### 299

Quickly you pull you men into line, shoulder to shoulder across the entrance to the mine. Their shields form a wall of wood and steel to deflect the arrows now falling from the sky. As they flood out from the trees, the bandit warriors discard their bows in favour of long, curved swords. Many of them stumble and fall, but their leader beats them forward with the flat of his battle-axe. He is an ugly brute dressed in a heavy brass hauberk. As the first of the enemy smash into the shield-wall, he screams a deafening war-cry. A numbing thunder of blows rains down as the bandits hew and slice into your line. The fight is bitter but the wall holds firm, as your men bravely defend themselves.

The first wave of bandits stagger back clutching their wounds, a dozen left dead at your feet. None of your men have fallen. However, you barely have time to wipe your blood-spattered brow before their leader bounds towards you, his battle-axe sweeping the air. He batters his way through the shield-wall and attacks you. You cannot evade him and must fight him to the death.

Bandit Leader: COMBAT SKILL 19 ENDURANCE 29

If you win the fight, turn to 121.