chapter three, part three

Getting this one up on time at least, if only with a couple hours to spare. I have three more entries after this one already written. If people would like me to continue, drop a comment in and let me know sometime in the next few entries.

Coming back he met Berryl in the hallway. “I’ve got everything she should need, at least everything I think she’ll need. If I missed something, tough, we can get it after we get her out of that slave train. Follow me and be as quiet as you can, there have been several groups moving past the building while we were in here.”

Berryl slipped the door open barely enough to fit through and slid out into the street. Altarn wondered if he was going to spend the rest of his life following strong-willed, impetuous females into danger and promptly slid out himself. He saw a shadow moving along the side of the building and assuming it was Berryl followed. The shadow darted around the corner and he caught glimpse of it again at the back of the building. “This will be the hard part,” she whispered “We need to get across the field quickly and into that stand of trees out there.” Altarn looked and thought that it might well be the longest 250 feet that he had ever had to cross but hissed assent through clenched teeth.

Berryl moved out from the cover of the building and began a quiet sprint across the field. Altarn watched as she made it into cover of the trees and then began to move himself. Midway through the field his foot dropped into a depression in the ground and he fell, letting out a grunt and rolling as he touched down. Gaining his feet again he finished the run towards the trees only to find Berryl with a dagger in hand. “Down!” she called. Altarn dropped to his knees just in time to see the dagger flip lazily through the air and strike with a meaty thunk. He turned and saw an orc collapsing onto its knees, the dagger sunk home in its throat. “He heard you when you fell and came running just in time to see you gain your feet and head for the trees. Good thing it wasn’t 50 feet further or he would’ve had you.”

Berryl quickly stepped out to recover her dagger and rifle the corpse. A pouch, sword and dagger were the only things she kept as she stepped back into the cover of the trees. “Ok now, what I figure we should do is wait until daylight and then see if we can’t follow the tracks to wherever they have camped. Orcs hate daylight so I doubt they will keep traveling after dawn, or for that matter still be around here after first light.” Altarn stared at the girl he thought he was in love with. “She can kill without remorse” was his first thought. “She can keep herself safe” his second. “I thought I was going to protect her”. His third and final thought before nodding and saying, “That sounds as good a plan as I would come up with. We probably ought to follow it.” The next several hours were spent with Berryl up in a tree keeping watch and Altarn jumping at every noise he heard.

Come dawn Altarn and Berryl watched the village for a bit and when they saw no movement started back towards the buildings. Voices carried across the meadow they walked in, laughing and calling out. “Who could that be?” asked Altarn “I don’t know but they sound like humans at least” replied Berryl “Maybe someone survived.” When they reached the road and peered out they knew differently, piles of valuables or even just semi-valuables were stacked in front of the doors of many of the houses. “Looters?” asked Altarn “How did they get here this quickly?” “Easily” a deep voice replied from behind them “When you are feeding information to the orcs, you just follow them when they go out in force. They get some of the better loot but we are far more thorough in our examination and frequently come away with more of value then they do. I do admit though that I miss having the women to take with us so it is fortunate that you have saved us one.” As Altarn and Berryl spun they saw several humans. The speaker was young looking and wearing a chainmail hauberk, three of the others with crossbows behind him looked closer to middle age and wore boiled leather cuirasses, with greaves and gauntlets of the same. The last individual looked much older and sported a long white beard, which was badly in need of combing. Wearing only robes, which were badly in need of cleaning, he looked somewhat out of place amidst the armed and armored men. “This is the one I think.” Claimed the old man, “He seems to have the potential I desire, what you do with the girl is of no concern to me.” He turned to look at Altarn, “Come here boy, I think I dreamed of you, which is the only reason I am with these vermin in this town.” The chainmail clad man shot the old man a venomous look but turned back to Berryl, “Come here fire-kissed one, we’ll have some fun.” Altarn saw a look on Berryl’s face that he would’ve paid anything for were it directed at him. She sidled up to the armored man saying, “I hope you can give me some fun, my more recent companions have been unable to keep me amused.” She shot a pointed look at Altarn, as the armored man followed her look, he began to laugh. The laugh cut off abruptly as a dagger penetrated his underarm on the side away from Altarn. “See, now that’s fun!” cried Berryl, shaking the blood from the dagger at the other three men. Crossbows were beginning to be cocked as the older man declared: “Austerus Crepido Adhaero”, drew an iron nail from a pouch and pointed it at Berryl. As Altarn watched Berryl became utterly immobile, limbs rigid and stretched in a threatening pose towards the crossbowmen. “Tie her up before the spell wears off or I will not be responsible for your lives or the loss of them.”, said the old man. “Now you aren’t going to give me any trouble are you boy? I’d hate to have to waste a spell on you, especially since the rest I have are far less pleasant.” Altarn shook his head “No sir, I’ll do what you say.”

Thralen(Tom)