Hagbard the Guard had led them true. Before the Thrappled Lemmings lay the beleaguered beacon tower of Tor Varden. A muffled scream was heard.
"Sounds like there is someone still alive in there."
The Thrappled Lemmings responded. Battered, bloodied and beaten after their last encounter, they still stood taller, checked their weapons and necked a quick swallow of beer before sneaking up to the main door. They had the keys, so getting in was easy and they were fairly sure no one had spotted them.
"Kalfr, you, Hagbard and Ash guard our backs. Follow us in and provide support once we see what we face. The rest of you are with me. Let's go"
Aethelwyrd shoved open the doors to the tower and steeled herself for what she might find. They were entering through the storage room. It was piled high with crates and supplies. There were four Orcs in the room that would need clearing out of the way before they got to the next door.
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| A storage room |
"Lemmings, Go! Go! Go!" Aethelwyrd called her little group to action and they all burst through the doors. Aelfwyn dashed in and took up position on the left. A hasty shot badly wounded one Orc. Bergsveinn moved into cover to the left and let loose a wild arrow shot. Aethelwyrd and Onund moved together down the centre path. The two Orcs in the centre of the room charged the two heroes and were cut down in two strokes of Aethelwyrd's sword. The other Orcs moved towards the fight.
Aethelwyrd and Onund charged the nearest Orc. Aethelwyrd received a sword cut to the ribs but rolled with the punch.
"'Tis but a scratch! Onwards Lemmings!"
Bergsveinn had moved up to support them but his arrow went wild again. The Orc took umbrage at this and charged him. While it was busy trying to kill Bergsveinn, Aelfynn ran up and slew it in one blow.
The others then rushed through the door to join them. The fight was short and the Orcs were soon dead, giving Ash and Bergsveinn the chance to loot the room as the others grouped by the next door. Onund pushed it open. A scene of bloody horror greeted them. On a bloodstained altar in the centre of the room lay a sewn together corpse. Beside it, an Orc shaman was chanting while two Orc guards stood between the Lemmings and the table.
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| The shaman's workshop |
Aethelwyrd, Onund and Aelfwynn charged into the room. The others followed and a hard fight began.
"Stick it to 'em, Lemmings!" yelled Aethelwyrd, who was wounded in several places. Hagbard was green around the gills after the shaman's poisoned dagger found a home in his shoulder. Onund had a bad wound in his leg. But the Lemmings had managed to surround the Orcs and cut them all down very quickly. The raced on to the next room. Time was of the essence if they were to rescue any surviving prisoners.
"Together, Lemmings ho!" cried Aethelwyrd as she opened the door into the next room.
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| The torture chamber/barracks |
The floor was bloodstained except where bloodstained rugs had protected it. Stairs to the roof of the tower were in one corner and there were beds, tables and torture devices scattered around. A lone soldier was only just holding off a large Orc, whole two other Orcs looked on at the bleeding, desperate warrior. Two prisoners were shackled to the wall on the far side.
As one, the Lemmings charged into the room, intent on rescuing those within. The distraction was just what the beleagured soldier needed. As the big Orc glanced at the intruders, the soldier stepped in under the Orc's massive sword and landed a vicious blow to the throat that left the Orc choking to death on the floor. Aelfwynn shot the farthest away Orc and wounded it and the others took up position in the room to support each other as Aethelwyrd engaged the closest Orc. Onund was the first to reach the big Orc and loot it.
"Hey, look, this Orc's carrying Olde Kingdom Golden Beer!"
With the big Orc down, the other Orcs were easy meat, as the Lemmings surrounded and cut them down, although the Orcs still put up a fight and wounded Aethelwyrd.
"Hey, Onund, let's see that beer."
Onund passed it other to Aethelwyrd unthinkingly. She chugged it down.
"Ah, that's better!"
Onund started to protest and then thought better of it.
"Right, free the prisoners and bandage your wounds, Lemmings. Let's go. Chop, chop!"
"Thanks for the rescue," the soldier said gratefully.
"Just doing our job, sir. Now, what's your name?"
"Atli, ma'am."
"Right, Atli, you and Hagbart can escort these two back to town. They won't make it on their own. We're heading up the stairs to see if we can rescue anyone else."
As Aethelwyrd instructed Atli and Hagbart, the others were looting the place. They found a Potion of Healing and a Potion of Wraithwalk. There was nothing else of any real value here.
"Come on, you lot," Aethelwyrd ordered, "grab a swig of beer and let's get moving."
She led the way to the stairs.
Well, minor injuries all round, a ridiculous number of critical hits by the Lemmings, including one by the unarmed soldier that killed the Orc Sergeant in one blow, and the Lemmings are ready to move on up. That was quick, bloody and very exciting.
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