Seeing Ana keeping her distance from Samuel, after helping those who've had trouble, Rutilux makes his way to her and rides besides her, "Have you a moment to talk?"
Thorvald watched as Rutilux maneuvered Sunfire gracefully and effortlessly to the princesses side from the corner of his helmet hidden eyes. He then guided his own horse to the side of the seaman isham's side. With bravado in his voice he hails him as he comes up beside him. "I hope I prove to be a better sailor than you a rider if we have occasion to take to the water Mr Isham. The point is to move with the horse, not bounce atop it like you are trying to drive a stake into its back with your arse! Try standing in the stirrups and move your hips with it like you were following a dance partner."
Thorvald then drops his voice a little lower so that not everyone else can hear "And thank you for helping save the entire party Isham. You helped unite everyone and got us through it. You stand out among outlanders here in the Lands of the Linnorm Kings. I will try to learn as much as I can from you.
Noticing Rutilux ride up to Ana, Dagmar makes sure to give them both a wide berth. I wonder if Rutilux is still trying to make his apology? I wonder if Ana will accept it or if she has already shifted her attention towards Thorvald? Dagmar glances over towards Thorvald, trying to see if he has any reaction to those two riding together.
Bluff roll for Dagmar to play it off like he doesn't notice the rendezvous.
So Julian, tell me more about those puppet shows.
Having started the ride so late in the day you don't reach the remnants of the town until the sun has already begun to dip below the horizon. In the distance you can see the burned out buildings and the broken rubble but know that your ride is almost over until you get closer and one of the soldiers yells and points to an orange light to the south with a large pillar of smoke rising into the darkness. Turning Samuel curses, "That's the Maple homestead! Ride now like your lifes depend on it as theirs surely do!" And with the the collumn turns and heads south towards the light as is clarifies into many raging fires alite upon the thatch of several buildings. There are dozens of sillouettes moving about and the screams of women and children can be heard along side hideous laughing and inhuman howling.
The homestead's tall fence has been pulled down and there are dozens of darkly clothed humans and some wolves moving about attacking and killing the people while they try to run. There are four humans pounding upon the double doors of the main house which appears to be barred from the inside and screaming can be heard within. More than a dozen wolves have noticed you all riding up and have moved to intercept you followed by three humans.
You are currently one hundred feet out from the fence line and the wolves are twenty feet inside the line. Dagmar and Thorvald are partially hamstrung from the rough ride so please reduce you speed by five and your initiative by one. Isham is hamstrung and suffers a negative two to AC as well.
Jediah gets his glaive ready as he prepares to dismount with the others.
Rutilux leans forward and rides his steed into battle. His plan is to run his lance through a wolf or other foe when he can, but for now, he just covers ground.
Initiative
Riding into the valley Thorvald brings his hunting horn to his lips and sounds a long bayful upnote.
He takes a quick look to see where the other members of the party are. Those of us who must fight afoot shoud band together and form a turtle! The casters can remain within! If we stay separated the wolves will trip and gut us! Rutilux ride on and watch our flanks if you can! The others to me!"
NJ Ninja Julian
J Jediah
Z Zethyis
T Thorvald
A Ana
D Dagmar
I Isham
NJ ........J
..... A D
I ........... Z
.......T
This is a turtle if a wolf darts in between us they will be flanked or open themselves to attack of opportunities. The ladies can cast, heal and range attack. If someone falls they can be pulled to the center then we form up like a five on a die.
"Let's try to punch past these wolves, and move to aid the homesteaders. Jediah, Thorvald, take left and right and hold up the wolves. Rutilux, Zethyris, Julian - push through and defend the survivors. I'll stay with Ana and Dagmar to try and push through the middle. Thorvald and I aren't moving as well as we might, so be aware we may be lagging behind!"
Thorvald watched as Rutilux maneuvered Sunfire gracefully and effortlessly to the princesses side from the corner of his helmet hidden eyes. He then guided his own horse to the side of the seaman isham's side. With bravado in his voice he hails him as he comes up beside him. "I hope I prove to be a better sailor than you a rider if we have occasion to take to the water Mr Isham. The point is to move with the horse, not bounce atop it like you are trying to drive a stake into its back with your arse! Try standing in the stirrups and move your hips with it like you were following a dance partner."
Thorvald then drops his voice a little lower so that not everyone else can hear "And thank you for helping save the entire party Isham. You helped unite everyone and got us through it. You stand out among outlanders here in the Lands of the Linnorm Kings. I will try to learn as much as I can from you.
"Thank you for the kind words - and the advice. I've much to learn from everyone here - and apparently horsemanship is rising on the list quickly. I'll try to dance, if the horse will stop kicking me in the stones."
Seeing Ana keeping her distance from Samuel, after helping those who've had trouble, Rutilux makes his way to her and rides besides her, "Have you a moment to talk?"
"Sure. What is it?"
~~~~~~~
Ana shoots magic missiles at the closest wolf.
"Sure. What is it?"
He lowers his voice a bit
~~~~~~~
Ana tries to keep a straight face when she replies.
"So ... if you had another chance - if you could turn back time - is there anything you would have done differently?"
" he gives the lightest of blushes, "But that is, not likely appropriate to say given the changes in circumstances. What might have been is bitter sweet but it is in the past. I hope the new future for both of you is very bright."
She sighs, then continues: "Rutilux, there is nothing between Thorvald and me. That 'moment of passion' between us that he keeps mentioning: he was angry at me. Because ... it doesn't matter. I want you, Rutilux. But I want you to to be passionate about me and to fight for me."
She takes the rose and beholds it for a moment. Then she thoughtfully strokes the sharp edge where the stem broke off. "I don't want your desire for me to break as easily as a rose of glass. Because fragile love can hurt the most."
Ana shakes her head and laughs. "Do you always give up so easily?"
Rutilux starts to protest, "Give up? but aren't you seeing..."
but then she explains
"Rutilux, there is nothing between Thorvald and me. That 'moment of passion' between us that he keeps mentioning: he was angry at me. Because ... it doesn't matter. I want you, Rutilux. But I want you to to be passionate about me and to fight for me."
She takes the rose and beholds it for a moment. Then she thoughtfully strokes the sharp edge where the stem broke off. "I don't want your desire for me to break as easily as a rose of glass. Because fragile love can hurt the most."
Rutilux's expressions run the gambit of surprise, relief, annoyance, amusement, and thoughtfulness, "I had bought that rose before the incident, it was a sign that I hoped to start again. When I misunderstood Thorvald, I thought you'd made up your mind, and the group seemed..." he admits, "Divided enough as it was. I also was... angry with you, unfairly so I suppose. Sometimes you seemed so flawless, it is easy to forget you can make mistakes just like the rest of us. Add to that the third parties that will want say in who I eventually call my love, and I suppose I was a bit...timid. A word I did not think would apply to me, but it would seem in some ways it did."
Anastasiya continues to let he mount ride forward while she concentrates on her magic, firing two bright bursts of light that fly straight towards one of the wolves and burst amongst its fur.
Just waiting for confirmation wether you are dismounting here or moving up by horse first.
If you want to wait for the Oakrun soldiers to hopefully open a gap for you to go though you can, but you also said you wanted to dismount and 'turtle' up before the wolves had a chance to get in close.
If you dismount here the wolves wont be able to attack you until next round but you'll be that much farther from the survivors. If you move up then the wolves will be able to reach you this round.
Jediah will move with the group.
Thorvald saw Ana unleash her magic and that Rutilux would definitely ride on as this was his combat expertise. Fine Isham! As you wish.
Samuel, we will follow you in and dismount in the courtyard! Can you give us an opening!? Those of us on foot form up if you can, shield the casters if we can't! FOR SAVOL AND THE OAKRUN!
Zethyris continues to ride forward, examining the approacing men as he does so.
Thorvald starts to pull up on his mount until he notices all of you ride forward so he joins you all in you dash into the waiting maws of the wolves before you. The wolves waste no time as they rush forward nipping and biting at your mounts, most miss but Isham and Julian's mounts are hurt Samuel and his riders appear to be charging past towards the soldiers moving up behind but those nearest try a few swings at the wolves but cannot connect.
Rutilux hit
Jediah miss
Dagmar miss
Isham hit
Julian hit
Thorvald miss
Zethyris miss
Anastasiya miss
Rutilux miss
Thorvald miss
Isham miss
Jediah miss
Ride Check
After the initial sally toward the wolves, having his horse take some slashes from the wolves, and watching Rutilux push through towards the villagers, Isham dismounts opposite the wolves, using his panicking mount as a shield, and lines for a shot at whatever wolves are harassing the group moving towards the village.
As the wolves surround and nip at your horses, only Rutliux and Jediah manage to keep control of their mounts. The remained are thrown off by your frightened horses. Isham and Thorvald land prone looking up at their fleeing mounts while Zethyris and by some miracle Anastasiya and Dagmar land on their feet. You are all currently surrounded by a dozen wolves as. Some of Samuel's men have seen your plight and have broken off their charge, turning to help you.
Jediah hacks at a wolf with his glaive.
Rultilux eyes the wolves circling them, locates the wolf chiefly blocking the way to the village, and then charges it bringing his lance to bear.
"Try to punch through them!"he says like he was born in the saddle! Oh yes Isham, this is so much more impressive to Samuel and helpful to the homesteaders than simply getting off our horses voluntarily!" Thorvald man-b!tches as he stands up and draws an attack of opportunity from the waiting wolves. Anger and frustration fuel his powerful swing as he unleashes a sword swing at the first wolf that presents itself and he tries to bite another with his own teeth in a fit of animalistic fury.
Animal fury
Not content to merely wound the wolf Thorvald rips Wintersbane up and through the lupine creature's chest cavity exposing its steaming organs to the cold winter's air as it is rendered into a ruined carcass and tossed aside by the bear like Ulfen warrior.
"Rutilux, Jediah - to the villagers! You - Samuel's men," Isham gesticulates at Samuel's riders, "Ride on to the village! We'll hold these curs from your back!"
'Staying on the horse was bad. I think getting off the horse was worse. By all the gods I've got to spend some time studying this.'
As Isham struggles free of his stirrup, he rolls for a moment in the grass. He picks his head up to orient. His horse bolts away. Immediately behind the horse, limned in bright sunlight, a large wolf comes bearing down toward Isham. Isham's eyes are briefly dazzled - his hands go to his eyes, and he throws the blinding flash directly back at the wolf. Isham feels something lurch in himself, then sees the a blinding brilliance - blue-white with black streaks, rather than sunlight - engulf the wolf - and its immediate surroundings.
'Did I do that?!?'
Thorvald Fort check vs DC12
"For the love of the gods what in the 9 Hells was that Isham! Are you trying to make us all blind! Draw your blade and fight you damned pirate the battle is joined!"
Stupid horses. Julian rides away from the wolves, dismounts, and looks for cover while drawing his bow.