The Journal of Thakan Londaralson of Clan Enhyli

Warrior and scholar, initiate of Elmal and Lhankor-Mhy

Part 04

In which our heroes tie up the Ingilli troopers with fake ambushes and genuine duels to steal a crucial hour…

Clayday, Movementweek, Earthseason, 1614 - noon

So we discuss tactics. Scopas thinks he can get two stones to the top of the stairs, with the help of his gnome it shouldn’t be difficult. And he thinks he can get the third stone most of the way with a little extra time – I ask how much and Scopas thinks he needs another hour, perhaps?

Obviously, we cannot take on eight Humaktis, with or without the Threestoners. Could we hold them up with guerrilla tactics? I confess I’m not sure that’s my forte.

But then Claig suggests he could duel one of the Humaktis, with the loser’s party disengaging. Of course, Humaktis just live for their duels, but they’re also very honourable, so it’s hard to see them failing to honour their agreements with the Ingilli family to secure their claim.

But then Ormiston comes up with the idea of using the duel to simply buy time, using the procedure of agreeing terms, etc, etc, and the duel itself to delay the Ingilli regiment. Meanwhile Torvald, who is very well suited to guerrilla warfare, could delay them further with traps and fake ambushes.

There seems little point in me going with Ormiston and Claig. I could support Torvald but frankly I’d probably just get in the way. But the sleds and their cargoes still need guarding so my job will be to hold the fort as the day-watchman. I start to scout suitable vantage points from which to keep watch as my three companions move out.

I’m happy to report I have a very boring watch – my favourite sort. Of course, I only find out later how things fell out for the others…

Torvald soon split from Ormiston and Claig to get creative in the rubble. The other two pushed on to reach a patch of open ground just this side of the bridge that looked like it had been deliberately cleared some time earlier, possibly for a market. The Ingillis would have to pass through it and it looked as good a spot as any for a duel.

They didn’t have to wait long before they spotted two Threestoner scouts. Pretty soon Tagh Redhair turned up. She greeted them, thanking Ormiston for the offer of hospitality from yesterday night and explaining that her team and the Ingilli regiment had been sent to secure the Ingilli claim – she hoped there would be no trouble.

The six Threestoners surrounded the square and within minutes the eight Ingilli troopers appeared. Close up, it was obvious that only four of them were Humaktis, the other four worshipped Orlanth Adventurous. Their respective commanders were known to Claig and Ormiston by reputation. The Humaktis were led by Daya Balarabe, a near runelord and master of broadsword and battle tactics. The Orlanth commander was Biyar Paki. All eight looked highly competent.

This was Ormiston’s cue to enter into a formal oration, using magic to enhance his delivery. He addressed Daya by name and introduced Claig, extolling his virtues, from an Humakti point of view – in fact he covered Claig’s career in great depth, emphasizing his every exploit. Of course, Ormiston’s intention in this was to consume as much time as possible but he finally concluded with Claig’s desire to dissuade his brethren from their course.

Daya’s reply was a lot less formal – he formally recognised the dispute but his orders were to secure the millstones and anything else we were trying to take from the Ingilli claim and place the matter in the courts. If Claig and Ormiston tried to stop him there would be violence.

This last seemed a little odd to me, since my experience of Humaktis suggests they crave violence – but then, I suppose, from the Humakti point of view, what sounds so me like a threat was possibly just an invitation…

Claig’s response, of course, was to challenge the Humaktis to a formal duel. According to Ormiston he made a bit of a hash of this but Ormiston’s oration had impressed Daya greatly and, as we all know, Humakti’s just love duels – which is how what I’d thought would have been one duel turned out to be four (the Ingillis unwittingly falling into the trap of Ormiston’s master-plan).

Of course, Ormiston had explained in great detail how Claig’s prowess with his greatsword, enhanced by Humakt’s gifts, made it extremely deadly. Paradoxically, for the foremost cult of Death, Humakt forbids the use of death magics in his duels, and in fact his initiates take great pains to avoid killing each other. His greatsword was therefore deemed too lethal for duels.

But if Claig could not use his foremost weapon, then neither could his opponents. So two agreed to wield daggers instead. Despite being somewhat inept with the dagger, Claig readily agreed. The other two would be duels of broadswords, with which Claig is almost as competent as his greatsword. In all cases, each duel would be decided by first blood, with the loser taking no further part in the military side of the venture. No magic would be used on either side.

Daya was the first opponent, wielding a dagger and medium shield with Claig opting for dagger and parrying broadsword. (It sounds ludicrous to me but that’s Humaktis for you.) Daya proved slow but skilful, they exchanged a couple of thrusts but then Daya drew blood with a thrust into Claig’s legs. So Claig would not be able to oppose the Ingillis. So far so bad – but the clock was ticking.

Another Humakti bound Claig’s leg – it was barely a scratch – and he faced his next opponent. This was Biyu Ola, again using dagger and shield. This time they sparred back and forth for some time. At one point Biyu had to exchange his dagger because Claig had damaged it with a parry. Resuming the fight, Biyu eventually fumbled. While he was wide open, Claig stabbed him in the leg and Biyu fell over. As his comrade bound his wound, Biyu acknowledged Claig’s victory and gifted him with the damaged dagger as a memento. So Biyu was now an observer.

The third opponent was Uku Paolo, a hulking individual fighting with a broadsword and no shield. Claig faced him with two broadswords but using just that in his right hand. They sparred for a long time, their swords ringing with parry after parry – how the Humaktis must have loved this. Then suddenly Claig hammered through Uku’s parry, utterly destroying his sword and laying his arm open to the bone! There was quite a commotion because this was a very serious injury. Uku survived but he too was out of the larger fight.

The last bout was against Hudu Sadalay, who used dagger and large shield with Claig again wielding dagger and parrying broadsword. I think Claig may have been tiring by this point because their duel was over very quickly, Hudu stabbing Claig in the leg.

So, two Humaktis were out of the fight but we had lost Claig. I’m not sure whether Ormiston counted as out as well. It doesn’t seem to have been made clear, but Claig did lose twice and Daya suggested both join Biyu and Uku at the back of the Ingilli formation as they resumed their march.

But the crucial thing was that all this had wasted half an hour…!

Resuming their march, the Humaktis kept tight discipline but Ormiston overheard the Threestoners when they reported back from their scouting. After ten minutes of easy progress they had found a street blocked by rubble that hadn’t been there yesterday (the rubble, I mean, not the street). Fearing an ambush, they worked around the sides, skilfully moving in, unseen and unheard, only to find no one defending.

Tagh gave Ormiston a look – she at least realised all the palaver with the duels had just bought time for this – and that was another quarter hour lost and the scouts were all the more cautious.

Shortly after, they encountered another fake ambush, this time with shields in place, suggesting it was manned. Once again they worked their way forwards, suspecting a fake but taking no chances.

Then suddenly a slingshot ricocheted off a wall, which probably saved the leg of the man behind it. Of course, all the Threestoners dived for cover. They discussed tactics and set about outflanking the position. But then one of their team mistakenly stumbled out into the open, only to be narrowly missed by another slingshot, this time from behind – were they being surrounded?

Taking meticulous care, they steadily invested the position over the next quarter hour, only to find the defenders flown. In fact the position can’t have been heavily defended, but they couldn’t cover all the exits.

A little later they were again delayed by deadfall trap. Overhearing all this, and catching the sour glances from the Ingilli troopers, Ormiston grinned and started singing a rousing marching song at the top of his voice – we heard this a mile away.

Meanwhile, as previously mentioned, I’d had a very quiet watch. (Well until Ormiston started singing – I wonder if Mirry knows her groom-to-be cannot sing a note?) I had worried that the sleds might be attacked by some horrible Chaos critters, which it would be my job to take on. But the only thing of note I saw was far away, right across the far side of Old Pavis – a huge, winged draconic shape – a wyrm! But too far away, alas, to do more than take a quick note. After all, I had a job to do.

The first I learned of all the above was on seeing Torvald sauntering down the middle of the street just as the slaves were hauling the third millstone into the square. The previous stone was on the stair and the first was being manoeuvred onto the Newtling pontoon.

I gladly hailed Torvald, who wore the biggest, dirtiest grin it’s ever been my misfortune to see on anyone. Of course it was he who had held up the Ingillis with fake ambushes and discrete use of his sling. He’d won us the time by playing pranks – well it’s what Eurmalis do.

By the time the Ingillis reach the square, the last stone is on the stairs. Daya declares us to be trespassing on the Ingilli claim and demands we depart, which we’re happy to do. He must see the millstone on the stairs but he’s obviously happy to abide by the letter of his orders.

So we get away with all three millstones. As we watch the last being lifted onto the raft, Scopas asks what happened with the Ingilli and Claig glosses over the action. Due to the loading on the sleds, Gavia had to hide some camp equipment on the edge of the claim, which we may have to retrieve at some point.

It turns out that the Newtlings are very happy with us because the cliff toad we slew yesterday morning was known as Old Broasca, sometimes known as the Queen of the Toads. And they’re now happy to include me with Ormiston and the others. In fact they’re so happy that they offer to smuggle our residual loot past Lunar customs, now and in the future.

Back in Rivergate, we’re given 25 Lunars each, as per contract, and Pluron takes our addresses so Nesiotes can forward our share of whatever he gets for the millstones.

Next we go to the Lhankor-Muy temple, which is where I’m still staying. An apprentice fetches the priest who talked to Claig and we show him the plaque, which is a self-powered matrix of Extinguish III. He appraises it carefully and ventures that in the Pavis markets it would probably be worth 200 Lunars. On behalf of the temple, he offers 260, which Ormiston accepts with a show of consideration.

Over the next few days we sell the other loot that the Newtlings helped get past customs, including a damaged broadsword, a scale hauberk and a gold armband.

A week later Nesiotes pays us 150 Lunars to retrieved the stached camp equipment. This is an easy job and I think we’re deliberately overpaid by Nesiotes as a reward for our efforts with the stones. Around the same time we get another 75 Lunars each as our share of the profits.

Daya passes word around that the claim now belongs to the Ingillis and even does us the honour of sending us a map outlining the claim.

I turn to my studies, pouring over Auld Wyrmish documents, seeking word of a Wyrm seen in Pavis – the thing was huge, it must be an easy matter to find it again. I must find time to visit the Dragon temple.

There’s no Elmal temple in New Pavis but I pay my respects Fireday of Truthweek at the local Ernalda temple.

Ormiston tells me Watu has mentioned a new venture some time soon…