Blade bounces off. Reel. Not well.
Hours. Men exhausted. Need to fall back. Risk
too many losses.
Give order. Controlled retreat.
Where are we going. Will we survive.Desperation ripples.
Avoid panic. Can fight harder. Survive.
Maybe.
In distance. A woman.
Flying. Advancing forward.
Can't lose concentration. Orc upon me. Hammer pommel. Ring. Tang. Kick. Push. Over it goes.
Soldiers notice her. Grabbing attention.
McCarthy?
Slashing before her. Armor in pieces. Flurry of blows. Weapons flying. Panic among them. Flee for their lives.
She's turned the tide. Rushes foward. Push. Melt. Spin. Fly.
They concede. Stagger. Men cheering.
Should they.
Not one of ours.
She's of the pirates. Different ideology. Different structure. May lose men. Defectors. Shift loyalties. If not to orcs, to McCarthy.
Celebrate. Worry. Tell other officers.
Not ungrateful. Lives saved. Won battle. Lose war. Pendulum swings.