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The Coven of the Secret Shadow > Voices of the Watchtowers > Supply Lines... |
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MadCeltUSA
Master Story Teller Posts: 61 (3/27/03 12:01 am) Reply |
Supply Lines... Avalon sat atop the chocolate mare, squirming with discomfort in the hard leather saddle. He was a scholar thrust into the role of military commander by his devotion to the family. A small contingent of Coveners were gathered about the Vesper town square. A train of packhorses laden with the supplies that were bound for Trinsic, and the Collective forces that desperately needed them. Their chosen path would take them from Vesper to the crossroads above Britain, through the swamps and south through Britain to Trinsic. Not only was the caravan vulnerable to the beasts of the wild, but the roaming patrols of the armies of Virtue. Avalon looked about at the escort that had assembled at his beckoning. A good mix of abilities that should give them a reasonable chance of success. He had news that the forces of Virtue had placed scouts at the moongates that would send them warning should the Collective make entry into the cities by that method, and so the land or sea routes were their only chance of secrecy. With the slower pack animals, advance warning would surely bring large elements of the armies of the Virtuous crashing into the vulnerable supply train. Avalon called out to his troop to begin the long march to the south. Arathorn and Torm fanned out in the vanguard as Nox, Nubias, and Dat encircled he and the packhorses in a defensive posture, ready to unleash hellish magic upon anything that threatened the train. The first leg of the journey took the better part of the day, with no serious threats to the caravan, other than a few lesser beasts who found only sudden death, and not the easy meal they thought to make of the packhorses. Evening was fast closing as they reached the Swamps of Sorrow. Avalon thought to press on into the night and use the cover of darkness to cloak them from the watchers that surely stood sentry at the tower of the Highland Guard. They picked their way slowly through the marshes, hoping to avoid the lethal denizens that reside in the marsh. But such was not to be. They could make out swirling patterns in the waters, that heralded the arrival of giant serpents, atrracted by the noise of the pack horses slogging through the mire. Avalon concentrated on keeping the pack animals calm as the others in the party began casting and slashing at assaulting reptiles. Just as they slaughtered that last of the predators, a young man came quickly trudging through the darkness in their direction, a look of fear upon his face. A roar erupted from the shadows behind him. A huge, pale mass of undulating horror burst into the midst of them, lashing out poisonous pseudopods at the group of Coveners. The young stranger found valor amidst the heavily armed group from Moonglow and turned to attack the beast. His scream pierced the swamps as the Plague Beast shot out an amorphous arm that threw him to the soft ground. The group of Coveners rallied at the distraction and tore into the foul creature with blade and sorcerous energy. It thrashed out it's last moment of life in the renewed silence of the Swamp of Sorrow. The group turned to the young man and provided him with the unmatched healing arts that the Coven was famous for. After sending him upon his way, Avalon called to his comrades for the march to resume. He sent Torm ahed to scout the environs of the tower of the Highland Guard. Luck was with them and only a lone sentry stood watch on it's heights. In the darkness they slipped easily by and made their way to the northern limits of the city of Britain. The crowds of the city of Bards covered their southern trek and they made good progress through the cobbled streets, despite the masses that swirled around them. Avalon called a rest on the southern marches of the grand city, near the moongate that linked the cities of Sosaria. Dawn was approaching as he again rallied them to finish the last leg of the journey. They pushed hard, urging the pack horses on as they felt the end of their journey near. Several more forest predators found a quick death before they reached the Western gates of the city of Paladins, where the Collective was making it's bid to challenge the armies of Virtue and expand it's influence in Trammel. Ariyana Sune and Tanis awaited their arrival in the shadows of the trees that grew outside the walls of the ancient city. Greetings were enchanged and the group rode through the gates to refill the cache of supplies that would strengthen the Collective's bid to control the city. Their first mass movement of supplies had been a rousing success, unchallenged by the enemy, but, Avalon held no illusions that all future endeavors would be so easily achieved....... |
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