It was a blustery freezing day, and under the white flag of truce, a somewhat burnt Chillblood Walrusslayer, the Orc shaman and an Ice Troll approached the Kingdom's forces until they were sure all would hear what was shouted across the battlefield, “I am The Voice of the Ice Elf King Gorthaur Iceberg.” After pausing for dramatic effect, he continued, “My Master's Master comes; you can feel it get colder even now. Can any of you hope to stand against an Ice Wyrm? I say to you that you do not have to be our enemies, any who stay out of this fight will be spared; indeed, to encourage you to stand aside, we offer you the human towns to defend and rule, we will besiege your Capital until your King abdicates the Crown, but we are happy to let you govern yourselves if you pay the same tax you pay the current King to us, if we win and were we to lose, you'll have the strength to take over the Kingdom.”

In full view of all, Baron Grey led his daughter Lady Grey, and they both rode out to the Eastern flank with their forces following and he shouted, "The Greys have bled enough; let others die this day; we will return to our Island home in peace."

"In return for sparing the people of Farreap and My lands," surprisingly, the King’s own brother Leonardis Gold had spoken, "Then I will step aside too, I also offer the Greys sanctuary on my lands to overwinter", and then he led his force to the Eastern flank, a brazen land grab from the Warden.

Hurriedly another voice spoke up, "In return for sparing the people of Mittfield and My lands," Baroness Rosen said, "Then I will step aside too; any others who may do so too, can join my banner". A few hundred former prisoners, tens of those conscripted and a handful of mercenaries from other units rushed to join her and a second brazen land grab from the Warden.

After a short pause, Viscount Love Joy and Baron Masti and their forces, while saying nothing, marched to the Eastern side.

The Warden was left shellshocked by this Treachery, a turn of events he hadn't guarded against because he hadn't foreseen it.

To break the dynamic, Ur'sid rode out, mounted upon the Direbear and loudly challenged both the Orc and the Troll to dual with him and his Bear; this changed the tone and distracted people from considering the previous offer and disrupted the background magics of Chillblood, upsetting him. Chillblood, looked furious and began to prepare a shadow bolt spell, and the Ice Troll turned to face the approaching DireBear; the whiteflag was thrown to the ground, and he drew a large sword and pulled a shield from his back and shouted, "We accept a private dual between the four of us", the Troll wanted to play for time till reinforcements arrived so agreeing to it worked for their master's agenda. Ur'sid wanted to take out two leaders from the Icekin Alliance who were powerful and devious, which he reasoned would better tip the scales in the Kingdom's direction and to do it before Icekin reinforcements arrived.

The Direbear charged the Ice Troll with Ur'sid leaping over the Ice Troll to get as close to Chillblood as quickly as possible before a spell was unleashed. Ur'sid kept his sword sheathed in his approach, knowing the two he fought had been based on the North side of Iceflow Keep for the battle, so they hadn't seen his sword in action, and he kept the surprise of drawing it to the last moment as Ur'sid closed faster than expected and he used his most practised quick draw and strike move, pulling Orcslayer clean from the scabbard and thrusting it into the Orc chest where his heart should be. The Orc thought he had time to generate his spell, but Ur'sid was too quick, and the surprise when the Shaman recognised the blade as Elven steel Runed against Orckind gave enough of a window for the blade to pierce his chest. The fire of it burned inside the Shaman, dissipating the magic that had been gathering, and Ur'sid spun the sword to cut out of the Orc and continued to spin, raising the sword and beheading the Orc shaman. The Direbear was more potent than the Ice Troll and had clawed off the Ice Troll's right hand at the wrist in a claw swipe lunge; as the Ice Troll had attempted to close in with a sword swing at the bear, his sword fell to the ground with the ice trolls fingers still wrapped around the handle and the Ice Troll tried to shield barge the DireBear and succeed in fending him off to get some space, as a large cheer ran up from the Kingdom Army still on the field, the Ice Troll didn't turn to know things had gone badly for the Shaman, so he fled the field heading back to his troops, safe in the knowledge his hand would regenerate in a week and that reinforcements were on the way, the Direbear did not give chase towards the Orc Horde this was probably wise.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

The death of the Chillblood Walrusslayer, the Orc shaman, enabled the High Elf Arch Cleric, could suddenly sense the doom that came for them that they'd been blocked from detecting; he spoke to Iceflow Garrison commander Sir Stoutheart Purple, saying the doom that comes is an ancient primordial enemy and one that none here are equipped to deal with, we all must make an orderly retreat to Jade City, we have, thirty to forty minutes head start. Sir Purple sent pages with the order to retreat and to the Warden, telling him of the Arch Cleric's warning and his proposed action.

The veiled High Elf Assassin took aside the Ranger leaders and distributed 100 Runed wax talismans, asking them to place these against any strong trees for a second or two they passed and wait a minute if a seed grew to take it and head on, passing the talisman between a group of them could make them progress faster, but destroy the Talisman rather than let it be taken and if the worst should happen then scatter the seed and pray they are overlooked. 758 Rangers headed across the land towards Jade City in groups of 7 to deprive the enemy of resources and rescue tree seeds and people if they could across the land; the other 58 Rangers were the rear guard tasked with keeping an eye on the progress of the enemy and to take out targets of opportunity, a cloaked figure left with them. The rest of the Rangers could only muster enough items to be partially equipped; they went to act as a rear guard of the main Army and to re-equip at Farreap. All ordinances and weapons were gathered, and supplies, including ballistae, leaving the enemy nothing of value save the damaged Keep itself; everyone else evacuated through the Dwarven Expressway, which Sir Purple permanently closed on his way out.

Ur'sid went to report in with the Warden and was there as the Page arrived from the Keep with the news. The Warden ordered the Army back to Farreap, he wasn't going to leave any of his people for the Traitor Gold to enjoy, and he would regroup and fight again from a position of strength. The Rangers and cavalry acted as a rearguard as they set off in haste before Ice Elf King Gorthaur Iceberg, the Cold Drake, and the Horde that followed it arrived in full force. The Warden ordered that none were to sleep until they reached the Dwarvenexpressway in Farreap, and then he would fully evacuate Mittfield so the Traitor Rosen too, would gain none of his people.

The Traitor Lords waited behind for their fate as the Army evacuated before them, they had thought about trying to race to Farreap, but the arrival at 8.20am of 2,500 Beastman Calvary reinforcements joining Ur'sid'a contingent with the main Army helped covers the speedy withdrawal and convincing them not to follow too closely.