[h1]Dirt Road[/h1]

[hr]

The battle wasn't going well for the defenders.

While those who remained were holding their own, it was clear that the initial ambush had claimed the lives of many of the carriage guard. Several men armored in half-plate lay injured or dead on the dirt road or collapsed into the grass.

Of the remaining defenders, however---

[url=https://safebooru.org//images/4071/0b047bcfa63d35fd79c8c275e1cd2b74eeaec466.jpg?4255326]The dark-haired, sword-wielding maid[/url] drove her blade through the chest of one of the attackers, a spurt of crimson erupting from the wounds of the green-robed man as he collapsed with a gurgle. But the moment she'd stepped back, she was already being set upon by another attacker, putting up a hasty guard as swiftly as she could as the sound of steel meeting steel rang out across the road.

[url=https://safebooru.org//images/3385/e54a0e48397ff755ef6437c12370ad203e5ed869.png?3521466]A shorter maid with a more petite build, with contrastingly white hair, wielding a smaller blade soaked with blood already and a shield[/url] was sticking closer to the carriage door, panting heavily.

It was clear she'd been injured, a slash through the leather at her waist, and yet she was still standing ready to fight off any attackers.

Out of the defenders, she was the first to notice the others.

"Ah? Sh-Sheila!"

The zweihander-wielding maid forced her assailant back, a swift slash across his front killing the man and giving her a moment to see what the shield-bearing maid was trying to point out.

"What? Who---"

Before she could comment further, she was already under attack once again.

"Reinforcements?!" snarled one of the green-cloaked men, "There wasn't supposed to be anyone else!"

Still, the green-cloaked attackers by far outnumbered both the newcomers and the carriage's defenders, some of their number breaking off in order to try and halt any attempts to provide assistance.

However, even this took pressure of off the carriage's defense.

[@Raineh Daze][@PKMNB0Y][@Sir Lurksalot]