Chronicles of attrition

[Theseus]

They came two hours before dawn. Like an avalance the 50 riders broke through the weak gate on their cold ones and poured in the small village. " Kill the defenders, take the able bodied and the children. Slay the old," Andyrion roared. He jumped of his cold one and as he landed, he thrust his glaive into the chest of an elf ready to swing down his sword on his head. He grinned and stepped over the body of his foe into a day of slaughter.

He looked at the sky and sighed. They had to fight for three hours before their stubborn kin realized the futility of their struggle. He looked for his Vasall Khorlys and found him rounding up some children for Clar Carond. " Round up those last ones and then torch the place down" he ordered him. Khorlys looked up and frowned: " But my lord, we could....." Andyrion glared at him with his eyes, gray like a cloudy winter morning, and in a calm and cold voice he interrupted his atendant:" Now." The sturdy druchii turned pale and stuttered: "Yes my lord." A couple of minutes later they left the village, allready hearing the onslaught of fire and the screams of those found unworthy to take as prisoners.

They hurried their way back to the small bay his brother was waiting with his ships to take home the captives, as the passed a small forest on a rocky cliff. When they came out of the woods again, he signed his men to stop. Time to spring the trap he planned for the pursuers he made sure to come. He turned to 5 of his men who were on foot, dressed in light leather armor and hoods. " Fan out through the woods and make sure no scouts leave this forest alive. Give the signal when the shining host is comletely in the forest." He gave each of them a small glowing orb. They could use their magic to alter the colour of all the orbs even when they were appart, makig it very easy to relay signals. He sure had to make sure to thank the mage he stole them from, if he should meet him in Khaines realm. The scouts noded silently and took the orbs. Only seconds later they vanished into the shadows. Now the wait would begin.

After a much shorter time than expected, the orb he kept himself began to glow in a dark violet. Ah the signal, the shining host had entered the forest unaware of the druchii forces whereabouts. He concentrated on the orb and it changed its color to a bright red. Time to set the forest on fire. It took only a small spark from his scouts to set the oil they spread in the forest before they attacked the village on fire and so ignite the wood and forming a circle of raging flames on three sides of the enemy. Now they only had the choice to burn to death or jump off the cliff. He smiled wolfishly and and turned to his men:" Go and spread out around the trap slay everyone who is foolish enough to break through the fires. Let your beasts roam free and reek even more havoc on our kin.
So they spread out and soon there were the sound of fighting and the scream of elves getting torn appart by the mighty jaws of the cold ones. Andyrion sat on a stone near his little bonfire and smiled faintly. It seemed there were mor desperates than he imagined. Well no matter.... a panicing host was no match for his riders and their beasts. He only could finish the thought as the fires in front of him split and a tall elf in robes appeared through them. Also his robes were also on fire, it seemed not to face him as he glared with blazing eyes on his mortal enemy. " You," he cried out, " it was all your doing. That savagery in the village an the doom of my host. You will pay for what you did. Lets see how you like it to be crushed by your own armor." He sang, no almost bellowed an incantation and befor Andyrion even could react he felt a great weight on his shoulders. His glaive sliped out of his now weak fingers and fell to the ground. " Yes, Yes," the elf cried, crazed by the pain he had endured, " you will be crushed to dust." Andyrion made a heavy step forward.... and a second. If he only could reach that cursed mage before he faint. A third step followed, only ten more to go. He gnashed his teeth an made a 4 step. His vision now turned red and his breath got heavy... only nine steps to go. He heard the crazed laughter of his advesary. A fith step. " Its no use" the elf cried. He bellowed out another incantation and a gust of wind grabbed Andyrion and threw him through the air. The mage was right... this was no use. He never would make it to this man on his own. "Lets make a gamble," he thought and drew all the air he could get in his lungs. And with a whimper of pain he belowed out a loud wistle. First low, the tone climbed hire and hire only to descend to the previous tone. "Lets hope he is near enough to hear it and come." Andyrion thought. As his vision began to fade from the pressure and the exhaustion, he more heard than saw to jaws closing around the head of the mage. His mighty beast had come and now feasted upon his prey. The insane pressure vanished and Andyrion took a deep breath unable to move. He send out to his magic through all his body to heal the injuries this wretch inflicted on him. Slowly the pain faded. " Hopefully I get the first healing done before my steed is done feasting or I will be next," he laughed to himself. But the cold one took his sweet time sucking out even the mellow from the bones. So Andyrion could finish the first aid and get up again. His whole body ached. " Well, that was interesting.... I should describe that spell to the old hag, when I am home again.... she would like it," he muttered to himself. He sat down watched the beast feasting. After a while he got up and mounted his beast. Time to round up the troops.... any survivor who made it until now should get away to tell the tale.....