The Homecoming 135.

Return To The Castle...

"You lot, shoot at that thing up there" orders sir Taevar the army commander who points up at the battlements along the south wall of castle Lé Dic.
Where the large green creature, apparently an ork. Is leaning over the top of the wall, swinging a scaling ladder down at those trying to climb to the top of the wall. And at others at the base of the wall, who are on the moat, on floating rafts waiting to climb the ladders to get to the battlements above.
"But sir, we might hit some of our own men" says one of the archers in a mixed group of them and crossbowmen at the water's edge.
"I don't care" says the Harkonin army commander who continues with "Just shoot the damn thing, if not, none of the men will be on the wall for long".
As the archers and crossbowmen, after glancing at one another, start shooting arrows and quarrels at the large green creature up on the parapet of the south wall of castle Lé Dic, hoping they don't hit any of their fellow soldiers and others who are already up there, as well as those climbing to that section of the south wall, towards the southeast corner of the massive castle that's been the home of the Lé Dic family for centuries.
Sir Taevar who has made his forward to the moat, to the water's edge. For the simple reason he doesn't want to be back near his brother inlaw, the baron.
And face his wrath at the loss of a dozen of the baron's knights. And letting the enemy nobleman, sir Percavelle Lé Dic, and the large green creature back into castle Lé Dic.
After they were both over on this side of the moat. Wrecking mayhem amongst the Harkonin army.
Orders a bunch of camp followers into the water. To swim to the rafts out on the moat that runs along the south side of the massive castle that's the ancestral home of the Lé Dic family.
Even those who can't swim, which is a fair few of them, wade into the water as the army commander stands there watching them. With his sword in hand, ready to use it on them if they don't get in.
Sir Taevar wants them in for the sole purpose that they'll make extra targets for the defenders up on the battlements. Hopefully allowing some of his soldiers, to have an easier time of it climbing to the top of the south wall of castle Lé Dic.
Besides, some of the camp followers might get onto a raft, and climb to the top of the wall too.
Every person counts in the opinion of the nobleman who is the commander of the Harkonin army.
Just that some count more than others. As his soldiers definitely count more than a wagoner or a cook, or an ostler, or a leather worker and the like.
Turning to a runner, sir Taevar tells him "Go and inform the baron that it looks like this push will succeed" the commander of the army of the fief across the border to the east continues with "The defenders upon the wall are stretched too far now".
Even with the large green creature, and who he thinks was sir Percavelle Lé Dic on the battlements closest to the southeast corner tower of the massive castle. Clearing many of the men from those sections of the parapet, where they've gained a foothold
The army commander can clearly see that the defenders along the top of the south wall of castle Lé Dic are not just stretched. But have been thinned out in their numbers.
With less and less of them up on the battlements as the battle has taken part throughout the day.
And now that it's in the early afternoon, on this clear, fine and sunny day in early spring.
They've been severely depleted, especially here, along the south side of the massive castle that's the ancestral home of the Lé Dic family.
"Go" says sir Taevar to the runner, and as the youngster takes off. The army commander looks back at the assault upon the south side of castle Lé Dic.
Looking up and to his left, at a trio of burning and smoking barrels that come over the battlements, from within castle Lé Dic. Pass over the moat, and land amongst those that way, closer to the road, who have yet to get into the water, or onto a raft.
"They won't be able to do that all day" the Harkonin army commander murmurs to himself, he continues murmuring with "This castle is ours, they just don't know it yet".
Then the landed knight who is the brother inlaw of baron Harkonin, grimaces as he looks back up at the battlements opposite him.
And sees the large green creature, shoving the scaling ladder it's got in it's grasp. Down at those on a raft on the moat, at the base of the wall.
Not caring that arrows and bolts are being shot at him. Many missing, but plenty hitting.
Further back amongst the Harkonin army, well those few who haven't gone forward to the moat.
The baron sits upon his mount, off to the side of the road. Watching his army assaulting this side of the massive castle that's been the home of his enemies, the Lé Dic family, for centuries.
The head of the Harkonin family, who has just had a messenger tell him about how things are going on, around on the east side of castle Lé Dic.
Which is also under heavy attack, though not the sustained push as it is here on the south side. Looks over at sir Haleníc, who says "Another runner coming back".
The baron looks to where the young knight points. And he spots the youngster running back this way through the stragglers who have yet to get on, or into the moat.
The nobleman who rules the fief across the border to the east, then looks to the battlements along the south wall of the massive castle.
He looks towards the southeast corner tower, where his men have a bit of a foothold.
He sourly smiles as he spots the large green creature, that's apparently an ork. Which is on one of the sections of the wall, towards that tower.
Where it's swinging, and shoving a scaling ladder it's got, down at those of the baron's men, who are trying to top the wall on this side of castle Lé Dic.
The head of the Harkonin family then slightly frowns as he's sure he spots the form of sir Percavelle Lé Dic, who is even closer to the southeast tower. Where a number of the baron's soldiers have got up onto the parapet.
The baron, who wonders how both the big, burly looking green creature, and the former earl of Lé Dic got back into the castle. After they were both outside it little while ago, across the moat on this side of the massive castle.
Then he looks at the runner, a nobleborn page who serves in castle Harkonin back across the border in the fief to the east.
"What is it?" asks baron Raevar Harkonin "M'lord, the commander says the push will succeed" says the young runner as he gets his breath back, he continues with "The enemy is stretched too far now, is what he says" then as he looks back at the south side of castle Lé Dic, and he adds "You can see how spread out they are now".
The baron slowly nods his head, for that is indeed what he sees. And though his men who have got a foothold on part of the south wall, near the southeast corner of the massive castle. And how they're being cleared off by the large, green creature and the former earl of Lé Dic.
It's really only those two amongst the enemy, who are along the third of the parapet closest to the southeast corner of castle Lé Dic.
And they're only being helped by a few archers and crossbowmen up on the top of the southeast corner tower.
Elsewhere along the battlements of the south wall of the massive castle that's been the home of the Lé Dic family for generations.
Defenders are well spread out, and even from where he is upon his horse. The baron can see that there's as many castle servants and townsfolk, as there are soldiers defending the south side of castle Lé Dic now.
Raevar Harkonin slightly grimaces as a small boulder, lobbed over the wall, barely getting over it from a war machine inside the massive castle.
Smashes down upon one of the rafts on the moat. Killing and injuring the soldiers and others who had piled onto that particular raft.
"He may be right" quietly says baron Harkonin of his brother inlaw's assessment of the renewed assault upon the south wall of castle Lé Dic. Though the head of the Harkonin family would like to see more of his army up on the south wall parapet.
"Go and tell the commander to keep pushing" orders the head of the Harkonin family, the baron continues with "He's right, they are spread out, the more of our men attempt to climb the wall, the more of them will succeed".
"Yes m'lord" says the runner with a nod of his head, before he turns and heads off back to the moat, to the water's edge, where the Harkonin army commander, sir Taevar is watching the assault upon the south wall of castle Lé Dic.
Baron Harkonin is just about to look at sir Haleníc, when the young knight exclaims "Hells!". The baron looks around quickly, and sees a rift has formed away to their left, and further behind them, about fifty yards away, near the camp.
The two noblemen upon their mounts see the dark druid Palvarc hurry out of the rift, which disappears behind him.
The spellcaster who is the advisor to baron Harkonin appears to breathing heavily as he looks around.
Then the dark druid spots the head of the Harkonin family. And with his staff in hand, Palvarc jogs over and joins the baron and the young knight.
"Palvarc you're back, where's that" says Raevar Harkonin, who falls silent when his advisor glances at young knight on the horse next to the baron.
"Haleníc, you and your squad get those stragglers moving forward to the moat" says baron Harkonin who understood the look from his advisor.
"Yes m'lord" says the young knight, who is perfectly fine to be going, as he like many of the others of the nobility, and many of the commoners in the Harkonin army, don't particularly like being around the baron's advisor.
After sir Haleníc rides away, and joins his squad. Baron Harkonin quickly, and quietly asks the dark druid "Where's that airship you were going to meet up with?".
"Crashed" is the terse reply from Palvarc the dark druid, who takes a quick look behind him to the west.
"Crashed!" exclaims the head of the Harkonin family, who then lowers his voice, then quietly says "Crashed?".
"Yes m'lord, i was on it when it was attacked" says the spellcaster who is the advisor to the baron.
"By the gods" mutters Raevar Harkonin, who hastily adds "By the old ways" and is relieved his advisor didn't notice his little slip up.
"Now what are we going to do?" asks the ruler of the fief across the border to the east "Not too worry m'lord, two more warships, larger ones, battlecruisers are on their way. They departed the capital after the frigate that was attacked" says Palvarc, who briefly pauses, before adding "Well, that was what my contact believed anyway".
The head of the Harkonin family nods, then he gestures at the massive castle that's the ancestral home of his enemies, the Lé Dic family, and he says "I was hoping with them here, they could of tipped the battle our way".
The baron then says "Though it might not be all that great of loss, since we've depleted their numbers enough that a lot of our men, will be in the castle before too long".
"I see m'lord" says the dark druid, who does indeed see, that what the baron says is true, as they look at the south wall battlements of the massive castle that's been home to the Lé Dic family for generations.
The defenders along the battlements are rather spread out as they try to repulse the assault upon the south wall of castle Lé Dic,
The dark druid who sees that even the camp followers in the baron's army have joined in on the attack on the massive castle.
Once again looks behind him to the west, the direction he's come from.
The baron who notices this, asks his advisor "Is something a matter Palvarc?".
"Nothing my lord, just that" says the believer in the old ways, who slightly pauses, shakes his head, then adds "It's nothing".
Then looking to the massive castle that's been the home for the Lé Dic family for generations, the dark druid slightly frowns, then says "Is that big, green thing down there to the east end of the wall using one of our scaling ladders to hit the men?".
"It sure looks like it" says baron Harkonin in an extremely sour tone of voice, the head of the Harkonin family continues "It's an ork, apparently" he follows that with "Damn thing killed seven of my knights over on the east side of the castle".
"Damn" murmurs the baron's advisor, who isn't entirely upset that so many of the nobles are dead. He just hopes they weren't all strong believers in the old ways. As he knows a lot of the nobility here in the east of the kingdom, even in the Harkonin fief. Only pay lip service to their beliefs in the old druidic ways. As you tend to find more true believers amongst the common born.
After taking another quick look in the direction he's come from, the dark druid who knows he's being pursued. By the short fellow in the strange looking hat. And one other, who is a spellcaster of some kind.
Says to the nobleman who he's the advisor to "I could help with the assault upon the castle" Palvarc continues with "Speed up things if you like".
Raevar Harkonin slightly frowns, as he knows from the dark druid's auguries, from the sacrifices he made in preparation for the attack upon the Lé Dic fief.
That his magic shouldn't been used on the castle of the Lé Dic family if the baron wants his army to be successful.
"What blast a hole in the castle doors?" asks the ruler of the fief across the border to the east, who continues on with "I thought from the sacrifices you made, that it wouldn't be possible for me".
"I did" says the dark druid as he interrupts the nobleborn lord who he's the advisor to "It didn't say anything about those inside it defending it" adds the dark druid with a nod of his head towards the south wall of castle Lé Dic, specifically the sections near the southeast corner tower of the massive castle.
Baron Harkonin briefly pauses, then he grins and tells his advisor "Do it".
"We'll have to get a little closer" says the spellcaster, who along with the nobleman, sets off. With the baron on horseback, and the dark druid on foot.
"Haleníc this way!" calls out Raevar Harkonin to the young knight as he gestures to where he and his advisor are heading.
They cross over the road, and once on the east side of it, they head closer towards the moat. As they do, Palvarc occasionally glances back behind him to the west, the direction he's come from.
And though he looks at his staff every now and then, it doesn't warn him in relation to the spellcaster he's run into today.
"This is as a good of place as any" says the baron's advisor as they stop opposite the eastern third of the south wall of castle Lé Dic, though still back about fifty yards from the moat.
Baron Harkonin dismounts, and hands the reins to one of his personal guards who has followed him and his advisor.
And as the young knight Haleníc, and his squad of soldiers head this way. Palvarc the dark druid looks closely at the large, green figure upon the south wall parapet, swinging a more than forty foot long scaling ladder down at the baron's men who are trying to climb to the top of the wall.
The dark druid points his staff at the creature that's apparently an ork, and he says to the baron "Got him".
A dark, green beam of energy shoots from the staff of baron Harkonin's advisor. Goes across the fifty yards to the moat, and up and across the moat, to the top of the wall.
Where between two of the merlons, it strikes the large, green creature that's apparently an ork.
"Yeah, you got him" says baron Harkonin with a grin upon his face, as the scaling ladder flies from the hands of the big, burly ork as it's flung backwards, out of sight, presumably off the back of the parapet.
"Now i think i spotted that raving idiot Percavelle along the wall here" says the baron who gestures towards the southeast corner tower of castle Lé Dic, then he adds "Now if you can get rid of him too, that will definitely help with the assault along this part of the wall".
After quickly glancing away to the west once more, the dark druid Palvarc nods, then tells the baron "Let's see if i can get rid of him as well my lord baron".
"Yes let's" says a grinning Raevar Harkonin, who all of a sudden feels so much better about his army attacking castle Lé Dic, and how the chances of taking the castle will happen rather sooner than he thought they would . . . . . .