-----Suddenly Lovan runs to his horse and leaps upon it; for once looking agile and competent at mounting. He raises his warhammer into the air toward his companions as the first few drops of rain is felt and yells, "THIS DAY WE ARE THE STORM! BRING THE FULL FURY OF YOUR RAGE UPON OUR ENEMIES!"
-----With that, the storm priest charges his horse in the direction of the keep, riding with a furious passion and concentration.
-----"Damn!" Garrison exclaims as he scurries to find his own horse.
-----As soon as Lovan sets off, Sol raises in his stirrups and yells towards the offending keep, "'WARE THE STORM!" As Thunder rears in response, the Stormbringer seats himself in the saddle again. Both man and horse then race forwards, with Sol heading to ride side by side with Lovan.
-----Sarah helps Caranip mount Marlexana behind her and the sorceress whispers a gracious request to her horse to follow Thunder at a close distance. She wants to give Sol enough space to do what he does best, and she figures the further away she is from what will probably be the orcs' first target the better.
-----By the time the others mount up and steer their horses toward the keep, Sol and Lovan have covered a fourth of the distance to the stronghold's walls. Hard they ride with the rising wind blasting in their faces. All the while the roar of thunder accompanies the startling flashes of lightning that pulse through the air. The rain begins to fall in a furious downpour making visibility difficult in the surrounding countryside. Very quickly now, the storm priest and the stormbringer become dark figures silhouetted occasionally by the violent weather.
-----About halfway across the field, Lovan spins out of his saddle and lands deftly on his feet. He glares off toward the dark stronghold clutching his weapon in hand. Now he raises his hammer and voice to the sky trying to match the loudness of his words with the booming thunder. For quite a few moments he chants to the raging clouds and then just as the clouds grow incredibly darker, the storm priest points his weapon toward the keep.
-----Suddenly the air above and in front of the keep explodes. A brilliant deadly bolt blazes down from the clouds blasting a huge hole in the front gate.
-----Lovan continues his ranting, pointing toward part of the stone wall.
-----Sarah tries to keep up with the two storm-worshippers, and while her magical horse has no problem moving in the rough weather Sarah keeps Marlexana below full gallop as she can hardly see where the horse is going.
-----Sarah pulls up the hood on her black robe and extends her arms so that her robe offers some manner of protection for Caranip.
-----"This is the downside about loving a storm-worshipper." Sarah mutters. "You tend to get rained on a lot."
-----Sarah holds back from the priest and the warrior, waiting for the right moment to use her magic, and also waiting until she can see where the enemy is.
-----Sol continues on past Lovan, and heads towards the breached gate. As he nears the structure, he raises his sword-arm in a standard calvary attack posture and prepares himself for who or what may be beyond the keep's entrance.
-----Raven moves up along side Sol and waits.
-----Sol and Raven see a large burned hole that has been blasted through the gate. The parts of the doors that remain barely hang on the huge hinges. With the quick lightning flashes, they can from time to time momentarily see into the courtyard beyond. Nothing is seen to move there . . . yet.
-----Meanwhile, Lovan's voice is barely lost among the booming sounds from above. It is evident, though, that the storm priest has reached another crescendo with his crazed manner. Suddenly, another bright flash and ear shattering boom is experienced as a massive bolt strikes the wall off to the left of the gate doors. Inhuman wails are heard as part of the upper stronghold wall is shattered and pieces of stone fly through the air.
-----Lovan is heard to laugh as he pauses. The storm priest then sets about concentrating on a tower close to the ruined gate.
-----"By my Aunt Gurtie's goose!" Caranip squeaks under Sarah's robe as the storm continues with explosive force around them.
-----"Aunt Gertie's goose indeed," Sarah mutters as she raises her sleeve to shield her face from the heavy rain. With all the downfall, not even her magic eyes have managed to catch sight of a foe.
-----"Have no fear, Caranip. With Sol nearby we are as safe as we can be." Sarah says in an attempt to keep her apprentice calm, although the words probably do more to soothe Sarah's nerves than Caranip's.