The Homecoming 113.

The Walls...

"Oh shit" mutters Riley Hait the mercenary ranger when he looks away from where sir Percavelle Lé Dic is amongst the enemy on the otherside of the moat. And sees that there are Harkonin soldiers trying to top the south wall of castle Lé Dic further to the right of where he is above the gates on this side of the massive castle.
"Keep dropping stuff on them" says the ranger Hait to those nearby dropping rocks, and broken masonry upon the enemy below. Before he takes off running along the battlements.
The mercenary ranger who is really a hordes outrider from the southern tundra by the name of Zubutai Timaginson, who by circumstances beyond his control, happens to find himself inhabiting the body of Riley Hait.
Draws his two long daggers as he runs along the parapet, still encouraging the defenders along the top of the south wall of castle Lé Dic.
"Push that ladder off!" shouts the mercenary ranger from the elven principality of Envadarlen as he runs by an enemy scaling ladder that's just come up against the face of the wall.
Riley aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman continues along the parapet as a pair of townsmen help a soldier shove that particular ladder off the face of the wall.
The mercenary ranger who was raised and trained by some of the elven warders in his homeland of Envadarlen. Runs another thirty yards or so along the top of the wall, towards the southwestern corner. Jumping over the body of a dead townsman, who is lying on the parapet with an enemy crossbow bolt through the face. And runs around an injured soldier, who has a broken off arrow in his side. Who is being helped by one of the castle servants towards the nearest set of steps down into the courtyard below.
The ranger Hait stabs one of his long daggers into the back of a leg of a Harkonin soldier, who has topped the wall, and is standing upon a section of the wall between two merlons, swinging an axe down at a couple of soldiers on the parapet.
The soldier from the fief to the east, yells in pain, and continues to yell when Riley aka Zubutai the son of Timagin, shoves him off the wall to the moat below.
He narrowly misses the scaling ladder he used to climb to the top of the wall. And narrowly misses his fellow soldiers in baron Harkonin's army who are also climbing it.
He also narrowly misses the floating raft the scaling ladder is on. And hits the water with a splash. Which though rocks the raft the ladder is on. Those holding it keep it steady for their fellow soldiers who are trying to top the south wall of the massive castle that's been the home of the Lé Dic family for centuries.
The mercenary ranger from the elven principality of Envadarlen moves a bit further to the right, to where the scaling ladder is close to the merlon on that side. And he stabs the bloody long dagger into the back of the neck of the Harkonin soldier, who is actually on the parapet, who has cut down one townsman, and is swinging his sword at another.
"Pick him up, and throw him back over" orders the ranger Hait as he jumps over the enemy soldier he's just killed.
Then he steps in between one of the castle servants, and a townsman, who are trying to shove the scaling ladder off the face of the south wall with a polearm.
Riley aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman slams one of his long daggers into mouth of the Harkonin soldier who has just got to the top of the scaling ladder. And is about to pull himself up onto the wall.
The mercenary ranger who was brought up and trained by elven warders in the principality of Envadarlen, rips the long dagger to the right, tearing it out the side of the Harkonin soldier's face. Who falls off the top of the scaling ladder in that direction, with a gurgling, bloody scream until he hits the water in the moat below.
Riley Hait grabs another of the polearms lying on the parapet. And with the help of one of the nearby soldiers, who has just helped the townsman throw the enemy soldier the mercenary ranger stabbed in the back of the neck, off the top of the wall.
They help the pair of townsmen with their polearm who are trying to push the enemy scaling ladder off the face of the south wall of the massive castle that's the ancestral home of the Lé Dic family.
"Push" grunts the ranger Hait as the four of them shove the top of the scaling ladder, that has at least a half a dozen of the enemy climbing up it at the moment.
The other soldier who was nearby, has reloaded his crossbow, and leans over the top of the wall, and shoots the bolt in his weapon at one of the Harkonin soldiers climbing the ladder.
That soldier from the fief across the border to the east, is about halfway up the scaling ladder, and he falls straight down. Hitting the floating raft those who are holding the ladder steady, are on.
That disturbance is enough to send the ladder sliding sideways a bit. And enough for the four of them on the battlements, to shove it further to the side with ease. Sending it, and those climbing it, crashing down into the water below.
Seeing the pile of rocks and debris nearby, Riley aka Zubutai Timaginson gestures at it, and says "Throw as much of that down at them" the mercenary ranger from the elven principality of Envadarlen continues with "Try and hit that ladder in the water too. If it's broken and shattered, they can't use it again".
Then the ranger Hait spots an enemy soldier, wounded, trying to crawl away to the right along the parapet.
"Give me a hand" says Riley Hait to one of the Lé Dic soldiers, as the other soldier and the three townsmen, all of whom are breathing heavily. Start lifting rocks and bits of broken masonry, and start pushing them off the top of the wall at the enemy below.
"Going somewhere?" says the mercenary ranger as he stands on the back of the right leg of the wounded Harkonin soldier, while the Lé Dic soldier kicks a shortsword close to the enemy soldier, away.
"Grab him" says Riley Hait, who then adds "Lift him up onto the top of the wall". The two of them do so, with the ranger Hait lifting the Harkonin soldier by the legs, while the Lé Dic soldier, who is probably only sixteen or seventeen, lifts the enemy wounded soldier by the arms and upper torso.
They get him into a sitting position on the top of the wall, leaning against the merlon to the left. He's facing them, with his back to his own army below.
After taking a quick peek down to the moat below, the mercenary ranger from the principality of Envadarlen, nods his head to the Lé Dic soldier, indicating more to the right.
They haul the enemy soldier that way a few feet, then Riley aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman says to the Harkonin soldier who has a slightly dazed look, and blood running down his face from a gash across the top of the head "Say hello to your friends down there". Before he shoves him backwards off the battlements.
The wounded enemy soldier tumbles backwards a couple of times as he falls. Until he hits head first, a raft that's just been polled to the south wall of castle Lé Dic.
All five Harkonin soldiers on that particular raft are knocked off it, into the water, dropping the scaling ladder they had, and cracking the raft as well. It starts to sink, as the body of the Harkonin soldier who was shoved off the top of the wall, briefly does as well, before he pops back up, and floats on the surface of the water dead.
It's when he'll get water logged like the other dead in the moat, that he'll start to sink down below the surface of the water.
Riley Hait takes a quick drink of water from the bottle on his belt. Then he starts heading back along the parapet to above the main gates here on the south side of castle Lé Dic.
It's not even midday, and the battle that's been going on all morning. Is still in a bit of a stalemate. With the Harkonin army, yet to take a firm foothold upon any section of the walls of the massive castle they're trying to take for their baron.
The ranger Hait is pleased that the defenders on the battlements, soldiers, castle servants and townsfolk. Are doing as well as they are. But he knows that slowly, more and more of them are being taken out of the battle. Either by being wounded, or killed outright.
That sooner or later, that there will be a section of the parapet. Either along the south side, or east side of castle Lé Dic where the Harkonin army are concentrating their attack.
Where there won't be enough defenders to repel the enemy soldiers who are trying to gain the top of the massive castle that's been the home of the Lé Dic family for generations.
The mercenary ranger from the elven principality of Envadarlen just hopes it's far later than it is sooner. And that by some miracle, they're able to break the continued assault upon the walls of castle Lé Dic.
Shaking his head as he watches Dorc da Orc wade amongst those of the enemy across the moat from the east wall of castle Lé Dic, dumb enough to confront the large ork.
Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy looks away and down to his left, and mutters "Ah shit" in disappointment at what he sees.
The youngster from the town of Massic who has been reloading the spy Tanith's crossbow for him during the battle. Lies there upon the parapet, up against the base of a merlon, lifeless due to the enemy arrow through his neck.
By the forest gods, i didn't even know the poor kid's name, the elven spy thinks to himself, then Dalinvardél or Dalin as he's often referred to by the rest of his group. Retakes his crossbow, which he sees the youngster got back into firing position before he was killed.
The elf from the principality of Alínlae who is out of arrow for his longbow, reclaims his quiver of bolts, which only has a handful in it. And puts in on the strap tied to his belt.
He waves over a couple of castle servants at the top of the nearby steps, who have been helping to clear the dead and wounded from the battlements. He has them take the youngster from Massic down into the courtyard, to where the other dead have been laid out near the closest tower.
The elven spy who once served in one of the more prominent noble houses in the principality of Alínlae. Puts a bolt into his crossbow, and starts walking quickly along the battlements when he spots something.
Dalin is moving as he lifts his crossbow up to his shoulder, and sends the steel quarrel flying. Taking a Harkonin soldier in the side of the face who is standing on top of the wall, between two merlons after getting up onto the battlements.
That soldier from the fief to the east, falls off the wall, down to the moat as the spy Tanith puts his crossbow onto it's sling, and across his back. The elven spy then sprints along the parapet to where a number of the enemy have topped the east wall of castle Lé Dic. And few defenders are there to repel them.
Dalinvardél Tanith leaps over a wounded townsman crawling along the parapet, with a hand to his bloody face. The elven spy, takes one, two, and a third running step, then leaps forward, jumping high, feet first.
Both of his boots connect with a Harkonin soldier who has just turned in his direction. Dalin hits him in the top of the chest, dropkicking him off the back of the parapet.
There's a grunt, a gasp really, from that soldier who hails from the Harkonin fief, just before he goes off the back edge of the parapet. Then falls to the courtyard below. Which is not forgiving, and that soldier in the enemy army hits the cobblestones with a splat. Blood sprays out from beneath his body when he hits the solid ground.
The spy Tanith is up, and though he's not an expert open hand fighter like Helbe the elven thief or lord Farque. He is highly skilled at the unarmed form of combat, that's usually only taught to the elven nobility. But he learnt it since he was a spy in household of the elven noble family he served in the principality of Alínlae before he joined the group.
Dalin thrust punches a Harkonin soldier in the diaphragm, glad the enemy soldier is only wearing boiled leather armour.
As the man gasps in pain, and goes to double over. The spy Tanith follows that up with an upward open hand thrust to under the Harkonin soldier's chin. The man's head snaps back. His neck is already broken before the elven spy grabs him by the head, and slams his skull into the side of a merlon.
Knowing that humans need encouragement, Dalinvardél Tanith shouts "Lé Dic!" for the benefit of the few defenders trying to repel the enemy who have topped this section of the east wall.
He also did it, so that a Harkonin soldier who is swinging a sword at a townsman trying to defend himself with a shortsword, he clearly doesn't know how to use. Turns and faces him instead, which he ends up doing.
As that enemy soldier turns in his direction, the elven spy from the principality of Alínlae kicks him in the left knee, causing him to buckle that way.
Then with his thumb tucked in close to his right hand, and with his fingers together and stiffened. Dalin stabs his right hand into the throat of the Harkonin soldier, just below the jaw line.
The enemy soldier instinctively brings up his right hand to his throat as he gasps in pain, unfortunately for him he's holding his sword in that hand. And he accidentally slashes up under his chin, the blade of his sword slams up into his jaw.
He falls off the back edge of the parapet after a shove from the elven spy from the principality of Alínlae.
Dalinvardél Tanith grabs the right leg of a Harkonin soldier who has just climbed up onto the wall between the two merlons, and yanks it forward, towards him.
Which sends the enemy soldier, falling backwards off the top of the wall, to the moat below.
Then the spy Tanith slams the bottom part of his right palm into the face of the enemy soldier who has just got to the top of the scaling ladder, and popped his head up, to see what's going on.
That soldier from the fief to the east falls backwards off the ladder with his upper teeth shattered, and his nose busted. He slams, back first onto the raft below. Where the scaling ladder is being held by a quartet of his fellow soldiers in baron Harkonin's army.
"Push it off!" says Dalin in a loud voice, as there's only one Harkonin soldier left on this section of the battlements. And he's wounded, and has a pair of Lé Dic soldiers. One on either side of him, attacking him with their swords.
As a pair of townsmen, and another soldier in lady Linara Lé Dic's army grab polearms to shove the ladder away as it waves from side to side, as those below try to steady it.
The final Harkonin soldier is killed, when he blocks a sword thrust by one of the Lé Dic soldiers. But not the other one behind him, which takes him in the lower back.
As those two Lé Dic soldiers hurry over to help the trio trying to get the enemy scaling ladder off the face of the wall.
The spy Tanith looks at the Harkonin army on this side, the east side of castle Lé Dic. And wonders how long those who are defending the massive castle, will be able to withstand the continued attack from the baron's army.
It's not yet midday, and the battle is being hard fought. With those on the battlements trying to repel the enemy, doing a hell of a lot better than what Dalin thought they would do.
But he knows they can't sustain the defence of the massive castle forever. Especially along here, the east wall. As well as the south wall of castle Lé Dic. Where the Harkonin army is concentrating their assault upon the castle that's the ancestral home of the Lé Dic family.
Once the scaling ladder slides down off the face of the wall, and falls into the water. Dalinvardél Tanith after telling those he's just helped out, to throw the nearby pile of rocks and broken masonry down upon the enemy.
Heads back along the parapet, back to the section of the battlements above the main east gate, as the battle for castle Lé Dic continues to rage on . . . . . .