Wednesday, 20 May 2026

A Brief Andersonian Fight Scene

The Broken Sword, XXIII.

Now armed with the re-forged sword, Skafloc meets six trolls:

(i) he cleaves a helmet and skull;

(ii) he beheads another;

(iii) he cuts through an axe and a chest;

(iv) he splits one from shoulder to waist;

(v) his jotun horse rears and crunches a skull;

(vi) he throws his sword through the one that flees.

I said it was brief.

Description, then action.

3 comments:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

Even with an AK-47 or AR-15 automatic rifle I would not want to fight six strong warriors! Yes, it was the dangerously magical sword Tyrfing that gave Skafloc that critical winning edge.

Ad astra! Sean

S.M. Stirling said...

Sean: although he needed to be good with a sword to take advantage of Tyrfing.

Anonymous said...

Kaor, Mr. Stirling!

But, at least in the original text of THE BROKEN SWORD that I recently reread, that magic sword seems to do a lot of the work of being an efficient killer.

Ad astra! Sean