The Homecoming 119.

Ebbs & Flows...

"Mad idiot" dryly murmurs Riley Hait the mercenary ranger as he looks to the road to the south, where sir Percavelle Lé Dic is fighting a number of the enemy noblemen.
It looks like the former earl of Lé Dic has already killed three of the landed knights from the fief to the east. And there's three more he's still up against.
The ranger Hait is pretty sure that one of the remaining noblemen from the Harkonin fief on the road, confronting the heavily armoured knight in the order of Saint Mar-che is sir Taevar, the Harkonin army commander.
From what the mercenary ranger from the elven principality of Envadarlen has heard, and what he knows from his own personal experiences. No one in baron Harkonin's army would be able to defeat sir Percavelle Lé Dic in combat.
They should of let their crossbowmen stand back and shoot that raving lunatic full of bolts, Riley Hait dryly thinks to himself, then the mercenary ranger who is in command of the defence of the south side of castle Lé Dic, says to the nearby group of archers and crossbowmen "Keep shooting at any of the enemy soldiers who get close to the road".
As of now, pretty much all of the baron's soldiers on this side of the massive castle that's the ancestral home of the Lé Dic family. Are near or on the moat. Trying to scale the near fifty foot wall to get onto the battlements.
The only exception are the crews of the war machines further to the rear. But even some of them have moved forward, as currently the catapults and trebuchets of the enemy are not in use, as they're likely to hit their own men, as much as the defenders up on the parapet of castle Lé Dic.
It's only the camp followers at the very rear, who unsurprisingly haven't engage in the battle so far.
After calling out to those further to the right along the top of the south wall, to keep dropping stones and rocks down upon the enemy.
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.
Looks down in the courtyard below, and seeing that the war machine crews down there aren't really doing anything. Apart from the largest trebuchet, which is flinging projectiles to the rear of the enemy army on this side of castle Lé Dic.
Waves over a runner, and tells the youngster from the town of Massic "Go down into the courtyard, and tell the engineer Tovis to send up half of the crews" the ranger Hait then adds "They can help us up here".
"Yes sir" says the youngster, who takes off towards the nearest set of steps, keeping low. As enemy arrows and bolts zip over the top of the merlons and battlements.
Riley aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman looks along the parapet in both directions from where he stands above the main gates on the south side of castle Lé Dic, and he spots something.
As one of the nearby ballistas shoots down at an acute angle, trying to hit the enemy in the moat. The mercenary ranger who was raised and trained in the elven principality of Envadarlen calls out "Throw those two troughs down at them!".
As there's a couple of the troughs full of human and animal faeces, still on the parapet away to the left from the south gates of castle Lé Dic.
A couple of soldiers, one wounded after taking a glancing blow from an enemy crossbow bolt to the arm. And a trio of townsfolk, all of whom have just pushed one of the enemy scaling ladders off the face of the wall.
Grimace as they cover their mouths and noses with the cloths tied around their necks, and makes their way to the first of the waste troughs that have yet to be dumped down upon the enemy.
Riley aka Zubutai Timaginson, who spots a townsman coming up the nearby steps with a stack of arrows, those that can be used in the ranger Hait's elven made longbow.
Wryly grins as he turns and heads towards the nearby steps to get some of the arrows, as he hears the loud shouts, and yells of disgust from the enemy below, when the contents of one of the waste troughs are dumped down onto them.
"You lot all go" says Tovis the war engineer to those he's picked out amongst the crews he's in charge of, to follow the runner back to the south wall parapet.
Baron Harkonin's former war engineer looks up at the south wall battlements as he starts to follow behind the last of the crew who are heading across the large south courtyard to the wall.
He spots Riley Hait the mercenary ranger up on the parapet, crouching down with a couple of archers, going through bushels of arrows.
The ranger Hait looks down into the courtyard, and spots those in the war machine crews who are hurrying to the south wall of castle Lé Dic. And the young engineer from the Harkonin fief who is trailing them.
Tovis sees the mercenary ranger in command of the defence of the south side of the massive castle, shake his head as he looks at the war engineer, then gestures for him to remain down in the courtyard.
A sour smile briefly crosses the face of baron Harkonin's former war engineer, then he turns and makes his way back to the larger trebuchet, which is continuing to hurl loads over the castle wall, to the rear of the enemy army assaulting the ancestral home of the Lé Dic family.
As a couple of townsfolk carrying a wounded soldier on a wooden board, an old door by the looks of it, as a stretcher goes running by him to the main keep. Where the healers and surgeons are. Along with the castle wizard, who by all accounts is pretty useless when it comes to magic. And is only able to do basic healing spells, which still can save those who are close to death, if done quickly.
Tovis the war engineer, looks around the west side of the main keep, to the north side of castle Lé Dic. Hoping to spot Lisell Maera who he knows is up on the battlements along the north side of the massive castle.
After a few moments, baron Harkonin's former war engineer spots the attractive young woman who is in charge of the defence along the north side of castle Lé Dic.
She's with a couple of soldiers, and they're looking down at something outside of the castle. Tovis figures some of the enemy must be around there now.
"There and there" says Lisell Maera, who then tells one of the two experienced soldiers with her, looking down at the moat below "Go".
That soldier hurries along the top of the north wall, gathering a couple of townsmen as he heads to where a lone Lé Dic soldier, has picked up a polearm, to try and push off an enemy scaling ladder that's just come up against the face of the north wall of the massive castle that's been the home of the Lé Dic family for centuries.
"More of them are slipping around to this side" says the other experienced soldier with the attractive young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury, who is in command of the defence of this side of the massive castle.
Lisell Maera, or Lis as she's more commonly referred to by the rest of the group. Nods her head in agreement with the soldier beside her.
As they see that there's now a trio of the enemy rafts on the moat here on the north side of castle Lé Dic.
One is up against the wall, that one has the scaling ladder up. While another has just been pushed out from the otherside of the moat.
While the third, is drifting around in circles. As there's just a pair of Harkonin soldiers polling it at the moment. As two others on it have been shot dead by the archers on the north wall parapet. And the fifth enemy soldier who was on that raft, is floundering in the water with a crossbow bolt in the leg.
The orphan teenager from the west coast of the Southlands. Who has the least amount of soldiers under her commander to defend the north wall of the massive castle. Fourteen now, since Tamric Drubine sent a couple of crossbowmen around from the west wall battlements.
And probably has twice that many townsfolk and castle servants to help out with the defence of the north side of castle Lé Dic.
Murmurs "That's the way" as she sees what the experienced soldier she sent to the right along the battlements is doing.
He and the two townsmen with him, are dragging one of the few troughs full of human excrement on the north wall parapet, to where the lone soldier with the polearm is trying to shove an enemy scaling ladder off the face of the wall.
Then the four of them, after all of them put the cloths they've got tied around their necks, over their mouths and noses.
Pick up the water trough full of faeces, and dump it, and everything in it, off the top of the wall.
Lis looks down and to the right, and winces as she sees the watery human waste rain down upon the enemy on the raft with the scaling ladder up against the north wall of the massive castle that's been the home of the Lé Dic family for generations.
The trough itself smashes into one of the Harkonin soldiers actually climbing the ladder, and clips another one, who is just starting to climb it. Then it slams into the raft itself, knocking off those who haven't already jumped into the water, covered in shit.
Those four defenders up on the north wall parapet don't even have to shove the scaling ladder off the face of the wall. It slides off with no one holding it, and hits the water.
The two soldiers, one experienced, and one fairly new to the Lé Dic army. Along with the two townsmen, then hurry over to a pile of rubble on the parapet.
There, they start dropping large rocks and broken bits of masonry down at the scaling ladder in the water, trying to smash it. Not to mention the enemy soldiers who have been knocked into the moat.
One who is struggling to keep afloat, is vomiting as he's got a fair amount of shit in his mouth, as he was looking up when the human waste and trough were dumped off the top of the wall.
Stops vomiting when a large rock smashes down upon the top of his head, shattering apart his skull, killing him instantly.
"More of them" says Lisell Maera as she points out to the experienced soldier beside her, more of the enemy coming around from the east side of the massive castle.
There's probably a dozen of them, a handful at first on the otherside of the moat, then a group who are actually already on the water, having poled their raft around from the east wall of castle Lé Dic.
"Take one of the archers and one of the crossbowmen with you" orders the attractive young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury, who continues with "Pick off as many as you can before they can get a ladder up".
The experienced soldier nods, and takes off running. While Lisell Maera follows after him, loading the crossbow she's holding. The quick loading crossbow, that was designed by Dorc da Orc, and once belonged to Shur Kee the monk.
Lis who has hardly used it so far during the battle for castle Lé Dic. Knows that's about to change with more of the enemy making their way around to this side of the massive castle. As she quickly walks, she looks over to east wall of castle Lé Dic.
"Giant, green fucking psycho" murmurs Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy in his native language as he watches Dorc da Orc across the moat, making his way through the enemy, heading towards the southeast corner of the massive castle.
The spy from the principality of Alínlae, who is in command of the defence of the east wall of castle Lé Dic.
Takes his eyes off the large ork who is cutting down any of the enemy, brave enough, or more accurately, dumb enough, to get in his way.
Dalinvardél or Dalin as he's commonly referred to by the rest of the group. Nods his head to one of the castle smith's who stops and puts a bushel of bolts down next to the elven spy.
The smith, along with his apprentice, or striker as they're commonly referred to. Continues along the top of the east wall, handling out bushels of bolts to those with crossbows.
The spy Tanith would also like some yard long arrows for his longbow. But none are forthcoming. So he makes do with the quarrels for his crossbow.
After loading the weapon, Dalin looks across the moat again. To where there's a trio of Lé Dic soldiers, who followed Dorc da Orc down the enemy siege tower, and across the moat. And are now amongst the enemy, fighting for their lives.
There was originally four of them, but there's now just the three. And they've just taken by surprise, a group of Harkonin soldiers who have just pushed a raft into the water.
"Protect them!" calls out Dalinvardél Tanith who points to the trio of Lé Dic soldiers across the moat, they're on the north side of the trade road, here on the east side of the massive castle.
While the ork warleader, who is well and truly gone by it. Is further away on the south side of the very same road.
A couple of nearby archers, and a trio of crossbowmen up here on the east wall battlements. Let arrows and bolts fly. Shooting at the enemy near where the trio of Lé Dic soldiers are fighting the Harkonin soldiers.
The spy Tanith lets the bolt in his crossbow fly, and it takes a Harkonin soldier across the moat, in the side as he runs at the trio of soldiers in the Lé Dic army.
Dalin grimaces as one of the trio goes down when he's hit by a sword. And as he pulls back his crossbow, another of the Lé Dic soldiers drops to the ground when he's hit in the back with an axe. Though not before swinging his sword, that takes a Harkonin soldier across the face.
And as he falls to the ground in his death throes, he wildly swings his sword. And gets a lucky hit, slamming his blade into the right leg of another Harkonin soldier.
There's just one of the Lé Dic soldiers left across the moat. And though the archers and crossbowmen up on the east wall parapet, as well as the spy Tanith. Shoot at the enemy soldiers near him.
He's soon surrounded by a large number of soldiers from the fief across the border to the east,
By the forest gods, let them pay a high price for you life, Dalinvardél Tanith thinks to himself as he watches the lone Lé Dic soldier across on the otherside of the moat, surrounded by the enemy.
One of them goes down when an arrow takes him in the back, and another staggers away, with a crossbow bolt through his arm.
A third howls in pain, and falls over with a bolt in the ass. While a fourth hits the ground with the bolt shot from the spy Tanith's crossbow, in his face.
The Lé Dic soldier, who sees his end coming. Makes the most of the opportunity with a handful of the enemy around him dropping, either dead or wounded.
He slams his sword into the neck of one of the enemy, who turned to look at his fellow Harkonin soldier, howling on the ground with the crossbow bolt in his rear end.
The soldier in lady Linara Lé Dic's army kicks out at another of the enemy. Getting a low blow, when his boot slams into the groin of another of the enemy.
Then the Lé Dic soldier whack his bloody sword across the face of another of the soldiers in baron Harkonin's army.
Whilst another, who is behind him, and swinging his sword to whack him across the back of the head. Is felled by an arrow that takes him in the side of the neck.
But another of the enemy soldiers from the Harkonin fief behind the Lé Dic soldier, stabs his shortsword into the lower back of the lone Lé Dic soldier across the moat.
Dalinvardél Tanith winces as the last of the Lé Dic soldiers drops to the ground. Swinging his sword as he dies. "Good" murmurs the elven spy as the final Lé Dic soldiers last swing connects. As his blade slashes across the legs of one of the Harkonin soldiers, breaking them if him falling to the ground so quickly is anything to go by.
The enemy soldier who killed the last of the Lé Dic soldiers across on the otherside of the moat. Is hit first by an arrow that takes him in the back, and then a bolt that gets him in a guts as he staggers away, before falling over.
The elf who once served in one of the more prominent noble houses in the principality of Alínlae, then looks to either side of where he stands above the east gates of the massive castle that's been the home of the Lé Dic family for many a generation.
"You two, go and help that lot out" says the elven spy to a couple of nearby townsmen, as he gestures away to the left, where a group of defenders on the parapet, are trying to push away a pair of enemy scaling ladders, that are side by side, up against the face of the east wall of castle Lé Dic.
Dalin who has reloaded his crossbow again, leans forward, and around the merlon to his left. Not caring if an enemy bolt or arrow comes flying his way. A couple of which do, narrowly missing the elven spy from the principality of Alínlae.
The spy Tanith shoots down to the left, and the bolt shot from his crossbow with it's arms extended. Slams into the side of the head of a Harkonin soldier, on the raft about forty feet further to the left from the main gates on the east side of castle Lé Dic.
The enemy soldier who was just shot by Dalinvardél Tanith was helping to hold one of the two scaling ladders that are right next to one another.
He falls into the water dead, and the rest holding the ladder steady on the raft they're on. Struggle to keep it steady, and it starts sliding to one side.
It starts sliding even quicker, when a timely shove comes from up top. Where the defenders use two polearms to try and push it away from the face of the east wall of the massive castle.
The scaling ladder, and the trio of enemy soldiers climbing up it. Go sideways, and smash into the scaling ladder to their right on another of the rafts in the moat.
Both scaling ladders, and the total of eight enemy soldiers climbing on the two of them, cash down into the water. A couple of moments later, and large rocks and bits of broken masonry start falling down upon them from the battlements above.
"Sir elf, look there!" says the young bannerman further to the right above the gates here on the east side of castle Lé Dic.
Dalin looks to where he's pointing away to the south, and the spy Tanith murmurs "Oh shit" at what he sees.
It's mounted knights, who have come around from the south side of the massive castle. There's seven of them, and they're riding along beside the moat. Dalinvardél Tanith then wryly smiles as he sees who the enemy noblemen are riding towards.
Then he rolls his eyes, as over the noise of the battle, he hears a distinctive, and familiar roar from Dorc da Orc, who obviously knew the enemy knights were coming around to this side of castle Lé Dic, most likely from his strong sense of smell, because he's heading straight towards them . . . . . .