The Homecoming 53.

In The Midst Of Battle...

What's that? Tovis the war engineer thinks to himself as once again he hears a roar not all that faraway from where he is. He asks a passing soldier "What's that roaring sound?" the soldier shrugs his shoulders, and hurries over to join the others who are helping out the catapult squad.
Tovis, who after telling lord Sarvaine that the enemy was here, because the druid's apprentice Maren said so.
Was ordered away from the headquarters building by lord Sarvaine, who told him to get away from it and to return to the inn he's staying at.
Is standing near the corner of a house, watching one of the recaptured catapults in action.
The young engineer who knows the war machine is one his father designed and helped build when Tovis was a small child. It's a serviceable war machine, not the largest or the quickest to load. What it is though, is hardy and reliable.
It's been in many a battle and conflict over the years between the Harkonin and Lé Dic fiefs, as well as during the civil war, having survived everything during those wars.
Some of the design work, the young engineer has incorporated into his own designs. As he knows that the most important aspect of any war machine, is that they work and that they work reliably.
Baron Harkonin's war engineer, who was hoping he could keep an eye on his wagon mounted, side by side ballistas. That tow a chain behind the two missiles shot from them.
And the old reliable scorpion that's been in the Harkonin army for over a century. All of which they brought with them from castle Harkonin.
Sees in the early morning light an enemy horseman, followed by another, and then another come into view down the street. They ride at pace towards the catapult, that's been loaded up with a shot of rocks.
Some of the baron's soldiers run forward to meet them. And Tovis winces as a couple of the soldiers are bowled over by the horses. While a soldier from castle Harkonin gets in a lucky throw with a spear, that takes one of the riders in the side, knocking him out of the saddle.
An archer and a soldier with a crossbow standing near the catapult, take out another of the enemy riders. While the other one, who is in a suit of heavy plate, who must be a nobleman in the Lé Dic army.
Runs down another of the baron's soldiers, then cuts down at two more with his longsword. Caving in the skull of one of baron Harkonin's soldiers, and taking off the up raised arm of the other.
Before he turns off, and rides behind the building directly behind the three storey building that's the headquarters of baron Harkonin's forces here in the town of Falshire.
Although this is not the war engineer's first experience of battle. It still isn't all that easy to get accustomed to. Considering at dinner last night, he sat near the soldier whose skull has just been smashed in. And is now lying dead on the street, just twenty yards infront of the catapult.
Tovis slightly nods his head when he hears some of the soldiers, and the catapult crew call out, that it was sir Barid, who was the enemy nobleman who just attacked them.
Even in the Harkonin fief they've heard of sir Barid's reputation in combat. And the only reason he turned away then, was because he was getting shot at. With two of the catapult crew picking up their own crossbows to help shoot at him.
"What the hell is that?" murmurs the young engineer, as once more he hears the roar from nearby, over noise of the battle. He nods his head when one of the soldiers behind the catapult says it sounds like an enraged beast of some kind.
Tovis watches as the catapult crew, who have loaded the cup again, from the nearby carts and wagons stacked with rocks. Look up at the nearby spotters. One on a rooftop at the northern end of the street. And another on the third floor of the headquarters building
After shouts of where to shoot at, and at what angle from the two spotters. One of whom is dodging enemy arrows and bolts.
The squad leader in command of the catapult crew, gives a quick command. And Tovis sees them slightly change the angle cog.
Then the squad leader, one of the sergeant at arms from castle Harkonin, and two others in the crew, grab the release rope, and pull back on it.
The catapult arm and cup is thrown forward. And the entire war machine shudders when the upright arm hits the bracing beam, bringing it to an instant stop. The load in the cup is shot forward through the air.
And Tovis knows the rocks can easily travel a distance of over a hundred yards. From the angle it was shot at, he suspects it will be thrown a much shorter distance, to just outside of the north of Falshire.
The war engineer looks down, and blinks in surprise at what he sees roll across the end of the street. Some of the catapult crew and the soldiers see it too. And call out to one another, about what they've spotted.
It's one of the young engineers wagons, with the side by side ballistas in the back of it, the wagon has rolled to a stop.
And a moment later, one of their fellow soldiers comes into view behind the wagon. He's missing the lower half of his left arm. And he stumbles by infront of the stopped wagon.
Until he's suddenly picked up off the ground, and flung forward with a long spear through his body.
He disappears from sight, behind one of the buildings at that end of the street. As all of the catapult crew, soldiers and one war engineer watch on in utter shock
They're even more shocked when they see who, or to be precise, what walks into view at that end of the street. It's large, and it's green, and it's bristling with weapons. It stops next to the wagon with the side by side ballistas, which it looks at for a moment, before it looks in their direction.
Tovis blinks when the large green creature, which he knows isn't a goblin, its far too big to be one of them. Nor is it a troll, as it's not as tall as trolls are supposed to be.
Stares at the stunned looking catapult crew and soldiers, and calls out something. Baron Harkonin's war engineer isn't too sure at what it calls out, because it's difficult to understand. But he thinks it said "Hey any of you fucken cunts a engineer?".
The only words Tovis could definitely understand we're "Fucken" and "Cunts" and maybe engineer. But the large green, beastly looking creature pronounced engineer, as in-jid-ear, so he's not too sure.
The massive figure then shrugs his broad shoulders, and moves around to the otherside of the wagon. Tovis blinks as he sees that both ballistas are loaded. And he sees that the large green creature has got a hold of the connecting rope to the levers as he turns the wooden turntable the ballista stands are mounted on.
"He's going to shoot!" yells out Tovis the war engineer, a moment later there's the thud of the side by side ballistas being shot off. The young engineer ducks back behind the building he's standing next to. Grimacing as he hopes the catapult crew and the soldiers out on the street are able to get behind cover of some kind.
He hears a smashing sound, followed by screams, then shouts for help. He also hears a deep, growling sound from the far end of the street, that he realises is laughter.
Tovis glances around the corner, and he grimaces at what he sees. The two heavy spears and the connecting chain shot from the wagon mounted, side by side ballistas. Has hit the front of the catapult. One of the spears has pinned a soldier to the front of the catapult.
While the chain and the other ten foot long heavy spear, has flung around one side of the catapult. Taking out four other soldiers and catapult crew. Including the sergeant at arms in charge. Who is lying next to the catapult, screaming in pain with the second heavy long spear, that's broken in half, through his right leg. The other half of that missile is through the throat and neck of another of the catapult crew.
The young engineer looks down to the end of the street, to where the large, green creature, who isn't looking down this way at all. But is looking away to his left at something, and shouting out something to someone.
Baron Harkonin's war engineer frowns as he's thinks the massive, beastly looking creature calls out "Oi cunt!" followed by "Hey knight cunt!" then "Fucken Percy Piss Pot!". It then shouts "Where the fuck you going?!" it continues on with "How me s'pose to fucken keep me eyes on you, if you fuck off over there".
It finally looks back in this direction down the street at the dead and dying soldiers, and those still alive hiding behind the back of the catapult.
Then it looks at the wagon, with it's two ballistas that are mounted side by side, before looking back down the street.
It gives an angry shout of "Fuck!". Followed by a kick to one of the wagon wheels, smashing the heavy spokes to pieces, breaking the wheel, and sending the wagon slumping in one corner.
The large green, beastly looking creature then turns around, and heads back the way it came from. Disappearing from view pretty quickly from that end, the northern end of the street.
Tovis, who can't quite believe what he's just seen. Shakes his head in disbelief, then he goes out to help the wounded soldiers and catapult crew members. And to see if they can quickly get the catapult up and running again.
The war engineer and one of the soldiers who was crouching behind the catapult, help a dazed looking soldier up off the ground. When one of the other soldiers shouts out a warning.
Tovis looks to the northern end of the street and winces "Here engineer take him" says the soldier who has helped the dazed soldier up off the ground "Get out of here" adds the soldier who draws his shortsword.
The baron's war engineer puts the dazed soldier's right arm over his shoulder, then hurries away from the catapult. As enemy soldiers in the Lé Dic army run into the street from the far end. Baron Harkonin's men, those remaining from the catapult crew and those with them, rush forward to confront the enemy. Both sets of soldiers yell out the name of their fief as they run towards each other.
Tovis gets around a corner, hearing shouts of "Harkonin!" and "Lé Dic!" as soldiers from both sides of the border attack one another.
"Keep moving there fella" says Tovis to the soldier, who is obviously suffering from concussion, but seems to have no other injuries.
Baron Harkonin's war engineer who has an arm around the back of the soldier helping him to stand up, murmurs "Not that way" as he glances at the three storey building that's the headquarters of the baron's forces here in the border town of Falshire.
"This way" murmurs Tovis who turns into a lane, which he starts heading up with the dazed soldier, following behind some towns folk who are fleeing from the area of Falshire where the fighting is taking place.
They're now heading south through town, as they do, Tovis wonders if lord Sarvaine, and the soldiers he's leading here in Falshire, can fight off the enemy, and is able to keep the border town under their control. He sure hopes so, because if not, things are going to get a hell of a lot more dangerous for him and anyone else from the Harkonin fief if they're unable hold Falshire for the baron . . . . . .