Sword blows bounced off of Anorath's blade and glanced off his armor for what felt like hours though the enemy had been repelled in just under twenty minutes. If nothing else beneficial had come from the fighting at least Anorath had had the chance to witness a sorcerer in combat. The fighting ended shortly after a longsword grazed the prince's left arm. It appeared as though it would have landed, likely between plates, were it not for the help of the pathfinder. He seemed to have acted swiftly enough, however if it was he who stood in the treeline then was it under his direction that the arrows were launched? Perhaps if he hadn't commanded it the lances held by those soldiers would have impaled the prince but then again maybe they wouldn't have. Either way the elf, whom had been self identified as Eltharion Tevinter an autumn ranger, had just saved his life.

"Eltharion Tevinter. I don't know whether you ordered the arrows loosed or not but it seems that you may have already saved my life twice over. You know these woods better than I so at the very least I owe it to you to follow your direction here. Go, guide your men and I'll call the retreat." Anorath clasped Eltharion by the shoulder and gave him a swift nod before turning to look at the fifty or so elves comprising the fighting company that had burst from Hol-Vollum minutes before. Down the hill and near the shore the enemy had apparently regrouped, many were mounted atop horses but many more were afoot, charging up the hill with great speed. In the water some of the great brown structures had begun to swim south, at least eight of them, whilst ten or more remained in place out in the bay. 

"Elves! Back to the city we shall break them against the walls! They cannot ride their horses through Hol-Vollum! Follow the pathfinders!" The prince called out, waving his hand toward the forest. "You there!" he stuck a finger out at the elven sorcerer with the fine blade he'd seen earlier. "Sorcerer, take the rear. Any who get close to the company, darken their vision so they cannot see us. Now, go!" Prince Anorath led the retreat himself, being the first to break into the wood. It may have been shameful by the standards of the ancient elves to have been the first to retreat however the prince had no choice. The party had to see him so that they could keep their spirits. He could see the pathfinders atop the trees running fervently toward whatever destination their leader had directed them at. He didn't have time to truly distinguish them as he found himself sprinting forward through hanging branches and other such things. 

He felt a burst of heat as he ran directly through a Wil O' the Wisp but he paid no attention to it. It took an hour of running before he finally came face to face with Mithreal. It would no doubt take the enemy longer, all elves shared a sort of natural connection with the forest that allowed them to naturally pass through the wood at inexplicable speed. The pathfinders even moreso, no doubt that was why Anorath arrived to a prepared city with the wooden gate open to wait for the returning fighting company. He waited outside the gate, blade in hand, to guide all of the elves through. He counted them as they passed and put a name to those he could. He counted a total of fifty three.

 [i]Are they and the few dead truly the only ones who answered the warhorn's call?[/i] thought Anorath.

Thannis came walking briskly outward when the fighters had gone into the city. He was strapping a vambrace on with a shortsword sheathed at his hip. 

"My Pr-..." Thannis began but Anorath paid him no heed and instead shoved him aside to make his way through the gate and view the preparations. None had been made. He turned to the Regent.

"Are you mad? Why are you in charge if you cannot be trusted to prepare soldiers? Maybe I should replace you with that pathfinder." Anorath said. The Regent's face grew flushed and he stammered out a weak apology. "Go gather some men, do as I say. Get them lined along the walls with bows in hand and line a spear regiment directly behind the gate. Should their horses break through you'll need to fend them off. You there," the prince pointed at one of his subordinates, " take four others and round those with children and the ones who cannot fight up into the temple." Anorath had been terrified during the fight but now his thousands of years of training seemed to spark up in his mind all at once. 

"At once, my prince." Thannis said, clearly defeated.

"And once that is done gather the remaining fighters and bring them to the tree. I'll want the pathfinder as well, Tevinter. An autumnal ranger." Anorath turned and walked through the city. People were running with or without weapons in hand, some toward the front and others toward the temple or great tree. Behind him he heard Thannis barking commands but he did not listen to them. As Anorath reached the stage they had erected before the tree he sat down crosslegged to await the coming of his crowd. 

[i]We haven't got the numbers they do... And the palisade is made of wood.[/i] He couldn't help but think. The walls had been more to keep wild animals out than anything. In truth, there was no way the city could survive a siege against such numbers. The only viable option was retreat, but Anorath wasn't sure he could so such a thing knowing the majority of those in the city would not have an equal opportunity. Eventually the crowds began to gather.