It was supposed to be a quiet night

While we are setting up the schoolhouse to prepare for a possible battle with hell bovines, Dusty and Sundown wander by and I check to see why they aren't in the schoolhouse helping us. Miss Roselli sniffs in disapproval and it is obvious that they don't want to antagonize her. They suggest that they will join Xifang on the roof and provide a better chance at spotting what might be heading our way. Of the other folk hunkering here with us: I put Miss Roselli downstairs with the children and three men outside in the root caller which is the primary means of access to the cellar. One of them has a crossbow and the other two have what passes for weapons in this area. The children are split into three groups of five with an older child in charge of each group to keep them calm and quiet (asleep if possible!) while the night passes. Upstairs we split into three groups as well so that one group can attempt to sleep while the other two keep watch. On the roof are Xifang and the orcs with coffee and hope of sleeping some by the time the sun rises. With everything as prepared as well as I know how to do, we settle down for what I most sincerely hope is a quiet night.
 
Ranger and I, along with two-thirds of the guys in the schoolhouse are keeping watch while the remainder are attempting to sleep. The moons begin to rise and there is a distinct lack of wildlife noises in the air. Sometimes I think I hear a faint moo, but as nothing else happens I am sure I was mistaken. Suddenly all of the lights go out. I cast a detect magic spell and find out to my surprise that my hat is magic. I ask if anyone might have a guess about what to do and Ranger suggests we wake the padre. He also thinks we should get Miro over here. I send Xifeng over to get him and then we hear a wolf howl. I turn with wild eyes to the room and ask what that was. No one knows. They have never heard a wolf howl. They turn to me for an explanation and I question why they don't know wolves since there are so many sheep in the area. They mention coyotes. I move to the back to talk to Miss Roselli and tell her to move the children to the back since the noise seems to be coming from the same side as the root caller. Then I go back to the air vent and ask Dusty and Sundown to check n what they can see. They check and then tell me there are two, maybe three groups with at least four in each group. Then there is a flaming crossbow that sets the tetter-totter on fire. In the flames I can see five creatures and something else. It has horns and a long blade, but is just a deeper shadow so I am not sure what I saw.
 
Xifeng returns and tells me that he probably got Miro heading this way. I am about to suggest that we wait for developments when we hear someone sawing the wooden shutters - on both sides of the schoolhouse. I check with Padre to see if he can use his light as a weapon and he says he can. With that an idea comes to me and I quickly lay it out for the group. Everyone in the schoolhouse will split into two groups and will keep whatever that is outside on the outside. Padre and I will go outside to fight. I quickly light a fire arrow and douse it in the Badger quiver so I can use fire arrows. I will fly up on the roof and just keep firing at whatever moves while the padre stays on the porch and uses his light however. As he walks out the door, he is attacked by a sheep?? Except it is ten feet tall, five feet wide, covered in black wool with ram's horns and using a shepherd's crook with nails through it. Padre dodges and I fire an arrow at it quickly. It looks offended and I take that second to swing with my sword, but I miss. It swings that horrible weapon at me, but it must be distracted by the fire I set in its fur and it misses me. He pulls back and strikes at me again. He misses, but I can tell that the aura from the padre is starting to bug him. I bet the guys are better off while they are wandering around laying down that false trail.
 
I swing at the massive creature and manage to draw blood - luminescent orange blood, but blood nonetheless. I turn to the Padre and ask if he can handle this by himself or if he needs me to stay and help him. He swings his weapon, a shovel with a sharpened edge, and misses. I don't think I can leave him alone with this fight though he encourages me to do what I need to do. I don't see the town taking the loss of the Padre well. I take another swing at the creature with both hands this time and manage to slice deeply into its side. It stumbles a bit but is still here for the fight. I ask Padre if he can use his light as a fireball or something, but he says no and suggests that maybe holy water would have an effect. I reply that it is worth a shot and he starts a spell while at the same time trying to hit the creature. He misses, but he was trying to do something different during a fight so maybe next time. The distraction was enough for the creature and it manages to hit me with that shepherd's crook. OUCH!! I swing at him and hit him again, hoping it will be enough to drive him back. He appears to be debating whether to stay and fight or make a break for it. Since he seems to need more help in making a decision, I slash him again and he starts backing up slowly while refusing to take his eyes off of me. At the same time, I can hear the sound of the retreat from all sides of the schoolhouse. I hope that those inside the building managed to keep the bad guys out.
 
We are left with small grass fires and minor wounds, though Padre seems to be more than a bit the worse for wear. I ask Miro to do some healing so the Padre can take over healing the others and I ask Ms. Roselli about the farms that might grow herbs, but she says they all do. When I ask about Ms. Melinda she claims to have not seen her in two or three weeks. Then she is ready to go and settle the children back down for the night since it is only midnight. I agree that it is for the best and remind her of our request for a geography lesson in the morning. Then Miro pops in with the knowledge tidbit about Scorpion found evidence that Ms. Melinda and the mayor ran off together and she had been playing the ends against the middle in the troubles. Both Ms. Roselli and I are shocked, but not sure what we can do about that right now. Then one of the ranch hands speaks up and lets us know that Ranger disappeared at some point in the battle. Miro sends Spiro out to see if she can spot the guy from the air. I convince him to go on to get some rest while we look for him.
 
I sit down and start trying to reshape my new hat to better fit my head and then Miro comes running in shouting about a problem. Apparently, Spiro couldn't find Ranger, but he did see all of the lights out at Tarntaise Farm and something that looked like fireflies at the new graveyard in the dead area. Once he delivers that information I bolt out of the schoolhouse and yell for the other guys to come together so we can share information and save the farm that is being attacked. After lots and LOTS of discussion we decide to grab a bowl of chili and head towards the farm.