Chapter 20 – Brightstone Keep
After they had finished watching the orc’s blasphemous cargo burn, Tilliana turned her attentions to their wounds. Jozz was the in the best shape of the three, but even he sported a couple of nasty gouges where an orc ax had caught him.
“We have those healing potions,” said Kall.
“Save them for later,” said Tilliana as she channeled the divine energy of her god into his body, closing the young man’s wounds. She did the same for Jozz and then for herself.
“Shall we keep going?” asked Tilliana when she was done.
“If its ok with Jozz,” said Kall.
“Let’s keep going,” said Jozz.
After nearly another hour on the trail the started to crest a hill over which they could just see the top to two towers a little further along.
“That looks like the keep,” said Tilliana, pulling her horse to a stop.
“Maybe Sawtooth is in it,” said Jozz.
“Get off the horses,” said Tilliana, “We will tie them to a tree and go the rest of the way on foot.”
The boys complied and soon they had the horses secured.
“We don’t want to stay on the trail,” said Tilliana, “It might be better to go tot he right or to the left.”
“Left,” said Kall.
“Left then,” said Tilliana.
“What do we do if Sawtooth steals our horses when we leave them?” asked Kall.
“If so we get them back,” answered Tilliana, “after we kill him.”
They went to the left of the path, Tilliana trying to stay hidden behind the few sparse trees in the area. When they reached the top of the hill they saw the keep. It was situated atop the next hill, just across a small valley. Behind the keep was a cliff wall.
The keep wall was in poor shape but it looked as if , except for one spot on the south-western wall, one could still walk atop the wall. Three towers, two on the south and one on the west, rose above the walls, each being at least three stories tall.
“There are people on top of the towers,” said Jozz, “lookouts it looks like. How do we get in?”
Tilliana considered this for a moment.
“We could split up,” suggested Kall.
“No!” said Tilliana, “We could get into the keep yard through that broken part of the wall.”
“I could climb the wall up to the top of the towers,” said Kall.
At that moment one of the sentries atop the towers spotted them. His guttural voice, indicating his orcish nature, rang out as he raised an alarm.
“What kind of language is that?!” asked Jozz
“Orcish,” said Tilliana, moving at a run towards the south eastern tower, at the bottom of which was a porticullis, “Let’s just try the front door.”
“Why?” said Kall. He had wanted to try his hand at climbing the wall. Nevertheless he and Jozz started sprinting after Tilliana. Soon they were pulling ahead of her, Kall in the lead.
As they raced past the southwestern tower two javelins flew through the air towards them. They missed, striking the ground. Jozz stopped and raising his crossbow he fired up at the Southeast tower from which one of the small spears had flown. He fired and his bolt shot through the air, embedding itself in the lone sentry atop that tower.
Another Javelin flew from atop the southwestern tower. Jozz stepped back and it landed in the ground in front of him. Tilliana ran past Jozz just then and another javelin flying through the air missed her. Jozz started running again.
The porticullis was down when they reached it. Kall was standing there, not knowing what to do and Tilliana, pushing him aside reached down and tried to heave it open. Her muscles strained but nothing happened. The boys, seeing what she was trying, moved in to help her. The three of them working together wrenched it up. Beyond was a narrow tunnel leading through the base of the tower. They moved into the tunnel just as another set of javelins thudded into the ground .
There was a door on the right side of the tunnel. Jozz went to examine it.
“Locked,” he said with a smile, “I can get it.”
He pulled out his tools, a new set just recently purchased in Geanavue, and set to work. In a matter of seconds he had the door unlocked.
He pushed it open proudly revealing four large orcs on the other side, javelins at the ready. The orcs snarled and threw at Jozz. Jozz ducked and all four javelins flew over him, past the other two and struck the wall behind him. Jozz looked at the javelins behind him and then back at the orcs.
“I will kill you,” he snarled at the orcs and pulling out his dagger he charged the nearest orc. His dagger, carried by his momentum, plunged into the orc and it fell to the ground. Tilliana charged into the room behind him, closely followed by Kall. Her sword flashed through the air, cleaving open one of the orcs and then all in the same movement, killing another of the green skinned bandits. Kall’s attack was slightly less successful as he missed the remaining orc. The orc, timing Kall’s movements well, ducked away from the young man’s vicious ax swing and swung the head of his own huge ax up toward’s Kall’s abdomen. Kall managed to twist away enough to avoid being killed, but the ax had nevertheless taken some of his wind out.
“Aaaarghhh!” came a bloodthirsty cry and another orc plunged down the stairs from above, ax at the ready, straight at Tilliana. She failed to move swiftly enough and the ax tore through her armor and into her shoulder. Two more orcs plunged down the stairs after the first.
“Aargh!” Jozz issued his own battle cry and stabbed with his dagger at the orc that had just struck Tilliana. The orc avoided the blow and ducked under a weak swing by Tilliana. Kall meanwhile was having troubles with his orc. It was a more skillful combatant than the others and the young man, though he was avoiding its ax, could not land a blow himself. The orc that had struck Tilliana, twisted around and swung at Jozz, who seeing the blow coming, got swiftly back and out of the way. Jozz, as soon as the orc had swung at him and missed, made as if he was going to keep moving back. As the orc moved forward to close the gap, Jozz changed his direction and lunged forward, plunging his dagger into the orcs throat. It was a killing blow.
Tilliana, though in pain from the ax wound, had enough presence of mind to turn the ax blows of the other two orcs coming down the steps with her sword. She parried both coming blows and then swung viciously. She cleaved through the neck of one and then, swinging her sword up, she brought it straight down on the head of the other.
The remaining orc, still parrying with Kall, turned aside the young man’s ax and brought the haft of his weapon up into Kall’s stomach. Then he turned and prepared to swing what would have been a killing blow. It never landed.
“You hit Kall, prepare to pay!” shouted Jozz, charging across the room and slicing at the orc and drawing blood. The orc turned just in time to avoid being killed by Jozz’s slim dagger but Tilliana’s was only a second behind Jozz and her sword plunged into him. The orc snarled as his blood ran out and Kall, seizing the moment, swung and ended it’s life. They searched the bodies, removing gold and armor alike from each. The orc that had given Kall so much trouble has on it a flask of golden liquid which Tilliana determined to be a healing potion. The armor and weapons they stacked at the door and then they searched the rest of the tower.
Conditions were squalid, especially on the second floor. There the orcs had apparently made their home. They did find a good many Javelins and on the roof was the corpse of the orc Jozz had killed with a bolt from below.
Jozz, going to the edge of the tower roof looked over the battlements at the next tower. There a group of orcs, at the door connecting to the keep wall, seemed to be preparing an ambush. Jozz loaded his crossbow and fired down at them. The bolt skipped off of the armor of one of them and they cursed in his direction and then retreated into the tower, away from his shots.
Tilliana looked over at the other tower.
“I’m going to charge across,” she said “going from this tower, across the top of the wall to the next tower. Do one of you want to stay up here and provide cover?”
“I want to go with you,” said Jozz.
“Me too,” said Kall
They descended back to the second floor where Tilliana opened the door to the wall and stepped out. Jozz followed right behind her, but Kall, eager for the battle, raced past her and across the top of the wall. There were three orcs now stationed on the roof overlooking the wall and they each had a Javelin. Jozz seeing them preparing to fire at Kall aimed and shot one of them. Tilliana took off after Kall. The two javelins from the orcs above landed with clatters on the stone around her.
Kall with an almost inhuman speed had covered the whole length of the wall. He gripped his ax and plunged through the doorway leading into the southwest tower. He also ran straight into two axes. The orcs had been waiting on either side of the door and two of them swung at him as he plunged through the doorway. Sharp reflexes were all that kept Kall from being killed as he twisted into the blows, his own ax plunging into one of the attacking orcs.
Jozz fired again at the orcs atop the roof, but they were better prepared and ducked behind the battlements as he fired.
Kall still in the doorway was in bad shape. Another ax chopped into him and only sheer will and a mindless battle fury kept the young man on his feet. His life was draining away from him.
“Be healed,” said Tilliana, standing behind him, mindless of the javelins clattering on the stone around her. She laid her hands on Kall and some of his wounds closed up. With renewed vigor Kall swung again and killed another of the orcs. Tilliana moved into the room next to him just in time to receive the attack of the largest orc in the tower room.
“Prepare to die!” Jozz shouted up at the orcs above him and fired again, missing wildly. He had moved forward and was now almost directly underneath the tower wall.
There were only three orcs left in the room with Kall and Tilliana. Ignoring the pain from her wounds, Tilliana shouted and with a terrific scream, beheaded the large orc sergeant who had just cut her. Kall held off the other two. Outside, Jozz fired another shot almost straight up into the air. It, like the shot before it, missed completely. Kall, swung and killed another orc, missing the last in a follow up swing. The orc though never had a chance, for as it backed away from Kall, Tilliana, attacking it from behind, cleaved into it and ended its life.
With scarcely a pause for breath Tilliana bounded up the stairs and out onto the roof. Kall followed behind her but there was really no need. The orcs had enough time to throw a javelin each at Tilliana. The javelins bounced off her armor and did not even slow her down as she beheaded one and then reversed her stroke and cut open the other. Both were dead within six seconds of Tilliana hitting the rooftop.
They searched the bodies, finding one more of the golden healing potions and then Tilliana advised the two boys that they should withdraw. She was badly hurt, as was Kall. Jozz was not so hurt but he did not feel like arguing. With plans to return the following morning, they left the keep and returned to their horses.
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“Shall we head back to town or should we make camp halfway?” asked Tilliana.
“Halfway,” agreed both of the boys.
They ended up near to where they had fought the first two orcs and the troll, setting up camp a little ways away from the road.
As the sun grew lower in the sky, Tilliana started to have a bad feeling and realized it might have been smarter to return to the town. She feared a night attack on their camp by the remaining residents of the keep. She and the boys had used all five of the healing potions they had and she had even pulled out one of three healing scrolls she had prepared. Physically they were in far better shape than they had been in when they had left the keep, but still she had few other divine spells and there were only the three of them.
“Jozz,” she said finally, “Set up those bells around the perimeter of the camp, far enough away to give us some warning.” As Jozz went to comply, Tilliana went through the rest of their gear to see what they could use. Jozz, it was discovered, had caltrops. These she had him place in a strategic location between a tree and a large rock on the edge of their camp. She took the silk rope Kall had in his pack and she set it between two pegs, low to the ground, at another point around the camp, calculating that any attack would likely come through that very spot.
Then she had the boys prepare flasks of oil for throwing and discovering that Kall also had four tanglefoot bags, she made each of the boys divide these amongst themselves. Not knowing what else they could do, they proceeded to sit around the fire and try and get some rest.
As it began to get dark Tilliana started to consider watches.
“Who want’s first watch?” she asked.
“I will take it,” said Jozz.
But even as he volunteered, the sound of orc voices drifted over the wind. All three started up at once.
“Put out the fire,” snapped Tilliana.
“Then we won’t be able to see,” protested Jozz.
“Oh, yeah. Right,” said Tilliana, “Guess that’s not the best idea in the world.”
“We need to move the horses,” said Kall.
“The horses will be fine!” snapped Tilliana.
“I am going to hide behind those rocks,” said Jozz, pointing to a large set of boulders on the other side of the camp.
“Try that tree,” said Tilliana, pointing to the tree next to which Jozz had placed the caltrops.
“Right,” said Jozz, running to climb it.
“Then I’ll hide behind those rocks,” said Kall.
“No, then you will be on the wrong side of the camp to be of help,” said Tilliana, and she pointed to some rocks across in the other direction, “You hide over there and don’t move until they move past you. I’ll stand here and they will charge in at me and then you two take them from behind.”
“First I’m going to move mine and Jozz’s horses,” said Kall, “And let Prancer loose so he can help you in the fight if you need him.”
“Ok,” said Tilliana, “but hurry.”
A few minutes later and all were in their positions. Tilliana stood, sword at the ready. Jozz, up in the tree, tried to remain as still as possible, his crossbow loaded. Kall, crouching down behind some rocks waited the most impatiently of the three.
Soon the orc voices were closer.
One voice in particular, speaking guttural common, carried, “Fire Ahead. Quiet!”
The three continued to wait.
Figures came into view. There was a group of orcs, perhaps nine total. But to the right of the orcs was a troll. The troll had two large pitch black dogs on chains in tow.
“Oh no,” said Tilliana as she saw the troll. It was as large as the one from earlier in the day and was furthermore dressed in a shirt of finely crafted chainmail.
As the enemy drew closer she offered up a prayer, “Naemae, bless this battle. Bestow your divine favor upon me.”
The orcs started to charge. The troll let the dogs loose and then it too started forward.
As the divine energy of her god renewed her strength, Tilliana cried out so that her two companions could hear, “By the power of Naemae courage will carry the day and bravery will see the outnumbered through to victory!”
The orcs surged between the many rocks around the campfire, taking the most obvious and direct way. The orc leading them plowed into Tilliana’s trip-wire first. He tripped and plunged into the dirt face-first. The orc nearest him saw the rope and jumped it, continuing straight at Tilliana. The rest were not so lucky however and between trying to avoid the ones already on the ground and the rope itself, most of them ended in a rolling snarling heap on the ground.
“Yeah!” said Kall rushing from his position and swinging his ax into one of the few orcs not on the ground. It connected with a solid thud and Kall wrenched the ax back out letting the orc fall lifeless.
Meanwhile the two large black dogs had chosed a different route than the orcs, running past the tree in which Kall was hiding. The first jumped over the caltrops but the second stepped right on one and its running was brought up short with a yelp. The troll, following right behind his two hounds was also stopped and with a curse he pushed the injured dog forward.
The dog that had leaped the caltrops charged straight at Tilliana and to the priestess astonishment it opened its mouth and unleashed a torrent of fire, thirty feet long. Tilliana rolled with the fire and came immediately to her feet, singed but not badly hurt.
From his vantage point in the tree, Jozz fired down at the injured dog. With a yelp the dog leaped forward past the caltrops and opening its mouth it too breathed a cone of fire at Tilliana. The troll, ignoring Jozz moved through the Caltrops and at Tilliana as well.
Tilliana, beset suddenly by the two hounds, swung mightily and laid the first black beast low, her sword ending its life instantly. With scarcely a thought Tilliana swung at the other one. But the orc that charged her from behind threw her swing off and she missed as she ducked to avoid the deadly ax head that was seeking her neck.
Kall continuing his charge at the orcs that were rushing to their feet, hewed into one just as it was getting to its feet and then turning swiftly he chopped open another. The orcs had the presence of mind, to surge towards the young fighter but for the moment Kall was at the top of his game and he turned aside one ax, killing its owner and then cleaved open the head of another near him.
Jozz, still in the tree, thought for a moment about throwing oil, but instead decided to try out the tanglefoot bags. He threw one at the troll. It struck the green skinned giant on the back, bursting open with a pop, its slimy contents coating the giant’s shoulders and back, working its way into the joints of the troll’s armor. The troll and its remaining hound moved in on Tilliana, even as the orc behind her continued to attack. Tilliana easily dodged the troll and with a sweep of her blade killed the injured hound. Then she swung wildly at the orc behind her. There was a loud pop as a second tanglefoot bag, thrown by Jozz struck the troll. This one hit lower and some of the gunk hardened around the troll’s feet.
“Stamp!” yelled Tilliana and prancer charged in at the troll, rearing and kicking the armored green giant.
“Look up here,” Jozz yelled at the troll, trying to distract it away from Tilliana.
An ax head connected with Kall’s armor and then a second hit him as well. Kall, gritting his teeth, killed the weilder of the second ax and then turned and killed another orc. There was only one orc left facing him, the one who had first tripped over the rope. It grinned a grim, tusk filled smile and hit him with its ax.
The troll, if it had been slightly smarter, might have worked to clear the contents of the tanglefoot bag off before doing anything further. Instead, rooted to the ground and filled with rage it twisted its head and bit at Prancer, even as it swung its claws towards Tilliana. It drew blood from both Tilliana and the horse.
Tilliana, wrenched from the trolls’s claw still managed to spear the tip of her sword into the orc behind her and roll away from a second claw attack. She swung and forced the troll to rear up and out of the way of the sword. Prancer, filled with a battle-fury from the smell of her own blood, stamped on the troll again. Jozz, scooted out of the tree and charged in at the troll with his small dagger.
The remaining orc swung its ax again at Kall. Kall rolled away from the attack, bringing his axe around. The orc dodged backwards, but even so, Kall drew blood as he scratched across its chest. The orc snarled and plunged his ax up into Kall. Kall grunted from the impact but managed to hammer the orc back. The orc stumbled back as did Kall. Both were badly injured, neither intended to give quarter.
The troll managed to twist enough to bite down at Jozz. Jozz returned the favor by plunging his dagger up into its back. Tilliana, seeing an opening brought her sword around and cleaving under the chain shirt cut the troll open. The troll roared and turned back, focusing all its attention on Tilliana even as Prancer stamped on it again.
The troll was badly injured, but even as Tilliana and Jozz watched the wounds were already healing. The troll swung at Tilliana who easily avoided the attacks. Then, charging forward Tillian brought her sword as hard as she could down on the trolls head. Jozz from behind plunged his dagger in up to the hilt. The troll staggered and then fell backwards, its knees bending oddly as its feet were still anchored to the ground.
Kall cut the orc again but in doing so left himself open. The orc with a snarl of pleasure said something Kall could not understand and swung hard, tearing open Kall’s throat. Kall fell to the ground.
The orc grunted happily and lifted its ax to finish the job.
“No!” screamed Tilliana as she raced over the fallen troll and swung her sword into the back of the orc. The ax fell from lifeless hands and the orc fell to the ground.
“Its starting to move again!” said Jozz from besides the troll.
“Stab it!” shouted Tilliana as she hurriedly pulled out a scroll from her side and struggled to open it.
Jozz kneeling besides the troll, reversed his dagger and plunged it into the troll’s throat. It stopped moving again. Just to be sure, Jozz stabbed it a second time.
Tilliana read the scroll over Kall’s bleeding form. The bleeding stopped and the throat wound healed. Kall opened his eyes.
“Tilliana, where’s the orc?”
“Its dead, on the ground,” said Tilliana as she smiled and helped him to his feet.
“Oh.”
Tilliana out a vial of alchemist fire and strode back over to the troll.
“Let’s burn it,” she said. She threw the glass vial on the troll. It broke open and flames exploded over the trolls body. Jozz likewise threw a vial of oil on it. They watched it burn for a moment and then with horror realized it wasn’t burning. It’s wounds were still closing and the fire did not seem to be hurting it.
Tilliana grabbed a log out of their blazing campfire and pressed the fiery end of it into the flesh of the troll. Nothing happened and the wounds continued to heal.
“Just chop it up,” said Kall cheerfully and lifting his ax he chopped of the legs and threw them in the fire. The legs in the fire burned.
“We will need more wood,” said Tilliana watching, puzzled as to why the troll legs would burn but the body was not.
As Jozz got wood, Tilliana went to take off the troll’s chainmail shirt, thinking maybe that was the reason it was not burning.
Kall chopped off the arms and threw them in the fire.
“Look Tilliana,” he said, “One of the arms is not burning. In fact it seems to be trying to grow another troll.”
“It has a ring on it,” said Jozz, bringing up an armful of wood and throwing it on the campfire.
Kall reached in and pulled out the arm, removing the ring rather violently from the green hand. Then he threw the arm back in the fire. The arm began to burn.
“So that was it,” said Tilliana, as she removed the rest of the chain shirt and threw the rest of the troll body onto the flames.
Kall looked at the ring closely.
“What are you doing,” asked Tilliana.
“Looking for writing to see if its evil,” said Kall.
“Do you see any?”
“No, but I am going to check very closely.”
“Just put it on,” said Tilliana, “its yours. Ugh this chain shirt smells like troll. Good quality though.”
Kall suspiciously put the ring on. A cool chill crept up his spine. He hurriedly took the ring back off. He put it back on again. He felt the chill again. This time he decided to test the ring. He stuck his hand towards the fire and then grimacing he plunged it in. Pulling it out he stared. He had not been burnt, not even a little.
