Thanks to the magical ministrations of your fellows, by the following day of travel, there is hardly any sign of the previous night's struggle, aside from a new scar or two from the more egregious of the healed wounds.
One among the hobgoblins, a shamaness whom Fendir briefly introduces as Brekka, continues to tend to their hunters' wounds - even though they brusquely, proudly insist they have already recovered.
Aristide and Harkan alike commend your strength of arms, with the orc leader expressing friendly envy that he did not get to battle the worgs.
The orc-kin seek one of the dead worgs for themselves, and at first it seems the orcs and hobgoblins may come to blows over competing desires for the beast's hide, bones, teeth, and claws.
Harkan and Fendir, with support from the party, defuse the conflict between their peoples before it can truly ignite, and the orc-kin accept that the body belongs to the hunters and the party who won the battle.
...
The following days' excursions are less eventful, albeit more cautious. Nevertheless, the hunters bring back a couple antelope and plenty of smaller game to supplement the caravan's supplies.
Morale among the settlers remains strong, especially with renewed confidence that they have reliable protectors against any dangers that may stalk these plains.
Five days after the battle with the worgs - the twelfth day of the journey overall - a distant droning sound reaches you. As the caravan rolls along, the sound grows into the roar of rushing water.
Ahead, you can see a shower of spray rising from the river as it cascades down into a wide, bowl-like gorge as a mighty waterfall.
The water-cut cleft in the earth is lined by craggy stone coated in lichens, moss, and gorse. The water gathers in a small lake at the gorge's bottom, from whence it continues to flow eastward as the new branch of the river.
As the caravan rumbles along, many settlers wander to the edge of the gorge to observe the waterfall, pointing out rainbows they spot among the clouds of spray.
"Now that is truly beautiful!", Dorick exclaims, "Anyone fancy exploring it? There may be caves or evidence of who lives upriver."
When they come to the waterfall, a miracle occurs as Kalig just grows silent for several minutes, taking in the view.
She snaps out of it, noting the many others also admiring the view. "Maybe the caravan should stop and enjoy the view for a bit. Folk have been traveling a long while and this seems to be lifting spirits--and I think we can afford the time."
Kalig nods to Dorick. "Sure, we can explore. Let's just be sure we don't dig up trouble."
She looks around the vegetation and water flow to guess what wild things may live around here.
"I'll lend a hand as well." rumbles the deep voice of Fendir.
"Water that size and their might be a fat fish or two in the depths... If anyone has any skill at catching said fish."
He began as he and his wife approached.
"A shame we have no painters.. i bet this would like nice on a canvas eh?"
He said to no one in particular...
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Soraya is mostly mute at the sheer spectacle. Some days, you forget that there is such beauty in the world. Her owl perches on her shoulder, giving her little nips to the ear from time to time. She finally snaps out of her reverie enough to toss a few snacks to Lucias and nod to the others. If someone's going to take a closer look, I'd like to be in on that, she muses.
"This would be a fine place to stock up on water. And Caragus to take a break, should we find somewhere he can't fit.", he says affectionately as he rubs Caragus on the nose.
At the day's outset, Kalig discovers some wild strawberries that, though much smaller than domesticated cultivars, will still serve well as Goodberries.
While the land overlooking the gorge remains sparse, with scrub grass and scrawny shrubs akin to a moor, the bottom of the gorge and the river banks that flow outward are far more verdant.
The outflow likely serves a frequent watering hole for antelope and bison, and Kalig is quite certain that the lake serves as a spawning ground for trout or carp.
However, a place that attracts such a plenitude of creatures is also likely to attract predators of no small size.
Dorick leads Caragus down to the watering hole, to let his mount enjoy a cool drink.
"Water that size and their might be a fat fish or two in the depths... If anyone has any skill at catching said fish."
"The lake doubtless holds trout or carp. I've got a tacklebox, you want me to teach you?"
Kalig cries out to Dorick as he leads his horse to the water. "STOP! She runs toward him to urge him and Caragus back.
She points to a good deal of bubbling on the surface. "Something's down there..." And then she points to large carcasses near the undercut of the waterfall, half concealed by the spray. "Something likely big and hungry..."
Soraya breathes a sigh of relief. "Wow, good catch, Kalig. Would hate to lose Dorick, or his horse."
"Looks like there's a cave behind the waterfall, too. You can just make out the cracked earth if you squint your eyes just right."
Thanks to Kalig's warning, you are not caught completely unawares, yet it is a terrible surprise nonetheless when the great winged beast erupts from the lake. A shower of spray trails off its sleek, leathery wings and the wide fins lining its tail and hind limbs.
The beast flaps its wings and circles the gorge, gaining altitude with a shrill roar that echoes of the canyon walls.
As it takes notice of you, and then the caravan passing above, you fear that some sort of dragon has stirred, hungry.
Thought to be distant relatives of black dragons, while river drakes do not possess a true acidic breath weapon, they are notorious for spitting globs of caustic mucus.
Just as the beast crests the gorge, another roar emanates from below, and a second beast emerges from the watery cavern.
"Gods above!" Soraya screams. She thought it would be something like a hippo, or a gator, but this?!
"River drakes!" she yells. "Beware! They spit acid... balls."
Kalig says some extremely rude words in the Orc language (common Taldan just isn't adequate to get across certain levels of dismay), and pulls out her sling.
"Love...get back with the wagons... dont run it will attract their gaze."
He began calmly though his heart was racing. He hoped his blades wouldnt be much use... because if it got to those he was entirely too close to the monsters. He took the crossbow he had acquired from the guard took deep steadying breaths.
Soraya moves as quickly as she can o find cover, but not before casting a spell. With a few arcane words and gestures, a shimmering glow appears around her.
Fendir waits for the one rising from above to get within 30', then flings a chunk of earth at it.
He moved to the open to make more of a target of himself. His face was contorted in both anger and fear...
"What are you doing Francoix, run hide dont do something stupid!"
He thought to himself even as he disregarded his own thoughts and loosed a bolt at one of the drakes.
Kalig spins her flail and hurls a bullet at the nearest drake before reloading.
The first drake, the one that emerged from the water, bears smaller spines along its back but has more fins along its legs, tail, and hindquarters.
The second one has larger spines along its back and bears more pronounced albeit slender horns along its skull.
Soraya identifies the first as a female and the second as a male, and she reasons that this is a mated pair of river drakes.
Fendir strikes the female drake with a hunk of rock dislodged from the crest of the gorge. The winged beast screeches and pinions in the air, turning towards the caravan.
A snap shot from Francoix's crossbow plunges into the female's flank, just below her wing.
Kalig's sling bullet pelts the male drake in the belly as it too gains altitude from the gorge.
Dorick runs back to Caragus and quickly remounts his steed, preparing to ride out and guard the caravan against swooping drakes.
...
As the female drake takes to the air above the caravan, an awful chorus of cries and shouts rises from the settlers.
"Dragon! Dragon!" many voices exclaim with fright, trembling fingers crooked towards the sky.
As the party climbs back from the upper edge of the gorge, you see many settlers diving for cover beneath their wagons, hiding behind their draft animals, or throwing themselves over loved ones.
"Gustav! My bow!" Aristide calls out, his hand outstretched.
Harkan barks orders to his people and uses his shield to protect and shelter the youngest of the orc kin.
The settlers - human, hobgoblin, and orc alike - scramble for their eclectic array of weapons. Crossbows, bows, javelins, and slings are readied.
...
The female drake makes one cursory pass overhead, but she now looks ready to strike.
The male drake, meanwhile, has emerged from the gorge and taken to the open air, ready to hunt with his mate.
Hmm, I've never tried this before, but desperate times...
Soraya steps out from behind cover and begins chanting while waving her dagger.
Seeing the drakes veer torwards the unprepared settlers he shouted loudly trying to make as much noise as he could. Hurriedly reloading his crossbow he took aim at the drake he fired at before.
Dorick urges Caragus to gallop back to camp, while he shouts to the settlers.
"River drakes! Take cover or take up arms! And watch for their acid spit!"
Fendir again gestures, and a chunk of rock flies out at the female, who is the more injured of the two.
Dorick rides along, his call and his presence bolstering his allies and wards' resolve against the fell, flying foes.
Fendir hurls another chunk of rock, but the arcing projectile misses the wheeling drake and crashes to the ground - spooking some of the caravan's animals. While a handful of oxen tug at their yokes, the small flock of sheep panics and flees from their shepherd, frightened by both the drakes and the falling stone.
Soraya weaves her magic, but to her dismay, the drake seems unaffected by the slumber hex.
Another crossbow bolt from Francoix grazes the female.
rounds
The female drake swoops down and pounces upon the fleeing sheep, snapping one up in her jaws and pulverizing another with a flick of her tail.
The male, meanwhile, recognizes the threat posed by the party as its mate hunts. With a gurgling snarl, it spits a steaming ball of caustic mucus at Fendir before continuing to gain altitude and sweeping across the sky above the caravan.
The foul glob strikes the ground beside him and explodes in a shower of burning, sticky foulness. Perhaps worse than the pain, Fendir finds himself almost rooted in place by the mess.
Kalig hears the animals fleeing and curses, but figures there is no point in trying to save them until the threat is eliminated.
She keeps chucking bullets at the most wounded drake.
Damn dragons! "Lucias, get under a wagon!" she says.
Soraya pulls out her little used crossbow and takes a bead on the male.
Dorick spurs on Caragus, and with lance in hand, rushes for the currently landed beast.
Unable to leave his space, Fendir again calls upon the earth to smash the Drake that yet flies.
Dorick spurs on Caragus, weaving through scattering settlers and spooked animals. The landed female drake comes into clear view, within charging distance.
Kalig follows close behind, plowing through the opening left in the wake of the rushing cavalier and his steed. She whips her sling fiercely overhead in a whistling arc, and lets the bullet fly - pelting the female drake in the back of her broad skull.
Fendir dislodges and hurls another chunk of earth in a near vertical arc, catching the male drake in the belly as it passes overhead. Meanwhile, as he feels the creature's acidic mucus searing against his limbs, Fendir feels a surge of adrenaline and manages to wrench himself free from the foul bonds.
Despite her lack of practice, Soraya's crossbow shot flies true. Unfortunately, the bolt skitters against the scales on the flying male's flank.
Unwilling to risk a shot over or through the caravan, Francoix turns his sights from the female to the male. Perhaps due to the haste of his aim or the aerial weaving of the drake, his bolt scarcely even grazes the beast's hide.
...
A fusillade of arrows, bolts, stones, and javelins is levied at the passing male drake by Aristide and the settlers, but few land so much as a glancing blow.
...
The female drake snaps her jaws at a bleeting, terrified sheep that just barely escapes a grisly fate. Hearing the approaching charge of Caragus, she turns to face the approaching cavalier and snarls menacingly.
She flaps her wings and struggles to quickly lift from the ground with the sheep carcasses in her claws.
The male drake turns and descends, nearly upending a cart as he pounces amongst the caravan, heightening the panic among man and beast alike.
Its jaws snap shut upon Francoix before throwing him against a nearby wagon.
Meanwhile, its whip-like tail crashes against Kalig, nearly knocking the wind from her lungs.
Before a proper counterattack can be launched, in a surge of speed, the beast has already taken flight again.
As quickly as she can, Soraya reloads her crossbow and tries for a shot at the female.
As the drake moves, the bolt flies past harmlessly.
"Oh shiiiiiiiiiiiii"
He began as the male drake closed quicker than he expected. He closed his eyes sure his life was at an end instead he felt a different sort of pain as he crashed into someone's wagon. For a breif second he patted his body.... still whole though in pain. Instead of waisting his time rising he reloaded and took a shot at the drake that had tossed him.
It didnt surprise him that the bolt was no where near close.
Fendir's skin sizzles, but he ignores it for more pressing matters. Turning he moves towards the caravan, even as he lauches yet another chunk of earth at the female, hoping to drop her for good.
Dorick weaves through the camp, trying to reach the drake before it returns to the air.
Ah, your greed will be your doom!
Leaning forward with lance first, he roars at the drake:
"FACE ME, BEAST!"
And then both rider and mount crash against the drake, driving forward lance, hoof, and teeth.
Kalig stumbles, trying to catch her breath, and does her best to get straight back to pressing the offensive.
Dorick's lance strikes swift and true, borne along by Caragus' charge, and pierces through the female drake's chest. The beast falls with a dwindling roar, already well and truly dead as Caragus stamps the foe with his hooves.
Watching the cavalier slay the female drake, Fendir redirects the chunk of earth he levitates in the air and hurls it for the male, bruising some of its ribs with the impact.
Kalig, Soraya, and Francoix's shots miss their mark as the remaining drake gimbles and gyres through the air.
The male drake bellows with terrible anger, seeing its mate dead. However, fear and survival are stronger instincts, and the surviving beast changes course and plunges back down into the gorge to seek shelter in its lair.
Dorick shouts out as he turns Caragus around swiftly.
"The beast falls! And the other flees!"
He makes to gather the others, saying:
"How best can we strike at the remaining drake? I would not see it live any longer nor threaten our people again!"
With the drake gone, Soraya rushes to help Fendir and any of the others who have been wounded.
"I don't know that there's much we can do. Unless Fendir can cause an avalanche above its lair."
"It's just a bruise," Kalig protests as Soraya does her round of healing, but only weakly, and still nods thanks when the witch is finished.
To Dorick's inquiry: "Maybe Harkan and the orcs have thoughts on attacking a wounded drake in its lair. They are from this area and likely know cave combat. Could be easy to finish off, could be suicide."
Kalig checks on Matilda's status.
Presuming the donkey is okay, she looks around. "As exciting as it may sound to engage in this, I'd like to see if we can catch some of the sheep who fled. That's food and clothing that's otherwise lost."
She approaches the shepherds to organize shepherding party, and tries to figure out where they went.
If they can find/see the sheep, she will cast speak with animals to assure them it is now safe.
Soraya imparts her magic to tend the wounds of the caravan's protectors.
Meanwhile, as Dorick sits astride Caragus, whispers can be heard from the settlers, likening him to the warriors from the old tales. Indeed, the entire party's spirited defense has protected not just the settlers' lives and possessions but their hope as well.
As everyone steadies their nerves while also wrangling and calming the oxen and goats, many people shake their heads in disbelief that they actually survived a "dragon" attack.
Kalig finds Matilda hunkered down behind a wagon loaded with wooden planks, shivering but unhurt.
After coaxing the donkey back up, Kalig leads the shepherds to pursue the wayward sheep. The four surviving animals are found a quarter mile away, hiding in a dell out of sight from the gorge and the dead drake.
Using magic to bridge the considerable language barrier, Kalig is able to reassure the sheep and coax them back to the caravan.
"If you want to finish the male off...Thank you" says Fendir as Kalig heals him "We'll need to climb down the cliff and enter that cave. That's likely their home."
Dorick cannot help but feel good at the whispered praise.
Now this feels a lot more like victory, instead of just survival.
Hearing the others, he adds:
"Do Harlan and the orcs know a better way to strike at the drake? We climb down before it can recover, so as to surprise it!"