Ch 44 Whirlwind Of Blood

(Keep your rifles by your sides in these trying times)

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We had ridden hard for an entire day and reached ten miles away from where the Mormont Party had been Attacked.

If I had ridden alone on Shadowmare could have made the trip to the bandits, killed them all and returned by now but I had to ride with the Lord's and their men so we moved much slower even if everyone was mounted.

I spoke with Rickard and decided that someone needed to scout for the enemies and I offered my services.

The other Lords looked at me like I was crazy since I was a massive man and few thought I could move like a scout but the Lord's who sparred against me all vouched for my abilities....if I could defeat ten men with ease then if I said I could scout then they'd believe me.

Soon I removed my Demonic armor and put on a dark hooded cloak and a black robe.

I moved through the forest silently as my Vampiric vision allowed me to see everything clearly...I spread my awareness and sensed the forest around me.

I could hear the heartbeats of rabbits burrowed under the ground and the breathing of birds as they slept in the trees.....I heard the slow slithering of icicle snakes as they moved along the canopy....

As my senses reached out as far as they would go I detected a large group of people on a hill to the northeast.

I stopped sensing and ran towards their location while staying perfectly silent except for the fluttering of my cloak as I dashed along the forest floor.

Soon I reached near the area where I had sensed the people and approached stealthily....soon I came across a six foot wooden wall with a four foot ditch dug around it....it was similar to a Mott and Bailey but without a castle in the center....instead this bandit encampment housed about two hundred and thirty men.

The bandits had arms and legs of men and women roasting over spits as they basted the sizzling flesh in oil and herbs.

The ribs and torsos were chopped with an axe and placed in a large cauldron with wild onions and fire peppers as the cauldron bubbled and released a delicious aroma.

Thin strips of meat were salted smoked over some fires as the men sat nearby and made merry.

The dead people's heads were laid out in a row as if watching their own flesh being roasted and consumed.

I heard the sounds of sex inside a few of the tents and wooden hovels but when I sensed inside of there I realized these cannibals were having sex amongst themselves.....not one woman was in this whole camp.... since these monsters probably ate them.

I looked at their gear and realized they were almost as well equipped as our own men....all armor and weapons stolen from Those they've slain and eaten no doubt.

This encampment was in the middle of dense woods in bad terrain and far from any roads so if you don't know what you're looking for it would be very easy to miss.

once I had seen enough I spread my wings and flew back towards our camp....I landed just outside of camp and walked in quietly as I approached the main tent.

I walked in and the Lords immediately began badgering me with questions.

"more than two hundred men....well armed inside of a fortified encampment...they are also cannibals from what I've seen.....to fight them head on would be suicide but I have a good alternative." I told the Lords as they all listened intently.

"What's the alternative dragonrider?" Rickard asked as he methodically polished ice with a silk cloth.

"I go in alone and begin killing them, once they are distracted and attacking me then all of you silently approach from behind, climb their walls, and attack them from the rear."

"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard!!! You... against two hundred!!Hahaha!!!" Jorah mocked but the Lord's who had seen me fight gave him nasty looks.

I stepped forward and punched him hard in the mouth and he dropped like a sack of potatoes then I gave his crotch a hard kick which made all the Lords wince at the sight.

The other Lords looked a bit impressed by my strength and none made a comment on me knocking him unconscious since he deserved it.

"I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA LETS DO IT!!!YOU SAID YOU ARE MORE DANGEROUS AGAINST A GROUP DRAGONRIDER....WELL SEE TOMORROW" Greatjon bellowed out and took another swig from his wineskin.

"I second lord Umber." said Bolton in his cold whispering voice

"Aye I know Lord Cathicus can do it.....if you'd seen him fight then you'd think the same." Lord Rickard supported and that got all the lords to agree.

"Very well, all of you get a good night's rest because tomorrow we slaughter those cannibals." Lord Rickard spoke and the Lords all dispersed.

Dacey walked up to me and pinched my arm.

"You didn't have to punch Cousin Jorah that hard." she scolded

"I didn't....but he needs to learn respect and that's a fast way of doing it." I told Dacey as I brushed my hand along her cheek and neared my mouth to hers.

"HANDS OFF DRAGONRIDER!!!" Her mother Maege bellowed out from a few feet away.

I raised my hands in defeat at this momma bear.

I took out a black and gold ring for Dacey that was enchanted like the ones I had given my other women....we had a battle tomorrow and I didn't want to risk her life.

"it's enchanted" I whispered into her ear.

"Promise me you won't take it off Dacey." I spoke while looking into her eyes.

"I swear I won't." she said then gave me a peck on the cheek as Maege snatched her away by the arm and took her to their tent.

Maege had good instincts to keep her daughter away from me..... soon I'll get her for myself though.

I walked next to a campfire and sat beside a group of men at arms and began to chat with them.... before long everyone grew sleepy so I joined them in sleeping by the fire, I just closed my eyes and drifted off until dawn.

In the Morning fifty men mounted their horses, thirty stayed at camp with our supplies while the rest armed up and continued on foot towards the encampment.

I led the group on Shadowmare while being flanked by Rickard, Greatjon, Brandon, Maege,Roose, and Dacey.

Jorah couldn't even stand to look at me after the quick beating from last night so he led the infantry on foot with a swollen jaw and bruised balls.

As we neared the enemy encampment I noticed some lookouts so I called for two spears.

Two infantrymen brought their spears and I hurled them from atop shadowmare.

The long spears whizzed through the air at incredible speeds before impacting both of the men in quick succession as their lungs and ribs were crushed and their spines severed by the large spearheads.

They tried to scream but the spears lodged In their chests didn't allow any noises except the gurgling of blood..

We reached the proper distance so I said my farewell and rode ahead on my massive Black Horse.

We had men make short wooden ladders last night so they could climb over the walls, the men who entered the camp would then open the main gates and allow the cavalry to charge in and assault the enemy numbers.

I circled to the opposite side of the encampment where the second gate was at and had shadowmare charge the ill built wooden gate that defended this side.

Most other horses would be knocked unconscious or refuse to charge but shadowmare was thirsty for blood and was stronger and harder than any other horse so he barreled through the gate as it broke and flung open while sending three men who happened to be behind it flying.

I jumped off of Shadowmares back and threw myself at the nearest cannibals while swinging my long forward curved swords.

as the commotion was heard by the other cannibals they ran out of their tents with weapons in hand and viciously charged my position.

with every swing of my sword men would have their fleshy arms sliced clean off, some men would be cut in half horizontally as their guts dropped into the dirt as their dying screams filled the morning air.

After I had hacked my way through the cannibals they started surrounding me in increasing numbers as I danced with my blades and dismembered these disgusting heretics into chunk meat.

I looked over at Shadowmare and saw him with his jaws around a mans leg as he shook his head and ripped the entire leg off as the man sprayed his crimson lifeblood onto the forest floor.

I drank some blood from every man I slayed as i tore my way through their numbers.

Shadowmare charged a group of cannibals and knocked them down with his massive weight before stomping hard on their chests as they splashed blood and fluids everywhere before turning to a man who he had missed and taking a bite into the man's stomach then pulling out his intestines as the man screamed in agony.

I dismembered around thirty men and now the entire camp had armed up and surrounded me as I twisted and cut swaths of them as their crimson life blood misted in the air and splashed on my demonic armor.

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The Northern Soldiers scaled the ladders and hopped past the walls and into the encampment in a swarm as some rushed to unlock the gate the rest of them began lining up and awaiting the order to charge.

When they looked at the swarm of cannibals who surrounded the new Dragonlord they expected to see him dead by the time they climbed the fence.

instead they saw a whirlwind of blood and gore as arms, hands, and heads flew up into the air as blood sprayed dozens of feet in all directions in long mesmerizing trails.

The blood in the air was so thick that it turned the area above the massacre into a red mist as the screams and dying cry's of cannibals sounded throughout the morning air.

on the edge of the cannibals a massive Black warhorse with eyes as red as its owner tore men apart with razor sharp teeth, and crushed their heads and chests under massive hooves.

All the soldiers looked on in awe at the amount of death being reaped by a single man..... The Stranger Made Flesh.... is the only description of that could be used to describe the giant man in evil armor.

The Gate was soon opened and the Lords on their fine horses charged into the camp and towards the cannibals.... they too saw the glorious carnage being sown by Alucard in awe as they neared the battle.

Horses and spears rammed into the dense grouping of bandits as dozens of men were impaled and crushed underfoot.

Then the infantry who had been waiting charged and slammed into the cannibals from behind and started hacking them apart with their axes and swords as the battle raged on.

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I saw the Northern men slam into the rear of the cannibals and begin to cut them down faster and faster, before long the cannibals tried to run but were hacked apart by northern axes before they made it very far.

some attempted to make it through the gate I had smashed but lords on horses ran them down and cracked their heads open with maces and warhammers.

before long the sounds of battle died down as the last of the cannibals were cut down.

Shadowmare walked from one wounded cannibal to another and tore into their bellies before beginning to eat their intestines while the bandits cried out in anguish for mercy.

The Northern Soldiers watched the demon horse in equal parts horror and wonder as it methodically walked and only ate the live ones.

Some northmen were so fascinated that they stopped slaying the wounded enemies who still lay on the bloody ground just to watch the horse find them and tear them apart for fun.

I walked through the corpse and blood ridden soil towards Dacey who rode on a dapple mare, she had on her armor and a helmet with a bloodied Mace in her hands.

"beautiful lady...How many did you get to kill on this fine morning?" I asked in a joking manner and she started giggling.

"about seven.... but handsome knight I saw you surrounded by at least half a hundred corpses..... you would make for a very capable husband for and lucky woman..." she joked back

"HEY!!!!" Maege glared at me since I was now standing beside Dacey's horse and had a hand on her muscular thigh while giving it an appreciative squeeze.

I just raised both hands in defeat and walked away after giving Dacey a peck on the hand.

I could hear Maege scolding Dacey while I walked away although she did compliment my fighting skills behind my back.

I neared Shadowmare and mounted him before riding towards a group of Lords who were waiting in the edge of the camp.

They watched as their men tore apart the camp for firewood to use in a giant pyre for the bodies.

other men sorted through the corpses to remove and arms and armor that were useable and piled them in one edge of the camp.

"LORD CATHICUS.... THAT WAS FANTASTIC!!! YOU'VE GOT TO BE THE GREATEST FIGHTER IN THE WORLD AFTER THAT FIGHT!!!" Greatjon bellowed while drinking from one of his many wineskins.

"Aye.....I've never seen so much carnage from a single man..." Roose spoke while picking his teeth.

"Ive fought greater odds." I told them nonchalantly as they laughed at the indifference I showed.

we rode back to camp soon after and the Men at Arms were held responsible to return with the loot after burning the dead.

I found out that we didn't suffer a single death in the fighting, there were some wounds but nothing major and even two men were bitten while fighting against the cannibals in close quarters which I found quite funny.

We marched back towards Winterfell as the men sang songs and regaled their stories of how they slew enemies.

Everyone from The highest lord to youngest soldier sang and made merry while quickly drinking all the alcohol that we salvaged from the cannibal camp as we victoriously marched.....Nearly every Northern lord was present for the battle and it was an unmitigated success with no losses so they were all happy as could be.

I fought for all the coin found to be distributed amongst the men at arms so the rank and file men would now spread tales of both my otherworldly skills with my swords and my great generosity.... their talk would spread throughout all corners of the North soon enough.

I rode alongside Dacey while holding her slightly calloused but still soft hand while Maege eyed me carefully and looked back at us frequently to make sure we hadn't run off.

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