The Logs of the TDFS Tindome

Chapter 7: Our First Battle (Part 2)

Eïr sneaks determinedly toward the slave-quarters. Eric is running diagonally across towards the slave-quarters as well, when he spots a wagon. He dives under it for cover – as another fence rail slams into the ground where he had been. It skitters on past, just missing an orc. There's a "boing, boing" and there's a crossbow bolt right next to his head. There's undoubtedly another one sticking out of the wagon somewhere.

The orc hurls his hammer at Bay, but misses and bellows in rage. One of the heavy crossbows finds its target: Mandorak, who collapses. Captain Finwë returns fire, and hits one of the smaller orcs firing the crossbows, but doesn't kill him. Bay's orc is now headed right at him, so the elfin creature re-stabs him. He falls down.

Eïr slips onto the porch of the slave-quarters. The orc, laying prone there, makes no move. She heads for the door. Her cloak briefly tugs at her throat. She looks around, but sees nothing, and decides that the someone has slipped back under the porch. She makes it to the door, and lifts the heavy latch. She hears muted, orcish voices inside the room, and hesitates.

Eric darts out from under the wagon, only to encounter there smallish orcs cocking their crossbows. He hurls a paper dart into one of the orcs. Its sleep spell triggers, and the orc collapses, releasing his crossbow. The bolt brushes the ear of the lead orc, who, startled, fires his crossbow into the air.

Finwë shoots another orc, who falls down. Another orc fires back at him, missing by a hair. A long, perfectly-groomed, raven black hair. Teller continues to dodge among the barrels, pursued by a clumsy orc. Bay picks up the thrown hammer, and heads off to do some damage with it.

Eïr definitely decides against entering the barracks. Instead, she flattens herself against the wall, trying (and failing) to be invisible, waiting for an orc to emerge. Eric, facing a cocked crossbow, tries to duck, but is still winged. He manages to get off another paper dart, and the orc wavers as he is just nicked. The captain is also shot, in the arm.

Suddenly, the peak of the roof of the main building explodes in a shower of splinters. Apparently, the giant crossbow has misfired. Eïr tweaks the door open a fraction, and long, angry orcish sounds emerge again. She calls out, "Jakar Toka!" A lighter, non-orcish voice calls incomprehensibly back at her.

The leader of the three orcs is cocking his crossbow again. Eric tries to incapacitate him with one of the paper darts, but misses. Before he can fire, Bay uses TK to drive his new-found hammer into the orc. The monster falls down, firing his crossbow and missing Eric by a foot. The passing hammer startles the other orc, who wildly releases his crossbow, again. The bolt hits the wagon. Finally, the door of the slave barracks is opened, and a giant orc head peers out.

Captain Finwë shoots one orc, who collapses. The other one flees. Bay moves towards the orc he clobbered, where he saw a bolt flash by, around the corner of the building. He hides behind the upturned wagon. The orc in the doorway has seen him. He is then distracted by a crossbow bolt hitting the doorframe above his head.

Finwë shoots his fourth orc. Eric hits his remaining orc with a dart; the orc sinks into unconsciousness. Eïr swings her mace at the giant orc head, and fails to connect. Bay TKs the hammer up, and at the orc head. He misses, and (due to skillful dodging) fails to hit Eïr.

Eric catches him on the chin with a dart, and down he goes, shaking the porch.

All the immediate orcs are down or gone. Finwë heads for the injured Mandorak.