That Dark Threshold

Cerilaragloras

Three days ago we slew one of the enemies rangers, he commanded a group of yrch and a pack of dogs and ambushed us as we crossed enemy territory to the town of Frostreach. The encounter will always be memorable to me for it marked the day I passed from youth to adulthood. My belief in the essential goodness of those of my race was forever lost for the ranger was an elf, nay worse, a sylvan elf. Whilst in our hearts we long to believe that there is something that sets us apart from the more greedy children of Iluvatar so in fact we must grow apart from these youthful fancies and accept the wisdom of adulthood.

I have donned the armour and cygnet ring borne by my brother, and his corpse, packed in snow and bound in hides, is strapped to a mule at my side. I intend to take him and all of the news I have gathered to Imladris and take advice from the council there.

In the meantime however, I appear to have attracted the attentions, and no doubt sworn revenge of another ranger. Bearing the same finely crafted ermine lined chainmail that I now wear be confronted me at the battle for Frostreach calling me out and demanding blood for blood. If it were not for the ensorcelment of Fiorla's song he would have finished me there and then, for he cut me down to the ground and though he stood over me with murder in his eyes, he could not gather his wits to finish the job. On the trip back to the encampment at Cripplewood he ambushed again and put an arrow in me as I slept about the horses neck, were it not for the speed and bravery of the Nogrothrim a second arrow would have sent me to over that dark threshold.

So I am a marked man, and I think that the hunter is clever enough to trap his prey whilst I travel in such noisy company. I will let them go ahead, they know that he is there, but I suspect he will only strike at me for he has not the bravery for an open fight. I will follow along in my turn, trailing them on the expectation that he will also be in the wilds looking on. My wounds are grave but whilst there is breath in me I swear I shall see this ranger dead.

Counting the Dead

Captain Farbrook 4th Lancers, Campaign Diary

Battle was joined at sunset, though the sun was obscured by a significant snowfall and a slight fog. Spotters had observed both signal fire and a conflict at the gate which they reported was both open and partially disabled. My Lord Eastfield sent a probing attack of skirmishers from the 7th forwards to close quarters so that they could signal back to the heavies of the 4th. The signal was sent and the heavy cavalry charged four abreast through the gate.

The enemy disposition was fifteen forest trolls, unarmed and set in loose skirmish formation on the apron just within the gate, and some fifty orcs in chainmail and shield with light crossbows and light infantry weapons.

We engaged the trolls immediately and sought a breakthrough to get amongst the orcs as soon as possible. Unfortunately, fighting forest trolls from horseback in such close quarters hampered progress significantly until Captain Rufus had led the Pioneers in a collapse of the palisade to the left of the gate. Once this breach was established we were able to get through in numbers and the orcs were swiftly neutralised. The trolls took some time to break down and we sustained heavy losses in doing so. Securing the remainder of the town was done without loss.

In signaling the attack, the infiltrators had chosen to light the beacon fire in addition to setting fire to a terraced group of buildings (the reason given that the bad visibility might have obscured sight of initial signal). This was deemed unfortunate as we would have to assume the worst case - that reinforcements could reach us within four hours. Although we could not see any responding signal fires as visibility was poor, we had to assume that in the first instance orc sight is far superior to ours in nighttime and secondly that there may be mystic enhancements to the signaling provision.

The Pioneers set about the destruction of the encampment whilst Cavalry guarded the few buildings in which orcish non-combatants and routed troops were hiding.

I must report that during this final demolition and acquisition phase, the two Dwarves in the infiltration party took prisoners for interrogation. Examination of the corpses after the fact revealed that some of the questioning had used very direct methods. These two dwarves then progressed directly to a pocket of invalided orcs bottled up in the infirmary where they proceeded to slay every one of the incumbents. In the process one of the two dwarves, chased the last of the invalids out into the street and after taking terrible blows that almost slew him where he stood, he was seized by a laughing fit and returned like for like taking the head clean off the last orc.