Chapter 5

As soon as the tracking party rejoined the rest of the Mustang Company, they headed off in the direction that the remaining orc had run off toward. As they did the scar faced captain noted that they were still following the stream and if that other orc didn't lie the cave entrance should be there.

"Stay on guard and keep the noise down." The captain ordered the troops. "We should be approaching the orc's cave and since the one orc escaped, they could have scouts looking for us."

The sun was getting lower now, thankfully it was the end of summer so the days were still long otherwise they wouldn't have made it this far. The captain started to get anxious at this point. They didn't have supplies to stay away from base for more than two days and from the battle earlier, had left several of his men injured or dead and they needed to be taken care of soon.

The stream began to pick up speed and it was becoming quite noticeable that they were headed downhill. The sun was behind them so moving on wasn't all too difficult. Poking up just above the tree line, still a way off, the mountain range had come into view. The snow at its tip way turning a light orange color from the sun setting.

"Sir." One of the soldiers called out. "I think I see a clearing up ahead."

"Alright then hold formation here. You two." The captain said pointing to two of the tracking team. "Go ahead and scout out that clearing, depending on what you find will dictate what we do next."

The scouts headed off towards the clearing and as they did the rest of them ate a small dinner that had been packed in their saddles. After fifteen minutes had gone by the scouts had returned and they were in a hurry.

"Reporting. We scouted the clearing and we could see a torch burning on the far side, so we snuck closer and found four orcs guarding the entrance to what looks like the cave." The scouts said a bit out of breath.

"Excellent work, get some food in you everyone gets ready. We won't attack right away until we can definitely determine how many we're up against". The captain said drawing his sword.

"Helgrath I found your hideout." The captain chuckled to himself.

The company moved out quietly but quickly. They neglected to follow the stream and moved off toward to right side of the clearing. There the trees were thicker and the orcs likely wouldn't be looking in that direction. They would be watching the stream as it was much easier to travel along. There was little doubt that the orc that got away had already arrived and it was best that they stay on guard.

Soon they could see the caves entrance and it was just as the scouts had reported. The captain surveyed the area and was about the signal the troops to attack when there was a commotion at the cave.

Twenty orcs all armed with sword and spears came running up out of the cave. Leading them was nasty looking husky orc carrying a halberd. He bellowed out commands, "Open yer eyes and keep them that way. If that gutless excuse for an orc is right, there are humans about. Form a circle around the entrance and put out that torch!"

"Curses," The scar faced captain said under his breath. "They got ready quicker than expected."

"If you see anything odd say so." The husky orc continued. "Our re-enforcements will be here by night fall."

"Re-enforcements?" The scar faced captain thought concerned. "Hold here and stay quiet." He whispered loudly to his men. "We can't get caught in between two orc forces. And keep a look out behind us! Don't want them walking up on us."

Several men nearest to him repeated the orders to the rest and ten men moved to the back of the line to keep watch. The captain looked over his men. Out of the hundred men in his command eighty were battle ready, seven were wounded; but able to fight and the rest were dead.

"Not too bad of a position to be in." The captain thought. The humans were armed with sword and shields and an extra-long calvary spear for when they would charge the enemy on horseback. They had no bows so only close-range combat was there only option.

The sun was getting very low now and inside the forest, it was getting dark fast, but in the clearing, it was still quite visible. Then the captain saw some movement on the far side of the clearing. Whistling softly the troops took note and readied themselves. Fortunately, the re-enforcing orcs has come from the opposite side as them.

The orc troops came marching out of the woods in rows of four. Once they all had come into view the captains hope of an attack was gone. He had counted around two hundred orcs, not including the twenty-four from the cave and there was bound to more inside.

"What's with all the guards?" The orc's re-enforcement leader said to the husky orc.

"The third raiding forces were attacked after the raid on the town west of here. Only one of those orcs made it back and he claimed that he was followed." The husky orc replied, and he spat on the ground. "The fool. Should have gone somewhere else, now we could be exposed."

"That must have been the orcs we attacked not long ago and when Diamond company killed their leader before me." The captain thought to himself. He could just barely hear the two orcs speaking and the other orcs were getting noisy now and the rest of the conversation what lost to him.

However, the symbol on the orcs flag was the same as before, they were Helgrath's orcs. He motioned to his men to quietly fall back deeper into the woods. He had to move now, or it would be too dark to move quietly. As soon as they were safely away, he marked the location on his map and told his men to follow him back to the stream.

They need to get back to base and report the location of the orc's hideout. Not only was this Helgrath's location but the very existence of that cave was dangerous. It was far away from the mountains making it so the orcs could make their raids deeper into humans' territory. Convincing the General to make a full-on attack might be possible with this intel.

They eventually arrived at the stream and traveled until it was completely dark. The woods were so overgrown that the moon light barely penetrated them. They set up camp and would head back for base in the morning.

"No fires are to be lit. Can't risk being spotted." The captain said and a few men grumbled about a cold night's sleep. "Need five men to keep watch, three rotations to be kept. Understood?" Five men stood up and saluted and took their posts. The rest got comfortably as they could leaning on trees or just flat on the ground.

That night the captain could hardly sleep the anticipation of knowing that Helgrath was so close kept him up all night.