Valerie was able to engage the flanking monster before it could attack Markus, this time launching straight into an offensive of her own. The orc's skill with a sword was hopeless compared to Valerie's, lacking any form of training, and so after only a few blocked strikes it grew impatient and tried to make a counter of its own, but Valerie was the swifter, and impaled the creature on her blade, backing away swiftly to avoid its dying swings.

"I'm a quick learner," she replied breathlessly, to Markus's comment in jest about her being new. "I credit my excellent teachers." She was able to take their lives easily enough, what with their aggressive action and monstrous tactics. Her trepidation before the fight had given way to the rush of adrenaline being in the midst of it. There was no time to think in the fight, only time to react and move on instinct.

They continued the fight as a pair, felling the next immediate wave. Valerie had noticed the light wounds inflicted on Markus, but he seemed to have avoided anything too serious thus far. She herself had avoid taking even a single hit against the second group, and the hits from the shield-bearer before had shaken her more than anything. She felt fully recovered, if a bit short of breath. Their section of the attack had been solidly repulsed. 

Others weren't faring as well. Up ahead, Eloryen was fending off two at once, and some of the mercenaries nearby him appeared to have suffered wounds ranging from debilitating to fatal. The orcs were gravitating away from where the resistance was fierce, and towards where they smelled weakness. Valerie was in motion without so much as a second thought.

"We have to help them!" she called, taking off and heading further up the column of wagons. She headed one of them off before it could arrive, briefly dueling the axe-wielding orc until she'd landed a fatal slash to its throat. After that, she sped towards Eloryen, causing one of the two menacing him to turn towards her.

This beast of an orc was at least two feet taller than Valerie, wielding a spiked mace already dripping with blood from another mercenary that had failed to avoid. She eyed it with alarm, holding her position and waiting for her fearsome opponent to make the first move. The mace came at her with startling speed, forcing Valerie to the side, putting the cart to her back.

It was a poor place to position, as the next strike was placed well, with not enough room for her to dodge backwards, and not enough time to duck so low. She blocked it as well as she could, but it was too heavy to turn aside. Valerie's arms rattled painfully as their weapons violently clanged together, the mace proving the victor. She stumbled a half step sideways and back. The next swing came upwards, looking to take her head clean off, and she only barely avoided it. With a hefty dose of luck, her swift strike of retaliation lopped off the orc's weapon hand.

Her monstrous enemy seemed to care little. It stepped forward, suddenly seizing her by the throat with its other hand. Her wind cut off, Valerie stabbed through the forearm of the limb choking her, but the orc only seemed aggravated. She was then thrown backwards forcefully, slamming into the wooden side of the cart and dropping in a heap. She gasped for breath on the ground, her head ringing from the impact. [i]Come on, get up,[/i] she tried to urge herself, but her arms didn't listen at first, and she'd lost track of her sword. Was it still in the orc's arm?

She felt blood from the orc's stump of an arm drip briefly onto her cheek, before the monster lashed out with a kick that caught her in the chest and upper abdomen. Pain flared in her torso, and Valerie found herself unable to put up any immediate resistance. She just hoped her brave idea to run off and help wouldn't cost her her own life in a few seconds time.