As the day drew to a close people were becoming more agitated. You could feel the tension in the air as if it were a palpable thing. Shae originally tried to spend her time in the inn, however the atmosphere in the innn was causing her undue stress. The women the children and the men in the inn were whispering in worried undertones about what was going to happen to the village. She decided it was best if she went out and spent some time wandering around the village. She found the time that she spent wandering around the village rather calming. The men who had been constructing the gates had returned and Canson had sent them to them to the inn, as they were not at all fighting material. She wondered how about just thinking to herself about what would happen and what it would be like to be a part of this fight. It's not that she was getting cold feet or thinking about running away or escaping, she just feared for her own safety as well as the safety of the others, which is what was keeping you here. She was hoping she would make somewhat of difference, but she was not overly optimistic about her abilities.

The sun was just about down, there were long shadows being thrown by the buildings, so she made her way back to her assigned location. As she approached the opening that her and Canson would be guarding she noticed that Mel was already up on the roof, as was Nick. She could see the other team at the other open the gateway somewhere fidgeting and looking around at nothing. she noticed that Mic Kip were having a quiet conversation by themselves. As she grew closer to her own assigned spot, Canson waved her over. She was still quite a few paces away however she did not speed up she still had a lot on her mind to process. As if reading her thoughts Canson turned himself to face outward, as if giving her permission to take all the time she needed.

As she pondered what the future would hold, she slowly made her way forward. By the time she had reached Canson's side, she had not come up with anything new. Her mind was still in turmoil, she was still unsure how she would perform. She was worried she might actually make things worse.

Canson looked down to her and gave her a slight smile that betrayed how she felt, and she was sure how he felt as well. ‘But I guess if you have to go out, you may as well go out smiling.’ She had heard that somewhere, it was fitting now. She tried to smile back; however, she was sure it came across more strained than his more natural smile did.

They stood side by side in the middle of the formation, “Don’t fret on it too much lass. Once the action starts your body will probably surprise you and will know what to do without you having to think on it. Reacting to violence comes much easier than instigating it. If ever given the choice, try to be on the reacting side, the gods usually side with the righteous. And if not, well then they decided you needed a lesson.” He chuckled a bit.

He came across like her uncle. Forward but not mean. Tried not to polish the facts, just tell it how he saw things. It was calming knowing there was someone beside her that was able to help her with this endeavor. She could not imagine having to go through the troll incident again on her own. This time she should be able to learn from seeing as well as doing. Even if the seeing part was only processed later.

“Now, when they make their initial charge, the lady and mage up top, will open fire. Which should throw them into a bit of chaos. They shouldn’t be expecting a mage and an archer with skill to be here. I want you to step back a bit and just behind my left side. While I wield two weapons at once, my left side is still my weak side. I would like you to try and protect it. A simple thing, just if you see an orc coming around that side on a flank attack, try to intercept it best you can. Chances are I will be able to act before you do, but no ones perfect.” With a smile he added, “I’ll just think of you as my shield maiden.” Then his brain caught up with what he had just said and blushed red sputtering a few words before, “Uhg, Forget I said that. It came out weird!” She gave him a more natural smile this time.

“I will try my best,” then with an evil glint in her eye, “Bear-man.” She said while quick stepping to the side to avoid any follow up action.

Canson just shot her a look that said she would pay for that later. Which made her stick her tongue out at him like a spoiled child. He actually chuckled at that. The mood was lightening a bit between them.

“You know, even if you’re not part bear, you do have the image. And really what’s wrong with being associated to one of the most powerful of the gods, natural, creations” She laid it on, shrugging almost like it should be an excepted thing.

“You’re not really helping your case by continuing with this line of thought you know.” He replied looking more forward as if something had caught his attention.

“Still, I bet you fight just as fierce, even if you don’t like the relation.”

Canson just grunted not looking away from the dark fields.

Shae had noticed a few of the men that joined them here had stepped away from the pair. Giving them space in case their village head decided on giving her a pre-fight warm up. They were all still surprised at her ability to get away with teasing him about something he reviled.

Still, they had to admit, the two were a good distraction. As some even began to smile lightly.

Then there was the thrum of a bow, followed by another very quickly after. Mel had started to shoot off arrows seemingly as fast as you could say “She shot an arrow”.

After the third shot, there was an unearthly, yet deep, squeal of pain. It was odd to hear such a combination of noises. Not at all high pitched in anyway. After that first pained call out, there was a follow up from a slightly different angle.

Shae looked out into the fields trying to see in the now darkened light what Mel was shotting at, never mind the fact Mel could even see out as far as Shae could heard the pained call outs. It had started.

Upon the second pained squealed there was a roared response from what was obviously orcs. Then Shae heard the ground being pounded by heavy running footsteps. One or two she would be surprised she would be able to hear them. But so many charging monsters created a solid beat in the ground beneath her feet. She could also head metal clanking as if some wore metal armor. Or at least had metal on them.

Then the roof lit up beside her, Shae looked up and over to see Nick holding a small ball of fire that grew larger as the seconds passed. Still more bow thrums, still more pained shouts. Then there was a whistling noise as she saw smaller arrows, crossbow bolts fly past Mel and Nick. Neither one was hit by the three bolts that flew by. Nick having decided it was too dangerous to be so upright while there was return fire, threw his ball of fire out. It cast a strong light in a small area around it. As if someone ran holding a bright torch. Then she could start to make out the first images. Then the ball of fire impacted against the ground behind the first ranks of orcs, having missed them. There was a deep “Woof” as the ball exploded into a largish conflagration of flame and the blow back and heat were felt back here at the cabins. Orcs were tossed off their feet, flung into the air away from the epicenter of the blast. Like a child had slapped his hand down onto a trampoline in the middle of toy army men. Those lucky enough to take the direct hit were mostly consumed in an instant. The ones not so lucky landed aflame. Being magic fire, it didn’t just burn a little. It devoured flesh as if it were alive and voraciously hungry, leaving behind bone where it was hottest, muscle and sinew where it was not quite as hot. Flesh just did not survive. She saw more than a few limbs flying off from the creatures. Then it was over as fast as it happened. The only light left was from whatever burned still at the edges of his fireball. The central impact was nothing but charged earth, dented a bit from the explosive force.

What she saw from the light now created was not what she had expected. The Orcs were about 3 meters tall, muscular to the last. They were built like a mix of sumo and bodybuilder, a collision of muscle and mass, made for crushing the opposition under them. Their arms and legs well-muscled, from years of hard living. They had a greenish-grey skin, that looked more like leather than flesh. Tusks pointed up out from lips that were thick and wet with saliva. The hair was dark and stringy. Wide low faces. Large noses and beady eyes, that shone black beneath heavy brows. Their arms were a bit too long, and their legs a bit too short. Though that didn’t seem to slow them down at all, as they ran with a bouncing loping run propelled by thick powerful legs. These were not slightly bigger human type creatures like from the movies about the hobbits. These were easily much more powerful. She could feel her bones breaking just from looking at their obvious power. While they did not run with grace, they moved with a sense of their own power and ability. They wore thick leather tunics; their arms bare for the world to marvel at. Their pants were also thick leather, with high thick leather boots. Some had metal inlaid in their boots, metaled toes and little spikes pointing this way and that. They had necklaces with teeth, that were not human, but larger, larger than a lion’s teeth, but similar shaped. They had small ears that had a slight pointed roundness at the tops. Their faces were more imp like than piggish. Their noses wide, thick, flat things, not snouts. The bladed weapons they used had notched blades, better for tearing than cutting. The blunt weapons all sported spikes or nail looking things poking out. None had shields. Most looked to use the weapons two handed for maximum effect.

“Shit, War-Orcs” Canson whispered in disbelief. “Why here?”

Shae turned to look at the man, he was a bit pale. There was a grunt from up on the rook, Nick had collapsed onto his ass, though it did not look like he had taken a hit. Only three more bolts had come flying back toward those two up top. Mel was still firing arrows as fast as she could, slower now that she looked to be overdrawing her bow. Her arrows sinking deep into flesh, but not stooping the creatures they hit, unless she caught them in a vital spot. Even then the beasts struggled on. One on comer even had an arrow sticking out of it’s neck just off center. Blood pumping out, but not fast enough for it to care.

They were a mass of frenzy as they charged toward the town, now about ten meters out she could smell charred flesh born on the wind. There was a orc still running with half it’s thigh burned away.

They howled and grunted deep as they lopped closer. Canson pulled his axes, leaning forward a bit. Was he going to charge? Should she follow?

Her brain was not working right. She was befuddled. She could not put out a proper though. She knew she was shaking, but she couldn’t feel it. She wasn’t even aware enough to arm herself. One of the farmers behind here whimpered. There was shifting behind her. The farmers it seemed were only slightly better off than she was.

The orcs numbers had been cut more than in half. With at least half of those suffering injuries. There were a few in the back that looked fresh and were elbowing their way to the front past their wounded and slower brethren. Looks of evil glee on their faces. Then the last meter, they let out a war cry weapons raised spit flying. Canson was whispering a pray. Then just before the Orcs crashed into Canson and their group, Shae screamed…

“NNOOOO!”

There was a pulse of power around her. The cabins groaned and the logs creaked and cracked around her. The wave blew past Canson dancing around his form, leaving him feel like he was stuck in the eye of a hurricane. They Orc’s that were about to hit their formation were not as lucky. The lead uninjured Orc’s flesh exploded off bone, spraying the area with blood and viscera. The ones behind were just almost as bad off, some had wounds torn into their bodies, as if someone had grabbed flesh and just ripped it open. Their bones cracked and broke. All were thrown away, like the hand of God had come down and flicked them like fleas. The area in front of the gate was horrible. There was a massive splash of blood thrown away from where the orcs had once stood. Like a painter had thrown red paint away from himself from a very, very, large barrel.

Shae fell flat on her ass, stunned. Unable to think or move.

“I’m not cleaning that up.” She said in the most natural of voices before she fainted.