No escape

JP with Lucian, Winteroak and Bandorchu

His side hurt. A lot. Not fully healed and it made sure Tarmen knew it.
Even so, he still needed to move. He could hurt later, right now they needed to keep running.
Rolling himself to his feet, he checked to see if Alexis had finished the beast and with that confirmed, returned to their mad dash away from the approaching warriors.

An arrow whistles through close to Tarmen's head. You see several warriors converging your way from different directions.

Before you have time to properly assess how many enemies you might be facing a spear cuts the space between you impaling itself on Alexis shield throwing her to the ground with the impact.

Alexis struggled back to her feet, cursing.

On the other hand, that spear could have been piercing her instead with that amount of force, so maybe she shouldn’t complain too loudly.

Run time might be over.

She looked at the spear. Two could play that game. She stabbed her sword into the ground and grabbed the spear instead, returning it to the sender with a powerful throw.

Taking back her sword, she moved backwards, trying to get a read on what she was dealing with.

You count around ten warriors chasing you. Most have bows and arrows. They are not chasing headlong without thinking any longer and seemed happy to aim at you from a distance, fanning out trying to push you out of the woods and into the beach from the direction you came from.

Beyond these men you see some other group chasing and grabbing at some of the Odsier fugitives.

Tarmen cursed at their luck, cursed at these savages not leaving them be, and now cursed Alexis for stopping.
Being honest with himself however, he couldn’t thing of a better plan.
Slowing down to rejoin her, his weapon drawn and a scowl upon him, he spoke through gritted teeth.
“Any ideas? They have numbers and range, so I’m not seein’ an outcome that doesn’t involve gainin’ a few new holes.”

“Yeah. Guess we get a choice of being shot in the back as opposed to being shot in the front.”

Alexis answered with a hint of gallows humour as she weaved behind one of the sparse trees to have it catch an arrow aimed for her chest.

“Unless you see a position with enough cover to make a stand. Beach won’t have it. Would make for a nice backdrop though.”

“Not in these trees. They make good shields but won’t keep them from circlin’.”
Case in point as several arrows loosed from different angles, Tarmen crouching behind his tree to avoid them.
“Best I got is we do somethin’ stupid and either take some of these slavers with us or try goin’ in a different direction.”

“How do you feel about a bit of both?”

Alexis raised her shield just in time to deflect another arrow.

“See if we can break through the line? Run if we somehow manage to? If we go out, might as well do it in style.”

He had to smile at her plan. Just crazy enough to sound like a decent idea.
“I already had my death, don’t feel like another. I promise to find a good spot to bury you though.”
Getting his blade ready, he motioned with his free hand towards the nearing archers.
“Well, ladies first, ain’t that the sayin’”

Alexis snorted.

“Of all the times to pick to be a gentleman…”
She retorted dryly with a grin, but raised her shield and picked a target.

“Better be a darn good spot though.”

And with that she was off, zigzagging in out of the cover of the trees towards what were most likely her last moments.
At least she probably wouldn’t have to worry about visions of doom and godly schemes for much longer.