The shining silver substance in the vial shined off Hilde's pupils. It gave off a very faint, eerie glow that couldn't even illuminate the shadow of the tree they leaned against. The rough and ready soldier eyed the thing, soaking in what she had just told him and letting it filter into his mind as he began to think. "“[b]I am Hilde, and thank you for saving me back there[/b]," she said, the hopelessness in her voice evident. This close together, they could each feel the heated breath of the other. "Cerdic." was all he said, only giving her a glance between his constant vigil of the surrounding area. 

He felt like they were out in the open, waiting to be slaughtered. There weren't even any other trees close enough to be completely visible in the obscuring mist. Just open ground with patches of grass, at least 10 feet around in all directions, save the tree they were pressed against. No branches low enough to grab either. He clenched his jaw, the coarse 5'oclock shadow on his neck roiling as he swallowed. "By Sigmar's hammer, we're not going to give up. And if you decide you do, then I'll take the thing and run. But these Chaos Spawn slaughtered my men. I'll be [b]damned[/b] before I give them the satisfaction of my surrender." 

Almost as if on cue, a baying roar sounded just out of their line of sight, directly before them. Heavy footsteps followed, and a Beastman with the head of a goat came charging out, mist trailing off its powerful shoulders. It held two wicked maces, and a necklace of still-bleeding human ears hung around its furred neck. The sight would be daunting to most, but it only made Cerdic angrier. They were the ears of his comrades! He pushed off the tree and ripped his sword out of its scabbard, meeting the Beastman at the center of the small, cursed glade. Other monstrosities trailed behind it, but before him the sergeant only saw this one. 

He halted just before their weapons hit, letting the first mace fly wild before parrying the second one, pressing his offhand against the flat of his blade to provide extra strength to the block. With surprising subtlety, he slid the blade down the Mace's haft and shoved the point into the creature's side. It let out a pitiful, baying cry before he withdrew his blade, and decapitated the Beastman. 

More and more began to pour out of the forest, and it suddenly looked so utterly hopeless for Cerdic and Hilde, before Sigmar decided to give them the one blessing that they needed most. The heavy footfalls of the charging Beastman were drowned out by the thundering sound of hooves from behind them, and the next Ungor that was to strike at Cerdic was impaled upon a well crafted Lance wielded by what appeared to be a Knight in full plate armor. Suddenly horses began to whinny and men cried out warcries as a contingent of heavy cavalry slammed into the horde of attackers and rode them over like so much vermin. 
[@Austronaut]