The Stone Hills. Winter...
As the mist blows away more. Both Tamric Drubine and Lisell Maera can finally see the road below. Where through the mist, they can see bodies, both human and horses, strewn along the road and to either side of it.
And as the dwarven warriors under the command of Thane Kraelin, many of whom are carrying heavy spears. Rush downhill, silently without calling out or shouting as more of the enemy army come up the road.
They see sir Percavelle Lé Dic and the clanless dwarven warriors with him. Heading downhill too.
After rolling his eyes, Tamric Drubine says "Cover them" as he lifts his bow. While the unit of dwarven warriors with him and Lis, lift their crossbows, as does the orphan teenager from the city-state of Brattonbury in the Southlands.
"Loose!" orders the nobleborn youngster from the kingdom of Sarcrin in the Southlands, he repeats the order in the dwarven language, as a volley of bolts go flying over the heads of their fellow warriors heading downhill, to strike the enemy on the road, who are riding towards a scene of devastation.
Old Axe Thrower Karne grimaces as he sees the nearest of the enemy dead lying a bit infront of them on the road.
A justifier's guard has lost his head, it hasn't been cut off by an axe or sword. It looks like it's been ripped off by something if the ragged tear along the neck, and down one shoulder is anything to go by.
Near the dead guard from the region of Belinswae, lies his mount. His horse's entrails have been torn out, and it's head looks like it's been smacked into the ground a few times, as now it's just a bloody, pulpy mess.
Other bodies, both human and equine look similar. Limbs and body parts looking like they've been ripped off or open.
Axe Thrower is pretty certain he sees an arm sticking out of the open mouth of one justifier's guard. It's been thrust fist down into the gullet of that particular guard.
Karne glances back at the rest of the war party on the road with him. Then as they see their fellow clan warriors moving silently down the inline on the west side of the road.
Lord Farque who is out infront of them, says "Margen" Forward in the dwarven language. The large, heavily armoured figure in the lead moves off. With Karne aka The Axe Thrower, along with the rest of the war party following after him.
Heading into mist that's continuing to clear, into where the dead and dying are lying along the road, where further south, the enemy are being attacked from sides of the trade road.
The dwarven army of clan Kraelin is badly outnumbered. There's less than five hundred of them. While the army of justifier Marsille has over a thousand guards. And half again as many support guards and others, who are often referred to as camp followers. For amongst their numbers are cooks, smiths, carters and the like. Those who keep the camp running.
Among the primary fighting guards, are a few hundred inexperienced guards who have been pressed into the service of justifier Marsille's army.
It's these guards that the clan chief Baedin Kraelin and the main force of the army target. The dwarves with him, mostly heavy axe and heavy hammer fighters.
Rush in silence towards the enemy army on the road, and as the mist continues to blow away. The dwarven warriors charge those foot soldiers who have been taken by a press gang, either in a city such as Falnic. Or one of the towns or villages to the north of the largest city in the region of Belinswae.
They're easily identifiable, they're slovenly looking troops. Needing the encouragement of crops swung by officers to get some of them moving along the road. Not to mention quite often repeated shouted orders.
The pressed guards, who are strung out along the trade road that leads up to the clan Kraelin mountainhold. Strung out amongst the last of the mounted guards infront, and the support guards with the wagons and carts who are back further behind them.
Are caught unawares, as they're struck from the east side of the road by clan chief Baedin Kraelin and the bulk of his army as they come out of the thinning mist.
They like a lot of the guards in the army of justifier Marsille, were looking in all directions, when they heard one blow from a horn echo across the surrounding hills. Followed by second blast from a blown horn. Not knowing where either one came from.
There's a grim looking smile upon the bearded face of the chieftain of the Kraelin clan of dwarves as he swings his warhammer at one of the enemy.
The hammermaster's weapon slams into the legs of the young man from Belinswae, who turned and screeched in fright when he caught sight of the dwarven clan chief.
The justifier's guard drops to the ground screaming. As indeed do many of the others who have been pressed into the service of justifier Marsille's army. When hammer and axe slam into them. Usually into their legs and groin, or guts, and occasionally into the chest.
As dwarves being dwarves, are far shorter than their human enemies. And tend to hit low on those who they're fighting. Though fighting is bit optimistic when describing pressed guards.
They're more likely to flail about with their weapons hoping to hit anything. Than actually use any skill in what they're trying to do.
Baedin Kraelin who sees that the pressed guards all have shortswords or spears, all either pitted and rusted, or badly chipped. He even sees one sword that's so badly warped that it should be melted down to stock so the metal can be used again.
Suddenly finds himself facing a justifier's guard with far more experience, who has a longsword, and who has been yelling at the pressed guards to stand side by side, and stab down at the dwarven warriors, who on average are at least a foot shorter than they are.
Holding his heavy warhammer in his right hand, he's strong enough to easily do that. The clan chieftain takes a small hammer from behind his back, and with an underhanded toss, he biffs it at the experienced guard with the longsword.
The experienced guard grunts in pain, and buckles to one knee after the throwing hammer takes hits him in the thigh.
He goes to swing his longsword at the hammermaster Kraelin. But his blade is blocked by the axe of the dwarven warrior Helnd, who comes in from his chieftain's side.
Baedin Kraelin smashes his warhammer into the face of the experienced guard who is down on one knee. And as the heavy weapon splatters apart the front of the man's head. The clan chief wonders how the rest of his army are doing as they attack the enemy from Belinswae.
Thane Kraelin picks up a heavy spear that's been dropped, and he moves forward between a couple of the other warriors, and he shoves the broad spearhead into the side of the horse of one of the enemy.
The horse rears in pain, tossing the rider from the saddle. The justifier's guard grunts in pain when he lands on the rocky ground. Then he grunts in pain again then yells an obscenity in the common language when one of the other warriors shoves his spear into the guards stomach.
Quite a lot of the mounted enemy have come off the road to face those dwarven warriors led by Thane Kraelin who have rushed downhill through the thinning mist to attack them.
It's a mistake on their part, there's a reason for the trade road through the foothills, in particular here so close to the clan Kraelin mountainhold. The ground is just too rocky, especially on the west side of the road, for the footing of horses.
The only sure footed things to traverse this type of ground are mountain goats, the rare spotted mountain cats that hunt them. As well as dwarves, with their hobnail boots, who have spent a lifetime walking and running across such rocky ground.
A horse goes down after a justifier's guard jumps it over the ditch to the side of the road, and one of it's hooves lands in a hole between rocks. The rider jumps clear, and he screams in pain, when he snaps an ankle when he lands awkwardly on a jagged rock.
The nephew of the Kraelin clan chief swings the spear, and the haft smacks into the face of the screaming enemy guard. That shuts him up as the heavy wooden haft shatters his nose, mouth, and cheeks.
He's permanently shut up when another dwarven warrior slams his axe into the top of the man's skull.
"Keep attacking their horses!" calls out Thane Kraelin in the dwarven language as he knows that the more experienced guards and their mounts they kill here, the better. The dwarven warrior who is in command of the heavy spear warriors. Sees that a number of the enemy on the road are dismounting there, so that they can face the dwarves on foot, which is the smart thing to do.
Thane Kraelin who leaps to one side as a loose mount runs towards him, before it goes down on the rocky ground when it stumbles upon the rocks and shingle. Is helped up by his second Rhogar, who tells him "Those foot troops are turning up too".
"There's so damn many of them" mutters Baedin Kraelin's nephew who is of the opinion that humans are almost as bad as goblins at how they breed too much. He picks up his fallen spear, just then a large, heavily armoured figure. Much taller than any of the dwarves runs by Thane and Rhogar, calling out "Hurry up chaps, we can't be letting any of these vile villains be getting away with their heinous deeds".
"The idiot" dryly murmurs Thane Kraelin who can't believe how incredibly fortunate sir Percavelle Lé Dic is not to break his ankles on the rocky ground as he runs quickly towards the road.
"Fucking madman" adds Rhogar, as they watch the knight from south of the equator leap the ditch, and land amongst the enemy on the road. Where he swings a pick axe in one gauntleted hand, and a hammer in the other. They can easily hear the big human, who wears a cape flowing down behind him where it's attached to his armoured shoulders, repeatedly saying "Take that!" as he hits enemy after enemy, who are more than a little surprised to have him amongst them.
The twenty five or so clanless dwarven warriors who the knight in the order of saint Mar-che commands. Follows him onto the road to attack the guards in justifier Marsille's army. Not caring that they give away the advantage of the rocky ground off the road.
"Keep spearing the bastards!" calls out Thane Kraelin as he sees a number of the enemy guards go down, as bolts and arrows shot by those warriors up the incline behind them, strike the justifier's guards who are either on the road or are off it.
Seeing that more foot troops are turning up along the road from the south, Tamric Drubine calls out "Move to the right!" followed by "Shoot at the guards coming up the road on foot".
His order is repeated in dwarven by Jarka Mard, the youngest son of the chieftain of clan Mard, whose war party of about fifty warriors, is with Tam and the clan Kraelin archers and bowmen*.
The nobleborn youngster who has shot off just a few arrows from his bow, while next to him, Lisell Maera is repeatedly shooting off bolt after bolt at the enemy down on the road. Watches what's happening down and near the road as the mist is blown away by the wind that's picked up.
The son of the former knight of castle Drubine can now make out further to the south, where the main force of the Kraelin clan is attacking the justifier's army from the otherside of the trade road.
Already foot troops that way, undoubtedly guards who have been pressed into service. Are fleeing in all directions, both off the road, as well as back down it to the south. While others are running away along it to the north. Right into the others, both on horses and on foot, who are moving forward to help out those who are under attack by the dwarven warriors led by Thane Kraelin.
Tamric Drubine looks away to the left along the road, and he sees lord Farque and the small band of dwarven warriors with him on the road.
Moving southwards amongst the dead who were at the front of the army from Belinswae. Tam figures there must be over two hundred justifier's guards and their mounts scattered across the road.
Who died when the mist was thick, when the lord and ruler of the lands Farque briefly rose the dead from the lich yard on the north side of the nearby village. Which Tam can now see in the distance on the otherside of the road, where it sits on the edge of a small lake.
He looks quickly back to the south along the road, then he calls out to Jarka Mard who is nearby "Jarka you and your war party go down the southside of the hill, and come up and hit the enemy heading up the road!" the nobleborn youngster from south of the equator continues with "Hit them quickly, then fall back!".
"Aye lad!" replies Jarka Mard in the dwarven language, who then says to his war party "You heard the lad, down the side of hill, and hit the bastards heading up the road".
As they warriors from clan Mard hurry off and make their way down the southside of the hill, Tamric Drubine orders the archers and bowmen "Head downhill, get closer to the road". As it's getting harder to shoot the enemy, as there's now many of the dwarven warriors mixed up amongst them, fighting on the road.
As he and his fellow Southlander Lisell Maera head downhill, she says to him "Wonder why there hasn't been any magic cast from them?". "I bet they've been taken care of" says Tamric Drubine, as they watch their footing as they head down the hillside While the dwarven warriors with them, are much more sure footed on the rocky incline.
The orphan teenager from the city-state of Brattonbury in the Southlands nods her head in understanding, as she knows who exactly Tam is referring to, and what they've most likely done to nullify the spellcasting capabilities of the enemy army from the region of Belinswae . . . . . .
*Authors Note - Or should that be bowdwarves?
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