~ Dire Struggle for Dillend: [Archive] [Home] [Previous Turn] [Next Turn] ~

The group stands together, just over the hill, looking down at the Caerloon troops and Orcs, and contemplating the conversation overheard by Storm and Hannibal, especially the part about the "man inside."

"Sanford?" Emma suggests, "His cancelling of the border patrols could certainly have been treachery if he were on Caerloon's side. The odds certainly don't sound favorable for Mitchend in this case, either," she continues, "Two-hundred and fifty men plus over a hundred Orcs. Even the reinforcements that we met along the road won't stop Mitchend from the same fate as Dillend if their battle plans aren't stopped."

"I believe it is time, my friends," Crayne says, looking around the group with a serious expression on his face. "We must act now if the kingdom is to be saved. For I believe the Fort of Mitchend must be held. A victory for Rinder will build its confidence and knock Caerloon's down. We cannot let this army reach Mitchend in one piece!

"A rear attack is an idea, but I fear we will not do much with such an attack. I believe our opportunity lies amongst the fact that this army is split more or less down the middle between Orcs and humans. I believe that is where we must take advantage of to the fullest. For we have seen and all hate Orcs for their principals and love of war. We know they are naturally aggressive and believe that other species are inferior to them and that includes humans. They will cooperate with others species, but are not dependable. They will rebel against all; as allies they are quick to take offense and break aggreements. With this point I suggest we use it to our advantage."

Crayne looks down at the Orcs and grins with an a look of rage in his eyes. "I believe that through me and Dires' magic we could cause some difficulties amongst there ranks. Maybe set a human on an Orc either through persuasion or through illusion. For we are mages and that's what magic can do, isn't that right Dire? Our biggest task is how we will want to get amongst their ranks and cause some confusion. For sure enough if the Orcs are wound up they will act upon it. What say you all? I believe we can do good here and maybe turn a critical point in the war. I know it is a great risk, but we are the Rinder's Six and I believe this our chance to really prove ourselves and to help save the kingdom from destruction!"

Dire nodds approvingly as he listens to Crayne's suggestion. A wide smile creeps across his face as Crayne finishes. The elder mage seems excited, as if this sort of adventure was truly what he lived for and enjoyed.

"An excellent point, Crayne!" he compliments, throwing an arm around the younger mage. "And I think my skills in the art of illusions can be of some service. These Orcs, you say, probably have little allegiance to the humans. Perhaps they were coerced into joining the Caerloon forces, maybe they are being payed like mercenaries. Regardless, I agree that this is something of which we should and must take advantage!"

"I can create the illusion, with complete sights, sounds and smells, of another army of Orcs. Perhaps we should have this illusionary army charge Caerloon's army. The humans will assume the Orcs have led them into a trap, an ambush. They will turn on the Orcs among them, for those will be closest. By the time they realize that the approaching Orcs are merely an illusion, they will have already begun tearing their own hired help to pieces!" Dire is more excited and enthusiastic than the group has ever seen him.

"While both depleting their numbers, the farce will also slow them down, allowing more of Rinder's men to arrive at Mitchend and prepare for the eventual attack. What do you all think?!"

"I think we would do well to be cautious if we choose this as our course of action," Emma says, "We've already begun to suspect that a faction of the Red Dragon school supports this army. Therefore, illusions of the scale that you intend must take a large amount of magical energy. Might those other wizards notice this, if they happen to be traveling with them? It is a risk, that I thought deserved mentioning."

She stops to think for another moment, then raises a finger, "On the other hand...what if we added one more illusion to your mix, Dire? What if we added a wizard among your false-army...one from the Red Dragon School? Might that also throw suspicion upon the renegades that Caerloon has joined with? What do you think of impersonating those that sought to frame you for murder? That would be an ironic form of justice, don't you think?"

"Lastly, I might be able to call upon Anhur's aid in this deceptive strike. At the proper moment, I could affect the morale of one side of the combatants...so that if one should begin to gain the upper hand and put a quick end to the fight, I might be able to swing things back the other way and pick up a few more moments of confusion and chaos."

Cy listens to the plans as they are drawn. He considers the situation, deciding that he would be for killing the human leaders. That would throw choas and confusion into the orcs and maybe break their ability to form a cohesive attack. Otherwise, a strike at the rear-guard and the scouts would slow them down.

"That wizard work seems to have carried. Nice work. Do we want to kill or capture those generals? They're human, they'll die. That may break up the Orcs into a useless force. That, or we hit their rear and scouts. An army is blind without its scouts. No matter what we do, we hit and fade... hit them quickly and fade to the fort for the battle."

"Capturing the generals would not be an easy task," Emma comments, "Although that would certainly be an advantageous thing if we could accomplish it and live to tell the tale." She looks dubious, however, that the party could accomplish anything like that against so many soldiers.

"As for hitting them and then fading to the fort, though," she continues, "Well...I guess I'm confused, Cy. I thought we had planned to accompany Dire across the border in order to confront the renegade wizards of the Red Dragon School and clear his name? Granted, we hadn't encountered this threat to Mitchend before making that decision, but I'm certain we would be just as likely to fall at the fort as its defenders. We don't even know if Sir Moore and his men are still there. They could have easily left for Dillend by now...in which case, the fort is practically defenseless and there's little we can do to help them. In fact, even if we did participate in the defense of Mitchend with Sir Moore, there's very little that the eight of us could do to turn the tide of battle against such odds."

She shakes her head, "No...I think the best plan would be to confuse the army below...and let them do our fighting for us. If Dire and Crayne's spellcraft can set the Orcs and Caerloon soldiers at each others' throats, then we don't need to risk ourselves in any kind of conflict. And, hopefully, it whittles down their numbers, dampens their morale, heightens their distrust of one another, and buys Mitchend a little more time once my message gets through to them. In the meantime, we'll continue across the border and see if we can't cut off at least one of the heads to this monster, by confronting the other Red Dragon wizards. Once we return, if Mitchend still stands, we'll do what we can to aid them, and then march on Dillend as well...with Dire to lend us his aid, and maybe the rest of the Red Dragon school too, once they hear our story."

Cy rethinks and reconsiders Dire's plan. A smile grows on his face as he decides he likes the sound of it. "Throw in some illusionary archers and we can give them some very REAL bite," the warrior says through a rather nasty grin.

"Now that does have some possibilities to it," Emma concedes, handing Hannibal's bow and arrows back to him, "Anything that can lend realism to the illusions Dire and Crayne will conjure, can only help our plan succeed. We must be very careful, though. We can't afford to be seen. Our archers, and indeed even the spellcasters, will have to creep closer to the army in order to put our plan into motion. We can't allow ourselves to become surrounded, or everything will backfire on us. Perhaps Edryd or Storm might keep our horses ready for us so we can quickly make our escape?"

She gives Storm a pointed look, "And we must escape, unnoticed, my friend. No sneaking about to take out random Orcs. If they so much as see any of us participating in the battle, it risks ruining the effect of the illusion. They must think that they are fighting amongst themselves, without any outside influence from others. Let's all remember that..."

Storm sits with a long sword in his hands, listening intently to the conversation. He smiles and snickers when the topic of illusion comes up. He wonders to himself if something like that is really possible. But, he figures, after all he's seen so far, and after actually being rendered invisible, anything's possible.

"Then it sounds set," Canter says, summing up the plans. "Edryd and Storm wait back here under the cover of the trees with the horses. Crayne, Dire, and Emma will head down the hill, trying to stay in the shadows as much as possible, and do their magic. Perhaps the rest of us can accompany the magicians to provide a little cover and protection?"

The others agree. Storm and Edryd move off the road a short ways with the mounts as the others begin to move down the hill. They can see that in the time it took to decide a plan of action, the army had marched a good ways away from the road. Fortunately, the sun is almost completely set, so the shadows are long and dark and provide excellent cover for quick movement.

Once within range, the spellcasters begin. Though Crayne doesn't actually cast a spell, he joins Dire, concentrating hard on the task at hand and observing his mentor at work. Emma, in the meantime, closes her eyes and turns her face up toward the dark, cloudy sky. A few moments pass, with Dire mumbling complicated sounding words of some ancient, foreign tongue; and with Emma silently in prayer, concentrating her efforts on the humans below.

Finally, Dire finishes his spell. Just a second later, Emma's eyes pop open. Two sets of hands outstretch down the hill toward the field and the enemy, just two hundred yards away. Dire then turns to look up the hill, and points one long index finger toward the treeline. Suddenly, small lights can be seen dotting the treeline, and voices can be heard. Within moments, Orcs appear to emerge from the trees. At first it is just a few, but then ten, twenty, fifty, maybe seventy or eighty lumber out of the trees, some carrying lighted torches, others with clubs, and some with longbows. As the Orcs continue to emerge from the treeline above, Dire turns to Emma with a silent look of "are you done?!" on his face.

Emma matches his gaze, giving a quick nod. Just then, shouts can be heard from the human troops below. "Look! Up there! More Orcs! Where did they come from? Stand fast, men! It's a trap...An ambush!" The troops are confused. The officers try in vain to keep them in line, but fear sweeps through the ranks. "Those bloody monsters led us right into a trap! We're all doomed!" The fearful men scream to each other. "Get them! Kill the buggars!" the troops cry. Some begin to unsheathe their swords, turning on the Orcs marching behind them. Others begin to charge up the hill toward the illusionary Orcs. Most, however, stay down the hill, not daring enough to face the new attackers on higher ground.

"Stay in line, men! Stand fast!" Barlow and the other officers shout. Their voices are soon lost in the chaos as men and swords are everywhere. The Orcs marching behind are at first confused, but can see plainly their fate before them when their front lines are met with angry, raging humans--their allies nonetheless. They begin to shout to each other in their native tongue, and their weapons are soon drawn.

Then Barlow and one of the other officers spurr their horses, charging up the hill after their men and toward the illusionary Orcs. "Mages! They got mages!" Barlow calls out to his fellow officer, a look of utter fright on his face.

Canter gives a quick glance to Cy as he sees the mounted officers approach. "Come, quick!" He calls to the others, "They're headed this way!"

"Go! Go!" Hannibal says quickly, giving Emma a quick shove and backpedaling back toward Edryd and Storm's position.

"You all start up the hill. And don't stop until you reach Edryd and Storm! I'll cover you as best I can from here." Cy orders Emma and Dire. He quickly draws his bow and cocks an arrow.

Canter looks up to see the officers closing fast. "They haven't seen us yet but it's very close!" he calls. He yanks at the crossbow on his belt, readying the weapon to fire. Then, standing close to Cy, he prepares to cover his friends as they retreat, their plan already in action. "How long will this farce last?" he asks Cy under his breath, motioning toward the illusion.

"I don't know," the warrior answers, "but I don't intend to be close by to see it end!" With that, he lets loose an arrow, it flies straight and true, catching Barlow square in the chest. The officer doubles over, falling from his horse. Cy's nasty grin only grows wider.

Canter, too, fires his missile. The crossbow gives its familiar "click!" as it sends its message toward its target. The quarrell flies just over the other officer's head. "Damn!" Canter curses, looking over his shoulder to see the others more than half way to safety.

"I've got him..." Cy says assuringly, drawing the bowstring on his bow and letting loose a second arrow. This one hits Canter's target, sending the officer to the ground. "Come, let's go...attack and fade..."

Cy and Canter then turn and run for the cover of the trees and their friends, atop the hill. They arrive to find the whole party there, not a scratch on anyone. They mount their horses and prepare to leave the area, crossing the fiend and heading south over the border.

As the horses cross the crest of the hill and begin their descent downwards, the cool, moist night air whips through each person's hair. The horses are at full gallop, hoping to cross the open field without drawing too much attention.

"Will we make it?!" Hannibal shouts over the wind and the sound of horse hooves to Edryd.

Edryd looks around, the smile on his face disappearing as his eyes widen. He points behind the party, calling for the others' attention. "Not yet! We've got some company!!"

Emma turns to look behind her, drawing her long hair, blowing in the strong wind, aside out of her face. She can see four men, all human, on horseback, coming in behind the party. They are perhaps forty yards behind, but by the direction they are steering their mounts, it is obvious that they are on the trail of Rinder's Six.

Turning to the others while kicking her horse hard, she shouts, "What are we going to do about them?!?!"

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