Birthright Tuornen Chapter Four

[Varrus the Ethical]

"That's right, follow the leader," Roald mutters as continues his turn, circling the cavalry back towards the Alamie lines. Looking for something, or someone important to trample.

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

Captain, how's your veiw?"

"Right bloody good indeed..." he answers, staring with unabashed lust at the tangle of bodies. There was Janessa, Red Molly, even Phenia the Milkmaid, still as sweet and lovely as she was before the pox ravaged her face. He takes an almost involuntary step before Filbert's voice snaps him out of the trance.

As they press on and Renn feels frigid water pass from his lungs to his lips, he is struck with a dreadful premonition. Is this how he will die? Drowned like a common rat or a street urchin?

"Need to get back to the waking world...or back to those women," he mutters, his voice gurgling somewhat on the water in his gullet.

[ewancummins]

THE SHADOW JAUNT

Captain, how's your veiw?"

"Right bloody good indeed..." he answers, staring with unabashed lust at the tangle of bodies. There was Janessa, Red Molly, even Phenia the Milkmaid, still as sweet and lovely as she was before the pox ravaged her face. He takes an almost involuntary step before Filbert's voice snaps him out of the trance.

As they press on and Renn feels frigid water pass from his lungs to his lips, he is struck with a dreadful premonition. Is this how he will die? Drowned like a common rat or a street urchin?

"Need to get back to the waking world...or back to those women," he mutters, his voice gurgling somewhat on the water in his gullet.

If Filbert hears Renn, the watch commander cannot tell. The half-man seems to be searching for something...

Daggers of light pierce the gloom, peeling away strips of reality to reveal a misty brilliance beyond. Rennalt's head spins, he falls, feels a hand seize his...

A moment or a lifetime later he finds himself puking his guts out on the side of a wharf with the morning sun warm on the back of his neck. Devlin crouches nearby blades at the ready and blinking furiously. Between them, Filbert stands with one hand holding Renn's left and the other gripping Devlin's right forearm.

A short bowshot to the east a big barge covered in a tall pavilion drifts out on the water. The blue lion banner flies from the highest peak of cloth. At least twenty archers stand watch along the edge of the great barge. Several smaller boats bob near at hand, tied up along the waterfront.
North, fields where smoke rises from ruined, looted farms
West; more ravaged countryside lies beyond some wooden shops and hovels left standing by the invaders.

South, beyond the unburned section of Riverside smoke rises from the vicinity of the River Gate, men shout, drums roll, horns blast, all the din of battle. And from the south rides a small contingent of heavy horse, no more than a dozen knights, with an gray-haired man in rich plum robes riding near the fore. The mounted part rides slowly to keep pace with a stumpy figure on foot near the middle of the group. Sunlight glints off manacles attached to the stout one’s wrists; the chains run up to the saddle horns of riders to his left and right.

[Varrus the Ethical]

Roald kicks his horse to ride faster, banner held high, riding straight for the baggage boats.

[JMaytr]

"Okay captain, Filbert...that's my hated cousin," Devlin whispers. "Carilon Alam, sitting in pomp on that horse near the front. And those manacles make it clear the dwarf is a prisoner. Any suggestions? A bow strike to the back of Alam's neck could end this war but it would not satiate my need for justice. Heavy knights are no good. On horse is worse...maybe target thier horses A couple of well placed strikes, maybe drop the riders as well...a fall from horse has killed or paraylized even the greatest of heroes."

[RocEter]

Cormac falls into step next to Foerde.

"I spoke to yeh before about my plans to head outside the walls an' take the fight to the goblins. I wanna lead raids, fight 'em on their terms, an' let the people know that there's good folks out there strugglin' for 'em."

He looks across the courtyard towards the kids. "The folks here feel like they've lost a'ready. They've abandoned what their Duke taught 'em, that it was their duty to go fight for their homes. Even Ranald seems hesitant to go out of his manor walls. It's understandable. They want to protect their families. Can't fault 'em fer tha'. But I got a bad feelin' that help ain't comin', an' by the time these folks find their backbones the gobs will already have taken what they want. But, if they hear about a band o' brigands out in the field, givin' the blighters a taste o' what they been servin' up, maybe they find their backbones quicker." He stops, his face getting grimmer. "Or maybe they don'. But either way, I'd rather go fight in the field than stand here in this place. Out there we're free. In here..." He grimaces. "I'm startin' to feel like an indentured man."

He turns to Foerde, stopping their walk now that they're out of earshot. "I'm askin' yeh, because while Foerde the beast-man don' exactly inspire a ton o' confidence in the people, yer other face..." he draws the silence out for a moment, "...that'd get people to rally. I want yeh to head out with us. I'm leavin' tonight, whether Ranald thinks he can 'let us' leave or not. I'll give him his day o' peace, since it'll take that long to find a safe campsite anyways, but he ain't my lord and I doubt many o' my men feel much loyalty to him either after they didnae help rescue you. There's a place for you with us, if yeh feel like joinin'."

"I'll join you and your crew, Cormac. But.." Foerde says pausing for a moment. "There is something we must do when leave tonight. When I was held captive the Goblins told me they sacked a temple of Cuiraecen and killed everyone in it. With as many goblins as we contending against it is possible. I want to scout out the temple to verify and search for survivors, if my brothers are in danger I must help them." He says. "I will also need a horse, mine was scared off by a group of wargs. Don't know where it is, damn shame too."

"Like you said Ranald is not your lord and I am not beholden to him. Cuiraecen demands vengeance! Come find when you are ready, what I am wearing is all that I have."

[Adam]

Cormac claps him on the shoulder.

"Sounds like a plan," the northman replies. "I'll see wha' I can do to track down a horse fer yeh. We're a bit short o' money to find yeh armaments at the moment. Any thoughts on that point?"

[RocEter]

"I have prayed for protective miracles that will help should we have to battle." Foerde says. "Perhaps we will get lucky and find some armaments at the temple or the goblin group that attacked me."

After he and Cormac part ways Foerde goes to speak with Ranald and Gunnar.

[Brock Marsh Runoff]

"No good," Renn says with a grimace, the taste of bile still in his mouth. "Even if we drop him, even if we even drop three, thtill not enough." He deliberately lisps his "S"s so the hiss of the sound won't carry. "Ten more bear down. We're on foot. That meanth you're dead, we're all dead."

"Bad ground. Bad time for heroicth. Maybe thtalk them, keep our dithtanth. Thee if the bathtard letth hith guard down."

[JMaytr]

"If we drop Alam's horse, some of his men will stay behind to protect him, see if he's okay, maybe even flee with him to ensure his saftey. We drop two other horses, say, the ones with the men holding that dwarf's shackles. We reduce the men bearing down on us signifigantly. We could open with that attack. Then we prepare for the charge, say, Filbert and I draw them to us, while you could fire on a couple more from a sniping position. The confusion of multiple targets may split them up. I'm not bad with a bow myself Captain Ghonallison. Filbert, lets say they Do charge us and Captain Rennalt misses them, can we retreat back to shadow?" There is urgency in Devlin's voice.

He knows they must act quickly.

[ewancummins]

THE FIGHT ON THE DOCKS


Moving swiftly, Devlin and his two companions take up shooting positions where barrels and crates give them some cover from men on the barge. Devlin whistles, which seems to dsitract one of the horses. The shooting begins.
Arrows strike Carilon Alam's roan gelding, but the old duke keeps the saddle well. One of his guards is not so lucky, and plunges from the saddle, clattering on the dirt in his plate armor.
More shots, and then the knights ride forward with sword or lance, to strike down the archers. The three Tuors fall back, firing quick shots before melee is joined.

Carilon Alam shrieks-
''Take him alive, you bloody fools! My cousin, take him alive-- and kill the other two!"

Devlin dodges about as nimble as a squirrel, fencing with his light sword against the heavier blades of the two mounted soldiers trying to knock him down.
Filbert tries to aid the young duke, but the Halfling catches a lance point in his backside.
The dwarf yanks a man from the saddle and tries to choke him with the chain, but the Alamien knight snaps the links and rolls away in the dirt, gasping for air.

Renn, forced to abandon archery and defend himself against a plate armored man on horseback, desperately tries to stay alive while not giving so much ground that he’s completely cut off from his companions.

Alam laughs, pointing at Devlin-
“Foolish boy! Surrender now and—“

The clatter of hooves grows louder and louder washing out Duke Carilon’s voice; more horses, not just the ones the Alaimen knights ride. Through a cloud of dust and smoke, a ragged host of light horsemen swoops down the length of the waterfront from the south. In the lead a tall rider waves a long pole with a green scarf fixed to the top.
Falling on the stores of goods stowed in the boats along the waterfront or stacked on the piers, the mercenaries shout their age -old battle cry-

"Looooooot!”

[Varrus the Ethical]

"Padyay, boys!" Roald yells as he leads his stolen regiment.

[ewancummins]

"Padyay, boys!" Roald yells as he leads his stolen regiment.

Carilon Alam yells as the men he hired to invade Tuornen now pillage the baggage and rifle through boatloads of 'confiscated' Tuor goods
"No, no, NO! I command you to stop!"

But the mercs do not obey.
His knights close up around him, swords and shields raised to defend their liege. One of them shouts- "We must get you to safety, your grace!"

Alam turns to face Haes.
He flings his hands high and screams even louder-
"BURN, BURN IT ALL!"
As if in response to his command, the smoke rising from the northern portion of the city grows thicker, and new plumes spring up with each passing moment...

[ewancummins]

After he and Cormac part ways Foerde goes to speak with Ranald and Gunnar.

Foerde finds Ranald and Gunnar still in the office, but the servant makes the 'beastman' wait outside while he tells his boss...

[Adam]

Cormac leaves and rejoins his men. He lays out the plan carefully.

"Now, yeh should know that we ain' exactly gonna be followin' the spirit o' Ranald's wishes when we leave," Cormac says, "An' we won' be makin' friends. Not to mention, we're leavin' relative safety here to go out inta the wild an' go killin'. I ain't gonna speak fer yeh. You're all free men. If yeh don' wanna go, now's the time to bow out. Once we're out in the field, we're gonna be relyin' on each other to survive, an' I wanna know I can count on you like you can count on me."

He nods. "Foerde's a good man, able to call down magic like that trick wi' the lightnin' at the goblin camp. He's not a bad fighter either, though he ain' got much gear. We'll need to be findin' him a horse before we depart, and it'd be nice to get him some weapons before we go. Otherwise we might have to loot it off o' some gobs, and Aerik knows we don' wanna have that smell with us for any longer than we have to. Any ideas?"