They walked passed a stone corner and into a large open area. Warriors, both men and women of the realm, stood and sat in preparation for what would surely be the largest attack on their city in history. The lieutenants received the occasional nod from their fellow soldiers, each warrior tried to look brave but the air stank of fear. They could see their captain above the courtyard, standing upon the stone walkway that bordered the city. His helmet wasn’t on his head, potentially a good sign that the attack hadn’t come yet. Moving together they walked up the closest set of stone stairs and entered the walkway. Silently they moved passed the numerous soldiers who stood by various mechanisms of defense, such as stone throwers. If Ebulon were too fall today it would not fall quietly.
As they approached the captain they were drawn to his immense eyes. In the chill of winter they seemed like two flawlessly carved marbles of blue and white, unflinching and immovable. As with every soldier that would defend this entranceway Torin and Ulka were grateful that Captain Juruz would be leading them. In a sign of genuine and mandatory respect the two of them bowed slightly.
“You called for us Captain?” Torin asked.
Through his thick blond beard Juruz said, “Where were the two of you?” Though he was in his early forties, ever since he was 13 Juruz had possessed a voice of authority.
“Captain we were smoking from our pipes,” Torin answered.
Juruz stayed silent, but they each knew what it meant.
“We did it in a corner that wouldn’t be seen by any of the troops, we know how important it is to appear brave in front of them and so we both needed to calm our nerves,” Ulka said quickly, hoping to ease the immense tension.
Juruz didn’t answer right away and that made the two of them nervous. “That weed doesn’t calm the nerves, it dulls them… tell me do you want to be as sluggish as drunkards when the time comes to wield swords?”
Torin and Ulka lowered their heads, they wished they could’ve been as fearless as Juruz, but such fearlessness was beyond them. Ulka raised his head and motioned to speak but then stopped upon realizing Juruz wasn’t looking at them. Very rarely did he not give eye contact; it was one of the many reasons why he was so respected amongst the soldiers of Ebulon, because he always showed respect. Instead he was staring out into the mountainous wilderness, every inch of which appeared grasped by snow.
“Captain may I ask what it is you’re looking at?” Ulka asked while Torin listened carefully.
“I am not looking at anything Ulka, I am listening…”
Torin and Ulka raised their heads and listened well.
“I’m afraid I can’t hear what has grasped your attention Captain,” Torin said respectfully.
Juruz nodded, though his expression remained like stone. “I can’t hear it anymore either, the drums can no longer be heard.”
Ulka and Torin listened for a moment to strengthen Juruz’s words. They now stood by his side looking out into the mountain ranges. For the last several days those accursed drums had haunted the air as the Orcs were preparing themselves for battle in whatever dark ritual suited their filthy minds. Ulka and Torin had been too consumed by fear to realize that the drums couldn’t be heard as they smoked their pipes. Juruz was right, the weed had dulled their senses.
“If they were preparing to attack then the drums would have softened not silenced,” Torin pointed out.
Juruz nodded but kept his strong gaze beyond the city walls. “About 20 minutes ago the drums stopped and in their place came the sounds of clashing steel and vile Orc screams and then silence,” Juruz said.
A smile came to Ulka’s face when a comforting thought entered his mind. “Are we fortunate enough that the Orcs turned on one another, their confederation is made up of so many different tribes and Orcs are such petty things, if we are lucky they have slaughtered one another.” His cynicism was momentarily replaced with hope that was soon massacred when Juruz shook his head.
“Orcs love to bicker and fight, but if that was the reason then the drums would have started again.” Juruz took a sharp breath, his men were already terrified, of all days he didn’t need this riddle confusing his thoughts.
“This doesn’t make sense,” Torin said. Like many warriors of his realm he had been fighting Orcs since he was old enough to hold a sword. Yet he had never heard or seen such a thing.
“What do you think it means?” Ulka asked, his own experienced mind failing to find the answer.
“It is a question we must have an answer to,” Juruz said after a long troubled moment of thought. Suddenly he turned and stepped to the inner railing of the walkway. “Lieutenant Luvis!” he called. His voice echoed gently off the thick stone walls of the courtyard and while every head looked to him Luvis was the only one to respond. “Yes Captain?”
“Myself, Lieutenant Ulka and Torin are going to scout the nearby range, until we return you’re in charge.”
“Yes Sir,” Luvis replied, doing her best to hide her own concern.
Juruz turned to the lieutenants, neither looked particularly calm.
“We’re going out there?” Ulka asked, rarely did he question his captain, because rarely did he have to, but this was an important exception.
“How else will we find out what is going on?” Juruz asked, bluntly.
Torin shook his head slightly. “Captain the safest place for us to be is behind these stone walls, they have allowed us to fend off Orc attacks for thousands of years, they are more useful on this day than they ever have been.”
Juruz nodded, “All the better that only the three of us and a handful of troops go on the scout then.”
“But captain,” Ulka pleaded. “These men and women are terrified, they will need your strong voice and skilled hands to lead them when the attack arrives.”
Juruz raised his head slightly, his mind filling with thought. “I am just a man Ulka, just like you, I have no plan on dying out there, but if I do these fine troops will still rise to defend it. This act serves more than one purpose, if the troops see the three of us willing to go in so few a number it will keep their confidence up and their wills strong… better than any smoked weed.” He didn’t wait for a response and began walking to the closest stairway. Juruz had always been a man of action and his wisdom rarely failed. Ulka and Torin took long breaths before following him.
As he walked through the courtyard Juruz pointed at various soldiers. “Join us,” was all he had to say for the various men and women to follow him without question. With two dozen warriors following him Juruz left the courtyard and entered a stone stable. Built directly into the walls of Ebulon, there were many such stables designed to keep the strong mountain horses from the slicing chill of a winter night. These horses were strong and fast but in truth they weren’t compulsory for the upcoming battle. Instead they were being kept alive for their meat, in case the Orcs decided to surround the city and merely starve the humans out. Orcs were known for enjoying bringing the longest death possible to their enemies, so this was a real possibility. But for now these horses would prove their worth and help keep the scouting party safe.
Juruz walked down the center of the stable merely pointing and directing the warriors to a single horse each. He took the farthest horse from the stable entrance for himself as he led the mounted party out of the stable and towards the entranceway. The group could feel the eyes of every soldier upon them, each wondering if the party would return. The party waited nervously as the thick iron gate was raised. It was solid and capable of surviving a direct catapult attack, but every soldier knew this gate couldn’t keep the Orcs at bay forever.