Laugher crackled over the crackle of the fire that burned the pile of corpses in the middle of the village. The east-men mocked the five men that stat in only a modest cloth that had been wrapped around their waist to cover their nakedness. Urses whispered to the men as they watched a well dressed, elaborately armored man approach them. "Stand firm, do not break. The halls of the Father await us."
The lieutenant scowled at the men, looking to Urses as he spotted his grey mane. He grinned and reached out for it, only find the teeth of a north-man sinking deep into his hand. Urses smiled widely as he spit upon the east-mans shoes. "I wonder if north-men are this fiery when they are descending to hell, I'd ask the others around here but they aren't very lively, are they?" The lieutenant gave a wide, toothed grin.
Druhd lashed out, growling and struggling to get to the man, only to find a boot making solid contact with his jaw. The lieutenant was moving in to finish the kill before being interrupted by an armored scout that struggled for his breath. "Lieutenant Yilgtig! Lord Aphar has sent word, he wishes you to travel to Bree, he said you will find more instruction there. He wishes you to hurry your business here and travel at once." Yilgtig's sighed and nodded, motioning for four of his elite to approach. "Finish the north-men and then begin trade with the ones who pledged to us. Then make your way to the war camp in Eregion. I will return when I am able. Is that understood?" Yilgtig looked to the men with a raised brow as the pressed a fist to their chest and gave a slight bow.
Yilgtig saddled his decorated white horse, scoffing as he gave one last look to the east-men before nudging his horse with what seemed like golden spurs. Urses looked to one of the elites and grinned widely as he spoke. "Did they run out of women where you lived lad, because you're uglier than sin itself." Urses laughed as he watched the now agitated east-man approach quickly, his hand taking the spear from one of the men who stood beside him. He raised the spear and smiled as he opened his mouth to speak, but the sound that was heard instead surprised even the north-men. A horn sounded outside the village, its loud call echoing across the plains. Soon it was not just one horn, as another followed, then two more after that. The east-men stopped, looking towards the figures that covered the plains.
Men and women stood readied along the fields, their shields raised and closed together, though one woman stood before the army. Her brown mane billowed in the breeze, her shield lay at her side as she lowered the horn.
Urses smiled as he looked to the woman and the shield it bore. A grey bear's head, its maw opened wide as if it was roaring set upon a green background. It was the shield of Bulivye the grey, passed down from his father. The woman gripped it tightly as she drew her sword, shouting curses and foul things at the east-men. He knew this woman, he knew her well, for it was his mother.
The east-men stumbled and yelled to each other as they took up arms once more and marched onto the field, their chariots riding out hard before them, moving with great speed towards the northern army. The foot soldiers began to run behind, watching the carnage unfold in front of them.
Urses nodded to Druhd, who turned to mock the guard standing close. "Hey! Shouldn't yeh go join yer friends! Death won't wait for long, he's a busy man, my friend here would know!" He laughed as he nodded to Urses, who was now looking to Druhd with wide eyes. The east-man now turned to the gray haired north-man and drew his dagger, a wide grin across his face as he chuckled. "Your friend, thinks you cannot die, let us show him otherwise?" He scoffed as he walked closer.
Urses rose up quickly, his head hitting just underneath the east-man's, sending him staggering backwards shortly before being pushed upon the fire pit. His screams filled the village as Druhd cut himself free, then moved to cut Urses and the others loose as well.
The group scurried for any gear they could salvage, Druhd looked to Urses as the two quickly tried to toss on any armor they could find. "What do we do? How should we attack?" Urses looked around as he hefted a javelin, then looked to Druhd. "We kill them all, there will be not one east-man that draws breath upon this field when we are through." Druhd nodded and smiled, watching as Urses picked up a sword, holding the hilt with his shield hand as he held the javelin in the other, charging behind the ranks of the eastern army.
