Lost Scout

[Frundette]

Ragnar was sympathetic toward the farmer's situation, but was not about to be pushed into a rash decision by Ezra. "They could already be dead," Ragnar retorted, not intending to be harsh, even though his words came across as such. "If Wedmor can send enough men to double our strength, we would have enough men to take the fight to the orcs without risking the lives of everyone here."

He looked back to Gytha, "How many orcs are there?"

"Roughly 30, as far as I could tell..." the scout reported, then went on to detail the camp and every bit of information she could recall, hoping that it would be of help if and when an attack was made against the camp.


---


Jasper felt a small wave of relief as David seemed to know at least one of the riders. The man didn't look familiar to Jasper, but perhaps the two knew each other from whatever town David had lived in before coming to Aberdeen. He let up on the reins and his horse moved forward without being asked. "Are you hurt? Do you need help?" he called, seeing how the woman was slumped over the saddle.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

"David, Terrowin," Mark sounded relieved to see some familiar faces. He recognized them from several dinners that his cousin, Lord Octa, had held in Wedmor with the Lord's and sworn men from both Aberdeen and Camden. "Please," his gaze turned to Jasper when the younger man offered help. "We come from an orc camp hidden deep in the forest, they are capturing human slaves and we barely escaped with our lives. My friend, Bagira, has been badly injured. She needs medical attention, we were on our way to Aberdeen to seek help." He wasn't aware that the trio were already acting on news of the orc camp. Although he specifically mentioned the woman when he spoke of injuries, it was clear that both of them were seriously ill. The weeks in the orc camp had taken a major toll on both of them as they were malnourished, and covered with both new and old wounds from the brutal treatment at the hands of the orcs. Their sunken eyes and thin, matted hair hiding the bright spirit of what they both once were.

--

"You don't know that!" Ezra countered angrily, his emotions making his temper raw and snappy. His mind only heard the harshness of Ragnar's statement, and was unable to see the whole picture clearly. "My daughter, and Aelfric, and Strider, not to mention how many others, are being held and tortured in that camp! We can't in our good minds leave them to rot while we meddle in political garbage with the other settlements. By the time word reaches them and comes back, it may be too late to save anybody!"

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

"Tonight we march!" Kagan's thunderous voice easily reached those at the furthest reaches of the gathered crowd. "Tonight we begin our siege on the human settlements! We will leave our mark in a way that they cannot fathom, or repair! Remember what the humans did to us... they crippled our ranks with their disgusting, poisonous diseases... murdered our ancestors and thought us a dead race. They were wrong. We will have our revenge, starting tonight Camden will be no more!"

"To the orcs!" Orkhan shouted as he raised his sword towards the darkening sky, echoed by the voices of Draugnot and Mazoga in the crowd. His blood felt hot, his hands ready, and his mind set. Whatever it took, he would do his best to ensure that Camden never walked again.

 

[Frundette]

"We know," Jasper said as he hurriedly dismounted from the headstrong mount he'd been given and tied the reins to a strong branch near the side of the road. "We're on our way to Wedmor to take word to Lord Octa, then to Camden and Lord Varxis," he explained as he rushed back over toward Mark and Bagira with his satchel of medical supplies.

"I've been apprenticed to the surgeon, Master Corin, almost 5 years now. I might be able to help. Here, let's get her down," he said, lifting his arms to help support the woman while Mark slid her off Stone's back. Jasper's eyes widened as he saw the nasty cut and bruise to the woman's temple and he felt a nervous flutter in his stomach, knowing already there was probably little he'd be able to do for head trauma like this, other than treat the cut so that it didn't get infected.

"What happened?" he asked, lowering her as gently as he could manage.

--

"It may very well be!" Ragnar's voice rose. "But would you trade the life of your wife and other children for your daughter's?! We have no idea if the whole horde of orcs is marching here right now!"

Gytha interrupted, wanting to finish telling all she knew of the situation. "It is likely they are! One of the orcs, a half-orc if I guess right, seemed to be in communication with Laethros and Charles. I could not overhear much of their conversation, but the creature asked how many men defended Aberdeen!"

Ragnar paused at this new bit of information, a look crossing his face as if he had just took a whiff of soured milk. He had encountered a half-orc on his campaign north all those years ago. Disgusting creature...

"I'm sorry," he answered firmly. "We can ill-afford the risk without help from Wedmor or Camden."

--

Grishkah added her whoops and cheers to the chorus of yells at Kagan's statement. After putting her new slave into the cage, she had prepared herself, donning her armor and hanging both a sword and a wooden club on her belt. Stripes of red paint adorned her face and her armor diagonally in a fashion that she thought made her look more ferocious. Tonight would start their real conquest of the human territory and she could not be more ready.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

"There was a mutiny at the orc camp," Mark grunted as he tried to help Jasper lower Bagira with his good arm. Once she was safely with Corin's apprentice, he slid awkwardly off Stone behind her. "A man snuck into the camp and broke us free while the orcs were distracted. We ran for our lives but they caught up with us before we could get to the road. There was a fight, but we were hopelessly outmatched. S'far as I know we're the only ones who made it out, the rest were either killed or brought back to the camp... including the man. Unfortunately I did not catch his name. My friend, Bagira, got a good crack on her head. She's been out cold since, can you do anything for her?"

--

Ezra exhaled sharply and averted his gaze from Ragnar's when the man raised his voice. He had spent his entire life living under the command of a Lord, and the old habit of obeying orders wasn't broken easily-- even when Danielle was in trouble. "Forgive me," he mumbled. "I should not have spoken out."

--

Orkhan thrust his sword into the sky once more before using it to point in the direction of the trees, indicating that they were to leave. Kagan had put himself and Mulush in charge of the raid, one to destroy the settlement, and one to organize the captured slaves. "Move out!" He roared above the crowd noise, and charged into the trees. They would stay off the road and travel one night, and one day before they arrived at Camden. If everything went to plan, they would pillage during the night and be gone before dawn.

 

[StarrNico]

David dismounted and looked onver the horse the two had been riding, stopping when he noriced a mark cut into the back of the saddle "This belongs to Strider, he and his daughter were supposed to be coming to Aberdeen." He looked to Mark then to Jasper "You will need to take them to Aberdeen, Lord Ragnar will want to hear about this." His eyeswent back to Stone as the stallion shifted to rest while they were stopped. He touched the horses neck gently and turned to his stallion to get a handful of grain he had brought dor his horse, figuring Stone would need it more at the moment.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

"Strider," Mark looked up suddenly, the name sounded familiar. He had heard it before, was that the man who had broken open the cages? "I've heard that name before. That was the man who opened the cages-- he was with us-- I uhh..." His voice trailed off when he remembered the end of the story. His mouth had gotten ahead of his tired mind. The images of Orkhan severing Strider's head were still burned into his eyes, even though he had watched from the bushes several meters away from the clearing. "I-I'm sorry David, Strider is dead. I don't know what happened to the girl though." The words were partly a lie as he had also seen the arrow pierce her shoulder, and the orcs drag her away.

 

[Frundette]

"I can tend the cut," Jasper answered, looking over the wound, then checked the strength of Bagira's pulse and breath and lifted her eyelids to check her eyes. "If she wakes within the next day or two, her chances are good. If not..." he let the statement hang.

"You will need to take them to Aberdeen, Lord Ragnar will want to hear about this," David told him. Jasper nodded, only a tad reluctantly. He had been hoping to point out the trail to the orc camp to Terrowin and David as they drew close to it, but knew that David was right. He wet a clean rag with the contents of a green glass bottle and used it to clean the cut as best he could, then retrieved a bandage as he listened to David and Mark converse.

"He's dead?" Jasper's hands paused in shock. He knew it had been a very real risk, but the woodsman had seemed almost invincible. If Strider had been killed, the situation suddenly seemed much, much bleaker. He looked down at his patient, hiding his tormented face from the others in the group.


--

"Go rest," Ragnar said, dismissing them. "We'll need every hand soon enough."

 

[StarrNico]

David hooded his eyes and looked to Stone again. He finished feeding the stallion and checked him for any cuts or stones in his hooves. Only after he was done with that did he look to the others again "Jasper, when you get back, take Stone to my house. Tell my wife to look after him."

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

"I'm sorry..." Mark didn't catch Jasper's expression as the young man looked down, but his tone of voice was enough to betray his feelings. "Really, I wish there was something I could have done. He saved us all... it should have been me. If he has any family, please pass on my sincerest condolences... he should be remembered as a hero." He looked specifically at David when he said the last part as he seemed to have known Strider the best.

"Thank you Jasper." Terrowin gave a slight nod to the apprentice, grateful that Jasper was willing to go back with Mark and Bagira. He too had known Strider, albeit not quite as well as David, but enough to feel sorrow at the news of his passing.

--

Ezra backed out of the room without another word and stumbled blindly through the darkened rooms to where Panago was waiting patiently outside. With Ragnar's words stuck in his head, he headed home to care for Emma and the rest of his children. They needed him too.