The Prowling Forest, Part 3

The Raid

The Ironforged sat at Ironlarder Gorge, the gnoblars scampering around carrying platters of meat and tunkards of ale.
"So, I lost the lads in the rainstorm, just before we met", Hrothgur grabbed a shank and shoved it whole in his mouth.
"And what were you up to?" asked Skargat, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
"Found some ruins. And stashed goods. Blackpowder, maps, those other scribbled things humans like. Guess an old camp of them Freeguilders".
"We go there, right?" asked Cargo, bits of meat flying from his smacking lips.
"We do! Sure someone comes searching for all that stuff. And we make ourselves a name beating them properly. If we find Growt and Marg there, all the better", Skargat looked at the other ogors with a glint in his eyes. Then he turned to the gnoblars.
"You, Burna! Bring me those stonehorn brain fritters! All this thinking gave me cravings!"

As Hrothgur had said, the barrels of powder and the rest of the stuff were scattered around some old ruins.

Cargo was standing guard, Watcha and Loota fetching him some snacks. The rest of the Ironforged were still ranging around to see if they could find any trace of the missing gluttons.

Suddenly he spied movement in the dim light of Gnorl Half-Eaten. Krashhart, Sinka and Mr Flea were trying to sneak upon him.

The three orruks split, each heading for a different stash, burning tapers in their hands. Cargo leapt to stop Sinka and gave the Brute a good thumping, but it was too late. The barrels exploded in a blinding flash.

Watcha and Loota run between the legs of Krashhart and Flea, snuffing their fuses and sneaking out of reach.

The explosion drew Skargat's attention and he came back from his ranging, charging straight at Sinka and flattening him.

With the Brute down, the Tyrant and Cargo rushed towards the ruins, just in time to see Krashhart smacking down Watcha and to stop him from burning various stashes of scrolls.

Behind them, Poka followed Skargat's trail and emerging from the forest moved to protect a heavy tome laying just outside the ruins.

Another booming explosion and flashing light filled the night as Flea clubbed Loota unconscious with his drum stick and finally managed to set his fuse.

Poka cried out a warning as he spotted the rest of the Swordfyshes closing in on the ruins from two directions.

Cargo stood his ground in the centre of the ruins, holding both Krashhart and Flea.

Skargat left the stone circle and moved to stop Hook, Mainstay and Barnacle Nog.

Bleeding from many cuts, Cargo managed to knock down Flea. But then Battendown and Flotsum jumped him. As Cargo fell, the chunk of amberbone slipped out of his pocket and was lost in the undergrowth. Poka chose the wrong moment to forget he was a gnoblar and rushed in to protect the fallen Maneater. With a laugh, the orruks swatted him away.

Skargat's greataxe swung back and forth, Hook and Mainstay falling in front of it. But the Tyrant's arms were getting sore and he only managed to wound Barnacle Nog.

With a furious bellow, Hrothgur came out of the wood and leapt to the centre of the stone circle, just in time to stop the Swordfyshes to burn the loot Cargo had been protecting.

Skreecha and Basha, following behind Hrothgur cried in alarm as they saw more Swordfyshes approaching the stone circle.

Rather than trying his luck against Skargat, Barnacle Nog slept away. As he fled, he spotted a third powder stash, where Poka was supposed to have stood his ground. With a grin, the ardboy tossed a lighted taper in and legged it.
As the barrels exploded spectacularly, the Swordfyshes withdrew laughing, for once not having to carry Krashhart unconcious back to their base camp.

Skargat sucked a bone dry, belched and tossed it into the fire.
"Come on, lads! The orruks have wasted the gunpowder and there was nothing worth in the papers, true! But we knocked down four of them, all big strappy boys".
"Getting ourselves a name, aren't we?" a loud farth accompanied Hrothgur's comment.
Laughters echoed through Ironlarder Gorge.
"We are!" replied Skargat once he recovered a little of his breath. "And soon we'll go deeper into the Prowling Forest. Today Skreecha found a stranglegrove swamp, but we're not ready to move camp there. For now, we'll do with the itxi grub he brought back".
The Ironforged nodded in satisfied agreement and as one each sunk their teeth into another chunk of meat.