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Her hand grips the handle of an axe slick with blood. It fits oddly in her hands as if it was made for someone else but as she makes contact with the first soldier nobody but her can tell. The swing, furious and desperate hits the soldier on the neck, slicing his carotid arteries. Although he falls several more surge forward in his stead. Her shift will be stained with their blood too in time. But in this moment they sliced at her, knocking her down.
She does not linger swinging at their legs and creating distance. Her hand grabs the soldiers cap and throws it at the leader, a foot back aiming for the head. It smashes against his lumpy head breaking his straight nose.
"Stand back, I am going to deal with her myself," He growls and pushes forward to the still kneeling woman his mace gripped in his hand. He swings and she dodges. Her reply is swift as she connects with her axe.
The rest of them pause. Whose in charge, now. Which order should they follow.. .she does not think that she surges forward not to attack but to flee. They part for her as the look in her eyes makes their blood run cold.
She's running or crawling as her bear feet stab against the rock of the road and trip her. But she all the while moves forward.
With a start, some of the men pursue her while others struggle to string and load their bows.
The people, although she does not notice have hidden within the buildings of the town. She sees the sea approaching and a craft in its harbour. She runs faster.
They fire. One arrow misses her completely, one hits her firm in the back, one grazes her arms.
She grunts but it is hoarse as if from crying. The next volley is more accurate, hitting her in the heart and head.
As she falls she is only frustrated. Her head begins to repair itself pushing the arrows out but they close the distance. They're five of them now.
As she revives she rises to her feet embedding the axe into the first soldier. He grabs hold and they struggle for control. Eventually, she pulls it out and he falls over, unconscious from blood loss.
The next to synchronise their strike but she ducks slashing at their ankles. She grabs the fallen man's dagger and bounces back finding a hard wall. The final soldier swings his crude axe. She dodges and he finds himself trying to pull his axe from the stone. Her dagger enters under his chin and gets him clean through the skull.
The final two back up taking defensive stances only to be met with a berserker's recklessness. They meet the face of her axe as she charges.
Without stopping she turns to continue her sprint. Her feet pound the stone road cutting her feet to ribbons but she's getting closer. She can't stop now. Her body aches in protest begging her to stop. To rest. But she ignores it.
She's at the Dock the ship should be just...it's pulled out. It's too far to jump.
"ANDROMACHE," she screams. Her knees hit the wooden dock. She can see her but she's too far away and she can't do anything. Not a single dingy or rowboat existed. Nothing.
"ANDROMACHE. I'LL FIND YOU," she screams unsure if she can actually be heard. "My heart, I promise," she whispers.
She watches Andy drift into the distance, her hand gripping Andy's old axe tight. She makes note of the direction and their location. She's hugging the axe her knuckles white and her long draped over it.
When she disappears Quynh runs. She runs into the woods still she can't see the sun nor the stars. Till she can't see a stream or pond. Till there is nothing that reminds her of Andromache besides the axe.