Howls were going up from the thick forest, but they weren't coming from wolves. Forstrang didn't partake in the roars of his pack when they met another group of the likeminded. His throat ached from the cold that had been nagging him for days on end and the others had avoided him for fear of catching it themselves. Hjerban, the oldest and the leader opened his hand and showed his palm to the leader of the other group. On Hjerban's hand the image of a blue wolf was tattooed, on the other man his hand the symbol of a red squirrel, "Hailoz Hjerban!" "Wes thu Ulm hailoz!" The men did not embrace and there was a fair bit of wariness present on either side. Ulm gave note on how few Hjerban's group were, "What happened?" "Weaving creatures and shadow-walkers..", came a response cold as the weather. Ulm was a bulky figure and the winter had not seen him go lean like most would under the harsh circumstances. He had a ponytail on his head that stood on his head with tight leather ere it fell down, it made him look taller. Something that Hjerban knew was a frustration of the man for if such a marriage were possible they might've thought his mother was a dwarf. All in all he was fairly generous overall to other packs in the region and it showed, "Hrm.. I offer you a few of our women to join your pack after this ordeal. You need more sons and daughters, hah!" Hjerban nodded in thankfulness, knowing otherwise his branch of the Blue Wolves would wither away within a few years. Ulm looked around, "Where are the Ravens?", he asked and he gave two of his warriors a quick call to go stand on the lookout.. "Think they care to come? They are not too fond of raiding the nearby villages, they rather take from Orcs or Dark men if they can not catch any game." Ulm sat down on a thick treeroot, most of his pack did aswell. He spread his hands wide with a smile, "They will have to do so because we have taken all we could find for ourselves! And anything we can't catch we scare away!" Hjerban dryly looked at him, "Hreh? Why would you do that? Or never mind, I think I know.. I thought it was only rumour that the Squirrels and the Ravens were at war. You want to subjugate them by force." The man nodded, "Hard minds get softened when bellies grumble for food hehe! And they are many, so what they keep often goes away quickly just aswell." Hjerban shrugged, in truth he did not care, his standing with the Ravens was never particularly worthwhile, "If they come to fight and help us, then I do not care too much." A scout appeared, "Ulm, they are here.", this man whispered.. The Wolves of Hjerban joined ranks with the Squirrels of Ulm and Forstrang grumbled inwardly as his aching head prevented him from being concentrated.
A broad blonde man clad in wool approached with those in his following, he lifted his mane up to expose the tattoo of a grey raven that was standing on his neck, "Hoy.", he said clearly not liking the company he was in. It showed that his warriors were not too pleased either by this meeting. Ulm sprang up at this, "Hailoz Gramtyr, good to see that you arrived after all! Wouldn't want to start the fun without our new allies at our side!" Forstrang was watching this bit of show with a faint smile on his face now, from what he knew of the man, his father got killed by Ravens not long after his birth. For all he cared in the next raid they would all end in a grisly way.. and it was almost as if his wish was about to come true.
"...and you and your Ravens will take the head of the lead.", Ulm grunted. Gramtyr took up his two-handed axe with an expression that warranted where rather he'd like to plant it. "Remember, your people will starve and not make it till spring if you make a wrong decision today!", Hjerban yelled. Gramtyr shot the man a glance and whistled in the air, he and his warriors started to move, "Follow then." They all did and with a group numbering over a hundred they began their march up to the village Forstrang remembered. Yet they never quite got near it..
--
The many men and women speeded along the many paths along the trees, signs of habitation starting to become evident. Gramtyr smiled slightly as he could see the fruits of the effective fighting force that defended these people. Clusters of Orcish heads and those of Men aswell were nailed to the trees, the warning clear. The man could respect that and it ate at him he was about to attack them. Behind them Ulm and Hjerban were going upwards shoulder to shoulder. Ulm couldn't smile any more, "Once we get over the walls we rush to the halls, let Gramtyr and his wretches deal with those within. If it looks like it's worth something, take it along and we rush back where we came from." Hjerban scratched his scruffy beard, "Think the Ravens will be happy with that if we leave 'em on their own?" "Heh, the less of them getting out of there the better, when that is done we pay a visit to the rest of their family. We'll be needing more hands to carry all the goods inside anyways." Then suddenly a roar of pain went up, Hjerban frowned and turned around, "Be quiet!", he hissed as loud as he could. Forstrang's eyes widened instantly and he grabbed the spear he had made after losing his axe in the previous raid. More cries went up and among these panic! "Ambush!!", a hoarse voice cried out, "They're everywhere!" Those who had raised their shields over their heads, javelins bounced from them time and again, .. then all suddenly was dead quiet but for the moans of those that were now dying. Forstrang looked ahead of him, finding shelter beneath the cover of others their protection. At the edges several tried to escape, but the impact of arrows within flesh made clear that to try and run was as good as a death sentence. Ulm shouted out, "Circle.. form a circle! Gram get your Ravens over here!" Now beneath a hut of shields they were all hunching to protect their bodies, .. once or twice a javelin would try to get through, but no avail. A stalemate. "They have come to punish us for trespassing..", Gramtyr said unto the other two leaders by the time he got there.Forstrang whom was right behind his oldest brother heard in on the conversation and gave Hjerban a push, "Hé, what do we do now?", he grumbled. All around the men were waiting for the call, the loss of several already rising up a lust for vengeance. All but those going by the symbol of the Ravens. Gramtyr spoke unto his own, "We shall have to fight for our lives, do not be dismayed. You came here on my calling and therefore your honor is still intact, now raise your spears and fight well! When they come it will be hard! Withstand their charge and they will crash on us like a foolish horse into a wall!" Ulm cried out, "If any of them get too close you will bite, you will scratch, you'll tear at them with all you have until nothing remains! Like a bear does unto dogs!" Cries and cheers went up, the men and women howled like beasts! And then amidst the ruckus a voice roared, "Boar's charge!" Forstrang immediately recognized it. It had been engraved in his mind for the past days and the wonder as to if he killed his worthy opponent was answered there and warriors rushed in a group the shape of a triangle that was led by old men that all had symbols drawn on them, symbols of death. They crunched into the hut of shields with such force that those holding it were brought down even as these elders were spitted on spears or killed once they got surrounded. It was apparent to the leaders why they did so, these men sacrificed themselves so the youths behind them could live and fight on! A brave and courageous gesture, but not to be rewarded if it were up to Ulm and Hjerban. As the mass of warriors had charged into the circle they split it apart momentarily, a critical part where either the charging warriors could scatter the invaders. Or whether they would be enveloped and killed! Forstrang stuck his spear into one of his enemies' necks! The bone tip of it was drenched in red and he jabbed time and again while howling like a berserker! No thought lingered in his mind, not even time to hope that he wouldn't be blindsided! Ulm rammed his shield in the side of one of his opponents and sent him headlong to the ground, "Come on!", he managed to yell as a javelin only nearly missed from lodging itself in the top of his head to hit the man behind him in the chest..
It was a horrific brawl if nothing else, women and men fell all around with each passing heartbeat as knives, clubs, spears or axes drank deeply from their blood or bit within their bodies! Gramtyr fended off a man with bitter resistance. He squinted as a spray of blood threatened to blind him from the side , it was all distraction his opponent needed. A swift chop of his enemy's own two-handed axe went deep in his shoulder, his left arm hung loose on his body and he went down! Cries of grief rose from throats at the death of this man, but nobody that tried to avenge him succeeded in their attempt! This large man's axe was viciously swift and blow for blow split anyone living that got too close! Forstrang roared as a club was swung, he could feel the impact go throughout his body by the relatively futile strike of someone that couldn't finish what had been started! Hjerban glanced around him, a mad grin on his bloodied face, he gave a kick to one of the charging warriors that sent his feet from out under him and another to one of Ulm's Squirrels to get him out of the way.. "Hrah! Time to go..", he dragged everyone of his own that still lived with him, knowing full well it was forlorn. Atleast now when the battle was still raging they had a chance.. Asgal still lived.. Carnute.. Ehla.. ten more he thought.. it was by the time he managed to get Tondra out that he heard a horn blowing.. and a broad drum being hit in a fast rythm, not the one of a hasty march.. it was almost like one could dance to it. He knew he had to go now if he wanted to live and with those yet alive he so did.. leaving the others to the mercy they wouldn't receive.
In the distance that was closed swiftly men garbed with rich thick cloaks on their shoulders that draped over thick padded protection or chainmail came jogging. They had long thick spears in one hand and broad rectangular shields in the other with spiked bosses. Their bronze helmets were beautifully decorated with images of animals and their visors protected most of their faces, these were the houseguard of the locals. No doubt tried and tested men who knew their way around in battle. Among them was grinning boy. Forstrang stumbled back from the fight clutching the spot where the club had connected. He stumbled on his back and crawled away further from the battle.. He saw how the remainder of Ulm's men and those of Gramtyr were charged in the back by these veterans by two, expertly they struck for necks, legs or bellies. When one man jabbed, the other would withhold his spear and this went on in endless repeat as long there were enemies for them to take out. For all it's simplicity it worked within the chaos created and soon all the invading warriors were either dead, wounded, on the run or captured. Forstrang's heartbeat raced and his mind worked with all the sharpness it could muster. A cheer went up and as it so did from all around the forest people that had been lying in hiding now emerged with satchels,.. the wounded were being tended now.. Forstrang took little heed of them, only the hale warriors interested him. He saw the giant he had fought and gnashed his teeth a bit, that is why the spirits had allowed him to become sick his sacrifice did yet live.. He saw a redheaded boy prance around the fallen to embrace the bigger one, they seemed to have similar eyes, perhaps brothers. The youngest then walked up to Gramtyr and lifted one of his hands, "One of the Ravens? Since when ...?" The larger boy shrugged his shoulders while cleaning his axe with a cloth, "Never seen any with that symbol here before brother.. maybe.. uh.. maybe a crow or hawk?" "Spare me!", .. Ulm had survived the onslaught, "I can tell you all you need to know about them! They were the ones that forced us to come here to these lands!" .. Forstrang looked on with amazed interest.. The youngest pointed at him, "Show us your hand.." The man stiffened a second and held up his palm. "A Squirrel in red.. hrmm.." "Murderous raiders.", the biggest boy said, "Hrm.. now I have to make my axe dirty again.." "No! No, wait! WAIT!" "Brother, halt a moment..", the youngest said.. the older boy did. "I know the hideouts and meets of the Blue Wolves.." The eldest boy squeezed his brows towards eachother, "Killed some of us last week..", there was wrath in those words. "You will be certain they shall come again and again.. unless.. unless you have someone that can help you root them out, you would win more by letting me live!".. Silence.. There were no Wolves present to curse him.. none that lived atleast. The Squirrels all were sweating in waiting for what fate would bring them, to die by the word of these children would be a foul death indeed. The Ravens all that survived looked grey and utterly beaten.. only a handful of them were glancing at Ulm with open disgust. .. The young boy spoke, "They will come with us brother." The warriors still able to stand went to tie their hands with rope.. "All of them?", the oldest brother asked.. The warriors halted.. weapons were held more firmly again.. The boy took his time again, then with a laugh said, "Ha-hahahah.. the one with the squirrel on his hand.. and the ravens will come with us! Father will want to know all he can from them.. the others. Meh, you do what you wish with them." And as Ulm's branch of his family was being wiped out while he got taken away, Forstrang decided it was time to sneak off himself aswell.
--
He got up on his feet and thought of what had happened the day prior. He was unarmed, but for his stone knife meant to cut meat.. It had gone unused for far too long. At first he had considered to go back to Hjerban .. but ill luck was met too often and more was in the coming if Ulm would betray them. No , he was never the wisest , but he wasn't -that- stupid. His feet carried him southeast, which was decided simply on a whim.. He felt drawn to it. So he went till he left Mirkwood and beyond.. if he didn't get anything he'd steal it. If he wasn't listened to, he'd fight and so by the passing of time he turned into a brigand. None of it getting better once he ran into a man named Styrk...
