Waterday, 26 Planting
Luck was with us this day. We had made very good time using the ranger’s knowledge of the territory. We reached the enemies strong point along the river banks. They had constructed a stout and sturdy wooden structure there. They took pains to clear a perimeter including marking paths and guard posts. There was an ogre and a dozen or so foes, a mix of orcs and goblins we’d seen before. This was the first opportunity we enjoyed to plan an engagement with the enemy, and though we were not compelled to action by circumstance, our hearts demanded that we take the opportunity to deal the enemy a blow, any setback for the friends they had taken from us.
We hatched a plan for quick raid intent on damaging or destroying the structure and hopefully the monsters inside with fire. I hoped to be able to capture or kill the ogre and most of his forces and told the team to be ready for a hasty retreat. Everyone had their assignments that hinged on carefully coordinated timing, and force of arms. The plan in retrospect was of an order of magnitude that represented the limits of our capabilities, accounting for the presence of our guardian angel and easily beyond our abilities without him. The sunlight was failing, and with it any advantage we’d enjoy from daylight in our raid against the orcs.
All in all the attack was an astounding success from the beginning. Billet Perry blessed us and the first arrow was lit and notched. It landed perfectly and sent burning splinters and shards scattering across the roof top of the enemy’s structure. Shayla launched more arrows pouring fire into the structure and causing confusion (but not quite panic) in the foe. Tiny goblins tried to form a fire brigade with tiny wooden pails, and the orcs chastised them for their efforts; driving them instead into battle. Shayla then began to move to another position from which to fire at our foes, her instructions were to fire, move and fire. I signaled to Church and Cade to begin their attack when ready and Cade continued to prove he can be a deadly business adversary.
I watched the action unfold and picked the time to cast the sleep spell. I had originally intending to take the ogre down with the spell but I sensed there was not enough power here to take him so I listened to god’s whispered will and targeted a group of orcs that had massed to investigate Cade’s advance. I pushed Perry into the clearing, following immediately behind him with the intent to draw the monsters attention. Shayla was facing off against the ogre and two monsters that joined him; Shayla was in trouble it seemed until our invisible guardian joined her. I couldn’t see precisely what happened behind two large boulders there between us; I had to trust they would win the day. Would the pair of rangers be able to join Perry and me before the half dozen monsters charging at us tore us asunder?
I found myself awash in goblin and orc blood, Perry’s pre-battle prayer had focused him and he was destroying goblin after goblin with uncanny ease. Brains and bits of skull splattered all around him causing the smaller monsters to lose their nerve and flee. Then horror as I wiped away a bit of gore from my face to see Cade fall. Only a moment before Cade had called out a warning to wisely end the raid. I called out to hold the line; he pressed the attack and paid for my pride with his blood. I looked for the rangers and saw they were on their way to help us. I stumbled back over one of the two orcs I had killed. One of their eerily human like eyes was still jammed onto my dagger; I saw one last orc sizing me up knowing I was seriously hurt by his comrades. I think he gave me a moment to see if I would collapse from loss of blood. Even I couldn’t tell where their blood ended and my own began. I took the opportunity to draw the sword I captured on the 23rd, pointed it at him and offered him quarter if he would surrender.
The next thing I can remember is the rangers and Perry hoisting me up onto my feet telling me to get to the horses! I stopped for a moment looking over my shoulder to see the roof of the building collapse and what was left of its walls fall into the Jewel. I took stock, all my companions had survived and the ranger was off to continue to fight his way. We made our way into the night and we all prayed to reach Thunderstrike safely. Fittingly we arrived to the greetings of religious pilgrims camped outside of the town on 27th Planting. Thunderstrike was under quarantine. A plague likely caused by the poisoning of their water supplies had taken hold. The ranger knight was there so we invited him to council and began to make plans for the29th, the earliest estimate of when we would be together ready for action.
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