The Homecoming 133.

The Wall...

The tunnel goes through the wall, and sir Percavelle Lé Dic runs though it. Leaving a grumbling Dorc da Orc to follow him. The large ork doesn't even have to duck as he runs, as the tunnel ceiling is at least eight foot tall.
The former earl of Lé Dic quickly runs out of the tunnel into the sunlit, south courtyard of his family's castle.
The heavily armoured knight doesn't even pause, as he knows exactly where he's going. He turns to the right, and runs eastwards, heading towards the closest set of steps that lead up to the top of the south wall of the massive castle.
A scowling ork warleader runs out into the courtyard a few moments later. And after glaring up at the sun in the clear, early afternoon sky. He heads after the knight in the order of Saint Mar-che.
The former paladin runs by an injured soldier who is being helped away from the wall by a castle servant.
Then he looks up the steps he intends to go up. And he sees that the enemy are on the steps fighting some of those who are defending this third of the south wall, the third closest to the southeast corner tower of castle Lé Dic.
Putting on a bit more speed, the nobleborn knight bounds up the first step, and as he heads up them, sir Percavelle Lé Dic shouts "Lé Dic!" by way of encouragement to those defending his family's ancestral home.
Huffing and puffing as he runs, Dorc da Orc who would like nothing better than for the former earl of Lé Dic to fall off the steps he's going up, and break his neck.
Grunts as the heavily armoured knight, reaches by a Lé Dic soldier who has dropped to his knees on the steps, and is blocking an enemy sword, with his own shortsword.
And stab the Harkonin soldier with the blade he's carrying, a blade that's barely a shortsword. Nevertheless, it's a blade that's magical. And a fairly powerful magical sword at that.
With the point of the sword of knockdown barely touching the enemy soldier in the chest. It sends him flying back up the steps and through the air.
Where he smashes into two other soldiers in baron Harkonin's army, knocking them off the side of the steps. Before he lands with a thud upon the parapet above.
The former knight of the first class goes around the Lé Dic soldier kneeling on the steps. And hops over another who is down, with a bloody slash across his face.
The knight who is both landed and ordered, continues up the steps to the battlements above. While Dorc da Orc reaches the steps and starts heading up them.
Further along the top of the south wall of the massive castle that's the ancestral home of the Lé Dic family, above the main south gates.
Riley Hait the mercenary ranger after shooting off another arrow from his elven made longbow. And after wincing as a fairly decent sized chunk of masonry shot from one of the war machines down in the courtyard behind him, barely passes overhead on it's way towards the enemy on the moat, and just across from it.
Looks to the east along the parapet upon the south wall of castle Lé Dic. Where a fair few of the enemy have topped the wall, in the third that's closest to the southeast corner tower of the massive castle.
The mercenary ranger who is from the elven principality of Envadarlen, spots sir Percavelle Lé Dic, and a bit further behind him, Dorc da Orc. Making their way up a set of steps to the parapet, on the third of the wall, that baron Harkonin's men have got a firm foothold.
I think that might make a bit of a difference, Riley Hait the mercenary ranger thinks to himself as he watches the heavily armoured knight and the large ork heading up the steps to the battlements the enemy have under their control.
The ranger Hait who has sent as many soldiers, townsmen, and castle servants that way, that he can spare.
As he's already badly stretched along the south side of castle Lé Dic, since the enemy has made a concentrated push against this wall of the massive castle.
Sending basically everyone they have to the south of the ancestral home of the Lé Dic family. To the moat, and the fifty foot wall it runs along infront of.
Hopes that the duo of the knight in the order of Saint Mar-che, and the ork warleader can clear the enemy from the sections of the parapet they've basically got under their control.
The mercenary ranger who is really a hordes outrider from the southern tundra, by the name of Zubutai Timaginson. Who just happens to find himself inhabiting the body of Riley Hait.
Has every confidence that the two of them can clear the parapet out that way, of baron Harkonin's soldiers.
It's just that they'll probably be bickering as they do so. Not to mention they might try to kill one another. Not obviously, or on purpose.
But Riley aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman knows that the two of them, would definitely try to make it look like an accident. Or have it seem that the enemy might of overwhelmed one of them.
"Mad idiots" murmurs the mercenary ranger who was raised and trained by some of the elven warders in the principality of Envadarlen as he watches the nobleborn knight and the ork weaponsmith go up the steps, where the former paladin has just made it up them, to the parapet.
"Lé Dic!" shouts the heavily armoured knight once again as he steps up onto the parapet, stabbing the sword of knockdown as he does so.
An enemy soldier who has come at him, goes flying backwards through the air, across the parapet, and up and over the top of the wall between a pair of merlons.
That soldier from the fief across the border to the east, screams as he's flung backwards, arcing up and away from the wall, before dropping down to the moat below. Where hits the water with a large splash, tipping over an already unstable raft he crashes down beside.
Those five of the baron's soldiers on that particular raft, end up in the water as well.
The former paladin, spins, blocking an enemy shortsword with the heavy vambrace on his left arm.
Sir Percavelle Lé Dic, or Percy as he's more commonly called by those in the group. Then stabs the Harkonin soldier who has just swung the shortsword at him.
The point of the sword of knockdown barely touches the boiled leather armour of the enemy soldier.
And he is flung backwards along the parapet, smashing into others in baron Harkonin's army who have topped this section of the south wall of the massive castle that's been the home of the Lé Dic family for centuries.
Then the former knight of the first class sourly smiles behind the visor of his faceplate. As he smells an almighty stench behind him.
The nobleborn knight heads the way he's just sent the enemy soldier flying. As behind him, the large ork from the southern polar region of the world, has just stepped up onto the parapet of the south wall of castle Lé Dic.
Dorc da Orc sourly smiles as sir Percavelle Lé Dic hurries away from him along the battlements, heading eastwards towards the southeast corner tower of the massive castle.
The ork weaponsmith briefly turns the other way, and throws the axe he's holding. Which smashes into the back of a Harkonin soldier who has just cut down a castle servant.
As the back of the enemy soldier basically explodes from the impact of the axe hitting him. And he tumbles off the rear of the parapet.
Dorkindle takes a couple of steps to his right, and another forward, and punches the face that's just appeared over the top of the wall.
The big, burly ork who is the son of the former matriarch of the wolf tribe of orks chuckles as the Harkonin soldier he just punched, falls away with the front of his face caved in.
Then the warleader of the ork race, leans over, and grabs the top of the scaling ladder that's leaning against the face of the south wall of castle Lé Dic.
And ignoring an enemy arrow that bounces off his forehead, the large ork roars as he pulls the scaling ladder up, and over the top of the wall.
A trio of baron Harkonin's soldiers are on the ladder, and all three of them scream and shout in a panic as they realise what's happening.
One of them falls off pretty quickly, and drops to the moat below. But the other two hold on for dear life as the scaling ladder quickly goes upwards with them on it.
"Fucken get some" growls Dorc da Orc as hauls the enemy scaling ladder over the top of the wall. The more than forty foot tall wooden ladder, and the two Harkonin soldiers clinging onto it.
Come up over the top of the wall between the pair of merlons. Then the large ork grunts with effort as he basically flips it up and over.
Sir Percavelle Lé Dic lifts a questioning eyebrow as the enemy soldier he's just about to hit with the sword of knockdown, backs away as he looks further behind the heavily armoured knight.
The former paladin moves quickly, and slaps the Harkonin soldier who is backing away. Sending him tumbling sideways off the rear of the parapet after the magical blade makes contact.
Then the former earl of Lé Dic glances behind himself, then dryly says "How droll" when he sees what's happening, further back along the parapet near the steps that he made his way up.
There stands Dorc da Orc, who is holding an enemy scaling ladder, straight up in the air. The bottom of it is on the parapet as the big, burly ork holds it steady.
Up the ladder are two enemy soldiers, who are clinging onto it as tightly as possible. As they're both over eighty feet up above the ground.
Sir Percavelle Lé Dic then slightly frowns, as he sees that ork warleader step, and turn in this direction. Turning the base of the scaling ladder as he does so, causing the two Harkonin soldiers up it, to scream in fright.
"Oh by Narille" mutters the knight in the order of Saint Mar-che who then turns and runs, after he sees Dorc da Orc look directly at him with a large grin upon his broad, green feral looking face and chuckle, then push the scaling ladder away from himself.
"Ah sir" says the Lé Dic soldier next to Riley Hait the mercenary ranger "Sir" adds the soldier "Yeah" says the ranger Hait after he shoots off the arrow he's got to his elven made bow down at the enemy below, and he looks at the soldier in lady Linara Lé Dic's army who is next to him.
"Ah there sir" says the soldier who nods away to their left along the battlements. Riley aka Zubutai Timaginson looks eastwards along the parapet. Then rolls his eyes when he spots what the soldier wants him to see.
The mercenary ranger shakes his head as he sees the enemy scaling ladder being held upright by Dorc da Orc further towards the southeast end of the southern wall of castle Lé Dic.
Then Riley Hait sourly smiles as he sees the large ork turn, turning the more than forty foot tall ladder with him, then let it go with a push,
"Idiots" dryly murmurs the mercenary ranger as he sees sir Percavelle Lé Dic running along the parapet, heading towards the southeast corner tower of the massive castle that's his family's ancestral home.
While the enemy scaling ladder, with a pair of Harkonin soldiers up it, slowly falls in his direction.
Across the moat on the south side of castle Lé Dic, just off to one side of the road. Sir Taevar the Harkonin army commander blinks in surprise then murmurs "Huh?" followed by "Would you look at that".
As he sees one of the scaling ladders standing upright on the battlements on the south side of castle Lé Dic.
He didn't see it go up, then over the wall. But he definitely sees it up on top of the wall. Being held by the large, green creature that's supposedly an ork.
And he definitely sees it fall, down towards the parapet while two of the soldiers from the fief across the border to the east, are holding onto it for dear life.
Further to the rear of the Harkonin army to the south of castle Lé Dic. Baron Harkonin himself, just stands there totally transfixed at the sight of one of his army's scaling ladders, standing upright upon the south wall of the massive castle that's been the home of the nobleborn Lé Dic family for generations.
Then he blinks in surprise as it suddenly falls forward after turning to the side. It's falling straight down to the parapet, with a couple of the baron's men holding onto it, for all they're worth.
Up on the battlements of the south wall of castle Lé Dic. On the third of the wall, nearest the southeast corner of the massive castle.
The scaling ladder smashes down onto the parapet. Narrowly missing sir Percavelle Lé Dic who ran away from it as it fell. An injured Lé Dic soldier lying on the parapet who saw it falling. Pushed himself up against the base of a merlon, and narrowly avoided it too.
Not so a Harkonin soldier, who was in the process of getting up, when the long, heavy scaling ladder hit him, and the parapet with a thud.
Also unlucky, but truly inevitable. Were the two soldiers in baron Harkonin's army, who were up the scaling ladder when Dorc da Orc let it go.
One was on the underside of the long ladder, and hit the parapet with a splat. While the other, was on the backside. Who held on for as long as he could, before he let go.
He let go to the left, and missed the parapet entirely, which was fortunate. But unfortunately, he fell another another forty five feet or so to the courtyard below.
With a total fall of nearly ninety feet, he hit the cobblestones of the courtyard with a heavy thud. Causing blood to spray out in all directions from his body, due to the hard impact with the ground.
"Beast!" yells sir Percavelle Lé Dic in anger when he comes to a stop, and spins around.
And sees back near where the steps he came up, Dorc da Orc laughing as he looks this way. The large ork is laughing so hard, that he's barely making a sound, as he's wheezing more in laughter, than anything else.
Sourly smiling behind the visor of his full helm, the former earl of Lé Dic sees the big, burly ork pointing at him, or to be exact, pointing to beyond the heavily armoured knight.
The former earl of Lé Dic spins back around, and narrowly avoids a slash from an axe swung at him by a soldier in the army of baron Harkonin.
The nobleborn knight who has slightly ducked to one side. Slaps the sword of knockdown into the left hip of the enemy soldier. Which sends him tumbling sideways off the rear of the parapet to the courtyard below.
Then the knight in the order of Saint Mar-che turns back around, and sees the large, green figure of Dorc da Orc, wiping tears of laughter from his face, before he reaches down and picks up the scaling ladder again.
The heavily armoured knight turns again, and hurries away along the parapet, to confront more of the enemy.
The long, heavy wooden scaling ladder is strong and sturdy like all such ladders. And the best way to destroy it is with an axe.
Dorkindle knows this as he picks it up. So he uses it for something else that it's fairly well suited for. And that's a weapon.
The warleader of the ork race grunts as he swings it out to his left, out above the south courtyard of castle Lé Dic. Then he swings it back to his right, across the parapet, and the top of the south wall of the massive castle.
Where it smashes into a Harkonin soldier who has climbed onto the top of the wall, and about to jump down onto the parapet.
As well as smashing into another of the soldiers from the fief across the border to the east.
Who has got to the top of another scaling ladder a bit further along, and is trying to haul himself up onto the top of the battlements.
Dorc da Orc chortles as he swings the near forty five tall scaling sideways like a bat, and smacks those two Harkonin soldiers off the top of the wall.
"Get some!" shouts the big, burly ork from the southern polar region of the world as he swings the scaling ladder, that's still in one piece, back from over the top of the wall, and lets the far end from him drop down onto the parapet.
Though the scaling ladder isn't that heavy for the ork weaponsmith to lift. It's length makes it bit unwieldy even for him.
The son of the former matriarch of the wolf tribe of orks pops his head over the top of the wall, and sees the two enemy scaling ladders about twenty feet apart against the face of the south wall.
And those enemy soldiers near the top of them. Waiting there, are more than a little hesitant to climb up onto the top of the wall. After seeing two of their number get whacked off the battlements by one of their very own scaling ladders.
"Fucking pussies" mutters the ork warleader, who then calls out to the enemy on the two scaling ladders that are nearby "Come on up ya fucken cunts, you missing all the funs up here!".
The large ork chuckles as they look even more reluctant to climb up to the top of the ladders they're on, and make their way onto the battlements along the south wall of the massive castle that's the ancestral home of the Lé Dic family.
Then Dorkindle looks further towards the southeast corner along the top of the wall, and he sourly smiles and mutters "Cuntface" as he sees the heavily armoured figure of sir Percavelle Lé Dic near the tower that way. Using the magical sword of knockdown as he gets amongst the enemy who are on that section of the wall . . . . . .