"What's the commotion all about?", A man was sitting on his wooden chair covered with brown fur; he was holding one of the parchments that rested on a rectangular blackwood table when he heard shouting outside the room. The walls made out of rocks which formed an arch, he was inside a "cave" although the floor made out of wooden planks that made creaking noises if you step on them, since he was inside a cave, the sounds outside echoed.
He did not expect anyone to come inside since he spoke silently, so he stood up and walk through the doorway, four torches attached on the walls, from north, south, east and west. He did not need to remove one of them to illuminate his path since every 3 meters of the cave's pathway; a torch placed.
After a minute of walking, he finally got out of the cave, where he saw few people grouped facing the same direction, "Uhmm-", he was about to ask what's the ruckus all about when he saw a broad yellow light that puffed black smoke far away.
"Troll Leader, I think one of the outposts is on fire", a man from the group noticed the appearance of the curious man.
"So that's it…", the Leader pondered for a moment, but the Troll just stayed waiting for what the Leader will say.
" Gather other nine men and go to the outpost, check the state, report to me as soon as you can", after hearing the order, the Troll went back to the gathering while the Troll Leader just stayed standing looking at the high smoke. Opposite of what's expected he instead smiled for a second so his underlings won't misinterpret his unusual reaction.
***
"So who'll stay?", Zorin and the others were about ten meters from the burning house; he was facing the group of men waiting for an order.
"Few Trolls will be sent to check here, so I need volunteers to ambush them, 7 will do", Zorin spoke after seeing the eyes of his men, there were twenty of them when they started, and so far there was no casualty on their side but since then we'll be separated for a bit he can't avoid worrying.
" If you know that the Trolls' forces are higher than you can stomach, don't bother", He spoke with satisfaction because after a minute he spoke the next step, the rest already decided which one is best for the job.
"So the twelve of you... you know the plan we discussed for the ones who did not volunteer, Let's Go!"
"Yes Sir Zorin!", the twelve responded with loyalty and respect.
"I hope I won't get used to this…", Zorin responded with a smile.
"Zorin, aren't the plan have to do with the little guy?", One of the twelve that we're about older by five years asked.
"Yes, Hanzo, we're going to meet along the way to the lair, what is it?", Zorin already have the idea of the reason the older man asked him that question. "Not to be disrespectful but I think Sir Zorin overestimate the fellow he's probably younger than my granddaughter, I lack to see what's special in Hanzo", the man explained.
"Understandable Murri, because we did not have time for a test of sword you all probably thought I was just convincing you with flowers on my mouth perhaps If we meet Hanzo on the way, I don't have to explain in the future". Zorin knew that what he spoke won't convince the others that much, but he smiled knowing he tried.
Few were thinking about it, but the others look like they did not mind at all.
They were walking when they were having the conversation, did waste time to talk after few minutes although they were far from the road to the Lair, the noises of the Horses footstep became clearer.
"Goodluck to them", Zorin spoke while the other's just looked at him with assurance.
A few minutes have passed since Zorin, and the others have left the outpost, the others were still on the open, "The Trolls will be here in a matter of minutes", one of the seven spoke nervously.
"Ohh… We forgot to burn the tower", one turned his head towards the tower.
"Do we need to, I mean we can't use that, it's much dangerous", one commented.
The speaker did not have to explain what we mean when the others agreed in their ways.
The time they're waiting for has come, evidence of it was the increasing volume of horses' footstep and men's voice that became words as they get closer.
The seven were hiding on the bushes when the ten trolls have arrived near the house spectating the massive fire that is running out. Few of them started circling the burning structure.
" No Trolls outside, if nothing happened, they should be waiting here", one Troll spoke.
"Shit! Check the tower; it seems fine", the troll who approached the Leader earlier ordered.
He was waiting for one of them to reach the top of the towers, and when he finally did, the man seems to freeze like a rock and then the man shouted nervously, "The watchers are dead!!"
The others were surprised; they figured out that the fire incident was not an accident but done by someone. The seven who volunteered were watching the Trolls figuring out what transposed. Three of them were hiding on east while the rest was on the west.
"Ten trolls, now who will fire first?", one of the men hiding on the west asked.
"Gjoire? you're the farmer who hunts", one recommended a young man who has no choice to volunteer.
"You all be careful! the enemies are probably still lurking nearby, mind your surroundings!", There was no response by the other Trolls since it was unnecessary.
Gjoire was done conditioning himself, choosing which is the best troll to shoot, high accuracy and considerable damage, "This guy…", all the other already know that the moment the arrow was released they also start attacking then it happened.
"There's probably still here…", The leader of the assigned force murmured, the heat and the noise of the flames were distracting him, so he let his horse step away by five steps, the sound distracted him for a second that's when he realised one of his comrades fall from his horse. He had no time to think of other reasons why the man when he saw the head impaled with an arrow.
"We're under attack!", he did not have time to think and shouted as loud as he can so the other eight became aware of the danger.
He felt unfortunate that he did notice where the arrows shot from, carefully approached the corpse and estimated it's on his north-west, when realised and looked at the direction, saw something is coming fast luckily he managed to dodge as he falls on his horse luckily. The sudden landing causes his back pain, but he had no time to complain and used his horse a meat shield for more incoming arrows.
It's just not him who noticed the arrow shot; the others were already shouting that on there's an archer on that direction, so they became wary not to get shot, it was very bright on their location, but the fire's light was not able to reach the shooter's position. They already know that the enemy was there.
So the other three was glad that the trolls are being careful on the other direction, " We can't let them escape, so we have to do this now", one bravely talked, the other's just nod and sneakingly approached the trolls, stupidly, the trolls did not bother looking in the other direction. Someone even tried to contact the archer almost acting like a bait that's when one of the farmers jumped to a riding troll and cut his throat successfully without enough opposition he loudly pushed the corpse body, still showering blood ,so he can ride the horse on his own, the horse did not even bother struggling. Two of the trolls noticed the incident one approached the farmer, spear on his hand, ready to impale the murderer of his comrade.
His senses only focused on the single threat, so he failed noticed the arrow targeted on him, still alive, he halted his horse, feeling the pain on his left shoulder," Shit…", he looked at the predicted direction where it came from, a man on the process of reloading another arrow, standing on the green grass, on his right, was a man shouting, running while holding an axe on his left hand.
" Fuck!", knowing that he'll die soon if he doesn't avoid the sight of the archer, he turned back his horse and try to approach the others but two of his comrade past by him, with eyes burning with flames, he frozen for a second before he turned around again and ran towards the archer who caused him pain.
The farmer on the open, holding an axe was barely holding on, one of the trolls attacked him with a sword that wounded him on his left arm that caused him pain but what he was bothered about that he can't grip it as tight as earlier so focused on defending himself from the trolls riding their horses.
The idiot troll who approached the direction of the archer was holding his broadsword on his left hand talking to himself with a strange tone, "Come out men…let's See your faces". He was not just staying on one location but walking his horse from left and right, as if he's teasing the archer to shoot.
Gjoire granted his wish and shot his arrow, somehow the man was still alive and horridly approached the other trolls, and he was groaning in pain, but the other trolls just looked at him with a strange expression, not killed, but was shot on below his left chest.
The leader was still using his horse as a shield when he noticed the idiot comrade of his coming back wounded. "We have to back now", he looked at the faces of the three men in front of him and no other response but nod in agreement.
The Trolls on the other side were not aware of the new incident of the other comrades; they focused on exterminating the enemies. The axe-wielding farmer was already near to death; he suffered slashes from the two horsed trolls. On the trolls side, the spearman, already slew and one of the two swordsmen, hit by an arrow on his left arm, so he had to turn back before it gets messy.
The only enemy left here was the swordsman who did not suffer any severe wounds, He looked at the other survivor, knowing that the other's can't continue fighting he gave a signal with his eyes, to run away before they get trapped and die. The wounded troll did not have any choices and even run first, looking back from time to time for possible incoming arrows.
Seeing his comrade already run away, the other one followed but the success of running away unharmed got lessen when he noticed the arrow that nearly him, he heard another fast horse footstep beside him, he looked back, the riding enemy is approaching him, still holding the bloodied sword on his right hand, targeting him with eyes of hatred.
Based on the situation, the Trolls have a lesser chance on achieving victory, they, already trapped the moment they arrive on the burning outpost, but it's not too late to break free and report to the Troll Leader, only seven of them were alive, still conditioned to fight.
"I have to get down or else", the one who checked on the tower was still standing on top when the farmers initiate their ambush because he was on top, he's the only witness of the deaths on both side, knowing the danger below. He hesitated going down the ladder. Fortunately, he was able to tie down his horse on the wooden support of the tower or else it will probably run away he thought.
Somehow the enemies somehow forget there's a living troll in the tower, they did not release an arrow to the tower yet, that's what he hoped for. The burning house was a bit far but the heat combined with his nervousness resulted in great sweatiness all over his body and probably the fact that he was almost stepping on two corpses who seems looking at him, tempting him to join them. He expected a worse smell from the bodies but what he got was the foul smell of blood, he needed to climb down as soon as he can.
" They're grouped already, we can't let them get away", one of the four farmers spoke with intention, the others did not respond verbally but walked out from their hiding place and went to the open grass, since the enemies, focused on the direction, they, of course, noticed the farmers coming out.
Two of the Trolls were archers, the moment the enemies were in the open they released an arrow each, unfortunately they missed then prepared another shot. Knowing that the greater threat was the two archers, Gjoire loaded an arrow and carefully adjusted himself, to assure Gjoire' the hunter' survival, one farmer holding a wooden shield was left while the other two started running towards the Trolls.