The Strenght of Faith: Chapter 4

[Tamen_V]

Despite the fact that rain was pouring down on her from a lead grey sky, Orengard was happier than she had been in years. She had found acceptance and friends within the dwarven village of Glen. She was a member of the guards and her squad mates had quickly become almost like family. Orengard looked down at the gold and red armor she wore and the red shield, with the Glen guard symbol upon it, that she carried and smiled. Her thoughts are interrupted by Gilim’s voice “Orin, Ye with us or are ye sleepwalkn?” Orengard looked up and grinned at Gilim “Aye I’m awake...would be damn hard ta sleep with all o’ this blasted water dumpin on me.” Gilim burst into laughter which was quickly joined by Ras and Granite. “Aye Lass.” Gilim replied “This damn rain does seem ta never quit.” The squad slogged on down the muddy road between Ashabenford and Glen cursing the rain and ribbing each other, there laughter drowning out the drumming of the rain upon armor and shield. At the first sight of the gates to Glen all their laughter dies, and grim looks replace smiles. A barricade of wagons and large crates blocks the road just before the village’s massive wooden gates armored dwarven guards can be seen positioned behind it weapons at the ready. As the squad approaches a voice barks out from behind the barricade. “halt and be identified.” The squad stops and Gilim calls back “Sargent Gilim’s Squad reportin in.” From behind the barricade the voice answers in a friendlier tone...but one still tense and alert. “Aye good, the Cap’n and Fenor await ye with in Sarge, ye best make haste.” Gilim nods “Ye heard him Squad double time.” At his order Orengard and the others break into a rolling jog around the barricade and through the gates.

Once inside Glen’s walls Gilim leads the squad over to the entrance to the mines and tunnels beneath Glen. The Captain of the guards, and the high priest of Moradin, stand there talking in low tones, their conversation stops as the squad hustles over and Salutes. The Captain returns the salute then looks at the squad with a grim expression “Gilim, glad yer back. We received a report just a bit ago that a group o’ undead are headdin this way they'll be here anytime now. I need yer squad on the barricade we got ta keep em from gettin inta Glen” Orengard looked around for a moment then spoke up “Sir?” the captain turned to look at her “yes Orengard.” “Sir might I suggest movin a couple o’ the balista to cover the main gates incase we have ta pull back, they'll be abel ta cover us.” The captain thought for a moment then nodded “Good idea. We’ll begin movin them, now get to yer posts” Orengard and the others saluted and hurried back out to take places in the battle line.

Orengard stood behind the barricade. In her hand she held a heavy warhammer, she had learned from earlier battles against the strange undead that had begun to plague Glen that the hammer worked better than her axe against skellitons. Orengard looked up, at the far end of the field a line of darkness had formed it drifted forward like a wall of inky fog. along the barricade dwarven warriors readied weapons and donned helms. Gilim looked up and down the line his voice rising over the murmur of voices and the clang of armor “Stand ready ladds.” The leading edge of the darkness flowed over the barricade like a black river the gloom thickened the air making objects more than a few feet away indistinct and obscured. A dry rattling sound, like a bag full of kindling being shaken, reached the ears of the defenders. the sound grew steadily louder. Suddenly skeletal forms seemed to materialize out of the gloom, rusted weapons held in there flesh-less hands. Gillim drew back his arm a throwing axe held ready to fly “FOR GLEN!” he shouted his axe hurling forward to strike the closest skeleton. The battle cry was echoed all along the line. Axes and hammers whirled in, vials of holy water and flasks of oil arced out to shatter against the undead, sizzling as they struck or bathing them in flames, still the undead advanced hardly slowing at all. As they reached the barricade the dwarven warriors leaped upon the skeletons with axe and hammer, pounding against the layer of stone that coated them.

Orengard swung her hammer at her foe barely chipping it and blocked its counter attack on her shield. with a roar she swung again putting all her power behind the attack finally managing to smash through the stone and powder the bone beneath it. As she turned to look for another target a streak of flame roared in to strike against the barricade and blossomed into a fireball defenders were flung to the ground amid burning wreckage. Orengard looked out into the field a lone skeleton stood there its arms flowing through intricate gestures its empty eye sockets fixed upon the barricade “MAGE!” she shouted “KILL THE MAGE!” Orengard pulled a vial from her belt and threw it with all her might it smashed into the skeletal mage and shattered splashing it with holy water wisps of smoke curled up from it but it’s motions never faltered. Out of the corner of her eyes Orengard saw Gilim and Granite rush the mage there weapons held high roaring battle cries as they charged. The skeleton turned and leveled its hand at Granite and silvery darts of energy burst forth to twist through the air and strike him. he stumbled but kept going. Gilim and Granite reached the mage and began to pound upon it but other skeletons rushed in to aid the mage and as orengard watched Gilim and Granite were forced back. All along the barricade defenders were being overrun as more undead pushed through. A skeleton charged Orengard she brought her shield up a second too late its sword slid between the plates of her armor to dig deeply into her stomach pain coursed through her she backed up quickly striking at the skeleton trying to keep it back. From all around her came the cry “FALL BACK! FALL BACK!” Orengard stumbled back through the gate her foe pressing her. She could feel herself weakening as her blood flowed from her wound. She stared into the face of her own death and knew there was nothing she could do to stop it. Suddenly she is pushed to the side as a figure stepped between her and the skeleton and a deep voice shouted “MORADIN!” Orengard sobbed in relief as Fenor Belfik the high priest slammed his hammer into the chest of the skeleton distracting it from her. As it turned to engage the cleric, Orengard backed out of the fight and fumbled for her bow. She reached into the quiver slung across her back and drew out a flame tipped arrow. the arrow as well as the short bow on which she knocks it were both taken off skeletal archers that her squad had defeated in another fight. she takes aim looses the arrow and curses as it skips off the skeletons stony covering having no effect. before she could even think to draw another arrow Fenor Belfik smashed the skeleton into a pile of bone chips. The cleric looked over at Orengard and motioned her over. He reached out to touched her forehead as he finished a prayer to Moradin. Orengard gasped as a wave of healing energy coursed through her. As Orengard tried to catch her breath enough to thank the cleric Gilim rushed in through the gate “Fenor, Granite is down we need you.” the cleric rushed out after Gilim, with Orengard close behind. the area outside the gate was littered with bones and the bodies of fallen dwarves but the attack had been halted. Gilim led Fenor Belfik to where Granite lay upon the ground unconscious bleeding freely from several wounds. The cleric knelt beside the fallen warrior and prayed softly then touched him as he had touched Orengard. Granite’s wounds closed and color returned to his face, after a moment he opened his eyes and sat up looking at the cleric. “thank ye Fenor.” Belfik nodded to Granite and moved off to aid the other injured leaving Orengard with her squad. Orengard watched the high priest walk away, she looked back at Granite, then reached down to touch her stomach where her own wound had been and a though kindled in her mind.

“I wish I could heal my friends as Belfik did.”

Orengard walked slowly up to Fenor Belfik. Her squad had been dismissed after they made their report to the captain. They had been told that the undead were looking for special stones which had dwarven runes carved upon them. These four stones would act as keys to open the way into the ruins of an anchient dwarven hall. The captain explained that Glen must recover theses keys before the undead did and that until the keys were found Glen would most likely suffer more attacks. all of these thoughts were going through Orengards head as she stopped before the high priest of Moradin. “Fenor?” The cleric looked up. “Aye what is it Orengard?” Orengard took a deep breath then asked in a voice barely above a whisper “Ken ye teach me how ta be a cleric?” Belfik looked at her for a long moment. “Ye wish ta follow Moradin as a cleric?” Orengard swallowed loudly “Umm not exactly...I pray ta Berronar but there are nay any priests o’ the Mother here. I was hopen ye could start teachen me how ta pray for spells an how ta cast em and such.” The cleric looked Orengard over again then nodded “Aye I can teach ye some o’ what ye’ll need ta know.”

[Rollie the gnome]

nice. keep em coming