The crossbow bolt hurt, but it was nothing compared to the bite of the bandit's blade. Leifr forced himself to stay upright on his steed which was now fidgeting due to the hostility of the others. Fiore got tangled up with another bandit, but Leifr didn't have time to think about Fiore's situation. That crossbowman was now unopposed. If Leifr disengaged this current fight and rushed towards the other bandits, Lyrisa would be left alone to deal with this one.

Think Leifr, he yelled inside his mind, How can you stop the crossbowman? The first step was to make Lyrisa's battle easier. Hoping that the crossbowman's aim wasn't true and that the other bandit wouldn't try interfering, Leifr focused on the one in front of him and raised his blade to the side. As if the sword was feeling his intent, Leifr felt imaginary teeth press against his hand. With a kick, the warhorse charged forward a bit and he used the momentum to fuel a low swing at the bandit, wincing as the cursed blade greedily devoured a bit more of his life. If all goes well, Leifr in combination with Lyrisa may be able to subdue this bandit before the others could retaliate.