by Galen Wolf
Instead of heading back to Pennred – although I desperately wanted to see whether the siege had begun – we headed south along the ridge line of the Razor's Edge mountains. The mountains stood higher here and snow lay on the ground below us. Forests of silver birch lined the hillsides, their branches purple against the white snow – a sign that spring was coming.
After much flying, we saw the centaur village in the distance. It lay between two arms of the mountains, protected from the worst of the weather. A semi-circular rock lip held a small lake cuplike above the village and a waterfall plunged down, sour milk turning silver. That torrent later became the Silver Stream, running down from the mountains and into the Old Forest. It was by the banks of this stream that I'd found the golden Easter egg – but many leagues away from here.
The centaurs did not have houses such. Pleasant groves amid the birches were their dwellings, and among the circles of trees wood-smoke rose indicating their campfires. The centaurs, half man – half horse – looked up as we approached. I sensed no hostility, but rather curiosity in their expressions, as if wondering what errand had brought us here so far away from our homes.
Visitors to the centaur realm were rare. It was difficult to get here, hard climbing through the Winters Woods up the foothills of the Razor's Edge mountains, through forest and across scree. Aquila circled to find a suitable spot then we landed in the centre of the settlement. Thin feathers of snow fell, kissing my face in the cold breeze.
Though this was their main settlement now, the centaurs were nomadic; they moved from area to area around the Winters Woods. As we landed, a group of curious centaurs gathered round us. Younger centaurs, adolescents, and children too, ran up, calling out. Their bottom parts were colored as horses – roans – chestnut, grays, and piebalds - the males had long beards and tended to be deep brown or chestnut color. The beards and hair were curly, the skin tone of their human upper half, a light brown. The women had long curly dark hair that hung over their naked breasts. More flutters of snow fell from the steel grey sky.
As we landed on Aquila, I helped Elfhair slip to the ground then I followed her, landing gently on the soft mossy earth. I looked around at the smiling faces and asked to see their leader Ixion. Ixion was summoned and the circle of centaurs parted to let him in. He was a player character. A swift check on my HUD indicated he was a warrior by class. Ixion was half a chestnut horse with a white blaze on his chest. His top half was a man of about thirty-five, tight curled brown hair on his head and beard. His eyes were warm and brown and he wore a necklace of bone in the shape of a bow - the symbol of Maedhros the Hunter.
He bowed and greeted us with graciousness. "Rarely do we get visitors this high in Winters Woods. But I'm delighted to make your acquaintance. I am Ixion, Lord of the Centaurs." He gestured around him. "And this is my family."
"Herd, technically..." Elfhair whispered.
If Ixion heard her comment, he showed no sign of taking offence. He smiled. "But first, you look weary. Have you travelled far?"
I thought it best not to mention our trip to the goblins. I said, "We've come from the Old Forest." Technically true.
Ixion studied me. "I see from your dress that you are a Ranger; we have always been on friendly terms with the Rangers’ Guild."
I nodded. "And we with you; we both share a love of woods and wild places."
"I'm keen to know what has brought you so far to visit us. But first, please, follow me. We shall go and eat in your honour."
He led us to a clearing in the birch wood. A fire burned in its centre and they had laid out goat skins on a wooden platform that they must keep especially for non-centaur guests. I was glad of it so we didn't have to sit on the damp grass. Meat roasted on a spit over the fire. It smelled delicious. I had wondered whether they were vegetarians, but clearly not. Centaur women offered us slices of roast meat on wooden platters. We ate with our hands. It was very tasty, and I licked the grease from my finger ends with great gusto. After the meat, they brought us apples, pears, and grapes – though I didn't know how they grew grapes in this climate.
Ixion was clearly curious about the reason for our visit, but he had the courtesy to wait until we had finished eating before he asked us right out.
When he did, I cleared my throat and prepared my sales pitch. "You'll have heard that Horrabia has issued armies from its gates and has attacked and taken the city of Keld."
Ixion frowned. "No, I had not heard that, but it greatly troubles me. We have no love of the Horrabians. The Horrabian players I've come across have been cruel and voracious in their appetite to hurt others. I'm glad we are so far from Horrabia up here in the Winters Woods."
I recalled that centaurs were chaotic good in alignment - natural enemies of the lawful evil inhabitants of Horrabia. I needed to steer the conversation to our best advantage. After all, our visit wasn't just a social call. We needed their aid. I said, "I take it that you are also friends of the Druids’ Guild?"
Ixion nodded. "Of course, the druids have been very generous to us in the past. At times when crops failed, and food was hard to find, the druids supplied us and saved our people from starvation. We owe them a great deal. I am especially grateful to their guildmaster, Rohan. How is he these days — if you know him?"
"I know him well," I said. "And he's well, though in exile now within the Rangers’ Guild house."
Ixion's expression darkened. I could see that he was greatly troubled. "He's in exile?" Why should that be? Is he not safe in Avalon?"
I sighed. "Unfortunately, Horrabia attacked and burned the trees of Avalon to the ground."
"Attacked and burned the holy groves?" Anger grew in his face, and from the ripple that went around the assembled centaurs, they shared their leader's fury at this news.
Ixion said, "How fares Avalon now then? Did her allies come to her aid and throw out the Horrabians?"
I spread my hands. "We tried. We rescued many of the druids from being murdered, but the Horrabians are still there."
"What of the sacred Mallorn Trees?"
"On fire, if not ashes by now," Elfhair said quietly.
Ixion looked to the ground. "That is grim news indeed. Send my regards to Rohan. I'm glad he's safe at least. And what of Birog? She was good to us too."
Elfhair said, "She's fine. She's with Rohan. The Rangers are taking excellent care of her."
Ixion smiled sadly. "After all this bad news, I'm glad the Rangers’ Guild still stands."
"But not for long perhaps..." I said.
His frown deepened. The snow fell more heavily now, circling round our heads, settling on the grass. Where the snowflakes landed on the smoking fire, they instantly vanished.
I broke the brooding silence by asking, "Perhaps you're not aware of the new ranger village of Pennred? It stands by the Ford of Dreams on the edge of the Old Forest facing Horrabia."
He shook his head. "I've not heard of it, but that's on the edge of territory claimed by Horrabia, isn't it?"
Elfhair said, "It is, and even now Pennred may be under siege by the Horrabians."
Ixion sighed. "But what of Vinab? Surely Vinab won't stand by and let this happen? You say Keld fell, but surely Vinab will now stand against Horrabia – like she always has."
I picked up a stick and threw it in the fire. "Vinab won't fight. She's afraid of provoking Horrabia to attack her. Or at least some members of the city council are."
Elfhair interrupted. "Some of the city is in favor of neutrality. I'm from Vinab, and I'm confident that my city mates will see that the only way to withstand Horrabian aggression is not to give in to it, but to drive them back." Her voice faltered slightly. "They'll see that, eventually."
Ixion said, "That was always the way. Sadly, Horrabians do not respond to reason or compassion. The only way they are dissuaded from their evil actions is through force."
I made my pitch. "So, we come finally to the reason for our visit." I looked at the centaur. He wasn't a stupid man and in the course o
f our conversation I'm sure he'd already guessed why we were there.
He smiled. "You've come to ask for aid? It's been a long time since the centaurs rode out to war."
"The Rangers’ Guild finds itself without friends. We urgently need your help to survive."
Ixion nodded. "I hear your words. Give me a short while to talk to the elders of the tribe."
As he turned and went into a huddle with a group of the more senior centaur player characters, Elfhair and I went to stand by Aquila, occasionally glancing over to where Ixion conferred with his comrades. Elfhair asked me how I thought it had gone.
I rubbed my eyes. "Who knows? This is a significant risk for them. Realistically it will take the Horrabians a long time to come up into these mountains – and there's not a lot here for them once they do come. Maybe they won't attack the centaurs at all. There aren't many resources to steal in the Winters Woods, and an assault will cost them troops. I guess Ixion knows that too. We're counting on their goodwill..."
"... And their debts to the druids."
We waited in growing tension as the snow flurried round. The mountains stood half hidden by the weather, their peaks softened by the falling snow. The Silver Stream roared past beginning its journey from the mountain waterfall to the sea. Time ticked by.
Ixion approached us after around twenty minutes. There was a grave look on his face. I thought that meant he wouldn't help us. I didn't blame him. With these odds, maybe I wouldn't have helped us either.
But then he said, "We were unanimous. For the first time in the memory of many of our players, the centaurs will ride to war against Horrabia to support the rangers and pay our debt of honour to the Druids’ Guild."
I huge smile broke out on my face. Elfhair turned grinning. I bowed to Ixion. "We are so grateful for your support. But time is short. I hate to ask it so soon after your generous offer of help, but how long do you think it will take you to gather your forces?"
"We will be down the mountains within a day or two. We won't tarry. We will ride from the Winters Woods to the Old Forest."
"Meet us at the village of Pennred as soon as you can," I said. "And thank you so much."
I got a rush of XP. My HUD showed a message: War Against Horrabia Subquest Completed: Seek Allies. 10,000 xp awarded
As we rose into the air on the back of Aquila, I looked down at the centaurs gathered round Ixion. This wasn't their fight, and they risked Horrabia's wrath and the theft of all their lands and resources for helping us.
Elfhair leaned forward, her red hair streaming in the slipstream. "Not a bad day's work - Goblins and Centaurs both on board."
"It could all go wrong yet, " I said.
“Elfhair…” I hesitated.
“What?”
“I was just wondering…” How was I going to say this? I didn’t want to dither too much, but the right words wouldn’t form or at least not the way I wanted them to.
“What?” She sounded impatient with me.
“You know the Snooty Fox?”
“The Tavern in Vinab?”
“Yes, or there’s the Lusty Dryad in Woodheart.”
“No, too common. It’s full of dirty woodsmen.”
“The Snooty Fox then?”
“I like it there. They put candles in bottles and it’s got a really cozy feel.”
My heart lifted. “Do you fancy going out one night then?”
“Sure,” she said. “We could ask Astral Bob and Romeo. I don’t think Parzifal would come; he’s too serious.”
“Oh yeah. Sure. I’ll ask them.”
We travelled the remaining miles in silence. When we were about to land, I said, “I’m still not sure about the alliances. I just hope they come through.”
“The goblins will do it for money and the centaurs out of love for the druids. It’ll be fine.”
“You think we did okay?”
She punched my shoulder in play. "I think you did good, Barcud boy."
We circled above our landing spot. I wished I believed her, but some sixth sense told me not everything was right about the day's deals.
18
Pennred Besieged
I dropped Elfhair off in Vinab. She told me she was worn out and intended to log out after binding in the Temple of The Queen of Summer. At least there she should be safe. When I arrived in Vinab, I got a message from Ahn that he wanted to group with me. I joined the group, and on my HUD I saw I was now in a party with Ahn, Ajora, Griffin.
Ajora: don't fly into Pennred. The air is full of raptors.
Me: has the siege begun?
Ajora: Yes. They're bringing up heavy siege weapons now. The fact that there's no bridge has delayed them, but it won't save us.
Me: Ahn, where are you?
Ahn: I'm in Woodheart. There are troubling rumors from Astral Bob that the Horrabian army under Gandalph is getting ready to move south from Keld and we're right in its path.
Me: I'll get there as quickly as I can.
I turned and sprinted through Vinab square pushing its bustling traders out of the way. Sudden anger and hostility towards them filled me because of their complacency. I knew we had friends in Vinab, but how long did these traders and the player characters making money think they could live a quiet life when Horrabia was knocking on their door, griefing them one by one and demanding taxes and tolls?
I ran along the Old Forest road until I was in the eaves of the forest. I'd been warned not to fly in on my eagle, so I would use my Swing skill to travel rapidly through the woodland. I found the first swinging tree and clambered up it until I found the vines that allowed me to swing through the forest. I swung west from the Forest Eaves to a tree above the Old Stone Cross, then north-west to the Jeweled Tree. The next swing points after that were north in the Forest of Nightmares or west in Avalon. I couldn't bear to see Avalon in its spoiled state so I swung to the Forest of Nightmares, just past Pennred.
When I got there, I let go of the vine, descended spindly branches draped in cobwebs, and dropped silently to the forest floor. The grey light filtered through the rags of webs. The huge bodies of spiders chittered in the branches above but they didn't bother me. I went into full stealth mode and crept my way towards Ermine Street from the swing tree. From there, still within the forest edge I stalked towards the Great River. Horrabian regiments choked Ermine Street as far as I could see in both directions. Beastmen lumbered forward behind spearmen, archers and crossbows trudged through dust clouds, then came light cavalry squadrons and a unit of ogres. Behind them all rumbled siege machinery. I plunged back into the forest and made my way rapidly from Ermine Street away through the trees. Within minutes I was close to Pennred. I breathed out in relief: the grey stone walls still stood.
I heard the clamor of battle. Overhead were screeching squadrons of raptors. It looked as if they were in total control of the air and flew with impunity over Pennred. Again, and again, I saw them dive to snatch one of the town's protectors from the walls, then climb up to drop him to his death below. Ranks of spearmen lined up on the opposite bank of the Great River, and, behind them, set up a way back from the front line were the Horrabian mangonels, ballistas and trebuchets.
When the rocks fired by the mangonels hit the walls, the defenses shuddered and billows of dust and debris fell loudly to the ground. But they were level 6 walls and would not collapse easily.
The Horrabian ballistas fired heavy javelins over the walls to spear the defenders inside. Above the fortifications, I saw smoke rising, some of the buildings within the town walls were already on fire.
Ranger NPC guards manned the fortifications. We had archers returning fire and taking down some of the attacking Horrabians. Ajora stalked the walls in defiance of the Horrabia attackers as a huge polar bear.
From where I was I couldn't see any Horrabian player characters, but I supposed they'd be there somewhere, organizing the attack on Pennred.
A huge crunch boomed out followed by a crash of rocks as a boulder took down part of t
he town walls. The masonry tumbled away pulling part of the crenellations and our guards with it. The Horrabians cheered as they saw our men fall from the battlements.
My heart fell. It would take a couple of days before the goblins and the centaurs arrived to raise the siege. There was still no word that Vinab would come to our aid at all so I didn't count on it.
I made my way stealthily through the ranks of the Horrabian attackers. I passed by a unit of their trebuchet artillery and it was a great temptation not to take advantage of their turned backs and stab them to death. That would draw attention and I needed to get into Pennred and to my men.
I waded waist deep through the cold currents of the Great River. In parts, it came to my chest, and the current wanted to tug me away with it. At one point my feet could not feel the bottom and I had to swim. I was still stealthed, so the Horrabians did not spot me.
Once I stepped dripping out of the river, I was behind some Horrabians working at the bottom of our walls. They were busy digging and moving rocks. Our archers shot down at them but they had erected canvas and wood shields to protect and obscure their work. At first I didn't realize, but they were digging under the walls. Their plan must be either to undermine the walls and bring them down, or perhaps to create a shaft to allow entry for their infantry.
I approached the digging Horrabians and saw their tunnel was already deep. They had to dig this close to our walls because of the river. If the river hadn't been in the way they'd have been able to site the entrance to their tunnel safely out of bow range.
Six Horrabian NPCs worked swiftly, shoveling rubble and digging with pickaxes. This was no time for mercy. I drew my daggers and murdered them one after another. I was now level 12 and their average level was eight and they were NPCs not players. They posed little opposition.
When the graphics of the six bodies dissolved, I climbed down into the tunnel. I made out the sound of picks and shovels. More NPCs labored, well within our walls. I had to stop this, or they'd be into our inner bailey. I summoned Wolf and Tiger. They gave low growls as they scented enemies. Together we advanced down the dimly lit tunnel, one hand steadying myself against the damp clods of earth and river worn stones that formed the walls.
