The Homecoming 149.

The Battle Continues...

Sir Percavelle Lé Dic and Shur Kee the monk hop over to a raft that has a scailing ladder up against the south wall of the massive castle that's the ancestral home of the Lé Dic family.
One moment the Harkonin soldiers and camp followers who were on the raft with the ladder were climbing up it, and waiting to climb.
Then the next moment they were all in the moat, beneath the water. By the looks of it, keeping themselves beneath the surface until they drowned.
The short statured monk who is first up the scailing ladder, which is surprisingly steady with no one holding it.
Looks up and spots Helbe the elven thief up on the battlements looking down at him from between two merlons.
The young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel then steps back out of view. And the acolyte in the philosophical order of Bru Li continues up the scailing ladder, followed by the former earl of Lé Dic.
"Oi cunts!" calls out Dorc da Orc from the other raft they used to cross the moat to the south wall of the massive castle that's been home to the Lé Dic family for centuries.
"What about Dorc?" adds the large ork who remains upon the raft with the body of Riley Hait the mercenary ranger.
"Wait there beast" replies sir Percavelle Lé Dic who is up the first couple of rungs of the scailing ladder, and is rather glad to be leaving the ork warleader behind.
"Opens up that little fucken gate over there" says the ork weaponsmith who waves away to the left in the direction of the sally port not far from the main gates along this side of castle Lé Dic.
The heavily armoured knight doesn't say anything, and just grins behind the visor of his full helm. As he hopes the big, burly ork gets peppered by enemy archers and crossbowmen.
Or even better, falls into the moat. Which the knight in the order of Saint Mar-che will find absolutely hilarious as he knows how much the large ork hates water.
"We will friend Dorc" calls down Shur Kee the monk, as they all know the warleader of the ork race is far too big to climb one of the scailing ladders.
If they were bigger, thicker and heavier, and not on floating rafts on a moat. He'd be able to climb one of them to the battlements of the massive castle that's been in sir Percavelle's family for generations.
"And friend Dorc" adds the short, statured monk wearing an odd, conical shaped hat "Leave friend Riley's body alone" says the physical adept who hails from the far eastern coast of the continent.
Dorkindle sourly smiles as he knows exactly what Shur Kee is referring to "Me will" says the large ork, who then mutters in his native language "He nots fucken fat enough to be tasty anyways".
The weaponsmith from the wolf tribe of orks has spied some of the ranger Hait's brains sticking out of the half of his head that remains.
The big, burly ork from the southern polar region of the world intends to scoop out some of them, and gobble them up when no one is looking.
After all, that's the best way he can think of honouring the dead mercenary ranger. Eating some of his brains to always remember him by.
The son of the former matriarch of the wolf tribe of orks, grins and softly chuckles as he looks down at the body of Riley Hait. While Shur Kee the monk basically scrambles up the nearby scailing ladder, and sir Percavelle Lé Dic, who though wearing a full suit of heavy plate armour. Isn't exactly slow as he heads up the ladder too.
The grin is wiped off the broad, green, feral looking face of the ork warleader when all of a sudden the body of the ranger Hait disappears from beside him.
And as a raft full of Harkonin soldiers and camp followers further to the right of him along the base of the south wall of castle Lé Dic. Turn their weapons upon one another, and start killing each other.
The ork weaponsmith looks up to the battlements above him, and spots Helbe the elven thief looking down at him.
Dorc da Orc grins and waves to the young elven noble who is the nominal leader of the group in the absence of lord Farque.
"Ah sweet" murmurs the big, burly ork who hails from the bottom of the world, he then calls out "Magic me up!" Dorkindle then mutters in the ork language "Ya fucken tree humper".
After a few moments, when the large ork finds himself still upon the raft on the water, and he can no longer see the elven princeling looking down at him. He growls, then yells out "Cunt!".
The warleader of the ork race sighs, and sits down in the middle of the raft he's on.
Not caring that along the moat here on the southern side of castle Lé Dic. That all the other rafts that have soldiers and camp followers from the fief across the border to the east on them. Start sinking one by one.
Dumping all of those on them, into the water.
Up on the battlements of the south wall of the massive castle that's the ancestral home of the Lé Dic family.
As first, Shur Kee the monk climbs over the top of the wall, and onto the parapet. Followed a short while later by sir Percavelle Lé Dic.
Helbe the elven thief, who no longer has to worry about the dark druid Palvarc since Narladene the ground pixie killed him.
Is free to unleash upon the Harkonin soldiers and others from the fief across the border to the east, who are assaulting castle Lé Dic.
The highly talented elven spellcaster deals to them by simply sinking every raft they're on, here on the south side of the massive castle.
Most of them who fall into the moat can't swim anyway. And many of them drown. While others struggle through the water to get to the otherside of the moat.
Helbe the elven thief glances over at the former earl of Lé Dic and shakes his hooded head no, and says "Nothing" in response to the knight in the order of Saint Mar-che asking him "Is there anything you can do for the ranger fellow?".
As he gestures at the body of Riley Hait who now lies on the parapet at the feet of the young elven noble who is the grandson of the ruling prince of Laerel.
"All we can do is get this battle over with as quickly as possible" says the elven master assassin who by way of a spell sinks another of the rafts down on the moat below them.
The elven princeling who has sent Tovis the war engineer back down into the south courtyard. Glances over at Shur Kee the monk, who has just covered the dead ranger's body with a discarded cloak that was lying nearby.
Catching the physical adept's eye, the elven magic user slightly nods his hooded head to the acolyte in the order of Bru Li.
The highly talented spellcaster who finds it easy to cast multiple spells at the same time. Tells Shur Kee something by way of mindspeech.
The short statured monk from the far eastern coastal kingdom of Wah Lee after listening to what the elven princeling has to say into his mind. Nods his head in understanding.
Hopefully i shall see you again soon friend Zubutai, the physical adept thinks to himself as he looks down at the cloak covered body of Riley Hait the mercenary ranger that lies upon the parapet.
While down below on the moat along this side of the castle Lé Dic. The battle that's raged since this morning. Has suddenly drastically changed now that prince Helbenthril Raendril is free to do what he wants, now that he doesn't have to worry about the advisor to baron Harkonin.
The dark druid Palvarc, who lies dead upon the roof of the central keep of the massive castle that's the ancestral home of the nobleborn Lé Dic family.
"Percy, Shur Kee" says the elven master assassin "Help this lot along the parapet clear any of the enemy who are still on the battlements" adds the young elven noble who is now in overall command of the defence of castle Lé Dic.
They both nod their heads, then the short, statured monk asks the elven masterthief "What will you be doing friend Helbe?".
"Helping Dalin out over on the east side of the castle" is the response of the elven magic user, who after sinking the last of the rafts down in the moat below, with the exception of the one that Dorc da Orc remains on.
Has a number of the enemy across on the otherside of the moat on this side of castle Lé Dic. Attack their fellow soldier and camp followers who have been able to get out of the water.
The elven princeling after a quick glance down at the body of Riley Hait who has been covered with a cloak. Disappears as he shifts away to the east side of castle Lé Dic.
Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy has just helped a soldier and two castle servants roll a couple of dead Harkonin soldiers off the top of the wall. Dropping them down on those on the moat, who are trying to climb up to the battlements here on the east side of the massive castle, when Helbe the elven thief appears beside him.
"I see you took care of that druid" says Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy who nods towards the central keep of the castle.
The young elven noble just nods his hooded head as he looks down at the enemy here on the east side of castle Lé Dic.
The elven spy from the principality of Alínlae notices the flinty look in the eyes of the elven princeling, and immediately figures out something else must of happened that's got the attention of elven magic user who is about ninety years younger than he is.
"What is it?" quietly asks Dalinvardél Tanith or Dalin as he's more commonly called by the others in the group.
"Riley's dead" is the quiet reply of the grandson of Prince Raendril of Laerel, who like ever when he's talking to just Dalin, he speaks in the elven language.
The spy Tanith winces when hears about the death of the mercenary ranger who was brought up and trained in the elven principality of Envadarlen.
"Fuck" mutters the elf who once served in one of the more prominent noble houses in his homeland of Alínlae.
The elven master archer nods his hooded head in agreement with Dalinvardél Tanith.
Then the elven magic user spots a quartet of Harkonin soldiers further to the north along the top of the east wall of castle Lé Dic.
With basic mind control and compulsion spells. Helbe the elven thief has them jump off the top of the wall. To dive down into the moat, to hit any of the rafts at the base of the wall.
Or dive head first down into the east courtyard of the massive castle that's been the home of the Lé Dic family for centuries.
Those four from the Harkonin fief are quickly dead. Once they are, the young elven noble who hails from the principality of Laerel.
Starts sinking the rafts the enemy have been using down in the moat, here on the eastern side of castle Lé Dic.
Prince Helbenthril Raendril just glances at each raft one at a time and they begin sinking as he casts a very simple, and very small blast spell beneath each raft. Which easily breaks them apart. Sending those on them, into the water.
"Guess we won't have much trouble from them now" says Dalin as he sees the enemy rafts down in the moat start to break apart, dunking those Harkonin soldiers and camp followers on them, into the water.
The elven masterthief nods his hooded head in agreement, then tells the spy from the elven principality of Alínlae "Had to get that druid out of the way to allow me to do what i want".
"Stands to reason" says the spy Tanith over the noise of the defenders along the parapet cheering as they see what's happening down below on the moat.
"Oh Mira is on his way here" says Helbe the elven thief, who after a slight pause adds "The lord is probably more than likely with him".
The elven spy looks sharply at the young elven noble and quickly asks him "You think".
The elven master assassin who doesn't even have to read the mind of Dalin to figure out what he's thinking. Interrupts him, and says "We'll see" the highly talented elven magic user after pausing again, continues with "We'll find out later today, or in the evening i guess. As I've sent Narladene to tell them about the death of Riley".
"Let's hope that he can" murmurs Dalinvardél Tanith, whose fine eyebrows go up in surprise when the young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel tells him "Oh, and I've also captured the baron".
"He's out of it, tied up and gagged, in the hayloft of one of the stables over on the west side of the castle" adds prince Helbenthril Raendril.
"Hell" murmurs Dalin who as he now sees some of the enemy on the otherside of the moat, attacking those of their fellow soldiers and camp followers in baron Harkonin's army who are struggling out of the water, continues with "By the forest gods, the baron's day has definitely not gone as he expected".
"That it hasn't" quietly says Helbe the elven thief, who after the death of the dark druid Palvarc at the tiny hands of Narladene the ground pixie.
Has single handedly, turned the battle for castle Lé Dic this clear and sunny spring day, in the favour of those defending the massive castle that's been the home of the Lé Dic family for many a generation.
Infact it was in the death of baron Harkonin's advisor, the dark druid Palvarc.
That has allowed the young elven noble to defeat the enemy army attacking the Lé Dic castle . . . . . .