Tactical Withdrawal

Simon was vaguely aware of a war cry off to his left as the caravan guards pushed forward to meet him. He was too engaged at the moment to glance over and offer them a nod as he brought his shield up to catch a heavy axe blow. With his shield raised, he saw a man to his right swinging his sword around to hit him in the flank, so he stepped into the blow and tucked sword up against the plate armor on his side and pinned it with his mace arm. Slamming his head forward, he crushed the man's nose with his helm before slamming his shield into the man's chest to knock him back. He had no time to finish the wounded man, for as soon as he shoved him back, there were two new fresh fighters to take his space.

However, it was not the blades of rhe enemy that worried Simon, but the missiles that flew from their bows and hit him in the chest and right shoulder. Looking down with a great sense of relief as he saw that they had failed to penetrate and had done little more than scuff the hardened steel, he grinned and stepped forward to parry an opponent's sword blow. Knocking the sword to the side with his mace, he lunged forward and brought the shield up in an uppercut. The edge of the shield caught the man in the throat and drove up towards the base of his skull, splitting his throat open and cracking several vertebrae.

Seeing him fall, Simon had to take two quick steps back as two large men with battleaxe swung them from his left and right. Glancing over to the survivors that were now with him, he did a quick head count and groaned when the paltry seven became a depressing five additional swords. Looking back to the enemy, he blocked an axe blow with his shield and thrust his mace into the man's face, breaking hia nose and causing him to stagger so that Simon could step forward and catch him in the temple with a powerful blow.

However, he had slightly over extended and so caught a sword blow to his wrist which would have causes him to lose his mace had it not had a strap around his wrist. Stepping back quickly and cradling his wrist to his chest, he glanced down at the dented steel and tried to move his fingers. Feeling extreme pain but a sense of pride as he successfully closed his fist, he moved his shield to a more centered position on his chest when he heard the woman speaking.

Seeing the mage stepping out, he moved to center himself in front of the others and raised his shield to take the attack When suddenly there was a magical shield over him. Turning to look at the woman, he narrowed his eyes slightly before nodding and speaking, "I agree. There is nothing to gain from staying here." Taking one last look at the mage and the troops who beat on the barrier, he took off at a quick run towards his horses, hoping the others would follow him.