Chapter One - On Rescuing a Duke

    Precis - The party, generally seperate at first, all come together via the circumstances and rescue Duke Crestwind from his besieged keep.

    Baron Widlow had been a surprisingly reasonable adversary, given the circumstances.  Lito could not comprehend the baron's choice of tactics, but ultimately couldn't fault the effects of them.  The baron, after a parley with Lito's father, duke Crestwind, had simply camped his army outside of the castle and witheld assault of any variety.  For two weeks, the siege had remained unbroken and unpursued; no one was allowed in or out of the castle, but not an arrow was fired.  No siege weapons were used, though not for lack of them; baron Widlow's forces clearly had six catapults and two battering rams at the ready, placed just outside of bowshot.  It was as though the baron was content to wait for duke Crestwind to either give up, or die of starvation.
    Lito had no head for tactics, really; he preferred the simplicity of a notched arrow and a clear target.  A hunt had no complex strategems, no intrigue, and no constant bickering.  The hunter did not need to worry about decieving his prey, and his prey did not need to worry about moral qualifications in his actions.  The siege was needlessly complex for Lito.  Duty and honor, while lovely ideas, seemed so inconsequential in front of the suffering of the castle's garrison and tenants.  What was his father thinking when he refused the baron's offer to surrender on the grounds of 'duty to his liege-lord?'
    "TRAITORS!!!"
    The hoarse cry broke Lito from his reverie, and he reflexively nocked an arrow to its string, scanning about the torchlit courtyard.  His vantage point in the south-eastern tower gave him a good view of the main courtyard and the town beyond the keep's walls.  Several parts of the army beyond were stirring, and the reflected moonlight off the armor and swords told Lito all he needed to know.  The grinding sound of the rising portcullis only proved that his instincts were correct; the siege would finally break, one way or another.
    "Softly, lord," whispered Barbados, the young bodyguard assigned to Lito.  "I will check the barbican; stay safe."
    "Thank you.  I'll be ready if anyone breaks into the courtyard," Lito responded quietly.  Smith nodded, and padded along the parapet to the barbican, quickly sinking into the darkness. 
    Below, the knights at the main keep's doors drew their swords and readied their shields, even as the first enemy troops poured from the gatehouse.  Several dozen men, some knights among them, rushed from the gatehouse and engaged the retainers of duke Crestwind on sight.  Lito sighted along his arrow at a knight, and after a moment to correct for his target's speed, let his arrow go.  The arrow pierced the knight's armor at the shoulder, momentarily throwing the knight's momentum off.  Soon, however, the knight was back in motion.
    A second shot that slammed into the side of the knight passed, and Barbados poked his head out of the barbican door.  He vigorously gestured, and mimed the draw of a bowstring to Lito, who promptly drew another arrow and took aim at the doorway.  Several armsmen wearing Kripwell yellow were visible in the open doorway; Lito led a target and released.  Unaware of the arrow, the armsmen parried a blow from a Crestwind soldier within the barbican; Lito's arrow pierced deeply into the Kripwell armsmen's shoulder, and he staggered.  At the moment the arrow struck, Barbados lashed out, and drove a flat palm to the back of the armsmen's head, knocking him cold instantly.  Barbados threw several other blows to the surprised armsmen in the barbican, incapacitating two more and bowling over a third.  With the oppurtunity present, Barbados withdrew, and motioned for Lito to head back to the southeastern tower.

    Sir Leon Acton watched from horseback as the assault went underway.  "I am surprised that baron Widlow would use such underhanded tactics," Leon said, shaking his head.  "This situation is hopeless; the duke can no longer stand here.  We shall enter through the southern gate and retrieve him, and flee as fast as humanly possible."  The elf beside sir Leon nodded solemnly.  Kendall was a thoughtful lady, and generally taciturn.  Although she posessed a powerful intellect, she preferred to let Leon plan their efforts.  He was, after all, the warrior.
    Leon urged his mount forward with the reins, Kendall keeping pace on her mount.  They did not bother to speak as they cantered to the southern gate.  When they arrived, Leon briefly checked the door.  "Locked," he announced firmly.  Kendall shrugged and concentrated.  There were three minds nearby; clearly one had to be Leon, so the two others must be guards inside the small gatehouse.  She extended her thoughts briefly, and made the weaker of the two minds well aware of her presence.  She welcomed his mind, and communicated only friendship.
    The gate opened quietly, and a guard peered out.  His focus instantly centered on Kendall, and a silent pause passed.  Leon gave them both a look, shrugged, and walked in the open doorway.  A second guard stood gawking, his hand resting on the handle of his sword.  "It's alright, mate, they're friends!" the first guard said through a sheepish grin.
    "I'm Leon Acton, a paladin of Heironeous.  I'm here to rescue duke Crestwind from this siege and take him to safety," Leon announced clearly.  The second guard stood momentarily, hand still resting on the pommel of his sword.  A glance at his comrade made up his mind; he raised his hand in welcome. 
    "We'll follow you then," the guard said warily.  Leon smiled.
    "What would be the best way to get to the duke?" He asked.
    The guard grunted and opened the other door as sir Leon and Kendall rode their horses through the small gate.  "There's a kitchen in back of the keep with a door, come on, We'll show you."

    Barbados dashed along the parapet as arrows clattered scant inches behind his feet.  He slid to a stop in the doorway and gave a sheepish look to Lito.
    "You know, for a bodyguard, you sure seek out a lot of conflict," Lito mused, holding a hand over an arrow wound.  Blood leaked out slowly; the wound was not too deep.
    Barbados headed for the stairwell.  "Let us make for the stables - if we can get a few horses, we can escape the siege and tend to your wounds."
    "And what of my father?" Lito asked, his eyes taking on a sharper look.
    "You heard it yourself, the baron does not want the duke harmed.  I am sure he will be fine."
    Lito considered for a moment.  "No.  We should mount a rescue.  But I agree, horses first."
    Barbados nodded and headed down the stairwell, rolling his weight along the balls of his feet quietly.  Edging to the doorway, Barbados listened carefully.  The roar of battle in the main yard made it difficult to discern sounds.  Lito came down the steps after Barbados, moving as quietly as he could.  "Wait here," Barbados whispered quietly.
    He stalked out along the wall.  The stable wasn't far from the south-eastern tower.  A door was open, and light poured out.  Two men were evident in the doorway, facing in towards the stables.  They wore the livery of duke Kripwell's men. 
    Barbados noted that one was standing slightly back from the other.  An oppurtunity.
    Barbados sprung forward suddenly, clamping his hand around the man's mouth and dragged him bodily back into the shadows of the tower. 
    "Oy, mate!" the guard beside shouted.  "Help!  Intruder!"
    Giving a quick wrench of his wrist, Barbados tried to snap the man's neck.  The guard, however, resisted strongly and pulled back on Barbados's arm with all his might, averting his demise.  Barbados grunted quietly with frustration, and prepared to give another wrench.  Lito saw the struggle, however, and drew his dagger, plunging it into the soldier's chest.  The soldier struggled momentarily longer, but soon rested his weight into Barbados's arms.  Barbados made a hasty gesture, and they flung themselves into a supply wagon resting against the stable.
    Six men rushed out from the stable, bearing swords and torches.  "Split up!  Search for 'em!"
    Lito gave Barbados a look.  Barbados had the grace to smile apologetically.

    Leon shrugged the guard's sword aside with his shield, taking a swipe at him.  The Kripwell man and his companion stood in defensive stances, keeping the paladin and his companions at bay.  "We have to finish this quickly, the duke may be in danger!" Leon called to his companions.  The Crestwind guards advanced side by side, shields first, towards the Kripwell soldiers.  Leon stabbed at the soldier again, the blow barely deflected.
    The second soldier came rushing at Leon of a sudden, sword raised.  Leon reined his horse about and took the jarring blow on his shield.  The blow smarted in his arm.  The soldier raised his sword to deliver a second such blow, but his sword left his hand at the top of its arc.  The blade fell to the ground, and the soldier's limp body fell next to it, a crossbow bolt protruding from the back of his head.  Leon looked up as the Crestwind guards rushed and overwhelmed the remaining Kripwell soldier.  A form, barely visible save for the crossbow it was re-cocking, stood just outside the other side of the kitchen shed.  Leon dismounted and tethered his horse as the man approached.
    He was average height, dressed entirely in black.  A seal on his belt noted him as a man under Crestwind.  "Come.  The duke is in danger," the man spoke with the voice of a razor.  Leon regarded him momentarily, before unsheathing his greatsword.
    "Very well.  Lead the way."
    The dark-clad man moved briskly into the castle, setting a furious pace for a walk.  Leon jogged to keep up, Kendall hurrying behind Leon, and the Crestwind guards trailing the party.  "Several men made it to this entrance ahead of you, sir knight.  They came from the barracks.  Somehow baron Widlow managed to plant men inside the duke's own castle."  He paused at the oak doorway to the main hall.  "You will enter here.  You should be able to flank the attackers.  I am going to go rally what household guards I can."  He strode down the south-facing hall, and disappeared around a corner.
    Leon turned to his companions.  "Ready?" At the chorus of nods, Leon turned to the door, and put his metal-shod boot into it.  He rushed into the hall, swinging his greatsword in a deadly arc.  "I am Leon Acton, warrior of Heironeous!  The duke is under my protection!  Who dares stand in my way?"

    Lito eased his way along the wall, Barbados behind him.  When he reached the open door, he quickly slipped into the darkness of the stairwell.  Barbados took up the opposite corner of the stairwell.  Lito again gave Barbados a sour look.  "This is not going down in the annals of heroic rescues, Barbados."  Barbados shrugged helplessly.
    The dull thudding of metal-shod boots sealed their banter; four Widlow guards walked into the tower, bearing torches and meticulous glares.  "Alright, look around.  You two, upstairs, Ned and I will do down 'ere."
    Barbados raised a flat palm towards Lito, and listened.  The guards roamed about the room carefully, checking beneath the table and in the chest with emergency rations.  The leader of the two posted stopped moving, even as the second's footsteps grew louder.
    Yellow light washed over Lito.  "Got one here, here!" shouted the guard.
    Lito whipped his sword out as the guard came at him, and their steel skidded along towards the hilts.  Lito pulled back shakily, trying to remember the drilling sir Clipton had made him do years ago.
    The guard grunted in triumph, and Lito gasped as the sword bit into his side.  He hadn't been prepared, and he wasn't in yard padding.
    Barbados sprung forward, lashing his foot against the guard's head.  The guard stumbled to the side with an oath, his sword drawing back out of Lito's gut.  Barbados followed up with an open palm directly up and across the unfortunate guard's nose, sending the man onto his back with a crunch of splintering bones.  The lead guard rushed forward, and was caught in the gut by Barbados's fist.  "Run for the stables, my lord!" Barbados called.
    Lito needed no second urging, and rushed out the door, holding his wounds.  He stumbled at the doorframe, but recovered his footing and pressed on.  At the door to the stables, he slowed, and readied his sword.  "Here's hoping," he muttered to himself, with a slight wince.  He walked into the stable.  "Bugger."

    Leon beat his sword against the knight's a third time, unable to sneak past the knight's defense.  The knight was good.  Leon drew his sword back.
    "Do not throw your life away, sir.  We have you outnumbered and surrounded.  Lay down your sword!" Leon commanded.
    The knight canted his own sword forward, and raised his shielf once more.  "For the baron!" he shouted, and rushed Leon.  Leon parried, shunting the knight's sword aside, and carried through with a slow riposte.  The knight's armor crumpled inward slightly from the impact of Leon's sword, but held, and the knight swept Leon's blade away, and raised his own high.  Swinging the sword down, the knight's sword crashed into Leon's hasty parry, nearly knocking Leon's sword from his hands, but Leon held his grip.  His arms ached from the impact.
    A crash in the room to the east announced the presence of more invaders, and Kendall slipped a hand into her sleeve.  As the door flung itself open and the first Widlow soldier stepped out, Kendall flung a vial towards the soldier.  The vial bursted open on impact, and the vitriol inside lit aflame in scant moments.  The soldier writhed and collapsed in place, creating a smoking barrier in the doorway.
     "Not quite what I'd intended..." Kendall muttered.
    The Crestwind guards closed in on the knight, shields forward and swords poised.  As Leon delivered another blow, they struck, plunging their swords into the knight's body.  The knight staggered, and collapsed back into a sitting position.  Looking up, the knight raised his visor.
    "Victory to the Voice," he said softly as his gaze froze.
    Leon looked up after a moment, and stepped towards the duke.  Removing his right gauntlet, he pressed his hand against the duke's wounds, and muttered a prayer to Heironeous.  The duke's chest heaved and his arm flew to his heart, but after a moment, he opened his eyes and looked up, confused.  Leon stood and faced the guards.
    "Can you men cover our escape?  Don't throw your lives away, just delay as best you can."  Kendall raised the duke and supported him, giving him a shoulder to lean on.
    The guards turned and saluted duke Crestwind.  "For you, my lord."
    The duke looked up at his men.  "May the hand of Heironeous shield you."
    Leon started for the door towards the kitchen.  "Come, my lord, our horses await."
    The black-clad man stood waiting in the hallway, crossbow in hand.  "Good.  Let's make haste."
    The duke stumbled along, leaning his weight on Kendall.  "The battle goes badly, I see.  What news of my son?"
    Leon turned his head as he reached the door to the kitchen shed.  "Your son?  I have not seen nor heard of him.  Where was he at the break of the siege?"
    Crestwind's face fell.  "In the south-eastern tower.  We must hurry to him!"  The black-clad man shook his head silently.
    Leon eyed the spook, and then nodded.  "Then we shall.  Kendall, could you look after the duke on your horse?  I fear Cyrril and I will have some business to attend to."
    The black-clad man shook his head once more.  "Then I shall see to our exit."

    Lito fought more precisely this turn.  The twist of blades had thus far favored no one, but the lone guard stood resolutely and uninjured, while Lito wavered and leaked life.  Lito pushed aside the soldier's blade woodenly.  He felt like he had lead in his veins.  He raised his blade for another strike, only to have it turned away by the soldier once more.  On his parry, Lito was slow, but met the soldier's blade, pushing it aside from its original target into a section of his ribs, beneath and to the left of his heart.  Gasping with pain, Lito stumbled back, somehow still standing.  The soldier grinned and raised his blade.
    "G'night, taffer!"
    Lito raised his sword in a desperate parry and closed his eyes.  What he heard was entirely unexpected.
    Opening his eyes, Lito saw the guard impaled on a lance.  A knight, perfectly fitting the shining armor description, shook the body off from horseback.  "Lito Crestwind, I am sent by your father to rescue you," the knight raised the visor of his helm, "I am Leon Acton.  Come, let's get you a horse."
    The spook stepped from the stablemaster's hut as Lito mounted a horse.  "The south-western tower gate is clear.  We can escape down the southern road, for now."
    Leon nodded.  "Kendall and the duke?"
    "Already on their way southwards.  They will wait for us at the closest safe spot."
    Leon nodded once again, in approval.  "Are you ready, young lord?"
    Lito looked to the side.  Barbados.  "I had a bodyguard with me in the tower.  He was fighting against several soldiers."
    "We don't have time to rescue every man in the keep, young lord."
    "I know, but..."
    The eastern door to the stables burst open.  "My lord, I am here!" Barbados announced.  Blood marked his fists and feet, and he was covered in a light sheen of sweat.
    Leon appealed heavenward silently.  "Then get a horse, bodyguard.  We must make haste."
    Barbados hoisted himself onto a horse, and the four rode out of the stable toward the south-western gate.  "I'll head out first to draw their arrows.  You three follow after a few seconds and ride past me."  Everyone agreed.
    Leon cantered out to a marginal distance south of the gate tower, and turned Cyrril, raising his shield.  Waving it back and forth, it began to shine brightly, illuminating the night with a brilliant white light.  The archers atop the tower covered their eyes.  As the light faded, Lito, Barbados, and the black-clad spook rode southwards past Leon.  The archers recovered momentarily, and hurriedly notched arrows, and shot.  Leon shunted one aside on his shield, wheeled his horse southwards once more, and rode hard.  A second arrow imbedded itself in his armor, just above the shoulder, leaving Leon unharmed.

    Cyrril skidded to a halt in front of the others.  Passing his eye over the assemblage, Leon's gaze fixed on the duke.  An arrow wound was evident in his side.  Kendall cleared her throat.  "While we were escaping.  He's alive, but we'll need to travel carefully.  His wound could re-open."
   
Session one - end.