Palona wasn't in a state of panic, but the movements of the mercenaries weren't doing the townsfolk any favors. Torm cantered through rushing men on Lycurgus, his hand gripping the hilt of his arming sword, the knight's knuckles white. What were the bastards thinking? He knew there were zealots in the army, but he didn't think the commanders were lunatics. Why would Palona be worth losing thousands of men without powder or shot? Torm seethed with indignation, but he knew he had no one to blame but himself. The wolf should have known better than to poke the bear. This entire debacle was his fault. If they made it out alive, he would answer to the Gods if not the other officers. 

Behind him, forty five of his men followed in his wake on their horses. Six had been slain last night, overwhelmed by the enemy. Twenty had been wounded, but only half that had been harmed enough to severely limit their combat capabilities. Torm felt the patched wound in his side flare up again with a stabbing pain, aching something fierce consistently throughout the day. The Knights saw Cadger and Bianca arguing over something in the distance as the dwarves suited up around them, likely expostulating over strategy. Torm and his men made it to the vicinity of the tunnel, a large cleft in the earth at the mouth of an old aqueduct. Torm had heard the town had once been the site of a great city, and these conduits of rainwater were the last remnants of it. 

His shadow and those of his men loomed over the entrance, and he sniffed amusedly  at the irony. The dwarf that had been digging to bite them in the ass had instead crawled up their ass to ask for help. It was a short lived mirth, however. The dwarves did not deserve that. 

Across the small channel that fed into the underground, the Captain and his retinue awaited. Black Ryann, along with a few of the captain's special honorguard stood at the ready. Torm had heard the mage would accompany him at the fore. The idea did not enthuse him. He felt much the same about the spymaster as Bianca felt about Torm. He was certain the feeling was mutual. Aeon and his men were standing in formation just beyond, their column reaching down the street out of Torm's field of vision. 

"Are we ready, Captain?" Torm called, reining Lycurgus in. The steed stamped with impatience. 

"We are," a woman's voice replied. Torm turned to see Bianca and her scouts approaching. Cadger and his lads were in tow, though they didn't seem pleased with the end of their previous discussion. 

"It's not right!" The Dwarf complained, as irate as Torm had ever seen him. The dwarf usually seemed detatched at worst and usually amused at any current events. Evidently, he had just been told something that went against every fiber of his being. They passed the Knights without even looking their way, but as Bianca and her men hopped into the tunnels, Cadger stopped at the lip with Thossack and the other dwarves. 

"Their legs are longer, Cad." The Captain replied, motioning for Black Ryann to move forward with his steed. "We'll get them back, don't you worry." The wizard seemed unenthused at the command, but he did as he was bid. His roan was as black as the wizard's robes, but of good stock if Torm was any judge. Thank the gods the man hadn't enchanted good horseflesh. His eyes met Torms and the Knight whipped his horse to the left, giving the wizard room to follow as he and his men walked their horses down the incline to splash into the shallow water of the aqueduct. Thossack had assured them the tunnel was big enough for mounted men, and so they would go first. The war steeds had been well trained, stepping down carefully and entering the darkness of the channels behind Bianca.