Early in the morning Galmand awoke to the sounds of troop movements outside his own tent. He had his army wake up at the crack of dawn at the sound of a horn, or drums. A team of at least five stayed up all night to keep watch for the dawn. Each one either strummed the drum, or sounded a horn to wake up the whole camp. It was traditional for Ehkbullar armies while they were at war. Getting up Galmand prepared for what today brought his way. He knew today or the next day the Verlanders would attack again with a larger force. Galmand ordered his forces to join the gathered defenders at the fort. Here he met with the Commander who appeared unhappy to see him and a little defeated. She had been chewed up by their superiors at the capital over her activities with some civilians and her not giving Galmand a proper greeting. She was given a message about his arrival ahead of time.
He looked at her face and realized she could be removed from command if this happened again. She led him to the front lines where bodies of the attacking enemy still lay from the previous attack. The landscape along the border had patches of woods they had to keep an eye on every season. It did not matter which clan attacked Ehkbullar, their rangers and militia had to defend the borders. Having a long wide clear space between their outposts, and those forests suited them better than some wall. Centuries ago one Kingdom had a wall built to keep them out. History taught them the flaws of just setting up a wall to keep savages out. That wall would have to be manned every day and eyes kept on the borders each night. He remembered learning in class a Verlanding tribe broke through the walls of one kingdom that was overrun as a result. It took the neighboring kingdoms combined to drive the savages out. Although Ehkbullar was dotted with solitary peaks, small mountain ranges that served as settlements there were some cities or kingdoms under the ground. As for Gnome cities, or kingdoms that varied. They were either under ground, along the base of a mountain, in the hills, or the forests. Goblins were underground or in their version of the underworld. Many used caves as cities or houses. Zunias had settlements within the forests. In this day in age cities grew allowing the races to come together on the surface. Galmand looked at the cleared area that was covered with bodies. He looked at the areas that flanked their position. If his calculations on a map were correct they should be in the middle of the bulge in their border. Just a brigade defended this part of the front. Other units, and armies of larger scales covered the border north and south of their position.
The Dwarf turned around hoping to see reinforcements coming to bolster the defense here. Even they were good, the current defenders would not be able to hold a larger force. Galmand returned his gaze to the forest and saw movement. He caught the Fort Commander's position who saw the movement at the same time. She barked out orders for the summoned forces to prepare for another assault. Galmand used his own whistle to summon his own gathered force. All Galmand had to do was listen to the sounds of troop movements behind them. His focus rested on the forest that covered the true size of this next wave. The Fort Commander shouted orders to keep their eyes on the forests. She sent three messengers to the nearest positions to the south, west, and north east. Galmand gave her a skeptical look. Why didn't she use the more modern communication he thought. Then he realized the new devices did not always worked. It was safe to assume hers did not work, or was broken.
Out of the forests marched a force of what appeared to be 10,000 or more Veerland clansmen. He could tell this force was made up of different clans just from the banners. Some had black wolves on red banners, others had white dragons on black fields, and the rest had round shields with tribal and clan like patterns upon pikes. This force was heavily armed with steel weapons and the best armor that could come out of a human's forgery. Nothing else bothers a Dwarf force than an enemy with this kind of technology. However Ehkbullar had advanced weapons to defend itself. Galmand watched the clansmen with their conical helms, half helms, sallets, bascinets, chain-mail hoods, kettle helms, Barbuta helmets, and burgonet helmets. Many of their helmets had horns, spikes, wings, and tribal icons on them. The armor varied in terms of style and craftsmanship. However Galmand doubted the armor could hold against the new crossbows, and armor piercing points of their projectile weapons. He watched as a volley of bolts and arrows launched over his head into the mass of clansmen. Heater shields, round shields, and tower shields managed to catch most of the volley. A few hundred unfortunate clansmen fell to the ground from the first volley. Wielding a variety of weapons the clansmen charged forward regardless of the second volley. He picked up a crossbow to fire into the Verlander horde watching more arrows and bolts launch into their ranks. As he fired another bolt he witnessed this ten thousand man horde come closer. They drew close enough to hear battle cries, screams of death, and pain. Some started to return fire using tower shields as cover. Several arrows flew past Galmand's position forcing him and the Fort Commander to take cover. He barked out orders to bring in the modern guns. Several hundred Dwarfs armed with rifles rushed up to the front with arrows and bolts flew over their heads. Galmand felt like an idiot loading another bolt while his own men reloaded their rifles for another volley.
Taking his time Galmand fired another bolt after the other volleys. In the open area thousands of Veerland Clansmen littered the ground. He paused loading and watched the clansmen horde begin their retreat. Ten thousand strong looked more like a few thousand huddled in a mass of bodies and shields melting back into the forest. A few more volleys were sent after them before the order to cease fire was given. Galmand looked up to see half a day had gone by. He decided it was best to keep an eye on the woods. Letting the enemy come to you was the better strategy. This Fort Commander did agree with that until a Gnome came up on a bicycle. He held an envelope with the military seal. Galmand snatched it from his hand first. She flared a little as he opened the envelope. Galmand read the orders out loud to the whole lot. By the next day their forces were to advance at the same time as the militia in the south.
No one was happy about those orders. Their enemy was in the forest and could easily ambush them. Galmand finally asked the Commander's name before letting her take command as the orders suggested. Her name was Commander Annabel Stone-Spear, a daughter of a frontiersmen. Her family was large and they spread out across the region of Ehkbullar and the neighboring nations. All her life Annabel wanted to become a ranger like her uncle. She told Galmand her life story as they assessed the casualties. Only a handful of their own died in the onslaught that occurred at the bulge in the border. As for the Veerlander Clansmen 7584 more of them lay dead. The two commanders stepped out a little further with a team of bowmen with tower shields encircling them for protection. Galmand studied the forest pondering over how many clansmen could be hiding in these trees waiting to attack a third time. He glanced over at Fort Commander Stone-Spear when a wave of projectiles shot out of the forest. Some were balls of flames others cannon balls, stones, and missiles launched from siege engines. Galmand's protection started to retreat when a large projectile hit them.
He looked at her face and realized she could be removed from command if this happened again. She led him to the front lines where bodies of the attacking enemy still lay from the previous attack. The landscape along the border had patches of woods they had to keep an eye on every season. It did not matter which clan attacked Ehkbullar, their rangers and militia had to defend the borders. Having a long wide clear space between their outposts, and those forests suited them better than some wall. Centuries ago one Kingdom had a wall built to keep them out. History taught them the flaws of just setting up a wall to keep savages out. That wall would have to be manned every day and eyes kept on the borders each night. He remembered learning in class a Verlanding tribe broke through the walls of one kingdom that was overrun as a result. It took the neighboring kingdoms combined to drive the savages out. Although Ehkbullar was dotted with solitary peaks, small mountain ranges that served as settlements there were some cities or kingdoms under the ground. As for Gnome cities, or kingdoms that varied. They were either under ground, along the base of a mountain, in the hills, or the forests. Goblins were underground or in their version of the underworld. Many used caves as cities or houses. Zunias had settlements within the forests. In this day in age cities grew allowing the races to come together on the surface. Galmand looked at the cleared area that was covered with bodies. He looked at the areas that flanked their position. If his calculations on a map were correct they should be in the middle of the bulge in their border. Just a brigade defended this part of the front. Other units, and armies of larger scales covered the border north and south of their position.
The Dwarf turned around hoping to see reinforcements coming to bolster the defense here. Even they were good, the current defenders would not be able to hold a larger force. Galmand returned his gaze to the forest and saw movement. He caught the Fort Commander's position who saw the movement at the same time. She barked out orders for the summoned forces to prepare for another assault. Galmand used his own whistle to summon his own gathered force. All Galmand had to do was listen to the sounds of troop movements behind them. His focus rested on the forest that covered the true size of this next wave. The Fort Commander shouted orders to keep their eyes on the forests. She sent three messengers to the nearest positions to the south, west, and north east. Galmand gave her a skeptical look. Why didn't she use the more modern communication he thought. Then he realized the new devices did not always worked. It was safe to assume hers did not work, or was broken.
Out of the forests marched a force of what appeared to be 10,000 or more Veerland clansmen. He could tell this force was made up of different clans just from the banners. Some had black wolves on red banners, others had white dragons on black fields, and the rest had round shields with tribal and clan like patterns upon pikes. This force was heavily armed with steel weapons and the best armor that could come out of a human's forgery. Nothing else bothers a Dwarf force than an enemy with this kind of technology. However Ehkbullar had advanced weapons to defend itself. Galmand watched the clansmen with their conical helms, half helms, sallets, bascinets, chain-mail hoods, kettle helms, Barbuta helmets, and burgonet helmets. Many of their helmets had horns, spikes, wings, and tribal icons on them. The armor varied in terms of style and craftsmanship. However Galmand doubted the armor could hold against the new crossbows, and armor piercing points of their projectile weapons. He watched as a volley of bolts and arrows launched over his head into the mass of clansmen. Heater shields, round shields, and tower shields managed to catch most of the volley. A few hundred unfortunate clansmen fell to the ground from the first volley. Wielding a variety of weapons the clansmen charged forward regardless of the second volley. He picked up a crossbow to fire into the Verlander horde watching more arrows and bolts launch into their ranks. As he fired another bolt he witnessed this ten thousand man horde come closer. They drew close enough to hear battle cries, screams of death, and pain. Some started to return fire using tower shields as cover. Several arrows flew past Galmand's position forcing him and the Fort Commander to take cover. He barked out orders to bring in the modern guns. Several hundred Dwarfs armed with rifles rushed up to the front with arrows and bolts flew over their heads. Galmand felt like an idiot loading another bolt while his own men reloaded their rifles for another volley.
Taking his time Galmand fired another bolt after the other volleys. In the open area thousands of Veerland Clansmen littered the ground. He paused loading and watched the clansmen horde begin their retreat. Ten thousand strong looked more like a few thousand huddled in a mass of bodies and shields melting back into the forest. A few more volleys were sent after them before the order to cease fire was given. Galmand looked up to see half a day had gone by. He decided it was best to keep an eye on the woods. Letting the enemy come to you was the better strategy. This Fort Commander did agree with that until a Gnome came up on a bicycle. He held an envelope with the military seal. Galmand snatched it from his hand first. She flared a little as he opened the envelope. Galmand read the orders out loud to the whole lot. By the next day their forces were to advance at the same time as the militia in the south.
No one was happy about those orders. Their enemy was in the forest and could easily ambush them. Galmand finally asked the Commander's name before letting her take command as the orders suggested. Her name was Commander Annabel Stone-Spear, a daughter of a frontiersmen. Her family was large and they spread out across the region of Ehkbullar and the neighboring nations. All her life Annabel wanted to become a ranger like her uncle. She told Galmand her life story as they assessed the casualties. Only a handful of their own died in the onslaught that occurred at the bulge in the border. As for the Veerlander Clansmen 7584 more of them lay dead. The two commanders stepped out a little further with a team of bowmen with tower shields encircling them for protection. Galmand studied the forest pondering over how many clansmen could be hiding in these trees waiting to attack a third time. He glanced over at Fort Commander Stone-Spear when a wave of projectiles shot out of the forest. Some were balls of flames others cannon balls, stones, and missiles launched from siege engines. Galmand's protection started to retreat when a large projectile hit them.
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