Lost Scout

[StarrNico]

Strider nodded at Ezra's comment and pulled his bow loose, stringing an arow in preparation. He glanced back to Aefric "We're close, I will scout the area." He said and turned to disappear into the forest.

 

[StarrNico]

Ruby looked down at her boots tried to hold back tears. She felt that she had failed and didn't know what to do next. She realized that her actions had been foolish and that she should have held her temper and not let the orc make her strike back before she had a plan, but she hated to be hurt and had started the fight. She glanced to the other girl again, but didn't expect her help.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

Strider nodded at Ezra's comment and pulled his bow loose, stringing an arow in preparation. He glanced back to Aefric "We're close, I will scout the area." He said and turned to disappear into the forest.

Ezra didn't say anything, but part of him was weary about letting Kane scout the area alone. He didn't know the another man from a hole in the wall, who knew where his loyalties lay?

Ruby looked down at her boots tried to hold back tears. She felt that she had failed and didn't know what to do next. She realized that her actions had been foolish and that she should have held her temper and not let the orc make her strike back before she had a plan, but she hated to be hurt and had started the fight. She glanced to the other girl again, but didn't expect her help.

Ghregari seemed intent on her soup, and wasn't paying as much attention to the girls in the cage. The great pot seemed to have an endless bottom as she continually dumped scraps of meat into the brew, the orcs didn't seem to be too worried about a varied diet as there were no vegetables included.

Finally, after about forty-five minutes of chopping things up and stirring repeatedly, she turned her attention back to the cage. "Finally Orkhan bring Ghegari some good humie..." Her eyes had a glazed, almost crazy look to them when she bent down this time. Like Mulush was, she was also beginning to salivate with the thought of cooking up Danielle and Ruby. Her fat body consumed the entire width and height of the cage door when she opened it and reached with a dirty hand towards Ruby...

 

[Frundette]

Half expecting Gytha to attempt something of the like, Gomez wasn't all that surprised when the rock struck the back of his head. Still, the small trickle of blood which resulted along with a spurt of pain was undesired whether he expected it or not. As hard as it was thrown, it did not knock the orcish creature out completely, but left a good sized welt that would be noticeable for a couple of days at least.

He threw up a hand and rubbed the back of his head while spinning around to face Gytha. Instead of rising up to stand on two feet, this time he stayed on all fours and took several steps away from the scout to try and avoid the stick, like a dog who knew he was guilty after killing his master's chickens. "Oww, oww... poor head, poor head..." He caressed the wound with his hands, all while shaking his head to try and clear his thoughts. His face looked genuinely hurt and bewildered as to why he had suddenly been struck. "The orcs hit me... you hit me... is a gesture of honest help too much to accept?"

She swung the stick hard, but Gomez had already backed out of her reach and the stick stiff whiffed through thin air. She was bringing it back as she took a step forward, intending to strike him again, but his reaction made her hesitate. She had expected him to be after her like a rabid dog, not cowering away like a hurt child. "You work for them! Do their bidding! And expect me to believe you're not leading me straight back to them?" She allowed herself to be angry as she stated the words, but did her best not to yell them, lest she attract the attention of more orcs.

 

[Frundette]

Aelfric nodded to Kane to show that he had heard. "Tread lightly," he said quietly. Strider may be the best woodsman Aelfric had ever met, but there was no telling how many orcs they were facing; more than a couple if it could be judged by the distant yells.

"Quiet from here on out unless you're communicating something critical," Aelfric warned Ezra and Jasper. "Watch where you step and try not to break any small debris if you can help it." The surgeon's apprentice nodded silently, looking wide-eyed at Aelfric and Lord Ragnar's sworn man almost told them all to turn around and march back home again. What the hell was he doing?! Bringing two men, one maybe not even old enough to have been with a woman yet, into an orc encampment? But it seemed late for that now. He should have insisted on it first thing this morning.

"Mirdautas vras!" came the sharp tongue of an orc, not very close, but closer than Aelfric would have liked. "Undur kurv" answered another.

Aelfric's finger went to his lips and he motioned first to Jasper, then to a tree with thick trunk, then did the same to Ezra, indicating that they should hide.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

She swung the stick hard, but Gomez had already backed out of her reach and the stick stiff whiffed through thin air. She was bringing it back as she took a step forward, intending to strike him again, but his reaction made her hesitate. She had expected him to be after her like a rabid dog, not cowering away like a hurt child. "You work for them! Do their bidding! And expect me to believe you're not leading me straight back to them?" She allowed herself to be angry as she stated the words, but did her best not to yell them, lest she attract the attention of more orcs.

"Work for them?" Gomez repeated incredulously, also keeping a reasonably hushed tone in case there were orcs in the area. "Does this look like a 'working' relationship to you?" He raised one hand and gestured to his shabby clothing and scars which seemed to cover his unlucky body. It looked like he had been on the receiving end of a lashing before, more then one. "Ooooh, no no no no no no no... never. The orcs ignore me as best they can, and so I am seeking a better life among kinder company. The humans in your settlement, I have been there before, and I know the way."

"Go your own way if you want, I won't stop you. Don't forget though that there are people in these woods who are going to be in need of some assistance very quickly, and the sooner you reach the settlement to bring word of the orcs, the better their chance of survival. I can get you there faster then you could on your own."

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

Aelfric nodded to Kane to show that he had heard. "Tread lightly," he said quietly. Strider may be the best woodsman Aelfric had ever met, but there was no telling how many orcs they were facing; more than a couple if it could be judged by the distant yells.

"Quiet from here on out unless you're communicating something critical," Aelfric warned Ezra and Jasper. "Watch where you step and try not to break any small debris if you can help it." The surgeon's apprentice nodded silently, looking wide-eyed at Aelfric and Lord Ragnar's sworn man almost told them all to turn around and march back home again. What the hell was he doing?! Bringing two men, one maybe not even old enough to have been with a woman yet, into an orc encampment? But it seemed late for that now. He should have insisted on it first thing this morning.

"Mirdautas vras!" came the sharp tongue of an orc, not very close, but closer than Aelfric would have liked. "Undur kurv" answered another.

Aelfric's finger went to his lips and he motioned first to Jasper, then to a tree with thick trunk, then did the same to Ezra, indicating that they should hide.

Ezra's stomach was in a knot, he thought he was going to vomit. Despite his misgivings, however, his outward appearance was remarkably calm. It needed to be if they were going to have any chance at finding Danielle, and he was willing to sacrifice himself if it meant rescuing her. That resolve made him focused and determined, even if he was also afraid.

Following Jasper's lead, he leapt to the side and took cover behind a thick tree, watching from behind the trunk.

 

[StarrNico]

Ezra didn't say anything, but part of him was weary about letting Kane scout the area alone. He didn't know the another man from a hole in the wall, who knew where his loyalties lay?


Ghregari seemed intent on her soup, and wasn't paying as much attention to the girls in the cage. The great pot seemed to have an endless bottom as she continually dumped scraps of meat into the brew, the orcs didn't seem to be too worried about a varied diet as there were no vegetables included.

Finally, after about forty-five minutes of chopping things up and stirring repeatedly, she turned her attention back to the cage. "Finally Orkhan bring Ghegari some good humie..." Her eyes had a glazed, almost crazy look to them when she bent down this time. Like Mulush was, she was also beginning to salivate with the thought of cooking up Danielle and Ruby. Her fat body consumed the entire width and height of the cage door when she opened it and reached with a dirty hand towards Ruby...

Ruby pushed away from her reaching hand, mumbling something into the gag as she prepared to fight for her life. She pushed at her bound hands, trying to get free, or bring them to the front

 

[Frundette]

"Work for them?" Gomez repeated incredulously, also keeping a reasonably hushed tone in case there were orcs in the area. "Does this look like a 'working' relationship to you?" He raised one hand and gestured to his shabby clothing and scars which seemed to cover his unlucky body. It looked like he had been on the receiving end of a lashing before, more then one. "Ooooh, no no no no no no no... never. The orcs ignore me as best they can, and so I am seeking a better life among kinder company. The humans in your settlement, I have been there before, and I know the way."

"Go your own way if you want, I won't stop you. Don't forget though that there are people in these woods who are going to be in need of some assistance very quickly, and the sooner you reach the settlement to bring word of the orcs, the better their chance of survival. I can get you there faster then you could on your own."

A wave of guilt washed over Gytha as he showed her the plethora of scars covering him and her will to kill the creature vanished quickly. "I didn't know..." she said, lowering the stick, thinking of the lash marks across her own back and feeling a surge of empathy for the creature. "I'm sorry. I thought... I thought..." she took a deep breath, certain the creature knew exactly what she had though. "I'm sorry. Please show me."

 

[StarrNico]

Strider used all his skills to stay hidden and draw closer to the orc camp, counting orcs and checking the humans for Ruby then making his way back to the group silently.