It was all part of the plan that went unspoken between Rolf and Sven. It did not need to be spoken out loud. They knew each other well enough and had worked together long enough that a single glance had been more than enough.
Sven would distract the badger bear, attack it head on and get its attention long enough for Rolf to get into position. Then they would come at it from different directions, keep it from gaining its bearing and control over the fight. It was already injured and bleeding. All they need do was keep at it, worry it and keep it busy, distract it long enough for it bleed out and weaken.
And, of course, they could hurry it along with a cut here, a stab there. Not that they would be able to do much damage to the badger bear, particularly Rolf. It was not that his skills with axe and dagger were not up to par but just that he was not strong enough. The steel of his weapons may be strong and of fine quality, the edges razor sharp but he would have little to zero chance of penetrating the animal’s tough, thick hide; his blows would simply bounce off. He could probably saw through it if he had the time but they highly doubted the badger bear would stand for any of that nonsense.
Sven, on the other hand, was confident in the power contained within his muscles so as to be able to inflict some damage. Not a lot, mind you, but at the very least he was sure his attacks would be able to get through that thick hide, that the badger bear was sure feel the bite of his trusty blade. Those rage-filled eyes would be focused on him then, which of course would go a long way to achieving his goals in this fight.
Yes, they would close in on the beast and keep it from charging. It was not ideal, of course, but it was the best plan they had. Their weapons, while sharp and well-maintained, were simply not up to the task of holding the animal at bay while keeping them well out of its reach. One swing of those massive paws could be disastrous and one would count oneself lucky indeed if one got away with but a couple of broken bones. What they needed were pikes, damn it, or spears at least.
With a challenging roar, the Rabid Ring-Tailed Badger Bear rose up on its rear to meet Sven’s charge. It pulled back both its forelimbs, where they lingered for but a moment to snap forward and down in a double-swipe attack that would have cut the warrior to ribbon or caught him in a bone-crushing hug.
But Sven was ready for it. He had fought bears before. Well, normal ones but bears nonetheless. There were lots of them in his native country of Holviland and the warrior clans to which he belonged considered it a hunting them a sport, one-on-one, unarmored and single-weaponed. And bear wrestling was more or less a rite of passage.
He leaped back and slightly to the right at the last moment, those razor sharp claws missing him by a scant couple of inches.
Sven was not quite done yet however. He surged forward again as soon as his feet touched the ground and slammed into the side of large animal, ramming it with his shield with such force as to cause it to sway backward.
But not enough to force the badger bear back. Still it was quite the feat to even accomplish that and Sven was quick to capitalize on the small opening that it gave him. His broadsword lashed out and struck the beast with a downward slash only to bounce off its tough, thick hide.
Luckily, the blade had struck the badger bear quite near where it had already been injured by one of the many spikes in the pit trap. More blood sprayed out of the open wound and the creature roared out in pain.
The badger bear was quick to recover. It was as though the pain only served to invigorate it further, made it stronger, faster and Sven was barely able to dodge out of way of its right paw. His shield, though, was not so lucky, those wicked-looking claws gouging out jagged furrows across his shield sending splinters and bits of wood flying into the air.
The two combatants stood now unmoving, less than a couple of yards between them, and regarded each other. Sven was the first to flinch. As if he had been holding his breath for a very long time and could hold it no more, air escaped now from his lips like a deflating balloon as the man fell down on one knee.
It was too much for the man. He had given it all he had in that last exchange and while he made a good showing of it and got out relatively unscathed, he was completely spent.
Or so it seemed for it had all been a ruse. Sven still had a little bit in reserve, enough for one more round, one more high impact exchange of blows like the one they just had by his estimates but he would not need to expend what little energy he still had left. Not all of it at least.
For as the Rabid Ring-Tailed Badger Bear, sensing weakness in its foe, moved forward to finish him and put him out of his misery, Rolf attacked it from behind. All according to plan.
