Ch. 2, Page 10

Terik fell off the drawbridge and hit the ground.

In the moment that Tenser watched the other, more lithe warrior tumble over the top of the partially-lowered drawbridge, he was struck by the ineffectualness of most of his spells in a situation like this.  The combat spells he knew where highly effective in mass combat, but a waste on one-on-one confrontations. 

He did have one spell that could be useful here -- the enchantment for charming persons that Ehlissa had shared with him.  It was quick to cast and very powerful, when it worked.  Tenser went through the motions and recited the incantation, but it did not seem to even slow down this somersaulting acrobat.  Terik was still on the ground and now Tenser was standing alone and had called attention to himself.

Some days it just didn't pay to be a magic-user.

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Ch. 2, Page 9

The battle for the drawbridge did not range far across the courtyard, with neither Robilar nor Gronan willing to lose any ground.  The winner was clearly whoever had control of the winch that operated the drawbridge.  Again and again each sought to drive the other away from the mechanism, but they were both excellent swordsmen and too evenly matched.  Neither drew blood from the other, though their blades were now lightning swift flashes of steel that would have shredded a lesser warrior to ribbons. 

Slowly, though, Gronan was able to win himself into position and...

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Ch. 2, Page 8

"Now comes the hard part," Tenser said.

"How's that now?" Terik asked.

"Well, we can assume that there are still at least some defenders inside and that they'll be watching from the palisade.  We have to get me into spell range to take them out, without getting hit by any arrows or crossbow bolts."

"I know what you're asking."  Terik changed to a mocking falsetto.  "Oh no, I'm a dainty little spellcaster.  Will you be my meat shield, big tough guy?"

"Hey now--"

"Aw, save it," Terik said with a dismissive wave of his hand.  "I like charging into danger; makes me feel more alive.  Come on."

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Ch. 2, Page 7

As Robilar watched his burning arrow leave a fiery signal across a cloudless nighttime sky, he saw one potential flaw in Tenser's plan. The signal arrow had gone over the east wall of the fort, but Robilar now had to be on the west side of the fort to open the drawbridge.  There was no more than a skeleton crew left in the fort, with Captain Drake and his men out looking for an adventuring party that did not exist, but that still left Robilar an awful lot of killing to do from one end of the fort to the other.

Good thing he had a sword.

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Ch. 2, Page 6

It was Terik's second night in the woods east of the fort.  It was cold, dark, and uncomfortable and not at all his plan.  If Terik had his way, they would have just charged right in a month ago, taken the sentries at the drawbridge by surprise, and killed all the brigands in their sleep.  But no, Robilar said their new partner had brains and he was so impressed that Terik's plan was vetoed on the spot.  And if the signal didn't come tonight, it meant Robilar couldn't arrange the distraction yet and it meant a third night in the woods and...

Oh.  There was the signal arrow now.  Better tell Tenser.

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Ch. 2, Page 5

Gronan of Simmerya.  Robilar had thought him distracted on the far side of the fort.  Gronan had only been with the bandits for three months, but was practically Drake's right hand man already.  He was thought to be as loyal to the captain as he was fierce in battle, two qualities that did not help Robilar's plan.

"I want my 30 men in armor and ready to fight in 5 minutes! Rouse the troops!" Captain Drake shouted at his nearest guards.  "Gronan, I want you on the field with me!"

Robilar suppressed a smile as Drake turned to walk away.  It turned out he would have Gronan out of the way after all.  But then he heard Gronan addressing him from behind...

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Ch. 2, Page 4

Robilar stopped muscling past the sentry when he saw Captain Drake coming down the steps already.  Robilar straightened up and tried to look respectful.  And he was.  He considered himself no slouch as a fighting man, but Captain Drake had served in the Great Kingdom's legions before coming (fleeing?) to Greyhawk.  He was only one of two men in the whole place Robilar worried about, and by worrying he meant doubted he could take in a fair fight.

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