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<blockquote data-quote="Rerun" data-source="post: 6022798" data-attributes="member: 6700532"><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'"><span style="color: white"><span style="font-size: 15px">The trip back to camp was uncomfortable to say the least. Kugo cast a spell on our captive that left the goblin in a stumbling stupor with a worrying amount on anger in his voice. Trang was cold and silent. I was preoccupied with trying to think of ways to get my squad mates to bury the hatchet once they cooled off. The success of our first mission was forgotten.</span></span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'"><span style="color: white"><span style="font-size: 15px">I decided that Kugo and Trang’s agreement to “settle” their differences had to be far from the first fight between soldiers the Stormbirds had seen and resolved to report the affair to our commanding officer Lieutenant Komwill. This proved a smart idea for the halfling didn’t give the matter much thought before coming up with a solution: He informed Kugo and Trang that from now on half of their share of loot would be dependent on each keeping the other alive and healthy. And if that didn’t work, well where there was a whip there was a way. Komwill further said he didn’t care if they hated each other and dreamed of bloody revenge, they would act like good soldiers. Neither Kugo nor Trang were happy with me for turning to an officer, much less being chewed out by a halfing, but I figured they’d get over it.</span></span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'"><span style="color: white"><span style="font-size: 15px">Our prisoner was placed in a pit along with several other goblins and an ogre the scouts had captured. Two of the goblins were bulging with muscle but unnaturally mishappen. I was told they would be brought before the officers, charmed by wizard Menlos, and interrogated. Without orders and unwelcome by my squad I set off to try and find acceptance amoung the Stormbird veterans.</span></span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'"><span style="color: white"><span style="font-size: 15px">Hey human, Morin, Kugo’s friend, someone called. It was Husku, the old orc from Anvil that Kugo had met. He sheathed the short sword he was sharpening and pointed at my forehead. You make your first kill? Lucky to have a priest there to bring it to the sight on the gods. I’d half forgotten the line of troll’s blood decorating my forehead. Come here and talk to me , the orc said.</span></span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'"><span style="color: white"><span style="font-size: 15px">Husku grinned. You’re a killer now, a real soldier for all that your green as grass. Congradulations. I wasn’t sure I agreed with him, but then I wasn’t sure I didn’t. It struck me as strange I got along so well with orcs. Up close Husku’s splint mail armor was visibly covered in markings and charms, and his face was heavily tattooed. Kugo told me you’re skilled at poisons I said.</span></span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'"><span style="color: white"><span style="font-size: 15px">It’s an art. I milk venom from the sacs of vipers and other critters. Or sometimes I grind up and distil certain plants Captain Montion brings me. He’s a druid you know, most powerful spell tosser in camp, unless you count the magic of the Lord Commander. Poison can be very useful in taking down large besties who hardly feel the prick of a spear but will notice their guts shutting down, he smiles, or worse.</span></span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'"><span style="color: white"><span style="font-size: 15px">I tried to look suitably impressed. Kugo mentioned the blood toad.</span></span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'"><span style="color: white"><span style="font-size: 15px">Yes, keep your eyes out for them, they are redish brown and the size of a small cat. Poisonous blood bursts from their wounds so you can’t just skewer them but you can throw them in a sack if your quick. Extracting the venom involves dismemberment while boiling the body; the poison is good for crippling opponents. It has been a good week, I’ve collected three. Now I know you don’t have the funds today but if you after you get paid or if you find something you think I might want to trade for look me up you hear.</span></span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'"><span style="color: white"><span style="font-size: 15px">Will do. There was a problem with Trang on our patrol and Kugo is in a foul mood. Any idea how to lift his spirits?</span></span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'"><span style="color: white"><span style="font-size: 15px">Is Trang that elf? Husku hawks and spits. The priest will feel better after a fight. Which should come soon, I hear we advance tomorrow.</span></span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'"><span style="color: white"><span style="font-size: 15px">No offense, but why is an old soldier like you being so helpful to me?</span></span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'"><span style="color: white"><span style="font-size: 15px">You mean an old orc like me. Kugo marked you with that line of blood on your brow. Maybe he saw something in you he could turn to the proper way of doing things. Don’t do something stupid and wash it off now, Husku said, do that and I’ll break your nose. The officers won’t dock my pay he grinned. I’ve been here longer than most of them. Now run on, I got things to do.</span></span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'"><span style="color: white"><span style="font-size: 15px">I wondered over to the mess cart for a slice of smoked meat when a whirlwind settled in the middle of camp. I’d half drawn my sword when it caved in on itself and turned into the bejeweled Lord Captain, turban, silk, and all. </span></span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'"><span style="color: white"><span style="font-size: 15px">I’ve reconnoitered the entire complex he boomed out. It’s a mass of shaped, warped wood that we will assault tomorrow. He pointed at me and several other grunts. Run and summon the officers to my tent. I scrambled to obey.</span></span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'"><span style="color: white"><span style="font-size: 15px">The next morning the entire Stormbirds Company advanced along a larger ravine than the one my squad had scouted. Tempers between Trang, Kugo, and I had cooled overnight and we were civil to each other. The anticipation of a major battle helped override all other concerns. </span></span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'"><span style="color: white"><span style="font-size: 15px">The Company met a force of goblins, more of a mob really, just as the trees began to thicken and twist. They looked muscled and mutated like those prisoners and began screaming war cries to Maglubiyet and Shologaiush. The two phalanxes Anvil and Impenetrable, each thirty men, formed the center of our line while the scouts were issued bows and told to protect the left flank while the few wizards stood on the right.</span></span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'"><span style="color: white"><span style="font-size: 15px">The goblins were eager to fight. A yellow glow washed over them and the entire group charged into the spears of the phalanxes. I loosed a few arrows into the mob unthinkingly before I realized I only had twenty and should save my ammo and let the phalanxes do their job.</span></span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'"><span style="color: white"><span style="font-size: 15px">Soon enough things got more interesting. A twenty foot tall misshapen giant covered in green warts and wearing enough hides to look rotund came striding out of the woods carrying a broken tree over one shoulder. That’s our target said Komwill and we loosed our arrows at the juggernaut. Unfortunatly most failed to pierce his many layers of armor and the giant swung his tree in a great arc, sending five members of Anvil flying. One woman landed a yard from me, broken and bleeding. I dropped my bow and ran to bandage her.</span></span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'"><span style="color: white"><span style="font-size: 15px">At this point Kugo dropped his crossbow, hoisted the bag around his neck, and cast the same spell on the giant he’d once cast on me. <em>Kneel!</em> The giant knelt down surrounded by a forest of spears and soon was covered in wounds. On the right flank Captain Montion, waved his hand and blood flew from the giant’s wounds to pool at the Captains feet where hundreds of flowers abruptly bloomed. The giant sank to the ground and a roar went up from our lines.</span></span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'"><span style="color: white"><span style="font-size: 15px">As this was happening a number of low horns sounded and from the woods burst twenty goblins on wolves charging the casters on the right. Balls of fire rolled out to meet them but most of the goblins seemed barely singed and engulfed the magical support. Lord Captain Salimis flew over to us and commanded we drop our bows, draw out swords, and keep Anvil from being broken from its side. I wasn’t thrilled, we were armed with swords and leather and those wolves looked like the goblin elite, but I obeyed over Urchin’s muted protests.</span></span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'"><span style="color: white"><span style="font-size: 15px">Now I was in the thick of it. I’d lost sight of Kugo but Trang was to my left and we both concentrated on the slobbering mount of the goblin in front of us instead of his armored form. Luckily he was distracted trying to brain one of Menlos’s purple robed apprentices. Luck was with us and our rapiers sunk deep, but even mortally wounded the animal refused to lie down and die. It turned its rider toward us and tried to catch my sword arm in its jaws.</span></span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'"><span style="color: white"><span style="font-size: 15px">The goblin rider screamed curses swung his morning star into my leather chest plate which was still ripped from the night before. That hurt. But it also over extended him and left him open to a precise strike from Trang that sent his neck’s artery blood spraying all over his shining armor. </span></span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'"><span style="color: white"><span style="font-size: 15px">The battle continued. I pushed ahead trying to take the brunt of the attacks while Trang either assisted me or flanked. Kugo was nowhere in sight, but I did see Lord Captain Salimis behead a wolf with his jeweled scimitar. That not being enough, the clouds that formed his lower body abruptly rose far over his head and captain became a whirlwind tossing wolf riders left and right. A smile came to my face for just a second before a guttural intonation caused a rift to open near the captain and he was sucked into a distant hazy landscape of towering domes and white clouds.</span></span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'"><span style="color: white"><span style="font-size: 15px">The goblin mob fighting the phalanxes was falling back and a number of Anvil dropped their spears, turned right and charged the wolf riders. A roar turned my head. Captain Montion had turned into a large panther and was fighting a red armored goblin wielding a hammer with a banner attatched to his back. The leader? I finally saw Kugo who had lost his mace holding onto the red armored goblin’s wolf’s hindquarters trying to throw it to the ground. Now there was an idea, I ran to help. We downed the wolf and the goblin was slowly torn apart by the Captain and Trang. Upon this one’s fall the remaining wolf riders panicked and fled.</span></span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'"><span style="color: white"><span style="font-size: 15px">The mutated mob to the front seemed too stupid or crazed to flee, but was slowly ground down to nothing. It wasn’t until the fighting had stopped that I realized how exhausted I was. I sat down much to the disgust of Captain Montion. Get up soldier, there’s wounded to tend do. I rose guiltily.</span></span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'"><span style="color: white"><span style="font-size: 15px">Smile Morin, said Kugo. There’s wounded, but there is also loot. When all this armor and weapons and booty is divided up, some of it will be ours.</span></span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'"><span style="color: white"><span style="font-size: 15px">That’s the spirit. We join the rest of the company scanning the battlefield for the living and dead. The weapons made a single pile, the armor another, and the gold, jewelery, and other portable wealth was gathered by Lieutenant Komwill in a chest. I helped carry the wounded off to the side while more skilled healers tended to them. While carrying one body I felt a hand grip my arm. Thanks greenhorn, I owe you one. What’s your name?</span></span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'"><span style="color: white"><span style="font-size: 15px">I looked down and saw the woman I had bandaged who had been sent flying by the giant. She was a tall and muscular human, with a pug nose and brown hair. Morin, I say. Morin, I’m Jessica, of Impenetrable. I’ll see you around.</span></span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'"><span style="color: white"><span style="font-size: 15px">Somewhat late the wagons rolled up and the cooks started dinner. I found I had an enormous apitite for dried meet and wine. According to the remaining mages, the Lord Captain had been dissmissed back to his home on the plane of Air, but this wasn’t a huge concern as he was able to pierce the planar boundries easily and should be back in a day or two.</span></span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'"><span style="color: white"><span style="font-size: 15px">I wondered what our losses had been but I was too tired to care. I decided to worry about it in the morning and went to sleep. </span></span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'"><span style="color: white"><span style="font-size: 15px">Morning brought my answers. Anvil and Impenetrable had taken half their numbers in casualties, though most were expected to recover. The battle with the wolf riders had been brutal on my scouts, seven of us lay dead and six more wounded. That left Trang, Kugo, and I practically the entire platoon. We weren’t in the best of shape but I’d healed most my wounds overnight and Kugo’s prayers had stopped his bleeding but I was worried about Trang. There was still bad blood between her and Kugo preventing his aid and I had noticed she was hiding a weeping gash beneath her armor. She claimed it was a scratch, but on someone svelte like her a scratch could reach bone.</span></span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'"><span style="color: white"><span style="font-size: 15px">Then there was the absent Lord Captain. Captain Montion, the dwarf druid, proclaimed himself acting commander in our lord’s absence and decreed we would continue to complete the contract. The Temple complex lay ahead of us and Montion wanted to invade it while the goblins were still under the shock of defeat and perhaps leaderless. Twenty able soldiers taken from across the platoons would invade the wooden temple complex and report their findings after one hour.</span></span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'"><span style="color: white"><span style="font-size: 15px">Jessica, who must have found some magical healing somewhere, and a veteran named Murok collected Trang, Kugo and I and pronounced us a team. Murok pointed at me and said You saved Jessica after she went for her flight? Yes I replied. He grunted, she’s decided that after you saved her from the Hells Gates you’re lucky. A walking talking half-assed soldier lucky talisman. That’s right, said Jessica. You got to take note when the universe does you a favor.</span></span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Calibri'"><span style="color: white"><span style="font-size: 15px">With our skill in stealth, we scouts ranged about twenty yards ahead of the two heavily armored veterans and advanced in to the thickening trees. After a few minutes of walking the trees and brambles had grown so close together they might as well have been a wall, save for a yawning mouth of an opening that looked more than a little like it wanted to eat us. Kugo chuckled when I said that. You forget, yesterday <em>we </em>ate <em>them. </em>To my surprise Trang agreed with the orc. This evil place should be scared of us she said grimly. It was good to see them in agreement.</span></span></span></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Rerun, post: 6022798, member: 6700532"] [FONT=Calibri][COLOR=white][SIZE=4]The trip back to camp was uncomfortable to say the least. Kugo cast a spell on our captive that left the goblin in a stumbling stupor with a worrying amount on anger in his voice. Trang was cold and silent. I was preoccupied with trying to think of ways to get my squad mates to bury the hatchet once they cooled off. The success of our first mission was forgotten.[/SIZE][/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][COLOR=white][SIZE=4]I decided that Kugo and Trang’s agreement to “settle” their differences had to be far from the first fight between soldiers the Stormbirds had seen and resolved to report the affair to our commanding officer Lieutenant Komwill. This proved a smart idea for the halfling didn’t give the matter much thought before coming up with a solution: He informed Kugo and Trang that from now on half of their share of loot would be dependent on each keeping the other alive and healthy. And if that didn’t work, well where there was a whip there was a way. Komwill further said he didn’t care if they hated each other and dreamed of bloody revenge, they would act like good soldiers. Neither Kugo nor Trang were happy with me for turning to an officer, much less being chewed out by a halfing, but I figured they’d get over it.[/SIZE][/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][COLOR=white][SIZE=4]Our prisoner was placed in a pit along with several other goblins and an ogre the scouts had captured. Two of the goblins were bulging with muscle but unnaturally mishappen. I was told they would be brought before the officers, charmed by wizard Menlos, and interrogated. Without orders and unwelcome by my squad I set off to try and find acceptance amoung the Stormbird veterans.[/SIZE][/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][COLOR=white][SIZE=4]Hey human, Morin, Kugo’s friend, someone called. It was Husku, the old orc from Anvil that Kugo had met. He sheathed the short sword he was sharpening and pointed at my forehead. You make your first kill? Lucky to have a priest there to bring it to the sight on the gods. I’d half forgotten the line of troll’s blood decorating my forehead. Come here and talk to me , the orc said.[/SIZE][/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][COLOR=white][SIZE=4]Husku grinned. You’re a killer now, a real soldier for all that your green as grass. Congradulations. I wasn’t sure I agreed with him, but then I wasn’t sure I didn’t. It struck me as strange I got along so well with orcs. Up close Husku’s splint mail armor was visibly covered in markings and charms, and his face was heavily tattooed. Kugo told me you’re skilled at poisons I said.[/SIZE][/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][COLOR=white][SIZE=4]It’s an art. I milk venom from the sacs of vipers and other critters. Or sometimes I grind up and distil certain plants Captain Montion brings me. He’s a druid you know, most powerful spell tosser in camp, unless you count the magic of the Lord Commander. Poison can be very useful in taking down large besties who hardly feel the prick of a spear but will notice their guts shutting down, he smiles, or worse.[/SIZE][/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][COLOR=white][SIZE=4]I tried to look suitably impressed. Kugo mentioned the blood toad.[/SIZE][/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][COLOR=white][SIZE=4]Yes, keep your eyes out for them, they are redish brown and the size of a small cat. Poisonous blood bursts from their wounds so you can’t just skewer them but you can throw them in a sack if your quick. Extracting the venom involves dismemberment while boiling the body; the poison is good for crippling opponents. It has been a good week, I’ve collected three. Now I know you don’t have the funds today but if you after you get paid or if you find something you think I might want to trade for look me up you hear.[/SIZE][/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][COLOR=white][SIZE=4]Will do. There was a problem with Trang on our patrol and Kugo is in a foul mood. Any idea how to lift his spirits?[/SIZE][/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][COLOR=white][SIZE=4]Is Trang that elf? Husku hawks and spits. The priest will feel better after a fight. Which should come soon, I hear we advance tomorrow.[/SIZE][/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][COLOR=white][SIZE=4]No offense, but why is an old soldier like you being so helpful to me?[/SIZE][/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][COLOR=white][SIZE=4]You mean an old orc like me. Kugo marked you with that line of blood on your brow. Maybe he saw something in you he could turn to the proper way of doing things. Don’t do something stupid and wash it off now, Husku said, do that and I’ll break your nose. The officers won’t dock my pay he grinned. I’ve been here longer than most of them. Now run on, I got things to do.[/SIZE][/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][COLOR=white][SIZE=4]I wondered over to the mess cart for a slice of smoked meat when a whirlwind settled in the middle of camp. I’d half drawn my sword when it caved in on itself and turned into the bejeweled Lord Captain, turban, silk, and all. [/SIZE][/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][COLOR=white][SIZE=4]I’ve reconnoitered the entire complex he boomed out. It’s a mass of shaped, warped wood that we will assault tomorrow. He pointed at me and several other grunts. Run and summon the officers to my tent. I scrambled to obey.[/SIZE][/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][COLOR=white][SIZE=4]The next morning the entire Stormbirds Company advanced along a larger ravine than the one my squad had scouted. Tempers between Trang, Kugo, and I had cooled overnight and we were civil to each other. The anticipation of a major battle helped override all other concerns. [/SIZE][/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][COLOR=white][SIZE=4]The Company met a force of goblins, more of a mob really, just as the trees began to thicken and twist. They looked muscled and mutated like those prisoners and began screaming war cries to Maglubiyet and Shologaiush. The two phalanxes Anvil and Impenetrable, each thirty men, formed the center of our line while the scouts were issued bows and told to protect the left flank while the few wizards stood on the right.[/SIZE][/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][COLOR=white][SIZE=4]The goblins were eager to fight. A yellow glow washed over them and the entire group charged into the spears of the phalanxes. I loosed a few arrows into the mob unthinkingly before I realized I only had twenty and should save my ammo and let the phalanxes do their job.[/SIZE][/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][COLOR=white][SIZE=4]Soon enough things got more interesting. A twenty foot tall misshapen giant covered in green warts and wearing enough hides to look rotund came striding out of the woods carrying a broken tree over one shoulder. That’s our target said Komwill and we loosed our arrows at the juggernaut. Unfortunatly most failed to pierce his many layers of armor and the giant swung his tree in a great arc, sending five members of Anvil flying. One woman landed a yard from me, broken and bleeding. I dropped my bow and ran to bandage her.[/SIZE][/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][COLOR=white][SIZE=4]At this point Kugo dropped his crossbow, hoisted the bag around his neck, and cast the same spell on the giant he’d once cast on me. [I]Kneel![/I] The giant knelt down surrounded by a forest of spears and soon was covered in wounds. On the right flank Captain Montion, waved his hand and blood flew from the giant’s wounds to pool at the Captains feet where hundreds of flowers abruptly bloomed. The giant sank to the ground and a roar went up from our lines.[/SIZE][/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][COLOR=white][SIZE=4]As this was happening a number of low horns sounded and from the woods burst twenty goblins on wolves charging the casters on the right. Balls of fire rolled out to meet them but most of the goblins seemed barely singed and engulfed the magical support. Lord Captain Salimis flew over to us and commanded we drop our bows, draw out swords, and keep Anvil from being broken from its side. I wasn’t thrilled, we were armed with swords and leather and those wolves looked like the goblin elite, but I obeyed over Urchin’s muted protests.[/SIZE][/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][COLOR=white][SIZE=4]Now I was in the thick of it. I’d lost sight of Kugo but Trang was to my left and we both concentrated on the slobbering mount of the goblin in front of us instead of his armored form. Luckily he was distracted trying to brain one of Menlos’s purple robed apprentices. Luck was with us and our rapiers sunk deep, but even mortally wounded the animal refused to lie down and die. It turned its rider toward us and tried to catch my sword arm in its jaws.[/SIZE][/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][COLOR=white][SIZE=4]The goblin rider screamed curses swung his morning star into my leather chest plate which was still ripped from the night before. That hurt. But it also over extended him and left him open to a precise strike from Trang that sent his neck’s artery blood spraying all over his shining armor. [/SIZE][/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][COLOR=white][SIZE=4]The battle continued. I pushed ahead trying to take the brunt of the attacks while Trang either assisted me or flanked. Kugo was nowhere in sight, but I did see Lord Captain Salimis behead a wolf with his jeweled scimitar. That not being enough, the clouds that formed his lower body abruptly rose far over his head and captain became a whirlwind tossing wolf riders left and right. A smile came to my face for just a second before a guttural intonation caused a rift to open near the captain and he was sucked into a distant hazy landscape of towering domes and white clouds.[/SIZE][/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][COLOR=white][SIZE=4]The goblin mob fighting the phalanxes was falling back and a number of Anvil dropped their spears, turned right and charged the wolf riders. A roar turned my head. Captain Montion had turned into a large panther and was fighting a red armored goblin wielding a hammer with a banner attatched to his back. The leader? I finally saw Kugo who had lost his mace holding onto the red armored goblin’s wolf’s hindquarters trying to throw it to the ground. Now there was an idea, I ran to help. We downed the wolf and the goblin was slowly torn apart by the Captain and Trang. Upon this one’s fall the remaining wolf riders panicked and fled.[/SIZE][/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][COLOR=white][SIZE=4]The mutated mob to the front seemed too stupid or crazed to flee, but was slowly ground down to nothing. It wasn’t until the fighting had stopped that I realized how exhausted I was. I sat down much to the disgust of Captain Montion. Get up soldier, there’s wounded to tend do. I rose guiltily.[/SIZE][/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][COLOR=white][SIZE=4]Smile Morin, said Kugo. There’s wounded, but there is also loot. When all this armor and weapons and booty is divided up, some of it will be ours.[/SIZE][/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][COLOR=white][SIZE=4]That’s the spirit. We join the rest of the company scanning the battlefield for the living and dead. The weapons made a single pile, the armor another, and the gold, jewelery, and other portable wealth was gathered by Lieutenant Komwill in a chest. I helped carry the wounded off to the side while more skilled healers tended to them. While carrying one body I felt a hand grip my arm. Thanks greenhorn, I owe you one. What’s your name?[/SIZE][/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][COLOR=white][SIZE=4]I looked down and saw the woman I had bandaged who had been sent flying by the giant. She was a tall and muscular human, with a pug nose and brown hair. Morin, I say. Morin, I’m Jessica, of Impenetrable. I’ll see you around.[/SIZE][/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][COLOR=white][SIZE=4]Somewhat late the wagons rolled up and the cooks started dinner. I found I had an enormous apitite for dried meet and wine. According to the remaining mages, the Lord Captain had been dissmissed back to his home on the plane of Air, but this wasn’t a huge concern as he was able to pierce the planar boundries easily and should be back in a day or two.[/SIZE][/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][COLOR=white][SIZE=4]I wondered what our losses had been but I was too tired to care. I decided to worry about it in the morning and went to sleep. [/SIZE][/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][COLOR=white][SIZE=4]Morning brought my answers. Anvil and Impenetrable had taken half their numbers in casualties, though most were expected to recover. The battle with the wolf riders had been brutal on my scouts, seven of us lay dead and six more wounded. That left Trang, Kugo, and I practically the entire platoon. We weren’t in the best of shape but I’d healed most my wounds overnight and Kugo’s prayers had stopped his bleeding but I was worried about Trang. There was still bad blood between her and Kugo preventing his aid and I had noticed she was hiding a weeping gash beneath her armor. She claimed it was a scratch, but on someone svelte like her a scratch could reach bone.[/SIZE][/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][COLOR=white][SIZE=4]Then there was the absent Lord Captain. Captain Montion, the dwarf druid, proclaimed himself acting commander in our lord’s absence and decreed we would continue to complete the contract. The Temple complex lay ahead of us and Montion wanted to invade it while the goblins were still under the shock of defeat and perhaps leaderless. Twenty able soldiers taken from across the platoons would invade the wooden temple complex and report their findings after one hour.[/SIZE][/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][COLOR=white][SIZE=4]Jessica, who must have found some magical healing somewhere, and a veteran named Murok collected Trang, Kugo and I and pronounced us a team. Murok pointed at me and said You saved Jessica after she went for her flight? Yes I replied. He grunted, she’s decided that after you saved her from the Hells Gates you’re lucky. A walking talking half-assed soldier lucky talisman. That’s right, said Jessica. You got to take note when the universe does you a favor.[/SIZE][/COLOR][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][COLOR=white][SIZE=4]With our skill in stealth, we scouts ranged about twenty yards ahead of the two heavily armored veterans and advanced in to the thickening trees. After a few minutes of walking the trees and brambles had grown so close together they might as well have been a wall, save for a yawning mouth of an opening that looked more than a little like it wanted to eat us. Kugo chuckled when I said that. You forget, yesterday [I]we [/I]ate [I]them. [/I]To my surprise Trang agreed with the orc. This evil place should be scared of us she said grimly. It was good to see them in agreement.[/SIZE][/COLOR][/FONT] [/QUOTE]
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