I'm personally for Vlad. Just because "Baron Vladimir Uristovich" sounds bloody cool.
Things were moving smooth, autumn has come in time, and winter was close.
Dwarven caravan arrived at their usual time, just after humans packed up and left, mumbling about thier schedule and "lazy dwarves". Depressive elves watched them leaving, but still stayed at the depot, hoping for something... Or maybe they had nowhere to go without their cargo. Nobody cared.
So, when dwarves arrived, FractalEntity ordered sever bins of goods to be moved in, and left to wet his throat. Soon there will be a lot of talking, arguing, cursing, persuading and so on.
Same time merchants arrive, a liaison showed up from the nothern forest. He was running with all his speed, and a few minutes later everyone found out why.
- An ambush! Curse them! - spit Medtob the fisher, putting his bronze crossbow up. She was off-duty from her squad and went out to sit at the pond and catch some fish. But sometimes duty gets you at your free time.
She aimed and shot the bolt at the nearest goblin, puncturing his leg with bone bolt. Goblin fell.
- I should have taken metal bolts - mumbered Medtob and put another bolt on the crossbow.
Knights and Vultures rushed out of the gate to help her and protect the liaison. Recruit Etur Libashgim charged blindly at their pikeman leader, while others got tied in a fight with axemen, and the luck was bad for Etur. He got stabbed at the left arm losing his shield, and then had to dodge and parry strikes with his silver hammer. That couldn't go long, and later he lost hammer too and collapsed in pain. Pikemen put the last strike in the head and turned to the next.
Others did fine. Medtob shot her opponent in a heart, Artyom Barkov chopped the leg off with his pick, and others did fine. FInishing their opponents they charged at the pikegoblin and put him down all together.
Liaison walked into the gate, stumbling ang trying to catch his breath. Some dwarf in a hood offered him a hand and let him in.
- Hey, where's Sir Brenzen? - asked he to others idling next to stockpile. - Here's a liaison looking for him!
- Not Brenzen... I need to speak... to the mayor... first... - said liaison breathlessly.
- Ok then. Let's find a mayor, then Sir Brenzen. Follow me - said the hooded dwarf.
- Haven't seen that guy before here, - said a woodburner, peeking a troglodite in a cage with stick
- Who, liaison?
- No, that hooded guy.
Sir Brenzen called Rith, the captain of Crossbow Support squad, and Medtob caome ot his office
- Rith, do you have something to say about Medtob, and her morning deed?
- Quite heroic. She held them untill we arrived, and shot one of them dead, right in a heart!
- Okay. Medtob, come.
- Yes, Sir.
- As the aknowledge of your bravery thus I grant you a noble title. Bend your knees. - Brenzen touched her shoulder with his pick - Stand up, Medtob Obeybridged, the Solitary Petals.
Another group od goblins came from south and was dispatched by caravan guard with no scratch. But we lost a cat who got on their way into fortress.