Highnar had seen the end of the combat coming and had rested using the hilt of one War axe as a stand and was not surprised when Brianna approached.

"Highnar, how goes it with you. A good battle, eh? We shall have a drink together when this is through. Now we have to gather up what we want and get going to the town. Can't leave them to do this alone. This certainly was more than I expected that is for sure," Brianna stated as she laid a friendly hand on his shoulder.
"Best fight I have had in ages. What say you?"

Highnar yet still leaning on his axe smiled a weary yet honest smile through his long thick beard.

“Aye lass a fine battle indeed but not the best for me, now there was tis time in the halls of me father when a passel of them Dark Elves did com a calling. My we showed them how good we be at crafting steel as we cut them down with it ahhh me younger days for sure lass.”

A sigh of a good memory remembered and with it Highnar picked up his axe and looked to Brianna.

“Now lass, as you said, shouldn’t we be finding the rest of our group and be’s getting on to town there may yet be’in more these orc’s roaming around these parts. Lead on me lady”....

The battle was won... if this could be called a victory. Cerric Khalidran has unavoidable doubt in this circumstance. In the few years of life he considers worthwhile, he had learned a tremendous amount of knowledge. Some it seemed, was harder to digest. He looked upon the meadow, and reflected, in the spring it would be beautiful. Today, however, Cerric could only see the carnage. It was not hard to imagine, for the view was quite explicit. How many dead? The young mystic theurge began to count, but quickly lost interest as the number tallied beyond his five fingered hands. The ground was thick with the crimson that pooled within bodies so frail.

Mortality. Cerric had often considered beings of flesh to be little more than bottles. They carried what he would term the essence of life. It was a mixture, made by those prior, encoded with two solutions, who had before been four, and before that, ever more. Lineage was an abstract concept, one that most peasant minded individuals thought little on. Yet ironically people are so very obsessed with their bloodline. They fail to see the essence of what they are. They are blood, they are soul, and then there is the swirling abstract. This abstract has been called many things. Fate. Choice. Chance. It does not settle in with the solution of the man, but encompasses it, surrounding the entity with its potency. It does very little else but share a home with us. Often, lives transpire without a single drop of the abstract being mixed to form a whole. If the elixir is consumed prematurely, then the potent presence, the quintessence of destiny, the intrinsic weight of the vial is lost as ether. To be truly committed to life, or, at the very least, to the potential presence of history. It is often necessary to shake to vessel, and force the mixture of mortality to be intertwined. Then at least, even if the bottle is to shatter, the contents remain whole.

Whatever lessons Oghma had tried to teach young Cerric today, he felt the impact of shattered glass upon a lonely field. Was this battle meant to be so? How many of these mortal lives were taken in prime, and how many lost were unshaken, unstirred, restless in the anuity of their promise?

Though Cerric followed his protector, graceful little Vatta, whose skin he imagined was incredibly soft, and odd thought for how thick it likely was to the gruesome eve. It made him wonder how soft she thought he was. As a priest, he showed a horrible ineptitude in combat, and found armour to be horrible bulky and heavy. He remember whining to one of his intructors that the links in the chains would pinch his skin, and oh how painful it was! Such naivety, it was not uncommon, but for a man's son, a farmer's son, where the hardened world need not be found at distances, but belonged within the fields of everyday, it was a disgrace.

Gingerly he steeped through the mass of corpses, many who he had been responsible for, and felt almost as if these proceedings need be followed up with atonement. He was fairly certain, however, that the looks of the others, this was his burdensome thoughts alone. Perhaps the world was more black and white for adventurers of summers passed. It is a kill or be killed world. This was the life he had thrust himself into, since the very day he walked away from the shelter of the abbey. Very little would have been controversial to him in that haven. A smiled curled across his lips, which could be easily misconstrued as praise to the victory they had suffered. This was not the true calling of the curious facial outburst however, the truth remained that, if Cerric Khalidran had not left his humble beginnings, he would not haven shaken the components of his being. He would never have become what he was this day. Never would he be whole.

A call from the sky above interrupted his thoughts, and a shadow descended upon him. It was as if the familiar had been resentful of Cerric's single minded analysis of his situation. Gazing up upon the raven slowly spiralling down towards the comfortable perch of his shoulder, he whispered in draconic. "Of course my friend... and most importantly I might add, if I had never left the abbey, I would not have met you."

As Xour searched around among the dead Orcs and Goblins he watched as the others made their way out into the field. he joined up with Logan, Lorea, Highnar, and Brianna as they seemed to be concentrating their search in one particular area. As he approached he heard Highnar speaking to Brianna about the battle.Aye lass a fine battle indeed but not the best for me, now there was tis time in the halls of me father when a passel of them Dark Elves did com a calling. My we showed them how good we be at crafting steel as we cut them down with it ahhh me younger days for sure lass.” Xour strolls over to his friend and slapping the dwarf on the back smiles at him, What's the matter my old friend, a little battle like this isn't going to knock the wind out of the dwarf I watched slay many a deadly foe. So out with it my friend what's bugging you lately?

"Sure thing," Logan starts off saying to Lorea, "just let me drag this unconsious goblin with me after I bind him up so he can't squak or run away."

With that, Logan proceeds to secure the one lowly survivor of the group they had ambushed. Logan knows the chance that he knows anything of real value could very well be low, but interogate him they should before moving on. As any info he has they dont already know will be of importance to all involved.

After a few moments, Logan joins Brianna, Lorea, Highnar, Xuor and the others. "Could someone see to this goblins wounds enough so that he can talk?" Logan says when he arrives where the others are. "He may have information we can use about the armies we have seen, then agai he may not, but we have to find out."

"Highnar, Brianna, Nice to see you have survived so that we may yet fight along side eachother another day. And Xuor, your arrows flew true, thanks you." Logan says to his friends when he arrives. He also compliments the newest party members on their combat prowless.

Bursting through the forest edge runs a dozen Goblins, and hot on their heels about eight riders, Once clear of the woods the riders accelerate and their lances and swords made short work of the Goblins. Lorae immediately releases the entangle for fear of their horses blundering into it.

The leader of the Riders drew up to where the band of adventurers had gathered. She was a well build warrioress in fine Dwarven made halfplate and chain.

"What happened here?" She looked about at the field littered with dead, two bears are wandering off into the forest and two Celestial hounds searching out the unconcious and ending their lives.

The obvious answer is not what she wanted

As Highnar and the rest surveyed the carnage of the battle before them as they prepared to get moving to the town once more there preparations were interrupted by the appearance of a number of goblins bursting from the forests edge, and right behind them hot on their heels eight riders. With lances and swords at hand the riders made short work of the Goblins.
With the goblins dead here it was that leader of the Riders, a well bodied female warrior wearing a finely made suit of Dwarven half plate and chain, drew up to them.

"What happened here?" She asked in a haughty tone as she looked about at the field littered with dead, the two summoned bears returning into the forest and the two Celestial hounds searching out the unconscious and ending their lives. Her tone of voice not to the dwarf’s liking he was the first to step forward to ‘greet” her.

“Can ya not see what it be looking like lass, it be a battlefield of course and we be the victor’s. Now who ye be and what is your purpose other then cleaning up our leftovers.”.....

Brianna stands up when the goblins come crashing though the underbrush, On their heels was mointed riders with lance and shield, sword and bow. One rider separates herself from the rest that are chasing down the goblins quite effeciently. Brianna decides they do not need her help.
That rider in fine half-pale and mail rides up and addresses them. Demanding to know what was going on.

Highnar explains in her simple straight forward manner that is so true to his character. She waits while Highnar explains in his own way. She has to bite her lips to keep back a chuckle.

"Exactly correct, at least in that we were the vistors." Brianna adds.

"Greetings. I am Brianna Stormrider, This is one of my companions, Higher Goldblade" She gestures to the others that have gathered on the fiel. That is Lorae and Logan over ther. There is Vatta. Xuor is just over there and Cerric is the one who is mounted. These are the rest of us. We were coming to help the elves battle the Orc army, but we side tracked some to lessen the numbers."

Brianna looked over the field of battle and comments, "We sidetracked more than we bargained for, but it ws a good fight while it lasted.

"If you could direct us to the place where the battle is going on we are ready to lend our sword arms and other abilities to aid in the battle.

"Just let us get mounted up." Brianna whistles up her two mounts.

"Flame, where are you?" Brianna calls out. "You can come out of hiding now."

Brianna's black stallion moves out of the edge of the forest off in the diretion of the last goblins flight. The red mare comes in from where carric had been. She is untouched by signs of battle but not so Shawdowbane. His shiny hide is marerd blood on lower legs and a graze from a weapon on his side. There is even blood on his face. But he moves well enough up to Brianna, who immediately moves to tend his wounds.

Vatta rose from gathering what useful arrows she could find and is she finds ones that are Xuor markings she will offer him those. Any others she finds or hers or the enemies, she will put in her quiver. After that she stripped what useful or valuable items she could from the large orc leader; she would look it over later and offer anything to the others she thinks they might be able to use, weapons and such.

(Please let me know if she found any arrows that are still useable and what she might have found on the orc leader)

When the Goblins come rushing out of the forest she draws her sword and dagger and stands ready, but she is relieved to see the pursuing riders running them down. She relaxes slightly but remains on guard as she moves back towards her horse which was staked out safely by the tree from which she was fighting.

She chuckles slightly at Highnar’s words to the woman in charge of the riders but she remains silent and lets the others deal with the newcomers. She listens to Brianna’s explanation and knows that nothing else needs to be said so she stows anything she found on the leader on her mount. She checks her horse and spends a minute adjusting the harness and saddle as she keeps and eye on the newcomers waiting to see if there is going to be further trouble.

If all looks like it is going well, she will sheath her weapons and mount up and when the others are ready she will follow them out of this clearing of death. She will of course stay close to Cerric offering him a reassuring smile.

Now finished searching the dead for any good arrows and such when Vetta approachs him and offers to him any arrows she found that have his markings on them he will politely do the same if he has found any of hers.

Then haveing moved to be with the rest of the party that is where he was when the group of goblins being chased by the riders comes crashing back onto the field they are quickly dispatched and one of the riders a lady wearing fine Dwarven made halfplate and chain rides up to their group and speaks getting right to the point"What happened here?"The first to answer was Highnar in his usual also get right to the point and who are you to ask attitude.Can ya not see what it be looking like lass, it be a battlefield of course and we be the victor’s. Now who ye be and what is your purpose other then cleaning up our leftovers.”.....
Brianna quickly jumps in before the rider can answer "Greetings. I am Brianna Stormrider, This is one of my companions, Higher Goldblade"That is Lorae and Logan over ther. There is Vatta. Xuor is just over there and Cerric is the one who is mounted. These are the rest of us. We were coming to help the elves battle the Orc army, but we side tracked some to lessen the numbers."We sidetracked more than we bargained for, but it ws a good fight while it lasted.
"If you could direct us to the place where the battle is going on we are ready to lend our sword arms and other abilities to aid in the battle.
At this point Brianna calls her mount Shawdowbane along with Flame to come over and she tends to them.Since it finally looks like they are readying themselves to pull out Xour will do the same.Calling both his war horse Mottley and Daug his wolf over he prepares to ride out.Rubbing Mottley down quickly he will also get out his brush and and brush out Mottley's mane to remove anything caught there.Once finished he will mount up, and once mounted on Mottley he makes sure his bow is stowed securly on his back and he pulls his Greatsword and stows it in the sheath that makes it accessable to his right hand when he is mounted on his horse, and he wait for the word exchange between Brianna and the newcomer to end and for Brianna to lead them to their next battle.

Lorae heals the goblin enough so it can stand and walk, She hands Logan a rope and then heads over to where the others are speaking to the lead rider. She is in time to hear Brianna's introductions.

By the time she gets there Moon Shadow trots up to her, his silvery white hide is spattered with blood, and Lorae quickly looks him over. It seems none of it is his.

She glances back at Logan, even though knowing he had the goblin well in hand. Soon he is up with them.

"Can we be of service to you?" Lorae asks, now that Logan was there.

Oddly, the presence of the new goblin runners had not frightened the young mystic theurge, even before they had been run down by the unanticipated riders. He had been calmed by the fact that their victory had come so absolutely. He knew that he was amongst men and women of grander history than his humble beginnings. They seemed affluent in the language of battle. He also felt quite comforted by the slow quake of his beautiful horses beating heart. It wasn't at all alarmed by the situation, and thus, he saw no reason to fear himself. After all, what sort of adventurer would he turn out to be if natural born prey showed him up in courage. This beast, in all it's magnificence however, seemed much less like prey, and far more like a goddess of the plains.

Cerric observed the greetings between his tribe and the newcomers, though said nothing, having already been introduced. Call it weariness, but he felt that words were quite useless to him at this moment. Quite contemplation was his newfound friend. There was much to think on after all. This meadow had been no small moment in memory for the scholar priest.

Curious as to the intentions of Lorae however, his attention was drawn to so sharp an edge it might cut, if his mind were as powerful as his faith. She had revived a goblin, and left Logan the charge of binding it, as though it were to become a prisoner. 'To what ends?' thought the disciple of Oghma, racking his brain in the attempt to decipher the knowledge of this situation, to shuffle through his meager estimations to discover the truth, yet without explanations that may show him as a fool. It would be an interesting answer he was certain, though he would wait the reason out... perhaps someone else may be so bold as to inquire what purpose this little gremlin had.

"The enemies attack was thwarted," speaks the woman, looking about her. "The warning we got enabled us to set up our defenses. Then somehow the Orc's and Goblins' attack went to Hell in a Handbasket. It seems that the war bands on the left side were under manned. The battle was soon over and we were able to catch a major part of the army and surround them. After that it was an every thightening circle of death until the vast majority were dead. Now we are just running down the stragglers."

"That is because part of the left flank is here," Lorae says pointing about the glade. "We drew them off hoping to lessen the number of attackers."

The woman looks at Lorae and the others now joining the tall female and the Dwarf.

The Rider looks about as it counting, that back to Lorae. "There is over 3 score I can count."

"It was closer to 4 score, but some are wrapped in vegetation."

The Rider look to the 7 comrades, SHe looks around as ifg seaching for others. "Certinaly this is not all of your company?"

"Certainly it is all of us," grins Brianna. "which inclues three fine swords weilders, an mighty axman, two fine bowman,our magic using priet and also we had the help of several war horses, two bears,two celestial hounds and a currently missing dragonette. That is our company. Also we had a good plan too. That made all the difference." She look to the woman, "Well, if you point us in the right directions we shall make our way to the village that has been rescued.

"All in all a fine battle, and now I wouldn't be mind finding a tavern for a drink and a meal. This fighting gives me a powerful urge to eat and drink. Eh! Hghnar, my friend. What say you to my paying for the first round of drinks."

Brianna mounts up on Shadowbane and rides over to bring Highnars mount back to him. She pops off her mount and is ready to give him a leg up.

Seeing that the newcomers were indeed comrades in this fight, Vatta sheathed her weapons and mounted her horse. Riding over to the rest of the group she chuckled, loud enough for the female leader of the other group to hear her, “It’s not the quantity of the company.. But the quality that matters in a battle.” She smiled politely even though her words showed that she took slight offence at the woman’s thoughts that they surely couldn’t have killed so many.

Vatta sat atop her mount waiting on the others, she turned to Brianna when she spoke.

"Certainly it is all of us," grins Brianna. "which includes three fine swords wielders, an mighty axman, two fine bowman,our magic using priest and also we had the help of several war horses, two bears, and a currently missing dragonette. That is our company. Also we had a good plan too and we help to it. That made all the difference." Well if you point us in the right directions we shall make our waight to the town that been rescued.”

"All in all a fine battle. and now I wouldn't be mining finding a tavern or such like and having a drink and a meal. This fighting gives me a powerful urge to eat and drink. Eh! Highnar, my friend. What say you to my paying for the first round of drinks."
She leans over a bit and speaks to Brianna, “That would be one fine bowman and one fine bow ‘woman’ ” She corrects her with a friendly teasing smile and a wink. “I could use a drink as well,” She says absently to herself.

Turning to look at Cerric she smiles, “Do Disciples of Oghma drink ale?” she ask, “If so I would like to buy you a drink… I think you could use it.” She can tell that the Priest is shaken a bit by what he has witnessed here today, she knows it isn’t easy.

She remembers her first kill, she was only 9 years old, deep in the sewers of a city she had wrestled in the dark with another kid who was about a 11 years old over a half eaten, moldy loaf of bread. Even though the boy was older and stronger, she had managed to slip her rusty little kitchen knife up under his ribcage and into his heart. She had sat watching the boys blood seep out to mingle with the sewers waters, while eating the spoils of her victory which had been the sweetest tasting bread she had in a long time, all the while crying heavily at the emotion of killing another person all over a moldy piece of bread someone had tossed out in the trash.

She sighed at the sudden memory and sat atop her mount waiting for the call to move out. She would follow when the order was given and looked forward to a bit of rest, drink and a chance to resupply her dwindled quiver of arrows.

"There are a number of points of magic about the field, and there were two magic users among the Orcs. None of it should be left." Lorae looks to the others. "Cerric, can you use you skills to help locate the magic items that are scattered about with the dead?"