"I wish we had more time," said Natalia.
"So do I," said Kargen, "but the enemy is approaching. They will be upon us in a few days. We must hasten to prepare our defences."
"We must choose where to fight," said Natalia. "This village is too open."
"Zahruhl knows of a place," said Shaluhk. "A place of great magic."
"Tell us what you know," said Athgar.
"It is an ancient stone construction. Zahruhl referred to it as a gateway, but the secret of its use has been lost to the ages."
"Then how can it help us?"
"It enhances the power of magic used in its vicinity," said Shaluhk.
"All magic?"
"Primarily that of the earth," she continued. "I have heard of such things before, but never have I experienced one myself."
"What of the land thereabouts?" asked Natalia.
"That I can not say, for I have not yet seen it."
"How far to these standing stones?" asked Athgar.
"Two days," said Kargen, "maybe less."
"And the other tribes?"
"They are gathering even as we speak. Zahruhl and Kirak will join forces with us at the stones."
"You have hunters near the ruins of Ashborne," said Natalia. "Have them withdraw towards the stones only after the enemy has seen them. We must draw them into our net."
"It shall be as you wish," said Kargen. His eyes fell onto the chests that King Eadred had hoarded. "What of those?"
"I would suggest we send them to Ord-Ghadrak for safekeeping, at least for the moment."
"And if we win?"
"WHEN we win," corrected Natalia, "it will be Athgar's decision as to what we do with them."
"It belongs to the people," said Athgar. "Let it be used to purchase better weapons and armour for us all."
"All well and good for the long term," said Kargen, "but let us concentrate on the situation at hand. Such wealth will not help us at present."
"Wise words," said Natalia, "during this time of strife."
"He is always at his best during times of conflict," said Shaluhk. "He thrives on it."
"Where is Laruhk?" asked Athgar. "I thought he'd be with you."
Kargen smiled. "He is looking into something for us. A little surprise if you like."
"Are you going to tell us what it is?"
"Not until we know if it is successful. I would not like to get your hopes up. Suffice it to say that it might give us an edge."
"Of course we're talking about my brother," said Shaluhk. "It could just as easily turn out to be nothing."
Contact
Autumn 1104 SR
Urughar pushed aside the long grass, peering into the mist. In the early morning, small patches of it clung to the lower parts of the land, giving the place an eerie feeling. Off in the distance, men came into view, heading eastward at a speed that would see them soon cross in front of the Orcs' position, which lay just to their south.
"They have quite a few archers," noted his fellow Orc.
Urughar turned to his sizable companion. Ogda was a relatively heavy individual but surprisingly agile on his feet. At the moment, his attention was on the distant warriors, but Urughar knew he feared the horsemen more than anything on foot. "We have yet to see their knights."
"I wish we had the warbows of the Red Hand," said Ogda.
"We shall, eventually. In the meantime, we will make do with what we have. It is no worse than our enemies. The archers are not our concern. Let them continue unhindered."
They watched in silence as the archers marched past.
"Why do they not send skirmishers to the side?" asked Ogda. "Do they not think us cunning?"
"They do not even know we are here," replied Urughar. "They think they are only fighting the Therengians."
His companion snorted. "It will be a big surprise to them when we strike."
"So it will, but remember, our task here is not to fight a battle, merely to strike where they are weak and then withdraw, tempting them to follow."
"But their horses can outpace us! Are we then to sacrifice ourselves?"
"Fear not, old friend, for our allies, the Stone Crushers, will keep the horses occupied elsewhere. By the time they realize what we are doing, it will be too late. We will be safely away from this place."
Urughar advanced at a crouch, moving slowly to preserve the tall grass. Ogda followed, the rest of the party strung out evenly behind them, each five paces from the last. They had thought to move forward in a line, but the risk of discovery was increased significantly with such a manoeuvre, so they decided on this simpler approach.
As he drew nearer to the edge of the grass, Urughar went prone, keeping his eyes on the distant target. This was, perhaps, the most dangerous part of the plan, but they needed an accurate count of what they faced, and so he and his hunters had been sent to gather what information they could. Lying in silence, he watched as the enemy moved past less than ten paces away.
Behind the archers walked footmen wearing light-grey tabards. The significance of this garb was lost on Urughar, but he made a mental note to bring it to the attention of others. Whoever they were, they were well-armoured, wearing the metal plates typical of knights, though they lacked the horses.
He counted more than two hundred of these warriors as they filed past, then smiled at the distant sound of approaching horses. All his life, he had been told of the Human knights. To him, they were like mythical creatures, covered in metal, and riding great beasts that fought as ferociously as the best warriors of antiquity.
The Temple Knights, when they finally came into view, were as awe-inspiring as the tales. From his vantage point on the ground, they looked massive, their great horses towering over everyone else. Their silver-plated armour gleamed in the sun while their dark grey tabards gave them a uniform appearance. The very ground seemed to shake as they rode by, leading Urughar to contemplate what it would be like to
