By Volk-Oboroten'
"The lutins are coming!" shouted a villager, running down the path from Starven's barges. He pointed to the west, where the icy fog over the Sea of Souls was lifting. The mist broke, revealing scores of well armed lutins marching toward Starven. The late afternoon light lent a red tint to the tips of their spears.
Marcomir quickly greeted the soldiers from Metamor, "We are overjoyed to see that you have decided to help our revolt against Nasoj. Your reputation in battle against lutins is well known here. Now, an entire lutin host threatens to destroy our village."
Lowenherz looked at Misha, surprised that he would seek to defend Starven. After hearing about Metamor's losses, he had doubted that the Long Scouts would venture far from their base. The fox-warrior himself bore several wounds from recent battles. One finger was missing, and his head was marred by the loss of an ear, caked with blood where it had been torn off.
"I'll go to the boats," said Lowenherz to Marcomir. "We must make sure that the lutins don't burn them with their fire arrows."
As Lowenherz raced off, following the villager down the path, Marcomir watched the lutin horde approach. "Turn the catapults!" he yelled. "The lutins are trying to attack Starven from the south."
Several soldiers from the Bremen regiment rushed into town, summoning others to haul the heavy weapons. Marcomir hoped they would be able to move the catapults into a useful position before the lutins arrived. Looking at Misha, he said: "We expected an attack to come from the north, but the lutins have surprised us by using the fog on the lake to cover their approach. Now, they will be able to reach the beach south of town before we can react. Your soldiers can help save us by defending that hill, called Raven's Rock.
It's the only high ground south of Starven, and provides an excellent defensive position. I remember shooting arrows at lutins from that mound when I was a boy, striking them as they tried to get off the ice. The shoreline is covered with broken floes, and sharp beds of mussel shells, so the lutins will have to break formation before assembling on shore. That will be your chance to defeat them."
As Misha's band assembled on Raven's Rock, Marcomir followed other villagers into Starven, seeking to stop the lutins on the ice. Lowenherz led a group of archers to the edge of the boats, urging them to aim at the most densely packed groups of lutins. A few arrows shot true, but the lutins ignored their fallen comrades, pushing on to the east in a massive wedge.
On the hill north of Starven, soldiers from Bremen struggled to rotate the catapults, so they could hurl heavy rocks at their advancing foes. Valaric had ordered them to guard Starven from enemy attack, and they were determined to fulfill their duty. With immense effort, they dragged one catapult to the brink of the cliff, facing the onrushing foe.
Lowenherz jumped from the front boat onto the jagged ice, leading men armed with swords and daggers forward. The lutins were not far away, so he wanted to make sure they did not reach the barges. Archers continued to fire into the lutins, hitting many on the side closest to Starven, splattering the ice with their blood. As dead and wounded lutins fell onto the ice, the remainder rushed south, seeking to reach the shore near Raven's Rock.
As the lutins pressed forward, Misha readied his bow, stacking arrows for combat. The other Long Scouts also prepared for battle, ready to strike once Nasoj's troops neared the shore. They looked down at the edge of lake, where the smooth sheet of ice ended.
------------------------------------------------------- A few minutes later, the first lutins swept onto the beach. The howling winter winds had piled the ice into small, jagged pinnacles. Overlapping planks of ice looked like a field of boulders on the side of a mountain. As the lutins struggled to cross the obstacle, the air suddenly whistled with arrows, flying down from Raven's Rock.
While the Long Scouts began to battle the lutins on the ice floes south of Starven, Lowenherz faced the lutins in front of the barges. They were now close enough that he could see the spots on their green skin. One villager shouted, "We're hopelessly outnumbered. We must fall back to the barges."
Waving a sword, Lowenherz said, "We need to delay them until the catapults are ready."
A group of soldiers from Bremen rushed forward, to the right of Lowenherz, hitting the forward ranks of the lutins. Soon, the sound of crashing spears and clashing swords echoed across the frozen lake. Lowenherz noticed the sun descending slowly into the southwest, but gave it little thought. He needed to make sure that the lutins did not win. That's all that mattered now.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As the sun hung like a ruddy ball just above the horizon, the lutins surged over piles of corpses, eager to seize Raven's Rock. Misha ran forward, throwing a javelin into the chest of a lutin officer leading a column. Seeing the fox-warrior and the Long Scouts, a group of lutins yelled, "It's the Ear Stealer! Kill him!"
Drawing his longsword, Misha plunged forward into the melee, protecting his side with a small shield. Other Long Scouts joined him, dispatching their foes with great speed. A whistling rain of arrows continued to pelt the lutins struggling to reach the shore.
A mile to the north, a heavy rock smashed into the ice, crushing a lutin under its weight. Soon, more boulders flew in front of Starven's barges, cracking the ice in several places. Lowenherz ordered the villagers back to the boats, just after cleaving the helmet of a nearby lutin with a heavy sword. As he retreated, floes of ice tore apart, splashing frigid lake water as they broke.
Lutins screamed as the ice fractured, plunging them into the icy water. Some struggled to stay afloat on rafts of ice. A stone from one catapult hit one iceberg, smashing it, and throwing a dozen lutins in the lake. Not far away, a group of lutins struggled to reach the left side of a flat floe, only to have it tip over, pushing them down into the depths of the Sea of Souls.
Despite these losses, about a hundred lutins remained, now only a few yards from Starven's barges. Lowenherz strove to stop them, but was unable to pull his sword out of a lutin's side before others arrived. "Get him! We must destroy the village tonight!" screamed a lutin, leading his comrades ahead.
As the first lutin struck Lowenherz's shoulder, he was shocked to see two black shapes burst out of the man's clothing. Soon, he realized they must be wings. Surprised, other lutins stared, as they saw sharp teeth erupt from Lowenherz's face. "He's some kind of monster!" exclaimed one. "Kill him before it's too late. This dagger . . ."
Before the lutin could finish, Lowenherz tore his throat out with a mighty blow from his sharp claws. Next, he bit a lutin on the neck, ripping its jugular vein out with his fangs, coating the prow of a boat with blood. The lutins staggered back, startled at this attack.
------------------------------------------------------- On the hill, Cnivagild watched men load boulders into the catapults. He grimaced as he saw lutins near a barge, where he had stored excess supplies from Nasoj's recent campaign. They could be resold for a nice profit in the spring, if only the lutins didn't get them.
As another rock crashed into the ice, one man asked Cnivagild, "Where's the help you promised? Isn't Lilith supposed to aid us?"
Gritting his teeth, Cnivagild said, "Baron Calephas kept his word. He got all of the humans to join him, so we only have lutins to battle. Many of the draconians were sent to escort Calephas, but some should be here. Soon."
"When?" asked another man. "The only help we've received is from Metamor Keep. If they hadn't arrived, the lutins would have surged around the south side of Starven."
Irritated, Cnivagild replied, "Don't count on them! They're just here because their leader collects lutin ears as a hobby, using them as trophies. We need more reliable allies. Allies who will end the lutin problem for good, so we'll never have to worry again."
As Cnivagild spoke, a group of draconians appeared above the woods, gliding down toward the lake. "Praise Lilith!" exclaimed Bragamund, walking down the path, "Urulok Vaal is leading a draconian band from the Dark Keep to our aid. He'll be here soon!"
Six draconians landed on the ice just north of the barges, watching a massed band of lutins confront an angry manticore. As Lowenherz flew above the second barge, a group of lutins hurried to grab bows. Before they could fire, a blast of cold air smashed into them, making them fall backward. The draconians soon fired another magical weapon, cracking off a large chunk of ice, which promptly heaved seven screeching lutins into the icy lake
As the lutins attempted to regroup, a burning sphere plunged into their midst. As they fled, Urulok Vaal hovered in mid-air, considering where he should aim his next fireball. Waving his scaly claw, the draconian chieftain directed other reptiles onto the flank of the lutin line, driving them south of Starven.
Marcomir rallied Starven's villagers, urging them to strike the retreating lutins. Meanwhile, Lowenherz plunged into battle, ripping enemies apart with his lion-like talons. Not far away, Misha led the Long Scouts, viciously fighting the lutins with tooth and claw.
The lutin commander attempted to rally his troops on the shore, but soon fell to the ground, shot in the side with an arrow. As he struggled to pull it out, his soldiers fled east, racing off into the black woods near the Dark Keep. Soon, Marcomir's band arrived, chasing the remnants of the once formidable lutin army. The Long Scouts arrived from other direction, driving lutins before them.
------------------------------------------------------ The battle had lasted less than an hour. Nasoj's host was reduced to a frightened rabble, seeking shelter in the trees of Tauremorna. Lowenherz flew over the road, picking off lutins who sought to run north along it.
As Marcomir prepared to thank the Long Scouts, Cnivagild arrived, carrying a sword dripping blood. Pointing north, Cnivagild said "Urulok Vaal will be here soon, once the draconians kill the remaining lutins on the lake. We have decided not to take any prisoners. Instead, they will all be sacrificed to Lilith, with their heads placed on pikes. This will warn any other lutins from ever daring to attack a town protected by the Queen of the Tauremorna. Praise Lilith! She has delivered us!"
Misha frowned upon hearing the name of the vampire goddess. Cnivagild stared back at him, with a look of disdain. "I guess you didn't get enough ears this time," Cnivagild said. "We'll chop some off the heads and send them south."
The fox spit on the ground at Cnivagild's feet. "We won because brave people fought hard, not because of some swamp dwelling whore." His words were edged with anger.
As Cnivagild walked back up the path to Starven, he stabbed the body of a prostrate lutin, and snickered as blood streamed onto the ground. Meanwhile, Marcomir saw the fallen lutin commander grasp for something in his cloak. "Hold him down!" said Marcomir. "I think it's a magical item."
As Misha grabbed the lutin, a glass ball tumbled out of his clothing. The lutin struggled to get free, but was quickly restrained by several Long Scouts. Marcomir looked at the sphere, saying "I think it's something used to communicate with Nasoj. We may be able to get useful information."
A nearby villager looked at Marcomir, and asked, "Should we torture the lutin? Perhaps we can force him to tell us how it works."
Marcomir replied, "That won't be necessary. You can already see an image in the crystal. Hold it still now!"
As a Bremen soldier steadied the ball with the severed hand of a lutin, the picture of an arch appeared.
"It's Lik!" said Marcomir. "I've heard about how the wizard used to transport entire armies through the portal. But it looks like his men are retreating now. Just look! They're falling back, hauling that big black axe."
The image began to fade as the last of Nasoj's human soldiers vanished into the arch. As the picture dissolved, the arch collapsed to the ground, pulverized by giants. Nasoj would never be able to magically send troops to Lik again.
"Valaric's won!" shouted another man. "He's liberated Lik! Soon all of the Giantdowns will be free!"
Spitting blood, the lutin commander stared at Misha, "Go ahead. Chop my ears off! At least we have Whisper! You'll never get your axe back, now that Nasoj has it in his own Citadel."
Misha just stared at the lutin for a moment. "Let him go," the fox said. "Let him crawl back to that monster Nasoj." Suddenly he grabbed the lutin by the hair and pulled its head back, baring its green throat. With his free hand, he held up a dagger, its edge razor sharp. "Take this message back to Nasoj. "I'm coming for him myself. And there's nowhere he can hide."
------------------------------------------------------- Later than night, Lowenherz prepared to fly north, intent on reaching Nasoj's Citadel soon. He was sick of killing lutins, having lost count of how many he had clawed, bitten, or stabbed during the evening. More than anything else, he wanted to get Nasoj, and end this curse. Either he would become completely human again, or he would die fighting the wizard.
In Starven, the Long Scouts were also getting ready for a journey. Misha was determined to recover Whisper, certain that he would somehow recover his runic weapon from Nasoj. Before leaving, he met the draconian leader, Urulok Vaal.
The scales of the reptilian chieftain glittered, as nearby draconians carried torches down the road leading to the Dark Keep. Three smaller reptiles played with the head of a lutin, kicking it back and forth between them, as they ran across the snow. Others watched the Long Scouts, curious at their unusual appearance.
"We've heard much about your role in the battle," said Urulok Vaal to Misha "We are uneasy dealing with humans, but feel that we can make a pact with you. Soon, the wealth of Lik will flow through the Tauremorna, on paths we guard."
Misha glanced back at the reptile's slanted eyes, suspicious of his intentions.
"Many of the men in Starven do not trust you, and only want to trade with Baron Calephas," added Urulok Vaal. "But we have no such scruples. In fact, we would prefer to deal with non-humans. Make a pact with us, and Lilith will be happy to allow commerce through her woods. We will see you again after the spring thaw."
Misha looked at the reptile with a gaze that was as cold and hard as its own but said nothing.
The draconians soon departed, returning to their forest fortress. Misha loathed the idea of dealing with servants of the daedra, but admitted that, for the moment, they were allies of Metamor. Would that still be true in the spring?
He watched the draconian depart with dread. No matter how that creature sugarcoated it, he knew that Lilith was no ally of Metamor. Whatever plans the daedra had, they boded no good for Metamor. The reptile was now a mere speck in the sky. "I'm sure I'll see you in the spring." He slowly drew his blade and calmy ran his finger along the edge. "But I think we'll be paying you a visit before then."
The Long Scouts rested, knowing that a long journey lay ahead. The road from Starven to Nasoj's Citadel was very long, and they had no idea how they could attack the wizard's castle itself. Misha looked north, sensing that fate would intervene, allowing him to recover Whisper soon.