The defense of Palanor

Lord Darke’s soldier had been told to defend the village against all opposition and he had done exactly that. There were dead bodies lying all around him underneath the fog. The only weapon he had been able to take with him had been his long sword and his dagger so that he wouldn’t raise much alarm amongst the people. Half of his sword had been smashed apart during the fight. Had it been like the one he had left behind it would never of shattered. The blade now was only the same length as between his elbow and index finger. His breath was evident in the air. There was a splash as another enemy walked through the murk towards him. This one wielded a mace. The soldier readied himself for this enemy sword by his side. The enemy loomed a head taller than him and slowly approached. Then quite suddenly he disappeared with a wicked laugh echoing through the air. Instinctively the soldier rolled to the side. Rule 413 if you can’t see the enemy and they are laughing they can see you. The massive mace slammed down into the mud where he had been standing a moment ago. The soldier turned blade at the ready. The behemoth swung at his broken blade, knocking it to the side. It was for no reason other than to show his strength. He brang his sword up again only to have it knocked the side. This time the giant lifted his mace over his head ready to bring it down on the soldier. The soldier pulled the dagger from his belt and held then together to bear the impact of the mace. Then he forced it to the side pulled the dagger away switched it to backhand and stabbed the man in the ribs. The man pulled inwards and stepped away only to receive a stab to the neck. The daggers blade snapped. The soldier looked over through the fog and could see giant shadows emerging. He picked up the dead mans mace he had the feeling he was going to need it on this long night tonight.

Back at the village there was a great deal of movement going on as the people were dashing to in fro. Despite its chaotic appearance there was a great amount of organization beneath. Having long since been attacked the village was well prepared for an enemy they could not win against. Hundreds were fleeing the village into the forest was another village of people who were waiting for them. However the people knew that time was of the essence and had come to only one way of holding the enemy off during the retreat. A select group of cavalry and archers would hold the enemy as long as possible. The cavalry would be able to retreat quickly and the archers would have horses of their own hidden nearby. The two squads consisted of 40 men each. All said and done the captain yelled out the order and they charged off into the distance. They left no family behind and expected not to return. The archers rode ahead to get in to position while the cavalry were slower getting ready for a charge. One such archer was called Tom Livewood who arrived at the front. While the archers stayed back and got into position he scouted ahead for the enemy. The dark clouds seemed more sinister as the night grew. The horse galloped ahead across the hard ground. Tom heard a clang up ahead and got off his horse to hide in the shadows. He tied his horses’ reigns around a tree trunk and sneaked quietly ahead through the darkness. He gave a start as he stood on something unusual he stepped back and peered into the darkness around the ground. It was an armoured hand its owner was lying face first into muddy creek bed. Tom recognized it as an enemy’s and paid it no more attention. there was a clunk up ahead and a yell of commands. Tom walked through the shadows and held himself next to a tree. The creek bed and surrounding area was covered in bodies of the enemies, at least 60 lay dead. Many more were marching towards the creek and at least 15 were in the creek fighting in a circle. And in the middle of it all was a man with a ripped cloak and armour covering him from his neck down. The man had short brown hair and green eyes, blood dripped down his face from a wound on his fore head. He had a broken sword in one hand and a mace in the other. Tom watched in amazement as the man fought on he smashed in the helmet of one man. He ducked another mans swipe and filled another’s face with a fireball. He danced back and forth and didn’t make a sound when a sword slashed his back. However the enemy still marched forward a captain yelled orders for them to continue. Tom pulled out his bow strung it, notched an arrow and released it into the captains face. Tom darted off into the shadows back to his horse to get the others. Only two people had seen were the arrow had come from, one had it sticking out of his mouth the other didn’t let it distract him but hoped that there weren’t more foolish men around.

The archers prepared themselves hiding in the scrub for the enemy the horses were just about to be taken away when Tom arrived. Tom skidded his horse to a quick stop next to the captain. “what have you got to report?” tom pointed his arm towards the direction he had come from. “There is a man fighting the whole army in the creek, he has killed at least 60 of them!” the captain blinked not sure he had heard right “what?” Tom turned his horse around towards the direction he had come “you heard me and we should get the cavalry to charge and put the archers in place, this man whoever he is would be a great asset in any battle.” The captain stared fiercely at Tom “your willing to risk everything on a quick view of one man?” Tom nodded.
“And your help would be appreciated.” and with that he kicked his heels into his steed’s stomach and galloped off. One of the men ran over to the captain “sir? What just happened?” the captain sighed “we just got a new job to do, tell the men to get back on their horses and ride near the creek not into it and sneak forward through the forest.” The man saluted and spread the orders the captain walked up to a soldier who had everything “you know what to tell the cavalry when they get here right?” the man nodded. “good” and with that the captain sped off after Tom.

Lord Darke’s soldier brang up his mace from the bottom left diagonally into the face belonging to the man to his right. Feeling the impact he didn’t even look to check his results as he swung the mace to his left felling another thud and thrust his sword forward into the stomach of another. He felt a dagger stab into his right hand side between his lower ribs. Training stopped him from reacting to the wound instead he dropped his mace, rolled forward and sliced his sword all around him. He rose quickly from the roll and parried a strike from another sword. This was followed by a sharp blow to the back of the head sending him forward against his control face first towards the hard dry edge of the creek. He was kicked in his injured ribs making him rollover. Sword at his throat he looked up into the face of his attacker “you’ve fought well worm” and he raised his sword to make the finishing blow as a swish came through the air and a arrow appeared in the mans shoulder. The soldier needed no second warning as he brang both his feet together and kicked the man hard in the chest. He saw the man fall as he brang himself up to his feet and ran to the open field were the lone archer sat on top of a horse. Clutching his side the soldier limped forward in a run towards the horse. The man gave a yell and the soldier with his free hand brang an arc of lightning out towards the mob he had followed him sending ten men to the ground. Another horse arrived and another bow more arrows flew out. The captain landed instantly starting to fire his eyes wide from the display of lightning. “I guess you were right Tom the others are on their way.”  lord Darke’s soldier made it to them and before anything could be said he grabbed toms bow and pulled arrows of fire out of no where and began  Firing at an incredibly rate. Tom watched in awe the man had dozens of wounds on his body and least nine of them were quite serious and yet he fired continuously. The soldier did not even give a hint of tiring as every shot he fired struck into a head. The trample of hooves could be heard as the rest of the archers arrived and started firing in unison most made their way towards the forest to fire from cover. Tom stood without purpose now that he had no weapon he looked about the enemy seemed to keep marching despite the hail of arrows. They had been driven back into the creek and some of the archers were advancing but the mysterious soldier with his bow stood his ground. The captain called out to Tom “the cavalry will arrive shortly and then we’ll smash right through these guys!” the man stoped firing and turned on the captain “WHAT?!” he dropped the bow and used both hands to pick the captain up “tell them to turn back!” the captain looked him in the face “I have two responses to that one why should I? And two do you really expect me to go against a full on cavalry charge?” the soldier lifted the captain higher with only one hand and walked over to the horses. “First of all yes I expect you to go against a stampede of horses, and second of all it is vital because if there is something that will fail here it is a charge that army is brimming with spears and necromancers ready to rise the enemy.” And with that he threw the captain onto his horse. The horse charged off with a thump to its rear. All that could be heard from the captain was a multitude of muttered curses. The soldier turned back and picked up the bow.

*   *   *

The captain charged back to the cavalry as quickly as he could but someone had other plans. A figure stood hidden inside of some trees and fired an arrow. The arrow flew straight and silent over a distance of a hundred and seventy one metres. Its job was done as it pierced into the horses leg. There was no possible way to prevent what happened due to the horse’s considerable momentum. Its forward leg collapsed sending its crashing forward its backside rising up over with the captain still on it. The horse lost its momentum as it broke its neck the fall but still landed heavily on the captain who was sent into unconsciousness. And by this time the shadowed figure had disappeared. And in its place six men came forward to drag the dead horse and injured captain away.

*  *  *

By now the small force was on the offensive pushing the enemy back. They had reached the edge of the muddy creek and were holding there. But they were running out of arrows and it was only a matter of time before they were driven back again. To begin with half of the archers were riding away having depleted their stock of arrows. Will green was standing next to the soldier who fired limitless arrows firing his bow at a third of the rate. Five more men got on their horses and began to ride away leaving fifteen against the endless tide. With fewer arrows hitting their ranks the army started moving forward through the darkness. Will green looked at his horse and then at the soldier who had none. Will jumped onto the horse and yelled “come on! Jump on!” the soldier took a pace towards him. It was then that the thundering of the charge echoed out the soldier swore something and ran off further into the creek. Will took his turn to swear as well and rode off with the other archers. The soldier ran into the middle of the creek and put his arms out to the sides. concentrating hard he lifted them up and brang a wall of the mud with them lifting it high into the air. The only gap was where he was standing. The soldier turned exaushted and on his last legs to find the cavalry changing formation in order to get through the small gap. The first horse was  almost there when a arrow flew out through the gap and hit him. The rider fell of and the horse charged onwards in a mad panic. Another arrow struck and hit the horse making it collapse on the soldier who had done his fair share fir the night.

*  *  *
A figure leapt through the air and silently appeared on top of the wall. She smiled watching the horses in disarray. She looked down to the soldier beneath the horse. This man could be very helpful to their cause she would have to grab him before he woke up. But first she would have some fun. She pulled back the string on her bow and fired at a horseman she smiled as he fell. Then suddenly a tip of a broken blade spun at her she saw it too late to block it. She smiled and went to side step it which she would have done with ease if it weren’t for the mud. The blade caught her in the shoulder and made her lose her balance toppling her off of the wall. She landed heavily on her side and saw from underneath the horse a hand was just falling limp. She had thought she had overestimated him but apparently she was wrong. She had got up and winced the blade hadn’t hurt that much when it entered her shoulder but it really hurt when she landed on it. Her arm wasn’t responding but she wasn’t worried about it yet. She was going to take care of this man personally. She walked over to the horse and moved it aside with her working right arm. She grabbed the unconscious man and dragged him of into the trees. While the cavalry retreated leaving the army to pass slowly through the one man gap through the wall.

The two squads of troops met up at a safe distance from the army in a prearranged area. They checked on one another to see who was missing. The only one of them that was not there was the captain. Tom asked one of the other captains about him. “was he the type to run from battle?” the man looked at him in surprise “no definitely not Nigel Greymore he was one of the bravest captains I’ve ever met,  and I don’t think a coward would have been chosen for a mission like this.”