Chapter 1- The story begins/unexpected aid

My POV

It is September 10th in the year 1038, I have traveled for at least a few days, rarely sleeping do to bandits being on the roads and attacking people at night with little food and what is left of my water, just my luck when I should never have traveled alone the road. I stood my ground tired and hungry with long sword in hand sharp and ready as thirty five bandits surrounded me armed with swords and shields, maces, spears, bows and arrows like hunters surrounding a wolf only to piss me off. My name is Tyler Wallace, not much to say really only that I'm eighteen years old I have brown greenish eyes, dark brown hair, a few scars from sieging strongholds or fights with bandits or fellow knights. I am a Warden, a dedicated knight who swears to their oaths to be gods executioners like the Templar's in the past, or however people will see us as anyways, still an apprentice of the long sword training in the arts of knighthood to know the meaning of honor, duty, and discipline. I was training since I was a boy around seven years old following my fathers footsteps for he was once a warden himself during his years of service before he died by the hands of a murderer who was never seen nor caught so my fathers brother, my uncle took me in to raise me as his own. By the time I was fifteen my fathers sword was passed on to me as it was passed on to him by his father, but I never fulfilled to completing my training to take an oath as a Warden and have been on my own for three years now living my life as a mercenary leaving the home and only family I had, so in many ways I am dishonoring my fathers memory as a knight. My mother I don't know so much about father spoke little about her, except that she was very beautiful and that she died sometime after I was born. This sword that was given to me it's a lot different then others in many ways, it is much wider, thicker, heavier and does more damage then an average long sword, durable enough to brake a ball on chain or a heavy shield without cracking, so some would say if it was ever possible. My armor once belong to my father as well, once I grew big enough to wear it the smiths repaired it to full condition, it shined brightly even if the clouds covered the sun made of silver with Red Crosses on the white linen resenting the Templar's, wearing a helmet with an embossing of a cross the center of it while wearing a detachable mail hood that's long enough to protects around my neck and some extension of both my shoulders. Both shoulders are protected by pauldrons with separate joint plates with the left side has a bigger piece while the right side was small with an embossing of a wolf. A large piece of metal on my chest attached to a belt protecting my heart in the shape of a lions face, my chest armor is made of thick but flexible leather so the set is not so heavy move around in. A thick belt strapped around my waist with several leather bags on it and a canteen with only a mouthful of water left in it haven't had a chance to find a stream of unaffected by the wars that had been raging on for sometime now. Under my armor is my upper long sleeve mail habergeon. Two round pieces protects my elbows but can also be used to bash enemies in the face if close enough, the left one though is more protected by an additional piece, probably used to deflect and bounce of blows from certain angles. My gauntlets fully protect both my forearms and top of my hands while the joint plates protects the top of my fingers as each small piece for ten of my fingers are strapped around the cotton gloves. And last are the greaves that I wear that protects not just my shins, but it also protects up to my knees, boots, and back of my calf and heels. But now is no longer the time to say more about me for my story of how I lived has begun, now is the time for a possible fight to happen before the real beginning of my life. "Well well now boys, look who we got here", the bandits leader spoke out loud earning a chuckle from the group. The bandits leader wore leather armor carrying a large bearded axe, his one eye had no color meaning he's blind on one side while his other eye is green. Has a nasty scar on the one side of his face like a animal attacked him.

Bandit leader: "So what's a whoreson doing out here all alone, missed the taste of your mother's tits"?

I said nothing but I can feel my blood boiling for the way he spoke about my mother, but I controlled my anger and waited as he continues his ranting walking towards me.

Bandit leader: "Oh I'm sorry did hurt your feelings about mum boy, or too scared to talk? Don't worry, once we're done with you we'll just pay her a visit and the whore won't be alone any-".

Like a blur I lifted my sword from below and cut his right arm off hearing him scream in so much pain, but I wasn't done as I spun around lifting my sword up high so he could see the last thing before death claims him and cutting him down through his head. The bandits stared in shock never seeing anyone move that fast before with such a large sword. Doesn't surprise me so much since it's happened many times before, but the question is this...who will make the next move?

Me: "Who's next now"?

Suddenly one of the bandits charged at me with axe in hand went for an overhead strike while the archers prepare their bows and arrows, it has now begun. As for me quickly reacting I evaded the attack striking him in the forehead with the pommel grabbing him by the shirt using him as a shield against archers as they let loose their arrows aiming at me. The bandit died quickly from one of the arrows puncturing him through his lung. But then I felt a sharp pain in my right leg, I looked down to see that an arrow hit me. Then three more came at me armed with spears, I never do so well against people who uses them, so I went on the defensive using the length of my sword as they near themselves towards me along with others behind them. I notice that the five archers were ready to fire so I had to do something quick but before I could one of the spearmen thrust forward his spear, I manage to barely dodge the attack as the aimed for chest but instead grazed my arm against the sleeve of my habergeon, but one of the other two spear men stabbed me in my right leg, growling loudly in pain I grabbed the third spear that missed me, using my sword to trip him while pulling the spear out of his hands and with all my strength thrusting it through the one that stabbed me right into his chest piercing through the rib cage and throug the other side which will kill him slow but quickly. Pulling the spearhead out of my leg, ignoring the pain giving into the anger I stabbed through the third spearman that was still on the ground before he getting the chance to get on his knees right into his back making him scream to the heavens. I could feel myself already getting tired from losing a lot of blood and my sword is getting heavier in my hands and my right leg is ready to soon give out, I have to finish this and make a run for it because I'm alone and there's no one out here that will be able to lend me a blade. It's now or never as I charged at them with a battle cry lifting my sword up high, one went to bash me with a shield I step aside spinning myself around slicing his back open cutting through his leather armor ending his life charging to the next one who didn't have time to react so taking the opportunity I pierced through his chest halfway of my blade. I felt two more arrows hit me both piercing through my left shoulder pauldron and into my arm forcing my body to coil for a moment but I willed myself to ignore the pain, to keep moving. Pulling the blade out from the bandits corpse another bandit with a long sword went to thrust for my side, instead of dodging this time I dove into the swordsman who was too late to pull away his attack, I charged right into him swinging my sword into his stomach slashing it clean open, but I wasn't done as I swept his feet with great force of my second swing and shoulder bashing him knocking his dead corpse away a few feet away. But then just when I felt all that momentum being build up, what felt like a boulder knocking me down to the ground knocking the air out of me and losing grip of my sword losing all of that momentum. Coughing I tried to get back up only to be kicked in the stomach, I feel like I was puke my guts out and I couldn't breathe through my helmet anymore, my vision was darkening as the pain was building up. Then I felt a pair hands grab me and felt like I was being thrown by a strong man, feeling myself hit the ground yet again, feeling my helmets strap rip allowing it to leave my head now defenseless in exchange to feeling so much desperately needed air filling my lungs clearing my vision but now throwing up. Blood was seeping from my head down my face and I don't have much strength left so I can't use my sword anymore, armor is weighing too much on me now, I'm not as religious as I was in my earlier years but I still believe in my father the almighty holy Son of God and I'm praying to him for help to be close by. I looked up and notice crows squawking flying in circles, it was a bad sign, so I made the hardest choice something that hurts more then anything in the world, I had no choice but to leave my fathers sword and being close to a small hill with several bushes and trees I had to risk it, I try again to get up crawling my way to the edge only to feel a pair of hands wrapping around my neck causing me to choke. It was a bandit with a leather shield and was wearing chainmail and a iron helmet, pushing me into a tree. I was starting to lose vision again trying fight my way out of his but failing. The bandit spoke quietly and whispers to me.

Bandit: "Go on whoreson call for help, scream as loud as a virgin whore, there's no one out here that's gonna save your fuckin' arse"!

The last thing I remembered was seeing a spear head pierce from behind and through sticking out of his chest his grip and hearing someone battle crying a word "Valhalla" and then came the sound of horses and men before feeling myself fall and everything turning black. Is this it for me, the end of my story? If it is then so be it, at least I'll finally get to see my mother and know what she looks like and see my father again.

Many days later

I felt myself slowly waking up, staring at a wooden ceiling with a chandelier lit with candles seeing myself laying in a warm bed covered by sowed pelts of animal fur, I felt like I slept through two seasons and had a strange feeling that someone was sleeping with me. Looking down under the pelts I saw the state I was in, someone removed both my clothes and my armor and my sword now gone, my wounds were cleaned, sowed and bandaged with care. But now looking around, I see the room I am currently in was big with lots of things around, another room to my next to the door, a fireplace that was being used as of this moment in the far corner, a book shelf, shelving units with stuff on them, a large desk, a rug of a giant white bear on the floor, and a dresser with a clean set of clothes on top. As I was about to get up I notice there was food next to me on a small dresser next to some candles, it looked freshly made, I shouldn't eat it though not knowing if it might be poisoned or not, but to make sure it wasn't I brought the food close for me to smell and to my surprise it was not, now no longer able to resist my hunger or thirst any longer after not eating a proper meal for days and constantly being on the road I sit myself up the best could and ate what it had to offer, small cut pieces of venison, few pieces salmon, pork bites on sticks with smoked peppers, small block of cheese, and three small pints of water. After sometime has pass I started to feel my strength slowly returning and stomach no longer in pain, but despite all that it wasn't enough for me to stand up on my own yet but I felt relief for my stomach wasn't empty anymore. So I put the platter back on the dresser and laid back in bed ready to fall back asleep when I heard the in front of me open and who came through the door, that is where my life changes forever and where my story really begins.