Jonas brushed the dirty blond hair away from the brow of his sleeping child. His youngest, Sandra, looked so peaceful, so angelic. The forty something year old man steadied his breath, hoping that the un-necessary motion would not disturb the poor sick girl from her much needed rest. He then winced in almost physical pain at the thought of his child in such a state. The tiny slip of an eight year old had been fighting a fever, and a case of the flux, for the better part of this month, and if someone didn't find away through the Beings soon, his youngest would die.

"She looks better." He commented to his wife, Mel, while she put away a bundle of freshly cleaned linens. Mel looked at her husband with disillusioned eyes and responded.

" She looks the same as yesterday, and worse than the day before."

Confounded by her predicament, and disgusted by her own husbands inabilities, she shoved some blankets into the shelf hotly and continued. " And if she doesn't see a Scholar of Medicine soon." she left the last unfinished, but they both knew that death hung heavy in the household air.

Jonas in response hung his head low, and let the unspoken word quiver in his mind. "Die. Not her, not another one, not my baby Sandy". Their eldest son, Geof, had fallen at the start of the siege, pulled down into the horde of Beings to be ripped limb from limb by the un-dead hands of his one time neighbors and friends. Jonas still remembered the shock and confusion that filled the town when the lumbering corpses of nearby farmers and tradesmen had started to plot slowly towards the towns outer wall.

At first the un-dead had been taking for a large group of merchants that had become scattered as they wandered toward the little town of Owerfin. The prospect of groups of twos and threes sprinkled about in the distance, seemed odd to the towns Armsman on the wall, but not entirely impossible. After all, Owerfin was used to the merchant traffic that flowed eight or nine times a year out of the larger bay city of Domes Port, so not much alarm was raised over this unusually sight. The arrival of a caravan in any shape of form usually meant new commerce and goods for everyone in the normally isolated town, and was generally looked on as a happy event. But when the bulk of the towns Armsman had gone out to welcome the group in usual custom, it soon became clear that something was severely wrong with these visitors.

After the towns folks had waited for what seemed like an entirely too long of a period, only one of the town's guards out of a group of twenty had returned. The poor fellow lay flat, clinging to life on a sweat lathered mare, eyes glazed in deep confusion and relief. At first glance, anybody with sight, could tell that the young man was wounded, scared, and laboring for breath in the throws of shock . Jonas, who had been a witness to the event, saw this lone survivor, named Armsman Johnathan Web, coated from head to hoof in thick dark blood and dirt and grime and instantly he felt fear for his own boy. His stomach had churned that day with the loose bowels that accompanied the worst kind of dread, and the gray haired man had felt for the first time in his life the kind of fear that only a parent can know. The kind of fear he would soon learn all to much about.

Jonas then recalled how out worldly the sight had been for to him, and the rest of the gathered crowd. How strange it was to see the overly proud Armsman Web, a man that used to literally parade his impeccable standards about town like a strutting c0ck, rendered down to nothing more than a beat up lump on a saddle. Immediately a group of local tradesmen, who were waiting for the good news about the caravan, had surrounded, dismounted, and started throwing questions at the seemly ruined young man. They we not prepared the response.

Jonas remembered how the young guard had screamed at the group of men with hysteria to close the gate, and to sound the towns alarm. He cried out through huffs of steaming breathe that death was coming and that they all had to make ready. The small contingent of local merchants, complacent in their ways, were slow to respond to the quick and harsh commands. It seemed to Jonas that in their arrogance and perceived superiority they felt over the youth, they ignored the distressed Armsaman and continued in their non compliant fashion. As they shouted out several more inane questions for a short time and demanded to be answered in full. They then bantered back and forth for a while which had inevitable lead to them arguing with each other over how they should proceed with the scant information they had been provided with. Jonas laughed in thought at how quickly the merchants were silenced when Johnathan Web had struck the nearest man with a chain mail clad fist and spoke, clearly and loud.

Jonas, at the time, had been so pleased with how the young Armsman Web had handled the old group of mongers that he could could tell you verbatim, what the beaten and bruised man had said. "Listen you dirty old sons of whores. I don't know what in the seven hells that is walking towards us right now. But what I do know is that I watched them kill every last one of my fellow guardsmen. I personally watched Geof Furton shove three feet of lance through the chest of one the bastards and it kept coming. It,,, this thing,,, this Being, pulled him from his mount and chewed his damned throat out without so much as blinking. So unless you old f*ckers want to roll out the welcoming banners for these things I suggest you get moving.

Jonas also recalled how he had drifted off after that. How once the news of his only sons fate had registered, he had simply blinked out into nothing and walked home. All the while trying to figure out how to tell his beloved Mel that Geof had been killed. Once he entered their home, his wife had asked why he was back so soon. The in-tuned woman saw the confused tears and moved to comfort him out of reflex, her own fears well up at the state of her usually docile husband. It was in her arms her explained the fate of Geof, their son. As they cried together their youngest had wandered in from playing, she saw the odd seen and asked the obvious. As he tried to explain to Sandy, what had happened to her older brother it had occurred to him that her safety was now on the line. Jonas never been a hard man, but the demand for his child's safety was apparent. He bought up from memory how he had wiped the tears from his eyes, kissed the two woman he loved the most in the world and stalked back to the front gate of town. Little did he know at the time, that the next six hours were going to be the worst of his life.

Upon hearing the flying rumors about dead guards and a possible town attack, the towns people had gathered in the main square in short order. He recalled how a semiconscious Johnathan Web, and the five other remaining town guards, had pushed the people into a meager semblance of a working force, closing the towns gates and shoring up what looked to be weak areas. Jonas thought about how so many folks were skeptical of the outrageous tale of humans fighting tooth and nail against fully armed soldiers. Some went as far, to out right call Johnathan a crazed liar that needed to be detained in the local stockade until further investigation could be had. Others argued the evidence of one guard returning out of contingent of twenty being reason enough to worry. But no one, but Johnathan, out right disagreed with the dissenters of the attack. The Idea was certainly hard medicine to swallow, it's not everyday that the dead crawl up from their graves and attack the living.

Jonas gulped the memory down and shifted his gaze back to his sickly child. He then thought about his first horrific night on catwalk of the towns wall. How the brazier next to him had been filled with long pieces of seasoned oak and slightly green fur that gave off a pleasing fresh smell. That brazier seemed so important to him and the three others that were chosen to guard his particular portion of the wall that night. He remembered how that burning fire within the simply metal disk seemed to ground the four men into reality. How the life giving heat of those flames that had anchored him as a simple reminder that he was out in the cold night for purpose, and not just out on some odd social event.

All men of the north know that in the darkness fear can easily consume a man, and that the comforting light that blinded them to the distant surroundings also held at bay the imagined horrors that could destroy a fighting groups moral far quicker than any onslaught. It may sound out to an outsider, but to the men of Owerfin that night it was more than an even trade off.

Jonas had stood that night, stoic in mood, with his newly deceased sons back-up spear clutched between gloved hands, wondering when the bastards that took his boy would finally show. As he gripped his daughters bed post, he thought about how the weight of the weapon had been like an old friend. A far away comrade that he vaguely remembered from a time long past, but was familiar with, in its own right. Jonas couldn't recall the exact time but he guessed it was half past midnight when he finally heard the lumbering shuffles of feet and the soft groans of human hunger. He brought forth from memory how he then heard to his far right the first calls of distress. "They're here!!!" a voice had called out in a squeak that sounded no older then a teenage boy. Quickly the shout was followed by "They're saying to aim for the head,,, pass it down", Jonas had relayed the simple message and then listened in anticipation, the best he could, to the scrapping fight that took place to his right.

The sheer tension had been momentous. Jonas had heard the angry shouts of men followed by screams of agonizing pain, and had been so shaken by the calls and distress in a the air that he wanted nothing more in his life than to flee. It was at that point that he had heard the shocked lament of " My arm!,,,, The gods be f*cked arm!" over and over and over again. It was then that he had surprised himself by wanting to actually run towards the ruckus and assist his fellow wall guards, something about another person being in such a state had made the older fellow rise up out of his fear and want to fight. But he never got the chance to help those other men, for it was then that the first of the dead Beings had hit his section of wall.

as far as anyone could recall the Owefin town wall had always been an anemic ten feet of pine plank boards built in parallel around a mud brick core. The town, which could only hold roughly seven hundred people, had not been built to withstand any sort of major attacks. Large scale defense construction had never been seen as prudent due to the fact that Owefin was not a rich or desirable area. And that for the better part of the last hundred years no major nation had tried to lay claim to the independent town. Many times in the course of the following two weeks did Jonas wish that somebody had seen this lax concept of defense as a major flaw in judgment. For when the dead hit the wall, you pray for as much distance as possible.

The first dead Being Jonas could remember seeing was a mere child with only half a pale gray face left. She had plotted up to the wall with out so much as a pep, and had leaped at the men on top with all the might her little reanimated legs could muster. There had been looks of sheer disbelief shared between the surrounding four men on the wall, in regards as to what they were seeing had finally confirmed the outlandish rumors. One man named Joe Ame, in deep denial, had called out to the dead child but had was greeted with a hiss of rage, and cold hungry hands. Then two others Beings, that had been drawn to the scuffling noise, appeared out of the darkness and began to claw at the wooden barrier along side the dead child. Moaning and groaning with relentlessness blood desire.

Jonas flexed his grip on the bed post of his daughter's bed and thought about the feel of the spear that first dreadful night. How his actions with the pole arm felt as if someone else was at the reins, and he was just strapped in and along for the ride. The feel of the resisting pressure when he had thrust the weapon out and skewered a large man in the top of the skull. The shocking look of the grisly scene below, and how it all had felt so unreal.

Jonas could still hear that wet thunking noise and the soft give as the leaf shaped blade of his spear penetrated skull and sank to the guard lugs. He could still feel the sudden weight give way as the dead man's body collapsed to the soft mud below without some much as a final climatic twitch. He then recalled turning to the man to his right, Joe Ame, and seeing a look of pure horror and disgust on his distorted face. That look had spoke volumes about the situation at hand, and haunted Jonas's dreams to this day. A single shouting facial gesture, that clarion called out without a sound, that what Jonas had done had been reprehensible. Slowly it had seemed to dawn on the other men what had to be done about the atrocities below.

Jonas had been the first to take that vital plunge amongst his surrounding wall men and soon, once the shock had passed, they realized what he was doing was more then what was necessary, it was what was right. Action still seemed slow and reluctant at first, but followed none the less.

Once the meat of the matter had been fully digested, two of the other men with Jonas had weighed into the fray with shouts of battle rage and pure appall at insult to life that lay below. Joe Ame, who had been cut from a softer cloth, had knelt down to the floor of the catwalk and vomited his supper with abandon at the carnal display, emptying bits of potato and sour milk down onto the rough wooden planks. The dead creatures below had seemed attracted to the smell, and had instantly zeroed in on the area Joe occupied. Jonas recalled, to his own amazement, how the creatures had shrugged off blows that would left any living man mortally wounded and gasping in pain. Then somehow in the midst of the confusion and fighting Joe Ame's cloak had draped down the outer wall a mere foot. A taller dead Being, seeing the opportunity, grasped the garment and jerked with the force of three men. Joe's kneeling body had lurched forward, staggering to keep his vicarious purchase on the wall. Jonas then summoned up how he had grabbed a fist full, of the then completely prone man's coal dark hair and wrenched back with all the weight he could fathom. Joe had then screamed in shocked pain and dismayed confusion as another Being grasped his cloak to add into the deadly game of tug o' war. Another man on the wall had abandoned his own fight with a wispy dead woman to cling to Jonas's shoulders, helping in Joe's much needed aid. Jonas then recalled the sick memory of the quick release, as the clump of Joe's hair he had double fisted finally gave way. He thought about the hurt and confused look on poor Joe Ame's face he fell down the ten feet of wall and into the bosom of the dead creatures below.

Jonas then stood up from his child's beds side and turned to leave his house for his nightly duty. All the while, the look on Joe's face burned into his mind as the dead beings dull dirty fingers ripped into his flesh, and feasted upon his entrails like wolves surrounding an elk. Something had to be done, someone needed to find help, and they needed it now.
......................................Chapter 2....................

"Oh, f%ck you,, you dirty sons of whores. You're the cheatingest bunch of bastards a northern man ever did lay his eyes on!" Shouted Jimmy Connor playfully as he stood to leave the local dice game at the Brown Tabby Ale house. The last of his meager guard wages were drank and gambled away, and the nightly watch duty called. The old men that were too feeble to pull the night duty laughed kindheartedly at his faux aggression as he slammed the seat he had occupied home. As Jimmy exited the established he found it comforting to know that even when faced with a horde of hungry un-dead creatures, old winos weren't above fleecing a young buck blind.

Jimmy laughed for no particular reason as he adjusted the conical helmet that had been issued to him only five months past. The young man had joined the town guard out of pure necessity. His mother had died and left him with candle shop that was so far into debt that all the poor boy could do to break even, and avoid the stockades, was to sell her shop and everything he owned of any value. Jimmy had gone two long weeks on the streets before finally applying, on a whim, to be a towns guardsman. As it turns out Jimmy lucked out during his application process and was exactly the kind of fellow the towns guardsmen were looking for; physically fit, the right age, and more or less willing to take up even the filthiest most undesirable jobs. The young man wallowed in this good fortune while staying in the single men's barracks, he even emptied the chamber pots with a smile. Which took most of the gusto out of the catcalls and jabes his fellow guardsman threw at the "new guy". All and all, Jimmy Connor had been doing rather well for a young man in his predicament, that was until the dead decided to arrive.

" Excuse me, Master Armsman." Jimmy called up to his newly apointed superior Johnathan Web. "Do you know where abouts I'll be stationed tonight."

"Do you know where I'll be stationed tonight, SIR!" His Master Armsman returned.

Jimmy swallowed the lump in his throat and continued. "Yes sir, sorry about that sir. Won't let it happen again, sir." Jimmy strangely hoped that the over use of the term didn't come off as him being condescending. The last thing he wanted was to be stocked and flogged in the middle of the town square while un-dead Beings were knocking on the gates. Further more Jonathan Web seemed like the kind who just might do carry out such an act on principle alone.

"You will be overseeing the activities on the eastern wall. First Armsman Tucker should be there already, he'll give you the rest of your orders." As Jimmy lowered his head in salute and turned to leave, he heard the Arms Master speak once more. "And Armsman Connor, if you ever show up for duty with ale on your breathe again, I'll not only fail your back myself, I'll throw you outside the town walls personally. You understand?" Jimmy answered "yes sir" in quick fashion and made his way towards the eastern wall.

As the young guardsman double stepped to his post he watched the thunder clouds in the distance, plotting in his minds eye where and when they would hit the little cursed town of Owefin. " Looks like were in for some weather." A voice behind him muttered. Jimmy turned in a startled mid step to met the gaze of his would be stalker.

" Hey,, Jimmy is it? I bet you don't remember me. I used to buy candles twice a month from your mother, but I only ever saw you in there about once or twice. And you were so young then. Anyhow I'm Jonas Furton, I make saddles over off West and Brine." Jimmy eyeballed the older man, and tried to remember him, and although the name sounded familiar he couldn't quite place the face. Then it hit him. Jimmy visually subtracted several years from the man's face and the excess flesh that accompanied it, and man was without a doubt Armsman Furtons father, one of the senior guards that had been killed in the initial attack by the dead Beings.

"Oh yes, Jonas from over at Furton Saddlery & Equestrian. How are you?" Jimmy eyed the man's unusually nice spear and continued. " Are you going to be on the eastern wall tonight as well?"

The older fellow hefted the weapon, smiled and answered. "What tipped you off." They both shared a polite laugh then continued with small talk as the trotted toward the wall. "So, Jimmy I heard your mother passed a while back, sorry to hear about that boy, she was a good lady. Always fair on her prices."

Jimmy laughed at the lie, and debated whether it was in good taste or not to give his condolences to the man about his son's untimely death. The nature and time line of Geof's death could make for a rather awkward walk. Jimmy decided against it. " Yes, she was a great woman and fair when it came to dickering. Maybe too fair to be blunt, she caught a fever and couldn't afford the trip to Dome's Port to see a Scholar of Medicine." Jimmy left out the part about her leaving him neck deep in the hole.

"Well that is a shame to hear." Jimmy heard genuine hurt in the man's voice. " My daughter took ill two weeks passed herself, and without a local Scholar of Medicine around these parts." The man left the last part unfinished but Jimmy caught the gist.

"Damn old dog, that's rough to hear." Jimmy had thought he had been cursed with bad luck. But here was a man, that had lost a son in the prime of his life, and was now dealing with the death march of his daughter during the worst event to ever take place in the history of the sh!t box town known as Owerfin. Then to top it all off the fellow, under normal circumstances, the well off fellow would of had enough coin to pay for a Scholar of Medicine to make the trip form Domes Port, but couldn't because of the obvious reasons

"We all got our problems Jimmy. Right now lets just you and I focus on what we can control, as apposed to what's out of our hands."

Jonas mused that it felt good to converse with the young fellow, and with the wound of his son's death still open and sore, something deep inside him knew that he needed all the cheering he could get. After the two men had received their orders they climbed the rain slicked ladder up the un-impressive height of the wall and settled in for a night of living horrors. As they waited for the sun to settle down over the horizon the group of wall guards went into the usually conversations that passed the time. They quietly debated why the Beings retreated at dawn only to appear again at dusk, and why the poor plotting dead things moved so slow, and what was their nature of attacking Owerfin in the first place. Many of the wall guards and towns folk alike, saw the creatures as a retribution of the Gods for the northern men's sinful ways, and had taken to praying openly in public. While others speculated that some sort of wizard or witch was the cause of the disaster and eyeballed old harmless seniors with disdain and ill intended curiosity.

"FIRST WAVE!" The shout went up and Jimmy prepared himself for the dead. The Beings came into the fire light in wild cluster. An angry dead mass of rotted flesh moving toward the wall and the precious flesh that dangled above, like sunlight to drowning man they clawed towards the prize.

Jimmy thrust out his pole arm with bravado, aiming for the top of the skull of recently deceased farm boy. His blow was forceful, but the misplaced blade ran along the youths scalp and not into the gray brain matter inside. The dead boy took the blow in stride, throwing his left hand into the tip of the spear, ran the skewered hand up the blade and grasped the protective lugs of the weapon with a strength that only cold dead fingers can derive. Jimmy wrenched the the long weapon away, using his weight and leverage to torque the farm boy down and to the right. Jimmy struggled with the boy in the precarious position, trying hotly to severe through the pieced hand and free his weapon.

Jimmy torqued and twisted the polearm, but the creature had essentially pinned it's self, and being a mindless un-dead pile of flesh was content to hold onto the spear head for all it was worth. Jimmy's arms began to burn, and soon became apparent that he was on the losing end of battle and was going to have part with his pole arm or acquire some form of assistance.

"Little help would be very much appreciated!" The young guardsman shouted as the little monster on the end of his spear figured out how to twist the weapon in Jimmy's hands. His answer came in the form of Jonas with a large stone. The older fellow hurled the six pound rock into the side of the the farm boys head, splattering the youths fragile skull like a fall pumpkin under a mallet. As the body collapsed to the ground Jimmy had stretch out to pull the weapon completely free of the corpse.

"Rocks where a damn good idea if I do say so my self." Hacked out Jonas through puffs of foggy exhale. Jimmy noted that the older fellow wasn't a spring chicken, but could defiantly hold his own.

"Yeah, they barrel of rocks were Arms Master Web's idea." Jimmy said as he hefted a three pounder himself. " They are a b!tch to pick back up though."

"Well we have to burn the damn bodies during the daylight hours anyway, might as well get some more exercise." Jonas responded, then pointed a gnarled finger across Jimmy's face. " another one to your left."

Jimmy turned to find a lanky fellow with one croaked and broken ankle, dragging the compounded fracture across the muddy ground and toward his area. Jimmy hefted the stone to his shoulder, aimed, and heaved the three pounds of solid earth in one fluid motion, smacking the projectile into the upper chest of the dead Being.He called out curses as he readied his spear for the closer battle. The Lanky Being, easily six foot five in height, hobbled to the wall and while stepping onto the back of a previously fallen comrade reached his long thin arms toward the warm flesh above. Jimmy reacted by stepping back as far as he could on the relatively narrow catwalk in a attempt to find safer ground. He then assessed with haste that his pole arm was much too long for the task at hand and that he would need a different tool for this job.

The young warrior swiftly placed the longer weapon aside and turned to draw his side sword. The weapon was of the typical outdated northern make, a single hand thirty inch blade with two sharp edges and a spatula style tip. It was a weapon that was designed for hacking in concert with a wooden shield, and Jimmy had little to no experience in it's proper use.

Jimmy struck out with the weapon at the outreached hands before him, lopping off fingers and flesh like a child whacking brambles to access a deep cache of black berries in the summer. The creature below, bellowed out hot thick groans in frustration swinging stumpy wrist at Jimmy with abandon.

"By the Gods you smell !!" Exclaimed the young guard as he raised the blade over his head and lined up the mercy stroke. The blade came down in a swift two hand grip and sunk fully down into the Beings previously thrashed nose. He wrenched the weapon free as the legs of the un-dead man gave out below, and looked about for the next threat. When he found none present, Jimmy tired his best to wipe the gore from his blade and retrieved his pole arm.

" Hey, Jonas." he called to the older fellow as he walked the length of the catwalk to where the four other men had congregated. "Any more of theses un-dead bastards about?" Jimmy found that when his blood was up, he actually relished the idea of another round.

"No, not yet, but don't worry your little head there boy. The night is young yet, and if what's been reported from the northern wall is any kind of true, we could see at least two more waves before the night is through." The older man looked tired but not completely drained.

"Alright well I'm going to report to Armsman Tucker real quick, If anything goes to sh!t you give a shout and I'll be right back." As Jimmy trotted away to perform his obligated duty, Jonas felt the first real smile he could remember in a long time.
................................................Chapter 3..............................................................
"By the pantheon of every holy God, we need a f*cking miracle soon." Thought newly appointed Arms Master Johnathan Web as he read over the daily supply report. Mayor Planter's assistant had been so kind as to bring to him, in a way that had lorded the document over him, the rolled up parchments. As he read he noted that it was nice to know that when face with almost certain death that politicians still wanted their lessers to know their place .

As the figures read, the town of Owefin now had less then one week of what people would consider "real food". Pretty soon the towns people would be slaughtering the last of the horses, with local dogs in line for desert. A week or two after that, the leather belts and shoes of the citizens would find there way into the current rations. Rumor held that with a lot of salt they weren't that bad. More importantly the town water was drying up fast. With the recent jump in the usually small towns population the local well had been pushed to it's limits. The rainy season, would help, but to sustain a village of seven hundred plus people a constant water supply had to be available, and currently was not.

Johnathan Web pinched the bridge of his nose, and fought back the stress headache that always seemed to follow the array of daily reports. He looked to his second in command, First Armsman Hunter, and wondered if he felt the same. It hadn't been too long ago that they were both regulars in the towns guard, young men under twenty five, ready to take any order given, but hardly ready to give them. Now due to overwhelming necessity, Johnathan Web, and young men like him ,were the only thing standing between the town of Owerfin and a gruesome death. It didn't take Johnathan long to realize that the local government was all but useless. The so called Mayor and his underlings had actually prompted the notion that the un-dead Beings could be reasoned with. Johnathan had to literally lead the obese man by the hand up onto the catwalk of the town wall and show him with his own two eyes what they were dealing with. The Mayor hadn't even tired to save face with an attempt at conversation with the Beings. Instead he huffed off in a fit and screamed about exhausting all options.

"So lets face it Hunter." Johnathan spat. "if these reports are even half true, were going to be out of food within three weeks, and water within a month."

"Right Sir, but we have no idea how long these Beings will hold out. Hell they could drop back dead tomorrow." The other man, Hunter, answered with optimism.

"Yes, or they could pound on our doors until we're too weak from dehydration and hunger to respond, break in, and be off like a raccoon in a hen house." Johnathan was rubbing his temples with gusto now, the headache building to a crescendo. " We need to act now, while we still have the resources. We need to send out a group of volunteers , to make for Domes Port or Com'mer."

"How about both, Sir. We could post a few announcements on the pub door. Have the town crier shout out a few things and see who pops up. From there, we could cherry pick our volunteers. They won't be trained guardsmen, but they'd be better than nothing at all."

Johnathan weighed the option of risking precious man power and resources on such a long shot. He was about to decide against the idea when her realized that one in a thousand was a better chance than none at all.

" Sounds like a top rate plan Hunter. Have the boys over at the Mayors office make up some posts. And while your at it get someone to inform the town crier. I doubt will get anybody at first, but after the rumors about the food and water supply spreads we might get a few". At the last statement about the food and water, Hunter stopped mid-stride to ask a question.

"What rumor about the food and water, Sir?" The question actually seemed silly to Hunter.

"Why, the one your going to start, First Armsman Hunter. After you leave here at the end of the night, I want you personally to go to one of the local pubs, have a few drinks feign being drunk, and sob about how the town has a mere weeks worth of water left. Feel free to throw in how the towns defenses are crumbling as we know it." Smiled Johnathan at his own ingenuity.

"You mean you want me to spread false information and lie to these people about something that could possible,,, hell, most certainly get good men killed." First Armsman Hunter looked abashed by the Master Armsman's lurid request.

"No Hunter, I simply want you to motivate the people of this town with smudged figures for the common good. If we don't get help soon, First Armsman, every man, woman, and child, in this town will die before the end of next month. Now, do want to go to your grave thinking that there was even a chance at survival, but you were too busy worrying about the morality behind an order, and that's what this is Hunter an "Order". Besides will get our volunteers before it's all said and done, this way we just get them before they've starved for two damned weeks." Johnathan Web was taken back a bit by his own words, he never in all his days thought that he himself would end up sounding like a dreaded politician.

"Yes, Sir." said First Armsman Hunter reluctantly as he left the room. Johnathan knew he had lost some of the man's respect, and it hurt him deeply because Ryan Hunter had once been not only a peer, but a true friend that had gone through the same rites of passage and trials as himself. But now was not the time to split hairs over trivial things, now was the time to survive, and survival sometimes meant putting whats right and what wrong aside for the sake of another day. Still the throbbing in his head would not subside.
.........................................Chapter 4...................................................

"What the in the seven hells is this pile of horse sh!t" Screamed an old drunkard while clutching the posted decree from the splintered oak door of the The Brown Tabby Ale House.

Jimmy, like everyone else, turned to meet the glare of the early morning sun, and the barking noise that was the drunkard. Another man, none too sober himself, stood up and answered the drunkard with the typical bar banter combination of mock hostility and good natured joking. " What you can't read Larry? That little piss ant Webb is asking for volunteers to go to Com'Mer and Domes Port. Sounds like a damned death march to me."

Another man shouted out, that the word on the street was that the town had less than a good month left of food and water. Another added that the ale and wine supply was down to three weeks at best. The latter statement actually got some sincere concern out of the troop of winos and lushes.

When the huff and puffs of boisterous shouts and curses were through, the man at the door flopped down in the stool next to Jimmy and ordered the pubs equivalent of horse piss. The man, despite his inebriation, immediately noticed the younger guardsman uniform and struck up a conversation that must have seemed sly to him, but lacked all subtlety to anyone that wasn't nine pints deep.

"So your one of the young'uns still fit to defend the wall, Ah? I myself would help you lot out, but in my current physical state would be far more a liability than an aid to you young and healthy types. But lets just say I wanted to get out and help, how many would you be taking and what routes would you use. I mean there are the main roads that go straight to Com'Mer, and the Kings old highway still runs all the way to Domes Port, but you lot wouldn't take them, would ya. For starters those damned Beings would tear you to shreds, and,,, well excuse for a moment." The drunkard actually took a moment to lean in the opposite of Jimmy's direction and break wind.

At that Jimmy stood up , paid the bar keep, and left the pub with the calls of the drunkard behind him. As he trotted through the door he greeted the morning sun with a yawn, last nights duty had been long, but not overly difficult, and the young guardsman's body craved sleep like nothing else. So he plotted step by step back to the barracks and the ever so comfortable cot that waited for him. As he negotiated the muddied streets he notice in front of him the figure of Jonas Furton making his way towards the guardsman house. Jimmy called out to the new acquainted friend and caught up to him in a few long strides.

"Hey Jonas, what are you doing about? I figured an old man like you would have hit the hay by now?" Jimmy said with a smile

Jimmy then noticed that the man actually looked excited, and that he was smiling from ear to ear. Jimmy could only guess that the man's afflicted daughter had taken a turn for the better and Jonas was wearing his joy proudly on his sleeve today.

"Did you hear that they are going to send out two groups to Domes Port and Com'Mer? It's just what my daughter needs, If i can get in one of those groups I could some how hire a Scholar of Medicine to come here and see to her." The man Jonas, literally looked elated at the idea, and Jimmy didn't want to dry out his corn field, but the chances of getting through the throng of the living dead was slim to nil.

"Oh, I see, so your going down to the guards house to volunteer before the slots fill up. Well let me walk with you, I'm on my way there myself."

As the two men of different generation walked in the sun they listened to the early morning sounds and bustle of the little town. The towns people moved about Owerfin as if it were any other day, going about in reserved denial of what had been knocking on their doors only last night. The smells of bread and and wood smoke, tinged the air with horse manure and fresh rain. The two spied a an elderly woman and her daughters carting laundry back to there respective homes for washing and drying. Jimmy knew this was the richer section of town, but it amazed him how people still worked for coin when they could very well die at the hands of the Beings tonight. Routine is a strange, and comforting creature.

"Its funny huh?" stated Jimmy. " we stand at the edge of a cliff and these people dance away like it's a harvest time feast."

"And what would you have of them Jimmy?" Responded Jonas without malice. " Would you prefer they hunkered down in their homes and waited patiently for the Beings to come knocking? Or would you rather they take up arms and join you and I on the wall? I'm sure that seamstress and her daughters would be more than useful on a slippery ledge with four pounds of steel attached to ten foot stick."

There was a moment of awkward silence then Jimmy answered. " You look down upon the idea now, but before it's all said and done I don't doubt that some of the more stout women will be up on that cat walk swinging with everything the gods gave them."

"I don't doubt that, but it still doesn't change the fact that we need to live life for the sake of living." With Jonas's last statement the two men came to the front of the Guardsman House. Jimmy know that the entrance to the single men's barracks was around the back, but he decided to see how the volunteering was going.

As they walked through the threshold of the main guradsman building, a large open hall that acted as headquarters, a rather haggard looking Master Armsman Webb was sitting behind a desk with a small line of men stretched out before him. " Ah, hello Guardsman Connor, back from a hearty breakfast I hope, and ready to get some shut eye?"

A man that had been detained for trying to open the front gates to appease the gods screamed profane protest regarding his current state. Even from across the room, Jimmy could see the poor soul was covered in dried blood, and his face was swollen to twice it's normal size.

" Shut your fool mouth, you son of a *****! If I have to come in that cage again, Almighty Lebow help me, I will snap your scrawny neck." A silence rested for a moment then Master Armsman Web continued. " Sorry about that seems some people are buckling under the town's new found stress. So what can I do for you?

Jimmy hadn't known why he came in the main building with Jonas. Maybe the young and adventurous part of him wanted to be singled out by the Master Armsman, having the thrill of leaving the towns safety forced down upon him would be the noblest form of duty one could aspire to achieve. Or maybe it was the simple allure of possible fame; to have the recognition that would come with saving the lives of eight hundred people would get him what ever he could dream of. But mostly, after thinking in hindsight, he found that all he had really wanted was to see his new friend to the end of the road.

"Oh me sir? I came to help my friend Jonas, sign up for that contingent you were sending out the wall. He's a good man sir, and I recommend him highly for the ah,,,, the group sir." Jimmy felt the look that the Master Armsman was giving him crawl up his skin. For the first time in Jimmy's twenty one years, he felt what it was like to be an animal of prey, being watched and stalked by a relentless predator that sulked in the morning shadows.

"Armsman Connor, you are aware that resources are stretched to the very limit for the town at this point." Master Armsman Johnathan Web, did not wait for a response. " So we have to pinch and make due where we can, with what we have. With your man here, we now need but a leader of some experience and martial training to take up the Com'Mer group. You, Armsman Connor, I feel would be make a fine candidate for the job. Your young, strong, quick on your feet, relatively bright for a man that is so fond of the drink as you are. Now I won't "make" you go, but if you do, and you succeed, you and these gentlemen here will be heroes that will be sung through the ages.

Jimmy shuffled in his boots for a moment, then moved to speak but was cut off by Jonas. " Sorry Sir but I need to be in the Domes Port group, so I can pay a Scholar of Medicine to come back with the rescue force. You see my daughter is sick, and she won't last much longer without care."

"Oh, well the Domes Port group is filled, but I did read a report a while back from former Master Armsman Tenderman that Com'Mer has had a new Scholar of Medicine for quite some time now. And as a bonus to you, Com'Mer is far closer than Domes Port, but without a good leader your chances would seem slim." The look the two men gave Jimmy could cut holes through stained glass.

"But sir, I've only had five months training, do you really think I'm qualified for the job?" Asked Jimmy.

"Simply put, no. But your the best we can do right now Armsman. And five months of training is five times what this group has had." The answer from Master Armsman Web was short an honest, neither of which Jimmy had expected.

The young guardsman looked around and examined the rag tag group of middle aged men and teen aged boys he could be potentially charged with care of. They were sorry to the last, but seemed eager and willing, Neither of which Jimmy was feeling at the moment. " Alright, when do we start"

"Alright, when do we start, SIR." corrected Master Armsman Johnathan Web with a smile.
............................................Chapter 5............................................
The sun had been up for over an hour as Jimmy Connor squared away the small rag tag group of twelve men he had been coerced into leading. The young guardsman went down the line asking each man if they were completely ready for the venture, and if they had everything on the list that Master Armsman Webb had ordered them to procure from the towns provisions. One young fellow had forgotten his bedroll and had held up the group for a good twenty minutes while he fished one out of the guardsman barracks. During that time Jimmy got to take a good look over the men he had been charged with.

The group was an odd mix in ages and moods. Most seemed nervous and sacred, while other were eager and excited, but most importantly none seemed ready for the daunting task. Some of the men he knew by name, but others only by sight. So the young guardsman took a moment to do a thorough meet and greet, shaking each man's hand and introducing himself. He didn't know if his casual actions would make the non- guardsmen fell more comfortable, but he did fell like they had gained the first step to some degree of camaraderie . After the unprepared man was back from his brief bedroll raid, Jimmy called for a a group of wall guards to unlock the towns doors, and just like that they were on their way.

As the big ten foot, rivet steel doors to the town swung closed behind him, Jimmy felt like clawing his way the back through to the relative safety that was Owerfin. He thought at first that the feeling of impending danger would subside, but as the group worked it's way farther down the road the uncomfortable sensation persisted. He tried to calm himself by remembering that it was day time and that many people, men and women alike, were working outside the walls on the grievous job of corpse removal duty. Stacking the rotting bodies into make shift piles and burning them with long rounds of seasoned hardwood to stem the flow of sickness into the small town. Jimmy told himself that these people all looked calm enough, if a little jumpy. Then a part of the young man spoke up in his mind, informing him that the difference between himself and these poor workers was they "KNEW", that as soon as mid-day meal was rung, and the rations started to be doled out in the town square, that they would be back behind those walls, and once again under the protective wing of Owerfin.

"Excuse me Jim, I mean sir. Do I need to call you sir? Anyhow, where do you think we should start cutting away from the main road? You are planing on moving through the wilderness, right?" The man that had asked the series of questions was named Thomas Johnson, a prosperous fur trader who rarely came to town, but always seemed to make a pretty penny when he did.

Jimmy, for the moment, was relieved to be taken out of his own head. He then looked at the man and answered the best he could. "Well, first off your not a sworn in member of the towns armed guards. Second even if you were, I'm only an Armsman, so the sir is not needed. And finally I think we should leave that decision to you Mr. Johnson. After all you had far more dealings in these woods then I've ever had. Hell, from what I've heard around and about The Brown Tabby, you've forgotten more about bush craft and hunting then most men could hope to learn.

With Jimmy's last statement the mans chest puffed out with obvious pride, he then stopped his quick walk and spoke. " To be honest Jimmy, I think we should cut over right now up towards High Top pond, and then over back down southeast to get to Com'Mer. There were never that many farms out that way, too many rocks in the soil and a lot of hills to fight. It may take us an extra hour or two to get there, but I think we should have a lot better chance of avoiding those damned Beings.

Jimmy knew it was a four day trek on foot to the town of Com'Mer, but factor in cutting through the thick northern wilderness and the journey could take up to six long days. Jimmy was at a loss, if he followed the idea of Thomas Johnson the group would avoid the higher populated areas and be relatively safer, but if they stayed on the road they would be through the trip faster and which was the main goal. In contrast the the wilderness was dangerous in it's own right, besides the somewhat frequent long toothed cat attacks and goblin tribes to contend with, there was always the chance of the dead being just as thick out there.

"I don't know Thomas." Jimmy said while starring at his men. "If we hit the thick woods and something happens to you, we're screwed. And who's to say that the damned dead bastards don't wander the wilderness, hell no one knows where they go in the day." Some of the groups men seemed to approve of Jimmy's statement.

"Plus!" threw in Jonas Furton. " The road is faster, and the sooner where inside walls the safer we are." Jonas was really more concerned about the safety of another person at the moment.

"But we're sittin' geese out here on the road like this. Those Beings will be on us like flies on sh!t if we stay on this damned thing." Spat out a portly fellow that had decided it was time to throw in his two coppers. Some bickering amongst the group ensued, and soon men were pointing fingers and raising voices. Jimmy swallowed a lump in his throat and hoped to stop the argument before fist were thrown.

"ALRIGHT!" He shouted, but kept his voice below a scream. " This is what we'll do, we walk the road until an hour before dusk, then we cut off the road and camp back into the woods. It will only take an hour or two out of each day, and we'll have all the speed of the road with the relative safety of the wilderness." Most the men grumbled with agreement, and turned their attentions back to the task at hand. The road.

The rest of the day went by with out incident, and as dusk approached the group of men struck off from the road and settled down into a small thicket of trees. They clamored in the waxing light to be prepared before darkness came. No fires were to be made for obvious reasons. As the tired men sat around on their bedrolls, eating dried meat and what little bits of perishable food they had, Jimmy watched the fading light with real concern. The young man knew in the pit of his stomach that tonight was going to be a the longest night of his young life. This night he knew would set the tone for every other night from here on out.

Jimmy's palms began sweating as he sat in thought while gnawing on the guardsmen issue hardtack, the benefits of not having a woman.His thoughts running the gamut of perils that could await them tonight. His biggest concerns were that no one person for sure knew how the un-dead creatures stalked the living. Although it was widely assumed that they simply mimicked what they would have done in life, but if that wasn't the case they could all be in serious trouble. What if being dead increased your sense of smell, the half mile or so they trekked of the road wasn't that far at all for a good hound to catch a sent, if the dead where anywhere near that they could be surrounded in no time. As the phantoms where settling their claws into his young mind, Jonas Furton plopped down next to him.

"Hey thanks again for giving me first watch." Jonas along with the two other older members of the group had gotten the coveted "easy" watch. " But I came over to see what was troubling you."

The younger man looked up for his lack luster meal and went to speak, but was quickly interrupted. "Well the fac" a large scream echoed across forested and each man paused in mid motion like the prey animals they were at the moment. A call of "Oh Sh!t" went up as a men leaped from their seated positions to grab spears and other weapons.

They trotted in at an awkward clumsy speed, slower than the run of a man, but faster than a slow walk. There was five in all, their tiny legs moving with intent a purpose. " Sh!t " called out Jimmy as he hefted a long handled battle axe. " Eight of you try your best to pin them with the spears, you, you and you. Grab what ever is made for personal work and get behind them.

Some of the men shuffled to comply with the order, but three men seeing the intended foe, buckled under the sight. To great shock and dismay, all nine of the dead Beings approaching were children that had been savaged by the touch of death. One young boy, no older than seven, still dragged the chewed remain of a long dead puppy he had loved dearly in life. While another little girl in grime stained sun dress drooled a loose pink mixture of blood and saliva as she hobbled toward the men with anger and hunger in her dead eyes.

" We can't do this!!!" A very well fed man named Lester Willison shouted at the group ."For the sake of the Gods they are just children. That one their looks no older than my Elsa."

"Shut your mouth Lester!" called Jonas Furton. " Those aren't children. Those are Beings,,, you get it,,, D E A D!" The man spelled the words out but he wasn't even sure Lester Willison could read. " They won't bounce on you knee, and smile and laugh when you tickle them. They won't ask for a story at night, and try to sneak extra pie at harvest dance. They will rip you throat out, and play with your guts. You hear me, Lester! Dead."

They man looked at the others with dismay, dropped his spear in disgust, and rushed out to intercept the group of dead children. There was a brief moment of gross panic as he struck out, calls went after him, but no one moved away from the group out for fear of their own lives. Jimmy tried to think quick on his feet, but at the moment nothing came to him on how he should handle the situation. His brain racked quickly in it's stressed assessment. On the one hand he could risk trying to get Lester on his own, a thought that seemed sure to result in injuries one way or another to himself. While on the other he could send the group forward, but without any sort of training as a ground fighting unit, the forward march could result in several men being taken out of commission instead of one. For the moment he was torn on what to do. His eyes wide with glaring panic.

As Lester Wilson finally got within ten yards of the creatures his senses kicked in, and he realized the possible consequences of what was doing. The once confused man turned and looked back at the protection of the group and shouted a strangled incoherent cry. He then turned in quick order to run back, but the combined strain of his bulk and the physical exertion of the day took its toll. The large man leg began to contract with intense pain as the cramp moved down his thigh and into his calf with violent force. The dead children closed in with choppy strides, mobbing in the most direct line toward the living flesh.

"Sh!t and high water we got to help him!" Screamed out Jonas, as he pivoted his head left and right for support. That bit of vocal clarity was enough of a push for Jimmy to realize that risk or no something had to be done.

"Move forward, double time boys!" Shouted Jimmy.

At the moment the order left Jimmy's lips, Jonas began to move, striding forward with two other men to help the poor dumb man. As the leaders moved forward most of the other men followed suite, but some of the group looked about in reluctant confusion, denying that the order to attack the undead children had been given to them. Jimmy rectified this by repeating himself and charging out himself.

As the group closed the short distance, it became apparent that they would be too late. Lester's sluggish body was propelling it's self forward, but the paced sorely lacked the speed needed to escape the dead children. The scared man swiveled his back and forth as he fought the intense pain that was engulfing his entire left leg and working it's way into his midsection. He grunted and huffed with the effort of moving , and then while looking over his shoulder to see the distance covered by the Beings Lester Willison tripped. Jonas could hear the snap of the ankle as the big man collapsed under the now useless leg. Jonas then watched has the large man flopped around to his side and swung his meaty fist as the first of the children closed.

Lester struck the first Being good, catching the former small boy in the throat with heavy force, sending the pale form in a reeling loop into the nearby bushes. Then the next dead child closed in, dodged the same swooping blow, and then dove to the ground to grab up Lester's thick leg. The nine year dead girl seemed to relish the taste of warm flesh as she broke her teeth on Lester's heavy ankle bone. Lester kicked the sore leg like a mule, but the girl was latched onto him with uncanny strength. The injured man then proceeded to tattooed the girl with his other leg, striking with quick thuds, but to no avail. Then, while heavily distracted, the next dead child hit the man full force in the chest. The eleven year old frame smashed into the fat man's body with surprising force, triggering Lester's instinctual act of bear hugging the small attacker, soon small dull dirty fingers were working their way into Lester's eyes.

As Jonas covered the last few feet to his comrade he screamed through tired lungs in rage. The smell of feces and metallic blood assaulted his nose, as is mind solidified that Lester was done for. Five small forms now, surrounded the prone body, feeding like glutinous little piglets. Their small hands shoving the wet intestines down, and into, broken maws with adult like force. Jonas then, while gripping his weapon for comfort, took three large steps back, keenly aware that the security of the group was not with him. As the others came to Jonas's position they gaped wide eyed at the grisly scene before them. One man, turned a vomited with such force that he pissed himself in the process.

"Spears together in a line!!!" Shouted the out of breath voice of Jimmy Connor, but not a man moved to respond. "We need to funnel them down into a group and pin them so the axes can do there work." The order was issued but these were not guardsmen, and at the moment the noise was simply background sound to the sight that these men could never un-see.

Jimmy went to call out the order again, positive that the rest of the un-dead children would be there soon, but then the first man screamed. The man roared with an almost comical ferocity as he tore away from the group and at the dead children. The others instantly took note and followed suite towards the fray, a wild roar on all of their lips.

As the men came to the body of Lester, they struck out at the dead children with crazed zeal. The jabbed the pole arms frantically, more intent on ripping the bodies of the little Beings to bits , rather than destroying the brain. Once the first five were through they charged and met the next tearing by the little creatures individually at phenomenal rate. As the last of them the group together back at the body of the first fallen of the group. It was Jimmy that spoke first blood dripping from the crescent shaped axe he held.

"I was so worried about them being dead, that I forgot they were still children. We would of had the leverage and the strength over them no matter what." He shook his head at his own flaw in judgment and spat at the mistake.

" We were all scared." said Jonas. " But I guess that in the end it could have gone much worse. Was anyone bitten?"

The question in the air, like a carrion crow, but no man answered the dreaded "yes". Then the body of Lester began to twitch. Quickly the nearest man crushed the skull of poor Lester with the butt cap of his long spear. One man suggested that they should should mark this spot on the road so that on the way back the could burn the corpses. Jimmy than wondered if the "way back" would ever come. "One day out the walls, and down." he thought as he answered the man. It was the that they heard through first of them. The moans of the dead could shake a man to his core.
...............................................Chapter 6......................................
They had been moving forward, and pushing themselves so long and so hard that Jonas didn't know how many days had passed since the large scale attacks of the first night. Once the full sized dead creatures had responded to the ruckus and rambling of their own overly loud confrontation with the children, the loose group of men had been decimated and scattered about with no hope of re-organizing. This left only small group of himself, Jimmy Connor and Thomas Johnson moving towards the intended goal of Com'Mer.

Jonas guessed that if any of the other men had survived the attack they had cut back towards the safety of Owerfin's walls. The Gods knew that if his little Sandra wasn't on deaths door that's where he would have gone. Sometimes the tired man felt guilty for his "selfish" thoughts along that nature, but try as he might to put Sandra first and foremost in his mind, Jonas simply couldn't keep the phantoms of discomfort away. How he wished every day, that he was in his wives warm arms at night, wrapped in three warm blankets and the scent of her love, not out in the middle of nowhere frozen from the rain and dodging atrocities that the devils himself would frown upon.

The three men had followed Thomas Johnson's first suggestion of cutting into the wilderness and had mostly avoided any Beings. With the exception of a lone farmer who had been mangled so badly that his left leg was little more than a stump. They slept by day now, and traveled exclusively at night, moving as quietly as possible and using the stars to keep their barrings straight. During the first attack the darkness of evening had settled in and they found that the dead creatures were far more sight and sound driven then anything else.

"You see that?" Whispered Jimmy, closely into Jonas's ear. The young man stretched out his hand in the direction of a faint light that appeared to Jonas to be less than two hundred yards down a valley. It was at that time Thomas approached and spoke

"Must be a fur trappers lodge. They might not even know about the damned Beings, then again they may. But that don't mean we should just run up and say, we should probably check it out from a distance first. Then if it seems clear, maybe he'll put us up for the rest of the night.

"How much longer do you think we have to go?" Asked Jimmy. It seemed strange to Jonas that this was the first time in a long while that anybody had asked the old hunter that question.

"If I recall correctly, we only got this one last stretch, maybe five to six more hours at this pace." Thomas then feeling the strain of the last few days leaned far back, thrusting his hips forward and stretching the muscles of his lower back. " I don't know about you guys, but I'm too wet, too tired and just too bushed in general to make the rest of that trip today. Plus we ought to be as fresh as possible for that last bit. We are going to need to hit Com'Mer during the day to make it known that were not a group of those Beings. We go walking up to that town's walls in the middle of the night and one of two things will most likely happen either those dead bastards will chew us to shreds before we get within shouting distance, or those town folks on the wall will fill us full of arrows like we're competition targets at some summer feast. Those Com'Mer folk are notorious for being handy with their bows, and i don't want to find out just how good they are at the wrong end, if you catch my drift."

The other two men shrugged in unison, and then all three made their way towards the little cabin for closer inspection. When they reached a distance that they all agreed was fit for good observation, they watched and listen for any sounds that could possibly give them a clue to the disposition of the inhabitants. After a short, and increasingly cold period due to inactivity, the three men approached the cabin with extreme caution. Once they reached the rather heavy looking oak door, Jimmy promptly rapt and called a calm "Hello". There was a scuffle loud enough that the men could hear various voices, a quick fumbling of the hinged bar lock, and then the door was flung on.

"What in all the names of the pantheon are you lot doing out there?" The three found that an elderly fellow was pointing a rather serious looking cross bow in the faces. "Don't you know that the damned undead are out and about the country side?"

Another older feminine voice chimed in from the behind the man. "Will you just let them in Harry, It's not like there any thing in this sh!t hole to take."

The man spun about and spoke to the woman. "I was trying to keep you safe Mary, now if you don't mind." he turned back around cross bow still posed.

"Safe from what? Do you think these boys are gonna want to have their way with a dried up ole bag like me self. And even if they did, what was your plan after you shot the first one, calming ask the next to wait a half hour while you try to reloaded that thing without getting yourself too out of breath?" The old woman laughed then continued. " Come on now Harry. just let them in."

The older man, Harry, lowered his weapon then nodded that the three could enter the home. He then went about the quick routine of setting the door with two bars and a wedge before seating himself down at a table. The woman of the house was the first to break the silence.

"Why you boys look like you've seen better times, here have some soup." She dished out three wooden bowls full of a weak broth that the men ate ravenously. " It's more water then anything else, but we've been stuck in here for the better part of two weeks."

"Have you been hassled by the Beings a lot?" Asked Jimmy as he literally tried to lick the depths of the bowl.

"Not as much as some might have guessed." She answered. " And as luck would have it, when Harry built this place to be like a rock thirty years ago, I never thought it would do much good. He built it then to detour goblin raiders, we'll at least that's why he said he did. Who knew that in the end it would be stopping the undead. And if you ask me the place still could use a few good ground level windows."

The old man, who was sitting silently across the room sighed and spoke. "And if I had Mari we'd be out there trying to scale that dammed town wall, thirsting for blood and eating our neighbors."

The old woman never showed a hint of conceding, as she shrugged and changed the subject." Dawn will be here soon and we can go out and scavenge what we can. What brings you boys about this way any way, your lot sounds like your from Owerfin?"

Jonas answered " We are miss. Owerfin has been getting seriously attacked for a while now, and we are seeking aid from Com'Mer."

Jonas was a bit hurt when his statement got a chuckle out of the woman. " Are you serious?" She asked between raspy laughs. " Com'Mer has been under siege form them damned creatures for the better part of two months. Gods and sheep sh!t boys, news travels slow out toward Owerfin doesn't it."

Jonas was a bit taken back at the levity at which the woman was speaking about the tragic circumstances, but thought it better not to comment. Instead he asked a question of his own. " How bad is it for Com'Mer? Have you ventured in close to see the damage."

Harry, the old man , responded. "Seven hells, we despised going into that cess pit when the world wasn't full of starving children and the undead. As far as I know, and i heard this three weeks ago, the food is running low and the walls a close to giving in.

The pit of Jonas's stomach raised into what felt like his throat. If Com'Mer had already fallen and his trip was for naught, his poor Sandra would be left to the mercy and whims of the Gods. " But you haven't heard of it collapsing, and if if had, you more than likely would have heard by now, right?"

The question hung in the air like and uneasy fog, before Mari answered in a reassuring tone Jonas would have guessed the woman lacked. " Oh I'm sure if it had fallen by now, we'd have found out. After all once the dead bastards were done with those town folks that have taken to the country side. Four or five of those Beings this place can hold out, but twenty or more all trying like hungry piglets to get in, we'd be done in no time. Buts that not what's import, what important right now is you boys getting out of those wet clothes, dried off, and rested. As I said before the dawn will be here soon and with the light leaves those foul creatures, so you lot get clean up and rest. We'll try and find extra food for the noon time meal, I'll wake you boys then."

Jimmy was a little reluctant to just strip himself completely in a strange old couples house. The young guardsman kept his axe close as he laid his head down on an old beat up sleeping pallet. Evidently Jonas felt the same way, as he pulled the ladder that led up to the little room, away from the ground level. Jimmy, then feeling some what safe, closed his eyes and let sleep take him.
........................................................Chapter 7.....................................................

"SH!T, sh!t, sh!t !!!!!" The screams barley woke the the drained young man, the the loud yells mingling with Jimmy's pleasant dream about fishing for for loaves of bread off the Dramiage Bend River.

"Jimmy wake up" The shaking brought him to, and he was staring face to face with Thomas Johnson. The ragged breathe of the man assaulted his nostril like a left hook to the face.

"What in the pantheon, is going on?" He asked as he jumped to alertness. Thomas and Jonas both stood in their small clothes, weapons posed in a fashion that would have seemed comical to the young guardsman if the situation had been so confusing.

"The old man and the woman went out just like they said." Muttered Thomas. " But about five minutes ago, I started to hear loud shouting and cursing."

Jimmy looked about and saw that it was light out, and judging by what he could see out the small dirty south side window, it wasn't past mid day. " Maybe we should check on them. I mean it can't be Beings, the sun is out, but it could be a number of other things."

" Alright!" Said Thomas. " I'll give it a quick look, and you guys keep your ears open in case we need a hand." In quick order the three men had the ladder down and Thomas still undressed for the most part headed towards the thick door.

Jimmy and Jonas waited with tired, but still concerned, alertness. it wasn't fifteen minutes later that Thomas came crashing through the door with three dead creatures in tow.

"HELP!" he shouted, his person was covered head to toe to in thick dark red blood. Thomas made it just past the threshold when the strong dead fingers of a large farmer pulled him back. The old trapper reeled about, swinging his short sword for it was worth. he landed a solid blow, lacing a huge hunk out of the Beings arm above the elbow, but the effort was too little to late. Another smaller dead man slammed in through the door jamb and took bot the large Being and Thomas to the floor. Three others then engulfed Thomas in what could only be thought of as a feeding frenzy.

Jonas, in short bit of shock, was first to react to the scene by pulling the ladder back up and into the loft. Next he looked at Jimmy with true fear in eyes and heft the short axe, in a look that told the young guardsman to prepare for the worst. The dead creatures, once done with Thomas, sniffed the air like hungry wolves and located the next possible prey.

They moved with clear and steady intent, as the five members of the walking dead crossed the room. The loft was only eight feet to it's lip, and as they came within reach hands started to pull towards the living flesh above. Jimmy lashed out first swinging the best he could, in the narrow confines, at the bloody appendages below. His axe ripped through flesh and bone alike, but without the advantage of a higher ceiling his blows were reduced to half power at best. Jonas then came into the fray, but using a different technique than his younger counterpart. The older man was sly and waited for the Beings to find a hand hold purchase, and then using the lip of the loft as a chopping block severed the limb. In the process Jonas didn't kill the being, but he made it extremely difficult for the dead creatures to climb up to their perch.

" What in a dogs a$$ are they doing, up and about?" Screamed Jimmy through labored breathe. " It's the middle of the damned day." The young guardsman finally scored a solid hit on the skull of one of the dead attackers, and sent him tumbling to the floor.

" I don't know, you guess is as good as mine!" Returned Jonas "All I know is we have to get the seven hells out of here fast!" His next strike was more of a jabbing blow that put an ex-farmers wife down with a collapsed skull.

Jimmy swung down with vigor, hitting again and again, splitting the heads of the dead like so many pieces of cord wood. The young man's axe was soon covered in thick rotten blood, and there was a moment when he almost thought the weapon had slipped from his grasp, but he was able to retrieve at the last second. Jonas, showing the wisdom of his age, was far more reserved in his strikes. Timing his blows and dishing solid connections each time as opposed to Jimmy's frantic energy and haymaker swings.

When the room was finally cleared eight dead men and women lay on the floor of the roughly hewn cabin, covered in filth the two men took a moment to acquire their bearings . " Sh!t Jimmy we need to get out of here quick." Jonas had his hand on his knees and was sucking wind rapidly.

Jimmy reacted without a word, staggering forward to the loft ladder and lowering it as quickly as his shaky knees would allow. As the two men hit the ground level, they rushed and barred the door, content lock the outside world away. The scattered limbs and splatters of dark red blood made the interior of the once quint house look rather like the remnants of a butchers slaughter house.

" The smell of death and sh!t is so thick in here." Said Jimmy to himself as he leaned over to vomit what little contents his stomach held. The combination of stress, mental and physical, as well as the adrenaline dump finally taking it's toll.

"Lets clean up, get dressed and go." said Jonas as wiped off the short sword Thomas had been toting. The older man then offered the hilt of the blade to Jimmy. Assuming that the young guardsman would have far more training with the weapon. Jimmy tucked the sword in his belt and complied with the suggestion.

The two men took turns washing themselves off from a basin, then got dressed. Putting on slightly damp, but freshly cleaned clothes that had been hung near the fireplace. It appeared that the Old woman, Mari, had had time to clean them before the Beings had attacked. After packing away what little food the old couples home held , the two men stood posed at the oak plank door ready for what ever lay on the other side.

The two men counted to three together, then unbarred and kicked the door open and found that only the day greeted them. With a an echoing sigh of relief the two man stood relieved to find no horde waiting patiently for them. Then a groan from behind broke the silence and the two turned to find Thomas, entrails half gone, plotting his way across the room. Instantly they spread out, forcing the dead Thomas to turn his back to one of the men and expose his flank. It so happened that he turned to Jonas, reaching for the older man with blood lust in his eyes. Jonas struck out, jabbing the blade of his axe out into the face of Thomas. Teeth where crushed from the cold northern steel, and Thomas staggered back. Then Jimmy reacted, swing down with brute force, but missing his mark and clipping the side of the dead Thomas's skull, taking an ear clean off, and in the process lodging in the man's collar bone. Jimmy tired to wrench the weapon away, but without the proper leverage the axe would simply not come free. Thomas then whirled about about, turning toward his attacker and tackling the young guardsman to the cabin floor. Dull dead teeth posed over Jimmy as he stared death square in the maw. The younger man fumbled and pushed the once living friend away, but his bulk and the fatigue of the day seemed too much.

Then Jimmy was subjected to a sight that he would never forget in the rest of his days. Jimmy arms failing watched the dead man pushed himself within inches of his face. His broken mouth flapping with a hunger that only the dead posses. Then a shriek cut through the room, and all at once the being, that was once named Thomas, had his skull split in twine. The blade rested not a quarter of an inch from the tip of the young man's nose, standing lout like and steel horn the face of his attacker. Jimmy felt the body above go slack, and he rolled out from underneath the creature once again coated in filth.

Jimmy fought for air, and spit repeatedly as he watched Jonas pull free his axe. " You saved my @ss, Jonas." The words were scattered, but rung true. " I owe you one."

" Don't mention it, we need to get going." Was his reply.
.......................................Chapter 8...........................
The two men ran, pumping their legs until the burning in their lungs had fused into one hot flash pain. Jimmy's head rocked with more movement each step he took, the labored breathes and streams of chilling mucus solidifying in a crusty mustache as he strived forward on the muddy road. The young guardsman then stopped, felt the chill of the northern spring rain on his face, and looked back over his shoulder to note that more and more Beings had joined the initial group. He then looked at his companion, Jonas, aware that the older man was fading fast from tolls of fatigue.

Although the Beings could now walk in the daylight, luckily one thing was still the same as ever, the dead bastards were still slow. On average Jimmy guessed they were about half as fast a normal person, but as he had never noticed before in the heat of combat they never tired or wavered. It was until that first night when he had to full out flee from Beings did Jimmy discover that their reserves of energy were flat out endless in it's undead nature. He never thought in a hundred years that he would ever wish for the more dense and rugged terrain that he was exposed to before the cabin incident, but now in the flat and relatively easy transversing of the valley floor he long for the safety the forest mountain brought.

"Come on Jonas, we got another two maybe three miles at best before we hit sight of Com'Mer." The two men not knowing the local terrain and only the general direction of the town, had left the cabin in a somewhat confused state. En-light of the recent daytime attacks they had just picked to go the road of least resistance, a game trail down hill. Once on the trail for a good ways, they chose to cut down the side banks of a small stream and had consequently , after several miles, hit the main road. That's when the trouble started. The dead creatures had started to pop up in small groups, around the road, but seemed bewildered. A good portion of the Beings didn't even take notice of the two men. Jimmy thought that some of the undead creatures were acting like the descriptions he had heard of draft animals that had been pushed too hard in the field. Despite the brief reprieve from some of the Beings, the bulk of the ones they had encounter had giving chase, and although they weren't gaining any ground they weren't losing any either.

"Jimmy this road is beat to sh!t." Said Jonas as he pulled his leg free of the increasingly thicker muck on the ground.

"Yeah, I didn't expect Com'Mer to have such a well traveled road." Said Jimmy as he backed tracked to help his older friend along. " But we have to keep moving, and look at this way, it slows them down too."

The older man shook his as he plotted forward at a pace that suited his age. "No Jimmy, I've been to Com'Mer before and they don't have near this much traffic. Nothing that could to do this much damage to a road. Something is going on, and look at all the horse tracks. They've been shod, everyone Jimmy, not just one here or there but all. And the wagon ruts pretty damn deep, this is not normal wear and tear."

Jimmy wasn't too concerned with Jonas's statement, after all there was upwards of seven hungry undead beast three hundred yards away and gaining. " That's great but right now we need to keep our eyes forward and keep moving. We've been lucky enough not to hit any where we couldn't get around them so far."

It was at that moment when three Beings emerged from some foliage that hugged a particularly deep corner. Both the two men were caught off guard, but with Jonas being the closer taking the brunt of the attack. The first dead creature hit Jonas hard in the side, sending the older man into in younger counter part with a dull thump. Jimmy was knocked far away tumbling @ss first into the muddy ground, but rolling into a prepared couch with the dexterity of youth . Jonas wasn't as lucky. The tired fellow fell start onto his back, with a hundred and eighty pound Being in tow.

The other two dead men saw opportunity and struck, throwing themselves into the pile that was Jonas and his attacker. Teeth lashed out into soft flesh and Jonas's cries caught through the gloomy afternoon day like a freshly strapped razor. Jimmy regained himself after shaking off the horror of the sight, coming to his feet and pulling his axe to action.

The young man plodded forward mud caked to his person and rage in his eyes. The dead bastards were eating his friend, and he meant to do something about it. jimmy swung like he was splitting fire wood bring the first blow down into the red stained face of a obliviously content dead man. The axe did it's work cleaving into flesh and crunching through bone with hand jarring force, stopping the creature mid swallow. The young guard then ripped the weapon free with a quick pop and jerk, shouldered the axe and prepared to attack the next abomination. The next dead man in question eyed this new source of meat with keen interest, sniffing the air with curiosity that displayed his awareness of the on goings around him.

Jimmy struck out, chopping at the Being with a loud harrumph. The being reacted more quickly than Jimmy had anticipated, reaching it's right hand forward and catching the handle of the axe blow between the webbing of the thumb and fingers. The angle of the attack snapped the hickory handle, but took the thumb with it, leaving Jimmy within arms reach of his attacker. Jimmy didn't so much think as react when he shoved the broken shard of the axe handle into the maw of the snapping Being, pushing the broken piece of wood through the back of the dead man's skull with a wet crunch.

The Being fell to the mud in re-death, and the next creature looked up from his meal with disinterest. Jimmy pulled the short sword at his belt, and struck out with twenty five inches of sharpened northern steel. The blade took the Being in the shoulder, a miss due to to fatigue, and the dead man bat at Jimmy with a open palmed swipe. It's sticky brownish red fingers griped Jimmy's sleeve, and the young man retaliated by remove the limp off at the wrist. The Being then came to full attention, swinging the stump and hand in a reckless windmill fashion at Jimmy. He answered in kind with a two handed stab to the dead creatures throat, pushing the northern sword that was more cut orientated into the spine of the deceased man.

Once the last being was down Jimmy selfishly checked to see how far away the Beings that had trailed them lay, then he turned to his friend. The chunk of of pink flesh hanging from the junction where the Jonas's shoulder met his neck was Jimmy's first revelation that the older fellow, he had called friend, was never going to live through the day. A moment of silent clarity hung in the air, it was Jonas who spoke first.

"Take, the purse." The sounds that came from the ruined man's body were wet and thick, his lips stained with hacks of phlegm and blood. Jimmy could see that Jonas clung to a small coin purse like life it's self rest in it's leather confines.

"Get Sandra help." Jimmy looked at the man below, and saw for the first time in his young life what real need looked like on a humans face. This was a man that had risen far above the simple realms of selfish desire and into a place were if this finally deed was left unfinished, his soul would find no rest. It was only a few seconds, but finally Jonas released his death grip on the bag. Jimmy fumbled with the bloodied purse, the leather thong that held it closed was entwined around Jonas's middle finger and was being difficult. Soon the young man was grasping the small sack firmly, holding a dying man's last hope in the palm of his hands

Sh!t! Sh!t! Sh!t!" Called out Jimmy in a a frenzied panic, finally feeling overwhelmed by the situation at hand. He wanted to tell his friend that everything was going to be all right, but at this point he knew that the lying comfort would sound hollow at best.

"Don't worry, I'm going to figure this out." Jimmy looked at his dying friend and then to the Beings that were getting nearer and nearer. He reached down and put pressure on the spurting neck wound, and Jonas in one last display of strength gripped his hand.

"Thank you." The man said to Jimmy with his last breath as his open eyes gazed into the abyss and were gone forever.

Jimmy stood in a mild shock, his mind filled with fatigue, hunger, and stress, the course of the nightmarish week was taking it's toll. He turned to leave, but stopped himself, he meant say something to his now dead friend, but found the words were lost. In all honesty Jimmy didn't know whether to wish Jonas farewell on his journey to heaven, or down to the deepest pits of hell for the burden he now held. Then the sounds of the marching dead sounded, and brought him back to the reality at hand.

The Beings were moving in at there lumbering pace, and were slowly gaining. The closest at a mere fifty yards away Jimmy knew he had to make up some distance. The young man settled into a trot, he had no real clue how far the town of Com'Mer was, but hoped like hell that he would reach it well before dark. After an hour he turned back to regard that he had once again stretched his lead on the tailing Beings. He stopped for a moment to catch his wind, and drink the last of his water. Jimmy then, looking through the thick tops of the trees, saw heavy plumes of smoke and knew he was now very close. The young man upped the pace, revitalized by the idea of salvation at last.

....................................Chapter 9..........................................................
Footman Cain Lightson, conscript with Dune Cro Army, stood bored at the moment, watching the broken patch of wall with thirty other Dune Cro soldiers. He was slightly sore from the pace his superior had set this morning, but he carried out his duties with no complaints, knowing full well that this would be the last day double time marching. The Dune Cro Army hadn't took long to reach the city of Com'Mer, a mere two weeks, and none to soon were they. When they arrived this morning the city wall had been breached and sat shucked like an oyster waiting for a ravenous gull.At first some had stated they they had arrived too late and that all the humans inside would be dead or worse, but none the less the army advanced, hoping that at least a few humans would be left alive. On their entry through the wall the heavy calvary had carried out the bulk of the work, mowing down the dead creatures like so many blades of grass under a scythe. Now really all that remained of the dead Beings was small packs, deadly to a lone warrior, but no match for a full guard of trained warriors.

"I say we pack up and leave" Cussed a footman to Lightson's right. " I mean who gives tow piles of seagull sh!t about humans anyway, all they ever do is look down at you, and talk to you like your a bleeding idiot because your shorter than they are."

At five foot two Cain Lightson was tall for a dune cro man, even taller than some humans he had met, but still he could sympathize with his friend. Humans were all scum as far as he was concerned, they treated any dune cro they met as inferior , and as soon as you were out of ear shot they would call you a dwarf.

"I'll tell you what, the first one of those stretched out bastards that calls me a dwarf is going to great a fistful of reasons to never look down his nose at me again." Another soldier added. Dwarf was the name that all members of the Dune Cro race abhorred , it was a human name given to the dun cro people under slavery of the humans over fifteen hundred years ago.

Cain decided to lighten the mood with a joke. " Well, you know what I heard? When the mighty God Lebow made Humans and Dune Cros he asked us both a question before hand." he waited for the inevitable shout of "what" to be called out."Well he said you can ether be tall or have a big di,,," But he never did finish that joke, because in the distance, just on the cusp of the horizon, a strange sight appeared.

"what the hell is that out there in the damned road?" He asked with a raised finger. A myriad of heads turned to the call of Cain and witnessed an odd sight. A lone man coated in filth with a sword clenched in hand, on the brink of collapse, running from a group of no less than twenty Beings.

"That's a damned living human out there!" Cain called out. A few shouts of "in more ways then one" responded to his statement, failing at comedic effect. Instantly Cain knew the man was as good as dead without serious assistance, but with no "higher up" to give the order to attack the group was sure to be divided on whether to help the man or not. The reasoning behind this being, that their Sergeant at Arms had left the group to report to his own superiors on the details of future orders, and essentially left the group with only the vague order of guarding the breach in the wall. Any deviation from that order could end in a flogging, and most of the soldiers with Cain Lightson were fresh and were relativly still "strap shy" .

"Listen up Boys, we need to help him! Now i don't like the Stretchies anymore than you do, but that's no reason to let a human die like that, and if we all decided to go there's no way they'll strap twenty of us." In honesty Cain knew there was a very good chance they would, but still he couldn't stand the thought of letting anybody die like that man was about to.

"The Sergeant at Arms told us to guard the breach in this wall. He never said **** about risking my damned neck for one sorry excuse of a human." shouted another soldier with pure disgust at the idea of saving a human in his tone.

"Yes, but the Commander ordered everyone to secure the lives of any human found in the walls of Com'Mer," The implication that the Commander outranked the Sergeant need not be said.

"Your right on that one Lightson, but that Stretchy out there ain't in the walls now is he." Responded the same solider from earlier with a smug satisfaction in his voice. At this point Cain could see that the human had little time.

"Alright everybody that wants some action today, follow me to do some men's work. Anybody else is welcome to stay here and guard the wall in safety, I sure as the seven hells won't think any less of you." Cain saw that he was appealing to the right kind of mentality now. " And if it happens to come down to a flogging for disregarding an order, I'll take full responsibility." With his last statement he could see that he had gotten the attention and support of most of the footmen at the wall.

As Cain trotted forward he could the better part of twenty men hot on his heels. The Dune Cro warriors crossed the short distance in little time, stopped twenty five yards before the the human, who looked about ruined form his efforts, than formed up into a small formation. The Beings were another ten yards behind the human, and as the poor b@stard had finally grasped through hazes of fatigue that someone had come to his aid, he dropped like a log, drained of all he had left.

"Sh!t forward attack!!!!" Called out Cain. " They be on him before we can march in formation."

The group of short men cut out as fast as they could, screaming with ferocity that would no doubt fall on rotted deaf ears. Cain hit the first dead creature just as it reached the human, his falchion landing deep into it's skull. He then ripped the blade free with a quick tug and bashed his round wooden shield into the next Being, the dead man staggered from the impact of the blow, but did not fall. Cain gathered himself for a moment, and then the rotting corpse of a man charged. It reached slick decomposing finger's for the shield, eager to be at the flesh behind the temporary wall. Cain respond with a side step, a subtle move of redirection that pulled the creature off balance, his blade then swiped out, removing the length of an arm at the elbow. The dead man it the ground face first, and Cain did not hesitate to exploit the opportunity. The warrior charged, putting hiss boot heel into the small of the dead man's back and sinking the weight of his blade into the back of it's head. That's when he heard the call.

"More are a going! To the east! To the east!" Cain turned to find the statement to a good group of fifteen or more had followed the first wave. Cain figured that here in the open, with largely untested men, they would have little chance to win the confrontation.

"Grab the damn human and back to the wall, now!" He shouted. Then the Dune Cro warrior helped a younger soldier dispatch a female Being, cutting her leg out from under her, and letting him offer up the coup de grace.

Cain Lightson sheathed his falchion and grabbed up the passed out human. He hefted the one hundred and seventy five pound dead weight with little difficulty, running a good dose of blood pump as the Dune Cro called it, and trotted back towards the relative safety of the breached wall. As he ran he could the man on his back repeating something over and over, but the life of him could not make it out. Once the were back to the walls with the other he set the man down up against a water barrel, turned to make sure that some reinforcement were on the way, and spoke to the human.

"Will get to what you were you saying, but drink this first." He grabbed the human by his hair and held his face up right and started to pour a ladle of fresh water into his mouth. The human drank greedily, sucking down the life giving nectar for all he was worth, completely entrenched in the drink. Then out of nowhere, as if revitalized by the water it's self, the human flung the ladle from his lips and grabbed Cain by his mail hauberk pulling him close. He breathed the foul breathe that was so common among the human race into his face, shoved a small coin purse into Cains hand and spoke.

"SANDRA, in the town of Owerfin, four days east of here by foot, sent aid now!" And with that last display of effort the young human passed out. Cain opened the bag and found a tidy little sum of coins. He debated keeping the money for a minute, but then decided he had enough penance built up to do once he died, and didn't want to have to answer for that act as well. He then tied the purses thong to the leather necklace the human was wearing, than tucked it under his soiled shirt, and propped the human up out of the mud. The Dune Cro Footman, than turned back to the immediate task at hand of killing Beings, but kept in the back of his mind the talk he was going to have with the High Commander as soon as was possible.
............................Chapter 10.....................

Master Armsman Johnathan Web, woke with a jolt to the violent shaking. He had fallen asleep on the spot after defending the town wall for what he could only guess was a fifteen hour duration. Since the Beings had started attacking during the day light no man was able to really rest. His hand gripped the handle of his belt dagger under his winter cloak and the blade raised slowly in sleepy confusion, poised for a strike to the vitals of his shaker. Then Jonathan peered up in surprise full expecting to be face to face with his own rancid death, but was relieved, and somewhat disappointed, when the face staring down at him was excited and smiling.

"Sir, Out off the east gate we have,,,well we have visitors." The man's demeanor said it all.

Johnathan Jumped from his spot against the bottom of the wall and trotted through the town with full force. His mouth was dry and his body ached, but the news of possible salvation had filled his stomach with a fire he had long thought lost.

"You there" He Shouted to a random group of men who where lounging about during a much deserved lull in the Being attacks."Go four, and find me twenty or so men who are resting and report to the east wall." Apparently the news of the visitors hadn't spread as fast as he thought was likely and the men seemed content to ignore him out of tired spite.

The defiant men looked back and forth for a moment, daring each other to be the first to tell the Master Armsman to go f*ck himself. But Jonhnathan, sense the unease, reacted first grabbing the nearest man by the thick of his shirt and looking him square in the eyes." A contingent is here and we need a welcoming party now! If any of you men want to live I highly suggest moving."

The men shuffled away at a rate and speed he had expected, and the young Master Armsman knew that before the hour was up the whole of the town would know about the "Visitors". As Johnathan approached the the eastern gate the anticipation built at the base of his spine. As he ascended the catwalk ladder near the gate, he hoped that the group out in the field would at least range in the fifties and have at least some food. As he crested the the last slippery rung and stood to full height the sight in the distance took his breath away. The numbers of the men in the field could easily be in the two hundreds, and he counted as many mounts with them.

"Thank the pantheon of the Gods!" He called out loud, his decree drawing attention from the nearby men. " How many have you boys counted? He asked.

One man piped up with a response. " Me and Lloyd lost count at around two hundred, Sir. And all of them seem to be on horse back as far as we can tell." The news was thrilling to him even though he expected the answer.

Johnathan Web than slide back down the ladder with youthful energy, and waited for a group of men to muster. As they filed in he was happy that the numbers were far above the twenty he had asked for. Then he heard the call from the top of the wall.

"Sir three riders are crossing the expanse Sir!" The Master Armsman jumped to the call waving the gate to be opened. " Sir they bear a white flag!" The man echoed down with hope in his voice.

"Alright lets go see what these gentlemen want!" He called out,

As Johnathan exited the gate with a small contingent behind him, his teeth clenched in excited anticipation. This group could be the answers to his, and many others, prayers. As the three men on horse back drew near, Johnathan suddenly became keenly aware that two of the riders were not men at all, but dwarves. And the other was defiantly a man. As they came within ten yards of each other the two groups stopped, and Johnathan ill aware of the proper protocol for a meeting such as this decided to be very direct and speak first.

"Hello, and welcome to Owerfin, I hope and trust that you have come to aid us in our struggles against this retched onslaught of the these dead bastards."

There was a quite moment then the only man of the group of three removed his helm and spoke. " Hello Master Armsman! Armsman Jimmy Connor reporting back Sir."

....................................................................La FIN?...........................................................