Session 15: "He who runs away......" or "Revenge is a dish best served at spear point......"

Mid morning, 10th Day of Palesun, Wineday.

The items found on the dead bodies in the Town Hall were divided between the group, Fargrim took the War Pick, Lionel took the keen edged longsword. Each received the sum of 121 silver pieces, whilst Gimli counted out an equal amount for the group fund. It was decided that Lionel would carry the group fund and the 4 healing potions.

Beorwulf took offence at the Town Clerks stuttering condemnation of the group. After awhile both Gimli and Fargrim asked Heimund to take the Barbarian outside to cool off. No sooner had they left the shattered doorway than 4 crossbow bolts thudded into the door surround, narrowly missing them both.

Hagnulf ran out to join them. The 3 saw a large group, a very large group, of armed men advancing toward the front of the Town Hall in battle formation. Two ranks of spears with a double rank of heavy crossbows on their left flank. Behind they could see a warrior with a steel helmet, adorned with a Golden Horse head atop, waving a sword and controlling the formation.

Heimund let fly 2 arrows at the formation and saw a crossbow man fall to the ground before following Heimund back into the Town Hall. 

Beorwulf, enraged and back in full frenzy launched himself towards the formation but exhausted from the earlier fight found he was short of making contact.

Lionel took up a firing position and engaged the heavy crossbow men and sang words that inspired Fargrim as he leapt through the window.

Fargrim, acting on what Heimund told those inside, climbed out the rear window in an attempt to outflank the formation…….only to find another formed formation advancing towards the rear of the Town Hall.

Gimli following saw Fargrim loose arrows into the Redbrands as he ran over to another building to take cover.

Fargrim and Gimli were engaged in a fighting retreat, trading arrows and bolts with the 2 Redbrand archers and bringing down one of the spearmen.

Heimund shouted for the group in the Town Hall to retreat covered by the archers. Hagnulf jumped through the side widow after Heimund, followed a short while later by Lionel who had dropped another crossbowman. He could see Beorwulf was still fighting.

Beorwulf, exhaustion taking its toll swung his great sword twice and watched it strike the spearman’s shield twice, but his weak strike caused no damage.

 Beorwulf went down under sheer weight of numbers.

Gimli rushed towards the Town Hall, but he felt compelled to retreat with the others. He now turned and faced off against the line of spearmen that had charged towards him.

Heimund peeled off and ran behind the defensive line shouting at the others that the time was now to run not stay and fight. First Lionel, then Fargrim and Hagnulf ran after the Goliath.

Heimund slowed and faced off an attack by 3 spearmen, closely followed by more. He managed to disengage and ran past Fargrim and the others, extolling them to keep running. They did.

Gimli, surrounded, outnumbered heard the tall figure in the Gold Horse Head helm tell him to throw down his weapons and surrender, or die. Gimli could only watch his companions running away as he threw down his hammer and shield.

Heimund led the others past the Shrine of Luck and towards the Orchard. Through the orchard he led them down and between two hills and stopped in a small copse by a stream. The others, panting hard threw themselves down on the ground as Lionel whispered words of healing and soothed their troubled minds. Fargrim had a grim look on his face but said nothing.

TBC