by Marcus Sloss
I poured myself a small glass of ale and looked over the board. It was stacked with to do items. I was looking for an inventory list and found it on the right side of the board. It had detailed where everything was. It had an arrival date, item type, item quantity, item used date. It looked like Elan was going through all the supplies every morning and marking what was missing and assumed used. We did not have a column or notation about who used or took the item or when it was gone. That worried me, I knew we were unorganized and a frontier community where stealing was not only hard to pull off but a waste of time. Still, as we grew, eventually someone would steal stuff, and if we had no accountability in our process they would probably get away with it. Even with the knowledge of who took what and why, I may not catch a thief, but I would know when to order more of an item and who was using it. I would talk to Elan about it later and maybe get an evening inspection.
I found out that my fishing supplies were in with the tools located in dugout five. So fifth to the right of the ramp down into the western fields. I thumbed the nail with the supply inventory list back on the board. I was walking out when a dirty woman that looked to be recovering stopped me. I recognized her from the fields but did not recall her name.
“Excuse me, my lord. I am Calia. I know with Velia, and Pipi gone it would be hard to get word to you. I wanted to thank you. A few of us widows and orphans stayed behind. Not many, but this is home to us, now and for the future. Those rabins you bought, they are amazing. It makes handling the fields so much easier. Thank you, my lord, for the food as well. Also for getting us shelter in the town hall, my children and I are well fed and can sleep through the night in warmth. Things are so much better.” Calia said with sincerity.
This was exactly what I needed to hear, that I was doing some good in areas I could control. It helped validate my purpose where the out of control Vin scenarios left me feeling inadequate.
“Calia, when I got here you and your children were starving. Never again, Fernlan is not a forgotten village anymore. We have a lot of work to do still, soon I will have a home for you and your kids to call your own, free of charge if you contract work for me. Which I need to also sort. I will have Velia handle it as soon as she gets home. All workers will get a contracted wage at fair rates, with the bonus of school, housing, a bathhouse, and more. In due time. I am happy you feel I have done so much but the reality is, I am just beginning. Make sure when Velia gets home, you tell her about this conversation. I will probably have a different reaction than talking business when my new wife comes home looking fresh from the capital.” I said and gave her a wink.
She thanked me again, and some others added to it. Life was improving here. If I had my way about it, we would be varying the food and having fish for dinner. I trekked to the fifth dugout and found the fishing supplies with ease. They were smaller and on the top of the pile. I went over to the fire pit and got a big helping of meat. Deb suddenly hopped onto my shoulder. Little monox was a ninja in her own right. A half dozen wolves and a dozen monox were lazing around the cook. I was surprised they wanted more food, every belly was full. Maybe they ate so much they decided a nap right here would work. No sense in letting them get lazy.
“Come,” I ordered and snapped my fingers. All the wolves followed me as I left and eventually the monox peeled themselves from the ground.
We got to the western gate and saw Traz napping.
“You sleeping old man, sorry I got caught up in baby making with my mate. Then people gave me praise for them not dying of starvation. I mean I know Vin is a hellish place, but who would let people starve and do nothing. Anyway, how did the scouting go?” I asked.
“The only orcs I found were three to the north, the rest have been removed. The smelon trees are picked clean and a third tree is being harvested right now. The Frontier Knights have your puny war horses on the eastern gate waiting for Una to return. I did three passes around the river, even got really low. The problem is those hardwoods have better foliage than the pines. Making it difficult to see under the canopy. I saw no fresh tracks since the storm or any signs of life besides a small deer drinking downstream.” Traz said.
“Traz I have been meaning to ask is there any Horde that rule the water, seas, or air. So far I have only seen land based creatures.”
This got that weird griffin laugh they did and then he slammed a paw into the ground.
“Oh thank you for that, I forgot about the sky whales as we called them. At the start of the war, we stayed isolated. We saw the millions pour into human lands and with them came the giant dumb flying beasts of burden. The moment we got involved they were our primary target for offensive operations. They were a couple hundred feet long and at least a hundred feet around. They were dark purple with light purple spots. A single eye rested on the bottom side of the creature so it could see down. It would be strapped and loaded with all sorts of platforms. These animals were remarkable in the sense that they could haul more than their own weight while staying in the air.
“The first few we attacked sent them into an outright panic. Orcs flew, goblins fell, and shamans cast spells to try to calm the beasts. Alas, nothing helped them. We would cut straps, causing supplies and troops to fall hundreds of feet to the ground. Wherever this creature came from it had no natural predator or the Horde created it with the idea the shamans would be able to defend it. Defend it they did not. It was so fun! We killed them and darted across the skies to kill some more. Eventually, our fun was brought to a close when those majestic massive creatures no longer shared the skies with us. Instead, they were splattered on the ground. Whoever ran the Horde overall command stopped sending them a few months into the invasion. Then towering wheeled caravans spewed out of the portal to move troops and supplies. We figure if the sky whales had stayed airborne the humans would have lost before we could help them enough for the peace. Speculation but not the most irrational of such.
“As to the ocean, I know not. There was never any talk of ports being sacked by some tentacle monster so I would assume no, but the portal spawned on land. There may be divisions of water creatures waiting to conquer a water planet. There is still so much we do not know as to the how and the why. There merely is what we can do to win, and what we can do to survive. I do know the trolls can swim, the orcs and goblins build rafts, and the ogres normally ford rivers with their height. The massive cyclops never leave the portal area. So I do not think some unseen Horde creature will attack you from the river. That does not mean some natural predator will not though. You should ask the locals about that. Hope that answered your question.”
“I could only imagine what the sight of some creature that big being torn to shreds and plummeting to the ground. How did they stay in the air when they were weighted down so heavily?”
“They had some type of gas sacks under their skin not too deep below the surface. We found these and popped them and down the creature went. The Horde feeds them some type of bloated fish that stunk so bad it overpowered the natural odors of the orcs and such. It was horrible, we figure the whales ate the fish when they surfaced and it kept them out of the water. Then evolved into flight at some point. Who knows, they are not native to here, and could be a creation of some mastermind cyclops.”
That gave me something to think about. I tended to like rational explanations of my surroundings, yet sometimes there were none. I thanked Traz for his history lesson. I asked if he could do another ring around the village to see if any new threats were looming in a half hour. I beckoned the wolves and monox to follow and we exited the western gate when we felt the tingle of the barrier.
A nice breeze flowed to counter the midday sun as we moved down the creek towards the river. A few clouds dotted the sky and I enjoy the leisure pace. When I reached the river I realized the raft was still there which meant I would not have to swim. I sat on the rock that the ogre had placed himself on before. I unpacked the fishing hooks and gut string spreading them out over the rock.
I took
my time and placed a dozen single lines with three hooks on each. I baited each hook with some meat I brought with me. When the wolves and monox saw I was feeding the meat to the river they dispersed. Apparently, I was good for food and not the company. It was simple work, and I enjoyed it. The rain from yesterday had made the earth slippery and soft. I meandered down the river’s edge being careful with each step. I tied each line set to a tree on the side of the river closest to the village. If I could avoid swimming or using the raft I would.
I then took the raft over to the goblin side of the river to get those lines moved. Once on that side I watched and waited for any signs that I was not alone. When I saw no footprints or any evidence of the Horde I went to the old fishing lines.
I pulled in four of the common local ratfish and gilled them on the handy stringer I had bought at the market. Much easier to carry the fish with. I remembered how awkward it was with the javelin. On the last line, there was a particularly ugly spiked fish on the hook. I lifted it out of the water and onto the muddy shore. It flopped around and then almost landed on my foot. I backpedaled to avoid the likely poisonous fish when the mud caused me to slip. My arms caught my body within inches of the spikes.
I knew that was too close. I quickly got up and abandoned the fish on the shore. The line, fish, and hook were not worth the effort. I went back to the raft and returned to the village side of the river. Grateful at the near miss.
“Gryff, I have great news. Ten miles west of here a troop of two dozen trolls are fighting a war boar even bigger than the female you found. It looks to be a male and is the largest I have seen yet. All the griffins are very excited for you to go kill the trolls and claim the war boar. Please, also Lydia said pretty please, Lord Nova also said he would like some war boar. It would make a great feast.” Traz said in excitement.
Well so much for my quiet afternoon. It was already an hour past midday. Moving ten miles at a run would take me roughly two hours. That is without a cart... I started to do the math before I gave him a reply. It added up to us being hard pressed to make it back before dark.
“Traz I would love to catch the trolls unaware and put an end to them, but I would never make it back in time for sundown. Plus the trolls could be long gone with their prize by the time we get there. The Horde sees better at night than us humans, not to mention it would take even longer to chop the boar up. I mean...” I was explaining to Traz when he interrupted me.
“Silly human, you have horses now. Ride out there and run down the trolls, they are simply ranged fighters. They are tall, lean, and excel with a bow. Besides the goblins, they were the only thing the humans could kill easily if they reached them. That was always the key, and part of the reason us griffins avoided them in most engagements. They get two shots on a charging enemy and I will be there to try to make it less. Trolls are rear line archers, horrid fighters in a pitched close quarter battle. Your warhorses will have you and your men at such a big advantage. Have one of the horses follow your trail with a wagon. You may not know much about the human war horses but they are fast and sturdy. Easily do twenty miles in an hour, in a good sprint forty, and you only need to travel a little under ten! Lord Nova is pushing the Frontier Knights to the west gate right now. I called a warning cry to Una and the Fearless. They will cross back into the barrier any moment if not already. All we need is you to hurry back. Stay in that armor it will help the horse carrying you.”
I realized he was right of course, the griffins having far more battle experience than me. It was a solid plan. Ride out, run down a tired unit of trolls who were probably dealing with wounded from fighting the war boar. Then stealing the kill if it was dead or finishing the war boar off if it was wounded.
My fishing lines were set and I had the four fish on the stringer slung over my back. I raced to the barrier following the creek path. The cleared trail made it easy to get up to a good running speed. It did not take long for me to see Nate and the nine other warriors on the western gate. There were four griffins behind them.
“I do not like being herded by these griffins my lord. It is unnerving. What is so pressing?” Nate said. He had all twenty horses with them each carrying a saddle.
“The griffins have informed me there is a party of about two dozen trolls fighting a very large war boar ten miles west of here. They assured me a good cavalry charge would easily win the day, especially if we catch them unprepared. So we will hurry out there and hopefully smash them mid fight or at the end of the battle. Then we will use our warhorses to run them down. If things get bad I will signal a retreat.
“Okay one horse for everyone, the rest can stay. Frank, head over to the carts and hook one up to haul behind us. When I say the griffins really, really, want the boar meat... understand they go a little crazy over it. If you cannot find our trail Frank, which following behind ten riding horses should be easy, one of the griffins will help guide you. If you see one flying a few feet above you going a certain way, follow him or her.
“For the rest of us ride behind Traz, he will pick out the best route for us to use. Should be able to keep a steady run going. When he speeds off and does a circle over a specific place that is him telling us where to charge. We go in hard and violent. Go for a trample and another short charge if able. After that hack and slash in melee until the battle is won. Everything I know of trolls is they are ranged specialists. We remove that range and use the horses as an advantage.
“Hurry up, every moment matters. Mount up and we can discuss anything we need to as we ride.” I said and then picked out a close warhorse.
I stuck a foot in the saddle and leaped onto the horses back. The saddle was worn in and comfortable, some noble's old seat. I was immediately grateful for it, and we had not even started to ride yet. I ensured my shield was firmly on my back and felt the fish. Those got tossed to the ground, to worry about later. Deb left my shoulder to eat the fish, so much for taking her with me. My sword was tucked nicely onto my belt, and I did not bring any ranged weapons. I saw some javelins on Markus' back and rode over to him and grabbed two out of his container. I fit them in loops on the saddle and did a double check of myself, yup I was ready to go.
“Deb I need you. I promise more fish later.” The monox looked up at me with cheeks stuffed full of fish. Her demeanor shouted attitude at me for interrupting her snack. She did oblige though and jumped to my boot and then crawled up to my shoulder. I had no leg protection on this armor set so her little claws drew blood on the way up.
“Frank, go get the cart, now. Then ride as hard as you can behind us without breaking the damn thing.” I said and the man huffed at being left out but followed my orders and took off to get a cart. “The rest of you keep up,” I said then dug my heels into the horse's ribs.
After two plus days of getting fat while walking up here, the horse bolted with energy. It was nothing as thrilling as riding a griffin but it was pretty awesome. I also became very aware of how loud a running horse was. I had this crazy notion we would be able to talk while the horses ran. Nope...
Oh well, the plan was simple. I am sure it will go to seven hells the moment we make contact but that was to be expected.
We passed through the pine forest and into rolling hills with tall grass. The horses tore up the ground and our group quickly fanned out to stay in fresh dirt. The thin strips of the vegetation beat at my exposed legs. It seemed like every time I went to battle I was in the wrong battle set. I forgot my shin pads and my legs burned with minor sharp cuts. There was little I could do besides grimace and push on. We arched over a narrow small creek with a jump and cut between pines.
I was able to keep a clear view of Traz the whole time. We cut north a few minutes into the pines to avoid something he could see. The horses thundered on and we made great progress. Not even half hour of hard riding had passed when Traz shot off and circled a place not too far off.
I yanked my shield off my back and grasped a javelin in my right hand. The pines ended into a wide open low bus
h field. It was heavily grazed with firm soil. In the distance, I saw the trolls.
There were twenty on their feet, helping move some wounded or dead. The ones that were free of helping others were throwing spears or launching arrows at Traz. He was racing right over the trolls getting them to cower in fear, yet when he never attacked or landed they fought to take him down. We closed the distance quickly, with most of the trolls oblivious to our charge. When the attention shifted to the thundering sound of our warhorses I tucked myself low.
The first volley that raced at us was uncoordinated. A few arrows came close and a horse neighed in pain but stayed with the group. After that first volley, I threw the javelin I was holding. I hurled the mini spear with blinding speed. It caught a troll in the gut and sent him to the dirt in a tumble. My shield came up for the next volley. This was a big moment for us. The enemy was more prepared and knew this was their best shot, literally and figuratively, at victory.
Fifteen arrows flew in toward us and I closed my eyes anticipating pain. I heard a whoosh and felt a mighty gust try to pull me off my mount. I opened my eyes and saw Traz had come low and used his belly to take the majority of the arrows into his hide. I could hear him screech in pain but I had no time to focus on him or the fact that Walt had been dismounted right beside me.
I brandished my sword and my war horse knew exactly what to do. It lined up the most trolls it could and raced straight for them. We slammed into the first troll with a sickening thud, the horse's hooves tearing the creature apart. The horse missed the second troll but I slashed it in the face with my sword. Our charge faltered as the fighting turned into a melee. My warhorse was amazing. It knew exactly where to go and how to position itself. I cleaved deep into the back of a troll facing Nate. We spun fast and launched a troll a dozen feet with a mighty rear kick. I grabbed tightly onto the saddle as the horse shifted so much force to its back legs. As fast as it happened we were on to the next victim. I stabbed a troll in the neck who was panicking from being pressured by Joey's advance. It was a brawl at this point and the horses were a major advantage. The trolls feebly fought back trying to use bows as clubs, but it was no contest. In close, they were cut down to the last.