|
"I agree with that, especially when the stakes are so high. Those men on the crosses back there died by Iuz. He has deadly agents everywhere," replies the merchant. "Protect the wagons don't be concerned by this money or the goods."
Whatever tension around the eyes of the merchant is gone now. He prises the wood back into place a little with a dagger, so that the hole no longer shows much at all.
"I'm not. I've know you were smuggling something since before I took this job, it doesn't concern me. Just don't think you can order me around." Eisen replies before leaving to check on the others. He gives everyone a once over, checking for injuries before they move on.
Sadarr walks to retrieve his Spear, feeling a bit vindicated that he actually did something effective in the combat, then returns to where the others are gathered.
"If anyone is not particularly squeamish, could I trouble you to break off the head of this arrow, and retract it from my abdomen"?
The rush of battle having died down, Aerik bandages the holes in his chest where the javelins had struck. Half-healed by earlier magic, his wounds don't seem too severe, but he appears to be in a daze.
"Black walls rise, the scaled men take shelter," he mutters, pacing around the battlefield. "Their bounty is rotten. They birth only worms."
A few moments later his senses seem to clear and he exhales heavily.
"Well, Kord appears to have favored us again," he says. "Friend Malin, do you suppose any of that good beer of yours is still cold?"
"I am a little wounded and could use some aid."
Vic stares at the repair of the wagon and makes a mental note of the contents for a later date.
Sadarr turns to help Aerik with his bandaging... if allowed.
"Will you break off this arrowhead for me, and pull out the shaft please".
"That I can friend, though I can't promise I can do it without pain," Aerik says, before grinning at Sadarr. "Just promise not to turn that icy breath on me when I pull it free."
After helping Sadarr bind his wound, Aerik moves to the unconscious orc. He makes sure it won't bleed out right away, then ties it sitting up to one of the crucifixes.
"What to do with you? Suppose we can try to question it, but if it is one of Iuz's creature it likely won't tell us any truth. Perhaps it is better to end it now, with a dagger across the throat?"
"Water? No. I should give you fire like you gave to these poor souls, but I'll not dirty my hands to match your savagery," Aerik says. He draws his dagger and with a quick thrust rams it into the orc's eye.
Vic swimply nods at Aerik.
"Better than he deserved..."
Eisen provides what healing he can through the use of his Lay on Hands ability, as his technical skills in medicine were somewhat lacking.
"We should leave before reinforcements arrive and cover our trail as best we can."
|
|
The other bloodshot eye widens and remains that way.
Emerald moves up and past Vic to collect her dagger from the body, it is noticeable that the pommel and quillions are shaped like a bird and its wings.
She puts it away after cleaning the pretty thing on the grass. While she is bent over, the elf runs through what she found to Aerik and Vic.
"I have found 40 silver pieces and lots of poor equipment. The orc tribe must be a small or new one because I've never seen these markings on their chest. A set of claw marks. Oh and this on the other archer. It is a glass orb filled with grey mist. It looks out of place."
Meanwhile Sand is a bit shell shocked and heads back to the wagons with his horse.
"Do we continue to track them, or do we get back on task and escort this gold-filled caravan?"
"Yes that one deserved his death". "Using traps, and attacking caravans is far from honorable".
Then turning to Vic. "My heart tells me to go after them and end this threat, but my honor requires me to complete this escort mission"... Then with a smile which makes everyone shiver a bit ... "Then come back and take care of these bloodthirsty savages".
'Aye, let's get back on the trail then."
Vic retakes his point position and makes a mental note of the location of the ambush when, and if, they return for retribution.
|
|
Malin takes up the words of Vic. He wrangles the other merchants back on board their respective wagons and then sets off. Now Malin leads with Jasmalus in the middle and Emerald at the rear.
She hands over 55 silver knights to Vic, "your share. For you and the other guards. Well done. That was a well-prepared ambush, especially for a few orcs. Perhaps you can take a look at this misted globe when we camp?"
|
|
The dust plumes up ahead as something travels towards the wagons. At this distance it could be a group of horsemen or a ravening horde. But it is difficult to tell how soon the cause reaches here, and now is the only chance to move off into a small valley to the left. That probably could hide the caravan if dealt with speedily.
"Let's move quickly! get the wagons into the valley, NOW!"
Vic draws his horse aside the front wagon and leads the horse by the reins quickly into the valley before taking cover himself and drawing an arrow to his bow.
"What next"? "I believe we are underpaid". "This road seems to have a much larger volume of traffic than it's condition merits". Sadarr, does what he can to help move the caravan into a hiding position, then positions himself to intercept any curious investigators.
"We won't know if they're friendly until they're here, so best act as if they are not," Aerik says, helping to conceal the wagons. He readies a javelin and looks for a good spot with cover to wait for the newcomers to arrive.
|
|
As the dust cloud approaches, Sand and the rest help to pull the wagons in behind a slope. Its not a perfect spot to hide in but its the best to be found in the time. And with the 100 yards distance from the road track that should help some.
Malin and Emerald join the others watching the approach coming fast.
But soon enough the the dust resolves into two men on horseback, riding hard back towards Greatwall and pulling three more chargers. The men carry lance-pennants of Knights of the Hart and continue to sweep on past the valley.
Eisen watches the Knights ride through the Valley staying hidden along with the others.
"They seem to be in a hurry, more Orc trouble perhaps?"
"Possibly. Let's get these wagons rolling again."
Just before heading out on the trail again, Vic briefly visits with each member of the group, handing each 11 SP as a share of the payment.
|
|
Malin nods to Eisen as everyone readies to head back onto the road. "They may be going to the capital. Knights carrying important messages."
The Ruined Tower
The rest of the day's journey is uneventful. Jasmalus finds an old ruined tower nearby as a stop over for the night. It is only 200 yards from the main track. The wagons and animals can be positioned around the low walls that remain.
The tower walls are about 5 feet high at best and two at worst. Jasmalus and Malin offer to take a watch. Even one in the middle of the night.
"By tomorrow, we should reach town. Just need to get through the night," Jasmalus smoothes down his greying beard.
"I am an early riser". "I shall take the last watch before dawn". "For now after partaking of my nourishment, I shall treat my mortal coil to a well deserved rest".
"I can take the middle watch, unless someone else prefers it," Aerik says before lying down and promptly starting to snore.
"And I the early morning watch. Wake me, Aerik."
Vic slides into his bedroll, having his bow close to hand.
"I guess that leaves me with first watch, that's fine with me." Eisen says, He looks for a decent vantage point to overlook camp for the night before settling down for his watch.
|
|
Eisen has a quiet watch, the odd distant howl in the silvery moonlight. His eyes adjust and he can see a fair way in black and white.
Later Aerik is on watch just for a little while, when Jasmalus wakes up and joins him in the night. "Can't sleep. Guess I'll manage it soon but my old bones are chilled. Tell me of yourself, not work or war just talk."
"What is there to tell? Born by a she-bear, slaying orcs before I could walk, all fairly typical, I'd say," Aerik says with a twinkle in his eye. "But that probably qualifies as war talk...
"Did you ever hear about the twin babes we found in an orc camp a fortnight ago? Half-elf, both of them, a boy and a girl. No idea how long the orcs had them, whether they intended to eat them, sacrifice them to the Old One or something. Cute little things, each with eyes of two colors. Maybe that's why the orcs kept them - orcs tend to be superstitious about eyes."
"We left the babes with the clerics of Trithereon. I went to see them before we left and they cried. I thought I might buy them something in Willip before we return to Greatwall. Sweets perhaps, or some nice bonnets."