Now that the walkway was lost, the battle was becoming more desperate for the defenders. Allied mages entered the fray just in time to provide support for the front line, slowing the enemy advance.

Ahnasha and Caldris found raised positions from which they could fire, but the angle they provided was not ideal. The shots they could place were few and far between. Even so, a few more clay pots came their way and they were able to shoot most of them out of the air. Any pots they couldn't hit seemed to halt in the air inexplicably before falling on the attackers, but searching around would prove that Darahil's magic was the source of the objects stopping. The oil this spread on the attackers was ignited by friendly spellfire and quickly prompted the attackers to cease using them.

The fight was virtually ground to a halt on either side for several frantic minutes. For a while it seemed like the defenders would be able to push back, but the skill and resolve of the attackers was continuing to prove superior. Before long, Vera gave the order to start withdrawing back to a corridor that could be sealed with another fortified door. The attackers would have free reign of much of the ruin, for what that would be worth, but they wouldn't be able to flank the defenders, and the door would give them time to recover.

Amongst the chaos, one young Nord warrior ran up to Ahnasha and nudged her on the shoulder to get her attention. "Vera needs you! Get over to her!"

Vera was shouting orders from a short way behind the frontline with a sword drawn. She was desperately trying to coordinate the withdrawal without causing a rout.

Outside in the snow and daylight, the surging roil of transformed lycans that made up the warband were continuing to close in. At this stage they had discovered and were following the tracks that the enemy soldiers had made. They were close enough now that they could see a tall, thin plume of smoke rising from roughly where the entrance to the clan home was. This prompted Fendros to start closing the distance with Harriet in the rush to get to his family's aid. He hoped fiercely that he wouldn't be too late.