42: Ambush

So, mum, we didn’t creep into Margritte von Wittgenstein’s castle, after all. We got distracted, but here’s what happened while we were still at the temple, before that.

We had one last bit of the temple to look through, and so we followed some steps down into the crypt and along a dark passageway which was lined with the remains of recently disturbed bodies. Guido said that it was disgusting that the tombs should be desecrated but I pointed out he had stolen from one of the tombs, but he said that was different and that Sigmar had told him he was allowed. And then Blume told us that Sigmar had spoken to her, as well, but I believed her less than I believed Guido.

We opened the door at the far end to discover five villagers hiding in what looked like a more elaborate mausoleum. They told us they didn’t have any food to spare, but Guido told them to scram. They replied they were just doing what we had ordered them to do. I think they had confused Guido for one of the nobs at the castle. They explained that it was their job to look after the temple and the graveyard. But Guido pointed out they had let it fall into such disrepair. Then he got angry about it and kicked them all out and they ran through a far door up into the graveyard.

I had a look at some of the remains in the mausoleum and it really looked like a lot of the bodies were half eaten, and they had human teeth marks on them. That was disgusting, and I expected Guido to insist we dealt with the villagers, but he said that would have to wait until after we had been to the castle. Then he told us to hurry back to the outlaw camp. Blume said she hoped no one had eaten Willow while we were gone (no one had eaten me – Willow).

The outlaw guides were waiting to lead us back to the camp, and when we got there we had some of their decent food. We decided that there was a lot of strange stuff going on and that the source of it was in the castle and we would be going there at dawn. Sigrid told us that she was ready to go out with her outlaws and create the distraction that she had arranged with Guido. And we had time to grab some much-needed sleep.

But after only a few hours of rest Hilda woke us and insisted we had to go with her. I don’t think Guido had even got to sleep, but I was a bit annoyed at having been woken up. Hilda told us that they had spotted a patrol coming from the castle and it was heading for our camp. Most of the outlaws had gone off with Sigrid, so we needed to intercept the patrol before it discovered the camp.

Hilda led us to a small clearing which she said they would be bound to come through, and said he thought there were about seven of them. We set up with Dreamy and Blume on either side of the track through the clearing and Hilda and I directly in the way, while Guido went to the far end of the clearing in order to cut them off (I stayed close to Dreamy – Willow).

And after a few minutes, we could here bestial snuffling and the sound of the armoured guards approaching. And in a few moments we saw a massive beastman with huge horns burst into the clearing, sniffing the air, after our scent. Fortunately we were not downwind of him and he continued into the clearing. And following him came six armoured guards.

We let them come a little bit closer so that they would all be in the clearing and Guido could cut them off. And then Dreamy shot an arrow and hit the beastman. And Blume fired a pistol and I fired mine and it fell to the ground, dead. And even though Hilda missed with her bowshot, that was like a proper ambush.

I think Guido had said a prayer to Myrmidia but he wasn’t ready to attack yet and was waiting for the beastmen to fall deeper into our ambush. I think I would have just hit one of them with my sword, but I’m not a military genius like Guido.

Then we aimed at the guards. Dreamy managed to get off two arrows and hit with both, and Blume and I hit with our second pistols. I think we were like a proper fighting force now. We must have learned a lot since we have been travelling the Empire. This wasn’t Brandy shooting his sling under a tavern table and getting a lucky hit, or Blume hitting everyone in sight with her Blunderbuss. This was like the army.

In response to the noise and fire of our black powder two of the guards simply fled, turning tail and rushing back into the forest. They had to go past Guido, but he just let them go. I’m not sure whether this was because of one of his honourable strictures, or he just thought it would be better to help us fight the others. The sergeant headed towards Blume and two of the guards headed for me and the last one went for Dreamy.

Guido stepped up and intercepted the one heading for Dreamy. He unsheathed Barrakul and the runes on its blade glowed in the darkness, and it shimmered through the air. It hit the guard, and the blade seemed to pass through the armour like it wasn’t there, cleaving the guard in two.

And so Dreamy had time to aim at the sergeant and hit him in the back of the head as he charged towards Blume, but the arrow deflected off his helmet. The sergeant smashed his flail into Blume as she tried to reload her pistol, and hit her hard, and the flail wrapped around her arm.

I charged one of the guards and my blade connected, but I don’t think I did much damage. But to be honest, the man, or creature, smelled so rank, that the stench put me off my stride. It was so bad it made me feel nauseous. Now there was two of them upon me, but Hilda was backing me up and she shot her arrow at one of them. Luckily it wasn’t Blume backing me up or I would have been shot, again.

The two guards attacked me. The first connected with my leg and that hurt a lot. But as the other attacked me with his sword, I could see it slicing through the air, towards my face, and in my panic, and I know, mum, Guido has already told me not to do this any more, and I think if you were here, you might tell me off, too. But I didn’t want the blade to hit me, and so I quickly called to my friend, Isaac Graksk, to help me out, and he did. And the blade missed, and I was saved. Where’s the harm in that?

Then Guido charged at one of the ones fighting me and Dreamy shot at the sergeant again. And Blume managed to reload one of her pistols and she fired at the sergeant and this time he fell dead.

So I was left to face a single guard and I fought back and managed to wound him, and then an arrow flew from the trees and killed him. I looked over to see Hilda with her bow looking pleased that she could help, and I thanked her. Only one guard remained and Guido and Dreamy managed to finish him off.

I was just happy that we had got through that fight, but Hilda shouted something about the two that got away. She said that we shouldn’t let them get back to the castle, and Guido and Dreamy agreed. I didn’t think they would make much difference, and they might even help with our planned distractions, but they decided they must be stopped and so took off after them through the forest, even though the guards must have had quite a head start.

I just sat down, for a rest though, and Willow emerged from her hiding place and tried to do something with my leg wound. She couldn’t help much but she gave me one of her potions which tasted gross, but she said that’s how you can tell it’s working, so I drank it all down. At least it tasted better than the guards smelled.

Meanwhile the two guards were being chased down, slowed by their armour and, presumably, their putrefying flesh. I think Dreamy tripped over a root and fell, but Guido managed to catch one of them and sliced through him with the glowing Barrakul. And then Hilda emerged from the shadows, wiping the blood from her knife, and told them that she had dispatched the final one.

After helping Blume and I, Willow took a look at the bodies of the guards. She said it would be good for her anatomical education, but after a quick look under their armour and a smell of their flesh, I don’t think she was that interested in furthering her education (They were disgusting – Willow).

Guido, Dreamy, and Hilda returned to the clearing and Guido roused us to head straight for the castle. He said there was no time to lose. And so, mum, we will probably be heading straight for castle Wittgenstein, using the caves that Hilda knows about to sneak in, while the outlaws try to make a diversionary attack, or whatever it is that Sigrid and Guido have planned. And I expect I will tell you all about that in my next letter.