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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 1619201" data-attributes="member: 143">Chapter 163“There’s three of them, in a little room up above, and there’s a balcony on the far side that overlooks the corridor below, beyond the portcullis.  There’s a winch on the wall, but it looks like it would take all of you men working together to even budge it.”The six of them had withdrawn a short distance back down the canyon, so that they would out of the direct line of sight from the portcullis and the spy-hole above.  Though it seemed doubtful now that the hole was used as a vantage by the guards. After all, for them it was at ankle-level.  “Three hill giants,” Arun said.  “That will be... difficult.”“We’ve come to far to give up now,” Morgan said softly. “I wasn’t suggesting we give up,” Arun replied, his own voice level. “If you men can hold off comparing the size of your egos for a moment, I need to think,” Zenna said. “I’d wager that there’s more guardians down the corridor, at ground level,” Dannel said.  “Otherwise the giants wouldn’t be a sufficient deterrent, as you could sunder the portcullis and simply run through until the angle of the corridor cut off their line of fire.  There may even be an additional barrier further on.”“I don’ like it,” Hodge growled.  “It be far too neat—giants, ‘specially them hill brutes, ain’t known fer their strategizin’, and certainly not fer buildin’ fancy-all forts.”“Agreed,” Dannel said.  “There must be someone—or something—behind them, calling the shots.”“Well then, we must fight through the rabble until we can reach the leader, and destroy him,” Morgan said, his hand tightening on the grip of his sword. “One thing at a time,” Arun said.  “The portcullis, and the giants above.”“I could deal with one, maybe two,” Mole said with gravity.  “But not three at once, no way.”“You!” Hodge snorted.  “Yer might be able ter pop a boil on the foot o’ one, with that little sticker o’ yers, but ‘e’s just as like to step on yer by mistake!”“My sword was sufficient against the dragon in Bhal-Hamatugn, and that demon that was tearing you to pieces yesterday,” Mole said, putting her hands on her hips and facing the dwarf with an indignant expression.“Well, she does have you there,” Dannel said, nudging the dwarf with a grin. Hodge glared at the elf, then at Mole, then threw up his arms and turned away.  “Gnomes!” he said, gruffly, but there was an undercurrent of something else that was not unfriendly in his voice.  “And let us not forget who brought this vital intelligence to the group,” Mole added. “We are grateful for your aid, small one,” Morgan said respectfully.  “And your sword will be welcome in the forthcoming battle.”“Any ideas?” Dannel asked, looking at Zenna.  Zenna shook her head.  “I’m afraid my powers don’t offer an easy answer for this situation,” she admitted.  She fixed him with a stare, waiting for him to make a jibe at the expense of her honesty, but he only nodded. Arun rose and lifted his hammer.  “Then we do things the plain, old-fashioned way—full-on frontal assault.”  Morgan nodded, in full agreement. Gods help us, Zenna thought, shaking her head.</blockquote>

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