James' first impression of the unicorn's condition turns out to have been somewhat optimistic.  The legends of Amber attribued such power to the unicorn that to see it so sick seemed scarcely credible.

James' takes his eyes off the unicorn to inspect the contents of the pouch that had been thrust into his hand.  There's no chance that the unicorn will be startled into running now.  Indeed, it reminds James uncomfortably of the scorpion-tailed creature he had just killed.  Not for the first time, James wishes that Serena was still part of the group.

"On second thoughts, probably better that someone who knows the kit uses it, I don't think I've time to learn." And run swiftly you two.

James approachs the unicorn, moving more quickly now.  He is loath to alarm his "patient" but he doesn't have the luxury of time.  At a pinch, I should be able to clean and bandage its sores, but the internal damage will be the real problem if it's coughing blood.

Once he gets close enough, James kneels by the unicorn's head.  He will do his best to administer emergency first aid, starting with a pain-killer if he can find one in the pouch, but his real effort is focused internally, where he forms the image of the Pattern in his mind.

I must be insane.  James self-taught discipline of Pattern healing had met with some basic successes but using the Pattern on the unicorn was beyond anything James had ever heard of and the stakes were unimaginably high.

Callum slaps one of his troops on the shoulder and murmurs a few words to him.  The man puts up his weapon and moves to assist James.

"I grew up on a farm, so I know a bit about beasts." he assures James, his tone calm and matter-of-fact, "She aint quite a horse, or a dog, or aught else I've ever tended, but I reckon as she's close enough."

He pulls a square of cloth from the pack and soaks it with water from his canteen.  Then he finds a small flask among the items in the bag.  It contains a pale, greenish powder which he sprinkles onto the wet cloth.

Gently, he starts dabbing at the unicorn's sores with the cloth.  As he works, he is making a soft clicking sound with his tongue.

James barely acknowledges the veterinarian, his focus is entirely elsewhere.

The unicorn makes no attempt to struggle, and her breathing seems less strained.  Calmer.  She clearly understands that these people mean her no harm.

Callum cocks his head to one side, peering down the gorge.  He speaks quietly, "Steady lads.  There's somebody coming up the path.  Keep your eyes open, and try not to make too much noise when the fighting starts.  Don't want to startle her ladyship."  The final two words may be intended to be humorous but, in truth, they carry a tone of reverent awe.

James remains kneeling, oblivious to Callum's warning (and Cyan's attempts at contact).

The unicorn flinches as cries of pain echo up the gorge.  Callum's men include more than a handful who are experts with the crossbow.  Whoever is coming up the gorge is just finding that out.

Still, she does not attempt to flee.  James' assistant keeps painting her sores with his salve, and stops making soothing noises just long enough to quietly say, "It works well on her." before resuming the clicking noises he has been making all along.

There is a sudden clash of steel near the head of the gorge, the unmistakeble sound of sword against sword.  The combatants are not in sight yet, but they are close.

James does his best to shut out the signs of the approaching battle.

The battle continues, just out of sight...

"I don't reckon as I'm doing much to help her now."  James' assistant says, quietly, "She's getting stronger with every passing moment."

"Asking permission to go and help my mates, Sir?"

The unicorn does, indeed, look stronger.  The feverish look of madness has faded from her eyes, and her breathing is now less laboured.  Most of the sores seem to have closed up, or be in the process of doing so, and her shivering has stopped.

James, focussing on the task at hand, seems not to hear the man.

"Sir?"

And the unicorn moves, suddenly and quickly.  Her spine twists, delicate hooves kick out for a moment, and she is on her feet.  Staring directly at James.
This message was last edited by the GM at 11:33, Sat 05 Feb 2011.

The fighting behind James continues to build, but he seems to be wrapped in a cocoon of total silence as the unicorn gazes into his eyes for a long moment...  She lowers her head then, and her horn taps once against James' right arm, just above the elbow.

And then she shakes her head, turns, and runs for the forest.  Fast.

And the sound of the battle slams down on James.  Clashing steel, screams, and the familiar alien voices of the T'chuk...

James shakes his head, a reflexive gesture to clear his thoughts.  He was standing up but has no conscious memory of standing.  Presumably it had been in response to the unicorn's movements.

With the immediate job done, James registers a sense of fatigue mixed with exhilaration.  The much improved unicorn has re-gained much of its former grace and speed and the sight of it running does his heart good.

He also becomes aware, for the first time in what feels half an age, of the battle close by.  He half-turns towards the soldier.  "Right, yes, go."  James wanted to encourage the man not to do anything stupid.  There were few enough people who could claim to have touched the unicorn, let alone treated her injuries.  It would be something the man could tell his grandchildren, if he survived.  But there wasn't time to put the thought into words.

James reaches to his hip for Fangmir...

A quick look tells James what he needs to know.  A dozen of the T'chuk are fighting their way to the upper end of the gorge, backed by a slightly larger number of seemingly human warriors whose armour appears to be made of dark green glass, but turns steel just as effectively as metal mail.

Some of the Amberite troops are engaged in close combat with them, and more of the defenders are joining the fray, as it becomes increasingly dangerous to shoot into the melee.

Kallum is in the forefront of the battle, recognisable more by his voice than by his blood spattered face as he screams curses, insults and imprecations at the enemy.

There is a bright flash of sunlight on steel as, for the first time since James returned to Amber, the drizzling rain lets up, and the heavy overcast parts to let the rays of the late afternoon sun through.

The numbers tally up okay, to James thinking.  He had hoped to see more signs that the attackers had weathered heavy missile fire in the gorge but there could be more bodies down further, which would be out of sight from his current position.  The number of attackers seems lower than he had expected, so that would fit.  Except that it could also mean that they were more powerful than he expected and didn't need the advantage of numbers.  What is that green armour anyway?

James lowers his visor and draws Fangmir.  He strides quickly towards the melee, not wasting time but not obviously rushing either.  As he passes the reserve he calls "Not yet.  Wait until the glassies are engaged or our line stretches."

As he gets closer to the fighting he angles towards Kallum, which, unsurprisingly, leads him towards the thick of the battle.  Once he joins the combat, James starts in immediately with Fangmir.  Melee is a clumsy business in any era, James considers momentarily, you hack and you stab, hoping to maim as much as anything, and you trust to luck or armour not to get done in return.  Whomever had brought his armour had done him a favour there, at least.

James' arrival on the field of battle heralds a change in fortunes - the first of the T'chuk goes down beneath a crushing blow from Fangmir, a blow which cleaves straight through the creature's own weapon and renders any attempt at defence futile.

The second drops as easily, and James moves on.  But now the flow of the battle is noticeably changed.  Wherever James advances, the T'chuk seem to fall back before him, or move aside to face the Amberite troops.  None of them, it seems, want to face the man in the bizarre beast mask.  Before long, James is standing near Kallum, who goves him a cheerful grin, "James!  I'm glad you made it in time for party.  How's your new friend?"

Around them the fighting continues.  Kallum is covered with blood, not all of it his.  His own blade flicks out and takes one of the T'chuk in the throat, but its place is immediately taken by one of the green armoured warriors...
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:04, Sat 19 Feb 2011.

James responds as the flow of battle allows, his comments interspersed with parries and slashing cuts "Wouldn't miss it...Doing well...And safely away."

As the green-armoured warriors close, James angles across to engage the one fighting Kallum.  Kallum would take it poorly if James tried to defend him, but James was worried that Kallum might be injured and nobody could say that he had to fight fair.

Now to see how strong that green stuff is.

Fangmir reaches out and smashes into the translucent green material.  There is a loud snapping sound, and the enemy warrior staggers back.  Blood is seeping from a crack in the armour, and a dark red stain can be seen spreading slowly beneath the glassy surface.

It appears that the strange armour is not much stronger than regular steel...

Kallum takes advantage of the opportunity and lunges forward, using all his weight to drive the point of his blade home.  The armour shatters, scattering shards, and a fist-sized hole opens up around the tip of Kallum's sword, which pierces the target's gut.

As the man falls, Kallum warns, "On your right, James!" and steps towards the next likely opponent.

James is relieved to find that the green, glass armour is breakable if not exactly fragile.  He had been half-convinced that the stuff would be impenetrable.

In response to Kallum's warning, James takes a half-step back and to his left to open space as he turns quickly to his right.  He is still more than a little tempted to close with the armoured foe and test their strength and agility.  On the other hand, he suspects that the glass armour is much lighter than steel full plate and he is not yet ready to abandon the advantage that Fangmir provides.

James looks to parry the new enemy's first attack.  He plans to counter-attack once he has a better understanding of the enemy's technique.

The enemy attacks, swinging at James, two-handed, with an axe.  The man grins as the heavy blade bears down on James' head, but the grin vanishes as Fangmir lifts and turns the attack aside with seeming ease.  Momentum carries James around in a complete circle, and the attacker screams as Fangmir hacks through his armour and removes his right arm just below the elbow.

He drops his weapon and turns to flee, staggering away, still screaming.

Around James the battlefield is lit by brilliant afternoon sunlight.  Tattered clouds stream off the peak of Kolvir, carried on an increasingly stiff breeze.

The battle continues, and more of the alien intruders seem to be coming up the gorge...

There is a sound behind James, and something passes him to smash into one of the T'chuk.  A stag, its antlers ripping the warrior's flesh.  Further off, one of the green armoured men is seized and dragged away by a bear.

All around James, the invaders are being driven back by Kallum's men, or by wild animals.  A flash of white above and to his right, catches James' attention.  The unicorn stands there, watching the fight in the gorge...

James straightens as his enemy flees.  He takes a quick look around the battlefield.  The situation is so striking it takes James a moment to understand what is happening.  A stag?  What...

Spotting the unicorn, James raises Fangmir in a formal salute.  Amber's icon has provided his forces with a timely boost.  That James had not known it was possible seemed rather irrelevant after the fact.  If the sight of the attacking animals had startled James, it must surely have dismayed his enemies.  Here, then, was an opportunity to break their morale.

James reaches back, beckoning with his sword to where the reserves wait, before throwing his arm forward again.  "For Amber and the Unicorn!  Charge!"  James doesn't wait to see his troops respond but barrels forwards to strike at the nearest foe.  Carried away in the moment, James howls.  A pre-programmed microphone in his helmet picks up the sound and broadcasts an amplified wolf's howl.

James leads the charge, and two of the opposition go down before him without even realising what's happening.  The retreat from the upper end of the gorge becomes a full rout as James' forces take advantage of the lay of the land to push the enemy back down the slope.

Something hits the side of James' helm, making his ears ring, but the T'chuk doesn't even wait to see if his thrown knife has done any damage.

Kallum urges the men down the gorge, driving the enemy before them, and the change in the weather seems to fill them with courage.  Overhead, the clouds have dispersed, and the rain has stopped completely.

And as the enemy reach the end of the gorge there comes a sound from further down the mountain, somewhere behind them... a chorus of howls answers James' own call.  The T'chuk turn and scatter into the forest.  One of the green armoured men drops his weapon and kneels, arms spread wide.  A second does the same, and a third.

Before long, more and more of them are throwing themselves on the mercy of the Amberites...

As James had hoped, the Amberites combined charge had broken the enemy's morale.  As the T'chuk flee and the fighting starts to concentrate on patches of resistance, James takes advantage of a brief lull to call, "Grant quarter to those who ask it!  No butchery here!  Prisoners are of more use than corpses!"

James isn't at all confident that the unicorn, or its fellow creatures, will be as merciful but if they can take an officer alive the information gained could be invaluable.  James is very keen to find out the attackers' orders regarding Tir'na nogth.

The Amberites move forward, ensuring that those of the enemy who have chosen to surrender really are disarmed, and moving them, at sword-point, to stand out in the open at the lower end of the ravine.

All of the prisoners, it soon becomes apparent, are the green armoured men.  Of the T'chuk, there is no longer any sign, all having fled, along with many of their allies, during the final stages of the battle.

James is left standing before nine prisoners, most of them with injuries of varying degrees of severity, ranging from cuts and bruises up to what looks like it might be a broken arm.

Kallum beckons James over, "Play along, James." he mutters, and then speaks louder, "I believe this one is an officer, of sorts, My Lord.  Do you wish to question him here, or will you wait until we get back to the castle, where there are more... instruments available to you."

The man in question is leaning against a boulder, his left arm smeared with blood which is clearly visible through his transparent armour.  He looks distinctly nervous as Kallum points James in his direction.

James gives a curt nod of acknowledgement to Kallum's suggestion.  His distaste of torture is hardly a secret, but he can see the wisdom in intimidating the captives.

"We shall take them back to the castle.  Once word gets about that we have prisoners, I doubt I'll need to be involved.  I'm sure one of my uncles will be delighted to take over."

James sheathes Fangmir, then removes his dog-helm, the better to present a 'human' face to his captives.  He addresses the "officer" directly.  "You'd think that with an eternity to practice the arts of persuasion, Benedict would grow bored, or at least Gerard.  But you have to understand, they are perfectionists.  There is no such thing as enough practice.  And you have attacked Amber; set foot on the flanks of Kolvir.  They will not be gentle."

"So.  You get one chance.  Answer my questions truthfully and at once and we can avoid any unnecessary unpleasantness.  Do you understand?"

The officer, if such he is, seems reluctant to speak, at first.  Only after several seconds of silence does he finally straighten up and nod to James.  He still looks nervous as he states, "I understand.  I will answer your questions, but only on one condition, that being your promise that my men will be treated fairly and humanely."

"They were following my orders, and those of my superiors, and should not be held accountable for this invasion."

Kallum frowns, "Or we could just take you back to the castle for questioning."

"I would assume that getting the required answers here, and quickly, would be of more value to your commander."

"That depends on the answers." James responds quickly.

James doesn't mean it as a threat, though it may be taken as one.  It is merely an observation.  If there are any more attackers in the immediate area then James needs quick answers.  If not, the interrogation can probably wait until they get to the castle.

"No, Kallum, he's right.  I've seen enough worlds in my travels to know how the Seraphim use their pawns.  My war isn't against these, but their masters." James turns from Kallum back to the officer.  "You and your men will get food, water and medical treatment once we get back to the castle.  Beyond that I can promise nothing, the Family will decide your fate from there.  But you won't get anything until my men are looked after and you won't get anything until Kallum is satisfied that you've told us all there is to tell."

"Kallum, take over for a minute, there's something I've got to do.  Details of this operation first.  Details of other current operations, like today current, next.  Numbers, deployment, equipment, morale, all the usual.  Oh, and any unusual abilities that we should know about.  The other stuff can wait."

James turns away.  As he does so, his gaze lingers on the high ground, hoping to catch another glimpse of the Unicorn.

"Cyan.  I'm here.  What's up?"

James looks up the side of Kolvir, towards the now clear sky.  The sun is low in the sky now, and the western sky burns red, with the last remnants of cloud black against the glare.

It looks as though tomorrow, at least should be a fine day.

Behind him, Kallum looks at the prisoner and scratches at the back of his neck.

"You should know that I'm not as patient as he is, especially when it looks like being patient might cost me a good dinner.  So, let's start with something simple, like... why were you up here?"