--- On Mon, 2/2/09, Greg <scott7523@...> wrote:

From: Greg <scott7523@...>
Subject: [TheRedBoar] Taking of the Keep 1
To: TheRedBoar@yahoogroups.com
Date: Monday, February 2, 2009, 7:22 AM






Tathal passes the open door of the smithy. Glancing in he sees the
smith stirring his coals while his apprentice pumps the bellows. The
smith nods amiable as if his curiosity about what the entire hubbub
was about is answered.

Tathal leads his men past the smithy, along the base of the keep,
turns the corner. The stair is before him and he is already breathing
hard. Half-way up. 10 steps to go. Seven steps to go. An armed
man appears on the landing. Four steps to go. With a yell he turns
to flee.

Tathal is on the landing the door is swinging shut. Tathal throws his
weight and strength behind his shield to force the door opened, it
begins to yield. He feels a thud against the door; another defender
has thrown his weight on the door. Then another thud. The door
begins to close. Tathal uses his sword pommel to grip on the mantle
of the door, his feet scrabble for purchase on the stone floor. One
his household joins him at the door, then another, a balance between
open and closed is achieve. Tahal can now knowingly reflect on the
nature of a cork in a bottle. Thru the opening Tathal sees that a
defender has decided to rid himself of this pesky door stop. With a
spear he'll prick it out. Tathal is able to deflect the blow a bit
with his sword; the point is stopped by his chain about his throat.
The defender holds the point on the jammed Tathal and begins to move
back to the spear butt in order to get his whole weight behind the
point.

Tathal whispers several unkind things about the parentage of the men holding the
door shut and then throws a glance over his shoulder, the speartip pricking a
bit deeper as he turns his head. Calling to one of his remaining men he shouts
"You, get over here and take my place." He then attempts to bring up his sword
and thrust it though the crack of the door, attemping to stab the spearman.