The remaining orc cowers before them and the remainder of the party trot up to watch what happens. Braylec seems to be suffering from some internal struggle so Gargouth starts to question the orc, "Why drums and tree killing?" he grunts in orcish.
"We paid by humans to kill elves. We create diversion here to draw warriors fom village."
"How much you paid" demands Gargouth.
"We paid well for having fun with hostages."
"Where your money"
"In my pouch"
Gargouth turns to the party and says in common "They are creating diversion to fool the village defenders out of their stronghold and they already have hostages." He has a think and adds. You go rescue hostages I make sure this one doesn’t follow."
Jutiapa badgers Gargouth to question the orc further "Ask him where the hostages are!"
After a brief exchage of grunts the orc is pointing to the south. Gargouth translates "They are that way and are surrounded by powerful beasts."
"And the village?"
Gargouth isn’t happy about the delay but grunts at the orc and again he points indicatating east this time."
"We must decide quickly!" Gargouth is getting frantic to continue the fight.
"Kill the it and lets get to the village." Thanodel declares.
Braylec is unsure and inists that the hostages be saved first.
"We split up then…" Gargouth decides "and I deal with this one."
Vildar gallops off to the east closely followed by Thanodel and Jutiapa.
Braylec goes South with Sheylea close by.
As soon as they are on their way Gargouth growls "Give me money" and the orc hands over 20 gps which is a fortune to this lackey. Gargouth unexpectedly headbutts the orc who crumples to the floor unconcious. Gargouth takes all the gold coins he can find and gallops after Vildar.
He passes Jutiapa and hears screams and animal growls coming from withing the copse. Just as Vildar rides headlong in to the forrest on the left of a fouled stream and finds two arrows puncturing his armour from orc archers in the trees. He continues under them ignoring further hits from their projectiles but Thanodel reins up and dismounts and taking carefull aim for fires an arrow into each and they both fall dead to the ground.
Gargouth rides to the right of the stream and comes across a worg with an orc rider. The orc takes a swipe but is cleaved in two by the mighty swing that goes further to strike the worg. The worg snaps at the horse but it is well trained and holds it’s ground. Both horse and rider are bloody from the beasts bite but after a few more swipes from Gargouth’s blade it falls dead with a pathetic doggie welp.
Jutiapa follows the corse of the stream and rides right into a couple of orcs wielding rusty short swords. They swipe at her but she nimbly sidesteps them and hypnotises one of them. She commands him to fight his former comrade and he takes a swipe at the other orc. She knows that this wont last long so casts sleep and they both lie down snoring. A quick slice with her dagger and their blood mixes with the slimey stream water. She takes a moment to loot the corpses and is on her way towards the village again.
At the tree village coming from the screams are coming from the elven women and babes in arms trapped in the tree tops. The main tree has been set on fire and the flames are licking higher. A lone worg rider is firing arrows from his bow at the tree base. Vildar wades in and quickly dispatches the rider but is still battleing the worg when Gargouth arrives from a different direction. He joins the fight but Thanodel and another two worg riders appear on opposite sites of the clrearing so seeing that the current beast is on it’s last legs to charges the new marks and Thanodel dismounts readying his bow.
Again Gargouth slices the riders atwain and makes an initial slice on the worgs. Thanodel joins in with arrows expertly hitting their targets. Valdin swipes the worg he is fighting off its feet successfully killing it. He races past Thanodel and up the stairs in the tree adjacent to the one on fire. The dilacate staircase creaks ominously under the weitght of this full plate armour but he reaches the top and tries use his sword as a grapling hook but it doesn’t reach the other side and has to reel it back.
Gargouth and Thanodel finish off the worgs and while Gargouth is roaring victory Thanodel races up the stairs and is about to try shooting the rope tied to an arrow across the gap when Jutiapa having polymorphed into an angel flaps her way to the screaming women. Rather than face this newly perceived threat one of the women dives from the platform and sails diagonally right into Gargouth, knocking him from his mount. She beats him off enven though the isn’t trying to hold her and runs away into the woods. Knowing that Jutiapa has in mind Thanodel shouts intructions in elvish across the gap telling the women to let Jutiapa touch them so that they can fly across. This done they elves sail across to join Thanodel and Vildar.
Down below an humoid figure appraoches Gargouth with an elven child in his grasp. The man holds a dagger to the childs throat and demands in orcish for Gargouth to drop his weapon.
"What care I for a little elf?" Gargouth bluffs and tries to knock the dagger from the mans hand but misses.
Jutiapa flys above the trees to see what she can see. Thanodel sees the battle start from his vantage point and two arrows are quickly dispatched wounding the dark robed figure. Valdir takes arrows from Thanodels seemingly inexhaustable quiver and tries with his shortbow but hits Gargouth in the back instead. The man reveals himself as an evil cleric by summoning a spined canine so Gargouth grabs the cleric in an attempt to use him as a human shield against the beast but he wrenches himself free. The evil looking hyina races off and Jutiapa, Valdir taget the animal with their ranged attacks but non seem to effect it much. Thanodel continues to aid Gargouth to fell the cleric. The hyina attacks Valdir’s horse and it falls dead with numerous quills sticking in it’s side. I moves on under a hail of arrows from Valdir to Thanodels horse but instear of holding it ground as Valdir’s trained warhorse it bolds and disappears into the forest. The hyina disapears into the tree as with the aid of magic missiles from Jutiapa and arrows from Thanodel, Gargouth slays the cleric and hacks of his head, holding it aloft with a roar. Jutiapa decends form the sky to aid Gargouth in looting the corpse. He seems only interested in the clerics helmet and medallion so Jutiapa manages to get yet another ring. The hyina scrambles up the stairs and Thanodel is surprised to find a quil sticking right through his shoulder. He jabs it in the eye with an arrow just as it disappears to where it was summoned from.
Gargouth is now in need of healing but Braylec and Sheylea are to the west helping the hostages…
