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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Gina" data-source="post: 1707510" data-attributes="member: 10990">August 4thMorning came and we took to the road again. As we traveled, we noticed that all of the farms we passed were abandoned. In some fields crops grew, in others they had been burned. Some farmhouses stood, some were burned to the ground. All in all, it was most distressing. I become more and more worried about winter and how the people will feed themselves if there is no harvest this year. As we moved on we spotted a scattered group of orcs. They seemed to see us as well, becoming more alert preparing to rush us. I decided that this was a perfect time to try a spell I have recently mastered. I told the others to stand back and cast Spike Growth. Suddenly, as the orcs began to rush us, they discovered that they were slowed considerably by the intense pain in their legs and feet as they trod upon the spikes. Seeing what the orcs were experiencing, Torsten and Kytum-up decided to stay back and watch. The orcs never even reached us in this battle, finding themselves injured before they could get to us. Tieran caught several with a web/thunder ball combination while the rest were picked off by arrows and lightning. We moved on, after the orcs were dealt with and finally found ourselves crossing the stream that marks the edge of the Eaglesford area. Soon we came upon the path to Graystone’s new grove. Near the road, his bear crouched, waiting to attack any intruder. Luckily, he recognized us and led us to the small hut in the grove. The door was closed and strangely colored smoke drifting out of the chimney alerted us to Hara’s continued presence there. From the look of the area, Hara has pretty much taken over the hut, leaving Graystone to the outdoors, though there is another hut being built on the other side of the grove. We introduced Torsten to Graystone. He told Graystone about his dilemma and that the giants are winning in the North. Graystone seemed surprised that things were going as badly as Torsten indicated.Graystone informed us that Reena is in town, helping with the defense. He also told us that the orcs recently raided the keep itself. They stole all of the healing potions Mrs. Wiggins had stored and did a great deal of damage to the stores, as well as killing several guards. The mill also burned down in this raid.We told Graystone about the hiding place built under the Longwood’s farm. He was very suspicious about this, he knew that things were getting bad, but that indicates to him that things are much worse than he thought. He went on to say that when he last visited Kaleal Oakenstaff  he was rather taken aback with how badly things were going  generally, in the north. He had not realized, for instance, how many giant raids there had been.....nor how many of these giants are apparently spell casters."And now, with all the orc trouble around here.....although you all seem well-equipped to fight the orcs here in Eaglesford. Your victories seem easy, as you tell them. Perhaps you should stay nearby to help defend your hometown."Our victories over the Orcs have not been easy exactly, though we have developed better tactics for dealing with them as we learned how they tend to attack. We also have found that it is better to engage them in small groups, separating them if possible, rather than taking them on in groups. We have also gotten extremely lucky. The hidey holes are very troubling to us as well, the fact that the one under the Longwood farm has been in use is especially troubling. Since there was a wall built in Eaglesford, possibly by the same spellcaster who put up the stockade at the Longwood's, there is likely a similar bolt-hole in Eaglesford. My father and brother might know if there is such a place, I told Graystone. I also mentioned that Moira thought that the Giants had recently become better organized as well as my own observation that the legions seem to be more sparse than before. In Three Oaks, there were very young soldiers and very old ones, but few in between. The legions we met on the road were ill-prepared to deal with the orcs, most being killed, though it seems that they may be taking officers and spell-casters prisoner (only evidence ofthis is the incident where the captain and the wizard were gone, carried off). Torsten interjected a comment that it is possible that the bolt-holes are being used by the officers and wizards of the Legions, that they would save themselves and leave their troops to die at the end of Orcish spears. I hope that is not true, but given other things he has told us, I cannot deny that it might be true. Staying nearby is an option, but I do believe that it is important to finish the tests. The orcs are sweeping territory faster than we thought they would and managing to do a lot of damage in the process. I believe that the end of the tests will find us in a better place to help out on a broader scale. Plus, now the orcs are spread out, if they range from Keproc to Alder's Look. We may never have a better chance to get back in. As it stands now, the Orcs will win, unless we can find an advantage. The tests may give us that. If they do not, well, eventually, the second orcish tribe will join the battle. We cannot hold out forever against them. I seriously doubt that there is even enough of a food store to last through winter with the farms abandoned. Before the end of winter, I think that either the Orcs will be defeated or we will. In the morning, we will talk again and decide what action we should take. Thaile is distracted, she seems as if something is weighing heavy on her mind, but then, we all have ponderous thoughts these days. The lives of so many may hinge on our actions, or not. At this point, we cannot be sure of anything. I miss being sure of what is right.</blockquote>

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