| Subject: Rampage North |
Author:
Conder, NK
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Date Posted: 02:38:23 05/31/07 Thu
Roma unrolled the parchment map over the dimly lit oakwood table. The few torches in the room gave off a lazy incandescent glow, illuminating the fine print of the map just enough to read it. The small fortress they stood in made a tiny dent in the rolling forests of Mossflower, just a small hole in the trees. This hole in the trees is where the leader of the fortress stood, where Roma ruled. The squirrel gestured to a few points on the map with her paw to her accomplices in the room.
"Vermin incursions into Mossflower are taking place here, here and here." The locations were clustered together at the southeastern rim of the main forest. "Forces are drawing back for a regroup as we speak."
"Are we even safe here?" One of the creatures in the room, a matte-black mouse decked in iron chainmail as if it didn't weigh any more than normal summer clothing, inquired in a booming, deep voice.
"For the time being, we're fine, Espio. The reinforcements from Keystone Castle are due here in less than 12 hours and at the rate the vermin are moving, they can't make it here in 24. The palisade's still at some risk, though, so that's why I'm calling you here to the command center."
Espio's low, slow verbal cadence was heard again. "What sort of preparations do you suggest we take for the impending attack? Reinforcements should be able to handle a lot. It doesn't make sense to throw away our entire stockpile on things for war when we have someone coming to help half a day before they're due. You're being a, whaddya call it... Alarmist. That's it. You're being an alarmist again.""
"This assault is likely to take form in a three-pronged attack, with two divisions of infantry coming in from either side on the front and one coming in for an attack on the back, opposite the gate. Perimeter defenses are our main priority, since the vermin opposition can't take much directly through the forest besides people."
Another member of the small audience spoke, this one a lithe, muscular otter wearing a light taupe vest and matching shorts. "I have to admit you have a point with the forest effectively preventing the use of any real heavy weaponry. But that doesn't mean we should focus on just the perimeter. If we could cut some time out of wall guard preparation, we would have enough resources to do anything from spear pits to a mangonel!"
Roma frowned. "A mangonel? Spear pits? Don't exaggerate, Niron, really. We have limited resources here. Wood stockpiles are exceptionally low at this time, we don't have stone on hand for ammunition, and as for spear pits, we don't have the means to dig a pit OR load it with pressure-triggered, spring-loaded spikes! Really, you don't see that kind of stuff around here! Now, if we-"
But Roma was cut off then, because a boulder the size of the room they stood in crashed through the southern wall, rolled into the central complex and collapsed the building they were standing in.
"Yeah, load another! C'mon, lads, we just smashed their wall in!"
The trebuchet was daunting amidst the lush forestation. Clearly designed by a twisted beast, the ebony implement of destruction obediently lowered its arm for loading, raising the skull-shaped basalt counterweight from home into the high position. Two water rats struggled to maintain some semblance of synchronization as they heaved another boulder into the thorned net now waiting at the bottom of the assembly. Their overseer, a weasel wearing the obsidian insignia of a Lieutenant, continued to encourage them. His face only partially obscured by his steel helmet, the overseer's mouth turned to a jovial, white-toothed grin as he kept the duo moving.
"C'mon, let's get a move on! The infantry's holding back just for the next rock!" The Lieutenant hesitated, then glanced reproachfully at one of the rats. "Kernel, hold up your side of the stone, don't make poor Lancer do all the work!"
Kernel looked up apprehensively, lifted the boulder so much he was practically carrying the whole thing, and managed to gasp a response as he lugged it over to the net and then dropped it in. "Sorry, Lieutenant... Sir, I was lookin' at them fort... People! They're all... Freakin' out at the rock, sir, Lieute- Whuh! Lieutenant, sir!" Kernel dusted off his meticulously cleaned jacket from the contact with the boulder, then gazed up at the Lieutenant like a dibbun that just got caught in the middle of putting hotroot in an elder's cordial.
The overseer grinned again, while tripping the lever and releasing the second stone. "Hey, told you not to call me Lieutenant! Call me Skorden, you know it's my name!"
"Got it, Lieute- Skorden! Sir!"
"You'll want to turn round, Kernel," Skorden advised. "The boulder's coming back down now." Indeed, the mass of shale was now hurtling down through the air at the palisade wall, just left of where the initial rock struck. The new stone crunched down on the outer wall as if it were made of toothpicks and not fire-hardened wooden poles, and actually bounced--- BOUNCED--- up through the air, and down onto the central structure before rolling into the far wall. Since the palisade really wasn't large, and the trebuchet was, this only took a few seconds and only some ten more passed before the main infantry swept in and started making captures.
The first real northern incursion had begun.
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