2026-10-09 17:34:17For three days, they stayed in the hills.
Kain took his tribe to a small gorge on the north side of the valley, surrounded by dense pine forests. Eventually the scouts on the southern ridge lost interest and disappeared. However, Kain was not at ease. He knew that they would return.
On the 4th morning, he called his people together.
They will not be able to evade us forever, he said. Supplies, tools, food, weapons.
"Well, we have gold," Ryna said. “But, if we can't use it, then gold is no good.”
Kain nodded. Two days to the north is a trading post run by Oren, a man who trades with anyone who will pay him. I will go by myself.
I'm told, Linden said, stepping forward, “No.” His leg was mending, but he limped about. The leader of them is Veyr, if he gets hold of you then we're done.
"Then who?"
I'm going to go," said Ryna. Said to be more familiar with the woods than anyone else, “Oren knows me, he'll deal with a woman by herself.”
Kain hesitated. He did not want to put anybody in harm's way. But Ryna was right. She was the best scout he had.
"Fine," Kain said. Bring two men with you, be home in 4 days.
“Three”, Ryna said, “I'll be back in three”. She put her bow on her shoulder and went amongst the trees.
Kain waited as she walked away. Then he went to his people.
There are things we need to do.
The coming 3 days were the toughest in Kain's life.
He directed the survivors with the help of the Basic Fortification skill. They felled trees, dragged the logs into place and constructed a very rough palisade fence around the camp. It didn't look good, but it was solid.
A quiet man named Gareth was the blacksmith, and he had a small forge, made of stones from the stream. He started making repairs to weapons and tools. The farmers cleared a land and sowed some seeds that they saved. Children fetched water from the stream.
Kain would sit by the fire every night to read the System panel. There were still three objectives listed on the quest.
The camp is to be fortified.Fortification of the camp is to be undertaken.
OBJECTIVE 1: Build a palisade wall.
OBJECTIVE 2: Establish a watchtower. — IN PROGRESS
There is some progress toward ensuring a food supply, but the objective has not yet been achieved.
They were making a good deal of progress. But slowly.
Kain was sitting by the fire on the third night. The camp was still and the people were well-napping. He glanced at the fire and considered Veyr.
A rustle came from the darkness. Kain extended his hand to his belt. Now he had a knife, one of their few weapons.
A voice said, "Relax.“Relax,” said a voice. "It's me."
Ryna walked into the light of the flames. She was tired and had some rips in her clothes but she was alive. Two men with large packs followed, one behind her.
"Supplies," Ryna said. Food, tools and something else.
She threw down a sack at Kain's feet. He opened it. There were five swords, twelve daggers and a small box of arrows inside.
How was all this paid for? Kain asked.
Ryna told the story that Oren didn't want gold. Her face was grim. "He wanted information."
Kain looked up. What sort of information?
"About you."
The silence stretched. A chill coldness came over Kain at the thought of the man in the house.
What did you say to him?
"Tell him I'm alive. Tell him Veyr betrayed the Wolf Company. Tell him I was making something in the hills.
Kain stared at her. “You gave him directions on where we are?”
No, Ryna replied swiftly. I said we were going down south. But Kain, he already knew about you. Veyr messengers went to all the trading posts in the area. There's a price on your head. And it ain't just gold anymore.
"What else?"
Ryna took out a roll of parchment from her tunic. She gave it to Kain.
He unfolded it. This was a wanted poster. His portrait was drawn very hastily in pencil. Below, the words were in bold:
WANTED: KAIN, EX-CAPTAIN OF THE WOLF COMPANY.
CRIMES: TREASON, DESERTION, MURDER.
REWARD: 500 GOLD.
STATUS: ALIVE OR DEAD.
Kain looked at the poster. Five hundred gold. Veyr was more than just hunting him. He was arranging to no one would give him aid.
What did Oren say? Kain asked.
He said he'll do business with us," Ryna said. He also stated that Veyr's reinforcements landed yesterday, 200 men, and they're coming back north, "they'll be in the valley in a week or so.
Kain's blood ran cold. Two hundred men. He had twenty.
He saw the System panel flash in his eyes.
[WARNING: ENEMIES NEARING!]
[NEW QUEST: BE PREPARED FOR WAR!]
[REWARD: Unknown.]
Kain read the poster in his hand. Then he turned towards Ryna.
There's no week," he said. "We have to fight."
"With what?" Ryna asked. "Twenty men against two hundred men?Two hundred men against twenty men?
Kain checked out the System panel. He could not come up with an answer. However, he had one thing on his mind.
He wasn't going to run.
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Chapter 12 :THE SIEGE
The first wave broke against the palisade.Kain felt the wall tremble beneath his boots where his forces and that of the enemy had engaged against the gate. Two-hundred fighting men surged towards the wooden doors, pressing back the reinforced iron gates with all of their might."Hold!"Kain bellowed, "Hold the line!"His men took up his cry. Gareth the blacksmith drove a soldier back with a hammer strike to the face, Ryna let out a string of arrows from her perch above the fray, and Linden held his spear high against a soldier in black despite his bad leg and the pain in his knee.The enemy pressed the attack, the gate groaning under the pressure.Kain glanced at the System panel that floated in his line of vision.What good was this going to do him in battle? It had provided him with Basic Tactics and Basic Fortification but those were for building and not for fighting.He needed to think of another way. Kain turned to Ryna who stood guardedly by the eastern wall."Ryna!"A shout from
Chapter 11 :THE FIRST WAVE
Kain was atop the knoll, looking at the northern pass.Below the valley, it was peaceful. The water was clear in the stream. The walls of the palisades were high. His people went round the camp, getting ready for battle. They were quiet but Kain could sense their fear. He carried a cold weight in his chest and a hum in the back of his mind.He had three days. Then two. Then one.On the last night, he called his warriors together. Twelve men and women capable of wielding a spear or drawing a bow. The rest were too old, too young, or too wounded. They remained within the palisade, and tended the fires.“It's important we don't have too many people here to hold the walls because we can't,” Kain said, his voice steady. So we won't attempt it, we will go to the pass. Ryna what did you see, Ryna?"Ryna stepped forward. The army is just one column, and they're moving quickly, they're not expecting to meet resistance."Good," Kain said. We'll get them to pay for every step, we will.He presen
Chapter 10 :THE HUNT
Kain chose five men.Linden, notwithstanding his limp. Gareth the blacksmith. Two farmers who used to be hunters. And Ryna, who was more familiar with the forest than anyone else.At midnight, they left the camp, silently moving among the trees. Kain's movements became smooth and silent as he raised the Basic skill. He heard all the noises, all the rumbles, all the inhales.The scouts were encamped in a small ravine 2 hours north of the valley. Kain sat on the ridge and watched them. Four men around a small fire. Their horses were tied up nearby. They were relaxed. Careless."Four," Ryna whispered. "We can take them.""No," Kain said. We don't come to kill them.Ryna frowned. So why do we have to be here?“It's about a message we are sending.”Kain explained the plan in hushed tones. Ryna's pupils dilated then contracted. She didn't like it. But she nodded.The hunters took up their positions on the ridge above the ravine. Kain and Ryna made their way down the hill, moving quietly lik
Chapter 9:THE PLAN
Kain couldn't sleep that night. Sitting by the fire, he looked at the wanted poster one last time before burning it in the leaping flames. Five hundred gold coins. Two hundred soldiers. A week at most.He had twenty people. Half of them were unable to fight and the other half were badly injured.The System panel floated before his eyes, the new quest glowing quietly on the dark material.[QUEST: PREPARE FOR BATTLE.][OBJECTIVE 1: Fortify the camp.][OBJECTIVE 2: Train your fighters.][OBJECTIVE 3: Create a battle plan.][REWARD: Unknown.]Kain skim read the objectives. Nothing complicated and just one task he couldn't complete because of sheer lack of time. At dawn he gathered his people together."I'm not lying to you," Kain said. "Reinforcements are coming for the Veyr. Two hundred soldiers. They will reach this valley in under a week."The survivors stared at him. Some looked anxious, some simply resigned to their fate, while others, such as Linden, just looked tired."We can't fig
Chapter 8 :THE TRADER
For three days, they stayed in the hills.Kain took his tribe to a small gorge on the north side of the valley, surrounded by dense pine forests. Eventually the scouts on the southern ridge lost interest and disappeared. However, Kain was not at ease. He knew that they would return.On the 4th morning, he called his people together.They will not be able to evade us forever, he said. Supplies, tools, food, weapons."Well, we have gold," Ryna said. “But, if we can't use it, then gold is no good.”Kain nodded. Two days to the north is a trading post run by Oren, a man who trades with anyone who will pay him. I will go by myself.I'm told, Linden said, stepping forward, “No.” His leg was mending, but he limped about. The leader of them is Veyr, if he gets hold of you then we're done."Then who?"I'm going to go," said Ryna. Said to be more familiar with the woods than anyone else, “Oren knows me, he'll deal with a woman by herself.”Kain hesitated. He did not want to put anybody in harm'
Chapter 7 :THE VALLEY
Kain and the others walked north the next two days.While Kain had the Basic Stealth skill to watch the tree line, it was the Basic Leadership that kept him acutely aware of his people and their struggles. Every time they stumbled, he slowed to let them rest.A scant twenty people comprised his following, some of whom suffered wounds from the battle while others, like the blacksmith, were simply villagers. There were three children among the survivors, which made Kain all the more determined to keep them alive. They all had their purpose, even if it wasn’t as fighters.Kain halted on the second night as the land dipped into a valley ringed by hills on either side. A thin, winding stream snaked along the valley floor and a relatively flat stretch of earth allowed enough space for Kain to pitch tents.“This will suffice,” Kain saidRyna’s brow was furrowed as she scanned the landscape. “It’s good that it’s defensible, but it hardly has walls.”“We will make it a wall,” Kain said.“We do
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