By the time Valerie emerged from the woods her breathing was already strained, but she didn't slow down. She had to cover the distance in front of her, make her attack on the ogre while its back was turned. She kept her sword sheathed as long as she could, knowing the noise would draw its attention. Markus appeared to still be alright, which came as a relief. The ogre was also still strong, despite the cuts her partner had landed on it. [i]Here goes nothing[/i].

When she came in range she pulled her sword from the sheath, making a hard slash up at the ogre's left hamstring, grunting with the effort. The cut normally would've beheaded a human opponent, but instead sliced through the creature's hide easily enough, leaving a bloody wound behind. The ogre roared in agony. In retribution it lashed out with both arms in a wide arc aimed to hit both Markus and Valerie.

Valerie might've been able to duck under it or dodge, but her attention was mistakenly on the other leg. She was in the backswing of her attack when the ogre's forearm hit her across her upper body, tossing her several feet away onto her back. The sky above her spun wildly, at least until her vision was filled with an approaching hand. The ogre had fallen to one knee from the pain, but turned to reach after Valerie.

Unable to rise in time, the ogre's hand closed around her midsection, instantly cutting off her ability to breathe. The pressure tightened, and Valerie felt her back lift off the ground a foot or so. Desperately she stabbed her sword down through the ogre's wrist, the blade piercing clean through it. It had the effect of weakening the grip momentarily and letting her gasp in a needed breath, but it also caused the ogre to slam her back the short distance onto the ground, refusing to let her go.

She writhed and kicked to no avail, out of options except to hope the ogre couldn't crush her in the next few seconds.