Battle-worn

As I stop to rest on a grassy knoll, hoping to catch my breath, I spot yet another figure in the valley below, headed in my direction with a sense of urgency that implies violent intent

And as the figure draws closer my assumptions are suddenly confirmed
The figure is a tower of a man, dressed in dark, tattered robes with a huge sword resting upon his right shoulder and on his left, a thick, black leather pauldron with a strange insignia
I spring to my feet, shield at the ready as the hulking figure's gait changes from that of a walk to a fill-in sprint and by the time I manage to ready my trusty blade, a light, but sturdy broadsword that has tasted the blood of innumerable foes, I barely have time to roll out of the way of his horrific vertical slash, the blade missing an arm by a fraction of an inch and as I regainy footing, I'm now behind him, just about to counter when he suddenly spins around, swinging the massive chunk of steel with a level of ease that would seem to defy all logic, as such a feat would require truly inhuman strength
My wooden shield is barely sufficient in stopping the blow, and cracks right down the middle from the impact which nearly causes me to lose my footing
Now my shield is nearly useless and just as I regain my balance I am forced to evade yet another horrific vertical slash, but this time the blade makes contact with my own as it is knocked from my hand, buried into the soft ground
With a cracked shield and an empty hand I consider myself fortunate that this time it takes the man awhile to regain his stance, he is obviously winded, affording me just enough time to strike
Realizing that this may be my only chance for survival, I strike, without hesitation as he is still kneeling and begin to pummel the back of his head with my cracked shield until it breaks into small pieces

Wasting no time, I pick up a sharp fragment, about six inches in length and force it into his jugular, leaving him to bleed out
As the remaining life force drains from his body, I gaze upon his face and watch as the spark fades from his eyes

After catching my breath, I then kick his body down the hill and use the pieces of the shield to help kindle a small fire, leaving his body lay as a warning to those who would disturb my well-deserved rest
I then retrieve a flute from my satchel and play a lively tune as the sun sinks over the mountains to the West