Lost Scout

[ChickieBooBoo]

Aelfric's eyes narrowed at Gomez. This ugly little runt already had more information than Aelfric would have guessed. Had he extracted his knowledge from the other prisoners? "Not particularly. Just came into his service a few weeks ago," he replied levelly, suddenly glad that he had given the medallion marking him as Ragnar's sworn man away to Ezra. "Pay's good," he said, taking another swig of the drink, this time spilling a bit more down his chin, hoping to imply that he could be bought by a better offer. Risky business, surely, but perhaps one he could exploit to his advantage.

"Mmm," Gomez mumbled around a mouthful of ale, although he too had to be careful how much he drank. The orc blood in him gave him a little bit more resiliency than a human, but he was still susceptible to the effects of the beverage. Aelfric's poker face was good, but Gomez detected a bent truth in the man's statement. He remembered the name from a lot longer than two weeks ago, so unless there were two men with the same name, something didn't add up.

"What brings you all the way out here, Aelfric? Tis a long ways away from Aberdeen, and so far off the road to Wedmor." He looked curiously through the bars. "You must have been looking for something...?"

 

[StarrNico]

"ANNA! HURRY!" Gytha yelled shrilly as Laethros was quickly making his way toward the girl's position, climbing the steep pathway with surprising dexterity. But seeing that Anna didn't seem to be moving any faster, if she was even moving at all, Gytha picked up a rock and chucked it quickly toward Laethros. It missed, just barely, bouncing off the rock face mere inches from his face before tumbling down into the river below. A second rock, and then a third followed, one of them striking Laethros on the shoulder before he came close enough to Anna that Gytha hesitated to throw more for fear of accidentally hitting Anna instead. He was closing the distance quickly, intending to grab her around the waist...

Anna had finally gotten her muscles to unlock so that she could move again when she felt his hand grab her around the waist. She tensed and one hand flew down from the rocks to grab his wrist, both holding it and trying to pull it away from her before he could secure his grip.

 

[Frundette]

"Mmm," Gomez mumbled around a mouthful of ale, although he too had to be careful how much he drank. The orc blood in him gave him a little bit more resiliency than a human, but he was still susceptible to the effects of the beverage. Aelfric's poker face was good, but Gomez detected a bent truth in the man's statement. He remembered the name from a lot longer than two weeks ago, so unless there were two men with the same name, something didn't add up.

"What brings you all the way out here, Aelfric? Tis a long ways away from Aberdeen, and so far off the road to Wedmor." He looked curiously through the bars. "You must have been looking for something...?"

Keep your lies close to the truth. Where he had heard that bit of advice, Aelfric couldn't quite remember, but took it to heart now.

The alcohol seemed to have dulled some of his pain already, so he refrained from taking another sip before it dulled his wits too. "You," he answered, watching Gomez, trying to gauge his reaction just as the orcish thing was trying to gauge his. "Ragnar thought there might be something out here worth looking into. Seems he was right."

 

[Frundette]

Anna had finally gotten her muscles to unlock so that she could move again when she felt his hand grab her around the waist. She tensed and one hand flew down from the rocks to grab his wrist, both holding it and trying to pull it away from her before he could secure his grip.

The girl had been so paralyzed by fear that Laethros was momentarily caught off guard when she grabbed his wrist so that it knocked him slightly off balance. His foot caught the edge of the narrow path, threatening to slip and he had to reach out with his other hand, trying to catch Anna's shirt, more to regain his balance than to harm her.

 

[Frundette]

Ezra exchanged a quick glance with Jasper before starting. "Lord, about halfway to where we estimated Gytha would be we came across some strange tracks which we followed into the bush. They were large, the footsteps of a beast we would later learn belonged to an orc. Having found no evidence of such a creature at the time, we camped for the night and were visited by an old friend. Kane, or Strider as he is more commonly referred to." He paused for one second to look at Ragnar, he wasn't sure whether the man knew Strider or not. After a couple seconds he continued.

"He was tracking a group of orcs which had attacked his camp and kidnapped his daughter. We had reason to believe that another girl, my daughter Danielle, had befallen the same fate so we followed the tracks from the abduction site. Since we deemed it was not a coincidence that so many people, including Gytha, had gone missing in such a short period of time, we assumed she would be among those who were captured. The tracks led us to the orc's camp, hidden deep in the Greywoods. Strider and Aelfric stayed behind to rescue the girls while Jasper and I returned to bring help. Lord Ragnar, they are using human slaves to build their camp. We have to go help them."

Ragnar studied Ezra for a few long moments, doubt in his eyes. Orcs? Here? The creatures had been pushed out generations ago. He glanced toward Jasper, who stared solemnly back.

Then he nodded slowly and turned toward the door where he had come from, "Magge!"

The woman appeared so quickly that Jasper was certain she had been listening from just around the corner. "Yes, m'Lord?"

"Rouse my men and have them meet here, even before they break their fast," he told her. She nodded, leaving quickly.

"Ezra..." he said, turning back toward the farmer, "Your news is worse than I suspected. Can you tell me of their numbers?"

 

[StarrNico]

The girl had been so paralyzed by fear that Laethros was momentarily caught off guard when she grabbed his wrist so that it knocked him slightly off balance.  His foot caught the edge of the narrow path, threatening to slip and he had to reach out with his other hand, trying to catch Anna's shirt, more to regain his balance than to harm her. 

Anna let out a scream as she was pulled back a little from the wall from him grabbing her shirt. She released her grip on his wrist to grab ahold of the wall again, effectively pulling him back onto the trail with her. She took in a shaky breath and looked at his arm that was still around her waist.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

Keep your lies close to the truth. Where he had heard that bit of advice, Aelfric couldn't quite remember, but took it to heart now.

The alcohol seemed to have dulled some of his pain already, so he refrained from taking another sip before it dulled his wits too. "You," he answered, watching Gomez, trying to gauge his reaction just as the orcish thing was trying to gauge his. "Ragnar thought there might be something out here worth looking into. Seems he was right."

Gomez frowned momentarily, not expecting Aelfric to name himself. The last conversation he recalled having with the Lord of Aberdeen hadn't exactly been one that would have hinted Ragnar thought he was worth searching for. Unless they wanted to kill him. He wanted to pin the lie on Aelfric but his voice and expression seemed so genuine that he wasn't willing to completely discount the man yet.

Recognizing an opportunity, Gomez decided to change his tactic slightly and follow along. Perhaps Aelfric would reveal something inadvertently if he thought Gomez was letting his guard down. He took another sip of ale and maintained the surprised look which he had involuntarily given up earlier. "Ragnar couldn't possibly be looking for me, we parted years ago on terms that you wouldn't think warrant a second encounter. You're lying..."

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

Ragnar studied Ezra for a few long moments, doubt in his eyes. Orcs? Here? The creatures had been pushed out generations ago. He glanced toward Jasper, who stared solemnly back.

Then he nodded slowly and turned toward the door where he had come from, "Magge!"

The woman appeared so quickly that Jasper was certain she had been listening from just around the corner. "Yes, m'Lord?"

"Rouse my men and have them meet here, even before they break their fast," he told her. She nodded, leaving quickly.

"Ezra..." he said, turning back toward the farmer, "Your news is worse than I suspected. Can you tell me of their numbers?"

Ezra didn't give an answer right away, he was trying to count approximately how many they had seen. In the heat of the moment he hadn't really given it a close look. "Uh.. I'd say about twenty to twenty-five. That's what I seen, but there may have been more."

He looked at Jasper to verify his number.

 

[Frundette]

Gomez frowned momentarily, not expecting Aelfric to name himself. The last conversation he recalled having with the Lord of Aberdeen hadn't exactly been one that would have hinted Ragnar thought he was worth searching for. Unless they wanted to kill him. He wanted to pin the lie on Aelfric but his voice and expression seemed so genuine that he wasn't willing to completely discount the man yet.

Recognizing an opportunity, Gomez decided to change his tactic slightly and follow along. Perhaps Aelfric would reveal something inadvertently if he thought Gomez was letting his guard down. He took another sip of ale and maintained the surprised look which he had involuntarily given up earlier. "Ragnar couldn't possibly be looking for me, we parted years ago on terms that you wouldn't think warrant a second encounter. You're lying..."

Well, that was interesting. And surprising. Aelfric had intended the "you" in the plural sense, not targeted specifically at Gomez, but wondered briefly if he could work this new bit of information to his advantage. The human shrugged, then grimaced, as the movement hurt more than he had expected it too. "Ragnar must've thought so. Unless there's someone else around here that fits the 'scrawny half-orc' description?"

When could Ragnar have met Gomez? Had it been on the campaign north almost a decade ago when they'd travelled into orc territory? Though both men had been part of the campaign, Aelfric had not yet sworn fealty to Lord Ragnar, so was not in his confidence at the time.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

(Sorry, must've read the last post wrong

)

Gomez chuckled sarcastically. After a dozen years the insults became so repetitive that he almost didn't hear them. "Nope. Congratulations on finding the scrawny half-orc. You must be proud, I thought I blended in better." He placed his cup of ale down on the floor beside his foot. "Anyways, what is it that your highness requests of me? It must be important if he sent you all the way here..."

--

Somewhere around that time, Orkhan and Draugnot returned to the orc camp with the slaves which they had managed to recapture. Luella and Danielle were being closely followed by Draugnot, and Orkhan triumphantly carried the severed head of Strider while Grishkah brought up the rear with Ruby. He was glad to see that the camp looked reasonably calm compared to last night, but Orkhan was still angry about the loss of the other slaves and Vorgak. If Grishkah hadn't requested Ruby as a slave, he would have been very tempted to finish her off himself. As it was, he hoped that the young orc would knock some respect into the girl.