When last we left our heroes...
Realizing (after a prolonged exchange with Onerama the Bald) that they had probably been misled, the Company decided to look for Captain Landras, who they found already marching back to Leil Yalir. It seems that during their absence, with the fort only held by a small garrison, that a force of some 300 Nalshbori had crossed the river and taken it by storm. One of the survivors had made it to Captain Landras to alert him, and now his cohort was speeding back to try and retake his fortress before the passages of the Cheyth were completely lost, and before more Nalshbori could arrive to more thoroughly reinforce Leil Yalir.
The Company went on ahead to scout out the situation, and based on what they could see, guessed that some 200 Nalshbori were currently holding Leil Yalir against them (in fact, this was a pretty close guess: it was 150). As Captain Landras's forces arrived, they decided on a plan: Captain Landras would attempt an assault to probe the Nalshbori defenses and, if possible, to take the gate. If that failed, the Company would attempt to steal into the fort under cover of darkness and open the gate to the attackers.
During the first assault (which did not at all go well for the attackers, who were repulsed with heavy losses), the Company noticed a boat gliding down the river with more reinforcements for the fortress. Taking a small squad of men, they opposed its landing, inflicting heavy casualties on these new-arrived Nalshbori before driving them off.
During the second hour of the battle, during which most of the Companions had decided to rest due to the heavy injuries they had received driving off the Nalshbori reinforcements, the attackers trying to man the battering ram found themselves pinned by archer fire from a tower, one of the outworks on the northern side of the Fort. Gathering a small knot of men about him, Klorpeim seized a scaling ladder and charged up the tower under a hail of arrow fire. Only Klorpeim and two of his men made it to the top, where they cut down archers until only four remained. But Klorpeim at last fell wounded to a knife which pierced his mail. Inspired by his example, Feiala and Thoranrai charged up the tower, cutting down the remaining archers and seizing the tower for Captain Landras's men. This proved to be the turning point of the battle, and the Fourth Cohort of the Cheyth Legion retook Leil Yalir in the third hour of the assault, at the setting of the sun. Klorpeim, alas, died of his wounds.
In the aftermath of the battle, the remaining companions found that Telini had completely disappeared, meaning she had either lied to them and then skipped town, or told the truth and then been "made to disappear" by Onerma, or someone working for him. In any case it was clear enough that someone had manipulated the Companions, and they are keen to figure out who.
The Ballad of Klorpeim
