Flight at the Crossroads

Aerun sat beside the camp-fire, watching the stars and prodding the embers with his sword. He was a little annoyed considering he had wanted to be inside Minas Morgul's walls by this time, but the new recruits had proved useful in training up his men.
A clinking drew closer in the darkening sky; it was one of the scouts he had sent out.
"Sir!" The scout called "grave news, the goblin horde has exited the forest and is headed our way, moreover a orc Lieutenant Morge is an hour behind them"
Aerun showed no sign of even hearing the news. Then he removed his sword from the fire and stood.
"Call in the other scouts and head for Minas Morgul. We move out soldiers!" He ordered. Maybe if they could evade through the goblin's lines some minor victory could be achieved.

Aerun Vs Goblin horde + Morge (Hold the line)

Deployment

Marching

Spreading and marching

More spreading and marching

Same again

.....................

Sort-a surrounded now *evil laugh*

Flankers attacked

Goblins attack

Aerun outsmarts them, not that it was difficult

Attacks hither

And thither

The troll is wounded!

One man down

One goblin down

FYI at this point my Dol amroth Knights had only been part-painted : S

Aerun running as fast as he can

Gondorians injuries

Still running, but pulling away

Backing away from most goblins

Obviously not enough

Totally surrounded

.....................

The last spearman removed

Aerun wounded, but saved by fate! (four rolled above)

Morge arrives, mostly to annoy Aerun now that he has sprinted
across most of the field 

He strafes right and hopes he can get priority

The final flanker downs a goblin and is nearly free.

Aerun rushes off the board with seconds to spare!

Giving the Gondorians a minor victory and 200R.

Well the Mordorians were soooo close to achieving a victory, one priority roll and a cunning move decided the entire game.

Aerun gains +1 strength from this encounter, his corporal's gain +1 fight and +1 might, a bowman is promoted to a ranger (thanks to Favour of the court re-roll) and the skilled swordsman is promoted to a citadel guard and gets +1 fate. The ranger and his corporals will miss any battles in the next turn.
Morge gains +1 courage, and the goblin horde lose one of their number whilst another is detained.

Despite the huge advantage in numbers and Morge arriving at the right time, Aerun and his company had escaped. Several of the goblins were tortured for having possible allegiances with the Gondorians, one died as a result of this. While Morge had only flogged his warriors for their stupidity.
Things were getting worse for the goblin horde their fourth consecutive defeat in a row, soon they would learn to steer clear from any warbands, from fear and they would not be able to compete with the Gondorians on any field.

At least they hadn't lost any warriors, and the fields from Cirth Ungol to Osgiliath remained with the Mordorians.

Aerun stopped briefly to catch his breath, he had outran the goblin archers and warriors, two arrows had caught in his mail but caused no substantial wounds-a clunk came from close by. Aerun edged through the undergrowth, until he saw two of his warriors, one carrying the other hastening away from the battle.
"Friends! Where are the rest?" He asked.
The uninjured one replied "...Lieutenant! Sir, they were caught up in the battle, Bereov and the corporals are coming with one of the swordsmen, I don't know where-"
His speech was broken by two men jogging through the shrubbery. It was Theorn and the bowman.

They then settled down for barely an hour before Theorn, the corporals, and a swordsman arrived. At least they were together, and they mended each other's wounds. Theorn had lost his arm, but other than that three of them would miss the battles of the next turn. At a nearby blacksmith the bowman exchanged his heavy armour for a lighter one and donned a cloak becoming one of the rangers of Gondor, one of the swordsman exchanged his shield for a spear and also took a cloak making him a citadel guard.

The group walked for another day through the dense undergrowth, until it started to clear and through it they saw the towering walls of Minas Morgul, they had reached it after all.

Until then

Fish