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| Details |
| Author: | inkie |
| Summary: | Blue Squad, now allowed to acknowledge that they are Alliance (to Oranna's relief) return to the aid of the Wildhammer dwarves. Not all of the Wildhammer dwarves think they need aiding. Some think maybe someone should have aided them a little sooner. Bran takes notes. Oranna fashes. No one adopts a baby gryphon, though Shine might sneak back for it later. |
| Rating: | T for Teen |
Bran salutes Atley with respect.
Atley stands on the stairs leading into the Highbank keep. He spots Brann and turns, cracking off a salute.
Iphindra joins the group. "H-hello, Blue Squad!" She saluts Dane.
Atley turns to Iphindra and grunts with a salute.
"Lo there Blossom!" says Bran cheerfully, his eyes almost disappearing as he smiles.
Oranna waves hello to everyone as she jogs to the group from inside the keep. She looks like she's been awake for hours.
Atley looks to Oranna. "Wot've you been up to?"
Iphindra breaks the circle and goes to stand on the other side of Bran and Dane. Sunlight!
"Not much, jus' a lot talkin' today," Oranna says cheerfully. "It's been good catchin' up."
"Wh-who were you catching up with?" Iphindra asks, smiling.
"Ah, jus' friends an' folk from when I was livin' in the Hinterlands. A lot of them are up here," Oranna answers.
"Good, good!" says Bran, nodding approvingly.
Shine approaches from the direction of the smithy and trade tents, unhurried.
"I didn't know you liv-lived in the Hinterlands!" Iphindra says excitedly. She knows very little about Oranna or the HInterlands.
Atley grunts and nods before he turns to peer at Shine.
Shine nods to Atley. "Sir. Have a word for ye."
Atley upnods. "Wot's it?"
Bran peers at Shine curiously.
Iphindra looks at Shine with curiosity too. She wants to hear the word of the day.
Shine turns his head and nods toward the west. "Doing work out by Firebeard's yesterday. He said for ye to bring the team by."
Atley grunts. "Better that than waiting 'round here for the greenskins. Let's fly."
Bran rubs his hands together eagerly.
"Oh!" The word of the day wasn't as exciting to Iphindra as she thought it was going to be.
Bronzebird swoops down to collect Bran at his signal. The bird seems to have recovered somewhat from his Deepholm trauma.
Atley dismounts and marches up to Keegan FIrebeard. He bows. "Heard there's work that needs doing."
Shine nods to Keegan Firebeard and looks at Atley.
Oranna waves hullo to Keegan, as she resettles after the flight. Not her favorite thing ever, flying.
Iphindra bows to Keegan.
Bran gives a friendly wave.
Keegan Firebeard waves away Mackay to take them in. "Ah! There ye are. Thordun Hammerblow stopped by on his way home from Highbank. He was speaking well of Kurdran and the Alliance!"
Keegan smirks. "And he confirmed that you are Alliance as well."
Iphindra looks at Dane. Can they talk about it now?
"O' course!" says Bran. "Ye didna ken?"
Bran acts super casual about it all.
Oh, sounds like they can.
Atley nods at Iphindra.
Shine glances up at his circling gryphon in its blue-and-gold barding.
Oranna tries to look innocent. Ha ha whaaaat? Did they not say? She glances around obviously. "Well, I guess I can slow down on the oranges and apples now. Not soon enough ta no' give people the impression I have some sort o' condition but…"
Keegan waves a hand, "Ach, well, best ye didn't lead with tha'. Either way, with people like you on our side, the rest a'tha Wildhammers just may come around."
"W-We hope so!" Iphindra nods.
"We're happy ta help regardless!" Bran says, beaming amiably.
Keegan Firebeard. "If ye'd like 'ta keep up the fight here, you're gonna' need 'ta speak with the Dunwalds. Their homes've been destroyed, but thas' not a enough 'ta keep them down. I'm sure they're still aboot'."
Atley asks, "Where can we find them?"
"Ach," says Bran. "Pewr bastards."
Keegan Firebeard gestures to the southeast. "There aways. Near that monstrosity on our horizon," he scowls.
Atley grunts and mounts back up.
Shine turns to look at the monstrosity on the horizon. He makes a hand signal and his gryphon plummets toward him.
Atley squints at the ground as they fly over burnt out Wildhammer residences.
"Black dragons," Shine observes sharply.
"Ettins, too," Atley glares. "We land here and look about."
Oranna nods as she lands.
"OCCCH!" Bran opines.
Iphindra jumps to the ground from her gryphon friend as it hovers midair.
"This village looks sacked. Seek out survivors." Dane says.
Shine watches the sky warily.
"An ambush," Oranna mutters. "Aye, I'll look."
They find a dwarf woman's body. It is severely battered. The Twilight's Hammer must take pleasure in dealing out pain.
Bran immediately checks the prone woman.
"There's someone over here!" Oranna shouts as she approaches a downed man.
"Brannagen, do wot' you can." Dane says.
Bran attempts healing, then resurrection. But they appear long gone.
Shine glances down at the dwarven corpse and turns to watch the group's back.
Oranna shakes her head. "Lots of signs of struggle."
Iphindra places a hand on the ground near the woman's body and grows a beautiful flower by her side.
"Banners over there," Shine observes. "Intact."
Atley looks to Shine, and then the banners.
"There's still a fire goin' in here," Oranna observes. "Couldn't be entirely abandoned."
"Doon here, maybe survivors?" Bran says hopefully.
Atley calls down the stairs. "Hullo'! The Alliance has arrived."
"Brann, you lead." Dane says.
Shine checks the empty bedroom and then follows the others toward the cellar.
"Ach, thank the Light an' other thengs," says Bran as he spots living dwarves.
"I see someone!" Iphindra says as everyone begins to see someone.
"Afternoon," Dane says. "We've come to help."
Bran bows to them both.
Keely Dunwald turns and frowns with faint confusion. "If it's Dunwalds you be lookin' for, it's Dunwalds you've found. A couple of'm anyway. I can't find me brothers for the life of me."
Oranna keeps a sharp, sniper awareness eye on their exit, after a look of relief of at least some survivors.
Atley grunts. "I'm surprised to find any survivors."
"I'm… I'm sorry," Oranna says to Keely. "I know that's hard."
Keely Dunwald nods at Oranna. "The Dunwald family is built tough, but they let it go to their heads. I worry that me brothers put their reputation to the test a wee bit too often."
"We c-can take a look to see if we find them!" Iphindra offers.
Dane grunts. "We can help find them."
Iphindra smiles at Dane.
Oranna's expression gives away her thought that they can probably find them…but that might be because they've stopped moving.
"I'm a healer, so if they've run inta any trouble I'll patch 'em up," Bran says optimistically, despite having found at least two unresurrectable Dunwalds already.
Shine does not mention any unresurrectable dwarves they may or may not have found. If anyone asks, he was watching for dragons.
Keely grins. "So you be lookin' to find us, and I be lookin' to find me brothers. It sounds to me like we got some common ground in there abouts. Donnelly's our eldest, and while his size shows it, his wits might not. He's usually up in the northern ruins, in the hovel. Do ya think you might for lookin' for him for me, truly? It'd be a right comfort if I knew he were safe."
Dane grunts and nods.
"Nae bother at all," Bran says warmly.
Oranna bites her lip and watches the stairs to avoid saying anything.
Keely says, "Eoin's one of the twins. He's got a penchant for the drink. You'll likely be findin' him over by the old well — the ale stores were in a building there. Mind making him pay his worrying sister a visit? Shouldn't take much convincin' if you can get to the ale first."
Keely wrings her hands together. "And Cayden's the other twin. He's got a thirst too, but not for ale. I'm sure he's been havin' a grand time of it since the Twilight came to our doorstep. Gettin' some of that aggression out of his system mayhaps."
"We will look for the sounds of b-battle!" Iphindra nods.
"Sounds like me own brother," Bran says sympathetically. "An' sister."
Keely adds, "I'm thinkin' the best place to go lookin for him as at market row, by the old smithy. He used ta hang out there anyway, but since the place is swarmin' with the most Twilight, he's probably got all the more reason to be callin' it home, now."
Oranna just looks even more worried at the last. A guy with a thirst for blood up against a bunch of ambushers and dragons. What could possibly have gone wrong?
Shine knows a guy like that.
Keely smiles faintly. "Bring'm back for me. In one piece would be nice."
Dane grunts at Keely again.
"I'll patch 'em up good fer ye," Bran says confidently.
Shine looks down at the back of Bran's hood. He might be admiring Bran's confidence.
"Aye, we'll… get them back into one pieces an' no pieces if they're still up an' …piece," Oranna tries.
Bran gently pats Oranna.
Maybe she should stick to just guarding the door.
Iphindra smiles at Oranna. It's okay.
Flynn Dunwald looks up at them. "I have to give these Twilight a wee bit of credit… what they lack in skill, they make up for in numbers and tenacity. They got a few good licks in during our last bout."
Dane turns to regard Flynn.
Flynn says, "I'm sure Keely's got you all worrying about our brothers, but they can take care of themselves. They'll find their way back here one way or another."
"Shore," Oranna says with zero confidence.
Shine looks down at Flynn. He might be admiring Flynn's confidence.
"We'll haul 'em back by whatever they can be hauled by," Bran assures him.
Flynn snaps his fingers. "Maybe you can do me a favor while you're out meeting the family… Dunwald territory is still infested with Twilight's Hammer and their servants. I'd appreciate it if you could remind them that they're not welcome."
"We've plenty of experience 'discouragin' Twilights, dinna fash," Bran says.
What, do the thing that might have killed all the other Dunwalds? No problem. Maybe. Possibly some problem.
"We'll keep our feet on the ground," Oranna suggests.
Flynn says, "Be wary of taking to the sky above these ruins, Alliance. The black drakes have a taste for things that fly."
Dane looks between the Dunwalds. "Anything else?"
Flynn nods. "The Twilight's Hammer were damn thorough when they sacked our town. Me and me brothers may well be the only ones that held'm back. I gotta' be sure though."
Bran nods.
Flynn adds, "As you're siftin' through the ruins, keep an out for the bodies of me kinsmen. I wanna know if dere were any surviviors… or if it seems like some might've gotten away."
Bran nods soberly, and does not mention that he has already kept an eye out for two dead bodies already.
Oranna looks uneasy, like she's expecting to find nothing but dead bodies all the way down.
Atley draws Thunderfury and his shield. "We stay low. Away from the dragons' eyes."
As soon as they step outside, they're assaulted by more scavenger orcs, and Oranna fires a shot immediately.
"Bring these fackers down," Atley growls.
Shine appears behind an orc charging at Bran and cuts its throat neatly.
"Nice!" says Bran to Shine as though he'd just done a back flip on a tightrope at a circus, rather than, you know, saving Bran's life.
Dane eyes the Black Drake.
Iphindra hides behind a tree on a rooftop.
Shine fades out of sight again as the black drake passes overhead.
"There's more people tha' way," Oranna says after the dragon passes along. "No' sure if friend or foe."
A dwarf yells in the distance, "Beak! No more hiding. Come out right now!"
"Sounds like a friend," Oranna says.
"Sounds l-like they need help!" Iphindra says.
Atley faintly lifts a brow.
Bran readies his Helping Stick. Just in case.
As they come upon the ruined Dunwald Hovels, the dwarf continues yelling. "Beak! Come back to Donnelly. Donnelly keep you safe! Come back, Beak! Don't get hurt!"
"I see a man," Oranna says, pointing towards the dwarf, as she zooms in scope.
"Guessing that's Donnelly," Shine says dryly.
"Given his penchant for referrin ta himself in the third person," Bran agrees.
"Oi!" Dane greets.
"Ettin!" warns Shine.
Oranna responds to the ettin with a shot to the face. Helpful.
Iphindra unleashes the power of the MOON onto that ettin.
Shine steps out from behind the ettin corpse to regard Donnelly mildly.
"Donnelly Dunwald?" Bran says. "Ye all righ'?"
Donnelly Dunwald, a burly shirtless dwarf, turns to face them. He does not seem to have noticed the ettin. "Hi, friends! I don't think I know you… I'm Donnelly Dunwald. What are your names? I don't think I know… Do I know you?"
"Bran Stillwall," says Bran.
"I'm Oranna, Oranna Stormbreaker," Oranna says.
"Dane Atley. We're with the Alliance. Keely sent us to look after you," Dane explains.
Oranna seems nervous about the general location's setup for mayhem, but relieved that at least one (1) brother is alive. She watches the roads.
Donnelly says, "I lost me gryphon. Beak! WHERE ARE YOU BEAK?!"
Dane deadpans Donnelly.
Donnelly looks between them. "Wanna help me find him? I know he's in da hovel. He hasta be. Beak?! WHERES ARE YA? I hope he's okay."
Shine eyes the sky warily as the dwarf starts shouting again.
Iphindra immediately tries to help, screaming "B-Beak? BEAK?"
Dane glares and raises a hand. "Stay here and quit carrying on. We'll find it."
Oranna frowns at the fallen tree and the evidence of a struggle. "I'm no' sure yellin' will get ye what ye want, especially if yer Beak's in a fine state o' nerves."
"Yelling will get you ettins," Shine observes blandly.
"R- Right…" Iphindra says. "I thought he'd knew b-best how to attract his gryphon."
"I can track fer beasts, an' see if I can pick up somethin'," Oranna offers.
Dane ventures into one cellar. Someone seems to have taken refuge here after the attack, but there's no sign of a gryphon.
"Should someone stay an' watch that bampot an' make sure he doesn't call down half the Hammer on himself?" Bran asks casually.
Dane shakes his head. "We'll need you if we come across wounded."
Bran nods.
"Bodies," Shine observes grimly.
Dane grunts.
Despite the obvious… age of the bodies, Bran still attempts a resurrection dutifully on each.
"No sign of gryphon, no feathers, no down," Oranna says. "Likely went up, no' down."
"Gryphon in a cellar seems unlikely," Shine agrees with Oranna.
"He said the cellars, we'll search there first. His wits aside," Dane says. "Their connection with gryphons is two-way. I doubt the beast'd have gone far, even wounded."
"Bea-Beak? Beak?" Iphindra repeats, more softly so as to attract gryphons but not ettins.
"Even a witless can know his people well, but in this case… I think up, getting out of the fray, unless he's been hurt," Oranna says.
Dane squints down at what he can see of the next cellar.
They walk into a group of WIldhammers that've been massacred. There's not a lot left to heal.
Bran tries anyway.
Shine makes a faint, thoughtful noise at the smell of the cellar.
It’s a bad smell.
Oranna sniffs loudly. "A lot of blood, no' sure any of it's gryphon, but it's definitely…. people," Oranna says, her face twisting in pain.
After each dwarf that cannot be healed, Iphindra grows a flower near their corpse, hoping to help them find peace.
Dane watches her and gives her a small nod.
"More ettins to the east," Shine notes.
"Cut 'em down," Dane growls.
Shine ambushes ambushers.
Oranna doesn't wait to be ambushed by a troll, firing a shot over Dane's shoulder as soon as she sees one.
Iphindra is still softly calling for Beak. Just in case.
Dane shakes his head with a growl as Donnelly starts yelling in the distance again.
Iphindra watches as a winged beast rushes towards her. She picks it up. She is now protecting a chicken which probably escaped from a coop during the atack.
"Dane!" Oranna calls out as she spots a gryphon.
Dane squints at the gryphon
Oranna shakes her head. "Ach, no, can't be Beak. Tha's no' a tamed one. Not the behavior of it," Oranna says.
Dane grunts. "Keen eye, nonetheless."
Shine nods. No one can see him do it.
Iphindra waves at the untamed Gryphon.
"Look about. Ought to be another cellar entrance here," Dane says.
Moon rains down on the Twilight cultists as Iphindra summons it.
"More gryphons in the distance, but none that look right," Oranna mutters. "No' sure if he'd go fer a flock or… jus…"
"A baby!" Iphindra exclaims.
Dane lifts a brow as a tiny gryphon chick races up to them, squawking.
"Would be odd of a gryphon ta seek shelter undergroond anyhow," Bran murmurs as they once again fail to find Beak.
It was only Bran who failed to find Beak. Not surprising, really, given the size.
Oranna looks down and sighs with relief. "Ah, a wee one. Tha' must be Beak, an' why he'd go underground. He migh' have mentioned."
"Might've indeed," Dane growls. He lowers to offer Beak his armored palm. The gryphon hops into it.
Bran startles, only just now spotting the smol beast.
Shine stares at the tiny creature. He is for sure not making heart eyes at it. For one thing he only has the one.
"Iphindra, carry this back to Donnelly." Dane says.
"A baby one," Shine says to no one in particular. "Never saw the like."
Iphindra nods. She is already carrying a chicken in one hand. "M-maybe Oranna could help? Yo-you seem to know Gryphons!"
Dane doubletakes Iphindra. "Where'd you get that bloody chicken."
"It's a wee gryphon," Bran 'explains' to Dane, not noticing the chicken at all.
Beak lets out an anxious, muted screech.
"I canna carry a gryphon an' the gun," Oranna explains. "An' I doubt he'd be willin' ta ride in a pack. Gryphon babes like their independence."
"As long as it gets to where we're going," Dane says.
Iphindra shakes her head. "A-A little earlier. It came to me wh-while I was calling for Beak!"
Atley growls with amusement and shakes his head. "Light's sake."
Iphindra holds her hands open towards the baby gryphon.
The chicken stares at the baby gryphon. This is her son, now.
Shine is extremely proactive with the ambushing as they head back. No one touches his this baby gryphon.
"Donnelly, we —" Dane gets cut off.
"We found yer wee berd," Bran says.
Donnelly grins. "You found'm! You found Beak! I like you, new friends. I'm gonna' go show Keely. Keely like Beak too."
"A-and we found this chicken!" Iphindra says.
Donnelly Dunwald nods blankly at the chicken.
Dane turns to the others. "We're to look into Eoin. We'll cut across country. Stay sharp and fast."
"T-that wasn't his chicken," Iphindra says, still holding the bird which is now looking for her son.
"Seems to be ours now," Dane says distractedly as he scans for bodies.
Bran happily thumps cultists with his staff in between slinging heals at Atley and the others.
Once again, Oranna elects not to be ambushed by an ettin, firing long shots down the road.
Shine kills an orc lying in wait for the group. Moments later they are charged by another ettin.
"Tol Barad's got ettins. Wild ones. I've never seen so many, and organized," Dane observes.
Shine nods. Again, no one can see him.
"I'd never seen one until now…" says Iphindra.
"Ach, Dane…." Oranna says in distress. "There's so many dead. This place should be bustlin' with people."
Bran lays a hand on Oranna's shoulder briefly.
Dane looks to Oranna with gruff sympathy. "If they cannot be saved, they will be avenged."
Oranna bites her lip as she looks from Bran to Dane, nodding sadly.
"Broken ale wagons ahead," Shine observes.
Past the broken wagons, they come across another Dunwald. Eoin stares at them and groans, "So… thirsty…"
Oranna takes out a skin of water in offer.
Bran points to the well.
Dane looks from Eoin to the well. "Eoin Dunwald? S'a well right there, then."
Eoin snaps. "Water?! Are you daft?! I need some ALE!"
Bran sighs.
Dane eyes him mildly.
"W what?" Iphindra blinks.
"That isna what 'thersty' means, but go on, ye gowk,” says Bran.
"You n-need water for hydration!" Iphindra objects
Eoin says, "Of all the buildings in all the towns to collapse, why'd it have to be this one? They've gone too far! Some Twilight are goin' to be dyin' this day!"
Shine agrees with that very last part, anyway.
Oranna sighs heavily. "I suppose wha' motivates a body is good enough fer helpin'," Oranna mutters.
Eoin waves his hands at them. "Look. Either you're all here ta help me find some drink, or you're in tha' way. Why don't ya go down to the old storehouse and look downstairs. I had a mighty suspicion that ol' bookkeeper up in there was sneaking sips between pages. I bet he has a keg in his basement! If ya find anything, come straight back to me! No dallyin'… this is urgent."
Dane grunts. "Very well."
Oranna looks like she disagrees with the mission, but here she goes. "We still might find other surivors, if it was a public buildin'."
"Y-yes!" Iphindra nods. "We need to check all buildings!"
"Passed that storehouse on the way in, I warrant," Atley growls.
Dane grunts as they pass a sign that says, "Wildhammer Ale Inside. Private Stash."
Shine narrows his eye at the sign.
Bran does not notice the sign.
A second sign inside the building directs them to a secret stash of ale in the cellar. It is signed, "Not the bad guys."
Oranna squints with suspicion. "Why do I feel like tha' sign is lying ta me?" she says.
Iphindra doesn't read the signs. She doesn't need them! She's checking the building for survivors, not for signs!
"'Not the bad guys?' More like no' the subtle guys," Oranna mutters.
Dane just looks to his squad. Looks. He slowly draws Thunderfury and his shield.
Shine is already invisible.
"I don't know what's worse, them tryin' it this way, or tha' it seems ta have worked a few times…." Oranna says
Surprise! The bad guys made the sign.
They venture into the cellar to find to no one's surprise an ambush of cutthroat Twilights waiting for them.
Cobalt Company also has an ambush cutthroat. (It’s Shine.)
Bran Fades the moment the ambush starts, but then starts bonking guys.
Iphindra protects the chicken like her life depends on it.
One more Twilight charges them before Eoin intercepts. "Keep your hands off me ale, ya unclean pint-hatin' mongrels!"
Shine stops ambushing ambushers to stare at Eoin. Where did that guy come from?
Eoin chases the Twilight Shadeprowler out and kills them. "An' where you think you're goin, sonny?!"
"I must admire the man's skills if nae his priorities," Bran murmurs.
Shine is also, NGL, kind of impressed with Eoin.
Atley marches up stairs, a keg under one arm.
Eoin stares at him. "You stink of sober! Find me some drink!"
Dane grunts and waggles the keg, unimpressed with Eoin.
Eoin says, "Donnelly's belly! That's more like it. Good to not be dyin' of the thirst again. Here, have a sip!"
Oranna does, in fact, stink of someone about 30 years fully sober. "No, thank ye, I've… water. An' I drink water. Fer… my health an' also I jus' drink water," she explains awkwardly.
"Y-you should drink water too sometimes, you know?" Iphindra says. "Once a day, at le-least!"
Dane actually does lean forward to take a sip from the keg. Just one. He grunts.
Eoin perks up. "Hey. Seeing as how you're all so friendly and all, think ye' can do a favor in 'yer time here? There are Dunwald ruins… there's SURE to be more stock in some of these buildings. If you come upon more ale, bring it my way, will 'ya? A good dwarf can never have enough! I'm thinkin' I'll find my way back to Keely. Bring it ta me there."
"Is now really the time ta get blootered?" Bran says to Eoin, frowning.
Dane just shakes his head at the arguing and lightly licks his lips. "Let's move. We've got Cayden to see to."
"Aye, priorities do be," Oranna says.
"Always did have a mind to try proper Wildhammer draught…" Atley mutters.
"Two o- of them were fine!" Iphindra smiles. "I have faith for the l-last one!"
Oranna doesn't look convinced. If anything, she looks even more worried and like maybe they just jinxed it.
Iphindra never jinxes anything. She's a blessing. The gift that keeps on giving. And today, she is holding a chicken.
"They seem a hardy lot," Bran says.
Dane grunts.
"Ef eejits," Bran adds.
Shine smiles faintly. No one can see it.
"Lot's of tracks around," Oranna observes as she watches the ground around them. "Most of them coming from tha' way," she says as she points in some cardinal direction.
"Too quiet here. Stay sharp," Atley says.
Oranna moves as quietly as she can. Befound moves 1000x more quietly.
Bran Fades.
"Wildhammer ahead," Dane says quietly.
Shine emerges from the shadows to regard the dwarf standing in the road with several Twilight cultist corpses at his feet.
"Ah," Oranna says with relief.
Atley appraises the fierce looking warrior.
"Ye all righ' there?" asks Bran.
Cayden waggles his axe at them. "If Keely sent 'ya to be ropin' me back in, ya can just forget it. There's Twilight that need bashin'."
Bran sighs.
Oranna looks at the already bashed Twilight all around this guy.
"It's like I never left home," Bran mutters.
"We can h-help with that!" Iphindra smiles.
"We've… bashed a number of them," Shine offers.
Bran shows his bashing stick.
Oranna is less bashing and more firing holes through, but that's semantics. Emotionally she's bashing.
Shine, too, has bashed nothing. It's a figure of speech.
Cayden Dunwald appraises them, now. "Well look at ya, all geared and fancy. Keely send you to keep an eye on old Cayden, eh? Won't be needin' it. I got these louts handled…"
"Yer bums oot the windae," Bran says. "Dinna try ta take on a whole cult all by yerself!"
Shine glances at Bran. Perhaps it is further admiration.
Cayden starts laughin. "Hahah! They chose the wrong dwarf to be ambushin' TODAY! Ahahahahah!"
Oranna looks around uneasily as the laughter rings out.
Dane scoffs with amusement. "We're here to fight with you."
"Fash an' bash more like," Oranna mutters.
Cayden Dunwald waves his axe. "Fine, fine. You want a piece of the action? You can join in. They're waitin' 'ta ambush me."
Iphindra chuckles. "N-not good at ambushing, then!"
Cayden grins at Iphindra. "I've walked through it four times. They're not fast learners."
Bran cackles.
Shine blinks.
Oranna might be thinking that this guy is also maybe not a fast learner going through the same thing four times.
"Thes'll be fun," Bran prophesies.
"Right…" Dane looks to his comrades. "Well, let's get to it, then."
"Why no' jus'… ambush them if ye know where they'll be….tryin' ta set up ta ambush the…. Right." Oranna nods doubtfully.
Cayden says. "That's tha spirit!"
"'Ranna, clear the rooftops!" Dane says.
Oranna fires long shots back at the snipers.
Unfortunately for the Twilights, they brought bows to a gun fight.
"Come'n get it!" Cayden roars.
Iphindra summons the nearby TREES to help them as treants.
Bran is startled by the woods marching to Dunwald Market Row.
Cayden thoughtully baps an ent with the side of his axe.
As more and more Twilights attack, Cayden yells: "That all ya got?! Cayden's got an axe with your name on it!"
Shine stabs an ambusher and then turns to fling a knife neatly at another one.
"Pretty good moves ye've got there," Bran admits to Cayden.
Cayden grins and rests the shaft of his axe on his shoulder. "A thing of beauty, isn't it? And they keep comin' back for more. I love it!"
Atley scoffs with amusement and shakes his head.
Oranna does not look like she saw anything beautiful just now. "I'm no' sure I saw anythin' I'd call 'beautiful' jus' now."
Cayden says. "Enough fun. I'll go find Keely and settle her nerves in a bit. Just on more go through the row."
"W-we can go with you!" Iphindra says excitedely. His joy is infectious!
"One more go?" Oranna asks aghast. "Are ye…serious??"
Cayden waves them off. "Ya should find Keely. My axe still thirsts for Twilight blood. Burn my homes and countryside, will they?"
Bran sighs. He casts Renew on the eejit.
Atley nods. "Very well. We'll send word to her that you're alive."
Oranna sighs. "Keely did say," she admits. "I suppose if it's keepin' them busy here, tha' means more hope fer the wounded elsewhere if they're any left ta… be… kept in a piece."
Atley grunts. "Let's get back to Keely, then."
Oranna nods. "Aye. Maybe she'll find it a comfort tha' his spirits unbroken by all the…" She looks around at the general carnage situation.
Dane grunts. "I warrant she will. These people are still fighting."
Though they are no longer in Cayden’s particular favorite ambush, they continue to be ambushed at intervals as they head through the ruined village.
Shine steps back from a troll's corpse. "How are there so many of them?" he asks rhetorically.
Oranna shakes her head. "They must ha' sent an army out this way. It sounds like they'd have needed it ta have… done wha' they did, but…"
Bran, who never met a rhetorical question in his life, launches into a long speech about Twilight Hammer recruitment tactics and cult psychology.
Shine listens to Bran with all polite appearance of attention, and does not turn invisible.
Not turning invisible is all Bran can ask of an audience.
They reach the Dunwalds’ refuge at last, and head down to the cellar, where Keely is now waiting alone.
Dane says, "We made contact with your brothers. They ought to be here soon, if they haven't yet."
"We-we're back!" Iphindra says to Keely. "And we brought a chi-chicken!"
Keely turns to beam at them. "Thank you for bandin' my brothers back together. I know they're tough, but they're even tougher when they're side by side, and there's a lot of Twilight out there." She sets a hand over her chest. "You're good to put a gal's heart at ease.
"They already left to hunt down the ettin that led the attack on Dunwald. I asked them to at least give ya a chance to catch up, but I'm not sure waitin's in their blood." Keely shakes her head. "They made off toward the town square, in the center of the ruins. You should go join'm before 'ya miss out on all the fun."
Bran sighs. Again.
Oranna looks worriedly for the other brother. "Ach… it's like grabbing at slippery soaps, as soon as ye've one in hand…"
Dane grunts and nods at the idea of facing another ettin. "Back into the fight, you lot." he growls.
Oranna sighs, as she hurries after Dane. "Light above."
Shine has spent most of his career killing people for a living and even he is starting to look a little skeptical of this whole situation.
"An army indeed," Dane echoes belatedly, scowling up at black dragons.
Oranna's lips flatten into a line.
Atley eyes the massive ettin in the town square as they arrive. "Properly sized, innit'."
"Pro-perly tall, yes!" Iphindra says, not understanding the use of properly here.
"Lo there Dunwalds!" Bran calls.
Atley grunts at the assembled Dunwalds.
"Makes tha' great lout Donnelly look like a baby gnome!" Bran says cheerily.
Oranna stares up at the ettin. It's a long, long way up for the dwarven gal. "I'm pretty sure it's got fingernails th' size of me," Oranna mutters.
Shine eyes the ettin thoughtfully. He sheaths one knife and takes out a different knife.
Flynn turns to face them with a grin. "Now thats what I'm talkin' about. My kinda' outsiders!"
Dane sets his jaw. "We came across many slain Dunwalds, Flynn. We're now here to avenge them."
"An' ye worry about th' kind of hygiene tha' means fer them," Oranna murmurs, staring at the fingernails. Well, Oranna worries about it. Other people might not.
Flynn Dunwald hums. "That many dead… eh? Not seemin' likely that anyone outside of me brothers fought through it, then. I guess I already expected as much. Thanks for takin' the time to look for me."
"Why's it only got long fingernails on one hand?" Oranna muses, still stuck on the detail of this guy's nails.
"Maybe there's a head that l-likes to have longer fingernails," Iphindra explains, but she doesn't have all the answers.
"Us ootsiders gonna put tha' ettin's guts on the ootside," Bran says, very priestlily.
Shine nods agreement with Bran, very marineily.
Oranna sighs, as she readies her gun.
Flynn Dunwald yells, "Let's give'm a proper Dunwald welcome, brothers! For CLAN WILDHAMMER!"
"WOO HOO!" Bran cheers.
Oranna doesn't yell anything, she just exhales slowly and carefully as she fires shot after shot.
Trees come to aid Iphindra.
Shine does something quick with his blades that makes the ettin lash out furiously with a roar. It was probably ouchie.
Together, Cobalt Company and the Dunwalds slay the ettin..
Flynn leans back, proud. "Thanks for your help. You've got a warrior's spirit in each of 'ya — you coulda fooled me for a Wildhammer if it weren't for your… well… you know."
Oranna shakes her head. "I've no warrior's spirit, but I've got one of a hunter, an' tha's good enough fer the day as it lays."
Flynn says, "I know Firebeard sent you to unite us. My love for that dwarf runs shallow, but you know now we've got plenty of reasons to make enemies of the Twilight. If you see him, tell him that when the battle starts, the Dunwald family will be there."
"We will be h-happy to see you on the battlefield!" Iphindra says, beaming. "N-not that it is joyful to see you risk your lives, though…"
Dane says, "Let's return to Keegan and give the status report. Fight well, Dunwalds."
"Wot's yer issue wi' Firebeard?" Bran inquires.
Flynn glowers. "It involves many decades, and a sheep. All I'll say."
Bran takes notes.
Oranna's brows rise as she looks over at Flynn. He might be saying nothing more, but Oranna's sure thinking a lot.
Shine is too, Oranna, it's okay.
Bran is recording his own thoughts for Posterity.
Dane dismounts and marches up to Keegan. "The Dunwalds have joined the fight," he says, summing up the entirety of the day's work so far.
Keegan Firebeard raises his brows at them and nods. "Splendid! We may be safe here, but there are a lot of Wildhammer who could still use support. Our wing can offer that, but we need to keep bolsterin' our forces if we're going to clear the Twilight completely."
Keegan glares northward. "I'm going to have words with Colin Thundermar, I tell ye. Only a coward turns down the callin' of his people, especially in a time this dire." He turns back to the squad. "Go to Thundermar, find Colin, and get a real explanation out of'm. I won't be putting up with cowardice in a Wildhammer leader."
Dane nods slowly. "Thundermar. Very well."
Shine nods mildly and looks to Dane.
Oranna looks worriedly at Keegan. "Righ', we'll jus' say that ta…. a person. Sure it'll go…well."
"Long as we tell 'im it's Firebeard said it, we'll be fine, dinna fash," Bran says to Oranna, the Fash Icon.
Oranna continues to fash as she nods at Bran. "Righ'. Definitely," she says indefinitely.
Dane raises a hand. "We'll tread lighter than that."
As they fly northward, on the far side of the river they pass above the blackened, smoldering rubble of another dwarven settlement.
Shine looks impassively down at the charred ruins of the village below them.
Oranna holds onto her gryphon with white knuckle terror as she glances around them, brow furrowing to make her worry line more pronounced. "Tha's… a lot of dragon fire damage," she mutters.
Dane grunts.
Iphindra takes a deep breath as they land in Thundermar. The place seems to be mostly sparred. She takes another deep breath. Life almost seems good, here!
Atley looks around at Thundermar with an appraising gaze. He swifly dismounts Thoras and approaches a dwarf in the center of the village.
"Colin Thundermar?" Atley greets sternly.
Colin squints at them.
"We're of the Alliance. Keegan Firebeard's sent us. He accuses you of cowardice for not joining the fight." Dane explains bluntly.
Colin Thundermar turns red. "Here here, WOT!? He calls ME a COWARD?!"
"Ef the shoe fets…" Bran murmurs.
Oranna laughs awkwardly. Wow, and she thought she blurts things out.
Iphindra blinks at Dane. Did he say the quiet part out loud or was it on purpose?
Shine eyes Dane. He knows another guy like that.
Colin Thundermar hisses, "Just like a Firebeard, all hot air and not a lick of sense! I've been bearing the brunt of a Dragonmaw invasion from the south. Most of Thundermar's in ruins, as I'm sure ye've seen, and do any of the other clans step up to help? NO! Ol' Thundermar is on his own, he is, and you'd better believe I'm usin' everything in my arsenal just to stem the tide."
Oranna looks to the northeast with worry. Maybe she thinks that's south? "Another one?" she asks no one in particular. "We did see some ruins over…tha' way?" She gestures correctly south.
(It is possible that Oranna, unclear on which direction south is, now believes there are multiple ruined villages.)
Shine has straightened alertly at the word Dragonmaw.
"We're here to join the fight. Dragonmaw are our enemies, also," Dane explains.
Colin Thundermar growls. "Curse the Dragonmaw! They kill our birds, attack our families, take our land. Even as the world crashes down around us, still they assault our homes."
"The others've been fightin' Twilight's Hammer, an' takin' heavy losses," Bran says. "They felt abandoned by ye just as ye did by them."
Oranna nods sadly. "It's a harsh truth, but I think th' Twilight's have taken advantage of the clans' independence ta divide an'… smoulder."
Bran jerks his thumb toward Oranna to indicate 'what she said.'
Colin is not apparently in a mood to sympathize with other clans. "If your Alliance wants the help of the Wildhammer, there's only one way to win us over.
"Stop. The. Dragonmaw," he growls.
"We can fight the Dragonmaw," Shine agrees curtly. He is not the squad leader.
"Tha's no tall order fer us," Bran says.
"Ev-everyone has their problem so e-everyone must pull their own weight!" Iphindra smiles. "Which is why we're g-going to help you!"
Oranna sighs. She's not surprised. "Aye. We're no' ta argue the necessity, but we're here helpin' because tha's wha' we're tryin' ta reverse, the standin' apart."
"He understands. Let us focus on the task at hand," Dane says to the squad.
Colin Thundermar says, "Monsters, all of them. We've fought them up and down these highlands since the last war. And now they're joining forces with the Horde…?" Colin scowls.
Shine seems to be counting his knives.
Colin glowers. "If you're going to convince us Wildhammers to unite under the Alliance banner, you'd best prove yourself against the Dragonmaw. Wade into the battle that's raging in the Thundermar ruins to the south and southwest. Kill Dragonmaw and collect insignias that their greatest warriors wear. Then we'll talk."
Shine glances up from Operation: Knifecount to nod at Colin.
Oranna is focused on the task at hand, which is mostly that they've gotta convince the guy to join up with the other guys before all the guys become like the other dead guys. "Aye. Then we'll talk," she agrees.
Bran takes some notes.
Oranna is still looking northeast. She's not even close to correct, but luckily, she's not the one leading the charge.
For anyone who can read dwarven, Bran's notes say something along the lines of how it's time to do the exact same kind of proving themselves they've done about three or four times already, and that maybe people should talk to each other more.
Colin's features soften. "Before ye go… Be sure to stop by the inn behind me. My sister Fanny is inside. Refugees are pouring into Thundermar from all of the torched Wildhammer settlements around us, and I put Fanny in charge of 'em. She's tough as talons, that one. But she might need your help."
Dane grunts and nods. "We'll see to Fanny first, then."
Oranna nods. "We've been seein' ta families separated," she says. "We'll find her ta say."
Dane marches inside the inn and looks around.
"Colin's sent us," Dane says to the dwarf he believes to be Fanny.
Oranna looks between the giant burly shaman and the girl in the lowcut blouse. Yeah, that seems right.
Fanny grins. "Good! I could use 'ye. Can ya hold yer own in a fight?"
Dane looks to his comrades before he looks back at Fanny. "Aye."
Fanny explains, "Supplies are short. We've got refugees coming into Thundermar from up and down the ridge — that's a lot of mouths ta feed. Plenty of stores were left behind as people pulled their families to safety. We need that food!
"Scour the Thundermar ruins south, east, and southwest of here for food stores. But be careful. The fighting around the ruins is pretty intense."
"Aye," Oranna says, looking north, literally the only direction not mentioned.
Bran gently turns Oranna in… a different direction.
Low Shaman Blundy pipes up. "S'not a boast to say that we Thundermars brew the finest ale in the Eastern Kingdoms. It's 220 proof. Yeah, ye heard me!"
Dane turns to the exclaiming elder with a brow lifted.
Shine, too, raises an eyebrow.
Low Shaman Blundy says, "As folks fled from the south to the town center, they were forced to leave behind their ale."
Blundy pauses, allowing the gravity of the situation to soak in.
Iphindra blinks. It's about ale again.
Shine tries not to look impatient. It's about ale again.
"I'm sure their livers weep with relief," Oranna mutters.
It's possible Blundy has let a little too much ale soak in.
Blundy yells, "GET IT BACK! That stuff'l turn even the stringiest of warriors into a whirlin' dervish of mouth-foaming destruction. Get them kegs! S'our only hope!"
Bran sighs.
Dane grunts and nods. "We'll see to it. We've got a fight ahead, you lot. Stay sharp."
"Righ', mouth foaming. The thing ye always want yer warriors… ta be doin'," Oranna says.
"Now I wonder if thes es how I look ta humans," Bran murmurs thoughtfully.
"Spirited lot, this. We'll have to bridge the divide between the Firebeards and Thundermar 'fore this is all over." Dane growls.
"Startin' ta think we jus' need ta lure them all together with a kegger an' spray them down with the 220 proof an' they'll all be best of friends by th' nightfall," Oranna muses.
Iphindra chuckles.
Bran snorts with laughter at Oranna.
Atley raises his gaze. "Look about for supplies. Find anything that could be of use."
They follow a dirt road down into the charred rubble of a village row. They are not the first into the fight; a group of Wildhammer dwarves is here already, locked in combat with the orcs.
Oranna watches with vague amazement as a bunch of Wildhammers run into the ruined buildings, ignoring valuables and other food supplies, heading straight to their real babies: the kegs of beer.
Dane observes them gruffly.
Iphindra runs in the moss growing on the low walls. Fun! "I-I like it here. I'm sure it was go-good to live here before…"
Shine stands over a dead orc with an eyepatch, gazing down. Twinsies.
Oranna stares at the one-eyed orc with a strangely empty expression for a long moment, before she exhales a slow breath and moves on.
Dane grunts. "Let's venture up the road."
Oranna moves too late to save a poor pack donkey from being killed.
They storm a cellar to find a Twilight ritual altar bearing the corpse of a sacrificed Wildhammer dwarf.
Dane glares and keeps moving.
"Your life is meaningless!" hisses a Twilight shaman as he attacks.
"Speak fer yerself," Bran says, bonking him.
"Let's ride. Other places to scavenge," Dane growls.
The Thundermar Ruins are a spread out collection of skirmishes between encroaching Dragonmaw and Wildhammers. The fighting in the urban sprawl is unceasing.
"This settlement was huge," Shine observes.
Dane grunts at Shine. "Dunwald was the largest I'd seen, until now."
Bran stays focused on healing for the time being, as the battle is chaotic as all get-out.
"They've got a gryphon!" Shine calls. "Tied down!"
Oranna focuses on the captive gryphon.
Dane nods at Shine. "You know wot' to do."
Shine leaps in to kill the pair of orcs guarding the creature, and then cuts the ropes.
Atley exchanges gruff nods as he fills his stores with what he can carry from the Wildhammer ruins.
They are attacked by a group of hardened Dragonmaw Marauders.
On several occasions, actually.
Dane grunts. "That'll do, you lot. Back to Thundermar."
Colin Thundermar, still dour, scowls at them. "How goes the fight?"
"Very good!" Iphindra beams.
"War's been made upon you, and we've made it upon them." Dane hands over a pile of Dragonmaw insignias.
"We've just laid waste ta the Dragonmaw," Bran says, "an' taken out at least four o' their leaders."
(We found the last part out belatedly, when we got an achievement for it.)
Colin exclaims, "Look at that! That's quite a collection of trophies ye have there. I'll spread the word. If a single Alliance squad can do this, imagine what the rest of your lot can accomplish!"
Shine nods.
Dane sets his jaw with pride and nods. "Let's offload the supplies, you lot."
Back inside the inn, Fanny perks up. "Got some eats?"
Dane starts to set down acquired rations, some rich and some poor, on the counter.
Oranna more than happily offloads her supplies. Goodbye kegs smelling strongly of alcohol that probably could kill a man.
Iphindra gives them one keg and a chicken.
Fanny checks over their scrounged supplies. "It's good. Hardly a worm or weevil to be found! This is a lifesaver to the folk who fled here for survival."
Low Shaman Blundy is less gracious. "Ye brought me that ale? You haven't been skimmin' off the top, have ye'?"
Dane shakes his head at Low Shaman Bundy. "We haven't."
"We have no reason to do that!" Iphindra shakes her head. "We drink water!"
Once the supplies have been delivered, Atley nods to the door. He gestures to Iphindra on the way out.
Iphindra is very stressed. Why her? She follows Dane. "Why me?"
"Mm? You've done nothing wrong. I was supporting your statement about water," Dane explains.
Iphindra sighs with relief. "I-I thought it was a 'We have to t-talk' gesture!"
Dane shakes his head.
Oranna follows the others out, breathing in deeply at the fresh air.
Shine follows the group outside, absently counting his knives again. He may be considering a second visit to the village ruins.
"Right then, you lot. Thundermar's where the fight is, now. I warrant it'll be a great deal of back and forth by the look of it," Atley explains. "The Wildhammers are a hardy and eccentric folk, but we are establishing solid inroads."
Iphindra nods. "They're good allies! And they live in a beautiful place!"
Dane grunts. "The houses are different here than the Hinterlands. Older."
Shine surveys a mossy roof and nods.
"You are dismissed, but stay sharp. The situation is volatile," Dane says.
Oranna nods. "An' well planned, from someone who knew wha' the clans would do. Tha' they'd get… clannish about it," Oranna says.
Dane grunts at Oranna's observation.
"I'm off to report our progress to the Cap'. I'll be about here in country," Dane says with a nod.
Shine nods sharply back at him. "I'll be here. May visit home a day."
Dane grunts at Shine.
Iphindra hears baby gryphons and wanders off to join them. That is her exit from the episode. There are baby animals.
Oranna looks between the gryphons and the scurrying baby gryphons. "I'll stay here a bit longer. Let people know wha' the other clans have been up to, try ta get them ta see it's no' neglience, jus'… tactics comin' at them."
Dane nods at Oranna. "A sound plan."
Oranna waves farewell.