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The Doomed Bastards: Reckoning (story complete)
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<blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 4350603" data-attributes="member: 143"><p>Now, Grollo, I <em>know</em> you've been a long time reader of this story... <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":]" title="Devious :]" data-shortname=":]" /></p><p></p><p>* * * * * </p><p></p><p>Chapter 65</p><p></p><p>SHORT NOTICE</p><p></p><p></p><p>The next <em>sending</em> came in the deep hours before dawn, when the horizon to the east had not yet begun to brighten with the light of the coming day. Even the wind had died down, until a preternatural hush had fallen over the hill country. </p><p></p><p>Dar shot up out of his rude cot in the back of the forward shelter. Even asleep, his hand had found the hilt of <em>Justice</em>, and the blade came half out of his sheath before he realized where he was. </p><p></p><p>Allera, caught in an even deeper sleep beside him, nevertheless stirred at his sudden movement. “Is it...” she began, blinking to clear the sleep from her eyes. </p><p></p><p>But Dar was already on his feet. Reaching down to grab his armor, lying in a neat pile at the foot of the cot, he drew the attention of the small knot of men in the outer “room” of the shelter, warming their hands around the small camp stove where a pot of coffee was constantly kept ready for men taking a break from a long shift in the emplacements. Several soldiers rose, knowing or guessing the significance of Dar’s sudden awakening. </p><p></p><p>He confirmed it a moment later. “Sound the alert,” he said, “And send a runner to the rear camp. We’ve got company coming.”</p><p></p><p>He slid his breastplate on over the chainmail vest he’d slept in. Allera was there to help him with the straps, and started efficiently fastening his greaves to his limbs even as he adjusted the fit of the heavy armor against his body.</p><p></p><p>“Is this it?” she asked, lifting the heavy shoulder plates up to him, so he could fasten them to his breastplate. The armor shone brilliantly in the light of the torches, flickering almost like something alive. </p><p></p><p>“The prison has collapsed,” he said. “The Ravager hasn’t stirred from its slumber yet, but there are three spawn heading our way. Amurru said it would delay them as long as it could.”</p><p></p><p>Allera nodded. “Are you ready?” he asked her. </p><p></p><p>She reached up and touched his face, then handed him his helmet. <em>Justice</em> went last, the sword fitting against his hip like a part of him. </p><p></p><p>Only a few short minutes had passed since Dar had woken, but by the time he emerged from the tent and started up toward the crest, the emplacement above was abuzz with activity. Kiron was there, but Maricela had gone back to the rear camp for rest, and would not be along for a few minutes at least. The would have heard the horn sounding the alert, but it would take a little time for them to reach their positions on the front lines. </p><p></p><p>“How long until... until the big one wakes?” Allera asked, as they made their way up the steep slope. A rope had been strung to help those coming down, and Dar was making use of it, not trusting his eyes in the poor light cast by his torch. </p><p></p><p>“I don’t know, angel,” he said, pulling himself up the last stretch of trail with a grunt of effort. Kiron was there at once. “Report,” he said, as the knight saluted him with a fist to his chest. </p><p></p><p>“Everyone’s in place,” Kiron said. “The engines are ready, and the elves...” </p><p></p><p>He trailed off, and Dar turned to see them approaching from further along the crest. Mehlaraine was already <em>flying</em>, a long pike with a silver head clutched in one hand. The elves had taken shelter in a magical space created by the archmage; they could not have gotten more rest than the other troops, and had gotten no more time to prepare, but they looked calm, collected, and ready. The archmage merely met Dar’s gaze and nodded; he knew the plan and his place in it, and had suggested some of the improvements himself. His apprentice, standing at his shoulder, seemed slightly less composed, smoothing out the front of her robe with a slight nervous motion of her slender fingers. </p><p></p><p>“The reinforcements from the camp will be here in a few minutes,” Kiron went on. </p><p></p><p>“Let’s hope we have that long,” he said. He updated the others on what he’d told Allera earlier, and then moved to the forward emplacement, stepping up behind the wall of spikes to give him a clear view of the valley below. </p><p></p><p>There was enough light to see; they’d placed <em>everburning torches</em> in a wide ring around the dark entrance to Rappan Athuk, enough for them to clearly see anything larger than a cat that stirred in the area. There were more torches on the ridges, but those were kept hooded, to preserve the night vision of the defenders. To Dar’s eyes the forms moving on the other hilltops were vague shadows, flickering things that may or may not have been real. </p><p></p><p>His eyes were drawn almost inexorably to his far right, to another shadow jutting out from the edge of the ridge about twenty paces distant from his current position. He couldn’t make out Duke Aerim’s face, but he could feel the weight of the man’s stare, answering his gaze with cold equanimity. He could also feel Allera’s disapproval, but his wife did not say anything. </p><p></p><p>Aerim had taken advantage of the distraction caused by the first ravager spawn’s attack to attempt escape. Even with one arm and part of a leg missing, he’d broken free of his bonds, disabled the fully able soldier watching him, and fled a good fifty yards before he’d been spotted, using a spear as a crutch. The soldier had lived, although it might have been a close thing if they hadn’t had clerics close at hand. Aerim had been unapologetic, and had not complained even when the arrow that had finally taken him down was yanked from the meat of his right thigh. Dar wasn’t sure what he’d hoped to accomplish, given that he’d nearly collapsed the last time he’d been taken away from Rappan Athuk. Was that what he wanted, a simple release? He’d been tempted to give it to him, but something beyond Allera’s disapproval had stayed his hand. </p><p></p><p>Well, he wasn’t going anywhere now. The Duke had been chained to a pair of wooden beams as thick around as Dar’s waist, buried almost half of their lengths into the packed earth of the hilltop. The dwarves had initially started building a watchtower there, before Dar had directed them instead to focus on the siege engines. Given a month, the man might have been able to work his way free, but short of sacrificing his remaining arm and leg, he wasn’t going to escape in the near future. </p><p></p><p>A sudden flurry of movement around him drew Dar’s attention away from the prisoner, back down toward the pit in the valley below. Stepping forward, Dar motioned those nearby to silence. Fifty sets of eyes focused as one on the dark opening. The surrounding torches flickered slightly, although the wind remained utterly calm.</p><p></p><p>Then they heard the noise. A dull roar, filtered up through the ground, slowly building, a noise of frustrated rage, accompanying a promise of violence. </p><p></p><p>“It begins,” Sultheros said, his voice oddly calm.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lazybones, post: 4350603, member: 143"] Now, Grollo, I [i]know[/i] you've been a long time reader of this story... :] * * * * * Chapter 65 SHORT NOTICE The next [i]sending[/i] came in the deep hours before dawn, when the horizon to the east had not yet begun to brighten with the light of the coming day. Even the wind had died down, until a preternatural hush had fallen over the hill country. Dar shot up out of his rude cot in the back of the forward shelter. Even asleep, his hand had found the hilt of [i]Justice[/i], and the blade came half out of his sheath before he realized where he was. Allera, caught in an even deeper sleep beside him, nevertheless stirred at his sudden movement. “Is it...” she began, blinking to clear the sleep from her eyes. But Dar was already on his feet. Reaching down to grab his armor, lying in a neat pile at the foot of the cot, he drew the attention of the small knot of men in the outer “room” of the shelter, warming their hands around the small camp stove where a pot of coffee was constantly kept ready for men taking a break from a long shift in the emplacements. Several soldiers rose, knowing or guessing the significance of Dar’s sudden awakening. He confirmed it a moment later. “Sound the alert,” he said, “And send a runner to the rear camp. We’ve got company coming.” He slid his breastplate on over the chainmail vest he’d slept in. Allera was there to help him with the straps, and started efficiently fastening his greaves to his limbs even as he adjusted the fit of the heavy armor against his body. “Is this it?” she asked, lifting the heavy shoulder plates up to him, so he could fasten them to his breastplate. The armor shone brilliantly in the light of the torches, flickering almost like something alive. “The prison has collapsed,” he said. “The Ravager hasn’t stirred from its slumber yet, but there are three spawn heading our way. Amurru said it would delay them as long as it could.” Allera nodded. “Are you ready?” he asked her. She reached up and touched his face, then handed him his helmet. [i]Justice[/i] went last, the sword fitting against his hip like a part of him. Only a few short minutes had passed since Dar had woken, but by the time he emerged from the tent and started up toward the crest, the emplacement above was abuzz with activity. Kiron was there, but Maricela had gone back to the rear camp for rest, and would not be along for a few minutes at least. The would have heard the horn sounding the alert, but it would take a little time for them to reach their positions on the front lines. “How long until... until the big one wakes?” Allera asked, as they made their way up the steep slope. A rope had been strung to help those coming down, and Dar was making use of it, not trusting his eyes in the poor light cast by his torch. “I don’t know, angel,” he said, pulling himself up the last stretch of trail with a grunt of effort. Kiron was there at once. “Report,” he said, as the knight saluted him with a fist to his chest. “Everyone’s in place,” Kiron said. “The engines are ready, and the elves...” He trailed off, and Dar turned to see them approaching from further along the crest. Mehlaraine was already [i]flying[/i], a long pike with a silver head clutched in one hand. The elves had taken shelter in a magical space created by the archmage; they could not have gotten more rest than the other troops, and had gotten no more time to prepare, but they looked calm, collected, and ready. The archmage merely met Dar’s gaze and nodded; he knew the plan and his place in it, and had suggested some of the improvements himself. His apprentice, standing at his shoulder, seemed slightly less composed, smoothing out the front of her robe with a slight nervous motion of her slender fingers. “The reinforcements from the camp will be here in a few minutes,” Kiron went on. “Let’s hope we have that long,” he said. He updated the others on what he’d told Allera earlier, and then moved to the forward emplacement, stepping up behind the wall of spikes to give him a clear view of the valley below. There was enough light to see; they’d placed [i]everburning torches[/i] in a wide ring around the dark entrance to Rappan Athuk, enough for them to clearly see anything larger than a cat that stirred in the area. There were more torches on the ridges, but those were kept hooded, to preserve the night vision of the defenders. To Dar’s eyes the forms moving on the other hilltops were vague shadows, flickering things that may or may not have been real. His eyes were drawn almost inexorably to his far right, to another shadow jutting out from the edge of the ridge about twenty paces distant from his current position. He couldn’t make out Duke Aerim’s face, but he could feel the weight of the man’s stare, answering his gaze with cold equanimity. He could also feel Allera’s disapproval, but his wife did not say anything. Aerim had taken advantage of the distraction caused by the first ravager spawn’s attack to attempt escape. Even with one arm and part of a leg missing, he’d broken free of his bonds, disabled the fully able soldier watching him, and fled a good fifty yards before he’d been spotted, using a spear as a crutch. The soldier had lived, although it might have been a close thing if they hadn’t had clerics close at hand. Aerim had been unapologetic, and had not complained even when the arrow that had finally taken him down was yanked from the meat of his right thigh. Dar wasn’t sure what he’d hoped to accomplish, given that he’d nearly collapsed the last time he’d been taken away from Rappan Athuk. Was that what he wanted, a simple release? He’d been tempted to give it to him, but something beyond Allera’s disapproval had stayed his hand. Well, he wasn’t going anywhere now. The Duke had been chained to a pair of wooden beams as thick around as Dar’s waist, buried almost half of their lengths into the packed earth of the hilltop. The dwarves had initially started building a watchtower there, before Dar had directed them instead to focus on the siege engines. Given a month, the man might have been able to work his way free, but short of sacrificing his remaining arm and leg, he wasn’t going to escape in the near future. A sudden flurry of movement around him drew Dar’s attention away from the prisoner, back down toward the pit in the valley below. Stepping forward, Dar motioned those nearby to silence. Fifty sets of eyes focused as one on the dark opening. The surrounding torches flickered slightly, although the wind remained utterly calm. Then they heard the noise. A dull roar, filtered up through the ground, slowly building, a noise of frustrated rage, accompanying a promise of violence. “It begins,” Sultheros said, his voice oddly calm. [/QUOTE]
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