FreeHolds Adventure, Cycle 3 Part 7a

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Part 7) Adwin

Sharlok’s army had been spotted to the west, word spread quickly through the village, carried by the older children. Neither Adwin nor the dwarves were ready for battle yet. Thankfully nobody had been spotted coming from the east.

One of the houses, on the eastern edge of Lekas, was literally in the middle of the road. It was thirty paces west of the unfinished earthworks and twenty paces from the two closest dwarven battle wagons. From the rooftop he could see the far end of the village and most of the rest of the embankments around Lekas. Adwin was not sure this was the best spot to be.

If he and his crew were needed elsewhere they would have a slower response than if they had chosen to set up more towards the centre of the village. It was, as best as he could tell, the place to be if they were to support the dwarves. To either side of the stone house the locals, those too old or too young to fight, were helping his people build up barricades of furniture. The improvised defences would provide some cover for them and hopefully slow the enemy from directly accessing the centre of the village.

Adwin had wanted to coordinate his efforts with the dwarves, though that proved difficult as they seemed disinclined towards conversation and they appeared to be busy with the final preparations of their own plans.

Mokha and Sefla were out past the dwarven wagons. They were making music and, according to Mokha, he was making things more difficult for any mounted men who might try to charge into the village. Amplifying his magic with music, he was laying down spells that would discourage the horses from proceeding along the road. He was warned that it might not turn a well trained war horse but should still cause issues for their riders.

Adwin would take any edge they could get. He glanced over to Gweth, who had been the first to notice the advantage of the house in the middle of the road. She pulled a second basket of fist sized stones up from below.

The twins had also positioned themselves on rooftops, to either side of the house he was now standing on. The improvised barricades stretched between the three buildings.

Adwin looked over to the dwarves again. He could not figure out what they were doing with twelve short posts, pulleys, lots of rope, two taller posts, four great sacks of some heavy material, recently filled with earth and rocks. Six of them had been working steadily since before Adwin had arrived. He hoped they would be done in time for the battle.

Earlier, another score of dwarves had gathered to put on armour. It was really nice. Breastplates, chain mail or scaled armour for their limbs, full helms with hinged visors, some had metal gauntlets and they all had really big boots of leather and metal plates. Most had hatchets similar to the one he had gifted to Tipper. They were also armed with long handled axes or war hammers, one in three had a heavy crossbow.

Once the dwarves had kitted up, two groups of three ran off to the west and north embankments. Two others had climbed up onto the unfinished ends of the nearby earthworks and were scanning the plains through looking glasses. Both duos and each of the dispersed trios had carried long poled signal flags.

The other twelve had gone over to the wagons, three to each, they were busy doing something with the wagons. Adwin wished he had a better understanding of what they intended.

“What are you looking at?” Gweth asked.

“Just trying to get a feel for the area.”

A child ran up to the furniture barricade, “I’m looking for Adwin.” He demanded loudly.

Luk pointed up to where Adwin was standing. He moved to the edge of the roof as the boy approached, “What’s the word?”

“The enemy has positioned itself in three groups to attack from the west. Andisal went to parley. The horsemen and some skirmishers are unaccounted for, likely coming around this way. I’m supposed to tell the dwarves now.”

“Alright. Thanks.” Luk helped the kid over the barricade.

Distantly he heard a rasping chant, something was going on by the western approach. He looked up to Gweth, “You fine here?”

“Should be.”

“Okay.” Above the chanting he heard loud shouting in the distance. A moment later an unfamiliar horn sounded from the other side of the village.

Grewth stood up, looking in that direction. Adwin heard a protracted screeching, like an angry cat on a rampage. He saw a group of brightly unclad people racing over the edge of the embankment to the passage leading out of the village. More horns blared beyond the village, all west of them. A couple of other horns sounded from within the village, the west and north earthworks were under attack.

Adwin thought it all happened rather quickly, the enemy had just shown up, he thought Andisal was going to try and negotiate with them. One of the dwarves on the far end of the north embankment was waving his signal flag.

There were more shouts throughout the village and along the earthworks. There was a general shift as people moved westward, Adwin wondered if he was supposed to respond as well. Surely it was too early for a breech to have happened. Other than a few archers shooting from above the west entry to the village, he could not see any signs of combat.

“Fight well.” He said to Gweth, then lowered himself and dropped down from the roof.

Luk approached, “We’re pretty much as ready as we can be here. We’ve three archers, five skirmishers behind each barricade and there’s the others.”

By others, Adwin knew he was talking about the late volunteers. The same folks that had helped them build the barricades by emptying their houses of furniture. He knew that some of the people he commanded did not want them around and considered their help, at this point, more of a hindrance. Adwin did not think he should nay-say people who were looking to defend their property.

Just then the large trebuchet clattered loudly as it lobbed two large stones towards the enemy. Both he, Luk and many of the others looked in that direction. Adwin said, “Seems they’re coming right down the road, as expected.”

“Seems so.” A few moments later, both smaller trebuchets launched stones at their foes.

Adwin now knew Sharlok’s men had not breached their defences yet, but he considered sending Luk and a handful of his people towards the western approach anyway.

“Where are you and the two Tannicans going to be?” Luk asked as he took out a tobacco pipe, filling the bowl.

“I figured we’d set up behind the well.”

“That will put you a good ten paces out in front of us.”

Adwin nodded, “Seems like the best spot for Mokha to do his fire magic. We’re far enough away from the houses and the others, but not so far we can’t fall back when we need to.”

Luk looked skeptical, he finished packing tobacco into his pipe, “Speaking of fire.” He held up his pipe and then crossed the road to where a couple of the old folk were cooking. He spoke causally to them, there was laughter in response. He borrowed an ember, lighting his pipe.

Adwin was amazed at the wide variety of ways people were dealing with the situation. Luk seemed very calm, the women laughed at his banter, while many others had been upset and tense. Now their enemy had engaged them, but he and his companions stood at the far end of the village unable to even see them. It all seemed a little crazy.

Mokha and Sefla were heading in his direction. Adwin climbed over some furniture, feeling a bit clumsy in his armour. Somewhere along his travels he had misplaced his helmet. He had not much liked it, it was too heavy and hot, but he sure wish he had it now.

He met the other two a few paces from the well, which was positioned between the wagons and the house on the road. Mokha said, “That’s done. For all the good it will do.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, after looking at the approach from out there, I don’t think it is very likely Sharlok’s men will oblige us by charging down the road.”

Sefla piped up, “It’d be way easier to go around, to either side. They can move right into the village along the inside of the earthworks. They can bypass the wagons.” She seemed excited, Adwin noted. Her cheeks were flushed and there was a wild light deep within her eyes. He wished they had better armour for her. She had a quilted shirt and pants, more or less tied on with strips of leather

Adwin looked over to the dwarves again. The ones with the crossbows had climbed up on top of the wagons, the others were running ropes through pulleys and hopefully finishing their setup. “Can we block the way into the village?”

“To the north? Maybe if we emptied out another half dozen houses or brought some more wagons over.”

Adwin thought about the logistics of doing that and decided it would pull too many of his people out of position. Frowning, he walked over to the well. The other two followed. “I’ve laid out most of the weapons I have and there’s that shield, it must be a hundred years old, not sure if it’s much good. One of the old men brought it over with the two spears. I’ll use the short sword and my bow.”

“That’s the sword from the loot we took from the Fingures.”

“I figured it be a good time to dig it out. Are you still worried about whatever enchantments might be on it?”

Mokha shrugged, “A bit. But, I mean…” He trailed off and shrugged again.

Sefla had picked up one of the spears and was testing its weight with a few experimental thrusts.

“Hold it closer to the end, then let go of it once you’ve struck one of the horsemen, especially if they are charging.” Hidge suggested.

Adwin turned around to see both Hidge and Whyse had come over to the well. “How’s your team?” He asked.

“Good enough for now. What I’m worried about is you being up here and me being back there. You’re making my job more difficult.”

“After Mokha uses his fire magic we’ll be falling back to your position.”

A booming voice shouted from nearby, “Enemy spotted! Thirty-five horses, forty infantry! One yat northeast! Closing at a fast walk!”

Adwin looked around. One of the dwarves up on the earthworks waved at him. Adwin waved back. The dwarf raised his signal flag, moved it around in an odd pattern, finally pointing it to the northeast. “I didn’t know any of them spoke Andalee.”

Whyse said, “That’ll give us twenty minutes before they are here, likely less.”

“What do you say, Adwin? You guys should move back with us.” Hidge insisted.

“Better we are here, I think.”

“Then here is where I’ll be. Whyse, take command of the squad, we’ll be along shortly.”

From the centre of the village they heard the trebuchets heaving rocks again, this time they fired a few moments apart, one after the other.

Mokha smiled, “Mind if I use your staff?”

“Not at all, go ahead.” Oddly, he felt very calm.

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