Avalonia? A tournament? The greatest Knights of Avalonia competing for the title of ruler!

Seeing as Artorious Rex is stepping down as leader and going on other adventures, who is going to take over and rule Avalonia in his place? I'm thinking a competition is on its way!

Note: I was rushed to meet a deadline with the final set-up of this, so I didn't manage to display the battle as gruesome as it is described. Just imagine that those fallen Lego figs are covered in blood! Dark Isle Saga Chapter 1: Grim Hollow Part 7 With the aid of Ella, Taryn and Sarlina had made it to Darkmire Mill where they were introduced to Ella's cousin, Owain. It had now become evident that Haldur's Scroll would have to be destroyed to prevent it falling into the hands of the enemy, a decision shared by all except Sarlina. Blinded by the power of the scroll, she was adamant that it was the key to restoring peace and prosperity to the land. Caught between his childhood friend and his sense of what was right, Taryn was feeling the strain of knowing he must soon make a choice. Time was growing short, the enemy had been sending out scouting party's across Grim Hollow to track down those with the scroll. Now it seemed they had caught up with them as a small war band had appeared at the foot of the hill where Darkmire Mill lay. Owain and Ella knew they must get Taryn, Sarlina and the scroll to the safety of Artorious' camp which was situated just west of the church. It would be a desperate journey but they had no other choice as the enemy were closer now than ever. So Taryn and Sarlina, led by Owain, Ella and two of Owain's men, fled the mill and headed west. Owain led them down through deep valleys and secret woodland paths which he knew would mean that the enemy would have to dismount and follow on foot if they wanted to keep up. It was no easy journey, they were all tired and it was already late afternoon but they had to keep going. The enemy was almost upon them now, they could hear them close by, forever on their heels, closing in for the kill. On they went, through the woods and up a narrow track way. They reached the crest and came out into the clearing, the church lay just ahead and Owain smiled knowing they were so close now. Then an arrow came shooting out from the woods behind them and whistled passed Owain's head. The enemy had caught up with them. "Run!" shouted Owain, "To the church!" St. Gwydre's Church: Located west of Grim Hollow. It is said St Gwydre had once been a famous warrior who was invincible in battle and carried a golden sword forged in dragon's fire. In his later years he became a monk and lived out his last days by the shores of lake Caregg. He is credited with having written many accounts of Avalonia's various history, including many famous battles. He is also said to have written a teaching on sword techniques which has become quite sought after but has never been found. The church itself is one of the oldest buildings in Grim Hollow, in these dark times it is now in use more than ever and so appears much better looked after than anywhere else in the village. Built on a commanding site and standing defiant in the face of darkness, St Gwydre's is one of Grim Hollow's greatest landmarks and a beacon for those in need. The six of them raced across the open plain between the woods and the church with the enemy right behind them. They entered the churchyard and headed for the door at the foot of the tower. Owain slammed his fist against the solid oak door then pushed up against it with all his might but it was to no avail. He looked back to the others with a half smile on his face. "It seems we're not getting in." he mused, then drew his sword and turned towards the advancing enemy. "No more running!" he smiled. Ella drew her swords and turned towards Taryn. "Stay on my right flank, remember Taryn...the're frightened too." Taryn was confused, why would they be frightened? He nodded and then looked at Sarlina who had come to stand beside him.. "Stay close" said Taryn. Sarlina looked angry and shook her head slowly. "I hope this is all worth it" she hissed quietly. Owain turned to them all and smiled confidently. "Stay sharp, kill quickly and keep your shields high!" he shouted. "Some of us don't need shields" grinned Ella as she twirled her two swords. They stood and watched as the enemy approached. The enemy approached slowly from the side of the church. Their armor was coated with a black pitch which gave them a dark sinister appearance and their weapons were the same. They carried no banner but they seemed to be led by a tall equally dark warrior who wore an impressive coat of armor. It was a small war band but large enough to overwhelm them and Taryn felt a strong urge to turn an flee as he watched them slowly approach. He told him self he must stand his ground and fight like a man, but oh how he did want to turn and run. All of a sudden the enemy charged, there would be no running now! Owain and Ella hit the charge head on, cutting to and fro while Taryn and Owain's men followed behind. Owain was cutting deep into the enemy ranks, fighting like a fiend, swiftly killing and enjoying every minute of it. Ella leapt towards the enemy and brought her sword down like a hammer that slammed into the shield of an enemy warrior as he desperately tried to parry her blow. Within a flash she brought her other sword up and cut straight into his unprotected chest, the sweet spot, just below his breastplate. The enemy warrior grimaced and screamed in pain as she pulled her sword out, ripping flesh as it went and sending a spray of bloody droplets flying back off her sword. Then she was onto the next, using both her swords with a deadly skill, mercilessly killing, doing what had to be done. In the heat of battle, there's no time to pause for thought, no time to negotiate, its kill or be killed. A gruesome business. Taryn did as Ella said, he stayed close protecting her right side, fending off the enemy as they rained down blow after blow, trying to get behind them. Sarlina was fighting along side one of Owain's men who was shielding her but he was soon overwhelmed and took a spear in the neck. His killer stepped over the body and headed towards Sarlina who waved her sword wildly at him. Taryn rushed to her aid and swung his sword towards her attacker who managed to deflect Taryn's sword and turn to face him. Taryn stared at the enemy warrior and it was then he finally realized what Ella meant. The enemy soldier was only a young lad, perhaps even younger than Taryn was and he had a look of shock and horror in his eyes. Taryn noticed how the warrior nervously gripped and re-gripped his sword handle, he was as frightened as Taryn was. The warrior lunged and Taryn parried with his shield, sending the enemy's sword past his head while at the same time bringing his own sword up to meet the enemy's stomach. A look of unspeakable horror crossed the young warriors face. The wound was a particularly nasty one, as Taryn's blade had cut straight up through his body. With all his might Taryn pulled the blade from the enemy's body, fighting against the suction until it was free. The warrior sunk down to the floor clasping his belly, preventing his intestines from spilling to the ground. Tears of pain welled in his eyes and Taryn felt a pang of sorrow. He stared into the eyes of the dying suffering warrior and held his sword point over his neck. The young warrior nodded and Taryn stabbed down hard unleashing a well of blood and killing him instantly. For a moment, Taryn's head was clouded with confusion and guilt but within seconds he was being attacked again. More enemy soldiers came rushing towards Taryn and Sarlina, swinging their sword's in deadly arcs toward's the pair. Taryn could see Owain was furiously cutting his way through to where the dark knight waited, while Ella was desperately fighting off two battle scared warriors. Owain's other spear man had been killed. Taryn didn't see it happen, only the body lying lifeless on the ground with a spear sticking from his chest. Just then, a great brute of a man leapt at Taryn, swinging his axe down in a crushing blow that splintered his shield and sent Taryn flying back. Taryn just had time to see Sarlina being knocked to the floor by another warrior but then he had to roll out of the way as the great brute swung his axe down on him again. Taryn got to his feet and swung round to face the enemy warrior. Taryn now had no shield and knew his sword alone could not parry the crushing weight of the warrior's axe. The warrior swung his axe in a wide curve hoping to split open Taryn's belly but Taryn jumped back and wildly swung his sword back at the warrior just missing his neck. The warrior laughed and kept swinging at Taryn who did his best to dodge the attacks, all the while watching every move and waiting for his opening to strike. Then, he got it. The big warrior was getting frustrated and swung his axe hard towards Taryn. Taryn stepped aside and the axe dug into the ground, that was all the opening Taryn needed. He put his foot on the axe and swung his sword hard and fast across the warrior's neck, half severing his head in the process. The big warrior was dead before he hit the ground, a look of disbelief upon his face. Taryn turned to look where Sarlina had fell but she was nowhere to be seen. He scanned the carnage with his eyes but there was no Sarlina. A look of painful concern crossed Taryn's face but he shook himself and ran to help Ella. The battle was not over. Ella was covered in blood, none of it her own and she fought like a mad thing. Ella had been trained by the best and to underestimate her because of her sex was the biggest mistake any adversary could make. She made light work of the enemy who were mainly youths probably fighting their first battle. There seemed only a few battle hardened warriors and Taryn had already bested one of them. Ella danced around her attackers, avoiding their strikes and inflicting her own at every opportunity. She kicked a fallen shield up into the face of one warrior, then threw one of her swords which pierced straight into his chest, ending his life. Ducking out of the way of another warriors attack, she then spun her remaining sword fast and low across the ground and into the attacker's ankles, who collapsed on the ground. She pulled her other sword from the dead warrior's chest and stood with both swords ready to strike above the other enemy's chest. Ella stabbed both swords down hard sending a spurt of blood up into her face. Taryn came and stood beside her. She had a cold hard look on her face, the look of a killer. She turned and looked at Taryn, a warm smile replacing the serious look. "You're o.k." she sighed with relief. Taryn nodded and smiled back, then they both turned to look as Owain finally reached the dark knight. Owain and the Knight weighed each other up, each waiting for the other to attack. The Black Knight shouted and attacked, Owain met him head on and their two swords gave a dull clang as they locked together. Both men locked swords and heaved against each other trying to knock the other off balance but to no avail. The Knight nodded at Owain in a gesture that they should both step back and Owain agreed. Ella and Taryn looked on, as once again both men eyed each other up looking for an opening. Owain attacked first this time, unleashing a flurry of deadly cuts and lunges that drove the Knight back. The Knight could only parry as best he could as Owain rained down blow after blow. Not many men could have withstood that assault but somehow the Black Knight did and Owain just could not get past his guard. Owain pulled off and stepped back, he glared at the Knight who stood motionless and unfazed. Owain threw down his shield, shouted and rushed at the Knight. He made to attack the Knight's left flank but switched his sword hand at the last minute and dived to the right. The swift and skillful maneuver should have seen Owain's sword cutting deep into the Knight's right side. It did not. For somehow, the Knight had read the move and sidestepped out of the way leaving Owain off balance and the Knight able to back stab his sword, knocking Owain down. e Owain scrambled back towards his fallen sword but the Knight was on him with his sword pointed down at his neck. Owain lifted his visor and spat towards the Knight who just laughed. Ella and Taryn rushed with swords drawn to help Owain but the Knight waved them back. "One more step and he dies." hissed the Knight. Ella and Taryn stopped and glared at the dark figure. "Yes I thought so, how very smart of you." The Knight laughed and turned back to Owain. "The Scroll?" asked the Knight. "What scroll?" Owain spat. "Haldur's scroll, that thing you have been trying to protect all this time! Give it to me!" shrieked the Knight. "That old thing" scoffed Owain. "What do you think I've been wiping my big behind on all this time! It's hard to find decent toilet paper on the road you know!" he laughed and spat again towards the Knight. The Knight shook his head. "Amusing. So be it, no one will remember you're death." hissed the Knight and moved to kill Owain. Then a loud horn sounded, a war horn. The knight looked up as a large army was gathering in the distance. Owain knew that horn, he knew who it was and smiled up at the Knight. The Black Knight cursed to himself as he watched the large army make their way towards the church. He removed his sword from Owain's neck, stepped back then laughed. "Another time!" he said pointing his sword at the three of them. "This is just the beginning and I will have your blood on my sword!" He turned and fled cross the churchyard to where a horse was waiting. Taryn watched as he rode off into the valley. "Shouldn't we go after him?" Taryn asked. Owain shook his head. "Like he said, there will be another time." Owain went and put his arm around his sister as Taryn went over to where he had seen Sarlina fall. He looked around the bodies for any sign, nothing. What had happened? He suddenly noticed Sarlina's sword lying on the ground covered in blood. It had been her father's sword and she would never have left it. Taryn could only think the worst as he bent down to retrieve the sword. He picked up the sword and wiped the blood with his sleeve, vowing to avenge her life if it had been taken but but deep down he hoped that there was still a chance she was alive. Owain and Ella came and stood by him. "Sarlina is gone?" Ella asked. "What happened?" "I saw her fall" replied Taryn. "I couldn't get there in time." "There's no body." Ella insisted. "Which means she could still be alive." "There's bigger problems then that." said Owain. "Where ever she is, she still has the scroll." Ella sighed. "I fear that Black Knight was right, this is just the beginning." And so the three battle weary warrior's slowly around to the front of the church, hungry and thirsty they waited as Artorious and his army came to greet them. They were alive and they were safe but at what cost. Sarlina had vanished and with her the scroll. The path ahead was full of uncertainty and the encroaching darkness was suffocating. This was indeed just the beginning. As the sun fades this night, the screams of those slain in battle echo across the churchyard and on through eternity. Only one figure dares to tread the blood soaked ground on this cold night, he comes to collect his victims... To be continued... The Dark Isle Saga

Another beauty of a model! I always enjoy viewing your ships, so detailed and realistic.

Excellent tree, very creepy looking!

This build really caught my eye. I like the darkness of it which really makes the Falcon Knights stand out. The colors work very well and that bird looks excellent. Very well put together!

Yeah, I've improved as well, you should have seen my mocs a year ago, terrible!!! ;) In all seriousness, I really would urge other members to check out the sub-forum. Not only is it a great community to be part of, it's also a great place to learn and improve on your building skills. As has already been pointed out, every member has improved tremendously and continues to do so thanks to the helpful advice, critique and tutorials of its members. So head on in and take part, pick a guild and build away, it's as easy as that!

Most impressive! A great collection of mocs all built with nice details and presentation. I really like the fact you also brought back te original hero's, as I always thought they should play a part in bringing Victor down. Excellent work, looking forward to seeing more from you!

A beautiful collection of builds, both exterior and interior. Great use of colors and details along with your great presentation help bring your story to life. Nice open ended conclusion too ;) Great work as always DC N3

Awesome display of builds from all the guilds, you guys have all improved and excelled as builders! GOH is a wealth of amazing builders and builds, you should all be very proud! I'm sure GOH has a bright future ahead, the main challenges are over for now but they will return in the future! I can't speak for the other guild leaders but I will continue to build for GOH, I havn't even finished chapter 1 of my story yet! Hopefully myself and a few others will be able to set up another run of challenges in the future but for now, GOH is yours to go nuts and build without worrying about deadlines. So use this free time to expand your lands, build epic stories and have fun! One question springs to mind though. Was Victor Revolword the real evil? Or was he just a pawn working for some higher super evil?

Well done everyone! Superb entries and stories! I have looked through them all and you can really see the improvement. Look back at your challenge 1 entries then look at your challenge 6 ones :) It's been a great year with GOH, so many great builds! It's nice to look over all the mocs for each guild and see the worlds and characters you have all created. I must apologize for my inactivity this last half, l have been busy with many things. As I've said before, I'm a builder at heart and my free time is always spent doing that rather then moderating and updating. However, you have all got on just fine. You guys run this guild, not me, and that's how it should be :) Look forward to seeing GOH continue and Avalonia thrive with new great builds! DC

A stunning bunch of entries! The builds, story and presentation are all excellent. So many great details and lovely floor designs. Love the great ending and where it leads, great idea.

A part 2 will be on its way this year. It will be more of a 'Medieval Builder's Handbook' type thing. Lots of new tips and techniques. Many thanks DC

Thanks guys! I hear what you are all saying, although Kai NRG is right, the water is actually lower than its surrounding. If you look closely on some of the pictures you will see it is sunk down a few plates lower and the rest of the brown riverbed is higher showing where the river once flowed. Originally the water would have run down the wooden spillway and fall onto the wheel but over the years it has become blocked by fallen debris, branches, sticks, leaves etc. So the remaining water now trickles down past it in the angle I have shown. I placed some plants and sticks infront of the spillway toi show that it is blocked. The water section was always going to be difficult as its not just the case of building a nice flowing river, I had to try and show that the river had faded away to a small stream. This keeps with the whole feel and look of the world. Its also why I had to use trans-clear plates as every other colour clashed with the color palette i'm using. Thanks for reading, much appreciated. DC

The Dark Isle Saga Chapter 1: Grim Hollow Part 6 Taryn and Sarlina had spilled the vial of liquid on Haldur's scroll, revealing hidden knowledge that could help magically restore the land of Avalonia. However, they had been attacked and would have been killed if it wasn't for the intervention of Ella. Ella had revealed that dark forces were plotting to take control of Avalonia and that they were coming for the scroll, killing anyone who stood in their way. The seeds of conflict were sewn as Ella believed the scroll should be destroyed and that men should take up arms together and fight back, resulting in a united Historica. Sarlina on the other hand believed that men were weak and the only way to bring peace to the land was by ancient magical powers, she did not want a united Historica, thinking that the other lands were untrustworthy. She wanted an all powerful Avalonia that ruled all. Poor Taryn was caught in the middle. Ella had urged that they must make haste to her brother Owain, who was camped at Darkmire Mill. The enemy knew they had the scroll and would now be coming for them so Ella knew she must get them to the safety of her brother and his men. The journey to Darkmire Mill was a short one, for Ella kept a quick pace that the others struggled to keep up with but they somehow managed to. Knowing that the enemy could not be far behind they raced on, spurred by the thought of more dark warriors snapping at their heels. Sarlina had been sullen and quiet, she did not agree with Ella's plans to destroy the scroll and she was planning to secretly slip away. Taryn tried making conversation but Sarlina was not in the talkative mood so he walked on, doing the best he could to keep up with Ella. Taryn's head was a mess, so much had happened in the last few days that his life had been completly turned upside down. He thought of home and his father, would he even ever see either of them in this life again? It suddenly dawned on him that maybe he was in over his head. One minute he had been a young lad living an everyday life, enjoying hunting and a good drink. The next he was running for his life, pursued by forces that wanted him dead. No one had ever wanted to kill him before, that realization kicked in and he wished he was a child again. He thought about walking away from it all but could he even do that? Would it make a difference now anyway? It would only be prolonging the inevitable, eventually the dark forces would soon sweep through his village and people would die or be enslaved. No, the world was changing, the light was fading and Avalonia was teetering on the edge of darkness. For many years now, the people of Avalonia had been pushed back and back by the enemy, all that had remained had fled to the Dark Isle. They now stood with their backs to the wall as the enemy circled around, gearing up for their final assault. It was time to choose his destiny, to turn and run home and wait for the end or to make a stand and fight. Better to die fighting, than to die cowering in your home. Taryn knew what he had to do, he knew there was really only one choice and he believed in Ella, she had given him hope. He was 18 summers old and it was time he became a man. After a grueling walk the trio finally reached the edge of forrest and there ahead lay Darkmire Mill, salvation at last. Darkmire Mill: Located north west of Grim Hollow village below the rocky terrain of Steeple Brink. The mill was an old building and had once flourished, serving the village for many years. However, the once plentiful rushing spring that fed the mill had now all but dried up, leaving only a small trickling flow that slowly made its way down through the land. The great water wheel now stood motionless, the spillway was blocked with debris and the wide riverbed was now a thick muddy trail. It was here in this abandoned spot that Owain waited with his men, a lot fewer than expected! The trio walked wearily up towards the mill and into the courtyard where Owain waited. "Ah little sis, 'bout time you got here." Owain boomed. "I thought I was going to have to come looking for you, infact I was hoping to!" Ella smiled and embraced him. "Why?" she asked laughing. "Boredom" smiled Owain. "I've been stuck here for three days with no one to fight and no mead to drink." He laughed then turned his gaze towards Taryn and Sarlina, a look of amusement crossed his face as he looked them over. "So you found them then?" he snorted then laughed. "They don't look like much." he laughed. Sarlina moved forward and frowned. "Really?" she mocked. "Is this it? Two spearmen and a drunk?" she shook her head. "Pathetic!" she hissed. Ella rolled her eyes while Taryn kept his head bowed. Owain just laughed. "She's a fiesty one isn't she!" he laughed again. "I'd quite happily take on the whole enemy army myself, easy work, a mornings work, which would leave the rest of the day free for drinking!" He smiled and laid a reassuring hand on Sarlina's shoulder. "I have sent the rest on ahead this morning to make sure the path is clear. Within a day we will have joined up them and Artorious." "He's arrived then? Where is he camped?" asked Ella eagerly. "Artorious arrived two days ago." replyed Owain. "He sent word that he is camped near Steeple Brink forest." Ella frowned. "North of the church?" she asked. "Somewhere out there." Owain replyed. "We are to head there and meet him as soon as you arrive. Seeing as you are now here I guess we should get moving soon." Sarlina turned and stepped across the stream then looked back towards the others. "At least give us a moments rest before we move again!" she shouted. Ella nooded and Taryn walked over to Sarlina, stepping carefully over the wet slippery mud of the riverbed. Owain watched them, then turned to speak to Ella. "We can't stay too long sis, enemy spearmen can't be more then half a day's journey away. We need to join up with Artorious." he urged. "I know" replyed Ella. "But they have been through a lot, so a short rest will do them good." A look of concern crossed her face. "I'm worried about the girl, she believes we should use the scroll to unleash the ancient powers on the enemy. I fear she won't easily back down." Owain rubbed his chin then frowned. "That scroll will cause nothing but trouble, it must be destroyed. I'm sure we can make her see sense." he smiled. "I hope so." Ella said woefully. "I sense a strong fire burning within that girl." "And the boy?" asked Owain. Ella smiled. "I think he'll surprise us all." They turned and looked over to where Taryn and Sarlina were talking beneath an old tree. "The lad won't last long without some propper armor." joked Owain. "In fact I think its time we both suit up, I fear there are many long bloody battles ahead." he grinned, looking forward to the prospect of a fight. Owain was Ella's older brother and even though he called Taryn a 'boy', he was infact only a couple of years older then him. Owain was a hardened warrior, all brute strength who had fought many battles He was well built with strong arms and had an overwhelming lust for the fun parts of life, particularly mead and ale. His prefered weapon of choice was a broadsword but with any type of weapon Owain was a man to fear. One of Artorious' most trusted warriors and destined for great things. Salina was standing under a tree where Taryn had followed to talk with her. She still seemed angered and this made Taryn feel uneasy. "Are you still planning on leaving?" Taryn asked. "Of course!" Sarlina replyed. "I'm not going to wait around and watch while Avalonia slips into darkness." she nodded towards Owain and Ella. "They can cling on and follow their hopes of fighting back but I tell you now, it will fail." "I believe in them." replyed Taryn. "The only thing we need to believe in is the scroll." hissed Sarlina. "I will unleash the ancient powers upon the enemy and watch them scatter." She looked at Taryn then smiled and reached for his hands, holding them tight. "It is the only way to save us Taryn, you have to trust me." she said softly. "Avalonia will be restored and rule all, you'll see." she smiled. Taryn slowly nodded in agreement. Why were things in life always so difficult? "Don't fear Taryn." she soothed. "Once we all make a move from here we will wait for the chance to slip away during the night and together we will summon the ancient powers." Again Taryn nodded. Sarlina smiled and then they both walked back over to the mill. They came back to find that Owain and Ella had now dressed in their full war gear, both looking splendid in their polished armor which glittered in the sun. Owain had brought out a spare set of armor which lay at his feet and he grinned when Taryn noticed it. "That's for you Taryn." Owain nodded towards the armor. "It will help protect you for what lies ahead." Taryn starred at the armor with an excited look on his face, he had never worn a suit of armor before. Taryn pulled on the armor and was shocked at how heavy and cumbersome it felt. Owain laughed. "Don't worry, it grows on you. You'll soon get used to it and in battle you will be too busy to notice the weight." Taryn lifted the sword and gave a few cuts in the air with it, then moved around to get a feel for the armor. It was heavy but it also made him feel powerful and important. He felt like a warrior and he thanked Owain for the gift. "It suits you well Taryn." Ella smiled. Sarlina rolled her eyes and looked the other way. "Maybe a spot of practice is in order, eh Taryn?" boomed Owain. "Would you like to do the honors sis?" Owain laughed. "With pleasure!" Ella grinned and drew her swords. "Lets see what you're made of Taryn." said Owain. "You can learn a lot from Ella but be careful, she's fast." he laughed. Taryn pulled his helm's visor down over his face and hefted his sword and shield. Ella rushed at Taryn, cutting left and right with her swords. She was extremely quick and agile, jumping and lunging at him, never giving him a moments pause. Taryn desperately defended himself, parrying with his sword and shield, trying to deflect her strikes and give himself an opening to strike back. Her attacks pushed him back across the stream and he found himself struggling for footing amongst the rocks and slippery mud. He managed to slide one of her swords past his left flank with his shield, then he backswung with all his might sending his sword towards her chest in a swirling arc. Ella gracefully stepped back as light as a dancer and spread both her arms wide as Taryns' sword swirled just inches past her chest. She smiled and bowed. "Thats more like it it." she laughed. Then lept forward once again attacking him in the same fast manner. Again Taryn was driven back on the defensive. Ella was just too quick and try as he might, he just couldn't manage to get past her guard. She drove him back towards the old tree where he found himself parrying blow after blow that Ella rained down on him. He soon found himself begining to tire and so in a last ditch effort he pushed forward with his shield and then lunged at Ella. She had expected that move and stepped to the side leaving Taryn off balance and flying forward. Taryn fell forward onto the ground spraying up dirt. He turned to see Ella smiling at him with her swords aimed down towards his chest and neck. "Your mine now Taryn!" she laughed, then pulled back and sheathed her weapons. Taryn felt embarrassed and looked over to where Sarlina stood watching with a smirk on her face. He pulled himself up and lifted his visor, sweat poured down his face as he caught his breath. Ella walked over to face him. "It's ok Taryn" she said softly. "I was trained to fight from the moment I was able to grasp a sword." she gave him a hug and kissed his cheek. "You did well." Taryn blushed and stammered his thanks. The two of them walked back up to where Owain was standing. Sarlina seemed not to care and stood staring out towards the distance but Owain seemed impressed. "You did well." he nodded. "Not many people can withstand an onslaught like that but you managed to defend a lot better than I thought. We will need to work on your attacking skills but at least you can defend well. We'll make a warrior out of you yet!" he laughed, then gave Taryn a pat on the back and beamed a friendly smile. "A warrior?" Sarlina scoffed. "There won't be any time for that i'm afraid." she nodded towards the distance. "Take a look over there!" Owain and the others looked down towards the direction of Hangman's Watch from where they had walked from just earlier. Two dark wisps of smoke streaked the skylkine. The enemy was coming and was closer than they had expected. The two remaining spearmen who had been standing guard rushed over to Owain. "Enemy camp fires sir, they can't be more then 2 miles away!" said the spearmen. Owain cursed and spat on the ground in disgust. "Bastards, they are closer than we thought. We have to move now!" he shouted. Ella turned towards Owain. "I could go and distract them, lead them away to give the rest of you some time." she spoke urgently. "No!" cried Taryn. "You'd be killed and they would still catch up to us." "He's right." replyed Owain. "Its too dangerous, we must to stick together and try to make our way to Artorious in time." Ella nodded. "Then lets go then, if we can just get to Artorious we can make a stand." Sarlina shook her head and cursed softly. "And what if we don't get there in time?" she snarled. "We will!" snapped Ella back. "If they catch up to us then we stand and fight!" "Aye!" shouted Owain. "Lets get going and if we're lucky we might get to kill some of those bastards along the way!" So the group quickly left the mill and began their desperate journey to reach Artorious' camp. There would be no time for rest, the enemy was moving fast and would soon be upon them. All hope now lay on reaching their destination before the enemy spears came crashing down to take their souls to the afterlife. To be continued...

Great use of snot techniques to create this nice little scene. The slight overhang of green over the brown is indeed a nice feature. Hope to see some larger builds like this one in the future, you have done a great job here.