Cont. from Part Thirty Two or Story Start/Part One if your just joining
After a couple of hours of eating, drinking and drilling, the squad assembled and they all headed off in the direction of the keep.
The mission was simple, reach the keep by night fall and take it!, take the Lord hostage and send a message to the fire king that if he wanted to see his loyal servant again pay a hefty ransom... Apparently he was the arrogant type, there was no way he would pay and instead would come personally to remove their heads at which point Valar would remove his ending the war and saving his people.
The squad traveled in a long single file, taking the main path direct to the keep, they kept hard to the left of the path, occasionally passing a farmer pulling a cart or a shifty looking fellow heading the opposite direction.
Valar maintained the lead, with Em, Jack and Peter closing behind, the rest of the troops following….it would be a long hard days march.
Peter ran forward passed Em and Jack to ask him a question..
“Valar…errr can you tell me the plan again?”
“Ok Peter…for the seventh time, we are going to attack from two sides, a dozen people at the front and the rest at the side. With the cover of night we will all scale the walls with the ropes and hooks. Now… the people out the front are sure to be discovered first, so at the first sound of discovery the people at the side are going to double time up the walls and use the distraction to advantage….got it?”
“errr…Which one am I doing again?”
“….Ok Peter tell you what, you just stick with me ok?”
Peter nodded, whacked him on the back so hard he stumbled forward, then returned back to his position.
“They really respect ya, ya know! most wouldn’t be ere without ya inspiration the way ya took down those bandit tax collectors.” said Em leaning forward and whispering into his ear.
Valar didn’t know what to say, he just smiled and nodded. They all continued to march all day stopping only for a single short food and water break and by late afternoon they were already in view of the keep.
It was very old, ancient and in desperate need of repair.
The surrounding country side farms and houses seemed like they had also seen better days…the war had certainly had a cost around these parts.
Valar took the squad off the path and into the nearby wilderness out of view of the keep. He ordered the older and more tired to rest, but put several others to work making a temporary field camp while he and Em went to scout the enemy position more closely.
Within a few minutes they were close enough to make out the keep again, this time they crept in closer. The rock walls of the keep were weak and even caved in on certain parts. A scattering off archers sat with bow and arrow, in the main tower. Where the walls still supported people, some sentries sat on top scanning down and across the country side looking for any trouble…This looked easier then once thought.
“This will be easy, see that boarded up wall on the east, I think we change the plan a little…myself and Peter will break through, while you and Jack attack the front and side to distract them, once I’ve got the Lords throat behind my sword they will quickly give up!”.
Em nodded, satisfied with their attack plan they turned back in the direction of their squad to see a cloud of white smoke lifting into the sky.
“Shit! looks like trouble back at the camp” said EM with panic and haste in her voice.
They looked at each other and ran back as fast as their legs could carry them.