Critter ran as fast he could through the abandoned building thinking back on the scene that had just unraveled before him. He had been moments from death when suddenly a huge man had intervened. At first he was both shocked and grateful at the man for at least delaying his doom, but everything changed when the man lifted Branch into the air with only one hand. Critter quickly realized that he should flee when the armored man began shouting about a duel. Although he wasn’t quite sure about the rules of a duel, he knew that it was serious business. So in a truly brave and heroic display Critter crawled between the tall man’s legs and fled in the direction that the knight couldn’t see. Once he was far enough away that he was sure that he wouldn’t get caught up in the crossfires of the duel he quickly slowed his pace and entered an abandoned two story house. From there Critter quickly ran up the stairs, making sure to skip over a few of the broken steps, and up to the window. “Finally,” Critter thought, “I get to see that drunken loser get what’s coming to him.” Although Critter wouldn’t go as far as to say he hated Branch, he definitely didn’t like him. Branch had beaten him up on more than one occasion for stealing but Critter knew that was just the risk of the trade. As Critter peered down from the window he watched as the large knight slung a helpless Branch into a wall. Critter had never seen a duel before but he was sure it wasn’t supposed to go like this. As he watched, he saw an injured Branch say something. Critter knew how to read lips because he was a genius and could easily make out that Branch was cursing the Knight and demanding a rematch. Critter felt smug, for who less besides him could deduce the words of a man from this far anyway besides him and maybe a master ranger. Critter stopped patting himself on the back quickly as he was horrified at what followed. With a quick stomp the black knight caved in Branches chest. Critter almost tripped over himself stumbling away from the window to puke. Critter had never imagined that the knight would kill Branch so suddenly, or at least after injuring him so badly. He had thought that the duel was over after Branch had lost the use of his arms. Critter wretched as the image of Branch’s last moments replayed in his head as he fought to keep himself from collapsing. Critter pulled himself into the corner of the room and sunk into its shadows. His mind agonized over the death of Branch, the horrific death he had caused, until his mind was pulled back to reality by a creaking sound of a door being nudged up. Quickly Critter’s mind ran through all the possibilities. Did he leave the door open? No, he had made sure to close it behind him. Could it just be another vagrant? Definitely not after what had just happened on the street, everyone was hunkered down for the commotion outside to die down. This left one option, it was the murder knight. But why would he be coming into this house? This is when Critter remembered he had landed in the man’s legs. The knight probably wasn’t satisfied with just killing one man after being dirtied by a peasant like him. Critter considered his options frantically as he heard the knight downstairs. Should he stay and hide or should he make a break for it? Considering that the knight had already found the house he hid in, Critter deduced that he wouldn’t be able to hide from this man, at least not here. This left Critter with escape being his only chance. He knew that going down stairs was out of the question unless he wanted to end up on the wrong side of a knight’s boot and with a massive drop going out of the window was also out. This left Critter with only one option, one that he didn’t like, he would have to attack the knight and then flee while he was disoriented. Critter knew this was a terrible plan but he also knew that if he stuck quickly then it could work. So Critter quickly searched the room for a weapon before finding a wooden plank that was a little less than half his height that would work. Critter quickly and quietly snuck behind the door as he heard someone climbing the stairs. Closing his eyes, Critter intently listened to the man growing closer and closer to the room. Through the sliver between the door and wall, Critter saw a armored foot break through the threshold and into the room. As quickly as Critter could, he swung his makeshift weapon up in a low arc in a spinning fashion with its destination being the knight’s chin. At first Critter thought he had won, his belief was that as long as he wasn’t discovered before he swung there was no way anyone could react in time to him. Critter now discovered that this was not just anyone that he was dealing with, as the plank curved through the air the knight suddenly moved his hand out from his body around the height of his chest and brought it down hard on the end of the board. This action was the last thing Critter saw as something very hard connected with his chin, sending him quickly out of the realm of the conscious.

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