The next morning we head out to track down the orcs. This time our pace is much slower. Since it has already been a week since the raid, we only have a few clues as to where they are. Lak seems to think it would be a good idea to stand on the highest hill and shout out a challenge to the orcs. That might actually work. Teckar prefers to have the element of surprise. A band of a dozen or so orcs should make decent tracks, so it shouldn't be that hard.

Days pass. At regular intervals, Lak decides to have a sparing match with me. I don't get much say in the matter. Teckar and Dain always seem to disappear when we do, so I suspect me and Lak is bait for any watching orcs. I am getting proficient in both the use of Lak's great axe and the smaller tomahawk sized axes he carry at his waist.

As we traverse the wilderness we look for clues. Tracking is kind of hard if you got nothing to work with. We find a small cave. Too small for orcs Teckar informs me. My map and alert is not picking up anything, but I have always been a bit unsure of how much the map can tell me about what is under ground. Dain approaches the cave and send out a mana wave. It bounces off the cave walls and continues down the cave. Shortly afterwards Dain informs us that there are no significant creatures in the cave. That really looked like some form of radar or echo magic to me.

One morning Teckar leads us up to a small plateau on a hill. A perfect place to be spotted. It seems Teckar is fed up of hunting for orcs, and taking Lak's advice. The hill looks defensible, with good visibility in all directions. I observe Dain doing magic, when he lays down some magic traps around the hill. He leaves a small opening on one side. "What can we expect from these traps?" My question seem reasonable to me, but Dain just answers, that they will save my life. Instead Teckar explains the plan. Him and Lak will be facing the opening, while me and Dain use ranged attacks. The traps will make it almost impossible for orcs to approach us from any different direction.

Lak, Teckar and me start sparring. We keep it light, but noisy. Dain is keeping lookout. I get a chance to see how Teckar fights with sword and shield. He is using the round metal rimmed shield more as and offensive weapon than the sword at times. You would never think of him as a defensive fighter with his particular style. When not borrowing a weapon from either Lak or Teckar I use one of my spears. They seem to find it hilarious that I am using flint tipped spears.

At about noon my alert picks up a lone unknown figure observing us in the distance. I have never met an orc, so my analyze skill isn't able to determine what the creature is. I signal to Teckar what I am sensing someone watching. Teckar stops the sparing and we all sit down with Dain. To anyone looking it seems like we are taking a break, but what we are really doing is sharing intelligence on our observer. I report that I can sense him sneaking away. Teckar sends me and Lak to look at the tracks. We make sure to head down the hill between the marked rocks so as not to run into Dain's traps.

I quickly get to the spot where our observer previously stood. Lak confirms that the tracks are from an orc. "What now? Do we track them down, or do with wait at the hill?" Lak responds; "I say we wait at the hill, but it is Teckar's decision." Back at the camp Teckar confirms that we will hold our ground. With Dain's traps we are well prepared for a frontal assault.

Less than an hour later, my alert picks up many figures heading in our direction. "The orcs are here." I notify the rest of the team, and we take up position. I have positioned a large boulder near the front for me stand atop of. Dain seems to think it is a bad idea. "You make a nice target up there." I counter; "Don't worry, I will join you on the ground if it gets to hot up here." I am not sure how my friendly remark to his snide remark is taken, but he goes quiet.

The orcs appear at the bottom of the hill. Sure enough there are 12 of them. Most are equipped with simple weapons, but some seem to have looted better weapons. One carries a massive two-handed great axe like Lak. He is going on the top of my target priority list. The orcs themselves look a bit like a Schwarzenegger inspired version of the goblins. Taller, bigger and stronger. They look healthier as well. They seem to have about the same level of intelligence as a hobgoblin. Instead of charging up the hill as they arrive, they form a battle line and charge up as one. Only two in the middle of the line avoid the traps, the rest find their feet sinking into the ground of the hill, and those who push forward get an electric shock. It will take a very determined orc to outflank us.

Lak and Teckar engages the two approaching orcs, while I take down one orc after another stuck in the mud like substance Dain made. Their surprise at the trap makes them easy targets. Shots to the head and neck kill them instantly. I hear Dain shouting fireball below. I see a glowing orb shooting out into the mass of orcs trying to enter the narrow corridor to face Lak and Teckar. It hits one of them in the chest, and an ear piercing squeal stings in my ears. It didn't explode like I thought it would, nor did it look like a fireball. I need to ask Dain afterwards.

The last orc drops to one of my arrows. Considering we went up against 12 orcs, the fight seemed quite easy. Both Lak and Teckar were more than a match for any of the orcs one on one, and thanks to Dain's magic, they never had to face more than one each at a time. "That went a lot quicker than expected." Lak's comment is followed by Teckar giving me credit for killing 7 of the 12 orcs. Dain killed one with his fireball, and Lak and Teckar took out 2 each. Teckar picks up the great axe from the dead orc. My first kill. "I am glad I didn't have to face this guy. Here, this is yours." Teckar hands me the great axe. Lak approves.

Turning to Dain I try to engage him in conversation about his magic. "That was a terrifying piece of projectile you hit that orc with." My complement seem to work. "It was just a mana orb of heated air charged with lightning." His explanation is meant to confuse and make himself sound intelligent, but I instantly recognize some of the ingredients for making plasma. He fired a plasma bolt at the orc, not a fireball. Though I know how a plasma cutter works from my old life, I am not sure how this was replicated into a projectile. My alert goes off. A straggler? The menu map shows unknown creature, not orc.