Janno charges in

Seeing the tall beast, Janno instantly thought back to his last battle with ogres. His companions dying left and right as they hacked and slashed with the gang of monsters. He remembered Rocko and the look on his friend's face after he had just been clubbed by the last ogre. The blood flying all over from his face. Those pale eyes that took on the mask of **** as he fell to the group.

The next thing Janno consciously knew, he had just slashed the massive creature across its chest with the sword. He didn't remember how the sword got into his hand or how he got to the ogre. He just wanted to get his ****...or retribution for his failure to save his friends.

The ogre cried out in pain as he cut it. The beast swung its massive club, but Janno ducked and slashed him again. But, then the beast suddenly backhanded him with his other hand and the fighter was sent flying. He crashed to the ground, rolled over onto his belly and tried to haul himself up.

He saw the ogre bearing down on him, about to swing his big club. But then suddenly came an arrow, a dagger and a ray of electricity that all slammed into the charging beast. Janno realized that his new companions had acted. The ogre stopped and turned in their direction only a few feet from Janno. The fighter realized he would never get a better chance and swung two-handed his sword and stabbed the beast in the belly. The ogre bellowed and then fell to the ground dead.

Janno gasped as he got to his feet. He could feel blood in his mouth and an ache on the left side of his head. He couldn't believe that he blindly charged an ogre, but apparently the trauma of losing his former companions was still fresh in his mind...too fresh.

"Sorry about that," he said hoarsely to his companions as he turned toward them. However, he saw only the two women Kassi and Dalia staring back at him. Actually, they were staring just behind him.

"Look out," the ranger Kassi cried out as she went for another arrow and started to nock it in to her bow. Meanwhile, Dalia was casting another spell.

Janno turned around swiftly...but still too late. He momentarily saw another ogre, just as big running toward him with its club raised. Then the club swung in a wide arc and it hit the fighter on his right side. For a second time, Janno was sent flying, but this time his sword went flying in the other direction and he thought he heard some ribs snapping at the impact of the club. He fell to the ground with a thud. This time, he couldn't even roll over. He raised his head off the ground and saw the ogre staring at him and start to approach.

Then, a spell of frost hit him flush in the face causing him to roar in pain. An arrow embedded itself in its chest, but the beast grabbed it and ripped it right out of his skin with another cry. Turning, he saw the two women who had again come to Janno's aid. The ogre charged the pair and came at them with startling speed.

Janno could only watch helplessly as the ogre barreled into the women and knocked both of them down. Dalia went flying off near the bush and Kassi, who had tried to draw her sword, was trapped underfeet. The ogre leered at her but then raised his club as if to smash the blond girl to pieces. The female ranger cried out when she saw the club raised high.

But then something landed on the ogre's shoulders. Make it someone. The halfling Glennon cried out, "Yaaaahhhh!" Then, he pulled out a dagger and reached across the ogre's throat and sliced open a cut. Quickly, he came back and plunged the dagger into the side of the throat. The monster gave a gurgling sound and then staggered. It fell to the ground dead as Glennon leaped off and tumbled away.

There was a brief moment of silence before Glennon got to his feet and said, "Who said that we halfings can't fight!"

Dalia emerged from the bushes and stared proudly at the rogue. "Certainly not me, little one!"

Kassi jumped up and ran over and gave Glennon a hug, wrapping her slender but longer arms around the halfling. "Thank you! You saved us! You saved me!" She squeezed Glennon tight and the halfling awkwardly said "Yes...well, it was my duty. You are my...um.....new companion. Could you lessen your your hug on me (gasp) a little more (gasp)."

Dalia walked over to Janno with a neutral expression on her face. Janno was still lying on his back and he laid his head back on the ground. Terrific, he thought. First time out as team leader and I botch it. I get us into a senseless fight with two ogres simply because I couldn't control myself.

"Let me see to your wounds," Dalia said as she peered down on him.

"Later," Janno said, partially spitting out blood. "Let us go into the cave and get settled down before I do anything else to nearly get us killed again. Help me to my feet and I'll walk in."

Dalia gazed at him as if trying to pierce into his soul. Kassi came up and wore nearly the same expression, obviously having overhead him. But, they offered their hands and hauled Janno to his feet. The fighter staggered toward the cave entrance and was inside by the time Glennon came running up, still gasping slightly, but this time because he was dragging the fighter's sword. "Uh, Janno. You dropped this."

There was an awkward silence and Janno said, "Thanks. You did great in dispatching that ogre." He took his sword and hand and turned.

Glennon quickly said, "So did you...with the first ogre. That was...impressive."

Janno knew that the good-natured halfling was just trying to cheer him up, but he still felt terrible inside. As the group filed into the seemingly deserted cave, Janno still was wrestling with whether he ought to be the leader of this group after what he just blindly did.