"We cannot be certain of their numbers," declared Fanilly, when she heard Klaus questioning the number of the enemy orcs. While she had, obviously, never faced orcs in battle, it was impossible to read any decent history without running across some mention of the foul creatures. Technically, orcs were a single race, but it had become commonplace to refer to the larger and more physically strong members of the race as orcs, and the smaller and more wiry among them as goblins. Trolls were a cousin, larger and much more lacking in any form of intelligence. These were the things that the blonde-haired Knight-Captain knew of orcs. There were other facts, of course, some that were so unpleasant she almost found herself questioning how beings so foul had come to exist. The rampant cannibalism and the consumption of flesh of other races repulsed her to no end. She also knew of the orcish hatred for elves, dwarves, and... just about anything else that wasn't an orc, though orcs working with particularly repugnant humans wasn't exactly unheard of.

She could at least relay what she knew could be helpful, even if she had never faced the barbaric creatures in combat.

"It's likely these orcs are lead by a particularly powerful chieftan," she began, as she climbed astride her white mare, silvery armor gleaming. There was no time for further planning, but she had to do her best. "It's just as likely that if he is slain the entire raiding party will scatter."

One didn't need to be a history buff to know that this had occurred many times before. Any time the force driving an orcish war party was destroyed, the remaining orcs were likely to scatter in fear. They had rallied in their greatest numbers around Orodrunn, and Hidroroth before him.

"We cannot allow [i]anyone[/i] to fall prisoner to them," she began, "If we discover that anyone has been taken by the raiding party, our top priority becomes their rescue."

You didn't need to be some kind of expert to know what orcs tended to do to prisoners.

Lyrie, meanwhile, was already on edge. She hadn't expected to be called to serve so quickly, but she was now one of the healers set to accompany the knights on this latest mission. Her horse was graceful, and while most horses used by the Iron Rose Knights were swift hers seemed to be of a faster sort. After all, healers were not as capable of defending themselves. But Lyrie's chief concern was in ensuring that she would be of any use at all. She had to try her hardest...

The small girl jumped when Klaus suddenly approached her, and nervously backed away.

How was it that she looked like her cousin? Certainly, they were both blonde, but surely Fanilly was prettier and more impressive and all around just better...

Regardless, it was not much longer before the Iron Rose Knights departed.

The trip to Brennan would be relatively swift, and they absolutely had to make it there as quickly as possible.

[hr]

It was late evening when they reached the town of Brennan. Given its name, it was perhaps obvious that the settlement would be close to the Brennan forest, just outside the expansive wilderness. But the nearly-vanished sun served only to highlight just what they would be facing. It was not a vast army, but the torchlight from the orc raiding party camped outside of the sealed gates of the town was a sight to behold. Fanilly could discern, even from this distance and in this dim lighting, the lumbering forms of trolls slamming into the walls of Brennan in a bid to knock them down.

The young Knight-Captain had to do her best to quickly concoct a plan before those walls gave way. She couldn't allow the surprising size of the orc raiders' force to stun her into inaction.

"Archers, magi," she began, looking back over her shoulder. There were not many whose focus was the arcane among the Iron Roses, but those among them would know when they were being addressed, "Stay at range. Focus your attacks on the raiders closest to the walls, bring down the trolls if you can."

With that, she began splitting the knights, advancing on her mare.

"To all others: You are with me. Will shall make a charge into the rear of the enemy forces, while they are focused on attempting to bring down the walls!"

It was around now that she was beginning to get a better estimation of the number of orcs they were facing. While it could not be called an army, it was undeniable that this force outnumbered the knights, though not by an extreme number. But a surprise attack at range from their archers and magi, and then a cavalry charge to the rear of their raiding party...

The wouldn't be prepared, and perhaps the raiding party would be forced to flee!

The smallish, blonde knight guided her division of knights down the ridge

In a matter of moments...

Fanilly's blade flashed as it left its scabbard.

"Iron Roses, charge!"

The rear of the orc raiding party was unprotected, unprepared for a cavalry charge by armored knights. The thunder of hooves certain gave away their presence, but too late for the orcs at the back. Their armor was crude, black and angular, made of cheap steel. What could be seen of their bodies was varying shades of green or grey. Fanilly's mare bowled one orc over and trampled it, and while she couldn't be sure if it perished, she knew another had taken the blade of her sword across its chest.

They had to kill as many as they could before any kind of retaliation could be mounted, or the trolls could be pulled from the walls to counterattack!