"Hey... Get those beams put in place... We need to get our archers in a high position so they can strike, before they arrive."
Mouse sat on the branch smiling, watching the other keep prepare for the attack. "Ahh. Sir... What about the soldiers here... Should we do something about their armor or anything?"
"No need... They will just hide in the forest and be scouts. When they see them coming, the archers will be ready to strike."
"Makes sense, what about us... Are we still going to just wait for them here, or can't we at least try and sneak in?"
"We will try... I'm sure their keep is a mess like ours. Even Carin said the forge is useless to him, and wasn't able to use it... I am sure they won't be able to use it either." Mouse watched the men nod around the leader. "When do we send them into the forest?"
"Since we don't have a map or any idea what is out there, it's better for us to just wait for them to arrive... Once they arrive we'll be able to capture their soldiers, and get all the information out of them... That's when we strike and take the flag."
Mouse sighed silently and shook his head. "Are you sure they'll try a direct attack?"
"You did see them in the second trial... They took everything with one person, they are very direct... There was no strategy at all. The rest just stood their while one person did all the work. My guess is that only one person in that team is strong, and they're doing all the trials." Mouse watched them nod. "Should we prepare for the one that moved as fast as they did?"
"Yes. The flag is at the top of the tower of the keep... Only way to get it is to climb... As you can see all the archers will be around there, so they will see anyone climbing, and shoot them down."
Mouse nodded. "That's a good plan... It seems you were paying attention during the second trial and prepared well for them." Mouse saw their leader smile and nod. "As a leader, I have to always be watching... If I didn't I wouldn't be a good firewarrior, would I?"
"You're a great firewarrior, and a leader. Will you be on the walls watching the flag and sniping as they arrive?" Mouse saw the leader look at the flag and shake their head. "No, I am going to be out in the forest hiding... I will start taking them down as they arrive... Their soldiers will be taken down first... I will also place some traps to slow them down further, and a greater chance for me to strike."
"That's a great plan... Sir." Mouse smiled, shaking his head. "Sir... We have a problem..." Mouse watched as a person ran into the camp. "What did you see?"
"You told me to do some scouting... I wasn't able to get too close... Their defense is very tight... They fixed the walls... There are no gaps in the walls at all. I think they are planning to sit and wait for us to go there. "I also was able to see smoke from their forge chimney, so I think they have been planning for defense, and not attack."
"That's good info... Good scouting... This is why you are the shadow of the group... You can see things others can't." Mouse sat on the branch with his head in his hands while kicking his feet quietly. "This is what we will do, since they want to defend. We will bring them out of their keep, and into the forest... We will use hit and run tactics, and snipe them off the walls... Hmm. Also you said they were able to get the forge working... I doubt they won't be able to do a whole lot after Carin, explained to me the low quality materials there, so I assume arrows and throwing spears will be their main style of fighting."
"How do we fight against that?" Mouse watched as the leader looked at the flag. "Easy... The forests... The trees will block the arrows and throwing spears... If they don't come out, we starve them out... This is going to be an easy victory for us warriors." Mouse looked at the flag on the top of the tower, and stood up on the branch he was sitting on. He smiled, and jumped around the keep until he stood on top of the pole the flag was on. "Sir look... On the flag pole." Mouse waved at the leader as he touched the flag. "Hey, it hasn't even started yet... You can't take it yet... Men shoot him down, if he's out than their team will fall apart."
Mouse stood up and yawned as he watched the arrows head towards him, and smiled as a bolt of fire energy was fired at him. He dodged and landed on the keep roof. He ran and jumped out of the keep, before running deep into the forest. He stopped, turned and listened to the sounds behind him. "He's ran into the forest... We can still catch him... Don't go. It's a trap. He just came to scare us, and take out our men... See the flag is still there... Tomorrow we attack their keep, and take their flag."
"Yeeeeahhhhhh! Lets get ready men, and drive them out of their shell." Mouse smiled, and started to run through the forest, jumping from branch to branch until he landed at his keep. He stood looking at the walls, smiled and touched the walls, closing his eyes.
"RRRuuummmblee!" He opened his eyes and watched as leaves and branches started to cover the walls, hiding it amongst the forest.
"What happened to our wall.....?" Mouse turned and looked as the brothers and the firewarrior came out and stared at the walls of the keep now hidden amongst the trees of the forest. He signed at them. "He said. They'll come tomorrow to drive us out of our keep. They have scouted the area, so he changed it slightly, and hid the work of the walls... They plan to try hit and run tactics, and starve us out of arrow ammunition and throwing spears."
"Good job Mouse... You have done very well."
"Hahaha... They think we are just going to sit here and wait for them in the walls..." He saw the firewarrior smile at the brothers. "As soon as Star returns with the map of the area, we can start planning our ambushes." Mouse started signing again. "He said, their leader is a firewarrior who uses a fire energy weapon. He has bad aim, but plans to be the sniper of the unit."
He saw the firewarrior nod. "Than if that is the case. I will show him what a true sniper really does and is." He turned and nodded as the priestess walked out of the forest with parchment in her hand. "I've mapped the entire area... There are lots of places to ambush along the paths, and off to the sides of the paths." He watched as she handed it to the firewarrior who looked over it quickly, before rolling it back up. "Everyone come into the keep... Lets plan this inside... Excellent work Star... Your eye for maps is detailed and incredible... This will help us win." Mouse turned and looked at the smiling priestess.
"Everyone come... We have planning to do now... Assemble!" Mouse watched as the newly armored soldiers lined up with Harnio and the brothers walking out of the keep with food on their faces. He walked up to Harnio and pointed at his face. He smiled as Harnio wiped the food off his face. "Thanks Mouse... That would of been embarrassing." Mouse winked at Harnio and pointed to the brothers. He watched as Harnio looked at them.
"Hahahaha..."
"What's funny Harnio? Did Mouse tell a joke or something?" Mouse shook his head. "Nnnnooo.... Mouse didn't tell me a joke... Ahh, I wasss thinkinggg abouttt somethingg, and it mmade me laugh... Yes... thatsss it."
"Harnio... Stop lying... Brothers, wipe your faces... You both look like animals that just ate through an entire carcass." Mouse looked at Harnio as he stared at the ground, and started signing. He turned to the firewarrior, watching as he rolled his eyes shaking his head. "He said... Once this is all over he will teach you how to lie better... Harnio... Being innocent is a good thing. You can ignore them sometimes you know?"
"Yes... Don't become corrupted by the animal brothers, and a mischievous shadow."
"Don't listen to her, and learn whatever you want to learn." He saw Harnio look at the brothers and nod. Mouse shook his head. "Enough of this horsing around... We need to plan... Mouse you were in their keep... How does it look?" Mouse started signing at the nodding firewarrior.
"He said, they didn't use the forge, since materials were low quality, and left the walls as they were. They placed planks in tower gaps for archers to shoot at range, and also surround the keep tower where the flag is. Since they will try hit and run tactics here using the forest as cover, we need to be prepared for them... Thanks Mouse... Good work."
"Did you see the flag?" Mouse nodded, while signing. "He said he saw it, and also touched it to annoy them."
"Why would you do something that stupid?"
"He did it to see their response, and how they would defend." Mouse nodded and looked at the firewarrior staring over the map. He walked up to the map and looked at the priestess in surprise. He signed at her. "He said, the map is very detailed, and the firewarrior is not wrong about your eye. The details are perfect."
"So what's the plan?" He looked at the firewarrior as he looked up at the group. Mouse looked down at the map in thought. "What if we remove some of the forest around the keep so they can't hide in it?" Mouse shook his head with the firewarrior. "That won't work... Remember we are going to ambush them?"
"Ahh yes... So where are the best points to lay ambushes?" Mouse pointed on the map three places. "I agree with Mouse..."
"So do I... When I saw those three locations, they were the easiest to walk through, but also easy to lay ambushes around..." Mouse looked up at Star and nodded in agreement. "Excellent. We have three groups and a fourth group that stays here just in case they find another way through the forest." Mouse shook his head at the firewarrior and signed. "Really? You can do that?" Mouse nodded. "Than. We are going to be leaving the keep empty... All will be out in the ambushes... Harnio... The warriors are ready, and their weapons are good. You have turned them into an excellent line... I will take the warriors to the largest point, and wait for them to come through there."
"What about us brothers?" He saw the firewarrior smile. "The both of you are going to cause trouble for them at their keep. Setting fires, stealing flags, the usual."
"Crack... Crack... Sounds fun... I can't wait."
"Harnio and Star the both of you will be taking the second point... It has the perfect position for sniping, and if their leader is a sniper, they'll be trying to reach that point before you... So the both of you head out this evening." He saw the firewarrior look at him. "Third point is all yours Mouse... If you do what you say, than no one will get getting through at all." Mouse smiled and nodded at the firewarrior signing. "He said if you have any trouble he will come in as support... All you have to do is put your hand on a tree trunk... He will come."
"Mouse, he can hear something if we touch a tree?"
"Brother... Look what he did to our wall? We can't even see it now? All the hard work we did is completely hidden."
"You mean, all the work I did?"
"Hahaha... Yes brother... All the work you did..."
"Since that is that... You know where you have to go, and what you have to do. For the sniping team, and Mouse you head out first. I will head out with the warriors later in the night, and the brothers, their keep is yours in the morning... Remember if you need support Mouse will come... Lets move and prepare."