Lost Scout

[Frundette]

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.

"Won't get no argument from me to wait til morning," Leathros said, half smirking in the fading light as he heard the edge of fear in her voice even over the idea of climbing this small cliff. "I ain't in a particular hurry to get back to Aberdeen." Already he was carefully lowering himself down into a sitting position with his back to the base of the hillside, looking forward to resting. Maybe he'd even get lucky and the orcs would happen upon them during the night...

--

As Terrowin and David hurried off down the road, Jasper's borrowed mount whinnied and pulled at rope keeping him secured to the tree branch, wanting to follow after. The apprentice was not looking forward to fighting with the horse on the way back to Aberdeen. But first he needed to get Bagira back onto Stone. At least Strider's horse seemed most calm and cooperative.

"Try to jostle her head as little as possible as we get her back on the horse," Jasper said, positioning himself on the woman's right side and indicting Mark should lift her from her left side. "It would be good if we can make it back before dark, but keep the horse at a slow pace if you can."


--

So far, so good. None of the orcs had come to check on him, despite the racket he was making moving the cage across the hut. One more should do it. Aelfric gritted his teeth and slammed his shoulder into the cage wall once more, sliding it closer to the wall. "Graaahhhh!" he groaned, his arms shaking from the pain. Carefully, he reached his bound hands through the bars and was just able to reach one of the cook's knives. He closed his fingers around the handle and was able to get it off the hook and through the bars...

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

Mark put his left arm under Bagira's shoulder and steadied her with his right. "On three?" He looked around her head at Jasper. "One...two...threeee!" Lifting the woman took nearly all that his left arm had to give, but he tried to keep the movements slow and gentle, although shoving her would have been easier for his arm. Thankfully Stone stood still as they draped her over his neck. Before she could fall off the other side he scrambled up beside her and positioned her legs on either side, then let her head lean back against his chest so it wouldn't jostle around.

--

As Aelfric struggled to move the cage, Ghegari appeared in the doorway. She hurried over to the far wall and began filling her arms with the supplies they would need to start making new cages. Mazoga and Barash were waiting outside. The orc cook did not look immediately at Aelfric, but paused on her way out when she seen the skid marks in the floor. Realizing that the cage had been moved, she stormed over and glared at him through the bars. In the dim light, however, she missed seeing the knife and only dragged the cage back to its original position before leaving.

 

[StarrNico]

Anna closed her eyes briefly then moved away from the wall and looked around the area. She checked her pockets then started gathering wood to make a small fire with. While she was collecting the wood she set a snare with a thin piece of cord she kept wrapped around her boot as her father had taught her to do for this purpose. When she returned to the bottom of the cliff she set about starting the fire and once it was going moved to get a drink from the river, once again wetting a rag to bring water to Leanthros.

 

[Frundette]

Between the noise outside from the departing orc horde and the racket Aelfric had been making moving the cage, he hadn't heard Ghegari approach the cookhouse and his heart jumped into his throat, thinking she had come in specifically to thwart whatever he was attempting. But Lady Luck must have been smiling upon him, for the orc only moved the cage back to where it had been, effectively removing any evidence that he had moved it in the first place.

When it seemed the coast was clear again, he sat on the floor and wedged the knife between his knees so that he could saw at the leather bindings. The cook kept her blades sharp and the knife sliced through the leather with little trouble. But though having the bonds no longer digging into his wrists was a great relief, Aelfric hid the knife in his boot, then wrapped the bindings around his own hands again, holding the ends in place with his closed fist so that it appeared he was still securely bound.

"GOMEZ!" he yelled loudly.

--


While Jasper was accompanying Mark and Bagira back toward Aberdeen and Laethros and Anna were settling in for a night beside the river, David and Terrowin were about to encounter another familiar face along the road...

Charles had made it to the road hours ahead of Laethros and Anna and had turned his feet toward Wedmor, unable to bring himself to go back and turn himself in to Lord Ragnar. But as dusk was falling, he heard hoofbeats approaching rapidly and turned to look westward. In only a few moments the two horses came into view and Charles recognized the riders quickly. "They come for my head," he said quietly to himself and sighed, for he deserved nothing better. There was little point in running from the two fast horses and Ragnar's sworn men, so he simply waited for the riders to draw near him.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

Having not been involved with the raid on Camden, Gomez was still hanging around the camp once the orcs had left. There seemed like not much for him to do at the moment as his inferior strength rendered him not very much help to Mazoga, Barash, and Ghegari as they made new cages. Kagan certainly wasn't the chatty type, and the remaining slaves had already been put away for the night. He was just about to turn in for the night, knowing that tomorrow would have him busy, when he heard Aelfric's enraged voice call his name. Has the man finally decided to cooperate? He wondered, curiosity tickling his gut... but was it wise to go to him now? Would Aelfric become accustomed to him coming on call? On his convenience? No.... let him wait... let him worry... let him think Gytha is having the worst night of her life...

--

Silently Terrowin felt a pang of misgiving as they spotted yet another figure on the road ahead of them. At this rate there was no way they would make it to Wedmor on schedule. In the dark it took him longer than usual to identify Charles, but he felt no inclination to rebuke the man when they approached as he was not yet aware of Charles' treachery. Gytha had come to Ragnar after they had left, so there was no way he could have known that there was a price on Charles' head. "Charles, you're a long way from home." Terrowin looked down curiously at him. "What has you out here at this late hour?"

 

[Frundette]

For a moment Charles imagined that the other man was mocking him by asking what he was doing out here. But a moment later he realized that Terrowin seemed genuinely surprised to see him out here and that realization was bittersweet. He may yet escape from this mess with his life intact, but that most likely meant Laethros had either killed or captured the girls and that word had not reached Lord Ragnar. And yet... here was Terrowin and David riding hard near nightfall.

He looked up at Terrowin and David, letting the deep bruise that Laethros had given him across his cheek show, letting his shoulders slump and his face show even more pain than he really felt, which wasn't hard since Laethros had gotten the better of him in the struggle in the cave. "I search for my partner, Gytha," he said. "Has word reached Aberdeen of the orcs? They have taken Laethros and I fear the worst may have befallen her. Do you have any news?"

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

Terrowin dismounted his horse to speak with Charles on a more 'eye to eye' level, feeling it would be rude not to. "Yes Ragnar knows of the orcs, an unlikely pair arrived this morning with news. We are are riding to Wedmor and Camden with the message. It appears that the orcs are using human slaves, I suspect that is what may have led to Laethros' and her disappearance. I'm sorry, that's all I know. Neither of them were in Aberdeen when we left a few hours ago." He stopped talking long enough to glance at David. "You do not have a horse to travel with? It is a long many miles back on foot."

 

[StarrNico]

David looked to Terrowin and nodded, agreeing with his assessment. His eyes returned to Charles for a moment then searched their surroundings for any sign of danger "He can ride pillion with me till we reach the next town"

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

"Then its settled, Charles you will ride to Wedmor with us. We're already going to be late, I hope they are still willing to let us in at this hour." Unlike Aberdeen, Wedmor's inner guard was surrounded by a high wooden wall designed to keep out unwanted foes. He was worried that they would make him and his company remain outside until morning. Though he didn't voice any of his private thoughts, he was incredible curious to know what exactly Charles, Laethros, and Gytha had been doing out in the middle of nowhere so late at night. Only Gytha had been missing, and as far as he knew, Charles had not been authorized to launch a search party with Laethros to find her. The whole thing began raising the hairs on the back of his neck...

 

[Frundette]

A small wave of relief washed over Charles as Terrowin and David confirmed that his traitorous actions remained unknown. "If we are to rider to Wedmor, we head back toward the orcs, where I barely managed to escape with my life," he said, digging himself deeper into lies. He climbed upon David's horse, ensuring that his bruises were visible to David to lend weight to his falsehood. "Their camp is not far from here."