The Homecoming 100.

In The Midst Of Battle...

He grew up in the Long Reaches, those lands in the east of the Harkonin fief that lord Sarvaine's family has had dominion over for centuries.
He's served in the lord of the Long Reaches guards for a little over two years, as he's only just turned seventeen. He wanted to join earlier, but his parents pushed him into being an apprentice to a carpenter. Which he wanted nothing to do with.
And when the carpenter in lord Sarvaine's mansion kicked him out for being so lazy. His parents finally relented, and allowed him to join his lord's guards.
Lord Sarvaine being a vassal to the baron Harkonin. Means that he finds himself in the baron's army.
He was thoroughly disappointed that he wasn't with lord Sarvaine when the force he led took the border town of Falshire.
But now that the baron has defeated the Lé Dic army, and marched into the Lé Dic fief. He finds himself with the army laying siege to the massive castle that's the ancestral home of the Lé Dic family.
He's with those to the south of the castle, pushing onwards towards the the very tall, and very thick walls of castle Lé Dic.
He's helping to push one of the siege towers forward now that the teams of horses that was previously pulling it forward. Have been taken away, well those that were still alive were taken away.
There's dozens and dozens of them pushing the siege tower, which is rolling along the open ground, to one side of the trade road after they've moved off it once they've got closer to the massive castle.
He looks away to their left, as rocks fall from the sky, slamming into the soldiers that way, who now that they're closer to castle Lé Dic, are shooting arrows and bolts from their bows, and crossbows at the defenders up on the battlements.
There's screaming from infront of the siege tower they're pushing. Then he hears some of the others swearing and cursing. He slips, but keeps to his feet. He looks down, then looks quickly away after what he sees.
One of the soldiers crossing infront of the siege tower, either tripped or was hit by something shot from castle Lé Dic.
He was run over by the massive siege tower that's being pushed by his fellow soldiers in the army of baron Harkonin. There's very little left of that soldier, as the large wheels of the war machine crushed him into the ground.
He and the others look back as a mounted nobleman who has ridden forward, calls out encouragement.
They cheer when they see it's the army commander sir Taevar. And they redouble their efforts.
The army commander, wisely as it turns out. Thinking that he's a little too close to castle Lé Dic. Turns his mount around, and quickly rides back to the rear of the army.
Just after he does, burning barrels of pitch crash down into the very area. Setting the grass alight, and anything else it sticks to. Some of those pushing the siege engine. Who were waiting behind the others, as only so much of them can push it at one time. Are caught up in the flames that spread across the ground.
He looks back, and sees one of the men who was next to him just a little while ago. Running around on fire, trying to slap the flames out that are climbing up his breaches, and now on his cloak.
He grimaces, as he definitely doesn't want to go out like that. Infact he doesn't want to go out at all. He intends to get the siege tower to the massive castle. And be one of those to go up and get onto the battlements of castle Lé Dic, and help take it for the baron Harkonin.
What he intends, and what life intends for you, are often two very different things. As is the case here.
He's at the right edge of the siege tower, as you tend to get pushed out by your fellow soldiers.
He doesn't know why, but he wants to look around the side of the rolling tower, not just to see how close they are. But to see the massive castle they're heading towards, and look at the defenders up on the battlements along the south side of the ancestral home of the Lé Dic family.
He does so, and it's the last thing he does. For as he sees the south gates away a bit to the right. And those above it on the battlements.
And who he thinks is sir Percavelle Lé Dic up on the wall there. As word has spread that the famous knight who has recently returned to the region, is up on that part of the wall.
He goes flying backwards, after something thuds into his chest with a fair amount of force.
He's on the ground, and hears the other soldiers following behind, swearing as they have to step over him. Some don't, and actually trod on him as they continue to make their way forward, towards the south side of castle Lé Dic.
He's able to lift his head up slightly, and he sees the long arrow that's imbedded in his chest. Longer than the arrows used by the archers in the army that he knows.
Amongst his last thoughts, is that he must of been shot by someone with a longbow. Then before he dies, his last thought. Is that he never should of joined lord Sarvaine's guards, and should of stuck to carpentry as his parents wanted.
He's been in the army of baron Harkonin for over a decade. He's a squad leader now. And is with his squad and others, making their way forward on foot towards the south wall of the massive castle that their baron's army has laid siege to.
For awhile they followed behind the siege towers, until they quickly realised that those were, and still are being heavily targeted by the war machines inside castle Lé Dic.
He's had his squad spread out, then rush forward across the open ground just to one side of the trade road that leads straight to the south gates of the massive castle that's been the ancestral home of the Lé Dic family for centuries.
He's heading towards the drawbridge. Well the drawbridge housing really. As the drawbridge is no longer actually there.
The housing gate on this side of the moat is still there, as is the covering that crosses the moat. But the bridge itself beneath it, has gone.
Still, the housing gate will provide cover from the archers and crossbowmen up on the battlements along the south side of the massive castle.
And the stone covering, if they can climb it. Will be ideal to cross the moat to get to the wall. And you'll only need the smaller ladders to then get up onto the wall. Instead of the long scaling ladders that will be used on the floating platforms and rafts that are being brought forward.
Since they're in the open, he and his squad, and those others in the front elements of the baron's army. Have to rush forward, hoping they don't get shot by anything from up on top of the south wall of castle Lé Dic. Or anything flung from inside the massive castle.
The closer they get to the moat, the less likely anything flung by the war machines from within the castle will hit them.
Alternatively, it's more likely they'll get hit by something shot from the battlements.
It's a two edge sword one expects when attacking a castle. And the squad leader, a veteran of a decade in baron Harkonin's army gets lucky. And neither of those happens to him.
What he doesn't expect, is what actually happens to him. Which is get hit from behind, from his own side.
A trebuchet flings a load forward, it's a boulder. One of many brought from the Harkonin fief on the wagons in the army. While others have been found since they crossed into the Lé Dic fief. But this one was from the neighbouring fief to the east that the baron rules.
It was flung forward by the massive war machine. Though unfortunately the heavy ropes around it snapped just after it was lifted up off the ground, and flung away by the war machine that uses a counterweight for power.
So the boulder went more straight up into the clear, spring morning sky, instead of more forward and up.
It fell well short of the south wall of castle Lé Dic. It even fell short of the moat. But it didn't fall short of the ten year veteran in baron Harkonin's army.
It landed right on top of him. Killing him instantly. And killing another two soldiers in his squad who were infront of him. As the boulder with it's momentum bounced and rolled forward.
There's nothing recognisable of the squad leader. All that's left of him, is a bloody, messy smear along the boulder as it bounces and rolls forward, crushing to death the two soldiers who were running infront of him.
He's a bakers apprentice, just fourteen. And something he didn't know when he and the baker he works for when they joined the camp followers in the army of baron Harkonin.
Is that when you're a lowly bakers apprentice, is that you have to help out whenever you can. And during battle, that means you have do things you definitely thought you'd never do.
And in the fourteen year old apprentice from the town of Maliss next to castle Harkonin in the fief to the east.
Is that he would be running a stretcher forward with a blacksmiths apprentice. To help gather any of the wounded, and bring them back to the camp. To see if they can be healed by the army surgeons.
The spellcaster in the baron's army, the dark druid Palvarc won't be heaing anyone. Unless it's one of the nobility if they've been unfortunate enough to get injured.
But that seems unlikely to happen, since for the most part. The noblemen are keeping to the rear of the attacking army at the moment.
He and the blacksmiths apprentice race along the trade road, carrying their stretcher after already taking one of the wounded back to camp.
They go off the road, passing an injured soldier who is limping back to camp. They go by a couple of burnt bodies. And both slightly wince as a fairly large chunk of masonry flies about fifty feet overhead, on it's way towards the baron's catapults and trebuchets that have been brought forward.
They head towards an wounded soldier on the ground, who is waving out to them, calling out for help, trying to get up, but is unable to, as he has an arrow through his left thigh.
The bakers apprentice is just about to say something to the apprentice of one the blacksmiths in the army.
When the other youngster, who is infront, slightly trips. Causing them both to drop the stretcher they're carrying.
As they pick it up, there comes a thud of a war machine shooting of a load. It sounds like one of the small catapults from on top of the south wall of castle Lé Dic. It is indeed one of them.
He's just picked up the stretcher, when all of a sudden the young blacksmiths apprentice, is slammed sideways into the ground after his head explodes in a misty spray of blood, bone, and brain matter.
The next instant as he looks out of the corner of his left eye at the massive castle they're near. Something smashes into his face, killing him instantly as his skull shatters apart as one of the large rocks flung from one of the two small catapults up on the battlements to either side of the south gates, hits him square in the face.
He's one of the more experienced soldiers in baron Harkonin's army. And he and his fellow squad members. Are further back from one of the siege towers trundling towards castle Lé Dic.
He like the rest of his squad, are lightly armoured. With most of them carrying short length weapons. Such as shortswords, and long knives and daggers.
They'll be the first to either go up the siege tower they're following behind. Or up one of the scaling ladders. One of which he sees being carried forward, with some of the rafts, that will be connected to make a floating platform for the scaling ladders.
He nudges his fellow soldier beside him, and nods towards the scaling ladder away to their right. And asks him which one he'd prefer to go up. The ladder or the siege tower they're following.
Definitely the siege tower answers his squad mate. And he nods his head in agreement. Especially when those soldiers carrying the scaling ladder are hit by a heavy longspear shot from a ballista on top of the south wall of the massive castle that's the ancestral home of the Lé Dic family.
The missile kills a couple of the soldiers carrying the scaling ladder. But more importantly for the defenders upon the battlements, if badly damages the scaling ladder. Destroying a few of the wooden rungs outright. Damaging others, and snapping one of the outer poles about a third of the way along the length of it.
A boulder slams into the top of the south wall of castle Lé Dic, taking out part of a merlon. And killing a couple of soldiers who were shooting crossbows next to it.
He and his fellow squad members cheer when they see that. Then part of the top of the siege tower they're following, shatters apart, sending wood flying all over the place.
As a boulder flung by one of the Lé Duc trebuchets in their massive castle. Clips it on it's way towards the Harkonin war machines that are further back.
Unfortunately for the experienced soldier in the baron's army. A large chuck of wood from the shattered top of the siege tower, slams into his throat and the side of his neck. Almost decapitating him, and definitely killing him.
He's one of the soldiers carrying one of the rafts to be put into the water in the moat. He and the other four soldiers in the baron's army carrying the raft with him. Are pretty fortunate compared to most of the rest of the army who are on foot, attacking the south side of castle Lé Dic.
They're carrying the raft out infront of them like a large shield. Using the underside of it to protect them from arrows and bolts shot by the Lé Dic soldiers up on the battlements.
As one of the soldiers on the right carrying their raft, says that the moat is less than thirty yards ahead. They pick up the pace.
And though the raft can protect them from arrows and bolts. It can't protect them from missiles. As a heavy longspear shot from a ballista, slams into the underside of the raft, goes through it, and strikes him in the upper stomach.
It hits him with such force, that the missile goes out through his back, well about half of it does. And it pins him to the ground, as he stands there dead, in a half crouch.
The other soldiers who were with him, who came to a sudden halt. Have to pull the heavy longspear back through his body, and out of the raft. Which now has a hole through it, which will definitely allow water up through it once it's in the moat.
They continue carrying it towards the moat anyway just infront of them, leaving his dead body on the ground behind them.
He's made it to the moat, infact to the housing of the drawbridge. A gatehouse that stands on this side of the moat. He's a soldier from the mansion of the Dontast family.
And he like the rest of the soldiers from that particularly mansion over in the Harkonin fief. Are angry at the recent death of the knight in the order of Althilgah, sir Dontast.
A few of them have made it to the gatehouse, and yell at those following with the scaling ladders to hurry. As they're the first to get this close to castle Lé Dic, on the south side at least, in any numbers they are.
As one of the other soldiers starts climbing the gatehouse, to get up on the covering that's above the drawbridge, which somehow has gone.
One of the other soldiers from the Dontast mansion next to him, nudges him and nods to their left.
There out in the open, standing at the edge of the moat. Is a soldier in the army of baron Harkonin. He doesn't know the soldier, but he thinks he's from castle Harkonin itself.
Wherever he's from, he's extremely lucky, as not a single arrow or bolt shot from up on the battlements of the south wall of castle Lé Dic, comes anywhere near him.
Then the soldier standing on the edge of the moat, draws his sword, and slowly turns in their direction.
The soldier from the Dontast mansion slightly frowns as he sees the empty look in the eyes of the soldier from Harkonin castle.
He doesn't think much of it. Until that soldier moves towards the gatehouse, and once he's there, inexplicably he starts attacking them.
Wounding and killing his fellow soldiers in the baron's army. Killing the soldier from the Dontast mansion.
It's the strangest thing to happen so far in the midst of battle here on the south side of castle Lé Dic . . . . . .