by Galen Wolf
The tunnel was dug through the earth but at times they'd cut through rock. Wooden supports shored up the passage and pine beams made a rudimentary ceiling. The surrounding earth muffled the sound of combat outside, but every now and again when a boulder struck the town walls, sprinkles of dirt fell in a rain of pebbles and soil into the tunnel. This was a dangerous job for anyone. The Horrabians must have lost many NPCs here, but I guessed Attila thought it worth the sacrifice and just sent more. A huge bang rumbled outside, and the tunnel shook as if it would collapse.
Cautiously I went forward with my pets. They awaited my command quietly by my side. We were close. I saw the working men's backs, but the Horrabian sappers didn't sense us before we were on them. I commanded the beasts, and they sprang at the miners. Wolf and Tiger ripped the NPCs apart before my eyes while I filleted the last with my daggers.
I was horrified to see how much progress the Horrabians made with their excavation. Ahead, daylight shone through a hole at the far end of the tunnel. I moved up to it and pulled away the loose stones creating an opening big enough to allow me through. Then with Tiger and Wolf, I entered the village of Pennred.
The first soldiers to see me were overjoyed. They hoisted me on their backs as if I was their savior, though I felt very far from that. I looked around at the devastation of my beloved town. Horrabian artillery had shattered at least half the houses, and their thatched roofs shouldered or blazed openly. Ranger NPCs with buckets tried to put out the fires. Upon the walls our soldiers lay wounded or even dead. But there was still resistance. We weren't finished yet; our archers were returning fire.
I saw that the Sawmill was completely destroyed. The Barracks still functioned but because we were under siege, we could not raise any further troops.
By the gates, a unit of skirmishers stood ready to repel any Horrabians coming through breaches their artillery might punch in our walls.
I saw the ranger Sinuviel. "How are you doing? How's the village bearing up?"
Sinuviel twisted her mouth. "So-so." She paused. "It could be better."
I didn't want her to see any hint of defeat from me so I smiled and said, "We've got help coming. We'll be fine." I hoped it was true. Her mood seemed brighter as she turned and fired at a raptor diving at one of our NPCs. I was glad to see it tumble to earth in a bloody bundle of broken leather wings. I had a thought. "Sinuviel, there should be pitch in the sawmill. Can you bring me two buckets full of it, and meet me by the parade ground?"
"Pitch?"
"The black tarry stuff that burns."
"Ah ok." Then she ran off towards the sawmill.
Me: Ajora, where are you?
She replied she was on the walls. I looked up to see the white bear form giving courage to our soldiers. I ran up the stone steps that led to the battlements. Wolf and Tiger followed me. From the wall tops, I saw the full extent of the Horrabia horde, and it was a sobering sight. A wall of Horrabian artillery was firing at us.
I scratched my face. "They seem to have their full strength against us now."
Ajora dropped back into human form. She said, "Initially it was just a part of their army but then after they burned Avalon they diverted the rest of their forces towards us. I'm not sure how long we'll last."
I tried to reassure her. "I've been to see the goblins and the centaurs to ask whether they'd ally with us."
Ajora didn't seem particularly confident about my alliances. "And how did you get on?"
"The goblins will do it for money. I had to promise them half the loot from Horrabia". I neglected to tell her I was also paying them out of my own purse.
"I see. And the centaurs?"
"They will come - out of friendship to the Druids’ Guild. And ourselves of course."
As usual she was to the point. "How long before they're here?"
"Probably not today." Maybe not tomorrow either I thought.
Ajora voiced my fears for me. "They might be too late." Her pretty elf face was smeared with soot from the fires and blood from her enemies. She brushed her straight blond hair behind her ears. She was wavering.
It was my turn to question her. "And what about Vinab?"
She shook her head. "No. Astral Bob and Parzifal are still trying to persuade their council. Another meeting, but so far I have no news."
A boulder from a Horrabian mangonel sailed over our heads and crashed into the roof of a house just behind us reducing it to a heap of rubble.
Ajora said, "We're trapped in here - awaiting an attack at their pleasure. If there was only some way we could sally out against them. But if we open the gates, they'll pour through."
I told her about the sappers' tunnel.
"I'm glad you put a stop to that." She smiled.
I'd already formulated my plan when I asked Sinuviel to bring me pitch. I told Ajora, "I'll sally out through the tunnel with a unit of skirmishers and we'll try to destroy some of those artillery pieces. Any sign of Horrabian player characters?"
Ajora said, "Griffin tangled with Samwise before and he defeated him. I think he's gone back to resurrect in Horrabia. I haven't seen Attila yet but I'm sure he's close."
"What about Loki?"
"You never know where that sneaky bastard is," Ajora said, "He could even be here now."
I nodded. The whole atmosphere was grim. I said, "Okay, I'll get moving. We have little time to waste. Let me take the skirmishers."
She nodded and took her bow and shot at the raptors wheeling above our heads.
I assembled the unit of skirmishers on the parade ground by the barracks. Sinuviel was there with two buckets of pitch. I patted her shoulder. "Good work. You want to come with us?"
She nodded and grinned. "Of course."
Wolf and Tiger stood by me as I briefed the skirmisher unit. I set their AI from skirmish to engage and changed them to tight formation. Then we went in single file to find the sappers tunnel through which I'd entered. It was dangerous to leave it open like this. I wasn't sure whether to use it permanently as a sally port or to block it. For now, it was useful that we could get out. I posted some of the militia as a guard on it. Then, silent and grim, my troops exited through the Horrabian tunnel. The Horrabians had not recommenced their work. Perhaps Attila didn't know what had happened to their troops. I thought bitterly that it must be hard controlling so many soldiers.
I swam with the unit of skirmishers soundlessly across the Great River downstream of the main battle. I went on my back and held the pitch bucket on my chest. Sinuviel did the same. Wolf and Tiger paddled quietly alongside us. We reassembled under the leaves of the Forest of Nightmares. Daylight was failing. Already some of the Horrabians away from the front line had begun to light campfires. The artillery still fired; its heavy ropes thrummed each time they launched a boulder. The strength of our walls amazed me. I'd imagined they'd be in pieces before now. The stone spent on them had been a good investment.
We stalked the enemy like ghosts through the trees until we were within sprinting distance of a unit of Horrabian artillery. I gave instructions for the skirmishers to fall among the artillerymen and destroy the mangonels and trebuchets. They awaited my command. I saw no Horrabian player characters nearby. The assault on our walls preoccupied the artillery and they weren't looking back at us. I glanced at Sinuviel to check she was ready. She was. I gave the command: attack.
Wolf, Tiger, and the skirmishers ran across the open ground. I stood firing my bow into the Horrabian soldiers. We hit them hard, surging through them like a savage tide. Sternly and with great determination, the skirmishers cut down the unsuspecting artillerymen. Even when the Horrabians realized what was happening, it was too late. Tiger leapt at a soldier's throat, ripping it out. Wolf harried another on the ground while our troops ran among the enemy slashing and jabbing them like demons.
I knew once the Horrabian command realized we'd attacked them from behind they'd send reinforcements, but now we had a few minutes to set the Horrabian artillery afire.
Usi
ng a bucket of pitch and igniting it with fire that I conjured with my Firemaking skill – it had finally come in useful, I set fire to the huge wooden artillery pieces. Sinuviel did the same. Flames roared up in a cloud of acrid smoke and a flash of heat.
The defenders and the walls realized something was going on when the enemy artillery fell silent. Now that leaping flames lit up the huge wooden frames of the mangonels a great cheer went up from our troops on the walls.
I gave the order to my men to retreat to the tunnel. We fell back with Tiger, Wolf and Sinuviel.
We re-entered the village through the tunnel and blocked the entrance. Sinuviel was excited and happy at the success of our mission. She wiped the sweat from her forehead. "Anything more for me to do?"
I pointed at the raptors soaring overhead. "Shoot more of those down."
She laughed and put an arrow to her bow and fired. As an afterthought, I gave her my Bow of Flame. Now I had the superior Bow of Stone, I didn't need it.
She clasped it, her eyes wide. "For me?"
"Yep, yep. Use it wisely!"
She grinned and soon I saw flurries of flaming arrows shooting out into the darkening sky like arcing rockets.
Turning back to business, I posted four guards by the sally port. It was too important to have an exit to block it up just yet. Especially since the Horrabians hadn't realized this is how we'd come out.
We had destroyed at least half of the Horrabian artillery and they set to work removing the damage pieces and taking them out of range to see whether they could repair them. That meant that for most of that night the enemy fire was silent. A strange watchful peace settled on Pennred. The Horrabian army was still out there but for now we were not under direct assault.
I met with Ajora and Griffin in human form in the village hall. Ahn was not there - he was still away preparing the defenses of Woodheart.
"So," Griffin said.
We sat on wooden chairs around the fire-pit, sipping mead sent by Ahn.
Griffin continued, "It's a matter of buying time before allies arrived."
"If they arrive..." Ajora said. She looked tired.
I shrugged. "If they don't arrive then–"
Griffin clapped me on the shoulder. "Don't say it."
"I'm not planning on logging off tonight," Ajora muttered.
"Nor me," Griffin said. "This is going to be an all-nighter."
"I need to get some sleep", I said. "I'm dead on my feet. But you can get in touch with me outside the game if anything dramatic occurs." I gave them my private real-life contact so they could send a message if they needed to summon me back.
I logged off and slept deeply. I dreamed of Attila and his mangonels and the dawn breaking behind them.
19
The Siege Ends
I was back in the game just as dawn rose in the real world. Coincidentally, it was dawn over Pennred too. I logged in back in the village hall. Neither Griffin nor Ajora were there. I went outside, my heart in my mouth in case the walls were down. The morning was deceptively fine. However, no birds sang and no animals moved, as if the combat had driven away all living things in forest. The NPC guards looked very weary, but they greeted me as I walked around the village. The NPCs had begun to try to repair some of the village structures. Khuzud the blacksmith was helping them.
I climbed the stone steps of the battlements and looked out on the Horrabian armies. There was great movement there as if they were preparing to recommence their assault with the new day's dawn.
The only gratifying sight was the burn marks on the grass where the Horrabian artillery had been. They hadn't managed to repair it and only half of their war machines were operable.
I was still grouped with the Rangers—though some were away—but I received a request to group with Elfhair as well. I was glad she was back.
When she joined the group, she told me she'd had a message that Uzug, King of the Goblins, had decided to come to our aid. She said, "But he wants you to meet him and give him the gold you promised before he will commit his troops to the assault."
I crept out on my own through our sally port. Elfhair said the goblins would meet me at the start of the Vale of Tears. That sounded ominous, but I guess that apart from supply trains and the odd messenger the Vale would be free from Horrabian troops because they were all gathered around Pennred.
I told Ajora and Griffin where I was going. They told me to be careful but didn't try to stop me meeting Uzug so far inside Horrabian territory. I went out through the sally port on my own. The guards watching closed the entrance after me.
Outside the city walls, I put on my stealth and swam through the river. I got to the eaves of the Forest of Nightmares and found the swing tree. I climbed and grabbed a vine and swung north through the Forest of Nightmares until I landed on the final swing tree that stood close to the forest eaves where it gave way to the barren Vale of Tears.
Ermine Street wound its snakelike trail north up through the rough terrain to Horrabia. The city was out of sight. The Vale of Tears was a long V shaped valley whose walls were formed of volcanic tuff and grey ash. Everything here was grey. The bleakness of the scene clawed at my heart. This is what Horrabia would turn the woodlands into, if they were allowed to.
I scanned the road. I'd been correct when I'd guessed there'd be few Horrabians on the road and as I was in stealth, they wouldn't see me, anyway. I left the forest and crossed the road then mounted the westward slopes of the Vale of Tears, my feet sinking in the sludgy ash.
Once I crested the western slope of the Vale of Tears, I saw the arrayed host of the goblins laid out before me. There must've been five hundred infantry, and around three hundred cavalry mounted on wargs.
Uzug looked unimpressed to see me. He picked his pig snout. "Have you brought the money?"
"I have. It's in my inventory." Under his gimlet eyes, I counted out the full twenty thousand gold pieces. That left me more or less nothing in the bank. Thank God, I'd been to Armboth Hall and could pay him. If I hadn't I couldn't have paid him. I was glad to give him the money. If it meant these troops were going to help raise the siege of Pennred then it was worth it.
"So," Uzug said. "When do you want us to attack?"
"I have to coordinate the attack with the centaurs."
"The centaurs?" Uzug wrinkled his snub nose in distaste. "Those freaks. They don't know whether they're man or horse."
I looked at him with his green skin and tusks but said nothing. I rubbed my tired eyes. "I'll send you a dove when I want you to attack. In the meantime, if you stay out of sight up here. I reckon it should take you forty-five minutes to get to Pennred from here — down Ermine Street right into the Horrabian rear."
The goblin king nodded. He had the face of a surly poker player, anyway. I didn't expect him to like me. I didn't expect him to like the Rangers’ Guild. After all, he was only doing this for money. A lot of money. What did I expect—his enthusiasm?
I got another rush of XP. War Against Horrabia Subquest Completed: Seek Allies. 10,000 xp awarded. It still wasn't enough to level me to 13, but nearly so.
The goblins watched me impassively as I made my way down the ash covered slope to the bottom of the Vale of Tears, where once again, I turned on my stealth. There was no one in sight as I entered the haunted eaves of the Forest of Nightmares. I swung my way via the vines and I dropped near the Ford of Dreams. I waded and swam the river again and back into our town. I noted the panic among the guards who thought I was an enemy trying to enter by the tunnel, and their looks of relief when they saw I wasn't. I ordered them to seal up the sally port behind me.
I ducked as artillery whooshed overhead. The Horrabians had started firing again. Looking around, I saw there had been casualties.
Tension was again mounting within the village. I signaled to Ajora and Griffin via HUD that my mission had been successful and that we should expect the goblins within the hour.
Elfhair: I'm still with Ixion and the centaurs by the Jeweled Tree. We
're making our way north west up Ermine Street. The plan was they'd cross the Great River to go through the charred remains of Avalon to attack the Horrabians from the woods, coming out on their western flank.
Me: Sounds good.
Elfhair: Praise indeed from the mighty general.
Me: I need to coordinate with the goblins. Tell me when the Centaur force is around forty-five minutes away.
Elfhair: You got it, boss.
I went to the battlements to survey the scene. To my horror, I saw the Horrabians had brought a huge battering ram. It was made of wood but bound in black iron and had the shape of a Wolf on its ramming head. The unit of ogres I'd seen on the road before carried it forward. They were supported by beastmen. I watched as the ogres advance across the river, the fast running water only coming to their knees. I ordered our archers to train their fire on them. They shot repeatedly, taking down some of the monsters, but as soon as we killed one, another from the reserves took his place. I saw and felt the dismay emanating from our soldiers on the fortifications. Sinuviel was to my right, firing flaming arrows at the ogres. She took one of them down, but more came. When the ogres brought the battering ram up to the front gates, I heard a roar from the Horrabians.
The ogres swung the battering ram back and smashed it with prodigious energy into our gates. The wooden gates shuddered but did not give. The ogres pulled the battering ram back and slammed it again. Once again, the gate did not give, but I knew it could not take much more punishment like this. Once they broke into the oaken gates—there was the iron portcullis, but this would only prove a hindrance not a halt.
I got a message from Elfhair that the centaurs were around thirty minutes away. I was initially cross with her because I'd told her to let me know when they were forty-five minutes distant, but it was my nerves making me irritable. She said they were moving fast and would soon leave the road and enter the woods by crossing the Great River. I sent Uzug a message by dove and told him to move as quickly as he could down Ermine Street behind the Horrabian force.
