Lost Scout

As the leaving orcs produced a cacophony of jeers and shouts, Aelfric took a deep breath to steel himself. He started in the center of the cage and rushed the side, ramming his shoulder into the bars. The whole structure moved, just a little, toward the knives hung on the wall. "Ahhh!" the swordsman gritted his teeth as the action sent waves of pain through his back. But after a couple breaths to recover, he repeated the process. If he was lucky enough to not attract unwanted attention, he could get his hands on one of those knives...

---

"There's the bridge up ahead," Laethros said, stopping yet again to rest. He'd stopped frequently during their trek, making progress extremely slow. But the hardest part of their trek would be this. The cliff here was not near as steep as it was near the cave entrance, but would still require climbing up a rocky path. "You'll have to aid me if you think I'm going to get up that," he said to Anna.

--

"I will," Jasper said. "You two should go," he said, looking to Terrowin and David. "I'll do what I can, then help them to Aberdeen."
 
Anna stopped beside him and looked to the cliff, visibly paling. She swallowed and closed her eyes, stealing herself for the task ahead. She did not want to deal with another cliff, even a smaller one. She opened her eyes and glanced around, confirming that there was not another way to go then looked to the cliff again before dropping her gaze to the ground. "Aye" She said softly. She would help him and use him to stay next to the wall of the cliff.
 
David nodded and remounted his stallion "be careful, Jasper" He said then glanced to Terrowin and with a quick nod he turned to continue on their way. He paused before leaving and looked back to Jasper and Mark "Need help getting her back into the saddle?"
 
"I think we can manage." Mark looked up at David in the saddle. "Go on, they need to be warned as quick as possible."
David nodded and turned, spurring his stallion to go on to the next village quickly. He knew the way Strider trained his horses and knew that if necessary Stone could help the two men. He reached down to pet his own stallion, knowing that he may have need of such tricks taught to the warhorses since they were foals.
 
Terrowin followed quickly. Already two incidents regarding escaped slaves had come to his attention, either the orcs were seriously not paying attention to their charges, or they had enough to lose a few. In either case, he suspected that the orcs would want to start replenishing their stock... and him and David were alone on the road to Wedmor where the majority of the people had been abducted from. He cast a quick glance behind them to make sure they weren't being followed...
 
Jasper finished bandaging Bagira's wound. Then, raising her head gently so as not to drown her, carefully dropped a few small drops of water from his flask into her mouth. "Here," he said, offering the remainder of the flask to Mark. "I'm afraid I can't do more for her," he said, lowering her head back down slowly. "Except to get her back to Master Corin's house and let her rest."


--


It was near dark, and Laethros started limping slowly toward the base of the cliff near the bridge. He wiped his brow and grimaced at the thought of the pain climbing up even this relatively gentle slope was almost surely going to bring to his broken leg. "Ready if you are," he said, waiting for Anna to come close, intending to drape his arm around her shoulder so that she could help him up.
 
Jasper finished bandaging Bagira's wound. Then, raising her head gently so as not to drown her, carefully dropped a few small drops of water from his flask into her mouth. "Here," he said, offering the remainder of the flask to Mark. "I'm afraid I can't do more for her," he said, lowering her head back down slowly. "Except to get her back to Master Corin's house and let her rest."


--


It was near dark, and Laethros started limping slowly toward the base of the cliff near the bridge. He wiped his brow and grimaced at the thought of the pain climbing up even this relatively gentle slope was almost surely going to bring to his broken leg. "Ready if you are," he said, waiting for Anna to come close, intending to drape his arm around her shoulder so that she could help him up.
Anna took a shaky breath and moved to Leanthros' side "Right. Let's go then, unless you want to wait for morning?" SHe was willing to forgo this experience seeing how it could easily end with them climbing the trail in the dark." She glanced to him then looked back to the wall in front of them.
 
"Thank you," Mark said earnestly. He hadn't known Jasper before this, but was impressed by the apprentice's cool head and knowledge. "If you could help me get her back on Stone we can start heading back. Would be nice to get there before its too dark." After staying in the orc camp he couldn't imagine having to spend another night outside.
 

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