-----Everyone around the fire leaps to their feet! Raven's first shot goes wide into the night air. The second arrow pierces an orc's neck instantly downing the humanoid. The six remaining orcs angrily begin to charge toward the campfire.
-----"Well...not an illusion." Sarah says. "I thought there would be something else..." The mage glances around the camp using her magically enhanced vision to try to catch sight of some other menace.
-----Sol rises from his spot near the fire, happily discarding the badly fitting orc helmet as he does so. His sword in his hand, point low to the ground, the Gorian heads to meet the humanoid's charge head on. As Sol nears the closest evil being, the Lathanian blade flashes around at its neck.
-----Pil jumps up and runs shouting some incoherent war cry into the night as he goes. He charges the nearest orc, a strong looking one who braces himself as the warrior approaches. Pil throws his weight into his sword as he reaches striking distance. His sword rings as it slams into the orc's shield. The orc immediately jabs at him but misses.
-----Raven's wolf bolts from the trees and attacks an orc as it squints toward the campfire. The wolf launches itself connecting with the humanoid and delivering a fierce bite to the orc's arm. The orc screams in pain and tries to beat at the wolf but to no avail.
-----Raven rushes another orc and in one fell swoop his short sword claims the humanoid's head.
-----Strolum meets still another humanoid and stabs it in the gut. The orc grunts but stays on its feet. Throwing its strength off by the attack, the orc misses Strolum as the red-headed warrior ducks under its weapon.
-----An orc runs toward Garrison as the woodsman anticipates its stance. Garrison quickly avoids his sudden thrust and quickly tries to return a hit on the foe. The woodsman's axe slams against the opponent's shield drawing a curse from Garrison.
-----The orc who meets Sol stabs quickly at the young warrior and Sol parries it just as quickly. Before the humanoid can take its next breath, Sol slices across taking its head and sending it off into the darkness.
-----Just then some excited muffled shouts in orcish are heard from the keep causing Raven, Sol and anyone else not involved in battle to look toward the stronghold.
-----A gleam of moonlight is seen as the light reflects off of bladed weapons thrown down from the walls just before the gate. A few moments later, the gate is opened and some large figures rush out quickly gathering the weapons. They then turn toward the fighting figures silhouetted by the bonfire on the ridge. One lets out a great bellowing and as they run, those who can observe them can tell they are huge muscular creatures standing over seven feet tall. Their heads seem a bit larger and feature horns. There are eight of these creatures!
-----"Finally!" Sol breathed in deeply as he observed a group of opponents who would test his skill. Digging his heels into the ground, the Gorian warrior launched himself in the direction of the horned humanoids, and proceeded to sprint at the top of his speed. As he neared them, the Stormbringer's voice rang true as he thundered out a war cry of his own, "By Strator's might!"
-----Though he ran for the head creature, he was preparing to sidestep at the last second as he swung his blade, not wanting to be trodden into the mud by the foes' charge.
-----"That's what I was waiting for." Sarah says unhappily as the 'special forces' take the field. "Sol, don't!" She yells as her warrior charges the eight man-beasts.
-----Sarah knows better than to try to order Raven or Sol around, but she yells out a short command to the warriors that are accompanying the party. "Pil, Strolum, Garrison, stay here and try to deal with the orcs. Rinda, please come with me, Sol needs our help! Caranip...stay out of sight!" Sarah says to her gnome apprentice, hoping to keep the girl safe.
-----With the three warriors and Raven's wolf fighting the orcs, Sarah figures the odds are on the party's side. If Raven stays to fight the orcs, which Sarah figures he just might, so much the better.
-----The beautiful sorceress turns her attention to Sol and dashes off after him, ending up standing where she doesn't want to be, between the orcs and the bull creatures. She raises her hands and sends four golden missiles flying into one of the monsters.
-----Sol heard Sarah's cry as he sped his way towards the hulking bipedals, and it served only to make him try and run faster. There was always an element of fear that nagged the corner of his mind whenever Sarah was near combat; Sol knew she could take care of herself, but the ebb and flow of battle can be misleading and she wasn't as sturdy as some his other companions . . . not as combat savvy.
-----The Gorian was simply worried about the mage being injured or worse. The creatures swiftly making their way towards him seemed much more of a challenge than the usual fodder, and that element of doubt about their potential meant that Sarah was in that much more danger if she was following Sol.