Crows about.

Dark clouds churned above. Tsusa looked down at his callused fingers, watched a line of men appear slowly far away from the height of the fence.

"Their coming! Sound the bell!"

Chaplain's voice, loud as anything. Tough, no, weak, bastard had a wound in the gut still healing. Tsusa hefted his blade off his lap. Eyed the thing, it's reflecting flat.

Watch duty was punishment for going beyond orders. Up there you stayed all night, watching, but that wasn't all of it. There was the soup, called it 'Watcher's Warmth'. The only solace in that heap of muck was its heat. What had he done? Well, he'd gone beyond orders, but what could he have done? He had men who were fathers and sons, what good are they if they're dead. He protected them, even killed a score of men in doing so and yet...

He bounded down the ladder of the tower, sword in hand. Heard the commander's voice somewhere to the left.

"We do it like before...."

Tsusa felt a smile creeping in, it was the commander's routine to speak like that. He made his way stealthily to the back of the rank. Five hundred men, no, three hundred fighting off a thousand. Their chances getting slimmer and slimmer with each setting sun.

"And you Tsusa, I presume you wouldn't want to be disobeying orders."

"I'll do my best."

Although he was caught off guard he was practical.

"Sure, but there's plenty more soup."

"Water is better, sir."

"Oh, I see, well when the rations are exhausted you'll need to get used to it. But look at you, you're already making a headway all on your own."

Some men sniggered.

"Their reaching the confluence point fast."

It was Chaplain and with him were Dod and Fagr. Each were armoured with sword and axe respectively at their waists. Commander took point and began issuing orders, Tsusa awaited his and Coleen came over, strutting as usual and snapping the sheathed sword at his waist out and in.

"You want to make a name for yourself, I get that but.... Really, don't get yourself killed. You're what thirty. You've got to live old man."

"I'm living my best."

Tsusa began to jog and Coleen couldn't keep up so he started jogging too.

"What are you, charging all by yourself."

"Don't see any reason not to."

A Ripple of screams was reaching his ears. Men gathered at the gate and as the heavy wood was opened they flooded out. Running and bellowing. Coleen's taunt was lost in it. Tsusa bellowed too. Mouth wide and slobbering. Helmets first appeared, then Armour, then Tsusa realised he wasn't wearing any.

He shrugged it off with a deep blink of his eyes. Finally they collided. Clanking blades rang. After squeezing through a few of the men, his people, and fighting the urge to send them all reeling out of his way, he threw himself into the thick of it.

He caught a shiny helmet in the corner of his gaze, raising a shiny sword. He raised his arm and caught the blade high. Jerked his haft one way and the blade sank. Soon his boot sent the man folding back and the helmet falling off. Tsusa heaved with his sword and the soldier's head dropped in a soundless thud.

He saw Coleen lean away from a sword and thrust in reply, his blade gouging an eye. Dod stabbed into a man's shoulder, made him scream and whipped the sword out carving a gash unto someone, through the armour. Blood pouring out in drenching spurts.

Tsusa was punched in the ear with a heavy gauntleted fist, and there was a ringing in his head. He reeled away, tripping and spilling into an enemy soldier. The man squawked fumbling for his sword somewhere to his right, Tsusa just straddled him raising the pommel of his sword. Pounded and pounded until his helmet was a bowl of mashed red.

He stood up and turned.

"This how the Bloody Grim fight?"

The gauntleted man spoke.

"Does it not suite your fancy, or are you just trying to keep your new toy clean."

"I've tainted it enough standing in the midst of you fags. Why not add a little more stain."

The man drew a longsword, the broad side staring. Tsusa was much obliged. He ran and the man paced. Tsusa took his sword, trusty blade that kept him through all of his mad love of war. The man was holding the longsword like it was heavy and the point swayed in circles with every step.

"And the big man lost because of his big blade."

"Come have a taste."

Somehow with all the screaming and scraping of blades, he still heard the mans voice.

'Come have a taste.'

Tsusa came within reach, swiped level with his stomach, one hand squeezing over the hilt. The longsword's tail dipped and tangled with it and it suddenly grew taller, and then there was the gauntleted man that had grown closer and there was his gauntleted fist that slammed into Tsusa's cheek. Metal Clanking and a strange popping sound in his ear. Reflexively he scrambled back, shook his head and the world around him settled.

"You're fast." commented Tsusa

"You're slow."

And Tsusa came in again, hacking and scraping near the fat end of the sword, the man's wrist twitched and the tip fell straight for Tsusa's shoulder. He shifted letting it skim beside it and took a step out and forward. The man took an opposing step back and raised the sword again.

Tsusa reached in once more, sword in one hand, fist in the other. Parried a cut high and low, metal squealing. Managed to slip his boot under the man sending him in a surprised lurch, longsword leaning idly on his shoulder. He whacked it with a swipe, and it fell that way pointing off somewhere on the ground. Suddenly Tsusa's reached in pommel shining under the whorl of his fist.

He downed the blade on the gauntleted man's helmet. Made him sprawl on his back with a booted leg to his metal belly. The ringing of the helmet made the man stupid for some seconds and that was enough to stake him through the mouth.