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The Gate Pass Irregulars: A War of the Burning Sky Campaign
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<blockquote data-quote="Cafu" data-source="post: 6062646" data-attributes="member: 6692807"><p>Still looking around carefully, we stripped the bodies of the spoils of war and then began to search the actual location. Although we were sure that there was no one else in this watch post, we did not relax. Who knows what traps or surprises could have been left for us by the Ragesians during their occupation?</p><p> </p><p>As per the layout of the previous towers, we searched the main sleeping quarters first; in one of the sleeping cots we found a priceless item: a piece of paper on which was written the following:</p><p> </p><p>“Take the first outpost, then stay put, receiving supply drops every other day. When we learn of the success or failure of Madness, our weather mage associates will break the winter over the Alydi Gap. When the thaw begins, prepare to take additional outposts.”</p><p> </p><p>This was our evidence! The paper was signed by General Revulus, the Ragesian commander poised on the Imperial side of the Gap and if Gallo needed a something to convince his allies that the Ragesians were getting ready to invade, this was a very strong indication; why else capture the outposts and “break the winter over the Alydi Gap” if you were not planning to invade!</p><p> </p><p>As I read the paper, one thing did puzzle me:</p><p> </p><p>“What’s Madness? It writes about the success or failure of Madness; what is that?”</p><p> </p><p>John was looking over my shoulder: “It’s a code word for their plan; very apt too. Think about it; everyone thinks that Steppengaard has gone mad; therefore Madness.”</p><p> </p><p>I frowned: “Makes sense I suppose.”</p><p> </p><p>Having found the most important thing in the whole tower, we continued to search but could find nothing else. There was a book about Ragesia which proclaimed all sorts of things on behalf of the Empire, its creed, its power, its generosity, its destiny and many other glories and achievements; reading the first few pages, I did get an idea of what the book was. I put it away; I thought that if I had time to read it later, it could possibly give me an insight into just what the Empire was telling its citizens.</p><p> </p><p>Apart from that, we could find little else; we left the post and went to see Commander Hertiage; when we showed him the orders, he whistled and slammed his fist against his palm:</p><p> </p><p>“You’ve struck gold lads! That’s exactly what we needed! Lord Gallo will be delighted! Now let’s go back! We need to show this to him yesterday!”</p><p> </p><p>“Let us have a few moments, Commander! We have some things to get from the post and then we will be on our way,” John was saying as he prepared to lead the horses up the steep path to the post.</p><p> </p><p>Once we led them up there, it took us a little time to load the animals with our spoils of war, but as soon as that had been done, Felix cast his snow walking spell on them and we began the ride back to Gallo’s Fend.</p><p> </p><p>I was a little concerned about Felix. I could see he was swaying in his saddle. I knew that we had both crammed our spells very recently, which caused abnormal exhaustion and he had done it twice in succession without resting so he really must have been on his last legs. He had that glassy eyed look on his face which people get when they have driven themselves beyond their natural strength.</p><p> </p><p>Thankfully, the ride back was uneventful. We made quick stops on each of the other posts as we passed them, warning the garrisons of imminent attack and telling them what had happened to their counterparts in the furthest posts. They accepted the news grimly and a new sense of purpose and alertness suffused the troops.</p><p> </p><p>Finally, late that night, we viewed the welcome sight of the fortress; with no hesitation, we sped up to the Gate and once allowed entrance, rode rapidly to the Castle gates; there, we asked for an audience with the Duke immediately and surprisingly were allowed into a waiting chamber; it didn’t take a long time before, even in our bedraggled, unshaven, dirty state we were allowed into the presence of the Duke.</p><p> </p><p>Before we were taken for our audience, some of the castle chaplains tended to our wounds, which made us feel a lot better; then, led by one of the castle majordomos, we were led into a war room; there was a quantity of people there, including the Duke and several military advisors. One of these was making a strong point to the Duke; a topographical map of the lands of Gallo, Dashgoban and Bresk, laid on a table, showed the potential route of Steppengaards army. The advisor was just finishing an explanation of his strategy:</p><p> </p><p>“…..the Breskian commander has to take his troops up the river; otherwise they will have to go through Pitchwood and by the gods, they will not want to do that, unless they absolutely have to, for all sorts of reasons; so they will go up the river; if we can soften or melt the ice just before they reach this point, it will delay them; it could gain us precious time to prepare; and for our allies to get here.”</p><p> </p><p>Gallo looked at the map and steepled his fingers in front of his chest; I was beginning to recognize this as a sign of thoughtfulness.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, but how do we melt the ice?”</p><p> </p><p>“My Lord, it may not fully succeed but here, next to Pitchwood is the town of Pitchwoodsburg; a farming settlement; they have lots of pitch; if they can spread this pitch over the ice and set it on fire, then that will melt the ice; or if not melt it then at least weaken it enough to make it impassable for an army.”</p><p> </p><p>Gallo looked at his advisor sharply: “You realize that burning that pitch will ruin their harvest for next year, don’t you?”</p><p> </p><p>“My Lord, one small village or a priceless military advantage…….”</p><p> </p><p>The Duke looked at the map for a little longer than turned around to us.</p><p> </p><p>“So, gentlemen, what have you found out? What news have you brought me?”</p><p> </p><p>Wordlessly, Longhelim handed him the precious set of orders we found. Gallo stared at them wordlessly; nothing could be read on his face.</p><p> </p><p>Then, he just looked weary; he went to a chair and then sat down:</p><p> </p><p>“So it begins; the true foe finally shows his hand. As we thought, Steppengaard’s march is just a feint while the true enemy is on the other side of the Alydi Gap. We must gather our allies: Lord Dashgoban and Lady Timor. Jinis?”</p><p> </p><p>Jinis stepped forward: “Yes, My Lord.”</p><p> </p><p>“You will go to the Lords tomorrow morning. Ride as fast as you can and go straight there. Use the traditional call to gather Gallo’s allies. While you are on that mission, inform the farmers of Pitchwoodsburg to spread their pitch on the ice and burn it just before it is reached by Steppengaard’s forces.”</p><p> </p><p>Then he turned to us: “Gentlemen, will you go with him? You know each other already and I will feel better if I know that you are escorting him.”</p><p> </p><p>Looking at Felix’s pasty features and glassy eyes, I said carefully: “Your Grace, we have just been on our feet for the past two days with little rest; my friend is almost on the verge of collapse; we need a few days rest.”</p><p> </p><p>One of the advisors slowly shook his head: “Steppengaards army is only seven days away; if you delay then our allies will not be able to reach us. You have to go tomorrow; and I would advise you to go through Pitchwood, otherwise you will not reach Dashgoban in time, never mind Lady Timor.”</p><p> </p><p>I stood my ground: “But……” then I felt a touch on my shoulder as Felix gently said:</p><p> </p><p>“Leave it Faden; at least I will get a good night’s rest in a bed tonight which will go a long way to aid my recovery.”</p><p> </p><p>Despite feeling some concern, I conceded the point.</p><p> </p><p>Felix stepped forward and said: “We will escort Jinis as per your wishes.”</p><p> </p><p>“Excellent,” said the Duke and then returned to his map.</p><p> </p><p>We then surrounded Jinis and said: “So, Jinis, could you give us further details as to where we are supposed to go and what will we have to do?”</p><p> </p><p>Jinis took us out of the war room and took us to a dining area where we were served bread, cold meats and hot drinks. Suddenly I realised I was ravenous. Once we were sated and now seated with hot drinks and a pipe for Longhelim, Jinis began:</p><p> </p><p>“Dashgoban is to the South of Gallo. Most of the border between the two lands is covered in a forest called Pitchwood; as time is of the essence, we will have to go through it; going around it would take too long. This is complicated by the presence of the Pitchlings, a clan of warlike fey who do not like trespassers. They are likely to attempt to stop us from travelling through the forest.”</p><p> </p><p>“Never heard of them,” grunted Longhelim. “What do they do?”</p><p> </p><p>Jinis sipped his tea and replied: “Little is known about them except that they have one weakness; unlit torches exposed to the open air will light up within some distance of their presence. It is a sure way of knowing if they are nearby. They only speak Sylvan. If possible, I would like to avoid conflict with them.”</p><p> </p><p>I nodded:” I like that thought; so, providing we manage to get through this Pitchwood, what then?”</p><p> </p><p>Jinis continued: “Well, we get to Dashgoban, present the evidence and formally request aid in the name of Duke Gallo. After that, we go to the lands of Lady Timor, by way of the River Nesham and through Pitchwoodsburg, where we have to convince the people to spread the pitch on the ice and burn it.”</p><p> </p><p>I already had one or two ideas about how to approach that so I said: “So, what after that? Where are Lady Timor’s lands.”</p><p> </p><p>Jinis replied: “Lady Timor’s castle is a short distance away from the edge of the Glasskeel Cliffs. They are a natural border between the lands of His Grace and the Lady and lie a day or so North of Pitchwoodsburg. We will have to climb or fly to the top from the ground. It is the only way of getting up there. When we get to Lady Timor’s castle, we will again need to present the evidence and formally request aid.”</p><p> </p><p>Longhelim drew on his pipe: “What do we have that will get us up those cliffs? How tall are they again Jinis?”</p><p> </p><p>“Several thousand feet,” was the reply, “and there is a lot wind as well.”</p><p> </p><p>Felix thought out loud: “From your description, Jinis, I don’t think that our flying magic will last long enough to negotiate those cliffs; we will have to think of something else.”</p><p> </p><p>He yawned: “Gentlemen, my apologies. I think we have heard enough for tonight. I have to go to bed now.”</p><p> </p><p>Following his example, we all went to bed.</p><p> </p><p>The next morning I woke up a little late; Felix was not the only one feeling exhausted after excessive spell learning. Downstairs, I saw everyone already up with the exception of Felix, not surprisingly; there was a large amount of cash on the table which was being divided into six shares:</p><p> </p><p>“Where did this come from?” I asked.</p><p> </p><p>Drudge answered: “Longhelim and John were very enterprising and took it upon themselves to sell our spoils of war; the various potions and magic are still with us but the armour and weapons fetched very good prices on the open market here. Here’s your share.”</p><p> </p><p>I stared at the pile of gold in front of me.</p><p> </p><p>“Ummm……could someone carry that for me. I don’t think I will be able to move with all that.”</p><p> </p><p>John burst into laughter: “Of all the…..give it here. I’ll put it in my sack. Of course, I’ll make sure that none of it gets lost in there.”</p><p> </p><p>It was at this moment that Felix made an appearance. He looked so much better.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s a nice table. Spoils of war I presume?”</p><p> </p><p>Unlike me, he was able to take his share and put it in his backpack. After that, we had breakfast and met Jinis outside. Our horses were ready and, mounting, we rode out.</p><p> </p><p>Once outside, Felix was able to cast his spell which allowed the horses to run on top of the snow without hindrance allowing us to ride along at normal speed. It was a very pleasant ride overall; the sky was blue and clear and I presume that it must have been very cold as all of our breaths produced steam; the countryside flew by as the horses ran. It was all I could do to hold on; I was not a good rider but I managed to hold on and most of my aches and pains produced by my previous rides had disappeared by this time. Every so often, we would see figures in the distance but we did not stop and they did not approach us so, by the late afternoon, we were able to see the dark mass in front of us.</p><p> </p><p>Jinis shouted: “That’s Pitchwood!”</p><p> </p><p>As we reached the edge, I heard Drudge murmur: “Look at those pines! They are magnificent!”</p><p> </p><p>So, evidently, the trees were pines. At the edge of the forest, we stopped and discussed matters briefly. Drudge and John would go in front, speaking Sylvan, calling out friendly greetings intermittently. To ease matters, there was a definite trail leading into the Pitchwood. John would also have an unlit torch in his hand.</p><p> </p><p>Felix then said:</p><p> </p><p>“Here Longhelim, take this.” He was holding out a strange necklace. I remembered we had found it in the Forest of Innenotdar. “It will allow you to speak and understand Sylvan,” he continued,” but unfortunately, you will not be able to speak our language when you are wearing it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Understood,” said Longhelim as he slipped it on.</p><p> </p><p>Thus prepared, we took the trail into the forest. We had not travelled very long when suddenly the unlit torch flared into life. Both Drudge and John began speaking loudly; then Longhelim joined in. Even in Sylvan, his voice sounded soothing, slow and friendly. Then, another voice replied from the forest darkness; it was high pitched, almost a child’s voice. Again, Longhelim replied and this time, he removed his necklace briefly and said:</p><p> </p><p>“We are safe, providing we ride now! So, let’s go!”</p><p> </p><p>Nothing loth, we moved swiftly on the trail and traversed the forest, unharmed.</p><p> </p><p>We emerged on the other side of the Pitchwood to dusk over a snowy landscape of plains. As we rode, in the distance, this time, we could see a huge amount of cavalry; they were wheeling and charging in both small and large formations, obviously on maneuvers. As we sped past, a huge rocky outcrop loomed in the distance. Jinis aimed towards it and as we approached, I could see that a huge castle formed part of the outcrop.</p><p> </p><p>Some distance from the outcropping, we were challenged but Jinis was recognized and we were escorted to the castle. Once inside the main courtyard, we were met by Lord Dashgoban and his advisors.</p><p> </p><p>Jinis dismounted, followed by the rest of us. He bowed and said:</p><p> </p><p>“My Lord, we bring irrevocable proof that the Ragesians plan an invasion. Therefore, by right of ancient treaty, Lord Gallo calls for aid in his time of need.”</p><p> </p><p>Dashgoban was an aged dwarf with lines on his face and wise eyes. He had a luxurious beard and white hair. He dressed in a fine robe but I had no doubt that he had worn armour for most of his life. He held out his hand: “The proof?”</p><p> </p><p>Longhelim stepped forward, bowed and handed Revelus’s orders to him. Dashgoban read them and nodded to himself. He stroked his silky beard and asked:</p><p> </p><p>“What does Duke Gallo plan? He has Steppengaard sending a force to his rear.”</p><p> </p><p>Jinis replied: “Whilst I do not know the details of the plan, I believe that he plans to deal with this force first my Lord, before concentrating on the Ragesians. However, he is aware of the danger from the Alydi Gap and will certainly keep enough troops in Gallo’s Fend to deal with any but the greatest of forces sent by the Ragesians.”</p><p> </p><p>Dashgoban nodded: “Quite right. Gallo was ever the strategist. Does he have any ideas about dealing with Steppengaard’s force?”</p><p> </p><p>“Several ideas my Lord: one of them concerns one of your villages in fact; Pitchwoodsburg. He has requested that you command the villagers to spread their pitch on the ice of the River Nesham and burn it at an opportune time; this will delay the King’s army.”</p><p> </p><p>Dashgoban grunted: “Sound tactics. I know the place. I would do the same in his position. I will draw up the orders tonight and you can take it to their Elder. Now, let’s go inside and have a drink to this new alliance!”</p><p> </p><p>He led us inside and there, we were given some very strong dwarven drink. I may have been a dwarf but this stuff was not to my taste; before I tasted it, I thought about asking Felix to cast his spell to find out if the drink was poisoned but I realised that this was not practical for several reasons, not least because Dashgoban would be deeply offended, so I did not suggest it. A good thing too; no one fell over after drinking and Dashgoban became distinctly friendlier after we shared the drink with him. I managed to get away with imbibing just one horn of this horrible concoction but the warriors and Drudge managed to put away quite a large amount of this stuff. Everything became quite merry.</p><p> </p><p>“So, Jinis, where do you go next?” asked Dashgoban.</p><p> </p><p>“Our next call will be to Lady Timor; but we will go through Pitchwoodsburg as we mentioned,” was the reply.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, I must not keep you. I suggest, you sleep here and tomorrow morning, we will speak again.”</p><p> </p><p>I was so tired that night, I took little notice or our surroundings. I felt that with our ride through the Pitchwood and our meeting with Lord Dashgoban, it had been a very full day. So, as we were taken to a large room with six cots, I just said good night to everyone and fell asleep almost immediately.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Cafu, post: 6062646, member: 6692807"] Still looking around carefully, we stripped the bodies of the spoils of war and then began to search the actual location. Although we were sure that there was no one else in this watch post, we did not relax. Who knows what traps or surprises could have been left for us by the Ragesians during their occupation? As per the layout of the previous towers, we searched the main sleeping quarters first; in one of the sleeping cots we found a priceless item: a piece of paper on which was written the following: “Take the first outpost, then stay put, receiving supply drops every other day. When we learn of the success or failure of Madness, our weather mage associates will break the winter over the Alydi Gap. When the thaw begins, prepare to take additional outposts.” This was our evidence! The paper was signed by General Revulus, the Ragesian commander poised on the Imperial side of the Gap and if Gallo needed a something to convince his allies that the Ragesians were getting ready to invade, this was a very strong indication; why else capture the outposts and “break the winter over the Alydi Gap” if you were not planning to invade! As I read the paper, one thing did puzzle me: “What’s Madness? It writes about the success or failure of Madness; what is that?” John was looking over my shoulder: “It’s a code word for their plan; very apt too. Think about it; everyone thinks that Steppengaard has gone mad; therefore Madness.” I frowned: “Makes sense I suppose.” Having found the most important thing in the whole tower, we continued to search but could find nothing else. There was a book about Ragesia which proclaimed all sorts of things on behalf of the Empire, its creed, its power, its generosity, its destiny and many other glories and achievements; reading the first few pages, I did get an idea of what the book was. I put it away; I thought that if I had time to read it later, it could possibly give me an insight into just what the Empire was telling its citizens. Apart from that, we could find little else; we left the post and went to see Commander Hertiage; when we showed him the orders, he whistled and slammed his fist against his palm: “You’ve struck gold lads! That’s exactly what we needed! Lord Gallo will be delighted! Now let’s go back! We need to show this to him yesterday!” “Let us have a few moments, Commander! We have some things to get from the post and then we will be on our way,” John was saying as he prepared to lead the horses up the steep path to the post. Once we led them up there, it took us a little time to load the animals with our spoils of war, but as soon as that had been done, Felix cast his snow walking spell on them and we began the ride back to Gallo’s Fend. I was a little concerned about Felix. I could see he was swaying in his saddle. I knew that we had both crammed our spells very recently, which caused abnormal exhaustion and he had done it twice in succession without resting so he really must have been on his last legs. He had that glassy eyed look on his face which people get when they have driven themselves beyond their natural strength. Thankfully, the ride back was uneventful. We made quick stops on each of the other posts as we passed them, warning the garrisons of imminent attack and telling them what had happened to their counterparts in the furthest posts. They accepted the news grimly and a new sense of purpose and alertness suffused the troops. Finally, late that night, we viewed the welcome sight of the fortress; with no hesitation, we sped up to the Gate and once allowed entrance, rode rapidly to the Castle gates; there, we asked for an audience with the Duke immediately and surprisingly were allowed into a waiting chamber; it didn’t take a long time before, even in our bedraggled, unshaven, dirty state we were allowed into the presence of the Duke. Before we were taken for our audience, some of the castle chaplains tended to our wounds, which made us feel a lot better; then, led by one of the castle majordomos, we were led into a war room; there was a quantity of people there, including the Duke and several military advisors. One of these was making a strong point to the Duke; a topographical map of the lands of Gallo, Dashgoban and Bresk, laid on a table, showed the potential route of Steppengaards army. The advisor was just finishing an explanation of his strategy: “…..the Breskian commander has to take his troops up the river; otherwise they will have to go through Pitchwood and by the gods, they will not want to do that, unless they absolutely have to, for all sorts of reasons; so they will go up the river; if we can soften or melt the ice just before they reach this point, it will delay them; it could gain us precious time to prepare; and for our allies to get here.” Gallo looked at the map and steepled his fingers in front of his chest; I was beginning to recognize this as a sign of thoughtfulness. “Yes, but how do we melt the ice?” “My Lord, it may not fully succeed but here, next to Pitchwood is the town of Pitchwoodsburg; a farming settlement; they have lots of pitch; if they can spread this pitch over the ice and set it on fire, then that will melt the ice; or if not melt it then at least weaken it enough to make it impassable for an army.” Gallo looked at his advisor sharply: “You realize that burning that pitch will ruin their harvest for next year, don’t you?” “My Lord, one small village or a priceless military advantage…….” The Duke looked at the map for a little longer than turned around to us. “So, gentlemen, what have you found out? What news have you brought me?” Wordlessly, Longhelim handed him the precious set of orders we found. Gallo stared at them wordlessly; nothing could be read on his face. Then, he just looked weary; he went to a chair and then sat down: “So it begins; the true foe finally shows his hand. As we thought, Steppengaard’s march is just a feint while the true enemy is on the other side of the Alydi Gap. We must gather our allies: Lord Dashgoban and Lady Timor. Jinis?” Jinis stepped forward: “Yes, My Lord.” “You will go to the Lords tomorrow morning. Ride as fast as you can and go straight there. Use the traditional call to gather Gallo’s allies. While you are on that mission, inform the farmers of Pitchwoodsburg to spread their pitch on the ice and burn it just before it is reached by Steppengaard’s forces.” Then he turned to us: “Gentlemen, will you go with him? You know each other already and I will feel better if I know that you are escorting him.” Looking at Felix’s pasty features and glassy eyes, I said carefully: “Your Grace, we have just been on our feet for the past two days with little rest; my friend is almost on the verge of collapse; we need a few days rest.” One of the advisors slowly shook his head: “Steppengaards army is only seven days away; if you delay then our allies will not be able to reach us. You have to go tomorrow; and I would advise you to go through Pitchwood, otherwise you will not reach Dashgoban in time, never mind Lady Timor.” I stood my ground: “But……” then I felt a touch on my shoulder as Felix gently said: “Leave it Faden; at least I will get a good night’s rest in a bed tonight which will go a long way to aid my recovery.” Despite feeling some concern, I conceded the point. Felix stepped forward and said: “We will escort Jinis as per your wishes.” “Excellent,” said the Duke and then returned to his map. We then surrounded Jinis and said: “So, Jinis, could you give us further details as to where we are supposed to go and what will we have to do?” Jinis took us out of the war room and took us to a dining area where we were served bread, cold meats and hot drinks. Suddenly I realised I was ravenous. Once we were sated and now seated with hot drinks and a pipe for Longhelim, Jinis began: “Dashgoban is to the South of Gallo. Most of the border between the two lands is covered in a forest called Pitchwood; as time is of the essence, we will have to go through it; going around it would take too long. This is complicated by the presence of the Pitchlings, a clan of warlike fey who do not like trespassers. They are likely to attempt to stop us from travelling through the forest.” “Never heard of them,” grunted Longhelim. “What do they do?” Jinis sipped his tea and replied: “Little is known about them except that they have one weakness; unlit torches exposed to the open air will light up within some distance of their presence. It is a sure way of knowing if they are nearby. They only speak Sylvan. If possible, I would like to avoid conflict with them.” I nodded:” I like that thought; so, providing we manage to get through this Pitchwood, what then?” Jinis continued: “Well, we get to Dashgoban, present the evidence and formally request aid in the name of Duke Gallo. After that, we go to the lands of Lady Timor, by way of the River Nesham and through Pitchwoodsburg, where we have to convince the people to spread the pitch on the ice and burn it.” I already had one or two ideas about how to approach that so I said: “So, what after that? Where are Lady Timor’s lands.” Jinis replied: “Lady Timor’s castle is a short distance away from the edge of the Glasskeel Cliffs. They are a natural border between the lands of His Grace and the Lady and lie a day or so North of Pitchwoodsburg. We will have to climb or fly to the top from the ground. It is the only way of getting up there. When we get to Lady Timor’s castle, we will again need to present the evidence and formally request aid.” Longhelim drew on his pipe: “What do we have that will get us up those cliffs? How tall are they again Jinis?” “Several thousand feet,” was the reply, “and there is a lot wind as well.” Felix thought out loud: “From your description, Jinis, I don’t think that our flying magic will last long enough to negotiate those cliffs; we will have to think of something else.” He yawned: “Gentlemen, my apologies. I think we have heard enough for tonight. I have to go to bed now.” Following his example, we all went to bed. The next morning I woke up a little late; Felix was not the only one feeling exhausted after excessive spell learning. Downstairs, I saw everyone already up with the exception of Felix, not surprisingly; there was a large amount of cash on the table which was being divided into six shares: “Where did this come from?” I asked. Drudge answered: “Longhelim and John were very enterprising and took it upon themselves to sell our spoils of war; the various potions and magic are still with us but the armour and weapons fetched very good prices on the open market here. Here’s your share.” I stared at the pile of gold in front of me. “Ummm……could someone carry that for me. I don’t think I will be able to move with all that.” John burst into laughter: “Of all the…..give it here. I’ll put it in my sack. Of course, I’ll make sure that none of it gets lost in there.” It was at this moment that Felix made an appearance. He looked so much better. “That’s a nice table. Spoils of war I presume?” Unlike me, he was able to take his share and put it in his backpack. After that, we had breakfast and met Jinis outside. Our horses were ready and, mounting, we rode out. Once outside, Felix was able to cast his spell which allowed the horses to run on top of the snow without hindrance allowing us to ride along at normal speed. It was a very pleasant ride overall; the sky was blue and clear and I presume that it must have been very cold as all of our breaths produced steam; the countryside flew by as the horses ran. It was all I could do to hold on; I was not a good rider but I managed to hold on and most of my aches and pains produced by my previous rides had disappeared by this time. Every so often, we would see figures in the distance but we did not stop and they did not approach us so, by the late afternoon, we were able to see the dark mass in front of us. Jinis shouted: “That’s Pitchwood!” As we reached the edge, I heard Drudge murmur: “Look at those pines! They are magnificent!” So, evidently, the trees were pines. At the edge of the forest, we stopped and discussed matters briefly. Drudge and John would go in front, speaking Sylvan, calling out friendly greetings intermittently. To ease matters, there was a definite trail leading into the Pitchwood. John would also have an unlit torch in his hand. Felix then said: “Here Longhelim, take this.” He was holding out a strange necklace. I remembered we had found it in the Forest of Innenotdar. “It will allow you to speak and understand Sylvan,” he continued,” but unfortunately, you will not be able to speak our language when you are wearing it.” “Understood,” said Longhelim as he slipped it on. Thus prepared, we took the trail into the forest. We had not travelled very long when suddenly the unlit torch flared into life. Both Drudge and John began speaking loudly; then Longhelim joined in. Even in Sylvan, his voice sounded soothing, slow and friendly. Then, another voice replied from the forest darkness; it was high pitched, almost a child’s voice. Again, Longhelim replied and this time, he removed his necklace briefly and said: “We are safe, providing we ride now! So, let’s go!” Nothing loth, we moved swiftly on the trail and traversed the forest, unharmed. We emerged on the other side of the Pitchwood to dusk over a snowy landscape of plains. As we rode, in the distance, this time, we could see a huge amount of cavalry; they were wheeling and charging in both small and large formations, obviously on maneuvers. As we sped past, a huge rocky outcrop loomed in the distance. Jinis aimed towards it and as we approached, I could see that a huge castle formed part of the outcrop. Some distance from the outcropping, we were challenged but Jinis was recognized and we were escorted to the castle. Once inside the main courtyard, we were met by Lord Dashgoban and his advisors. Jinis dismounted, followed by the rest of us. He bowed and said: “My Lord, we bring irrevocable proof that the Ragesians plan an invasion. Therefore, by right of ancient treaty, Lord Gallo calls for aid in his time of need.” Dashgoban was an aged dwarf with lines on his face and wise eyes. He had a luxurious beard and white hair. He dressed in a fine robe but I had no doubt that he had worn armour for most of his life. He held out his hand: “The proof?” Longhelim stepped forward, bowed and handed Revelus’s orders to him. Dashgoban read them and nodded to himself. He stroked his silky beard and asked: “What does Duke Gallo plan? He has Steppengaard sending a force to his rear.” Jinis replied: “Whilst I do not know the details of the plan, I believe that he plans to deal with this force first my Lord, before concentrating on the Ragesians. However, he is aware of the danger from the Alydi Gap and will certainly keep enough troops in Gallo’s Fend to deal with any but the greatest of forces sent by the Ragesians.” Dashgoban nodded: “Quite right. Gallo was ever the strategist. Does he have any ideas about dealing with Steppengaard’s force?” “Several ideas my Lord: one of them concerns one of your villages in fact; Pitchwoodsburg. He has requested that you command the villagers to spread their pitch on the ice of the River Nesham and burn it at an opportune time; this will delay the King’s army.” Dashgoban grunted: “Sound tactics. I know the place. I would do the same in his position. I will draw up the orders tonight and you can take it to their Elder. Now, let’s go inside and have a drink to this new alliance!” He led us inside and there, we were given some very strong dwarven drink. I may have been a dwarf but this stuff was not to my taste; before I tasted it, I thought about asking Felix to cast his spell to find out if the drink was poisoned but I realised that this was not practical for several reasons, not least because Dashgoban would be deeply offended, so I did not suggest it. A good thing too; no one fell over after drinking and Dashgoban became distinctly friendlier after we shared the drink with him. I managed to get away with imbibing just one horn of this horrible concoction but the warriors and Drudge managed to put away quite a large amount of this stuff. Everything became quite merry. “So, Jinis, where do you go next?” asked Dashgoban. “Our next call will be to Lady Timor; but we will go through Pitchwoodsburg as we mentioned,” was the reply. “Well, I must not keep you. I suggest, you sleep here and tomorrow morning, we will speak again.” I was so tired that night, I took little notice or our surroundings. I felt that with our ride through the Pitchwood and our meeting with Lord Dashgoban, it had been a very full day. So, as we were taken to a large room with six cots, I just said good night to everyone and fell asleep almost immediately. [/QUOTE]
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The Gate Pass Irregulars: A War of the Burning Sky Campaign
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