The Stone Hills. Winter...
"Form up ranks, form up ranks!" comes the command along the road. As some semblance of order is forced upon those in the army of justifier Marsille, who are further behind those who are at the very front of the army.
The justifier, who also happens to be a sorcerer, hears the approaching wyverns in the sky coming from the hillside about a mile and half further back to the south. Nods his head yes when the commanding officer on the horse beside him asks "Should i give the order to charge justifier Marsille?".
Having been given the command, the senior most officer here at the front of the army turns to those mounted guards who have formed up on the road infront of the others, and tells them "Charge them" followed by "Wipe them out!".
Marsille, a justifier from the city of Falnic in Belinswae. Slightly frowns as another gust of wind blows across the road, a bit further to the north of his army. Allowing him another view, this time clearer, of the large individual in full plate armour, who is standing a bit in advance of some dwarven warriors.
Where have i? justifier Marsille thinks to himself, who then suddenly remembers he has seen the individual up ahead before. Last night, when he read the mind of the deranged wyvern rider, whose patrol was wiped out yesterday morning. Who the sorcerer would later have killed.
In the mind of that guard, amongst the confused images. There was one that was often repeated, even though it was sometimes blurry.
It was of the individual, who now stands upon the road, infront of a war party of dwarven warriors. Just eighty yards away from the front of the justifier's army.
And as the sorcerer Marsille looks sharply towards him, and the front of his army take off down the road. The mist flows across the road again, partially obscuring the large human in the dark plate armour, and the dwarven warriors with him.
Even from where he is, just to the side of the trade road, on a slight incline. The justifier from the city of Falnic clearly feels the drop in temperature on what's already a cold morning, as the wave of mist flows across the road.
The sorcerer looks away to the otherside of the road, and as more of his guards gallop forward to attack those of the enemy who are on the road. Justifier Marsille peers through the mist, and murmurs "Isn't that abandoned village over there?".
Out of no where, he gets an uneasy feeling, so much so that the justifier goes to cast a spell, and all of a sudden he finds that he's unable to touch his magical powers. "Fuck" mutters the sorcerer Marsille in a panic as he hears his guards in the mist ahead, shouting and yelling as they ride at a gallop down the trade road.
They've been told to stay behind lord Farque, so the dwarven warriors on the road do so, even though they can hear, then see through the mist, the enemy riding on the road right towards them.
The enemy riders can't go more than four abreast across the road. And they can't exactly ride off it. Not just because of the ditch on either side. But also because the ground is all rocks and boulders for much on each side of the road.
And though there's scrubby trees on the east side of the road in places, and though there is a fair bit of open ground, with short, frost covered grass on that side. Those riding quickly can't exactly see it through the mist. Nor do they see what strikes them in the flank from that side of the road, the east side, the side that leads to the nearby abandoned village on the lake shore.
A village that until the start of winter was inhabited by the free folk here in the foothills of the Stone Hills. The free folk who for centuries have had a lich yard on the north side of their village.
Karne the Axe Thrower blinks in surprise as he stands just back, and to one side of the large, heavily armoured figure of lord Farque. The old dwarven warrior is pretty certain he's just seen someone or something come leaping out of the mist, and slam into one of the enemy riders he can just make out approaching their position on the road.
As that horse and rider goes down, knocking down the justifier's guard beside him, and his horse too. Something else comes leaping out of the mist from the east side of the road, and smashes into a horse. Then another figure, and another, and something else, then something else, that Axe Thrower is certain is a person. Though one without a head, that's run straight into the side of a horse, knocking it, and it's rider down.
By Thaxel what the fuck? Karne the dwarven warrior thinks to himself, who then clearly sees a figure not that far infront of them, walk up onto the road through the mist, from the east, in the direction of the nearby village that the free folk abandoned at the start of winter.
Axe Thrower doesn't intend to gulp, but he does so. And he's not afraid to admit, it's a gulp in fear. As the figure, which is definitely human, but badly emaciated, almost skeletal. With torn rags upon it's body. Stop and look in this direction.
Karne can clearly see the glowing blue eyes that are sunken in the skull of the figure, as he looks in this direction. Before it looks sharply at lord Farque, then it quickly turns and runs into the mist along the road, towards the enemy. From where the sounds of screaming, and shouting can easily be heard.
That kind of looked like that fishermen who drowned in the small lake over yonder a few years ago, Karne silently muses to himself, the old dwarven warrior gulps again, tries to put that thought out of his mind as hears the screams, and shouts of the enemy, not a single one has yet to reach their position on the road.
Further south on the east side of the road, where the main force of the Kraelin clan army is positioned. Clan chieftain Baedin Kraelin and his dwarven warriors wait in silence from their hiding places.
The dwarves in the main part of the army, who have been told to keep clear of the open ground that leads down to the nearby village that's abandoned by the free folk who used to live there.
Are amongst the scrubby trees, boulders and rocks that are abundant in the Stone Hills, the closer you get to the mountains proper.
Through the mist, they've caught glimpses of the enemy upon the road that heads north to the mountainhold of clan Kraelin.
The clan chief from where he crouches behind a small boulder, is galled at seeing the enemy guards in the army of one of Belinswae's justifier's go by. First on horses, then a mix of horse guards and foot soldiers.
Who when some of the cold mist blows away every so often in the light just after dawn, Baedin Kraelin sees how undisciplined some of the enemy guards are.
He was right, Baedin Kraelin the clan chieftain thinks to himself as he sees how slovenly dressed some of the justifier's guards are. How their weapons are poorly maintained, and how more experienced looking guards, and officers have to constantly badger them, to stay in rank as they march northward along the trade road.
Helnd the dwarven warrior stops beside his clan chieftain after coming from the scrubby trees in the mist to their right. "You hear that chief?" whispers Helnd the dwarven warrior, who in peaceful times is an absolute drunkard. But during times of war, he's completely sober and won't touch a single drop of alcohol.
The clan chief, who also happens to be a hammermaster looks northwards through the mist, the direction that Helnd has gestured. And the hammermaster Kraelin who can definitely hear the wings of wyverns somewhere up in the early morning sky. Slightly frowns as hears something to the north of them along the road.
"Sounds like they're attacking chief" whispers Helnd "Aye it does" is the whispered reply of Baedin Kraelin, the dwarven clan chieftain who is pretty certain he hears screaming and shouting away to the north along the road, nods his head and whispers "It's begun".
Next to the clan chieftain, his acting second nods his head, then after a few moments of silence, Helnd waves towards the road that's only thirty yards from them, when a gust of wind sends the mist swirling. "More of them now chief" the dwarven hammermaster nods his head in agreement.
It's the guards on foot, in particular those of them who look, and are undisciplined. Baedin Kraelin who has been told that these guards have been pressed into service. Basically taken from the streets of the cities and towns of Belinswae against their will, to serve in the armies of the justifiers.
A concept he finds completely abhorrent. For he as all dwarven warriors, choose to fight. It helps that pretty much all male dwarves, no matter what their skills and crafts they normally do, are also warriors.
Can't believe any general of an army would allow such unseasoned, and untried troops with no experience, take part in a campaign, let alone one of invasion. You're just asking for trouble in his opinion.
Is fine that the enemy is actually doing so at this moment. For they'll be his and the main force of his army's, priority. It'll be those they'll be attacking.
"I can hear their wagons too" whispers Baedin Kraelin to Helnd as he looks to the south, the clan chieftain then whispers to his second "Give the signal to get ready". Helnd nods, then taps a warrior to their right on the shoulder, and gives a hand signal.
As the signal is silently passed from warrior to warrior in the main force of clan Kaellin's army, their clan chieftain takes a horn from his belt. The hammermaster, who wears a mix of leather armour, and chainmail, and has a golden chainmail torque and coif, around his neck and on his head, the only thing that marks him as the chief of his clan.
Pops his helm on his head, then whispers to his second "Ready there Helnd?". "Aye chief" is the whisperd reply of Helnd, who then adds "Let's be getting the bastards for trying to take our home".
The clan chieftain Baedin Kraelin puts the bull horn to his lips, and blows through the brass tip. The distinctive bellow echoes around the rocks and boulders on both sides of the trade road. Then the main force of his army, move forward in silence through the mist towards the road that the enemy army is on.
On the otherside of the trade road, the west side, which is more uphill. And has the redoubt on that side, where the road ends, and turns into a track as it goes up the mountainside.
Thane Kraelin, the nephew of the clan chieftain. Is in command of the forces who are waiting in silence here.
They're closer to where the fighting has already taken place on the road. They can hear the screams of men and horses upon the road. But no yells or screams in dwarven as of yet.
Thane wonders how lord Farque and the war party with him are faring. Since it's them who the enemy from Belinswae are attacking.
The nephew of the clan chief, who is with warriors who have heavy spears, along with their axes and hammers. Looks behind himself into the mist, where up the incline, amongst the rocks and boulders, are the archers, and the warriors with crossbows.
Through the mist, Thane spots the silver plate armour of the human sir Percavelle Lé Dic. He's crouched next to a boulder, and no doubt is busting to run downhill to attack the justifier's army all by himself.
The clan chief's nephew is glad that the heavily armoured knight is doing as ordered, and for the meantime is staying put.
Thane who knows that the two human youngsters, Tamric Drubine and Lisell Maera are also nearby, amongst the warriors with bows and crossbows. Along with the war party from clan Mard, led by that clan chief's youngest son, Jarka Mard.
Looks up to the sky to the south, and being further uphill from the road when the mist is thickest. He can see the sky more clearly, and he spots the enemy wyverns quickly approaching.
Just then he hears his uncle's bull horn blowing "They've attacked" Thane Kraelin whispers to his second, and older dwarf by the name of Rhogar "Aye lad" whispers back Rhogar, who then adds "Ain't that mist supposed to start clearing for us now?".
Thane nods his head, for that is the plan. Then he sees the mist down on the road start to dissipate as the wind picks up. Not a gust, but a steady breeze, this time from the west to the east. When previously the wind was blowing from the other direction. Where the mist was coming in from the hills and small lake to the east.
The nephew of chief Baedin Kraelin, hears a loud, distinctive shout come from down on the road a bit to the north. He easily recognises the voice of lord Farque. Thane looks up into the sky to the south as he hears a wyvern screech.
He sees the large winged creature veer away to east then south, with it's lead rider trying to get it to turn back around, to no avail. Then as another of the approaching wyverns veers away. Thane clasps Rhogar on the shoulder and whispers "Time to move down".
The dwarven warrior Rhogar nods, stands up, and puts his horn to his lips, and blows it, as the mist down on the road continues to disperse, to reveal what's already happened . . . . . .
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