As things turned out they hadn't met all the denizens of this land yet. Four days later a pair of gryphon riders had flown over the centaur tribe to the southeast and spotted several bull-like creatures in obvious prison cages. One of the gryphon riders was a dwarven shaman and he claimed he felt one of the bulls obviously attempting to summon the elements from inside a cage. The dwarves were in an uproar and wishing to march directly upon the centaur tribe, whereas the human refugees were worried about the tribe in the mountains above them.
"I'm tellin' ya Commander, if ye don't do somethin' we'll have a riot on our hands," Corven Greybraid hastily explained, shooting his son a stern look when the dwarf tried to butt in.
"I want to march on the centaurs as much as anyone," Damon replied as he looked over the new maps. "The priests and mages are still bickering about buildings, the common folk are scared of another centaur attack, and we still haven't heard anything from those elves."
Seamus Greybraid stepped forward with a grin, "Aye, waitin' for the 'elves'. Can't say I blame ya Commander but we need ta do somethin'. My kin are gettin' ready ta storm the place without yer knights."
Damon blinked several times in confusion, "I'm not quite sure what you mean by that, but do your accents get thicker when you get upset?" The two dwarves looked at each other and shrugged. "We've had good battles before, but you're talking about an assault against a full clan of centaurs. Their tribal buildings may not seem like much, but the numbers they can bring shouldn't be underestimated."
"That Branka lass has almost completed the first golem," Commander Greybraid pointed out.
"We can take it for a test against those beasts!" Seamus exclaimed, shooting Damon a hopeful look.
"Your father and I will go inspect it shortly Seamus," Damon replied as he secured the acorn. "I need you to go keep your people under control. If any of them give you trouble..."
"I can do some head knockin' for ya." Seamus waved as he departed the tent, leaving the Commanders alone.
"I've had a dozen brawls already Damon, somethin' needs to change," Greybraid muttered as he crossed his arms. "There ain't a safe choice to this one, lad."
Damon sighed as he gestured towards the exit, "I believe one of us will need to lead the assault personally. The question is who, really, fits each need best."
"I'm an old dwarf, lad." Greybraid ducked his aptly named face under the tent flap, "I can't be leadin' those charges. Take my boy and show him the ropes?"
Damon nodded as he followed Greybraid to the new forge. "Our styles are different but I can teach him a thing or two. You wouldn't mind keeping an eye on Jonathan would you? He's a bit young for this kind of thing."
"That lads tougher than you give him credit for Commander," Greybraid laughed. "I'll show him somethin' 'bout mannin' the defences."
"Mornin' Commanders!" Damon turned his head to spot the dwarf Oghren waving to them, the sound of hammering in the air. "Branka's just about finished I think, she's workin' on a shield."
"A shield for a golem?" Damon asked as he turned a curious eye to the building. "She wouldn't happen to have given it a spear as well, would she?"
"I helped with that one Commander," Oghren replied sheepishly. "She doesn't work too well with many and the spear was a bit too much for one dwarf."
"By the Light, how big is this golem?" A weapon that size could cause some serious damage.
"She'll be needin' my help moving the shield," Oghren replied as the sound of hammering ceased. "The golem is in the back, if ye want to see it activate."
Following the advice as Oghren disappeared into the forge, Damon came across a hulking statue of metal. It looked like a giant armoured warrior, and in its right hand it held a ten foot long metal spear. Damon could only hope the creation was partially hollow, as the resource cost alone could cripple the colony. Speaking of that, they should really come up with a name for it. Encampment didn't quite work with several permanent structures going up.
"Hullo there Commanders," A happy voice called out. Coming from the forge with Oghren was an ash coloured dwarf with dark red hair. The pair were pushing a platform with a very large shield upon it. "Give me a moment to get it up and running would you?"
Damon watched in curiosity as the female opened a hatch on the left side of the armoured creation and inserted a metal rod. With a firm twist of her hand she brought the golem to life, blue runes dancing across the armour as it stirred. Damon stayed several feet away while the golem moved to lift the shield in front of it.
"I call it a Storm Golem," Branka said proudly as she watched her creation stand to attention. "This one is programmed to only obey three people, you Commanders and myself as I have to maintain it."
"Does it have a second weapon?" Commander Greybraid asked, pointing to the massive spear it carried. "That won't be much use in close quarters, though against the centaurs it should be fine."
Branka rubbed her hands together to clear them of soot. "Didn't want to use that much metal up without knowing it worked. The shield and spear have runes on 'em to channel the lightning that those centaurs like to call up back to the ground." She pointed to the heavy sheet of metal that was at least two yards across. "Get behind it on the battlefield and watch the show. The spear has a secondary function of channeling it back to the centaurs"
The golems giant head stared directly at Damon as he inspected it. "Is it combat ready?"
"Aye, this thing'll take on anybody," Branka grinned at him. "It can figure out simple commands easy enough. What do you need it for?"
"Assaultin' a centaur tribe," Commander Greybraid told her as he circled the creation. "This will go right through the defences our boys saw. Let's get to work."
Because the Storm Golem could not keep up with a company of cavalry Damon gathered five hundred of his best equipped men. Fifty dwarven heavy footmen escorted the golem, Seamus leading half a dozen shaman and a dozen mages directly behind them. Branka had explained that the golem could redirect any attack lightning that hit the shield, regardless of direction. It was capable of using the spear as a lightning rod and storing the energy as well.
Damon had Sir Randall Swordbreaker leading a hundred mounted knights and men-at-arms. The knight had his men trailing the infantry on either side, ready to spring to the defence of the lines. Most of the infantry was armed with strong spears but Damon had overseen the outfitting of secondary weapons in case of emergency.
The midday sun was bright upon Damon Ashfall, riding at the head of the army. He glanced skyward towards the four patrolling gryphons as a sharp cry sounded, just catching the signal for sighting of an Ancient. He waited a moment as a second signal identified Treebeard, the only Ancient actually capable of their speech. While the others would listen, and could understand them, the magics that had awoken them only left Treebeard able to speak Common.
"Carry on the march Captain," Damon told his second as he turned his horse in the direction of the distant figure. "I'll see what Treebeard wishes to say, watch for the signals."
"Yes Commander!" The man proceeded to take his place at the front as Damon rode away.
It only took a few short minutes to reach the Ancient and Damon found him watching the battalion of men off in the distance. Treebeard seemed to drink in the sight, taking his time to linger over the area where the Storm Golem marched. Damon gave him his time, having gotten used to the beings ways.
"You march to war." It wasn't a question, and both of them knew it.
"We march forth to defeat the barbarians," Damon replied with a nod.
Treebeard considered this for several long moments. "You invite their hatred, Stormbringer."
"I swore to protect my people. The centaur have already banded together once for a large attack." Damon could see the danger of enraging the centaurs as clearly as anyone, but leaving violent neighbors nearby was never a good option.
"So be it," Treebeard rumbled sadly. "The centaurs would bring fire to the forests with their thirst for conquest. Until we meet again, Stormbringer."
Damon watched the Ancient disappear into a group of trees before he turned his horse to catch up with his men. The plan of attack and troop deployment would need to be finalized much closer to the centaurs, when he had an accurate account of the situation. He had already come up with several strategies when he confirmed his desire to attack but most of them hinged on variables.
They were a mere hours ride from the mountain by the time Damon called the army to a halt, dispatching two of the gryphons to scout the enemy. The remaining two swung wide lazy patrols to account for their missing brethren. The men and the beasts used this time to rest before battle began, waterskins passing between the warriors as they quietly spoke.
Damon spent the time waiting for the return of his scouts by inspecting the mountain through his spyglass and discussing the merits of an outpost atop it with Seamus Greybraid. The dwarf suggested the need for lifts or gryphons to access it, which greatly appealed to Damon. Unfortunately neither of them were knowledgeable of gryphon breeding habits and were forced to dismiss the topic for later discussion by the return of the scouts.
"Commander, there are several hundred centaur in that village." The male human rider reported. "Judging by the emptiness in some of the village, the tribe was likely involved in the attacks upon our men."
The dwarf riding the other gryphon spat upon the ground in disgust. "Or worse. Those monsters were eatin' captives, Commander."
Damon paled rapidly. "Do we have any men unaccounted for Seamus?"
"Nay," Seamus grumbled, staring southeast with a green face. "Likely natives."
"We also saw several more bull captives, along with a night elf." The human explained quickly. "There was a pass to the south of the mountain that would lead directly into the centaur village, with recent signs of passage."
Damon quickly ran through several options before nodding and turning to Seamus once more. "Take the heavy infantry and shaman, a hundred spears, and that golem. I want that pass. I'll take the main force and attack from the north to meet up with you."
Seamus grinned nastily at the thought and saluted him. "We'll see you on the battlefiend, Commander Ashfall."
It hadn't taken long for Damon to separate his forces, especially with the gryphon riders signaling messages for him. The mages, despite continual failure at establishing contact with their prince, were useful at passing information and several had accompanied Seamus' force south. Branka had added Oghren to a lesser command setting before they left, allowing her husband to direct the Storm Golem during battle away from Damon. He had still given it basic commands to follow before sending it off and was very eager to see it in battle.
His group made their way north around the mountain to a wide plain, centaur tracks heavy upon the ground between the mountain and a canyon. Seamus had recently informed them of conflict with the outermost guards, but the centaur tribe remained unaware. The gryphon pair above his forces were flying much lower now in an attempt to avoid detection in the afternoon sky, a slight haze from the sunbaked earth rising to obscure them. Damon partially atributed that to a mage or a shaman that had stayed with his forces as the men formed a battleline facing southwest towards the village.
"Have the men advance," Damon commanded of his second, who swiftly barked the orders out.
The infantry advanced while the cavalry kept pace a certain distance beside them. Damon and his guard followed just behind the front lines of warriors, eyes trained to the village that was slowly coming into focus. He was just about to order the cavalry to halt when a mage reported heavy fighting in the pass as Seamus fought to hold his position.
His second was already reaching for his warhorn when Damon turned to him. "Two blasts, then another."
The cavalry surged ahead of the main force at the sound of the horn, intending to charge through to Seamus' troops. There were several centaur starting to shout warnings from the village as the infantry followed along with the solitary horn blast. Damon kept a stern command over the infantry even as he watched his cavalry charge past the sparse wooden spikes.
The unprepared centaurs stood no chance of countering the leading knights at the head of the charge and gave ground swiftly. Damon caught sight of several centaurs streaming from a tent that was sent ablaze, apparently Sir Randall had let his mage ride with his men. He ordered his archers to open fire upon the dazed centaurs as the cavalry streamed past them, several bodies already littering the ground.
The men kept a firm line as they entered the village and the centaurs rallied against the attack. The poorly equipped centaurs had minimal protection against archers and had already lost several warriors to the raining death. Their first wave of fighters were crushed against the shields and spears of the men, and it took them over a dozen deaths to stop charging.
"Gelkis!" A large centaur had arrived with several more of his kind. Lifting a crude axe into the air, he roared as he smashed into the shieldwall.
Damon grit his teeth as he watched the centaur widen the gap this warrior had opened, several soldiers falling to the barbarian warleader himself. "I'll take care of that one," Damon growled to his second as he urged his horse forward. "Stormwind!" His warriors stepped aside and allowed him a clear path briefly, which he used to charge the centaur.
His first sword strike was batted aside by the axe which he was then forced to block with his shield. Damon watched the centaur shift to avoid a swing at its chest before he deflected the axe with the flat of his blade. He pulled his mount back several paces as another centaur struck from his left, only to watch as the apparent leader screamed at the interloper in a guttural tongue.
The second centaur was soon cut down by soldiers surging forward to fill the gap, but they avoided the duel going on between opposing commanders. Every attack with his sword was shoved away or avoided, and he found himself defending from that axe more often than he liked. Damon felt his arm going numb swiftly before noticing the lightning dancing across the edge of the axe.
Finally connecting a pattern of the centaurs defence, Damon urged his horse to ram into his opponent as he struck for the chest. The centaur stumbled even as Damon's sword carved a gash across his front. His victory was short-lived however as the centaur gave a roar of pain and Damon found himself blasted from his saddle by lightning, twitching as the current ran through his armour.
Damon groaned as he rolled to avoid another blast of lightning and scrambled to his feet. He blocked the axe with his shield before forcing the centaur away by striking at his forelegs. It was a dirty tactic but had proven effective several times against the centaurs. He whistled loudly as he ducked another bolt of lightning, swinging into the saddle of his horse as it rushed past him.
"You are a worthy opponent," Damon complimented as they circled each other, though the centaur likely did not understand him. "I am a Knight of Stormwind however, and I shall not accept defeat to the likes of barbarians!"
Damon urged his horse forward once more and engaged the centaur in a flurry of blows, aiming to kill his already injured opponent. The centaur gave as good as he got though and Damon soon found himself sporting an injury to his right leg and a large dent in his shield. His opponent had lost the use of his left arm to a particularly powerful thrust that had exposed Damon to the leg centaur had thankfully stopped channeling lightning to his weapon after experiencing the effects of it jumping from the armour to the piercing steel sword.
The centaur warleader finally overextended himself with his axe and Damon took full advantage to run him through, another swing decapitating the beast for good measure. He panted as he took note that the frontline had long since passed the duel, teams of soldiers destroying tents as the army marched. Several dragged squirming bundles out of tents as they did this, and so Damon directed his mount in their direction.
"What's that you have, Soldier?" Damon inquired as he closed in, only to pull his mount to a stop in shock at he recognized an infant centaur.
"Centaur young, Commander." The man nodded to the soldiers around him who were carefully binding the elder ones. "Didn't know what to do with 'em, so me and the boys took to rounding 'em up. None of ours want to kill 'em, you see."
Damon blinked slowly as he processed that information. "Interesting," Damon muttered before nodding to the soldier. "Keep ahead of the rearguard, and by the Light remember that they need fed. Find whatever they use as milk and retrieve it as you go."
"Aye Commander," Damon recieved in reply as he rode away.
The centaur force had broken when Damon struck their leader down, and his army had forced them into the waiting hands of Seamus. By the time Damon caught up with the fleeing centaur he witnessed the power of the Storm Golem firsthand. Wading into battle beside a pair of earth elementals that had been summoned by the shaman, the golem swept centaur aside with each swing of his spear. The centaur shaman had no answer for the golem as they favoured lightning over the other elements, and that was returned to them in a great arc of electricity that dropped a dozen to the ground at once.
After overseeing the destruction of a vast portion of the centaur tribe, Damon directed Seamus Greybraid and Oghren to take the southeastern remnants. He then sent men to construct a camp at the pass seeing as the sun was already starting to lower and they had injured to tend to. Reluctantly accepting the demands of a priest to be healed, as he needed to be in fighting condition should something unexpected occur, he watched the final push through his spyglass.
Seamus masterfully lead the attack to overwhelm the tribes remaining warriors. While Oghren and the golem carved a path of devastation Seamus directed his men to being rounding up the non-combatant females and the children. The sight caused a frenzy amongst the centaur but Seamus and his twin axes struck down any foolish enough to attempt to stop him. The dwarf then managed to reach the prisoner cages and quickly release the battered prisoners, the female elf having to be carried out by a pair of soldiers due to her injuries.
A quick check on the rearguard reassured him that no centaur had managed to approach his forces from the rear. Damon retired to the camp with victory assured, temporary defences being forced into the ground by his loyal soldiers. Several tents were already up and after spotting his Damon gratefully slipped from his saddle to ensure things were up to standard.
"Inform me when one of the recovered captives can communicate," Damon ordered the nearest soldier, who snapped a sharp salute at his commander.