The Battle of Sodorburgh Grove

I tell this tale not for my glory, but as a small testament to the bravery of the fallen. The long lives that these brave dwarves can live, many times the life of men, make their sacrifice all the greater, and so very tragic.

A long days ride, and a few miles short of the Hyle crossroad is a tiny hamlet. We were tired of being driven so hard by our guide and stopped to water our horses which were showing signs of wear as well. We were greeted by a commotion at the festival hall of the little road side village. A dwarven soldier of Ulek had perished after giving his last to carry a message of approaching danger, and to seek help for his companions still embattled only a mile yonder north. Our soldiers mounted up, joined with a brave dwarf named Muncy of Clan Steelborne and charged off to join the battle I feared already lost.

I implored my companions to let me remain with the villagers to organize a defense should the threat avoid them and raid the town. My pleas fell on deaf ears and I was forced to leave my companion Churchill alone as a trip-wire contingency against surprise. Reluctantly I rode with my companions to an uncertain fate.

We quickly arrived at the scene of the battle, a place our guide said was called the Sodorburgh Grove (though I’m not sure why) and our hopes of finding any living allies were quickly dashed. Broken banners, spears, hammers and ax hafts lay strewn about like so much flotsam. There were more than a dozen hollowed corpses of goblin and orc raiders concentrated along a narrow path leading up a short ridge, and a few fallen Uleki mailed foot were mixed in. We rode through the churned blood soaked dust of the roadway and began to hear the battle continuing just off the road. We crested the ridge and saw surviving dwarves completely surrounded and making a last desperate stand, three of them with their backs to each other snarling and daring their attackers who were cautiously circling them. Their attackers numbered ten.

Before I could propose a plan, Muncy had dismounted his pony and charged halfway to the first foe soaring into battle like a red tail diving onto its prey. My companions charged in behind him and our sapper vanished (as he is prone to do) into the underbrush to flank the foe. This left me the unenviable duty of tethering the disagreeable ponies. They had sensed danger in the Steelborne’s blood curdling battle keen and were bucking, I made a quick flying bolen that kept the animals muzzle to muzzle and gave them nowhere to run and moved to the tree line to conceal my movement and make some contribution with my magic.

The enemy proved stubborn, they were clearly an elite element of Turosh Mak’s forces, and so hardened were they that I suspect they may have been a part of his own house guard or rangers. Even after I had incapacitated near half the enemy with a quick spell in broad view of the captains, they kept fighting! They met our charge and held fast. The three surviving Steelborne seized on the confusion caused by appearance and they launched themselves against the enemy anew. The monsters cut down two of the brave dwarves as I moved forward to assist. As I watched an Uleki fall- run through by the enemies gloating sergeant pumping his fists in the air and baying loudly, something overcame my sensibilities, I became enraged and hungered for revenge. I saw my friend, Cade maneuvering in behind the monster who was taunting me it seemed intentionally. I was afraid that Cade would be detected and so I charged the brute hoping to catch his attention. I stumbled as I leapt over the fallen dwarf and as a result I was forced to make an amateurish thrust which was easily parried by the muscled monster who spun and back handed me – pushing me back on my heels.

He detected and parried Cade’s strike too, swiping at him with his sword as I slashed at his arm cutting away a piece between his wrist and elbow. This seemed only to anger him – he turned his focus to me & lunging, slashed at me! I stumbled again, this time I stupidly righted myself in place catching the sword blow with my chest. Only the brass buttons of my coat saved me, my heart stopped, I was blinded by pain and fell to a knee. I don't remember what happened next, but after a moment of ringing and groping Cade was helping me up.

Taking that chance proved a good bet, that plan hatched with no time for fear or introspection worked! Fortune favors the bold indeed.

Cade's sword was lodged in the orc sergeant, so he snatched up another from the ground and motioned with his head and eyes to the orc captain and soldier that were savagely attacking our billet and had sent Muncy to Moradin. Not stopping to check my wound but clutching my weak arm over it I charged behind Cade and we viciously stabbed at the Orc captain giving Perry a chance to withdraw and go to the aid of the last wounded dwarf who had to be pulled away from the fight by our guide.

Shayla then joined us in finishing off the two remaining goblin enemies. All told some thirty five enemy lay at our feet, fully two thirds cut low by less than a dozen brave dwarf footmen of Ulek in a battle that raged most of the day, and over two acres of the Sodorburgh Grove, one I think should be renamed for the Steelborne whose blood will both stain and nourish it forever.