“That's not funny,” Engvyr said.
Taarven heaved a heavy sigh and leaned back.
“No, it surely is not, but Maker take me if I can see an easy answer to that problem, except to break the siege as fast as we can manage.”
“Lord and Lady grant that much,” Engvyr said fervently.
An hour after sunrise the sounds of a distant battle drifted to them, lasting perhaps fifteen minutes before stopping. The rangers looked at each other and declined to speculate as to the outcome, but they saw evidence soon enough.
At midmorning the Baasgarta army began to arrive and disperse into the defensive works, filling them from front to back.. As more of the army arrived they were passed through the lines to fill the next ranks of defenses. So the ones with the most rest will be the first to be engaged, Engvyr thought, a good tactic.
Wagons came out of the Baasgarta city and moved among the trenches and berms distributing supplies. More firing broke out, much nearer this time, and died away after a few minutes.
“Good news is it doesn't look like we'll have far to go to let our people know we've found the city,” Engvyr commented.
“Speaking of which it's about time for us to head out and report before they can see all of this for their own selves,” Taarven said.
They left their observation point and began to work their way south towards the approaching dwarven army.
Chapter Thirty-Four
“Nothing guarantees that you don't know what's going on better than the certainty that you do…”
“So in the end our mission was kind of a bust, I guess,” Engvyr said, finishing his report, “Seeing as the army caught up with us and all.”
“I don't know as I'd say that,” Captain Gauer replied, “If nothing else you've filled in the map some and gotten us an idea about how the more remote Baasgarta settlements are situated. Anyway, Torvaald and Brekke are still out there somewhere, north of this valley we think.”
They had found the Dwarven army less than a league from the city and driving the Baasgarta back. Now their forces were digging in their own defenses well out of reach of the Baasgarta heavy crossbows, which meant their rifles couldn't reach them either.
“Anyway, the Eastern Force should be arriving tomorrow. The engineers will have some thoughts about taking this place down quickly. Get some food and shut eye; siege-work isn't a job for Rangers, but I'm pretty sure that we'll be able to find something for you boys to do tomorrow.”
That proved true, as the two rangers discovered at first light.
“Gear up, boys,” The Captain shouted, waking the sleeping rangers, “The Baasgarta are on the move. Let's go!”
They rolled off their cots and dressed for action. Rather than repairing to the mess tent bowls of stew were brought to them as they dressed, so they sat on their bunks and shoveled it down as the Captain addressed them.
“The Baasgarta forces are assembling inside their defensive works. It looks very much like they intend to meet us on the field. Since by now they have to be aware of what a very, very bad idea that is, either they are suicidally desperate or they have something up their sleeves. Anyone care to place a bet as to which it is?” he asked rhetorically, “Right. Me neither.
“So what we are going to do is have a look up their sleeves, so to speak. Taarven and Engvyr, you'll go up the northwest side of the main river valley. Sergar and Gimli, you'll go up the east side. The rest of you will follow behind and peel off to check out the branch valleys, half on each side. Settle that among yourselves but let me know.”
“When do we pull out, captain?” Gimli asked.
The Captain gave him a flat look and said, “I have people saddling your ponies and seeing to your packs as we speak. Does that answer your question?”
The rangers ate faster as he continued, “Two days travel out, then straight back as fast as you can. Naturally if you find a surprise get back and let us know.”
“What about the southern approaches, Captain?” Engvyr asked.
“The army is going to cover that. Time to get moving, people!”
There was an increasing clamor building up from outside, soldiers rushing here and there in ordered chaos. From the sound of things the Baasgarta weren't going to keep the Dwarven forces waiting for long.
By the time the rangers were mounted and moving the battle had been joined. Baasgarta were pushing forward behind metal pavises and engaging the dwarves with their heavy crossbows as they advanced. The dwarves actually had a tactic to deal with this; there was a practical upper limit to the weight of a shield that could be maneuvered effectively in these circumstances. Each company would focus its volleys on a single shield. With each volley three pounds of lead would slam into each shield every two seconds. Often the shock of this would tear the shield out of the carrier's hands and the next volley would slam into the gap before the shield could be righted. Either that or the expert fire focused on the center of the shield would simply hammer its way through the metal after enough volleys struck. Then the company would shift fire to another shield. It was effective but relatively slow, and in the meantime the crossbows were producing casualties on the dwarves’ side despite their own wooden pavises.
The Baasgarta were pressing outward on a wide front, with a large reserve waiting near the gates to move out to exploit any weaknesses in the dwarven lines. As the sun rose the two armies were fully engaged, hammering at each other with the Baasgarta slowly creeping towards the dwarven lines.
The rangers skirted the outer edge of the conflict and headed north, riding through the abandoned plantations. Not far beyond the battle they came to a bridge over the river and half the riders peeled off and headed for the eastern side of the valley. Taarven and Engvyr's group rode through the plantations to the wooded slope and moved along the edge of the forest.
Within a league the first valley branched off to the west and a pair of rangers peeled off to check it out while the rest forded the stream that flowed down to join the river. They had only gone a few hundred yards when a horn sounded behind them. They pulled up and glanced at each other as the horn sounded again. They looked back and within moments the two rangers shot out of the mouth of the branch valley and rode hell for leather to the south, blowing frantically on their horns. Seconds later Baasgarta cavalry boiled out of the opening and charged after them.
Engvyr swore softly as the mounted goblins poured out into the valley, thousands of them bearing down on the rear of the dwarven army only a few thousand paces away.
“Well, that's one sleeve accounted for,” Taarven commented.
“So, do we head back?” Engvyr asked uncertainly.
“There’s still another sleeve to look up, I think,” Taarven said.
“Looks like we won't have to wait for that one either,” one of the other rangers said pointing north.
They turned in their saddles to see infantry spilling out of the next branch valley a half-league ahead and turn towards them. The rangers watched and rank after rank of Baasgarta emerged. So far the cavalry, several thousand strong, were ignoring them and heading south, but with the goblins bearing down on them from the other direction they couldn't stay where they were for long. By the time a third regiment marched into sight it was time to go.
“Follow me!” Taarven told them, and bolted for the river. They rode after him, heading not for the bridge but for a calm section where their ponies could ford the river. As they plunged into the icy water the lead for the pack pony came loose. One of the other rangers downstream made a grab for it but Engvyr yelled for him to leave it. Likely the beast could fend for itself well enough. Lunging up the west bank they turned south and spurred their ponies to a gallop. Engvyr was able to see some of the action around the city as they approached. The dwarves on the northern flank of the siege were turning to engage the cavalry and hammered them with volley after volley. Hundreds of the mounted goblins and their ulvgaed went down with each crash of the slug guns, but thousands more came on.