Birthright Tuornen Chapter 3

[Adam]

Cormac nods. "I unnerstand yer desire for a small group. Trust me, we'll be goin' down fightin' if necessary, but I don' exactly plan on gettin' caught. Wi' yer permission, I'll get to work."

He stands and exits without ceremony. He nods to Dietric and calls him over, explaining the details of the plan. "Gobs are a blight on the land, an' anythin' that pokes 'em in the eye is fine wi' me. That said, I ain' exactly in a rush to get caught an' cooked, so we're gonna be as careful as we can be. The duke seems to be lettin' us go in wi' only folks he's fine wi' losin'. I'm not so happy wi' that. Keep yer voice down, but talk aroun' through the lumberjacks and folks that know how to fight, see if anyone wants to join the raid. I'll go get the poachers, an' we'll be off."

[JMaytr]

"So much for stealth," Devlin says and draws his rapier and main-gauche. "Hold until they engage. If they mean to kill us, we have to kill them first and quickly."

[Lord Skybolt]

Cormac nods. "I unnerstand yer desire for a small group. Trust me, we'll be goin' down fightin' if necessary, but I don' exactly plan on gettin' caught. Wi' yer permission, I'll get to work."

He stands and exits without ceremony. He nods to Dietric and calls him over, explaining the details of the plan. "Gobs are a blight on the land, an' anythin' that pokes 'em in the eye is fine wi' me. That said, I ain' exactly in a rush to get caught an' cooked, so we're gonna be as careful as we can be. The duke seems to be lettin' us go in wi' only folks he's fine wi' losin'. I'm not so happy wi' that. Keep yer voice down, but talk aroun' through the lumberjacks and folks that know how to fight, see if anyone wants to join the raid. I'll go get the poachers, an' we'll be off."

After Cormac leaves Gunnar says to the Esquire:"I will be seeing to the men, before I go to sleep . I will make it known to them that I think going with the Cormac is not a good idea . Personally I think it is fools errand to try to save the boy and the "man" staked out to be burned . I will also make sure the words is passed through the night to be on higher alert tonight as we don't know if the goblins may have gotten the information on where your manor is from the boy . So we need to be ready in case the goblins send there own raiding party our way during the night also ."

[ewancummins]

Cormac nods. "I unnerstand yer desire for a small group. Trust me, we'll be goin' down fightin' if necessary, but I don' exactly plan on gettin' caught. Wi' yer permission, I'll get to work."

He stands and exits without ceremony. He nods to Dietric and calls him over, explaining the details of the plan. "Gobs are a blight on the land, an' anythin' that pokes 'em in the eye is fine wi' me. That said, I ain' exactly in a rush to get caught an' cooked, so we're gonna be as careful as we can be. The duke seems to be lettin' us go in wi' only folks he's fine wi' losin'. I'm not so happy wi' that. Keep yer voice down, but talk aroun' through the lumberjacks and folks that know how to fight, see if anyone wants to join the raid. I'll go get the poachers, an' we'll be off."

After Cormac leaves Gunnar says to the Esquire:"I will be seeing to the men, before I go to sleep . I will make it known to them that I think going with the Cormac is not a good idea . Personally I think it is fools errand to try to save the boy and the "man" staked out to be burned . I will also make sure the words is passed through the night to be on higher alert tonight as we don't know if the goblins may have gotten the information on where your manor is from the boy . So we need to be ready in case the goblins send there own raiding party our way during the night also ."

The Esquire nods gravely.

"Yes, we must protect the manor."

[ewancummins]

Gunnar travels around the manor, speaking to the men of the great foolishness of joining the rescue attempt and the terrible danger of the goblins. In his wake, fear sinks in, driving men deeper into their hiding places, making them clutch their wives and children. The men double check the bars on the doors, make sure that the candles and lamps are kept well away from the shutters, and cling to their knives or makeshift clubs like saving talismans.

Cormac too moves about the manor, but finds men unwilling to join the rescue party.
And then he hears a low, rumbling familiar voice "…going with the Cormac is a fool’s errand… to try to save the boy and the "man" staked out to be burned.”

Turning the corner of the dim hall, he finds Gunnar looming over a huddled group of a dozen or so men, boys, and women, who listen attentively as the big Northman warrior speaks.

[Adam]

There is a loud bang as the door leading into the room is slammed against the wall, showing Cormac standing framed against the light outside.

"Yeh know," he begins, "Part o' why I came te this land was because I had heard the men o' Tuornen were made o' stern stuff, the kind o' stuff that my folk from Rjurik are made o'. An' the thing tha' bothers me," he continues, "is the amount o' sheep I seen wanderin' aroun' these parts, an' the small number o' menfolk."

He walks forward, eyes scanning the group. "Ye' see, sheep act the same way every time. It's easy to tell when a sheep's a sheep. An' one thing ye can always count on, is when a wolf comes prowlin' aroun' a pen, sheep react the same way. They huddle up in the middle, they cower together, an' they hope tha' the walls o' their fence are strong enough to keep the wolf out 'till the farmer can come an' save 'em." He turns to glare at Gunnar. "But tha' ain't what a man does. A man picks up a weapon an' walks out, an' he kills the wolf."

He shakes his head and spits a glob of tobacco juice on the ground in disgust. "I ain't sayin' this raid's gonna win yeh the war an' send them Gobs back te their mountains. It's gonna be a long fight, an' it's more than we can handle right now. But their gonna burn your friends, yer fellows, in yer townsquare, usin' yer wood, and I fer one am tired o' lettin' 'em do whatever they want! They've invaded yer lands, taken yer homes, an' all we've done is fall back and hide. Time to go bloody their noses, I say. Time to go show them blighters that this land still belongs to the men o' Tuornen, an' time te make sure that when your Duke comes and helps us drive them gobs out fer good an' all, that he finds a keep full o' men..." he scans the crowd again, challenging each person their with his eyes, "An' not a pen full o' sheep."

He turns and walks to the door. "We're assemblin' out front to ride at nightfall. If yer gonna join us, be there wi' yer weapons sharp."

[ewancummins]

"So much for stealth," Devlin says and draws his rapier and main-gauche. "Hold until they engage. If they mean to kill us, we have to kill them first and quickly."

Brigands rush the young duke from behind and knock him to the ground, but after a brief struggle, he’s back up and fighting. Filbert hops about stabbing men in the back. The warrior monks topple foes with their stout shields; Fhylie and Braedonnal fight back-to-back, cutting men down on all sides. Someone in the enemy party drops the only lantern, and burning oil flashes over a hunk of busted masonry. In the flaring light, Devlin sees Renn cut a man down with practiced backside of his sword.

A gut-wrenching feeling comes over Devlin; he knows he’s been betrayed. But by whom? How? Why?

The lantern dead, the young noble’s elfish sight kicks in; he sees well by starlight. Devlin spots one of the warrior monks, scrabbling on the ground for a piece of jewelry with a broken chain. The man snatches it and flees with the brigands; who now have turned tail with half their party struck down!

[JMaytr]

"Men! fall back!" Devlin scours, the feeling in his stomach overwhelming him. "I won't suffer any loss of life!"

[ewancummins]

"Men! fall back!" Devlin scours, the feeling in his stomach overwhelming him. "I won't suffer any loss of life!"

Braedonnal savagely attacks one of the fleeing men with wild swings, wounding him. The brigand throws up his hands , pleading for mercy.

Fhylie the Sword grabs the injured man by his neck and drags him along with Devlin's party as it falls back to the nearby city walls...



BACK IN CAER HAES


Minor injuries among the raiders have been healed fully by the clerics.

The prisoner, his wounds bound, seems eager to talk...

[JMaytr]

Devlin keeps his sword in his hands, ready for the inevitable action.

"How did you know we were coming?" Devlin asks the wounded brigand. "Speak to me the truth and I shall ensure your survival."

[ewancummins]

Devlin keeps his sword in his hands, ready for the inevitable action.

"How did you know we were coming?" Devlin asks the wounded brigand. "Speak to me the truth and I shall ensure your survival."

The dirty, scarred brigand bows his head and answers- ''A spy. Man inside the walls. I dunno his name but, uh..."

He casts a nervous glance at Fhylie (she's now dressed in a clean surcoat emblazoned with the symbols of the Militant Order) ''He's a monk or clerk, I think. I'm not real important, so they don't tell me much..."

The man gulps, quickly adding, "But I hear and see a lot, Your Grace! I know you aint supposed to be alive. We was told you'd be dead, or rather, our captains was told that when the fire-spear went up. Supposed to be easy, t'other duke said. And him sitting on that big boat in the river, watching poor men die for his sake. Bah!"

[JMaytr]

Devlin sneers.

"You say that Carilon Alam is on the river?"

[ewancummins]

Devlin sneers.

"You say that Carilon Alam is on the river?"

''A galley tied up on the wharf. Messages come and go from it. He was there this evening-- I seen him myself, sitting on the deck in fancy robes eating winter grapes from the hand of a pretty wench. Didn't get to look too long-- one of his gaurdsmen gave me a clout for my trouble and sent me on my way. He's always got armed men around him- none of us hired swords, but his own soldiers."

[ewancummins]

RANALD'S MANOR

He turns and walks to the door. "We're assemblin' out front to ride at nightfall. If yer gonna join us, be there wi' yer weapons sharp."

Dietric and the two hatchet-faced poachers fall in behind Cormac, and walk with him down the dark hall...

[ewancummins]

IN FRONT OF THE MANOR


Cold stars glint in the moonless sky, peeking out from gaps in the wind-tossed clouds. A light rain begins to fall, but then dies as swiftly as it had begun.


Cormac waits...but no volunteers come out, save one determined looking woman who carries a boar spear. He recognizes the young mother of the captured boy.

Her earlier hysteria seems to have vanished completely. In a quiet voice, but firm, she says-

''That big Northman told the others that they should stay to protect their families. And maybe he's right. Or maybe he's just scared. But my man's dead, and my son is in town with the goblins."