The Homecoming 98.

Battle For Castle Lé Dic...

There's silence along the battlements on the south wall of castle Lé Dic after watching what's just happened down in the Harkonin camp, at the northern end of the tourney field.
Then suddenly sir Percavelle Lé Dic bursts out laughing, as does Dorc da Orc a bit further along the wall. As they, and everyone else look at the two dead knights lying on the ground in the frontlines of the enemy camp.
Wiping away a tear of laughter, sir Percavelle Lé Dic says "I didn't expect Parvin to do that". The former earl of Lé Dic was expecting his old friend, the Range Lord, sir Parvin Dé Gorveré to do something unexpected against sir Dontast, the knight of Althilgah.
Just not exactly what the large knight from the northwest of the Lé Dic fief ended up doing.
"They definitely didn't expect that" dryly says Riley Hait the mercenary ranger with a shake of his head.
Beside the human ranger from the elven principality of Envadarlen. Helbe the elven thief nods his head in agreement, then he says "Get ready for them to attack now" the young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel continues with "They're going to be pretty pissed off with what's just happened" he then adds "The baron is going to be angry for sure".
At the edge of the clearing, lord Milburn glances at his grandson Jared, along with the Lé Dic army commander, sir Galmot.
Both of whom, look as totally surprised as he feels. As they look at the two dead noblemen lying in the middle of the clearing.
The lord of Milburn estate who thought the Range Lord, sir Parvin Dé Gorveré was totally insane to take on the much younger, and far more skillful sir Dontast.
Like his fellow prisoners, might be totally surprised at what's just happened.
But it's nothing compared to the absolute shock, and horror from everyone else around them. From their guards, and all the soldiers around the clearing. All of whom are staring at the two dead knights in utter disbelief.
Lord Milburn looks across the clearing to where baron Harkonin and the others of his court are standing.
The look of shock and horror on the face of the baron at seeing the death of his best knight, and most capable field commander. Is slowly replaced by a look of anger.
And when the head of the Harkonin family looks over in this direction. Lord Kievar Milburn sees his fate sealed once and for all.
Baron Harkonin suddenly feels rage overwhelm him, then after looking over at the three remaining nobleborn prisoners standing with their guards on the otherside of the clearing. He looks at his stunned army commander standing beside him.
"Order the attack Taevar" quietly says baron Harkonin in a tone of icy rage, he follows that with "And burn that damn town down".
The Harkonin army commander takes a few moments to finally look away from the two dead noblemen lying in the middle of the clearing.
"Yes m'lord" says sir Taevar, who then nods, when the baron tells him "And those prisoners over there" and goes onto explain what he wants to be done to lord Milburn, Jared Milburn, and sir Galmot.
After looking at the dead sir Dontast and the dead sir Parvin once more, the Harkonin army commander shakes his head, then starts calling out orders to the stunned officers and soldiers.
"Hurry up men!" calls out sir Taevar, who follows that with "Let's get moving!".
Baron Harkonin nods sideways to his annoyed looking advisor, Palvarc the dark druid, and says "Palvarc with me" followed by "There's some things we need to discuss".
"They're moving" says Helbe the elven thief, who then states the obvious "They're attacking".
Tamric Drubine is the first to react, he takes off running along the top of the south wall, heading to the west side of the castle.
With a nod of his hooded head to Shur Kee the monk to go with the nobleborn teenager from the kingdom of Sarcrin.
Prince Helbenthril Raendril says to the passing physical adept "Stay with Tam, Shur Kee" the young elven noble then adds "And i might need you to give me a hand with something later".
The short, statured monk nods in understanding. As the elven magic user has explained to him that he might be needed if, and when the elven princeling confronts the dark druid who is the advisor to baron Harkonin.
"Dorc" says Riley Hait the mercenary ranger who points down to the courtyard behind them, specifically at the war machines down there. Where waits the war engineer from the Harkonin fief, Tovis.
The large ork grunts and heads to the nearby steps, to go down and join the war engineer.
As the ork warleader goes by them on the way to the steps, Helbe the elven thief tells him "Start firing whenever you like".
"Fucken get some" says Dorc da Orc as he makes his way to the steps that lead down into the main south courtyard of castle Lé Dic.
Then the young elven noble who is the temporary leader of the group in the absence of lord Farque and Mira Reinholt the mage, looks at the rest of the group who are above the south gates of the massive castle that's the ancestral home of the Lé Dic family.
Riley Hait the mercenary ranger, Lisell Maera, sir Percavelle Lé Dic and Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy.
The highly talented elven spellcaster tells them "You know what to do" followed by "Head to your positions".
Without a word, they all start heading off to the places they've been assigned to. As they, along with the rest of the group, will lead the defence of the massive castle. Against the far more superior, numerically speaking at least. Army from the neighbouring fief to the east.
The Harkonin army is on the move. Though to the south of the castle, it's only after a lot of shouting and yelling from the officers, that the stunned soldiers who witnessed the death of their favourite knight, sir Dontast. That they actually get underway, and start making their way forward from their camp.
And as the siege towers and war machines are brought forward from the rear of the camp. Moving along the roads that lead to both the east and south gates of the massive castle they've laid siege to.
The defenders in castle Lé Dic are the first to act. When a netting of boulders and rocks comes flying out the massive castle, followed by a fairly sizeable chunk of masonry.
That comes flying over the south wall, while over the east side of castle Lé Dic. A netting full of burning pitch barrels come flying out towards the advancing Harkonin army.
"Load it up again" says Tovis the war engineer to the trebuchet crew to his right, the engineer from the Harkonin fief looks up at the soldier on the battlements, who is one of the spotters, who holds up a banner.
"Right on target" quietly says baron Harkonin's former war engineer, who can't quite believe that he's attacking his former army.
The war engineer looks over at the large ork who has joined him down in the main south courtyard. Who is looking over through a gap between a couple of towers, where you can see into the main east courtyard of the massive castle that's the ancestral home of the Lé Dic family.
The war machines over there are busy too, with the catapults already shooting off loads. As the ground directly to the east of the castle, is easier and flatter than it is to the south.
Allowing for the Harkonin army on that side of castle Lé Dic to move quickly towards the eastern wall.
"You got this cunt?" asks Dorkindle as he looks at the war engineer "Ah i have" replies Tovis when he figures out what the large ork just said.
The warleader of the ork race grunts, then trots off towards the east side of the castle.
As he jogs away, Tovis the war engineer is sure he hears Dorkindle chuckling to himself, and murmuring away to himself in the totally incomprehensible language that his race speaks.
Up on the battlements above the south gate, Riley Hait the mercenary ranger looks back down into the main south courtyard when he hears one of the trebuchets firing again.
He watches the load, a netting of broken masonry, and rocks, get swung up into the air.
He watches it sail up and over the south wall, just thirty feet to his left, though clearing the top of the wall by quite some distance.
The ranger Hait watches the load go sailing through the clear and sunny, spring morning sky. The netting is already breaking apart, and the rocks and broken masonry spread wide, before they start to come down. And smash into the Harkonin soldiers who are advancing upon the south wall of castle Lé Dic.
Seeing what's now coming up the road towards the south gates of the massive castle.
The mercenary ranger who is really a hordes outrider from the southern tundra by the name of Zubutai Timaginson, who just happens to inhabit the body of Riley Hait.
Calls down to the courtyard below "Siege towers coming up the south road!" he follows that with "And they're moving the war machines into position!".
The mercenary ranger who was raised and trained by some of the elven warders in the principality of Envadarlen. Sees the war engineer Tovis down next to one of the trebuchets in the main south courtyard of the castle, nod in understating.
Then Riley aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman makes his way over to one of the small catapults here above the south gates of castle Lé Dic.
As he does, he looks around and spots sir Percavelle Lé Dic standing with a couple of soldiers. At one of the ballistas on top of the south wall.
They're assisted by a couple of townsfolk considering there's so few soldiers to defend the massive castle.
It's the same with the small catapult that the ranger Hait is beside. Two of the folk from the town of Massic are helping the soldiers manning the small catapult.
"Wait until they're in range" says Riley Hait to the small catapult crew, as he watches a detachment of Harkonin soldiers on horseback, riding around to the west side of castle Lé Dic, to the town of Massic.
Then as one of the trebuchets shoots off another load towards the Harkonin army, the mercenary ranger from the elven principality looks quickly around for Helbe the elven thief, and finds that the young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel has disappeared.
The elven magic user who is blurred, is still upon the top of the south wall of castle Lé Dic. Though now further away from where Riley Hait and sir Percavelle Lé Dic are above the main gates.
Whispers "Narladene" hoping the ground pixie will show up, as she has gone missing ever since she told him about the dark druid Palvarc's staff.
The elven masterthief glances back towards the main keep, where he sees the lady Linara Lé Dic, her guards, and her governess have just entered.
Then the elven princeling looks at the advancing Harkonin army to the south again. A boulder flung by one of the trebuchets in the main south courtyard, just passes over one of the siege engines heading towards the castle walls.
The boulder hits the road, and bounces a few times before it smashes into one of the teams of horses hauling the following siege tower towards the massive castle that's the ancestral home of the Lé Dic family.
"Narladene" the young elven noble whispers again, then the highly skilled elven spellcaster who is also shielded, feels the ground pixie on his right shoulder. A couple of moments later, he sees her sitting there. With a forlorn look upon her tiny little face.
The grandson of the ruling prince of Laerel knows exactly why she's feeling that way. Though it's also kind of surprising, as she has never really cared about her own kind before. Although polite to other pixies and sprites who wish her no harm. She's never really been that friendly to any of them that Helbenthril Raendril knows about.
Not that he's that certain. Considering he has no idea how many sprites and pixies Narladene has interacted with since she's been a part of his life.
Then just as the elven master archer is just about to say to the naturally magical creature "I need your help with something".
Narladene the ground pixie quietly says to him "You know there's only two things that could do it".
After slightly wincing, prince Helbenthril Raendril quietly says "I  know" followed by "You've already told me". The young elven noble then dryly adds "I don't particularly think a Greater Dragon would waste their time doing such a thing".
"I know" says the tiny winged creature as they watch the first of the Harkonin trebuchets fling a load away. It's a boulder, that comes a fair bit short. And hits the ground, bounces and rolls for a bit, before eventually, as well as just barely. Rolling into the moat along the south side of castle Lé Dic.
"That just leaves" says the ground pixie who is attached to the elven princeling, who interrupts her with "I  know" he follows that, by saying in a murmur "Why one of them would want to do such a thing, is beyond me".
"My exact same thoughts" says Narladene, as the catapults behind them, down in the main south courtyard of the massive castle, start firing off shots now.
"What if someone controlled one, you know like the mindless one's" says the tiny winged creature, who with a thoughtful look upon her face adds "Like he does sometimes, brings back one's with very little thoughts, who he controls".
Helbe the elven thief nods his hooded head in understanding with what Narladene has come up with. Then he tells her "True. But like i said. Someone like lord Farque wouldn't bother to do such a thing" he then adds "And there's the matter of the staff itself, magic was used to create it. And the undead are unable to cast spells".
"Yes that's true" says the naturally magical creature as water splashes up from the moat against the south wall as rocks shot from a Harkonin trebuchet land in it.
Then Narladene explains to the young elven noble she's attached to "What if it was someone living who controlled one of the undead" she then adds "That could definitely do it" she pauses for a moment, before continuing with "Well definitely capture the one in the staff".
The elven magic user is silent for a few moments, then after he slightly nods, Helbe the elven thief quietly says "A necromancer" he then adds "Yes, one of them could of very well done it".
The grandson of Prince Raendril of Laerel looks quickly to where he senses the dark druid Palvarc amongst the Harkonin army. And he quickly asks the ground pixie "He's not one is he?".
"No he's not" replies Narladene, who continues with "I don't think that staff is originally his. My guess is he took it from the previous owner, who was probably a necromancer".
"Seems a likely explanation" quietly says the elven magic user, who then tells the tiny winged creature, what he was originally intending to tell her "I need your help with something" says prince Helbenthril Raendril.
"What is it?" asks the naturally magical creature who is feeling a little bit better now that she has worked out an explanation for the staff that dark druid Palvarc has in his possession.
The young elven noble from Laerel tells Narladene what he wants done. Once he has, she nods her tiny head, and says "Okay".
Then as the two of them look in the direction where baron Harkonin's advisor, the dark druid Palvarc. Is amongst the army that's attacking castle Lé Dic.
She, along with Helbe the elven thief wonder what the limitations of the pixie or sprite, though Narladene suspects it's a ground pixie like herself, that's held captive in the twisted, and knotty looking top of the dark druid's staff.
Whatever those limitations are, they're about to find out . . . . . .