Valerie made sure to give Markus a bit of space before the fighting began. His hand-and-a-half sword would need some room to swing, and she would make good use of the space herself. Despite the numbers on either side, it was no true battle, but still it would be the largest engagement she had ever been involved in. There was only one way to find out if she was ready.

The sounds of fire and screams erupted before the clash even arrived, as Markus revealed his talent with magic. She hadn't expected spells from him, but they were certainly welcome. It wouldn't come close to turning the orcs back, though, and a group of them rushed forward, one near the front charging straight for Valerie. He wielded a great two-handed axe. She knew she didn't have a hope of blocking that kind of weapon, especially when swung by something so strong. 

His opening attack was swift and rage-fueled, as she expected it to be. The orc struck downwards with the axe, a blow capable of splitting Valerie from shoulder to hip, but she didn't let any fear she felt keep her flat footed. She ducked and darted sideways, the blade [i]whooshing[/i] over her head, and leaving the orc entirely exposed as the weight of the weapon carried on. Their armor ranged from poor to nonexistent, and big as they were, they would fall quickly enough when struck vitally. Valerie plunged her sword into the orc's side, the blade piercing in as though the orc's hide was no more than gossamer. Immediately he was stopped cold, and fell to his knees. She removed her blade and made the end quick for him with a downward stroke of her own that lopped off his head.

[i]One down, nothing to it,[/i] she reassured herself, as her second opponent charged her. She could hear Markus struggling with one behind her, but there was no time to look. She backstepped, leaning away from a wide stroke of the crude sword the second orc wielded. He was too predictable with his next attack, simply slashing back the other way, and Valerie turned it, deflecting the blow neatly away from her before she slashed the orc's leg. Her blade bit deeply, and forced the wounded orc to a knee. Before he could retaliate her sword had pierced his heart.

Her instincts in battle were not as sharp as Markus's, and she failed to notice the orc approaching on her right flank in time. She made the wide slash when she did hear the footsteps, only for her blade's edge to bounce off the face of a shield made of wooden planks crudely nailed together. The shield then slammed into her body, the orc's momentum throwing Valerie harshly onto her back and driving the air from her lungs. The sky above that suddenly filled her vision was soon replaced by the orc and his sword, which he slashed down with. Valerie rolled out of the way just in time, but the orc was quick, and just as she completed the roll he brought his shield down again. The bottom rim of the wood struck her in the abdomen, prompting a gasping cough as she was pinned in place. Valerie writhed underneath it, but could not escape.

A bolt from a dwarf's crossbow struck the orc in the lower back just in time, weakening the pin on her, and Valerie was able to maneuver enough to stab straight through the orc's leg, bringing him down. A second stab through his throat ended him, and Valerie clambered shakily back to her feet, stumbling over to the wagon for support while she tried to catch her breath and regain her strength. It wasn't over yet.