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Gorund's Journey; Drumportal, Part II
Groundhawg
The first warning signs were the fact that the trees on the border of our territory seemed to be moving. We soon realized that it was actually hundreds of wooden armoured elves, wading like a sea of wood towards us. They flew from the forest with lightning speed, across the plains they swept, towards our main gate. Luckily one of our guardsmen had sounded the alarm, and the gate was puled shut. Creating a wall that they couldn't pass. :: :: The sky then darkened, the sun blocked from us by a swarm of deadly arrows, thousands strong. Our marksdwarves pulled the metal slabs over the cliff face's windows, that we used to fire down on the enemy, and only one dwarf was wounded. :: :: Panic rushed through my body as I realized that Orren, our woodcutter, was still outside! He was frantically banging on the gate for us to let him in, when the elves approached. Orren's wife however, knew he was outside. She rushed to pull the lever to let him in, she thought she could have the gate open long enough to let him in, and close it in time to keep the elves out. Well.. Orren was standing at the base of the gate when she closed it on top of him. Crushing him into the mechanisms, and jamming the brodge open. She had doomed us all and I knew it. I rushed to the military quartder to grab the one crossbow that wasn't in use. Melbul Ottenshikes. A legendary steel crossbow forged by our forgemaster. I had forbidden it's use, for it was too beautiful a weapon to sully against elves. But I grabbed it anyways. Along with a quiver of bolts, and rushed off to my family, hiding in my bedroom, behind my office. I encountered one elf along the path, wrestling with a peasant. I jammed my knife in his skull, and it stuck there. I was too worried for my family to bother pulling it free, and I rushed down the crowded halls. I got to my office and barred the double doors shut. Then pushed my desk in front of them, to keep the elves out. I then retreated to my bedroom to find my wife, Laania, and my son Kenbu, sat in the corner. Kenny had tears down his cheeks and Lania looked panicked. :: :: **The pages here are tear stained, but still legible.** :: :: I barred the bedroom door and pushed the bed in front. I then sat and put my free arm around Laania. She couldn't hold her emotions any longer, and broke down to a pitiful sobbing . Quite suddenly, from the halls came screams. The elves had broken into the dining hall, where everybody hid. I reckon the dwarves probably killed a few before they were beaten down by wooden blades. Then came a thud. Loud, it shood me to the bone. Then another, then the sound of footsteps, they were in the office. I stood and raised my crossbow at the door. Then a thud, the door slid open three inches, and the bed slid with a squeel. Kenny screamed and an elf hand came through the door. The crossbow fired and the arm was soon pinned to the wall through the wrist. Then the door was flung wide and I fired again. Putting a bolt in another elf's head. As he fell I grabbed Lania by the arm and soon we were all flying down the halls, I was leading with Lania carrying Ken behind me. Three elves spotted us and gave chase. I spun around and fired a bolt, killing one of the three, but the other two were close behind. :: :: As we entered the deeper cavers, where the ground was rough and freshly dug, disaster struck. Laania tripped on a loose rock, and fell. the elves reached her and showed no mercy. By the time I reached them, my wive and only son's heads were caved in. They lay in a pool of blood. Soon my screams of rage drowned out all other sound. I smashed both elves over the head with the crossbow, the crossbow broke off in his skull. The other one I bludgeoned to death with the what remained. My screams of rage caused a shake in a weak spot of the tunnel, and it caved in behind me. Luckily there was a mining pick in the tunnel next to me, and I evenually managed to dig my way out. To find everybody dead, lying around the tunnels of what was once my home. The elves had left by the time I made it out. So I set off, back to the dwarven city. It would be a long and treacherous hike. :: :: That concludes "Gorund's Journey; Drumportal" :: For continuation, find a copy of "Gorund's Journey; Trip home, Part I"