The Homecoming 147.

A Death...

Along the north wall parapet of castle Lé Dic, Lisell Maera is taking a bit of a break as there aren't that many of the enemy attacking this side of the castle at the moment.
The attractive young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury who is drinking from her water bottle, looking over to the east wall parapet, where the fighting has been continuous throughout the afternoon.
Lisell or Lis as she's commonly referred to by the others in the group. Has spotted Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy in the thick of the fighting along the battlements on the east side of the castle that's the ancestral home of the Lé Dic family.
The teenager, whose mother was a street prostitute and whose father, who she never knew, was a sailor.
Watches now, as the spy Tanith is once again fighting the Harkonin soldiers who have got up onto the parapet of the east wall of castle Lé Dic.
Lisell Maera is just wondering if she should send a couple of archers along the battlements towards the northeast corner tower, so that they can shoot across at the enemy who have gained the top of the east wall.
When one of the two experienced Lé Dic soldiers who have been her seconds here on the north wall parapet, says "Over there".
Lis looks at him as he leans backwards against the next merlon along, and sees where he's pointing to.
The attractive teenager who hails from the western coast of the Southlands, looks at the central keep of castle Lé Dic.
There she spots two figures standing upon the roof of the largest keep in the massive castle. One of whom she instantly recognises as Helbe the elven thief.
And after a few moments, she realises the other is Palvarc the dark druid, who is the advisor to baron Harkonin.
The two spellcasters, one elven from the island principality of Laerel. And the other, human, from the fief across the border to the east.
Stand about sixty feet apart on top of the central keep of castle Lé Dic. The two of them seem to talking about something, as it looks like they're calling out to one another.
Lisell Maera who is leaning back against the merlon behind her. Stands up straighter, and closely watches the confrontation upon the roof of the central keep. Wondering what will happen.
Over on the battlements along the west wall of the massive castle that's been the home of the Lé Dic family for generations.
Tamric Drubine who has just sent another soldier with a crossbow. This one from castle Duc de Laér, who journeyed here with lady Marsaé Duc de Laér.
South along the west wall parapet. To help out those shooting at the enemy across on the south wall of the massive castle. Which it has been all day. Is under heavy attack from the enemy army.
The nobleborn teenager from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin, glances at the archer beside him. Who is leaning back against the merlon they're behind, who nods into the castle and says to young noble who commands the defence of this side of castle Lé Dic "Wonder what those two are doing?".
Tamric Drubine, or Tam as he's more often referred to, by those in the group. Turns around and looks into the massive castle that's the ancestral home of the Lé Dic family.
There on the central keep he sees Helbe the elven thief who has his back to him. While opposite the young elven noble, is baron Harkonin's advisor, the dark druid Palvarc who stands towards the eastern end of the roof of the largest keep in the massive castle.
The former heir of castle Drubine in northern Sarcrin watches on with intent as the two spellcasters face one another in the very middle of castle Lé Dic.
Tam knows that basically anything could happen in the confrontation between the two practitioners of magic.
Meanwhile, along the battlements on the south wall of the massive castle that's been the home to the nobleborn Lé Dic family for centuries.
Where the fighting has been the heaviest throughout the day.
Riley Hait the mercenary ranger after letting an arrow fly from his elven made longbow. Helps a pair of castle servants and a soldier in the army of lady Linara Lé Dic. Push an enemy scailing ladder off the face of the wall.
As he and the soldier use a polearm to do so. The mercenary ranger from the elven principality of Envadarlen looks down at the moat below.
On it, away to his left, he spots one of the rafts used by the enemy. It has on it a trio who are definitely not from the Harkonin fief.
The ranger Hait sourly smiles as he sees Dorc da Orc, sir Percavelle Lé Dic and Shur Kee the monk on the raft, making their way across the moat to the south wall of the massive castle.
As usual when there's water involved. The mercenary ranger sees that the large ork is doing as little as possible, as he crouches down in the middle of the raft, leaving the heavily armoured knight and the short, statured monk to pole the raft across the moat.
Then after he and the other three finally push the scailing ladder away. The soldier who gets behind the merlon on the left, has turned around and says to the ranger Hait "Look at that on the central keep".
The mercenary ranger who is really a hordes outrider from the southern tundra by the name of Zubutai Timaginson, who due to circumstances beyond his control, happens to find himself inhabiting the body of Riley Hait.
Turns around and looks into the castle, and as a few burning barrels shot from a catapult down in the south courtyard barely passes overhead.
Riley aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman looks across to the roof of the central keep of castle Lé Dic.
And there he spots Helbe the elven thief towards the western end of the roof. While opposite him on the eastern end of the central keep, stands baron Harkonin's advisor, the dark druid Palvarc.
The mercenary ranger who was raised and trained by some of the elven warders of Envadarlen wonders how the elven magic user will fare against the dark druid from the Harkonin fief.
As the elven princeling told him earlier in the day, he'd die if he directly confronted baron Harkonin's advisor.
Riley aka Zubutai Timaginson looks away from the two practitioners of magic when he hears the shouts of "Lé Dic!" away to the left along the battlements in response to the shouts of "Harkonin!" from the enemy who have topped the south wall of the massive castle that's the ancestral home of the Lé Dic family.
Over on the east wall parapet of castle Lé Dic, Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy who has just stabbed a Harkonin soldier in the throat, and shoved him off the top of the wall to the moat below.
Helps a Lé Dic soldier to pick up another soldier from the fief across the border to the east who the spy Tanith has killed, and roll the body off the top of the wall.
Where it crashes down upon one of the enemy rafts on the moat at the base of the east wall of the massive castle.
After doing so, the Harkonin soldier says to the elf from the principality of Alínlae "Look there on the central keep".
The elven spy who once served in one of the more prominent noble houses in his homeland of Alínlae turns and looks across to the central keep of castle Lé Dic.
There he spots Helbe the elven thief on the roof of the largest keep in the massive castle. The young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel is facing the dark druid Palvarc, the advisor to baron Harkonin.
Dalinvardél Tanith or Dalin as he's more often referred to by the others in the group, wonders how the elven masterthief will fare against the dark druid from the Harkonin fief.
As he had mentioned he would find it difficult facing baron Harkonin's advisor, and the staff the dark druid uses.
On the four walls of castle Lé Dic. Lisell Maera on the north. Tamric Drubine on the west. Riley Hait on the south. And Dalinvardél Tanith on the east.
All see what happens when prince Helbenthril Raendril and the dark druid Palvarc suddenly attack one another.
For a moment there's a dozen elven magic users in white hooded cloaks leaping forward at the dark druid from the Harkonin fief.
And beam of dark green energy shoots from the staff of baron Harkonin's advisor.
The beam of energy goes through one of the Helbe the elven thief's, and shoots off into the afternoon sky, going over the west wall of castle Lé Dic.
Suddenly they see Palvarc the dark druid grab at his face, then spin around, trying to aim his staff at one of the copies of the young elven noble.
Then the dark druid drops his staff and covers his face with both hands. The copies of Helbe the elven thief disappear, and there's just one of him now standing off to one side of baron Harkonin's advisor who has dropped to his knees upon the roof of the central keep of the massive castle that's been home to the Lé Dic family for generations.
It's not long before they see Palvarc the dark druid topple over onto his side, with a bloody face and throat, while the young elven noble from the principality of Laerel stands a dozen feet away from him, watching him without moving.
Well he's dead, that's for sure, Riley Hait the mercenary ranger dryly thinks to himself after he sees baron Harkonin's advisor, the dark druid Palvarc fall over onto his side on the roof of the central keep of castle Lé Dic while Helbe the elven thief watches on.
The mercenary ranger who is on the south wall battlements of the massive castle, looks at the soldier infront of him as they pass over the main gates on this wall of the castle.
Who looks back at him and says "There's an enemy knight on the parapet".
"Shit" mutters the ranger Hait, who looks around the Lé Dic soldier infront of him. And through the defenders further along the battlements. He spots a heavily armoured knight amongst the enemy who have a foothold along a section of the wall.
Riley aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman is pretty certain that the enemy nobleman is sir Taevar the Harkonin army commander.
And that he must have some balls to get on the water, and climb to the top of the south wall of castle Lé Dic wearing all that heavy armour.
Now the commander of baron Harkonin's army is cutting down any defender who gets in his way. Whether it be a soldier, castle servant or townsfolk. The landed knight from the fief across the border to the east, cuts them down with ease.
The mercenary ranger from the elven principality of Envadarlen slightly grimaces, then he covers the lower half of his face with the traditional black hordes cloth he wears around his neck.
Riley aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman swings his longbow onto his back. And he draws his two long daggers, as he the soldier infront of him, move forward along the parapet to where the enemy knight is.
There's a soldier a bit further infront of the two of them, who is a bit smarter than anyone else who has come up against the commander of the Harkonin army so far.
For he throws a hammer over the heads of the townsmen infront of him. A hammer that whacks into the heavily armoured left shoulder of the enemy knight.
And though sir Taevar staggers backwards, the landed knight still swings his broadsword, which chops into the side of one of the three townsfolk directly infront of him.
"Here" says the Lé Dic soldier with the ranger Hait, who picks up a polearm off the parapet, and hands it to his fellow soldier who just threw the hammer at the nobleborn knight from the Harkonin fief.
They both hold it as they close in on the commander of the enemy army. Who is leaning against a merlon, while a Harkonin soldier jumps forward, and attacks the other two townsmen.
All three of them go off the back of the parapet when one of the townsfolk is cut down by the enemy soldier's shortsword, tripping over his fellow townsman. Who grabs at the Harkonin soldier. Hauling him off the battlements as he goes to swing his shortsword again. All three of them hit the courtyard over forty feet down with a thud.
The two Lé Dic soldiers with the polearm stab it forward at the heavily armoured knight who is now standing upright and facing them,
Sir Taevar batters it to one side with his heavy broadsword, sending one of the soldiers stumbling into a merlon. And the other who now holds the polearm by himself, swings the long weapon at the commander of the Harkonin army.
The heavily armoured knight ducks under the swinging polearm, and sweeps his broadsword out infront him. Where it whacks into the legs of the Lé Dic soldier with the polearm.
That soldier drops to the parapet screaming in pain, with his left leg chopped off below the knee.
Riley Hait leaps over the downed soldier, and dropkicks sir Taevar in the helm as the enemy knight goes to stand up.
The Harkonin army commander goes stumbling backwards, while the mercenary ranger who has landed upon the parapet. Springs to his feet, and is quickly upon the enemy knight.
The ranger Hait has fought many a heavily armoured opponent before. And he knows they all have a weakness. Their helm, or more precisely, their faceplate and eyeslot, which hampers their vision.
And unless they're extremely quick, like sir Percavelle Lé Dic is. They move far slower than those with lighter armour, such as the hardened leather armour the mercenary ranger from the elven principality of Envadarlen is in.
As sir Taevar staggers to a halt, Riley Hait jabs one of his long daggers at the faceplate of the enemy knight, straight at the eyeslot in the full helm.
Baron Harkonin's army commander gets lucky, and turns his head at the last moment. And the mercenary ranger's long dagger scrapes along the side of knights full helm.
Riley aka Zubutai Timaginson stabs his other long dagger at the inside of the enemy knight's left arm. Where he sees it's chainmail covering the underside of the arm, as the plate doesn't fully enclose the nobleman's arms.
Sir Taevar grunts in pain, and his left arm drops to his side as blood starts running down it.
Then the ranger Hait stabs his first long dagger once again at the front of the Harkonin army commander's full helm. This time it goes in through the eyeslot.
As it does, Riley Hait murmurs in the hordes dialect of the southern tundra, through the traditional black cloth covering his face from the nose down "Fuck your mother".
Sir Taevar drops to a knee screaming, as blood splurts from the faceplate of his full helm.
The nobleman from the fief across the border to the east, who is blinded and has dropped his broadsword.
Gropes around for his weapon, he can't find it, but grabs something else instead as the mercenary ranger from the elven principality of Envadarlen steps forward towards him.
Blind, on one knee and about to die, sir Taevar swings up as hard as he can, and the hammer that was thrown at him earlier, which he has managed to blindly pick up.
Completely takes Riley aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman by surprise, smashing into the side of his face and head . . . . . .