Part Twenty
As soon as the sun was low enough to turn the sky yellow and red, the Orcs began their attack on the hill to the west. They moved on the East side first, as Dale had predicted, but those Orcs that tried were splashed with ever manner of waste that came from Men and the Orcs did not try to scale the eastern slope again.
As it grew darker, some attacks came from the north and south. The watch fires were burning brightly, sometimes green or blue or red, to frighten the Orcs and make a clear beacon for those who would aid them. The Orcs arrows flew first and then Orcs came, making charges up watch slope.
The Orcs were repelled. All those who had been on watch were awake, one at each post used a bow and the others drove off Orcs with their blades. Behind the three there were other able-bodied people sharing out arrows and making spare weapons ready.
The North side of the hill was more heavily defended then; the amount of Orcs brought down by arrows caused those behind to slow as they climbed over the corpses, and the watchers could dart out between the fires to dispatch others with swords. Orcs were strong, but tended not to have formal military training, or if they once had, the training had not been advanced.
The Lady felt the south side was too weakly defended. That was where Tsuki and Dale were, and many Orcs reached the top of the hill there. Dale was kneeling with bow and a man behind was feeding him arrows. Tsuki held South's common Mannish long dagger in his left hand, mainly to block blows, and held his own longer sword in his right hand, where it dealt much damage. Tsuki's other sword was wielded by South to great effect, as its size, sharpness, and weight complimented her own size and strength.
North came to them and said she had been sent by The Lady, as it seemed this side had more than it could handle.
"We're letting them get in close," Dale barked. Tsuki called his name and Dale loosed and arrow and hit the Orc about to step over the luggage-wall at close range. A kick from Tsuki as his dagger stabbed another Orc and the arrow-wounded Orcs fell backward down the hill, adding to the pile.
Dale shouted across to the Lady. "Hold all the arrows you can! They will whip these little ones into charging now and attack in force when they know we are out of arrows!"
North seemed horrified. It was true she had not considered what might happen that far in advance. They had started out with many full quivers, but larger Orcs would take several arrows to fell.
The Lord of the Hunt did seem to understand. He called back as he fought, "Let them get in close and attack together with blades. Send the bodies down the hill as obstacles. Send spare arrows west; they have more need of them!"
On the western slope, West defended with the women Willow and Rowan. Willow was young and slight and West's injury made his strikes less powerful. As well, the slope was the least steep and rounded, allowing Orcs to walk easily to the top. Fortunately, they had visibility enough to hit Orcs with arrows before they came close enough that the three had to use blades.
Kato had moved to the other side of the hill, where Fei was passing out arrows to the three archers. The lantern's beam searched out Orcs and blinded them as well.
The east side had its defenders, but they had less work, since the pots had been dumped and the slope was steep. Occasionally an Orc came that way, but Summons had sense to wait until Orcs were close and then push them over the sheer side of the hill.
The attack was well underway by the time it was dark and those at the top of the hill were unable to see how many Orcs might remain below. There came a lull in the battle. Some started to suggest the Orcs were defeated and that they should pack up and make a run for Newhaven.
"They are still out there!" Dale shouted, "They are so sure they will win at this point that they have decided to toy with us before the slaughter. Hold your arrows as long as you can and stay alert!"
Some in the middle questioned why the Elf was giving orders.
"Maple has more experience with Orcs than all of us combined," Laurel shouted, "and he did not have to abandon his horse to add his sword and bow to ours."
There was a scream and then voices at the west shouted. West was collapsed over the wall and Fei was between the watch fires, using his bowl-shaped pan as a shield and striking Orcs with his borrowed dagger, in effort to get down the hill. Rowan was shouting, "They took Willow!"
Dale threw down his bow and took up his sword. "North! Take my place!" He jumped over others to get to the west slope.
"Dale! Do not fight alone1" Tsuki called out. "North, I can manage this side, go with him."
"Some of you others, help West!" The Lady shouted.
Fei could see Willow's small frame and red hair illuminated by Kato's lantern. The Halfling tried his best to keep the light on her. Fei tried to reach her, but Orcs blocked his path and their long arms and swords had a greater reach than he did.
Dale leapt down and slashed the Orcs assaulting Fei in their backs. "Fei, defend the hill, move back," he called.
North came down the slope, following Dale over the Orc corpses. Te beam of light moved over them. "I cannot see her!" Kato called, "I think she was pulled toward the south!"
Willow was pulled into the cover of trees by her hair and thrown down to the ground. She called out once, "Help!" but her answer was an Orc foot in her belly. The pain was sharp and she gasped to draw a breath.
"It is not even an Elf," some rough Orc voice said. Willow knew then that they must want Dale and had taken her for her red hair.
"It is a woman. She smells fresh. We will have fun playing with this one."
A whip snapped. "I will have her first!" The bandleader grabbed Willow and slit her gown with his knife, scratching her skin along the way. "These women wear too many garments."
Willow tried to twist from his grasp and reach her knife, but she saw some Orc hand toying with the blade and knew they had thought to take it from her.
"Willow! We are coming!" North called.
"Now be silent again," Dale whispered. "They see well in the dark, but not quite as well if you do not move."
The Leader positioned himself above Willow as the others looked on. Willow thrashed to be free of the large Orc. She saw a taller Orc step up beside the Leader. He spoke in the garbled Common Speech all Orcs used to speak to those in other clans. "If your breed instinct is so strong you must find a hole to stick it in while your Orcs are penetrated by Men swords up on the hill then you are not fit to lead them!" The tall one smacked the Leader in the head with the broad side of his sword; he was Marduk.
Marduk looked down at the girl and then at the other Orcs. "You cannot tell a girl from an Elf warrior and your Leader has no faith in this battle! Follow me, Marduk!" He snapped his own whip. "Go to the south side of the hill! Three is tree cover on the ground and we know Death-Shadow's Man-pet is there with his swords. You will face him next or I will be at your heels with my sword!" Marduk made some poses with his sword.
"We do not have to follow you!" one Easterner said, "our Leader still lives and he gave us fresh girls to play with."
"We will have better play soon! And as for this sorry maggot…" Marduk plunged his sword into the fallen Orcs's chest. "Up the south slope now! I will not waste smarter Orcs. You face the Easterling swords!"
The Orcs ran.
Marduk stooped over the girl and scanned the darkness for movement. He saw the fire and motion on the hill and a few Orcs making plans below. Most of the Orcs from the western side he had just sent south. "Girl, is Death-Shadow carrying a message for the Rangers?"
"I…no…I do not know what you mean," Willow cried.
Marduk put a knife to Willow's upper left arm. "The pain will clear your head. He drew the knife over the skin to make a shallow cut.
It was true that the pain gave Willow focus. "I do not know what you are asking," she whispered.
"The Elf and his Man and the Halfling…where did they come from? Are they Rangers?"
"Please, let me go."
"Will Death-Shadow come for you? Are you precious?"
"I have already come," Dale said, though he did not move.
"Dog!" Marduk called loudly. He pulled Willow to her feet and put up hissword defensively.
"Big and smart are you?" Dale sang, "Makes no difference. Call your little Mine-Dweller. I'll kill you both is you do not let her go."
Marduk growled. "That is no bargain Elf. Death-Shadow hunts Orcs and kills them whether they have prisoners or not. I will not release her on your word that you may not kill me."
"I have never sought Orcs. Right now, I seek only the girl. Let her go and we will run back to the hill and kill your kind fairly in battle."
Dog came scampering over the grass. He saw Dale clearly and raised his bow. "There are two there," he said as he aimed.
"Send her now!" Dale shouted in Goblin and then repeated in the Common Speech as he snapped his whip.
"Take her if you can, or offer me something for my prize. I won her fairly from this one." Marduk indicated the dead Orc nearby.
"Let my companion take her then, and I will remain to settle our differences."
"You bargain like an Elf," Marduk spat. That was to say that Dale did not negotiate well at all.
"Let her go now, maggots, and I may oil my whip handle before I stuff it in you…you aren't even worth unlacing my pants, though you'll be sure to taste Elven sword before I am done with you."
Marduk laughed. "You and your Man-pet working for the Rangers? What do they want with us? What do they know? Are you carrying a new weapon to the horse-boys or your new King?"
"Now now, you have not given me anything yet and you do not look like you have earned as many scars and trophies as I have…but I will tell you this: My 'Man-pet' is not only a Ranger but a Wizard, and if you do not want Elves, Rangers and Wizards coming down on you, then give me the girl and run off now. You saw the strange fire on the hill. It was a signal and we have reinforcements on the way. You will be dead by dawn if you do not flee. Send her!"
"She is precious to you?" Marduk demanded, his grip tight on Willow's bleeding arm.
Dale did not know how to respond.
"Is that why Death-Shadow kills Orcs? Did some Orc play with a female known to you? Is this one precious? Will you kill many Orcs to free her?"
"Yes. I would kill many Orcs to free any person who was your prisoner. I know how Orcs like to play. I cannot let you play with her!"
Marduk shoved Willow toward Dale. "She is unspoiled, only cut. Small ones like this are only useful to weak Orcs who cannot find better sport."
"Only cut? Fancy yourself a noble among Orcs, do you? You smell like all the rest. Believe you are not spoiling for fresh meat and play, shall I? Or is your pet there more skilled than I imagine?" Dale switched to Goblin and spoke to Dog, "Did the Wizard use the Men's females in spawning these big ones?"
"What did he say?" Marduk barked to Dog.
Dog told him.
"Do not answer the Elf!"
"Yes, yes, quite sensitive there. What new sport have you found that has all the clans working together? Most unusual, yes? I know you are up to something."
"And your forest men and wizards are up to something. I have sent your female away, now face me in combat, if you are not afraid. I still do not see what makes the Northerners fear you, Elf!"
Dale laughed. "I told you, I do not seek Orcs to kill them. If you want me so badly, try getting up the hill alive."
Dog loosed and arrow, but Dale had already darted away. Dale found North and Willow crawling slowly toward the hill; it was the way he had advised North to move in proximity to the Orcs. "Get up and run," Dale told them, "Call out that we are friends."
"Aid us! We have Willow! We are coming up," North called.
Rowan and Fei were at the western post. Rowan embraced Willow as she came to the top of the hill. The Lady turned from her own battle momentarily. "Willow?" she called. Dale caught her gaze and nodded to her. Willow would be well, eventually. She could have suffered worse things at the hands of Orcs.
"North, thanks," Dale said, "they probably need you on this side now."
"Dale," Tsuki called, "If you are well, we could use help here!" The attacks from the south had grown more frequent and frenzied. Dale rushed to aid Tsuki and South with his sword. Kato was also there, using his lantern to blind Orcs as they ran up the hill. "Were you injured?" Tsuki asked Dale, his voice strained by the effort of fighting off Orcs.
"Not at all. Skirmish below between Orc bands. They have cleared the west side for the most part and those that were there have come to this side. They wanted to send more Orcs against you."
"Me?"
Dale stabbed one of the Orcs and then kicked the dying Orc from his sword so he could attack the next. "Perhaps later."
"Later," Tsuki agreed.
Attacks from the north and south were both increased and several times Orcs got over their luggage-wall, because four or more would charge through the fires at once. Those defending the hill were beginning to tire and arrows were in short supply. Some of the defenders, like West, had been injured or even poisoned. East and Black were working on preparing bandages and healing herbs. Ash's fiancée cared for Willow so that Rowan could return to her post. Some others that had weapons or who were able moved forward so that the previous defenders could take time enough to treat a wound or rest a moment before returning to the battle.
Morale was getting low again. Some spoke of running. So far, there had been no deaths, though West and The Lord were seriously wounded. They held off the Orcs successfully because the slope of the hill gave them an advantage, but dawn was hours away, there were almost no arrows remaining, and there seemed no shortage of Orcs.
Below, the Orcs were plotting, but the fact that there were so many Orcs worked against their side, as many Orcs meant many competing Leaders and Chieftains. They did not agree on strategy, especially as none of them seemed to make progress in taking the hill.
At the south side, the Chieftain had been killed and the Leaders had not found one amongst themselves that all would follow. At the north, the Chieftain did not really understand why they had come to this place and he tired of having the disadvantage in fighting an uphill battle. He wanted some meat or some sport and did not want to fight the Men without any reward.
The Chieftain called out, "We will charge them all together!"
The band Leaders grunted their dispassion.
The Chieftain continued to try to convinced Orcs to follow him. "Rush the hilltop! Take prisoners! Have meat and sport! Let other Orcs worry about forest men plots. If Rangers come, we shall have sport with them!"
The Orcs of the north side cheered, rallied by their Chieftain.
On the hill, The Lady saw the Orcs massing and cheering. "To me! To me! They are charging the north slope!"
"We cannot least our rear unguarded," Tsuki said.
Dale gave a nod, "South, Fei, Kato, stay with him, I will go help the others."
"Archers ready!" The Lady planned to spend their last arrows in slowing the charge by bringing down the Orcs' front line.
One the south side, the Leaders were still arguing. Marduk had fifteen followers. He had gained others, but their corpses now decorated the hill. Some of his Orcs were injured, though not badly enough that he would have to kill them. He was confused by his meeting with Death-Shadow.
Marduk strode over to the other Leaders. "My band found Death-Shadow and we have been tracking him from the road in the north. It is not enough to kill him or these Men. We must learn what they know of the Precious Things. We must learn what the forest Men are planning! I will not send the rest of my Orcs to decorate the hill with their corpses! I will lead my band away. When the Rangers arrive, many of you will die, but my band will survive and continue our mission. We will follow Death-Shadow and attack in a place where we can win!"
"You are too weak to take the hill. You should not lead!"
"Say that when you have not failed at the same task," Marduk retaliated.
An Orc ran to the Leaders and reported that on the north side there was a charge ongoing. Some Orcs decided to go to the north side. A few stayed on the south side to wait. Marduk lifted a bow from a dead Orc and called to his band. "Take what you want or need from the dead ones. They do not need their things anymore. We will go hunt meat and tend our wounds so that we can stay strong and fight another day!" Marduk took some pieces of armor and a knife from the dead and strode south. When he left, several more joined his band and followed.
Atop the hill the defenders were fighting for their lives. There were Orcs on the hilltop and everyone was fighting. They were beating Orcs with cook pans if they had no proper weapons. One man was beating an Orc with some other Orc's disembodied arm.
"Get your knees and elbows in their groin," North called out, "They have organs like Men!" Many Men and women were taking serious injuries, but the Orcs took as many or more, because females had a different sort of pride than males, and when their kin were threatened they fought viciously.
Those who had training with swords felt responsible for protecting the others with them and so they fought heroically and beyond the ordinary limits of their bodies. They put all their will, emotions, and spirit into fighting and they retook the hilltop and defended their fallen companions so that the Orcs could not have their bodies, but the battle was not yet over.
The remaining Orcs all gathered between the road and the hill and were angry with their failure to take old Men and women protected by a few others. They made one more charge at the north slope.
All those who remained able put themselves between the Orcs and those who were dead or injured and fought with whatever weapons they had, and even with feet and fists. And then a horn sounded and Dale called out, "There are riders coming to our aid! They are Rangers!"
The Men and Women cheered and many Orcs fled, but some became angrier and bitter, knowing they would not take the hill and have their meat, and they struck out to spite their enemies. In her brightest moment of hope for her people, she who had led them and day and night wielded their sword gracefully was wounded and fell.
And so the Rangers came, both Men and Elves on horseback, and rode up the hill with their torches and bright swords, and smote the Orcs. Some number of them continued to give chase to the Orcs, chasing them down over the plains with their horses, while the rest tended to matters on the hilltop.
The people were awed by their rescuers, come at the last possible moment, and they were greatly grieved, for though others had died, no loss seemed as tragic as Their Lady.
And one among them asked, "Who shall lead us?"
"I will be your leader and you will follow me," a Man said. He had come from with the Rangers and was their Captain, Anto he was called, though it was not his formal name. He swung down from his white horse in his sharp blue and grey clothing and the blood and gore did not seem to touch him.
Anto bent over The Lady and he spoke her true name, for he knew it well. And then he looked up and called for his healer. "The Lady yet lives," he told her people, "The wound is severe, but trust that I will do everything that can be done."
Willow was led to him and she cried for The Lady. Anto saw that Willow was wrapped in a cloak and that her garments were torn and immediately he embraced her, though the blood of the battle covered her cloak and hair. Willow wept and Captain Anto, who was truly her father, promised that his family would never be separated again.
Dale stood at the northern side of the hilltop, where everyone else was lying or seated and he watched the riders chasing Orcs below. He recognized some. They were the sons of the Elf-lord in whose house he had recovered from his long ordeal with the Orcs and he thought them so perfectly what Elves were supposed to be. They had long brown hair and grey eyes, which was the most common coloring in Elves, and they moved with a strange grace so that even slaying Orcs seemed like dancing.
The others who saw Dale standing there would later say he had looked as if a song should be written of him. Maple, they called him. Some of them had fought against him a day ago and others had doubted they should take his orders, but beside Their Lady, Maple was the most beautiful and heroic, they said. He had gone down from the hill as if into the underworld itself and brought Willow back to them. He had slain Orcs on nearly every side of the hill. And when he stood there after the battle, in moonlight, with his braids falling loose and whipped by the night wind, his hair seemed a banner and his apparent vigil a sign that the night was not lost and their banner yet waved.
Dale did not know what the others thought of him. He looked out into the night an felt awed by the other Elves, who were older or more noble of birth. He felt again that he was very unlike a normal Elf and that perhaps he should never be like other Elves. Dale leaned heavily on his sword, then crouched, rested his forehead on the hilt of his sword and closed his eyes.
Tsuki saw him there and wanted to go to him, but was distracted by others, and so it was the Elves who came and led Dale away.
Kato was the first of his companions Tsuki found again, though it was Kato who found him. Kato looked up, grimaced rather, and asked Tsuki if he was well. "I will survive."
"That is good."
"And you?" Tsuki asked. Kato looked a bit pale and held his arms tightly folded over his chest.
"I'm fine…well, I did lose a finger, but it was only the little one and I cannot imagine that I truly needed it, and I did not even lose it really, I have it right here, it is just that it is completely severed from my hand!" Kato unfolded his arms and held the little finger that had been cut from his right hand aloft in his left. The hand from which the finger had been cut was wrapped with bandaging.
"Does it hurt?" Tsuki asked.
"Not really. It hurt a great deal at first, but then I just stopped feeling the pain."
"I saw that happen to others during the war," Tsuki said, "Your body has blocked the feeling, but it will return. You should inquire if any of these healers have some remedy that will alleviate pain."
At that, one of the Rangers approached and asked if either were injured such that they required treatment. Kato indicated that another Ranger had spoken to him already and Tsuki said that he would tend his own wounds and that he did not believe he had been poisoned. The ranger next asked if they were able to ride and if they had horses.
"If the Orcs have not found them, our company has two horses and a pony," Kato answered.
"The Orcs did not take them," the Ranger told them, "They are found and on the road near the this hill now."
"That is good to hear," Tsuki sighed.
"If you would give me your names for our record you are free to go, if you need no assistance."
They gave their proper names and then Tsuki added, "We must se to our companions, but we two are whole and if we can be of assistance to your people, let us know. It was our intention to ride to Newhaven."
"If you wait until some of our number departs you may have an escort. We arrived here as soon as we could; there was a separate disturbance involving Orcs to the east of Newhaven in the highlands and we could not muster enough Rangers within Newhaven to ride to aid you before we did, though we spotted the signals earlier."
"The other disturbance, do you know if it involved a small party of Rangers passing the mines?"
"The disturbance I spoke of was further south, but I think I heard some word of such an incident. Perhaps some other one here knows more. But as I was saying, there were wains sent out that have not yet arrived and we will use them to transport those who are not able to ride and the dead to the settlement. As soon as they are loaded, we should ride back as escort to them and you are welcome to ride along with our party. There may still be Orcs nearby."
"Thank you, we most likely will continue to the settlement with you Rangers," Tsuki said, only glancing to Kato to see that he agreed. The Ranger left them and Tsuki said, "Have you found Fei or Laurel yet? I recall you and Fei being nearby…until the Orcs were on the hilltop and I lost sight of you both in the fighting. I have not seen Laurel in quite sometime. Do you know if she is well?"
Tsuki and Kato both scanned the hilltop, but it was not easy to see which person was where, as it was dark, both the dead and injured still lay on the ground, those who tended them were bent low, and there were many Rangers walking about now. Kato said it would be easier if he had his lantern, but he had lost it when his finger was taken.
Eventually they came upon their companions. Fei was lying on the ground as if injured and Laurel was tending to him. "He will be well, I think," she said and Laurel did not seem harmed in any way. "There is a sword wound on his shoulder that may be poisoned and he has taken a glancing blow to the head, but I am confident that I can do what is necessary to make him well."
Kato explained about his missing finger; Tsuki suspected it was going to become of his new favorite tales to tell, along with all his sexual exploits. Tsuki removed his garments, but for his pants and used the water the Rangers had provided to Laurel to clean his wounds. He had several, but none were serious. Tsuki was confident in his skill as a swordsman and had received the wounds late in the night, when all had been fighting in close quarters and blocking might have sometimes meant wounding the ally beside him.
Tsuki told Laurel that the horses were found and asked if Fei would be able to ride. "He was conscious minutes ago. I will not let him rest too long. I suspect reclining in some manner of cart as it wobbles over the old road may feel worse than riding, though neither will seem comfortable to him."
"I have visited Newhaven before," Kato said, "It is a strange place, but I am confident we can secure a place to stay and that we can afford to remain several days while we mend and rest."
"I saw Dale, but he went off with those Elves," Tsuki said. He reached for some of the bandaging to dress his wounds, one slash to his chest and several on his left arm. "If he does not show up, I will pack nightmare and attempt to guide the beast. I should attempt to salvage our belongings from this mess when I have dressed my wounds. You seem unharmed, Laurel, will you help, or is there other work for you to do?"
"I am able to work," Kato said insistently, "it is only a finger. I should want to look for my things and perhaps collect some Orc trophies. Those will make fine gifts for guests I imagine and lead to interesting tales. I had never been in a battle before tonight…well, except for the other night when we were captured, but that was a lot less bloody."
"Quite," Tsuki said, "Come. Let us see what we can salvage
and go to the horses. I shall need to buy new clothes again in Newhaven.
This was my new jacket." Tsuki held the garment for them to see and
it was both slashed and bloody.