“CIBBL: Year Six - Spring: Athel Loren: round 2:

Timaris Stormwing was brooding. The Meddler's last game had ended in a draw, while he had expected an easy win. Worse, Morlanna and Kivan would miss the match against the Sentinels. The super star wardancer and the kicker would be missed dearly. Mereia, the assistant coach, kept quiet and enjoyed some honeyed wine while enjoying the day's last sunrays. She put up her shades, laid back, stretched her legs and eventually dozed off. She wouldn't allow Timaris' dark mood mess with hers.

The Meddlers started receiving but got blitzed. "Not again", Timaris cursed. "It happened against the Roots, now again against the Sentinels", he continued. "Somebody's bribed that nitwit referee!", he exclaimed. The noise woke Mereia. "Nothing to worry about", she objected. "They can't secure the ball. We'll get it back in a minute. Don't worry so much". Timaris ignored her, but judging by his cramped jaw, he didn't share the former catcher's confidence.

On the field however, the Meddlers recovered the ball after some skirmishing. But by turn 2 they lost their only wardancer to a brutal kick by an evil dryad. Timaris almost bit his tongue in half. "By Loec's shadow, that's two wardancers we lose in two games!", he exclaimed. "How are we supposed to win the season without wardancers?" That was a punch Mereia couldn't ignore. She lifted her shades and replied: "by scoring more touchdowns than the opposition". After all, that's what bloodbowl was all about. Wardancers could show off like the best, but any elf could catch a ball and run it over to the endzone. "Let's focus on the game and stop complaining".

Meanwhile the elves broke off to the other side of the pitch, putting their superior speed to use. The dryads tried to reposition, but suffered from inferior agility. Without requiring much further guidance, the Meddlers stalled a little until they scored in turn 6. That left the Sentinels 3 turns to equalize, but they failed to punch a hole in the line: 1-0 at halftime.

Agressive defense offered many opportunities, but little results in the second half. Until turn 7, when Nimrodel - catcher turned wardancer - leapt in and -2d powed the ballcarrier. "Kurnous' balls", Mereia shouted when jumping off the bench, almost losing her shades in the process. "A bold move if I ever saw one", she continued. "Yyyyeeeesssss!", Timaris hissed through gritted teeth. "Isha's finally answered my prayers". Caelir took over, picked up the ball and threw it far away into no man's land. "That should do it", Mereia concluded. "This game is ours after all", Timaris smiled. But then the dryads proved that they can play ball too and unexpectedly scored the equalizer from a very unlikely position.

Still the game wasn't over. The ref lost track of time when the Meddlers' fan rioted at the Sentinel's touchdown. Suddenly the elves still had 2 remaining turns. But somehow they got too excited and messed it up. Timaris was shouting this and Mereia was shouting that. In the end everyone got confused and the attempt stranded not too far from the endzone: 1-1, another draw and all hope gone for the championship.

After the game had ended, no one noticed how Timaris walked the field towards the spot where the willow had failed a dodge and died. He picked up a remaining branch and stuffed it away in his tunic. "Later", he said to himself. "This will definitely be of use. Later...".



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