Turn4

To Fight or to Flee...

By the Postern door - west...

After the groups of Szreldor move on, the backstreet now appears safe and the Hobbits choose to venture out of their hiding place to flee from this part of the village. Heading quickly and carefully back the way they have come, they reach the postern door just as two Szreldor warriors appear from outside and confront them.

<These Szreldor carry thinner curve-bladed swords than the others and do not have spikes on their helmets.>
They still appear menacing however and the two Hobbits back off hurriedly looking for a way to escape...

"I think they're not the type to talk, Billy? What do you think of fleeing?" says Raddish, stepping back through the door. He quickly looks around for a way to flee...

Billy's eyes remain on the men before them and pulls out a wide bladed shortsword to defend himself. He nevertheless backs off also ready to flee if the Szreldor attack, his jaw set grimly with determination.

The lead Szreldor, a man somewhere near middle-age, shouts in an accented form of the Northmen tongue:
"Stop! who are you?"
The man chooses also to lower his sabre from an attack stance and gestures for the other man to do likewise before continuing : "If you are fleeing the Szreldor dogs, then I may be able to help you ...".

"Well met Sir," says Raddish, keeping an eye out for a way to flee past the men. "My name is Raddish Smallfold of Rushy in the South and as you said we're fleeing the Szreldor. How can you help us?"

While still paying attention to the door Raddish and Billy emerged from, Relg answers:
"My name is Relg - of the Fist. I hunt the Szreldor. I have some of their horses over there, hiding in the trees." Relg points to a small stand of low trees behind them. He gestures to the other warrior:
"Coru may accompany you there, if you wish to leave. Have you been pursued?"

"Um, I don't think so...," ventures Billy unsure whether to trust these Eastern men.

"I believe this is a raid," adds the man named Relg. "The Szreldor do not intend to destroy the village, only to cause maximum confusion while they retrieve whatever they are after - whether it be wealth, scalps or just slave-prisoners. They will not stay here long so I can only suggest you leave soon from this gate before their warriors return. For us," he adds, "we have still a score to settle."

Meanwhile...

Meraina dismounts a good few metres from the door. She pokes her head around the street corner and looks for Szreldor gaurds... there are apparently none. This may be her chance of escaping the village.
Leaping onto the dappled horse once more, she rides hard for the door but reins the animal in abruptly when she arrives, noticing that just beyond the portal stand two cloaked figures.
Not waiting to see who they are or what they are talking about, she wheels the horse around and swiftly and silently mingles once more into the shadows before spurring the animal into clattering flight to find the other exits.

**************

Arekhel nods quickly at Gwalchmai's words, and follows him downstairs, ready to go outside. She says quickly:
"Burning the tavern. That's completely mad! These men are mad!"

When Balneg furiously tries to prevent them leaving Arekhel stops suddenly, looking fiercely at Balneg, and nearly shouts in an angry but panicky voice: "Do you want to stay here?! I've looked through the window. These warriors are systematically burning every house in this settlement. Your roof is on fire, your patrons are running away...and I don't want to think of all your ales and beers when they'll catch fire! You're talking of this place being the centre of people's lives...but they're all dying, the people of your village...and you''ll be one of them if you remain obstinate!"

"But, but...," Balneg splutters, clearly surprised at Arekhel's sudden reaction. "But you haven't paid! We need to put the fire out. We can save the building, I know it. Wait!" he tries to hold the woman back from the door.

Arekhel reacts by violently pushing the man back and out of the way. She says in an hysterical voice:
"I don't want to die in your house...I don't want to die anyway! Let me go, let me go!!!!!!"

The poor Innkeeper backs into Heladil who remains standing by the door. The Elf holds the man away from him and with a determined set of his shoulders, speaks out: "I think we had best deal with these folk before we douse the fire." Looking to the innkeeper, he says: "What good would it do to start to put the fire out if they would cut you down and start it up again?"

The Elven woman storms out into the yard in a sudden rage, swearing loudly.

Gwalchmai turns on the Tavern-keeper and tries to half pull, half drag both him and his wife towards the trapdoor to the cellar but Balneg however has other ideas and pulls his sleeve from the mercenaries grip, tearing it.

"I'm not having people leaving just like that. You come back here you !" and he rushes out after Arekhel, waving his fist.

Gwalchmai is left with Galgwen who gives up fighting the Northman's vice-like grip. She stands sobbing and looking from face to face in desperation, pleading. Undeterred the young mercenary opens the cellar door and shows the way to Galgwen saying, "If you want to live, go down there and stay until the fire stops".

The woman nods without speaking and descends the first few steps. Gwalchmai doesn't wait and marches out of the backdoor, his sturdy legs quickly catching up on the overweight Balneg.

Arekhel stops, hearing Balneg following after her. She turns to stare at him but her face seems more relaxed: she has obviously calmed down somewhat. In a calm but firm voice she speaks:
"Look, you old beer bag! Stop shouting at me like this. Don't you realise everything is on fire?! Can't you hear the cries and shouts? It is your life that is at risk, stop thinking only of your Inn. You'd better follow this man's advice," she points at Gwalchmai over the man's shoulder, "and either hide or go...otherwise, you'll be paid only by sword iron and blood!"

As Gwalchmai reaches unarmed for the Innkeeper, the man turns round swiftly and with finger raised demands: "...and your not thinking also to..."

WHAM!

Gwalchmai's huge fist catches the man on his chin, snapping his head back and overbalancing him backwards. Balneg crashes to the dirt yard - out cold. Without comment, the Northman lifts him over his shoulder and carries the limp body back into the tavern, and descends with him into the cellar.

Arekhel turns and runs for the stables.

Heladil sees the Northman head down the stairs and looks at his leg ruefully, "Well, he can at least do a better job of warning these poor folks...." He reaches for his great bow and stringing an arrow, he limps out into the yard searching for the invading Easterlings.

<The stoneclad room below the Tavern is cold but fresh, with pillars and a shallow vaulted stone ceiling. It must stretch at least under the whole tavern building and someway into the surrounding yard also.>

Gwalchmai dumps the body against a stack of dried logs and reassures his frightened wife with a few coins payment for his lodging. "That's my share. Don't ask me to pay for the others". He leaves back up the stairs.

**************

Somewhere towards the center of the village...

Saelvach finds himself unable to draw his gaze away from the scene nearby. Despite almost physically urging himself that he must make it to the guardhouse, the plaintive sounds of the woman's voice hold him as securely as a bear hug from a Beorning.

... the loss of Karia cut him more deeply than a Szreldor sword ever could and he would not let it happen again...

Quickly scanning the surrounding area, Saelvach flits between the shadows, working from house to house as quickly as possible in an arc towards the alleyway where the sound is coming from. As he passes into the mouth of the adjoining alleyway, he stoops to pick up a small rock which he can throw across the square and momentarily distract his foe, before sprinting around the building to the far end.

...In the deserted street, Boldor pauses to get his bearings. There are no signs of Szreldor here but some local people suddenly run from one house further down the street and disappear opposite as if fleeing or trying to hide from the invaders.

Boldor turns and heads at a fast pace down to that part of the street, away from the gaurdhouse. The people have disappeared through an alleyway to another street but maybe some of the enemy are nearby. The rapidly sobering Dwarf heads through empty cobbled streets that are now strangely quiet. The sounds of fighting can be heard but they seem a long way off and none of the houses near here appear damaged or on fire.
"Dwarven construction," he thinks smiling, moving randomly from street to alley and back until after a few minutes he finds himself in a small courtyard with a wellpit at its center. There are four exits but one catches his attention immediately as he hears a voice speak in the hushed tones of a strange language and then a falling stone hits the cobbles somewhere nearby him, shattering with an audible crack. The sound is answered by a Szreldorn warrior who appears from the darkened mouth of the alleyway to investigate. He notices and stares directly at the Dwarf, surprised, but with scimitar held at the ready.

... In the alleyway, the girl whimpers as a Szreldorn blade nicks the tender skin of her neck. The warrior, forcing her against the wall, grunts animalistically in satisfaction as his other hand finally unties the cords of his breeches. They slide down his hairy legs as his hand reaches for the woman's nightskirts.

Saelvach throws caution to the wind and leaps forward and down the alley towards the pair, his smooth blade held high as he runs. At almost the same moment, a bellow echoes from the adjoining street.
Boldor charges his enemy, a maniacal grin on his reddened face. As he lunges in a two-handed swing at the defending warrior, the Dwarf shouts into the enemies face: "Die, maggot-breath!"

Saelvach aims a mighty chopping blow at the surprised Szreldor but his momentum carries him forward, sliding into his quarry who is knocked away from his prisoner to fall sprawling onto the ground. The Gambler follows, as the man's leg catches him in the knee and he also ends up rolling on the ground.

...There is a loud splintering crunch from the other end of the street as Boldor's heavy mattock staves in the Szreldor's shield. The stocky Dwarf barrels into the man behind his blow, crushing him against the wall. The Easterling's scimitar spirals out of reach as the man gasps before crumpling to the ground, his upper leg crushed. Boldor gets in a swift butt with the forehead to finish him off but its unecessary as the man is already dying of massive internal shock. Boldor looks for a moment in satisfaction before searching out another opponent to reak vengeance upon.

*************

On the south road...

"YEEAAARH!!" shout both the Northmen, charging forward to the nearest trio of goblins. The greenskins give an answering shout but stand their ground. The first draw of blood goes to Lochan once again as a goblin staggers backwards stunned by a powerful blow to his side. His companion however leaps to the other side of Lochan's horse and delivers a strong blow to the Ranger's unprotected side. Lochan wavers in the saddle as his lower back tenses with the shock of the blow. He switches attention to the danger at his side.

Meanwhile, Valdo trades blows with another goblin but this one seems to have developed a level of common sense and deflects most of the soldier's blows. Valdo manages to lunge beneath the upturned shield but can only just draw blood. The Gaurd-captain suddenly realises the greenskin's simple plan - to keep both men busy until the three reinforcements approach within striking range.
Taking a dangerous risk, the soldier steps into the path of his opponent's blade, who miscalculates and the weapon swings too far over to reach him. Valdo however is within the goblins defensive range and swings with all his might at the exposed body. He is rewarded as the bright metal of his broadsword strikes deep, opening up the goblins belly, almost severing the small creature in half through the spine. The carcass topples backwards as blood sprays in all directions and not too soon as Lochan suffers another badly deflected strike and is nearly thrown from his horse. Hot, red blood runs down the Ranger's leg and he winces in pain as the other goblin's blade bounces off his sword.

With the smell of blood in the early morning air, the other three goblins leap to the attack and surround the gaurd-captain. He deflects the sword-strikes as best he can but for every two he prevents, another always gets through and soon Valdo is wounded badly in the leg. He stumbles backwards and shouts desperately, "Lochan! Here!"

"I'll be there!" shouts the Ranger in return, stabbing forward at the goblin leaping at his horse. Both greenskins are wounded but still prevent him from moving towards Valdo. The gaurd-captain backs against the terrified horse and remains on his feet but both men are starting to succumb to fatigue.

As the three goblins press the attack, knowing that their blows are slowly wearing the Northmen down, Lochan looses control of his horse who tries to back out from the combat around it. It butts a goblin with its flank, knocking the greenskin aside. Lochan ignores the horse and presses his own attack, dealing the creature a chopping blow as he passes. One goblin finally goes down.

Valdo has ceased to try counter-attacking and is desparately deflecting the rain of blows. One nearly decapitates him, leaving his ears ringing but the short goblin blade gets stuck in the man's shield. He pulls back and the goblin is forced to stagger forward, obstructing its fellows.

As Lochan delivers a strong blow to his other opponent, a strong beam of light lances out of the parting dawn clouds and illuminates the scene of carnage. Part of the beam bounces of the metal boss of Valdo's shield, straight into the face of an attacking goblin. "IARGH!," the creature winces and breaks off its attack, staggering back. The other two greenskin's back off also at the sudden blaze, looking around with fear and shielding their dark eyes.
As Lochan at last charges his horse to the rescue of his gaurd-captain, a horn sounds from the direction of the woods and the goblin's turn tail and flee the coming of the dawn.
Valdo sinks gratefully to the bloodied grass, his head hanging down with exhaustion but the Ranger still notices the surprised smile present on the man's face, "Thank the stars, we survive".

End of Turn 4.