Irzen saw the signal given and motioned to Lazheros, "This is it, Cleric. We're going into battle. Are you ready?"

"Battle is a relative term when dealing with the Horde, swordsman." Lazheros muttered.

"So is death," The Swordsman added as he quickly steeled himself for battle, "Which I intend to deal this day rather than receive. How about you?"

The bronze man rode easily enough through the angry forest of Huorns doing battle with the horde. The trees that were on fire creaked and strained for any relief from the assault. Looking skyward, he summoned a rain storm to snuff out the flames allowing the Huorns to regenerate and retaliate in kind.

The sounds of elven cavalry sounded across the plains rallying any elven forces to stand and drive the enemy out of their lands. Captain Andaerean and his company charged forward lances drawn and enemies trample beneath the might of the elven horses.

Atop his wargoat, Irzen was an absolute nightmare! While Billy literally rammed and plowed over any Orcs that stood in his way, the Swordsman was swiping to the left and to the right with Evenflow doing the equivalent of one shot, one kill. Between lopping off arms and lopping off heads, Irzen was doing his best to represent death this day.

The trees crushed any and all orcs, wargs, and ogres they could while the cavalry took out the archers using fire arrows to burn down the opposition. The battle was fierce and bloody as both sides clashed. The heavy horses from the human town of Dennidar thundered in from both sides flanking the foot soldiers of the horde taking out any ballistic artillery that Gruumasht's forces planned using to assail Winter March were destroyed.

Captain Andaerean's company in turn focused their attacks on the ogres and were able to separate them from the large groups of orcs. The rain made the ground slick but the elves and their horses were used to such changes in the weather utilizing it to their advantage.

Atop Billy the War goat, the Swordsman continued to slice and smash through the opposition. The Drow was leaving a trail of dead bodies and broken bones in his wake as he taught the Orcs a brutal lesson in Drow shock combat!

One ogre spotted the drow on the wargoat and charged forward and in mighty and terrible leap the large creature hit the ground with such force that the wargoat bleeted in protest narrowly avoiding a rock wave. The ogre wasn't done yet as it swung its ten foot spiked club in a wide sweeping arc right at swordsman.

Lazheros was busy healing those of the cavalry with the worst injuries and buffing them up to rejoin the battle. For a moment he was tempted to revert to his true form but then he spotted Gruumasht and Barakas standing off in the distance. The half orc had a sickly grin on his face as though he was preparing to unleash the undead.

Captain Andaerean reined his horse right and left cutting down orcs as he rode through sea of elves and orcs battling each other. The sound of another elven horn sounded in the distance catching Andaerean's attention as arrow storm so thick nearly blotting out the sun rained down into the thickest section of orcs, wargs and ogres that were clumped together. Half of the fifty or so members of the Horde fell. One lucky arrow went far and wide striking the half orc warlock in the shoulder and then exploded. **KA-BOOM!!**

Barakas snarled in pain and retreated into the shadows away from the battle front.

*******

"Oh yeah!" The Prince shook his head, "Forgive me, my mind has been on other things as of late."

Alyson motioned for Captain Mandur and his company to intercept the enemy and they did so with utmost haste. The guardian fighters had one job protect the common folk and prevent any warg riders from getting through.

The Juggernaut simply melded with the ground and came up with the guardians who brought up their shields with their spears pointed outwards impaling any wargs that got too close. The mounted troops charged over and across the open fields cutting down any trying to flee.

"Come on, your highness, your people need their prince now!" The elementalist reined her horse forward and took off in a head long gallop to join the hill dwarves.

"Right!" The Prince spurred his horse onward towards the sound of battle. As they came towards the battlefield, Willow unstrapped his bow and arrow and cut loose with an arrow that drilled into the skull of one of the wargs sending its rider flying to the ground.

Alyson brought up both arms in a yin-yang motion blasting six riders off of their wargs slamming to the ground just as Captain Mandur's wargoats trampled them into the dirt.

Willow cut loose with another arrow and then another and then another in rapid succession as he dropped three wargs and their riders alike as they charged onward.

The Juggernaut opened up the earth beneath the last wave of oncoming warg riders. None made it out or dodged it as the ground devoured, crushed and spit them out a hundred yards to the south of their position ending the skirmish all together. The dwarven guardians relaxed enough to allow the common folk out of the protective circle.

One of elves stopped to notice the ranger, "Prince Willow? You've returned! Surely your timing was a grace of the gods themselves!"

*******

Liliandra lead both Serna and Caliaphy through ancient library's halls and into the archives, "Somewhere in this specific area are scrolls and tomes telling of the old wards that lay beneath the city of Arbor Haven. My mother told me of them when I was a girl but that was long ago and my memory is a bit off. That's why I need your help, Serna and Caliaphy. Some of what I'm looking for are in the old vaults that were built by gnomes and dwarves, the small folk making it difficult for me to reach. The books or scrolls will have a wax seal on them with a leaf emblem."

"Just point me to where you need me to go and I will retrieve them for you, your Highness," Serna replied eagerly, "You can count on me."

The princess pointed out one area for Serna and Caliaphy to search together in the hopes of finding a book or scroll having a wax seal with a leaf emblem in it. The chamber stood six feet high and fifteen feet long with shelves running down both sides covered in dust and cobwebs.

Caliaphy brought her hands together producing Faerie fire, a magical flame that does not burn but rather reveals anything that's hidden to the naked eye, "Okay, Serna, this will help us see if what we're looking for can only be found with magic."

"Thanks, Caliaphy," Serna entered the chamber and began to carefully take in her surroundings, "Wow! This place is REALLY old! Even the cobwebs have cobwebs down here. What do you think, Caliaphy, would this be a perfect spot for hide-and-seek or what?"

"Yeah, maybe but we have to help the princess first, Serna," The kurori winked, "Our friends are depending on us to succeed."

"I know, I know," The Shield Maiden replied as she began her search in earnest, "As Lord Irzen likes says, business before pleasure, now where is that book or scroll with the leaf emblem wax seal?"

The shield maiden found a scroll with the leaf emblem wax seal on it in the far corner of the chamber glowing a light blue from the Faerie Fire. The kurori found nothing herself except stirring up the dust and sneezed, "Ahh....AH-CHOOOO!"