Episode 2

Hands up against the tree, back exposed, the accused man looks briefly at Kray as he talks to him, but the attention is too great. He averts his eyes back to the ground with a shutter. Perspiration is building up on his brow. Bryn's words convert Kray's speech to the listener's language.

The rough-faced man gulps and his voice trembles in a broken whisper after a delay. "Mercy, Lord. Please, mercy for a poor servant."

The three men running in from the forest, first charge down the hill and then dash through the crowd to return to the camp of their companions. They carry no wood and no bags or straps. Nothing. The have run in at full speed without any delay or reserve.

Once they get to the camp, they duck behind trees and cower, shifting and looking frantically back in the direction from which they came. One dives to the ground behind a tree. Another starts rummaging through equipment and pleading quickly with his companion.

These three men look horrified. They are not even speaking. It is like their mind and speech is totally captured. Despite their friends asking what is going on, trying to get information, they are just looking frantically out into the forest.

The other Armsmen have now taken notice of the frightened men. They look angry and a bit confused. Ivor and Thorn watch as two armsmen grab there shields and stride over to the cowering men. The armsmen seem to be questioning the men and getting frustrated why they are not answering. Some of the other armsmen begin to look outward, back towards the hill where their fellows disappeared with the wood gatherers earlier. These soldiers are clearly getting on higher alert.

One Armsman further at their central camp, shouts out and sends some words in to the two armsmen who are attending to the accused robber with Kray and Bryn nearby. These two troops, including Ron Oram, talk across at their fellows and begin walking away from the egg thief, now inquisitive to know what is happening with returning wood gatherers.

Then Thorn and Ivor see it first. One of the armsmen is on the ground, another runs to his side, holding up a shield and drawing his sword. His eyes are scanning the wood line.

Now they can see: an arrow is sticking out of the grounded armsman's neck. He clutches neck trying to hold back the blood pouring out. His friend trying to help him yells out in a heavy voice...

Ron Oram leaps into action, throwing his own shield up high in defense, moving to cover of a nearby tree and yelling commands.

Another arrow thuds into a different armsmen who was moving to cover. He is hit in the torso, under the arm, and yells out...

The camp erupts into chaos as everyone dives for cover.

The edge of darkness has begun to set in now and it is getting darker every moment at this last transition from daylight to night. It is getting very difficult to see at greater distances into the trees.

Two men have been shot. At first glance, no sign of an archer. No sign of troops in the woods.

There are about 8 armsmen overall, now two of them are down.

Either 3 or 4 departed with the wood gatherers between 30 and 60 minutes ago. When they left, they were going in a southeastern direction, up a hill littered here and there with the ruined stairways and broken platforms. None of the Armsmen are seen now.

3 wood gatherers returned as described above. The other 13 are nowhere to be found.

Off in the distance, a scream is heard. Complete pain and terror.

The shrieks go up and down several times in anguish, and then stop.

Then another yell, perhaps a different person. And then silence again.

Distance unknown, but it is obviously close enough for a voice to carry.

Direction is from the southeast, direction towards which the wood gathering party marched earlier.

A commotion sets in over the whole camp as all travelers take cover. Over the next few moments about a half dozen more arrows sail into the camp. In the end, two arrows slam into the shields of two armsmen, but 3 or 4 other shafts find their marks, hitting travelers who do not have sufficient cover. Their shrieks and continued cries after their injuries further unnerve the crowd.

After the series of shots though, two Armsman are directed into the woods. They sprint forward with shields and spears up, disappearing out of view to the south. Apparently the archer was seen or at least a position spotted.

Ron Oram now seems to be directing the Armsmen, shouting out commands and communicating from one group of Armsmen to another while they are separated around the camp.

Another scream carries through the woods, coming from the southeast hill.

Bryn translates:

Oram: "I come here to make a request to Lord Mercon. I have few men, and all I must command to remain here to guard the camp. There is a lone archer in the south thicket. Likely a distraction. Yet my comrades and the laborers are in grave danger on the southeast ridge. I go to help them, alone if I must. I know you and the men are veteran warriors. I ask if you would support me on your own free volition. I cannot promise payment or safety, yet I ask it still. I wish to save who I can. I fear they face a dark foe in the forest."

We should keep it loose as we approach the enemy, but stay within ten feet of one another, moving in a circle formation for a good 360 degree front. We do not know 100% where they're going to be coming from.

The thief who was spared the lash raises his eyes to look at Bryn during the translation and then shifts his gaze to Kray. He has a look of confusion and thought in his eyes. When Kray cuts his bonds, he pulls his shirt back over his tunic back over his shoulders. Still a bit flatfooted perhaps by the surprise of the proposition he says, "I am no warrior." He trails off softly, perhaps speaking as much to himself as to Bryn.

Indecision and thought delay him for a brief moment more, but then he looks through the crowd. He identifies one of his kinsmen nearby in the crowd and approaches. "Issi, lend me your club and knife." A short interchange ensues, but the other man gives away a cudgel and a bronze knife rather quickly after being compelled. The thief tucks the knife with a leather holster into his belt and holds the polished hardwood club at his side.

He turns to Kray and speaks to Bryn. "I will follow. I do not wish to be punished."

The light is at that transition moment between day and night. It is darkening, but you can still see movement and shapes, though finer detail and clarity is lacking and further distances give greater difficulty.

Probably best to go with torches in carry but not yet lit. Lighting a torch now would probably be counter productive, at least for the next 10-20 minutes as it would completely blow out your adjusted vision and actually limit it closer to the range of the torchlight. You can see this effect as you get away from the campfires and into the unlit terrain, your vision stabilizes and you have some decent clarity. Not great, but not yet obscurity.

The other environment feature is the fog. It is hanging here and there among the trees and definitely is thicker on the southeaster ridge with the stairs. It is a further vision limiter, but again overall sight is not yet crippled or dependent on firelight.

Amit and Gibon stay back at the camp...The others quickly grab equipment and follow east on the trail a short ways and then turn south east, climbing up the slant of the hill. The easiest path up is the old ruined stairs, the same stairs on which Thorn saw the one cloaked figure first that seemed to disappear from view and then another figure dashing up the stairs.

They set a circular formation, watching in all directions, keeping a moderate pace that still allows for observation as possible.

Another blow from the horn of Ron Oram sounds out, coming from higher up the hill, within the area not yet visible through the fog and falling darkness.

Off in the distance up the hill, sounds in the fog, soft near an edge of sound perception:

dogs growling and snarling
weapons clinging
men yelling out in injury (though not a large group, 1 or 2 voices maybe)
a horse whinnying in fear

the horn of Ron Oram, sounding out over the other noise at highest volume and clarity

A flash of light from within the fog, in the direction of the sound.

Kray sees it high on the ridge, and then it is gone. A red pulse of a glow.