To War 107.

Summer. The Province Of Corlinda.

"They really don't want to stop do they?" says Heinë the sorceress.
"Thought they might start pulling back by now, since it's late in the afternoon" says Tovis the war engineer as they stand above the gates along the west wall of castle Measum.
The enemy has been attacking this side of the large castle all day, their heaviest and longest attack since the battle began.
And it doesn't look like they're going to stop, even though it's late in the afternoon on what's been a warm and sunny day here in the northeast of the province of Corlinda.
The nearby ballista shoots off a shot at the enemy. The two ballista are shooting infrequently now, as they're low on missiles.
The young engineer originally from the kingdom of Druvic has sent off runners throughout the day.
To search both the keep and the town within the castle. For any longspears that the war machines can use as missiles.
So far not a lot has been found, and Tovis who is the commander of the engineering corp of the first army of Farque, is loath to shoot off polearms from the ballistas.
As they're more useful in pushing off the scaling ladders the enemy put up against the west wall of the large castle that's the ancestral home of the local nobleman, lord Measum.
The war engineer glances sideways at Heinë, who sends an energyball flying at some of the enemy across the moat.
The energyball isn't particularly large, nor is the explosion that occurs across on the otherside of the moat.
All the same at least a ten of the enemy are blasted to bits from the explosion.
And just as many catch on fire from the explosion of red energy. With those able to, jumping into the moat to put the flames out.
Knowing that the sorceress can be a little temperamental at times. Tovis is still her commander, and he says to the subaltern "Save your energy".
Before the attractive spellcaster can open her mouth to argue with him, the young engineer who hails from the east of the kingdom of Druvic quietly says "That's an order".
The Farqian practitioner of magic sourly smiles, and quietly says "Yes captain".
Tovis who is in charge of the defence of castle Measum slightly nods, then tells the sorceress "If they attack through the night, I'll need you then more than now".
The war engineer who has the rank of captain in the armies of Farque continues with "No use you being tired, hardly able to cast, with them doing a full on night attack".
Heinë won't like to admit it, but she knows the young engineer is right.
So she nods in agreement with him, as they continue to watch the enemy attack the west side of the largest castle in all of southern Melaurn.
The war engineer, who previously served in the army of a baron Harkonin in the east of the kingdom of Druvic, before joining the group that travels with lord Farque.
Looks southwards along the top of the west wall of castle Measum. Down that way, the fighting has been the heaviest since this morning. Where quite a few of the enemy have topped the wall, and even got down to the open ground behind the west wall of the large castle, that's the ancestral home of lord Measum's family.
The commander of the engineering corp of the first army of Farque spots some more of the enemy lying dead behind the west wall.
And he sees Dorc da Orc and sir Percavelle Lé Dic hurrying back up some of the steps to the top of the wall.
The bitter rivals are on two sets of steps, near the southwest corner tower.
Both followed by a pair of goblins as they hurry up the steps to the parapet after wiping out the enemy who got down into the castle.
The Druvician war engineer rolls his eyes as he sees the large ork and the former paladin are clearly racing up the set of steps they're each on.
As even from here, halfway along the length of the west wall of castle Measum.
Tovis can see the two of them glaring and scowling at one another as they hurry up the set of steps they're each on.
The captain in the armies of Farque looks up to the parapet the two rivals are making their way to.
And he faintly smiles as he spots Shur Kee the monk crouching down at the edge of the parapet
Watching the ork warleader and the heavily armoured knight, hurrying back up to the top of the wall.
Tovis slightly shakes his head as the bitter rivals get up onto the parapet at the same time, and glare across the section of the wall that separates the two of them.
The young engineer who finds himself in command of the defence of the largest castle in all of southern Melaurn.
Knows that the short, statured monk has been keeping a close eye on the bitter rivals since this morning.
Making sure they don't try to kill one another in the middle of the battle.
Tovis looks away from the southern end of the near five hundred foot long west wall of castle Measum.
When Heinë quietly tells him in the elven language "The nobleman".
While the young engineer's adjunct quietly says in the elven language "Lord Measum is coming up captain".
The war engineer looks to the nearest set of steps, just to the north of the castle gates.
And he sees the local nobleman, lord Measum making his way up them to the parapet.
The local lord, who has been secure in his keep all day, since the battle began at dawn.
Keeps low once he's on top of the west wall of the large castle that's his family's ancestral home.
The nobleman and those following him, make their way to where the war engineer, his adjunct and the sorceress are standing above the west gates of castle Measum.
"Doesn't look like it" says Tovis the war engineer in the common language in response to lord Measum saying to him "Doesn't look like they're going to stop for the night, does it captain Tovis?".
The young engineer from the east of his homeland, the kingdom of Druvic then says "Since they haven't started pulling back, and the day is almost over, i suspect they'll keep attacking into the night".
The commander of the engineering corp of the first army of Farque, who finds himself in charge of the defence of the largest castle in all of southern Melaurn.
Then tells the local nobleman "We should be able to hold them out through the night even though they continue to outnumber us".
The young war engineer says this as a dead local soldier is carried by them towards the steps.
Followed by an injured soldier from the local garrison, who is limping as he's helped by one of his fellow soldiers.
I hope, Tovis thinks to himself, as throughout the day, more and more defenders along the west wall of castle Measum have been killed or wounded.
"Well let us hope so" says the lord of castle Measum who then steps aside, as does the others.
As a Farqian ranger who has just come up the steps, walks by. And stops at the next merlon along.
Where he shoots off three arrows in quick succession from his longbow, before he walks back.
Nodding to the young engineer as he goes by, on his way to the steps, which he goes back down.
Lord Measum lifts his eyebrows, as he looks down, and spots the ranger all in black, walking near the base of the wall, to the next set of steps along.
Then the local nobleman, looks at the war engineer who is in charge of the large castle that's the ancestral home of his family, and asks him "How long do you think we can hold out captain?".
"As long as necessary" is the reply of the young Druvician engineer, who commands the engineering corp of the first army of Farque.
Who looks out at the enemy, knowing that for the mean time, none of their archers or crossbowmen will be shooting at this section of the parapet.
Infact, as the day has gone on. There's been less and less of the enemy archers and crossbowmen.
As they, along with enemy officers, have been the main targets of the Farqian rangers and scouts.
And for the most part, for the local soldiers with bows and crossbows as well.
As a scaling ladder, away to the left, on the south side of the west wall gates.
Is shoved off the face of the wall by some of the defenders. Sending it, and a pair of enemy soldiers hanging onto it, as they try to climb to the top of the wall.
Falling back into the moat, where it crashes into a few enemy soldiers who are in the water near the gates of the west wall of the large castle.
Tovis the war engineer tells the local lord "We'll probably need that squad at the keep here soon".
Before lord Measum can say anything, the Druvician war engineer says "Some of those on the wall need a rest, and that squad from the keep will take their place".
The local nobleman here in the northeast of the province of Corlinda, in the area of the province known as the Corlinda Corner.
Looks like he's going to argue with the young field commander, but he thinks about it for a few moments, then says "Of course" followed by "I'll send for them straight away".
The local nobleman turns to one of those with him, and starts issuing orders.
As he does, Heinë the sorceress catches the eye of the war engineer, and she nods away to the south.
The young engineer who is originally from the kingdom of Druvic looks that way.
And he spots the latest enemy dead on this side of the wall, been gathered up by some of the townsfolk. And carried to the nearest catapult towards that end of the longest wall of castle Measum.
Tovis knows that it just a little while, those enemy dead will be flung over the wall, back at the living enemy who are trying to get into the large castle that's the ancestral home of lord Measum's family.
As a scaling ladder thumps up against the gates here on the west side of castle Measum.
Tovis the war engineer says "Best you get down off the wall lord Measum" he pauses for a moment, before adding "Unless you want to stay and help out?".
The local nobleman knows his limitations, and even in armour with a sword on his hip.
He's not experienced at battle, nor is he particularly good at fighting.
So he nods to the commander of the engineering corp of the first army of Farque.
And he and those with him, make their way to the nearest set of steps, which they quickly head down.
Just as an enemy soldier tops the wall, as some of the defenders try to push away the scaling ladder up against the gates.
An axe thumps into the left leg of the enemy soldier, who screams in pain as he topples backwards off the wall, and falls into the moat below.
A trio of the local soldiers from the garrison here in castle Measum. Along with a spotter from the engineering corp of the first army of Farque.
Use a pair of polearms to shove the top of the enemy scaling ladder away from the top of the wall above the gates.
The scaling ladder goes back, and once it's at the point of no return, momentum takes over, and it falls backwards across the moat.
As it does, two more of the local soldiers, have picked up a large rock from one of the dwindling piles here above the gates of the west wall.
And they shove it off the top of the wall between two of the merlons.
And it crashes down upon some of the enemy at the base of the wall, who were holding the scaling ladder, and who are now trying to lift it back up.
"Just a small one" says Heinë the sorceress in the elven language, when she goes to cast a spell.
Tovis the war engineer nods in response to her, then the attractive subaltern in the armies of Farque casts a spell.
One end of the scaling ladder floating on the water infront of the west gates of castle Measum catches on fire.
It burns quickly and ferociously, burning away that end of the ladder in the water in just moments.
Another eight feet or so of the scaling ladder in the water is burnt away fairly quickly before the flames go out almost as quickly as they appeared.
That scaling ladder is now useless, as now it's too short to be of any use to the enemy.
As they continue to attack the west side of the largest castle in all of southern Melaurn.
As they've been doing all day since just after dawn, and now it's late in the afternoon with sun dropping down to the horizon to the west.
On what's been a warm and sunny, summer day here in the northeast of the province of Corlinda.
As water and food is brought up on the wall for the defenders where there's a lull in the fighting in some of the sections of the wall.
Tovis the war engineer says to Heinë the sorceress and his adjunctant "I suspect they're going to fight right through the night".
He's seen enough of the enemy's behaviour today to realise that, this is it for them.
They're either going to breach the castle walls, or they're going to give up if they're unable to get into castle Measum.
"The battle will continue on" adds the captain in the armies of Farque, who then says "Either they'll get in, or we'll wipe as many of them out as possible, that they can no longer sustain an assault upon the castle walls".
Both the sorceress and the adjunct nod in agreement with their commander.
As the three of them continue to watch the enemy attack the west side of the large castle, that's the ancestral home of the local nobleman, lord Measum . . . . . .