Stories > Tales From Loren Chapter I
by Chester
I sat on top of a tree in my look out post. My eyes were fixed on the large mound of earth pulsating on the glade floor. You could easily see the tunnel taking shape beneath the earth; we were lucky they crossed a meadow glade. The Skaven had been digging a tunnel under the earth in order to make a sneak attack on Oak of Ages. The rat men were planning on killing the tree while the King and Queen lay dormant inside it. With Orion and Ariel dead the wood elves would probably panic, flee the forest, and disband. The rats only thought of the great wood elf race as a pest in their way to taking control of the full land of the Empire and Bretonnia. After taking those to countries the rest of the world would surely fall.
It was my job to signal a few squadrons of glade riders to charge the pulsating hill as the Skaven broke through. I could see the riders from beneath my post in the tree. They looked ready to fight the mighty Bloodthirster themselves. They were covered in thick dark green cloth with a red trim and collar. Their spears had been sharpened recently and were able to cut through light armor like thin cloth beneath a sword. They had no bow, strange for Wood Elf Calvary, but their shining shields were impressive and would be good for blocking any rat demon's attack. Yes, it was my job to send these good soldiers into battle and die for our home.
I felt like a coward. My only job was to hid in a tree and fire an arrow at the ground to send others off to die. I do not know why I chose to become a scout. From when I was young I always dreamed of charging of into battle with a spear in my hand, and a bow on my back. When the time came for me to choose my fate I said, “I want to become a proud scout for the armies of Loren.” I was not thinking. I should have said, ”I want to become a glade guard and kill all those I fight in battle.” I made a mistake and I have been living it every day of my life since then.
My eyes focused back on the mound because the soil started to split. I watched as the loose ground rose and fell and the earth moved over onto the fresh ground. Finally a great rumble was heard, and the soil flew into the air. The rats climbed from the new hole. Swinging their daggers and swords above their heads, whooping and screaming. I grabbed an arrow from my quiver, and drew it across my bow. I pulled the arrow tight and let the arrow fly toward the ground.
The soldiers below charged the beasts before the arrow hit the ground. Their courage was unmatched, but so was the numbers of the Skaven foe. The only way the warriors would win this fight is through their bravery and skill in battle. Many a soul would travel to the other side this day, hopefully more Skaven then elf.
Now that my main task was done, I could begin having some fun. I drew an arrow a let it fly at the first thing I say emerge from the mount. A Skaven slave fell dead to the ground; I killed that rat bitch. I drew my arrow again and slung the arrow on the bow string and was about to fire when something scared the hell out of me. I had forgot that two units of warhawk riders where stationed behind me. They flew by me screeching and screaming at the top of their lungs, the sound was horrifying. The wind they caused made me lose my center in the tree. I tried to regain my balance, but I fell from the tree any way. The fall would have killed me if a friendly dryad beneath the tree hadn't caught me.
The dryad put me aside and said, “You better return to your tree, leave the fighting to the true fighter, you're an archer.” I had never felt more offended in my life, “you're an archer”, stupid dryad. I ran and caught up with the dryad as he was charging into battle. I turned to him and said the most brass thing an elf has ever said; “I'll show you what this archer can do, you stupid tree beast” He looked at me as if to crush me under his fist. Instead he said, ”don't get yourself killed then!” and he broke away from me and charged a group of Skaven holding up a unit of glade riders.
I was now in the heat of the battle. I drew my blade and began to hack at the first thing to cross my path with a tail. A slave tried to jump on my back and stab me with his dagger. I spun around and beheaded the bastard before he came close to me. I had always said that I wanted be in battle, well I got my wish.
I killed slave after slave but they just keep on coming. I could have cut them down all day long, and they just wouldn't stop coming. It was beginning to bore me. I made a bold decision to go after something that was worth my efforts.
I ran through dozens of fights before I came across something I thought was worthy to die at my hands, three Black Skaven. I ran up to them at full speed, and they quickly encircled me. One of them was armed with a large blade, another with a ball and chain, and finally a rat with the infamous fighting claws. The first to make his move was the one with the sword. He took a powerful swing and I tried to parry it with my blade, but the try was futile. The blow hit me hard and drove me to the ground. Before I could get up or recover from the hit a mace ball flung at my head. I moved my head just barely enough for the ball to hit the ground were my head was. I looked next to and saw the huge dent that the ball left in the ground. The Skaven with the sword looked like he was going to finish me off, but he jumped back instead. I soon realized why, the third rat jumped over the sword bearer with his claw out preparing to impale my to the ground. By my blind luck a wardancer saw this and dove to counter-attack the Skaven with the claws. He hit the rat in the arms first with his twin swords, cleaving them from his body. He then cut of the rat's legs and finally the rat's head, he then landed on the ground! He raised his sword to me then he was gone. I noticed the look on the to Black Skaven's face, it was utter shock and horror. Seizing the opportunity while I was still on my back, I lunged my sword past my head with both my arms and pieced the rat with the ball in chain through the heart killing him. Before the other could recover, I through my sword at his head and pierced one of his eyes. The beast pulled the blade out of his eye and through it to the ground. The coward ran off, back to the mount, which had spawned the evil rat.
I got up on my feet and picked up my sword. I was to busy looking for my next victim to see the warhawk land right on top of me. I looked up at just the right moment and jumped to the ground as the winged creature fell from the sky. I quickly ran over to the rider to see what was wrong. The rider had his chest-slashed open by what seemed to a claw. His face was of utter horror; something must have scared him good. I laid the fallen warrior on the ground and took flight on his mount; I took the task of avenging the warriors death.
I flew high enough to get a view of the entire battlefield. What do I mean flew, I went were the hawk wanted to go. From this height I could see Black Skaven being attacked by dryads, poison globers killing glade guard, and censer bearers beating a single treeman. I saw this and decide to help the treeman before he fell. I whispered into the warhawk's ear, “Lets kick some rat ass!” The hawk seemed to understand me and descended toward the censer bearers. I positioned my sword in front of warhawk's head on the right side. The warhawk went fell till he was inches above the ground, then went straight for the censer bearers.
The censer bearer never even had a chance at the speed we were going. The warhawk leaned to left so that I could slice the rat with my sword. The censer bearer to a big swing back in an attempt to crush the treeman's leg underneath the wait of the censer, he would never get to finish the swing. I plunged my sword into his chest as my warhawk went vertical. The rat slide all the down to the hilt of the blade. I tried to push the bearer off my blade but he was stuck. I had to drop him he was weighing us down, but not before I took his censer.
I like everything about his weapon. It weight was light enough to wield, but strong enough to crush someone. I began to swing the censer above my head and told the warhawk to scrap the heads of the people on the battlefield. The bird went low and began to fly toward a unit of plague monks. When we got with in three feet of the monks when the warhawk stopped and hovered for a second. He clasped his claws on the head of one monk and tore it from the rest of his body. I swung my censer down to my right and crushed a plague monk into a bloody pulp (I really liked this weapon!). The hawk flapped its wings fast sending use flying back, to dodge the third monks attack. I regained my poise and swung my new weapon a third monk. He was lucky I missed, but my warhawk would not. The hawk sent us at crashing into him. We knocked him to the ground and he dropped his weapon, what happened next was brutal. The hawk floated right above him and began to claw and peck the rat bastard. When he was done with him there was nothing but bones and bloodstains on the ground. Once again the warhawk took off to the skies above.
I began to survey the area looking for a place to kill some more rats to kill. I then felt the presence of something very evil and stupid (the worst kind of evil). I looked up to see a sight not meant for mortal eyes. A large harpy was closing in on us from above. The warhawk tried to move out of the way, but was only able to make it so I didn't get hit. The harpy's claw scratched the side of the warhawk's head. The bird lost consciousness and began to fall from the sky and me with it. I saw the ground coming at us quickly; I had to think fast. I smack the hawk upside the head and scream at it, “ARE YOU GOING TO LET HIM BEAT YOU!” The warhawk immediately woke up and hovered for a second. I then said, “Now let's get end that evil beast, he is nothing compared to us!” After that moment the warhawk followed my commands without question.
We climbed right under the harpy that we meet earlier. We came up right underneath the brute, and flew above him inches from him. As we went by him the warhawk slashed a large wound on his chest. We went far above him and turned around to make another run at him. Before the harpy could regain control we came screaming down at the monster at an unbelievable speed. My censer was hanging behind us, and as we went by it hit him and drove his head into his body. The harpy fell from the sky, his blood spraying about as he fell.
The warhawk pointed his head to the ground at our general in battle with a Vermin Lord. Our lord was losing and we both knew what needed to be done. So he headed straight for the giant rat beast, both not expecting to live but only to give the lord time to finish the fight.
We flew in close to the ground at a fast speed to try to get a drop on the great demon. The idea worked were able get in the first attack in. The hawk hit him first with a brutal flurry of slashing claws and pecks. It seemed to have no effect on the Vermin Lord. It was my turn now, and the demon was going to feel my wrath. I took a deep swing and hit him with all my might. The censer was only able to knock the great beast of his feet. That was enough, luckily for us it was enough time for our lord to get ready to kill the giant rat. The lord leapt from his horse and landed on the fallen Vermin Lord's chest. With the blade of ages in hand, the mighty hero was able to land several killing blows against the vermin beast.
With their Vermin Lord dead, the rats ran back to the hole from which they came. The battle was won. The battlefield was covered with bodies of both rat and elf. The casualties were great on both sides, but the battle was ours and we liked it. This battle has changed my life and added a new chapter to the Wood Elf Anthology.