The Homecoming 129.

Battle Fatigue...

"Well they're definitely dead" dryly murmurs Riley Hait the mercenary ranger when he sees the bodies of lord Milburn, his grandson Jared Milburn, as well the Lé Dic army commander, sir Galmot dumped into the moat.
One of the enemy soldiers who just threw the dead noblemen into the water. Drops to the ground when he turns and is hit in the back by arrow shot by an archer, further to the right along the battlements from where the ranger Hait stands above the gates along the south wall of castle Lé Dic.
The mercenary ranger from the elven principality of Envadarlen, kneels down and takes a drink of water. And takes a small round loaf of bread, and a wedge of cheese from a castle servant who is passing them out, as he makes his way along this part of the parapet on the southern side of the massive castle.
The mercenary ranger, who is really a hordes outrider from the southern tundra by the name of Zubutai Timaginson, who by no fault of his own, and by circumstances beyond his control, finds himself inhabiting the body of Riley Hait.
Fair scoffs down the bread and cheese that's been handed to him. As he can see a number of the Harkonin soldiers have got onto the battlements, away to the left of the gates, or the east of them.
With a mouthful of cheese and bread, the first thing he's had to eat since before dawn, and before the battle for castle Lé Dic began.
He sends a couple of townsmen, who have finished eating. To help out those defenders who are facing the latest threat from the enemy along this side of the massive castle that's been the home of the Lé Dic family for many generations.
As those townsmen, trudge away along the battlements, stiff and tired after an already busy spring morning.
The mercenary ranger who was brought up and trained by some of the elven warders in his homeland of Envadarlen. Looks up at the midday sky, and sees how clear it is above castle Lé Dic. With not a single cloud in the area at the moment.
Then Riley aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman, looks over at a crossbowman at the next merlon to the right, who has just shot off a quarrel from his weapon at the enemy, and said "They're making a big push on the wall".
"Fuck" mutters Riley Hait, who after taking another drink of water, gets up and looks down at the enemy on the moat, and across it on the otherside.
The mercenary ranger faintly grimaces as he sees that there must be every single raft the enemy has, on the water at the moment.
And if there isn't Harkonin soldiers on them, there's those in the water swimming to them.
As Riley aka Zubutai Timaginson sees that some of the enemy are even swimming to the burnt out siege tower in the moat. Just for a place to hold onto, to keep afloat, before they can get to a raft.
He sees in the distance, that even camp followers are coming forward towards the moat on this, the south side of castle Lé Dic.
Stretcher bearers, bakers, cooks, ostlers, fletchers, leather workers and even smiths are coming forward. Joining the war machine crews who haven't already made their way forward to take part in the assault upon this side of the massive castle that's the ancestral home of the Lé Dic family.
The only place the ranger Hait doesn't see a particular lot of the enemy. Is upon the trade road, near the moat, directly opposite the main gates on the south side of castle Lé Dic.
There upon the road, is sir Percavelle Lé Dic himself. Dispatching any Harkonin soldier who is unlucky enough to get too close to the heavily armoured knight who is the former earl of the Lé Dic fief.
The knight in the order of Saint Mar-che is using his magical sword of knockdown. And is sending enemy soldiers he hits, flying through the air in all directions.
The mercenary ranger who hails from the elven principality of Envadarlen does notice that the former paladin has his large magical shield on his left arm. As he's getting shot at every so often by enemy archers and crossbowmen when they get a clear view of him.
Riley aka Zubutai the son of Timagin, who is in command of the defence of the south side of castle Lé Dic, orders the archers and crossbowmen closest to him along the battlements, to target their enemy counterparts, who are trying to shoot at the former paladin.
Then the mercenary ranger looks around for the signalman, well that latest one, since the previous two have been killed.
"Ah fuck" mutters the ranger Hait as he sees the latest signalman being carried away by a couple of castle servants to the nearest set of steps, as there's a broken arrow in his side.
Riley Hait can't afford to take another soldier away, to become the signalman. As the defence along the parapet is already stretched thin. So he grabs a castle servant who has brought up buckets of water for the defenders to drink.
And tells him "I want you to go down into the courtyard and tell the engineer Tovis this" the mercenary ranger points to where the war engineer is beside the large trebuchet that is in action, as he explains to the servant what he wants Tovis to do.
"Now repeat back what i said" says Riley aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman after he explains what he wants Tovis to do.
The castle servant repeats it nearly word for word, then the ranger Hait says "Good, and make sure he doesn't shoot anything on or near the road" followed by "And tell him not to worry about the range or us on the parapet, just make it close".
"Yes sir" says the castle servant, who takes off, keeping low, when Riley Hait nods for him to head down into the main south courtyard of castle Lé Dic.
"Might get fucking hit, but it'll take out a lot of them too" mutters the ranger Hait in the hordes dialect of southern tundra, who then says in the common language to those either side of him "Spread the word along the parapet" he tells them what's about to happen.
Once he does, he looks down into the large courtyard below. And sees the servant he sent down there, making his way to where baron Harkonin's former war engineer is charge of his depleted war machine crews. After sending half of them up onto the battlements to help out the defence of the south wall of the massive castle that's been the home of the Lé Dic family for centuries.
Ah well, might as well do something in the meantime, the mercenary ranger thinks to himself, who takes one of the replacement arrows from his quiver, puts it to his elven made longbow.
Riley Hait draws the weapon back, takes aim as he looks down across the moat to the bank on the otherside, and lets the shaft fly once he's picked out a target just off to the side of the trade road.
"You villain, take that" says sir Percavelle Lé Dic who sends another Harkonin soldier cartwheeling sideways off the road, smashing into two others who run at him.
The heavily armoured knight, whose voice is hoarse, and is holding his sword of knockdown in his right gauntleted hand, while on his left arm, is the large footman's shield, that's the shield of Saint Mar-che.
Turns quickly to his left, to where he caught sight of an enemy soldier with a loaded crossbow.
As he turns, he sees that crossbowman, hit the ground with a bit of force. The former earl of Lé Dic sees a yard long arrow in the side of the enemy crossbowman. And he knows who shot him.
"Good shot there, from the ranger fellow" says the knight in the order of Saint Mar-che, who frankly wouldn't mind a little break to have a drink of water, and to catch his breath.
The nobleborn knight looks around, and though there's still some of the enemy on the trade road with him. He sees way more of them off to the sides, heading towards the moat. Where he sees as many of the Harkonin soldiers in the water, as on the rafts. Well those that can swim at least. As like all commoners in a kingdom such as Druvic, it's only those who live near rivers and lakes, who are more likely to swim.
Those who don't, for the most part, definitely don't know how to swim. Which is seen as a skill like reading and writing, or horse riding. Not for most of the common folk to partake in.
The former knight of the first class sees that the order must of been given to have everyone come forward to take part in the assault upon the walls of his family's castle.
As he sees stretcher bearers, carrying weapons instead of their stretchers. As they rush forward towards the moat along the south side of castle Lé Dic.
Cooks and bakers with clevers and knives. While other camp followers pick up any downed weapon they can find. He sees a young ostler with longsword that obviously belongs to an officer who is dead. While a cooks assistant, is carrying a helbard he's picked up from somewhere. Probably the worst weapon to use in an assault upon a castle wall, since it's so long, and unwieldy.
The uncle of lady Linara Lé Dic guffaws as a missile shot from one of the two ballista above the gates on the south wall battlements, slams into a group of the enemy away to his right, off the side of the road.
Then suddenly, a large chunk of masonry, about eight foot in length, weighing at least five hundred pounds. Smashes into more of the enemy in that direction.
"By jingos that's a bit close wot" murmurs sir Percavelle Lé Dic, who turns and has a look back at the castle that's been his family's home for centuries.
And as an enemy archer who draws s bead on him, drops when he's hit by a pair of arrows shot from the south wall battlements. The heavily armoured knight's eyebrows rise up in surprise when he sees a large rock, a boulder really.
Barely get over the battlements, and drop down into the moat, hitting a raft full of soldiers, and a few others swimming in the water.
"Huh?" murmurs the former earl of Lé Dic as he realises that the mercenary ranger Riley Hait must of ordered the resumption of the bombardment upon the enemy. As there's just been the one trebuchet that's been shooting away at the enemy, towards the rear.
Though now, with the enemy so close, the range of the war machines within the large southern courtyard of castle Lé Dic, is extremely short. There's a possibility their own war machines could hit the defenders up on the top of the wall, since they're shooting off at such short range.
Hmmmm Percy old chap, might not be too safe here with whatnot falling out of the sky thus, the former paladin thinks to himself, as he sees a half a dozen barrels of burning tar and pitch, just make it across the moat, and slam into some of the enemy just fifty feet off the side of the trade road to his left.
And as screaming Harkonin soldiers, and camp followers go running into the water on fire. The heavily armoured knight wonders if it would be wise to depart.
He shrugs, his broad heavily armoured shoulders and decides not to, as he sees a large number of enemy soldiers running up onto the road, heading towards him.
The ordered knight is pretty sure he spots the enemy army commander, sir Taevar. Following behind them, urging them on.
"Oh well, i guess not then" murmurs the former earl of Lé Dic, who decides to stay put when he sees what's coming towards him.
Besides, another load from one of the catapults or trebuchets in the south courtyard of his family's ancestral home. This time a boulder, slams down amongst the enemy away to the right of the trade road, this time a bit further away.
He figures being on the road is as safe as anywhere. As the shots from the war machines within the massive castle seem to be targeting the enemy away from the trade road, as well as those in and on the moat. If a loud splash behind him, and away to the right is anything to go by.
He lifts up his faceplate, and takes a drink from his water bottle he keeps on his belt as there's a brief lull in the battle near him.
Then he returns the bottle to his belt, and closes his visor. As the Harkonin soldiers who have come up onto the road, approach him at a run.
And though his voice might be a little hoarse after shouting and yelling so much during the battle, which is now into the early afternoon since midday has just passed.
The uncle of lady Linara Lé Dic, who also happens to be a former earl of the fief his niece rules, shouts "Lé Dic!" loud enough that many of the defenders upon the south wall battlements hear him, and shout "Lé Dic!" in return.
Then sir Percavelle Lé Dic runs towards the enemy soldiers rushing towards him on the trade road, and with the magical shield of Saint Mar-che upon his left arm, and the magical sword of knockdown in his right gauntleted hand.
The heavily armoured knight is quickly amongst the latest group of enemy soldiers to attack him.
After the first one goes flying backwards through the air, smashing into those directly following him. Those Harkonin soldiers all of a sudden wish they hadn't rushed onto the trade road to attack the famous sir Percavelle Lé Dic . . . . . .