The Prancing Pony Inn

[Peter Remling]

Obnosh windmilled the axe, taking the heavy blade in a figure eight. The weaving drove back the large human and a quick detour of the blade brought the head smashing into the dwarve's helmet, sending the helm in a high arc as the dwarf planted his face firmly in the soft earth.

Obnosh's wound wasn't deep but the locations was providing a significant amount of pain particularly during combat.

[Eric C]

Obnosh windmilled the axe, taking the heavy blade in a figure eight. The weaving drove back the large human and a quick detour of the blade brought the head smashing into the dwarve's helmet, sending the helm in a high arc as the dwarf planted his face firmly in the soft earth.

Obnosh's wound wasn't deep but the locations was providing a significant amount of pain particularly during combat.

Thorbed dodged out of the way of the orc's axe. He saw the heavy head slam down upon Dwamdil's helm. He heard the dull thud of iron on iron and watched the helm fly skyward as the Dwarf fell to the ground. His eyes shot down to Dwamdil then back at the orc.

His shoulder protested the heavy shield but he dared not abandon it while that axe could be brought to bear. Not knowing why the bard and ranger were not involved yet, Thorbed decided not to wait. He charged in with sword held high. When he was in the orc's face, he let out a loud cry. The orc's axe went up to defend against the sword that was crashing down. But it was only a faint and Thorbed drove a knee into the wounded thigh. The orc screamed in pain and staggered back. A strike from the back edge of Thorbed's blade sliced a gouge out of the orc's helm. The orc reeled but maintained his footing. Thorbed charged in, determined to finish this beast.

The orc found himself standing in a sandy area of the path. He waited for the big man to get within range. Thorbed bore down on the orc, his eyes filled with murder. Quickly, the orc kicked sand into Thorbed's face. Thorbed managed to keep the sand from his eyes, but while he was distracted, the orc drove a boney fist into his jaw. Again, Thorbed was forced to retreat and regroup.

[Mirimaran]

Daelon turned to see the melee with the bull Orc. He hurridly gathered up his bow and remaining arrows and fitted one to the bowstring.

"Dwarf slayer!", he cried, almost an accusation as he drew and shot. The bodkin sunk deep into the Orc's thick thigh, causing him to cry out before he snapped the shaft.

Daelon shot again, but the Orc was too fast, and the arrow flew wide. The Bard stood with his new friends and shouted,

"We either kill him or run for our lives! Choose quickly!"

[Eric C]

The orc charged straight at Thorbed who had backed away several feet. Thorbed threw down his shield and stood planted in the beast's path.
"I run from no single orc." Thorbed growled. The orc swung the woodsman's axe wildly. Thorbed sidestepped at the last minute, slicing the orc across the abdomen. With a hideous grunt, the creature doubled. Thorbed turned quickly and with a two-handed blow, severed the orc's head. The body took two steps and fell to the ground.

Thorbed heaved in breath as he rubbed the wounded shoulder. He looked momentarily at the orc to see that his strike was true, then turned to the fallen Dwarf. He charged to his comrad and knelt beside him, laying his sword on the ground at his side.
"Dwamdil?" Gently he turned the Dwarf over and held him close, checking for a pulse at the throat. He looked at his other companions, a relieved smile on his face. "He's alive."

[Peter Remling]

The ground rush up to meet him and then the earth revolved. First the tree line was visible, then the earth, again it was repeated until the revolutions stopped and a headless body was directly in front of him. Everything faded and Obnosh never realizied the headless corpse was his own.

[Peter Remling]

The last two orcs were brothers, that is to say they had the same mother. If they shared the same father they knew not, nor did their mother.

The youngest had yet to be blooded in any combat and at first they were allow only to kill the wounded. Therbosh decided to gain any fame he'd steal the mounts. Most of the mounts were rearing and two had bolted so he went for the most complacent seeming of the two remaining.

The ranger rose from the ground in time to see a orc sneaking up behind her horse. A short shrill whistle from her and the trained horse kicked out with both hind legs, catching the orc in the chest and throwing him back into the brush.

The older of the two went straight for the exposed back of the big human.

Therbosh slowly got to his feet. He was concealed in the undergrowth and with two cracked ribs and a dislocated shoulder decided enough was enough and he retreated as quicly and quietly as his wounds allowed.

[Peter Remling]

Tag Anyone

Mamduka, after dispatching the two orcs sent for him, mounted quickly and rode away north as fast as his horse could run. He knew the party was aware of him and they couldn't possibly have missed the body of the boy. He was fully aware of the two party members mounts running breakneck to the south. It would take at least a 1/2 hour to catch them and bring them back so he had some lead time. "It's a shame they didn't bolt north, I could have shot them and slowed down the party to a crawl instead of just this delay." he thought to himself

[Ranger of Arthedain]

Fear.

Fear was the sole reason she did not join Thorbed and Dwamdil in the battle sooner. She was still young in age amongst her kin, and had not seen too many battles such as the one that had just taken place. The ranger was far too use to traveling alone, where in most cases if the enemy outnumbered her, she would flee; no matter how much pride she had within her, taking on a party of orcs against one was foolhardy. Only this time, she wasn't alone, there where others -newly met comrades- that depended upon one another, both in and out of battle. Her hesitation led to fear, and that fear caused her to freeze up in place, eyes wide as she had watched the dwarf charge the orc, Thorbed jumping in soon after.

Aeron didn't catch the younger orc slinking off after Aergolas had injured him, but she did see the other attempting to take advantage of Thorbed's exposed back. This time she did not hesitate, with her sword clenched in her hand tightly she charged at the orc from behind. The orc, however, wasn't caught unawares and turned on her before she could bury her sword into his back, metal clashing with metal once again. The larger man turned when he heard the noise to see the ranger and orc's blades locked together fiercely. He picked up his sword and rose to his feet as quickly as he could, the pain from his shoulder clearly evident on his face, and drove his blade through the orc's back, hitting a vital point. Aeron watched the black liquid ooze from the wound and from the orc's mouth, stepping out of the way as his large body fell forward on to the ground. She gave a simple nod of her head to the larger man, resheathing her sword, unable to look him in the eyes at the present moment. She settled on looking at the dwarf's injured body for the moment then to where the Bard and remaining horses stood. She noted that two of them had bolted during the battle and before the company could continue they had to be caught. And to add, the company's wounds had to be treated and the orcs' bodies done away with.

The ranger walked over to her stallion, who was pawing at the ground and tossing his head. He was still excited from the orc that had tried to sneak up on him and the other horse, with the intent to steal them. With the sun now risen overhead, she looked to the ground to see if the two missing equines left any hoofprints in the melted snow.

[Eric C]

Thorbed watched the ranger walk away. There was uncertainty in his eyes. He thought to himself, what kind of mess have I got here? He looked around to evaluate their situation. His horse had gone off with the Dwarf's for more peaceful pastures. Dwamdil lay unconscious and bleeding from a head wound. The ranger was obviously a woman- something he had discerned long ago. But it did not concern him until he saw fear and shame in her eyes. There were all these dead orcs to dispose of and the blood to hide. Lastly, there was that one who had killed the poor boy in the bushes. Thorbed had heard orcs and men die many times before. That cry that interrupted their battle was no man. It was the death cry of some orc kind. Thorbed locked eyes with the bard. He knew he could depend on Daelon to at least try to hold his own now with Dwamdil wounded. But he worried deep down inside about the ranger. He cut his eyes at the ranger then back at Daelon in a silent message to keep an eye out and help him guard her if necessary. Daelon nodded his ascent.

"Anybody got anything to help me stop the bleedin'?" Thorbed asked softly, "Aeron, don't you rangers have some skill at healing? I have a few bandages in me bag here, but most of my medical supplies went off with my horse." Thorbed knelt beside Dwamdil and removed a few things from his bag. He found a strip of cloth that would serve as a bandage and laid it aside. He also found a large ball of cotton and another cloth. He wrapped the cotton in the cloth then rolled Dwamdil on his side. He removed his haversack and shoved it under the Dwarf's head to support it. He found a nasty gash from the axe and pressed the cloth-bound cotton tightly to the wound to staunch the bleeding.

Aeron knelt beside Thorbed to see if she could be of assistance and that is when he noticed the cut to her arm. "Daelon, could you help our ranger with her wound?" At the reference of gender, Aeron fired an alarmed look at the big mercenary. "We've a long way to travel together, young lass. Many secrets about each of us will be revealed. Willingly or otherwise. You're amongst friends here."

[Mirimaran]

Daelon steadied his mount and hurridly tore into his saddle-bags, bringing out a rolled leather pouch. He fell to his knees beside the dwarf and Thorbed and unrolled the pouch. Inside were several small bottles with cork stoppers strapped securely, along with some bandages and a long thin knife. A smalled pouch held a delicate needle and linen thread.

"I have some skill as a healer, especially for dwarf-hurts. Mining can be a very dangerous business." He looked at the Ranger's arm.

"We can get that wrapped up, but we can't stay here long." The bard wiped the sweat from his eyes and looked to the big man.

"We can't leave any of them alive. If one orc makes it back to his tribe and tells of this killing field, they'll declare a bloodfeud."

[Eric C]

(Tag anyone)
Thorbed stared thoughtfully at Daelon, trying to remember how many orcs he saw leaving the battle. He only remembered one that might have gotten away, but until Aeron saved him from the last orc, his mind was solely on Dwamdil. So he could not be certain. Anyway, his own hurts would have to wait.
"Anybody know how many got away? Per'aps Aeron and me could go and round 'em up while you take care of things here. Then we could finish up here and find our horses."

[Ranger of Arthedain]

(Tag anyone)
Thorbed stared thoughtfully at Daelon, trying to remember how many orcs he saw leaving the battle. He only remembered one that might have gotten away, but until Aeron saved him from the last orc, his mind was solely on Dwamdil. So he could not be certain. Anyway, his own hurts would have to wait.
"Anybody know how many got away? Per'aps Aeron and me could go and round 'em up while you take care of things here. Then we could finish up here and find our horses."

Aeron glanced between Daelon and Thorbed for a moment silently listening to them. "Just focus on patching up our dwarf friend, I will tend to my own wound." Her tone was not ungrateful, but soft; her own wound was nothing compared to that of Dwamdil's or Thorbed's. She rose up off of her haunches, going back over to her now calmed stallion, pulling a few things out of her own small healing kit. She didn't spend too much time on patching up the wound on her arm, being more concerned for her companions and the thought of a possible fleeing orc. It was only after the ranger closed her saddle bag that she began to pay closer attention to the area in behind the horses.


The fight with the remaining orcs replayed in her mind for a moment. There had been two more orcs that arrived on the battlefield after the leader had been slain. The larger of the two had attempted a sneak attack on Thorbed while the other tried to steal the horses, and only one of those two were killed. Aeron's eyes narrowed as she removed her bow from the worn leather bow case on her back, and walked over to the spot she had previously been staring at. She knelt down next to the laid over brush pile that the orc had landed in when the stallion sent him flying. Her eyes moved to gaze in the direction behind the brush, where undergrowth grew on the eaves of the forest. The undergrowth would provide the perfect concealment for someone who wished to escape from battle, especially an orc that is injured. "It would appear that we may have a problem, my friends," she called out to both Thorbed and Daelon who was still kneeling beside of the injured dwarf, healing him.

[Mirimaran]

"It would appear that we may have a problem, my friends," she called out to both Thorbed and Daelon who was still kneeling beside of the injured dwarf, healing him.

Daelon rolled his eyes.

"I am sure", he said. He inspected the dwarf's scalp. The wound was deep, but dwarf skulls are as hard as the rock they mine. He took the small knife and studied it. A fire would have to be prepared, and the bronze blade heated...

"I can see to this", he said to the big man, "you will have to put your trust in the Ranger. She", he said with emphasis, "has mine, for good or ill."

[Eric C]

"My good bard," Thorbed said low enough for only Daelon to hear, "We were young and inexperienced once too." He gave a reassuring smile, "Let's look after her and she'll gain the experience necessary to thrive in battle. I'll trust her."

He stood and looked at the ranger. "If you can offer yer bow and trackin' skills, I'll give me blades and we'll make sure none of them get away." He moved around the battlefield claiming his sword, shield and trowing axe. He cleaned the orc blood off of the axe and sword with an old rag from his pouch.
As he walked toward Aeron, he said over his shoulder, "Take care Daelon." As a second thought, he stopped and removed his war horn. Trotting back to the bard, he laid it beside him. "If ye need us, give it a good blow and we'll come a runnin'." Moving back to Aeron, he said, "Let's have us a little orc hunt. Shall we?"

[Peter Remling]

Therbosh had crawled 100 yards through the underbrush before painfully getting to his feet. He reeled and almost passed out, due to the pain. Clutching his chest helped little, but little was better than none at all. He moved as quickly as possible back the way his party came.

No sounds of pursuit reached his ears and once free of the underbrush, the game trail he was on offered little resitance to movement. He didn't need to go far, just a few miles to the rendezous point for his party and the other scavanger/hunt parties they were to meet up with.

The tribe's orc army was headed southeast and these advance parties were to provide what they could to keep the army from slowing down. It was imperitive that he succeed.