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Durelin · 08-21-2003, 07:17 AM

Nerindel's post

Zasfal had woken early, before even the sun had risen above the horizon. He was restless so he strapped on his weapons and picked up his bow and went to take a walk in the cool breezes before the sun rose. But before he had reached the flap of his tent, Ghurdan barged in the three other archers in tow. "You will leave at once and take up positions to the east and west of the infidels camp" Ghurdan ordered, not giving the young man a chance to protest the intrusion. "But there is only four of us" he said recovering from the initial shock of the request and not liking the odds if they were discovered. "do not fret my friend you are to take the teenage girl Najah and any she deems skilled in archery.
Ghurdan then drew a small layout of the camp from his previous scouting mission and pointed out the rocky outcroppings and how to get to them unseen, "You will take the east side and set light to the camp, hopefully that will be enough to spook their horses and disorient their riders enough for our charge, but if not then we have Najah and her archers fire volley after volley in their midst. the five of them laughed wickedly as they thought about the chaos and carnage they would inflicted upon their enemies.

Once Ghurdan had left, the Four archers went to Find the girl named Najah. As Zasfal approached the young ones camp he came face to face with Jasara "Can I help you!" she said staring at him suspiciously, "Yes the one named Najah is to come with us, she is also asked to bring those archers she deems ready for battle!" he answered evenly, looking about the youngsters to see which she was.

"Najah!" Jasara called without removing her gaze from the four archers before her. "Yes, Jasara" one of the youngsters answered, Zasfal watched as the girl no older than seventeen years walk confidently up to Jasara's side and waited patiently to be spoken to.

"Gather together the best archers we have!" Najah nodded then hurried off to gather those she deemed among their best. Time passed slowly as they waited for Najah's return, Jasara just stood staring at them, no not staring at them but through them! Zasfal shivered at the thought, bringing a slight satisfactory smile to the young girls lips, he returned her smile with a deep scowl. Just then Najah returned with fifteen archers most of them Zasfal was pleased to note looked over their fourtenth year. "we leave at once!" he told them nodding approvingly at the young archers before him. "And just where are we going?" Najah asked, "I will explain while we march, but the battle begins with us!" he grinned evilly. Najah matched his grin then they all set out together.

As they marched Zasfal explained, to Najah what was required of her and her archers. "My group will take the east ridge and await the arrival of our main forces, before the charge we will fire our arrows into the camp and among the horsemen starting fires, " "in the hope to spook the horses" she grinned finishing his sentence, "But I must warn you that the horses of the painted sands do not spook easily" she went on. Zasfal grinned, nodding as though anticipating her words and said "That is were you and your group come in, while their archers try to locate us, you will fire volleys from the west ridge taking down as many of their horses as you can, with their riders horse-less our army will have the advantage." there was a wicked gleam in her eyes as she perceived her role in the upcoming battle.

Before they reach the outer limits of the Tribes scouting parties they split up, Zasfal taking five of Najah's archers with him and one last time making sure that Najah knew what was expected of her. Then He and the other three archers from the Fire Spray along with five smaller figures silently climbed into the rocky ridge they had not gone far when the heard a soft growling, and the pad, pad of feet, "Shh!" Zasfal said raising his hand to halt the men, they listened intently, "Dogs???" one whispered uncertainly, "Three!" another said his ear pressed against the cool ground. Zasfal raised his index finger in the air to feel the direction of the breeze it was coming from, behind them! he thought. "Get ready!" He yelled but his words were lost to the loud barking and snarling of the Large dogs as they came Charging round the corner.

Zasfal was knocked to the ground by the first dog, he rolled on the ground trying to wrestling the great beast off, dodging his head to stop it's huge jaws from ripping off his face. After a few minutes struggle he managed to tuck his legs under the mutts underbelly and kick out sending it flying, he heard a crack as it impacted with the rocky wall. He slowly stood up breathing deeply, Sweat dripping from the ends of his hair and down the ridge of his nose. "It must have broke it's ribs" he sighed. But as he drew his sword to finish it off, he heard a snarl he looked up just in time to see its huge jaws coming towards his throat, he quickly banked right and raised his curved sword. The blade slide right through the dogs under belly, but not before it had clamped it's huge jaws around his left shoulder. He fell to the ground under the weight of the dead beast.

After a few seconds struggle he managed to heave the beasts corpse off, as he got up he saw two of the youngsters finish off another of the dogs, as he turned he saw that one of his men had not fared so well, Zasfal almost bulked as he saw the beast rip out the mans throat, the dog turn, blood dripping from it's maws, it growled at him then seeing it's dead companions it turned to flee. "We can't let it get away!" Ghurdan cried lifting his bow and taking aim, The others must have done the same, as a barage of arrows struck the beast, it gave a loud howl then fell, never to tend its herds again.

"Quickly!" Zasfal called to the other's "we have been waylaid far too long." They reached the high outcropping just in time to see the Tribes men fall back, now one archer short they began their attack. Zasfal Quickly lit the torch they carried and stuck it in the ground. Together they soaked their specially prepared arrows and fired into the camp setting the line of folded canvas tents alight, with their second volley they fired at the archers, who now rose from their hiding place and fired on them as predicted. Zasfal grinned as he heard the whistling of arrows from the youngsters on the opposite ridge and Ghurdan's cry as he signalled the Charge.

[ August 22, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]

08-21-2003, 07:17 AM	#158
Durelin Estelo dagnir, Melo ring Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 3,063	Nerindel's post Zasfal had woken early, before even the sun had risen above the horizon. He was restless so he strapped on his weapons and picked up his bow and went to take a walk in the cool breezes before the sun rose. But before he had reached the flap of his tent, Ghurdan barged in the three other archers in tow. "You will leave at once and take up positions to the east and west of the infidels camp" Ghurdan ordered, not giving the young man a chance to protest the intrusion. "But there is only four of us" he said recovering from the initial shock of the request and not liking the odds if they were discovered. "do not fret my friend you are to take the teenage girl Najah and any she deems skilled in archery. Ghurdan then drew a small layout of the camp from his previous scouting mission and pointed out the rocky outcroppings and how to get to them unseen, "You will take the east side and set light to the camp, hopefully that will be enough to spook their horses and disorient their riders enough for our charge, but if not then we have Najah and her archers fire volley after volley in their midst. the five of them laughed wickedly as they thought about the chaos and carnage they would inflicted upon their enemies. Once Ghurdan had left, the Four archers went to Find the girl named Najah. As Zasfal approached the young ones camp he came face to face with Jasara "Can I help you!" she said staring at him suspiciously, "Yes the one named Najah is to come with us, she is also asked to bring those archers she deems ready for battle!" he answered evenly, looking about the youngsters to see which she was. "Najah!" Jasara called without removing her gaze from the four archers before her. "Yes, Jasara" one of the youngsters answered, Zasfal watched as the girl no older than seventeen years walk confidently up to Jasara's side and waited patiently to be spoken to. "Gather together the best archers we have!" Najah nodded then hurried off to gather those she deemed among their best. Time passed slowly as they waited for Najah's return, Jasara just stood staring at them, no not staring at them but through them! Zasfal shivered at the thought, bringing a slight satisfactory smile to the young girls lips, he returned her smile with a deep scowl. Just then Najah returned with fifteen archers most of them Zasfal was pleased to note looked over their fourtenth year. "we leave at once!" he told them nodding approvingly at the young archers before him. "And just where are we going?" Najah asked, "I will explain while we march, but the battle begins with us!" he grinned evilly. Najah matched his grin then they all set out together. As they marched Zasfal explained, to Najah what was required of her and her archers. "My group will take the east ridge and await the arrival of our main forces, before the charge we will fire our arrows into the camp and among the horsemen starting fires, " "in the hope to spook the horses" she grinned finishing his sentence, "But I must warn you that the horses of the painted sands do not spook easily" she went on. Zasfal grinned, nodding as though anticipating her words and said "That is were you and your group come in, while their archers try to locate us, you will fire volleys from the west ridge taking down as many of their horses as you can, with their riders horse-less our army will have the advantage." there was a wicked gleam in her eyes as she perceived her role in the upcoming battle. Before they reach the outer limits of the Tribes scouting parties they split up, Zasfal taking five of Najah's archers with him and one last time making sure that Najah knew what was expected of her. Then He and the other three archers from the Fire Spray along with five smaller figures silently climbed into the rocky ridge they had not gone far when the heard a soft growling, and the pad, pad of feet, "Shh!" Zasfal said raising his hand to halt the men, they listened intently, "Dogs???" one whispered uncertainly, "Three!" another said his ear pressed against the cool ground. Zasfal raised his index finger in the air to feel the direction of the breeze it was coming from, behind them! he thought. "Get ready!" He yelled but his words were lost to the loud barking and snarling of the Large dogs as they came Charging round the corner. Zasfal was knocked to the ground by the first dog, he rolled on the ground trying to wrestling the great beast off, dodging his head to stop it's huge jaws from ripping off his face. After a few minutes struggle he managed to tuck his legs under the mutts underbelly and kick out sending it flying, he heard a crack as it impacted with the rocky wall. He slowly stood up breathing deeply, Sweat dripping from the ends of his hair and down the ridge of his nose. "It must have broke it's ribs" he sighed. But as he drew his sword to finish it off, he heard a snarl he looked up just in time to see its huge jaws coming towards his throat, he quickly banked right and raised his curved sword. The blade slide right through the dogs under belly, but not before it had clamped it's huge jaws around his left shoulder. He fell to the ground under the weight of the dead beast. After a few seconds struggle he managed to heave the beasts corpse off, as he got up he saw two of the youngsters finish off another of the dogs, as he turned he saw that one of his men had not fared so well, Zasfal almost bulked as he saw the beast rip out the mans throat, the dog turn, blood dripping from it's maws, it growled at him then seeing it's dead companions it turned to flee. "We can't let it get away!" Ghurdan cried lifting his bow and taking aim, The others must have done the same, as a barage of arrows struck the beast, it gave a loud howl then fell, never to tend its herds again. "Quickly!" Zasfal called to the other's "we have been waylaid far too long." They reached the high outcropping just in time to see the Tribes men fall back, now one archer short they began their attack. Zasfal Quickly lit the torch they carried and stuck it in the ground. Together they soaked their specially prepared arrows and fired into the camp setting the line of folded canvas tents alight, with their second volley they fired at the archers, who now rose from their hiding place and fired on them as predicted. Zasfal grinned as he heard the whistling of arrows from the youngsters on the opposite ridge and Ghurdan's cry as he signalled the Charge. [ August 22, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]