Ogda, on the other hand, merely grunted.
"You are not impressed?" asked Urughar.
"They are not as imposing as I would have thought," the large Orc replied.
"And yet I would not wish to face them in battle."
"Nor I, but they are useless in the forest."
Urughar nodded. "So they are, but out in the open, they would be our match."
"By the Ancestors," said Ogda, "there are a lot of them. I count more than four hundred so far, and still they come. Will there be no end to it?"
Finally, the last of the Temple Knights rode into view. Behind them marched more footmen, this group looking far less uniform in their garb.
"These are not knights," said Ogda.
"True," replied Urughar, "but they wear more armour than us."
"Do you think any of that armour would fit an Orc?"
"I doubt it. The Humans are far thinner than we are. Note their weapons."
"They appear to favour spears," said Ogda. "An advantage to us once we are inside of their reach."
"Yes, but to THEIR advantage when approaching. They will be able to strike first."
Following the spear wielders came yet more footmen, these more heavily armoured, with many in chainmail and sporting a variety of swords, axes, and even hammers.
"These are the ones who will cause the most problems," said Urughar, "for they walk with purpose."
"Meaning?"
"They are more experienced warriors. That is what makes them dangerous."
A small group of mounted knights came next, then the endless stream of wagons.
"At last," said Urughar, "our targets are in sight."
He nodded to Ogda who, in turn, waved the hunters forward. They took up positions along the edge of the grass, rising as Urughar called out the command.
The first volley peppered the wagons, knocking down two men but doing little else. They held their next barrage until all were ready, then sent a hail of arrows sailing forth. This time the damage was more readily apparent, with five men taking hits.
The enemy shouted in alarm, many taking cover behind the wagons. To the east, the knights were turning around, no doubt roused by the pleas for help.
Urughar ordered one more volley, though it did little other than sink into the wood-sided wagons.
"Back," he called out.
Gahruhl knelt at the base of the huge pine to watch northward as the archers began passing her position. She looked at Karag, who sat to her right. "What do you think?"
"They have many archers," he replied, "but some of them carry strange weapons."
"Those are crossbows," said Gahruhl. "Kargen spoke of them. They are common amongst the Humans."
"Why is that?"
"It is said they are easier to use, requiring little training to master."
"Do the Humans care so little for the hunt?"
"It is not about the hunt," explained Gahruhl, "but such a weapon could be used by a man on a horse."
"Yet these men are all on foot."
"Let us be thankful. It will help us achieve our objective this day." She glanced left to where her hunters crouched, spears in hand. The Humans were less than a stone's throw away, unaware of the presence of the Orcs.
Gahruhl was thinking over her options when a lone soldier split from the rest of his cohorts, jogging towards their place of concealment.
"What is this?" asked Karag, gripping his spear tightly.
"Let us wait and see what he does," she cautioned.
The man drew closer to the trees, then slowed, fumbling with his clothes. Moments later, he halted, undoing his belt and letting out a sigh as he relieved himself of a full bladder.
The smell of urine drifted towards the Orcs. Gahruhl looked at Karag, simply nodding. In answer, the Orc hunter crept forward, drawing his long knife and leaving his spear behind.
Gahruhl shifted her attention to the archers in the distance, but they continued on their way, unfazed by their companion's absence.
Karag returned, crossbow in one hand, a quiver of bolts in the other. "It is done," he said.
"What is this?"
"I thought you might want to look at the crossbow you spoke of. These are the small arrows that it uses."
"How does one load such a weapon?"
"I have no idea," said Karag, "but maybe our Therengian friends can tell us more."
"The Therengians do not use crossbows."
"True, but the battle mage, Nat-Alia, is surely familiar with such things."
"I would think so, yes."
"Look," said Karag. "A small group of archers are heading our way."
"They have likely noted the absence of their comrade. I was hoping to hold the moment of our attack for a more suitable target, but it appears our plans will have to be adjusted."
"You mean to attack so soon?"
"An attack on the archers would suit our purposes just as well as others. Prepare the hunters. You may strike when ready."
Karag grinned, retrieving his spear. He turned to his fellow tribe members and waved them forward. They rose silently, moving north to the very edge of the trees, each with a spear in hand.
Gahruhl watched with an appreciative eye as the mighty hunter waited for just the right moment. She gave the command, and then they all stepped into the grassy field, hefting their spears in unison. The projectiles sailed through the air, unseen until the moment before impact. With a startled yell, they struck home, taking down five men and scattering the rest.
Karag kept his hunters where they were, waiting for the enemy to see them before ordering the withdrawal. They fell back into the woods, hardly making a sound.
The Humans, meanwhile, were yelling in alarm, drawing the attention of the main army. The rest of the archers, though slow to react, were soon swarming south to help repel the enemy.
Karag and the others streamed past Gahruhl, but the master of earth remained, her eyes locked on the Humans. The archers formed into a ragged line and began peppering the treeline with arrows. As more men joined them, they became emboldened, several advancing to get closer to their targets.
Gahruhl ignored the arrows that
