Lost Scout

[ChickieBooBoo]

Gytha hardly heard the words that Gomez spoke once the river came into view. She hurried toward it and knelt down, cupping her hands and dipping them and putting them to her lips over and over again until her thirst was finally quenched and her belly was so full of water that she could feel it sloshing inside. When she was finished, the creature's words finally sunk in. "Not far to what?" she asked. They'd been on the move for hours and the sun was getting low in the sky, but she knew there was no way they'd gone far enough to be that close to the settlement yet.

"To the reason my route is quicker than yours..." He winked at her from a couple of rocks away where he was also taking a quick drink. "A best kept secret, which you must also promise me that you will keep. If the orcs knew about what I am about to show you, there would be trouble at your settlement for sure... These woods are bugged, the orcs have a much better sense of hearing then you or I do, and spies in the unlikeliest of places. Tread carefully from here on..." Once she was finished drinking he turned away and began slowly making his way across the rocks, heading downstream. His pace was slower now, and his posture was more alert, like he was paying very careful attention to where they were.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

Strider was forced to lower his weapon so he wouldn't hurt the girl. He glanced to Ruby "Get her down" He said then went to the door to look out and make sure the orc wasn't coming back in.

Ruby nodded and approached Danielle, catching her to stop her swinging, then cutting her down with her father's sword. She lowered Danielle to the floor so she could cut the ropes away from her. "Can you run?" She asked quickly, knowing it wouldn't take long for other orcs to come. She didn't know about the fire distraction.

After dashing out the door, Ghegari was making a beeline for the trees. It was a rather comical sight to see her run as she was more then a bit on the obese side, for an orc anyways. Clearly she had no plans of returning to the cookhouse at that moment.

--

Danielle's legs held when the ropes were cut, but her face was ashen and pale. In a state of shock and fear, the girl hardly recognized that Strider and Ruby were there to help her. "I-I think so..." She stammered.

 

[StarrNico]

Ruby nodded and glanced to Strider. "Then let's get out of here." She said and stood to retrieve the daggerbefore making her way to the door.

Strider glanced to Danielle "Stay close to me, both of you. If we move quickly we can catch up to the others. If not we can just go to the horses and get to the colony." He took his sword from Ruby and sheathed it then took his dagger and slipped it back into his boot. "Your things are on Rosa." He told Ruby

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

Whew... long day. I'm gunna head out for the night... definitely be around tomorrow though!

 

[Frundette]

Once Anna's wrists were secured, Charles unwrapped his arms from the girl's torso, but grasped the back of her shirt to keep her from trying to run.

Ignoring the girl's question, the two men began discussing their plans. "Now what?" Charles asked. "We can't just kill her," he said. He'd agreed to this arrangement with the orcs because he'd been promised a large pile of gold coins, but wasn't sure he had the stomach for murder.

"Don't have to kill her, just keep her out of the way for a few days until this is over," Laethros said.

"The cave?" Charles suggested.

"That'll do well enough," the older man said.

Still grasping Anna's shirt, they started moving again, now veering off the road and onto a footpath that looked barely more substantial than a game trial.

 

[StarrNico]

Once Anna's wrists were secured, Charles unwrapped his arms from the girl's torso, but grasped the back of her shirt to keep her from trying to run.

Ignoring the girl's question, the two men began discussing their plans. "Now what?" Charles asked. "We can't just kill her," he said. He'd agreed to this arrangement with the orcs because he'd been promised a large pile of gold coins, but wasn't sure he had the stomach for murder.

"Don't have to kill her, just keep her out of the way for a few days until this is over," Laethros said.

"The cave?" Charles suggested.

"That'll do well enough," the older man said.

Still grasping Anna's shirt, they started moving again, now veering off the road and onto a footpath that looked barely more substantial than a game trial.

Anna stumbled along, seemingly clumsy. She was leaving a trail she could follow back if she could get free of these two. She kept her mouth shut and just listened to the two after her last question was ignored. She kept her eyes moving, taking in the direction they were travelling and the forest around them.

 

[Frundette]

Meanwhile...

"There they are!" Jasper said to Ezra, pointing at the horses just where they had left them. The surgeon's apprentice had been having visions of the horses being stolen by the orcs. He hurried forward and starting unknotting Duke's reins from the tree, before it occurred to him that he'd better ask. "Mind if I ride Duke again? I think he'll get us home faster."



Aelfric's prayer of thanks was short lived. For Mulush had not been far behind Snaga. snap! Aelfric's eyes shot open at what sounded like a boot breaking a twig underfoot. Abandoning attempts at stealth, the orc's whip shot out toward the swordsman, intending to ensnare the human's wrist. But he wasn't quite close enough, so the metal tip lashed against Aelfric's lower arm, drawing a thin line of blood. The man sprang back to his feet, sword coming up instinctively to guard his body.

Mulush laughed, hanging back out of the sword's range. "Barash!" he called loudly, hoping to catch the attention of the other orc still fighting the fire. "Humie, Mulush let live. Drop weapon! "

 

[Frundette]

Anna stumbled along, seemingly clumsy. She was leaving a trail she could follow back if she could get free of these two. She kept her mouth shut and just listened to the two after her last question was ignored. She kept her eyes moving, taking in the direction they were travelling and the forest around them.

"Walk right," Charles said as the girl half stumbled yet again and he had to heft her up by the arm. The older man was leading the way, hurrying along the path in an attempt to reach the cave before dark, leaving Charles to deal with their prisoner. "Listen, I'm sorry about this, Raven" he said, sounding at least somewhat genuine. "Wish it didn't have to be like this and that you would have just stayed home."

 

[StarrNico]

"Walk right," Charles said as the girl half stumbled yet again and he had to heft her up by the arm. The older man was leading the way, hurrying along the path in an attempt to reach the cave before dark, leaving Charles to deal with their prisoner. "Listen, I'm sorry about this, Raven" he said, sounding at least somewhat genuine. "Wish it didn't have to be like this and that you would have just stayed home."

Raven glanced over her shoulder at Charles, letting a bit of fear show in her eyes. "You could have told me 'no'. What's going to happen to me?" She asked, trying for sympathy. When she wasn't stumbling she had been making a mark with her shoes, digging in a little every third or fourth step. it was a more subtle sign, but she would know it and be able to follow it.

Meanwhile...

"There they are!" Jasper said to Ezra, pointing at the horses just where they had left them. The surgeon's apprentice had been having visions of the horses being stolen by the orcs. He hurried forward and starting unknotting Duke's reins from the tree, before it occurred to him that he'd better ask. "Mind if I ride Duke again? I think he'll get us home faster."



Aelfric's prayer of thanks was short lived. For Mulush had not been far behind Snaga. snap! Aelfric's eyes shot open at what sounded like a boot breaking a twig underfoot. Abandoning attempts at stealth, the orc's whip shot out toward the swordsman, intending to ensnare the human's wrist. But he wasn't quite close enough, so the metal tip lashed against Aelfric's lower arm, drawing a thin line of blood. The man sprang back to his feet, sword coming up instinctively to guard his body.

Mulush laughed, hanging back out of the sword's range. "Barash!" he called loudly, hoping to catch the attention of the other orc still fighting the fire. "Humie, Mulush let live. Drop weapon! "

Barash had left the fire to follow after Snaga and Mulush not long after the others had arrived to help put the fire out and he had had the chance to look around. "Barash come" He called when he heard Mulush call for him.

 

[Frundette]

"You're going to stay in the cave for a bit while we do what we have to do," Charles replied, trying to ease her fears a bit, but not wanting to give her too much information.

Laethros looked back at the two. "Hurry up", he said, sounding annoyed that Charles wasn't pushing the girl along faster. "I've only got a couple torches in my pack and don't want to use 'em up navigating the woods."

Charles sighed and started forcing the pace a little quicker.

From ahead Laethros mumbled under his breath. "Must take after her father, poking her nose where it don't belong."



Aelfric gave a quick glance to Barash before looking back at the orc right in front of him. Mulush sent his whip toward the human again, this time it wrapped around the man's ankle and the orc pulled hard, knocking the man off balance. Aelfric fell, hitting his backside hard against the rock. But before Mulush could pull him down the sloped rock, Aelfric swung his sword toward the whip, severing it.