The Journal of Brother Solomon

Part 21

In which our heroes valiantly defend The Crossing Inn against a horde of Broo…

Clayday, Truthweek, Earthseason, 614 TA – midnight Session 21

I wake up to the sound of combat – the clang of blade on armour coming from just outside the bedroom door. As I roll off the bed, I see the other beds are empty and the shutters on the window are open, though it’s very dark outside, I can see nothing out there.

Rather than trying to penetrate the gloom outside, I find my shield and draw my sword as I pile out the door, bringing Strength to mind. A few steps brings me to the end of the short passage between the guestrooms to find Tommy cowering at my feet. “Broo!” He bleats in terror.

To my right, Fatima and Rufus defend the top of the stairs, standing over a dead Broo with one too many arms. To the left George and Ariella are fighting more Broo, one of which is extremely dangerous.

But then I hear a thud from behind me – have the Broo climbed in our bedroom window? Taking the view that the others seem to have things in hand out here, I return to find a filthy Broo wielding a battleaxe and shield – it makes my skin crawl, reminding me of the last time we faced Broo, in Lenten, across the river from Loonz.

Maybe it’s the adrenalin but my head feels amazingly clear, bearing in mind the state I was in when I went to bed.

I cast Strength and bring Parry to mind as the Broo advances. It’s a good thing battleaxes are slow because I cast the spell before it hits me but my shield still takes a notch from the blow. Behind me, I hear another Broo laugh hollowly, as if it’s enjoying the fight with my friends.

The Broo I’m fighting is wearing leather armour, but they are infamous for their thick skulls (as well as other, much nastier, traits). That horrid laugh behind me is suddenly cut off… sounds like my friends are doing good. I hear Ariella call out that she’s skewered a Broo in the chest but then gives a cry of dismay as it Divints back to life – they’re infamous for that as well.

The Broo parries but my first blow slashes off a big lump of its shield and my blade bites into its chest, when a jet of blood shoots from the wound – I duck but I feel something hit my helmet with a hissing noise and I smell something alchemical… and I notice my sword is corroded. In one of those moments of clarity you get in moments of stress, I see the Broo look down at its chest, blinking slowly, and I realise it’s profoundly stupid – if only I could turn this into a battle of wits.

From the shouts behind me, I get the impression that everyone is trading parries. But I hit my Broo again and it goes down… tensely I wait for it to Divint but it stays dead. Thank the Lord for the gift of Death to my enemies! Unfortunately, my sword is badly damaged by its acid blood.

But before I can relax, another Broo clambers through the window – this one has a long horn on its head. It bears a shield but no axe so it must rely on that horn. I cast Bladesharp on my blade as I parry that horn with my shield, which takes another notch.

Rufus shouts that he’s killed his Broo, but then it too Divints back – I was lucky, usually you have to kill Broo twice! I hear him shout something about needing another axe. Ariella hits hers again but it’s still going. I think George hit his too, but it’s hard to be sure since the others are out of my sight and I have my hands full here.

The unicorn horned Broo moves much more quickly than his dead friend at our feet. He almost catches me by surprise, his horn skewering my shield, tearing a big hole, despite my Parry spell, it’s point rattling off my leg armour. In return I chip its shield but my own is in a very bad state.

I think George drops his Broo. There’s a wail of dismay from Fatima but I think she’s still going. Ariella is stabbing hers but can’t get (another) killing blow. I execute an excellent parry but my already damaged shield is looking very battered and won’t last much longer.

I hear Rufus kills his Broo – again – and this time it stays dead! Thank the Lord! George shouts he’s hit his Broo in the guts and chortles something about runemagic. The others trade parries but I think Ariella’s shield is in a bad way…

I decide my own shield is a bit of a liability. It’s a shame to relinquish the subject of my Parry spell but I drop it and look for the shield dropped by the dead Broo. Unfortunately I miss my attack but I manage to knock the horn aside with my sword and retrieve the fresh shield from the floor. It’s also damaged from my own blade but it’s in much better shape than mine.

George shouts something about another Broo backing away. I hear a blade ring off armour; since the Broo all wear leathers, that means one of my friends has been hit. George and Ariella double-team her Broo and put it down for the second time, but this time it stays down. I think we’re winning over there!

I parry my Broo, my new(ish) shield taking another notch. I smash a lump out of its shield but my blade clangs off its skull.

I hear Ariella and George shout something about a spirit manifesting. Fatima shouts she’s kicked her Broo in the leg (I imagine she was aiming slightly higher) but then there’s a loud clang and she yelps – is she all right? But then she shouts out that it’s dead – only for it to Divint back… lustful!

I hear George congratulate Ariella for dismissing the vengeful Broo spirit with her Free Ghost. Meanwhile I parry my Broo’s horn and take another chip out of its shield.

George shouts something to Rufus about backing out. Ariella says she’s going back to that other door so we’re not taken in the rear but I get the feeling there’s only one Broo on the stairs, facing Fatima.

My Broo misses me with its horn. My blade savages its shield only to clang off its skull again.

I think George has taken Rufus’ place since I hear Rufus ask Tommy for some Power for his crystal but Tommy says something about ghosts. George and Fatima are double-teaming their Broo and one of the two hit it in the guts, making it lose control of its legs. I parry my Broo but miss my attack.

Rufus can’t persuade Tommy to part with his Power and in Truth I can’t blame the innkeeper – he sounds utterly terrified. From her shout of exultation, I think it’s Fatima who finally kills the last Broo on the stairs – and it stays dead. My Broo is the last on this floor; I parry its horn – just – but my return barely scratches its shield.

My Broo shield is almost as badly off as the one I dropped but I execute a perfect textbook parry. However, my riposte merely chips its shield, which is now in a very bad way indeed.

Suddenly, Ariella is behind me and my Broo, not liking the odds, vanishes – that damned Divint again!

We have a moment of peace. George has gone downstairs and Fatima intends to follow him once she’s bound her leg wound. She tells me her Broo proved somehow immune to her sword blade – it just went right through it as if it were an illusion – so she had to switch to her mace, which I notice is crusted with Broo blood, hair and brains.

But while we may have saved the inn, Ariella says her Stormcrow reports the Barn is under siege…