[center][h2][i][color=6ecff6]Ethelred[/color][/i][/h2][/center]

Ethelred's attempt to change the battlefield to his advantage worked.  The thief-woman slipped on the ice and fell off her feet.  This was his chance, he thought, to catch her.

At least it seemed so, until the last bandit grappled him from behind before he could rise back to the ground.  It was, all things considered, immensely frustrating considering that he had only just managed to get the advantage over Cecilia.  His lance was too long and awkward to strike at the man behind him.  As a veteran knight, Ethelred was versed enough in unarmed combat that he could probably best this petty thug in wrestling, but he didn't have time to put that theory to the test.  He needed to shake this assailant off now, before Cecilia lined up another shot!

At the same time, however, he didn't want to simply kill the man.  He might be the only one of this band still alive besides their leader, and there was no guarantee that Ethelred could catch the slippery thief even if he did manage to defeat her.

Once again, the Frozen Knight invoked his powers over ice, while attempting to rise to his feet against the bandit's efforts.  His armor seemed to become even colder.  Any point in physical contact with him would rapidly draw heat away from the bandit in a supernatural manner, and even the bandit's clothing would provide only the briefest respite before the freezing reached his flesh.  It was not something Ethelred did lightly- frostbite was a horrific affliction that not even Od's miraculous blood could fully mend- but right now, it was the weapon he needed.

As his powers took effect, the knight made an effort to throw the bandit off of him while his foe was hopefully distracted by the terrible pain of one's surface flesh being frozen.  In truth, he hoped for both their sakes that the bandit was not disciplined, suicidal, or loyal enough to try and hold on.  If he succeeded, he'd charge towards Cecilia, still intent on attempting to apprehend her.