The Towers
Copyright (C) 1997 by Charles Tryon
13: Unexpected Guests
The next day dawned quietly. GreyEagle sat a short distance off from the others and pulled out the map which Schimray had given her. Here in the wilds of the Shaar, the road was not as smooth as the Golden Road, but they were still making good time, and she guessed that they would be able to reach the city of Rethmar by nightfall. The air grew hot and sticky as they traveled. Now that they were away from the relative safety of the main road, GreyEagle wished that she could ride with the security of her metal armor on, but the sun beating down quickly put an end to that hope. They would have to make do with the lighter protection of their leather armor. She reached down and felt the hilt of her sword at her side, and the faint tingle if its magic gave her some reassurance. She wondered how long it would take them to actually reach the second tower, and what waited for them there. They had traveled many miles already, but this was a much wilder country, with few towns and cities. On the road they had passed many smaller settlements and farms between the major cities, but here there was little or nothing. All they could see was tall grasses and scrub brush, broken by an occasional stand of trees. There were streams that they crossed now and then, but often the beds were dry, or what little water there was slow moving and green. They were careful to fill their water bottles at every opportunity, when they found good water, since they were drinking a lot, and did not wish to run short again. The sun was nearing its peak, when they came to the crest of a small rise and discovered that the road ahead was blocked by a makeshift barricade. Standing around at the barrier or sitting in the shade of some scrub trees at the side of the road were perhaps a half dozen ogres, dressed in an odd assortment of heavy armor. They were armed with massive broadswords and halberds. Ormec quickly signaled a stop. There was no clear way around the barricade, as the sides of the road were heavily overgrown with stunted trees and prickly underbrush. To make matters worse, as soon as they pulled to a stop, more than a dozen orcs stepped out of the brush along the road on either side of them, brandishing bows and arrows. One of the ogres stood sluggishly to his feet and called out in a rough guttural voice, "You pay, get by. We break bones and take, get by." GreyEagle frowned. They were badly outnumbered, and hardly prepared for a fight, while the orcs and ogres were heavily armored. With careful bluffing, they might be able to make it through with a minimum of damage. It was worth a try. She turned to Ormec. "Wait here while I try to speak with them." Ormec looked surprised. "With these?" he spat, indicating the ogres with a disgusted sweep of his hand. "You're welcome to try, but you could just as well try to reason with pile of dung." He shrugged and continued to stare coldly at those manning the barricade. GreyEagle pushed her mount forward, while at the same time brushing aside her cloak to display the sword at her side. She heard a faint snap behind her as Conrad adjusted his crossbow. She looked back quickly at the gnome, but he held his tongue. "Who are you," she called out to the ogre who stepped forward to meet her, "and what makes you think that you can make us pay your toll?" The ogre regarded her carelessly for a moment and then burst out laughing. He spat something at her in his own tongue, but GreyEagle could make no sense of what he said. Recuahc pushed his horse forward. "I would not be quick to provoke them," he whispered loudly as he came along side of her. "There are a lot more of them than there are of us. Let me see what I can do." He called up to those by the barricade. "How much is passage? We have little to bargain with and would hate to be forced to turn back." His words were met with more laughter from the ogres lounging at the barrier. "You'll have to do a lot better than that," Trouble chuckled from behind them. GreyEagle could feel a cold line of sweat begin to trickle down the center of her back. It did not appear that they would be able to bluff their way through this time. She leaned over towards Recuahc. "If they attack, keep close to me." "With some luck, we may avoid that," Recuahc whispered back. "There's no way to know if they really want a toll, or are just looking for an excuse to attack. On the other hand, the toll may be small and not worth fighting over. I'd just like to know if there are more of them trying to sneak in behind us." Suddenly, Ormec could contain himself no longer. "What are you waiting for?" he blurted out, pushing past GreyEagle and Recuahc. "If there were twice as many of them, we would sweep them from our way like flies and gnats." Recuahc shouted at Ormec to wait, but the dwarf was already past them, standing up in his saddle and shouting at the ogres. "Surely you speak in jest!" Ormec laughed. His words quickly drew the attention of the others at the barrier, and they stood to their feet. "I will say this slowly," he shouted even louder than before, "because I know you are as ignorant as the dirt under your feet. We will pay you nothing! You will let us pass, and if you are so kind as to tell your orc filth to lower their bows right away, we may even let you live. Do you understand?" GreyEagle clenched her teeth and looked behind her as the ogres began to roar with laughter. The others in the group had already begun to slowly back up, and some were already drawing their weapons. The situation was deteriorating quickly. "Perhaps we should drop back and discuss options first," she hissed at the Ormec, "before we dive into this nest of snakes?" She had no opportunity to say more though, as Ormec's statement drew a quick response. The sound of a quickly barked order from the lead ogre was immediately followed by the sound of bowstrings, and a hail of arrows filled the air. GreyEagle quickly ducked as one arrow lodged itself in her shield, but some of the others were not so lucky. Marianne and Recuahc both cried out sharply as they were struck. The shaft of an arrow protruded from Ormec's shoulder, though he had made no sound. Recuahc and Laurel's mounts were also hit, as was one of the pack horses, and the boy struggled with his to keep it from bolting. "No laugh now filthy dwarf!" the head ogre called out over the raucous laughter of his companions. "Pay or die!" The archers lining the sides of the path stood ready, but held their fire. "I suggest we step back and consider our options, now," GreyEagle said again through clenched teeth, signaling the others to back up. Recuahc reached down to the shaft protruding from his thigh, and with a sharp hiss, broke it off a short way from the flesh. Blood was already beginning to soak the leg of his pants. "Perhaps we will all live long enough to learn a lesson from this," he said, throwing down the broken piece of arrow. "Alright," Ormec fumed, pulling back, "but I have no intention of giving these vermin so much as one copper! The land would be better off rid of them." "Perhaps," GreyEagle replied, struggling to maintain control of her horse, "but I for one do not relish the idea of doing so dressed in nothing better than leather armor, and mounted on a panicking horse!" As if to underline her point, Recuahc's horse suddenly reared up and he tumbled off. He stood up to go after the fleeing animal, but immediately grunted in pain as his leg folded under him, sending him to the ground again. GreyEagle circled around as Ormec slid off his pony to help. The others were in disarray, already heading back over the hill. "It would be nice if we could get under some cover," Recuahc grunted. With great effort he forced himself to his feet and began to limp back towards the brow of the hill, with GreyEagle close behind him. As they crested the rise, her stomach sank at the sight. Three immense orcs in heavy armor stood in the center of the roadway behind them, armed with halberds and massive broadswords, blocking their retreat. Three more already lay slumped on the ground near by and GreyEagle guessed that the mages had already been up to their handwork. She could see Trouble off to the side of the road, preparing to cast some spell. The crackle of magic sparked in the humid air. Coyle had already dropped to the ground and tossed the reigns to Marianne. With drawn sword, he advanced towards the three standing orcs. Laurel hit the ground close behind him. Without a rider to control it, her horse quickly headed off into the brush, an arrow still protruding from its bloody shoulder. With her shortbow ready, Laurel ducked behind a bush, watching the hill behind them. The orcs were almost on top of them. There was not much left to do now but to stand and fight. GreyEagle found herself on the ground, her sword suddenly in her hand, and her arms burning with its magic. She stopped to concentrate on the magic, to read it and direct its energy. The others were moving to form a circle; Conrad moving off into the brush at the right towards the motionless orcs, Ormec standing ar the crest of the hill and taking aim with his shortbow at the ogres beyond. The silent mage was nowhere to be seen. The sing of a sword being drawn to her left told her that Recuahc stood beside her. The blood in his pant leg was spreading rapidly, and GreyEagle wondered how long he would be able to stand. "Over here, you dogs and cowards!" Recuahc raged at the approaching orcs, "or should I feed your carrion to the birds where you stand?" The orcs responded with laughter and insults in their own tongue. Then, with their massive halberds raised high over their heads, they charged. A cold blue light burst from her blade and GreyEagle could feel the slap of its power. Everything around her shifted and blurred, except for a narrow path in front of her. To her left, Coyle stood by himself, daring the orcs to try to pass him. She moved forward until she stood next to Coyle, shuddering at the thought of the two of them trying to absorb the impact of the charging ogres. She slipped the small shield from her shoulder and held it up in front of her. Coyle took a step forward, but GreyEagle was already ahead of him. The center orc moved to strike, but there was no way that it could anticipate the magic of the sword. She wasn't sure if she saw the flickering shadow which moved ahead of the massive orc, or felt it, but she reached back and threw all of her strength into the sword, lunging towards it. In the blink of an eye, she struck the orc full in the chest, tearing through the dirty metal and leather of its breastplate. The orc staggered back, tearing free from the blade, but it didn't go down. GreyEagle hissed in frustration. A blow like that would have easily taken down a normal orc, but this one stood leering at her now. However, the orcs were more cautious now, and pulled back, dodging and feigning, looking for an opening rather than simply rushing in to crush them. These were no typical orcs, slow and stupid. It would be a long fight, in spite of what Ormec had boasted. Coyle feigned to his left and then dove right in an effort to slip through the orc's defense, but saw through his bluff and swung to bring its monstrous sword down on his shoulder. Coyle dove for the ground, but not quick enough to avoid the blow which just caught his shoulder as he tried to roll out of the way, ending up on his feet behind the orc. Recuahc swung from the left, but his blow glanced off of the heavy metal armor of the orc. Suddenly, Trouble was next to them, slipping between two of the orcs without stopping as he slapped the leg of one. There was a flash as he made contact, and the orc let out a surprised howl as the mage rolled through. In an instant, he was on his feet again and circling back around to where Laurel stood facing the other side of the rise. GreyEagle was forced to take a step back as the huge orc in front of her pressed in. She had seen plenty of orcs before, but these were far bigger. Her blow had torn through its armor and its black blood flowed freely from the wound in its chest, but it showed no sign of slowing. She dropped almost to the ground as it swung its halberd over her head. The force of the swing caused the orc to stumble, only slightly, but it was enough for GreyEagle to lunge in at the opening it had left. With any other sword, she wouldn't have been quick enough, but now the blade blazed as she threw her weight behind it and drove it through. The orc twisted around, trying to avoid the thrust, and almost wrenching the hilt from her hands, but it was too late. The halberd fell past her, grazing her shoulder and dropped useless to the ground. With a low gurgle, the orc dropped into a heap and did not move again. There was no time to gloat. Recuahc leaped up beside her to attack the second orc, but it anticipated his step and deftly brought down the butt of its halberd to deflect his thrust. Carrying through, it brought the massive head of the weapon around and struck the boy squarely in the head. It was not a clean blow with the sharp edge of the weapon, but there was still a sickening crunch as Recuahc was thrown back. He took one more step back and then sank to the ground. Marianne saw him fall and let out a frightened cry. She ran to his side and dropped down next to him, trying to stop the blood which flowed freely from the wound. The orc that had struck him down now turned to face GreyEagle. "Come here little one," it laughed, "and I will crush your skull just as I did his." GreyEagle said nothing, but snarled and swung at the orc, testing it. The orc flicked the end of its pole-arm and easily parried her thrust. It lunged and then quickly stepped back. It was playing with her. Well, she would show it what happened when someone toyed with her. Next to her, the other orc lunged at Coyle. Coyle deflected the blow, and then followed through. This time he found an opening between the massive armor plates covering the creature's legs, and the orc howled in anger as Coyle drew blood. GreyEagle took a quick step back and glanced around her. They were terribly spread out, and outnumbered as well. If the orcs succeeded in driving them apart, then they would be able to pick them off one by one, at their leisure. They would have to guard each others back. "Form a circle around Recuahc and Marianne," she shouted. "Keep together or they will attack us from behind!" She couldn't see the silent one, but guessed that had become invisible, waiting for an opportune moment to attack. Conrad had disappeared too, though with his small size, he needed no magic spell to blend into the background in the confusion. Trouble and Laurel were behind her and Ormec still stood a short distance off at the crest of the hill. She prayed that he would be able to stop the charge of the ogres on his own. To her right, the group of smaller orcs which had first fired on them from along the left side of the road was now swiftly closing on their flank. They wore crude leather armor except for one which was dressed in heavy plate armor. She was busy concentrating on the massive orc in front of her, but she took a quick step back to try to keep the others from attacking her from behind. Just as she turned, she heard a cry and looked to see one of the orcs crumple into a heap at the feet of the now visible silent mage. Five orcs remained in that group, and seeing the billowing grey robes of the mage blocking their way, they dropped their bows in favor of hand axes. There was an iron look of determination in his eyes as the mage stood between them and the advancing orcs, with his dagger held high over his head in defiance. The orc in front of GreyEagle suddenly charged at her and she took another step back to find herself standing side by side with the mage. She ducked low and held her sword out in front of herself, hoping to slow the advance of the creature. It rushed on, towering over her, hissing and snarling as it came. In its haste, it rased its halberd over its head to crush her and GreyEagle saw her opening. She lunged back at the orc, and the magic of her sword surged as she buried it deep in the creature's thigh. It twisted in pain, but the wound was not enough to stop its charge. It brought down its weapon, and though she twisted sharply to dodge the thrust, it came down squarely on her shoulder. The impact threw her to the ground. She yanked her bloodied sword free and pushed herself to her feet. The orc was standing before her, staring at her blankly with its mouth hanging open, and it was then that she realized that she felt no pain from the blow. In a rush, she recalled Schimray's spell. It was just as it had been on the boat. Somehow, she was protected from any attack, as if her very skin were made of stone. She had no idea how long the spell would last, but for the time being, it seemed that the orcs could do nothing to harm her. "Flee now while you can, fool," she screamed, trying to make the most of the magic, "for you cannot touch me! And take the rest of your filthy brood with you or you will all end like the one now which lies dead at my feet." The first orc seemed to be little impressed by her words, and spat at her, even as its companion stepped back nervously. Sensing an opening, Coyle attacked swifter than a cat, driving the point of his longsword through the exposed throat of the orc and bringing it to the ground. The first orc brushed quickly to the side, preventing Coyle from circling around behind it. Behind them, there was a sharp cry and Coyle stepped back to stand next to GreyEagle. With a quick glance over his shoulder, he bit his lip. "Laurel?" GreyEagle asked, not daring to take her eyes off the orc which still stood snarling in front of her. "Yes." "Go and help her and the mage," GreyEagle urged. "I'll be OK here." Coyle took a step back. "Not yet. Trouble is with her, and I don't want to let you be overrun here." He carefully followed the movements of the group of smaller orcs to their right as the silent mage stood angrily waving his dagger, daring them to come closer. The orc in plate armor stood a little behind the others, barking orders at the others. Crouched like a cat, Coyle shifted sideways to close up the gap between themselves and the mage. Her attention was snapped back around as the orc hissed at her again, testing her resolve with the blood red tip of its pole-arm. "I am not impressed by your tricks," the words rolled out of its throat, splashing at her feet, soaked with disdain, its burning red eyes glaring at her, "and I am not so weak as the others. You kill them, but I stand now to crush you." It swung at her once, and then again. GreyEagle spun around and the blows hissed harmlessly over her head, but she was loosing ground. "You dance like a little frog," the orc laughed, "but I will crush you." It sudden blinked its eyes shut, throwing GreyEagle off guard just long enough for it to twist and bring the butt of its weapon up sharply. GreyEagle jumped back, but not quickly enough. The heavy wooden pole caught her on the middle of the stomach, throwing her back, but once again the blow bounced harmlessly away without pain. She scrambled back to her feet, holding her short-sword out in front of her. "This frog has too tough a skin for you," she spat back, "and beware its poison sting." She lunged and carved a wide ark with her sword, but the blade just hissed as it sliced through the open air. The orc dodged back out of reach of her attack, but it did not move as quickly as it had before. The heat has beginning to tell in its movements, and GreyEagle was sure the heavy armor was taking its toll as the beads of sweat traced lines through the dirt and grime on its face. Problem was, she too was slowing, as she tried to blink the stinging sweat from her own eyes. She glanced over at Coyle just as the orc captain at the back stumbled forward with a cry. Standing behind it was the gnome, holding high a bloodied sword. The gnome did not take time to gloat, and dove at the confused orc, swinging the heavily plated gauntlet which it wore. The orc captain reeled back, trying to put some of the others between itself and the charging gnome. Two of them broke off their attack on the silent mage and wheeled around to face Conrad. Something within the silent mage suddenly exploded. The dagger he had been holding hit the ground with a resonant clang as the mage spun around and reached for his waist. His face was twisted in hate and rage as he opened his mouth. The cry which suddenly split the air like pent up steam from a cooking pot, froze GreyEagle and the others in their tracks. The mage's arm came back in a fluid motion and the gleaming steel of his long sword flashed out in a deadly arc, slicing across the middle of the first orc in front of him and dropping it in its tracks. The other two orcs, surprised by the intensity of the mage's attack, hesitated for a moment, and then fell back a step. One of them stumbled and cried out in surprise and pain. It dropped its sword and reached down to its bloodied leg. Behind it, GreyEagle thought she saw the dark form of the Sumatran scurrying for cover. The other orc franticly looked around, confused by the unexpected attack. It began to back up again, but not quickly enough to get out of the range of the mage's flashing sword. It fell to the ground just as Coyle lunged from behind the mage to cut down the other. Conrad looked over his shoulder and motioned towards the orcs. "Attack! We've got `em surrounded!" It took a second for GreyEagle to figure out what he was doing before she realized that the gnome was bluffing. His plan worked for a moment, as the two remaining orcs headed towards him paused just long enough to look about worriedly, but at the sharply barked order of the orc commander behind them, they scurried to join in the battle. The huge orc now faced the gnome snarling. It was armed with a massive halberd, as were the others, and it brought the weapon around intending to crush Conrad. The gnome was able to deflect the first blow with the armored gauntlet, but the force of the impact caused him to stumble. In its haste to make the most of Conrad's mistake, the orc pivoted around, swinging the weapon full force. In an instant, Conrad was on his feet and swinging at the orc's exposed neck. He struck a fatal blow to the creature, but not before the halberd struck him full in the chest. The two of them toppled to the ground simultaneously. The two orcs who had just a moment before, been rushing to the aid of their captain, stood there confused, unsure of where to go now that their leader lay dead on the ground before them. Coyle wasted no time pondering though. With an angry shout, he fell on the two from behind, cutting down the first orc before it even had time to turn around. The second wheeled around to face him, swinging its axe wildly, but suddenly it stumbled. Attached to the back of its leg, Raal hung on, hissing and snarling. The orc tried to swing at it, and in the confusion, Coyle quickly laid it low. "Marianne," Coyle called out, "Conrad needs your help." He knelt for just a moment next to the fallen gnome before sprinting up the hill to come to the aid of the beleaguered Ormec. GreyEagle lunged at the orc still standing in front of her, hoping to throw it off balance. Her sword had a deep red glow now, as the magic in it burned her fingers. Forcing her grip tighter, she willed the fire into her arms. With the number of blows she had taken without suffering any harm, she was beginning to be bolder. She lunged now without thought for her own safety, slashing through the chainmail on the orc's thigh. It bellowed angrily and brought its halberd crashing down on her back. Again, the sheer force of the blow forced her face down into the dust of the roadway, but in a moment she had sprung back to her feet. The orc lifted its weapon high over its head, preparing for a shattering blow, desperate for some way to still the tireless gnat with the blazing red sword before it, but it never got to finish its blow. There was the flash of a sword behind it, and with a sudden confused look, the orc stumbled and fell on its face in the dust. Standing where the orc had been a moment earlier, the robes of the silent one fluttered weakly in the breeze, masking the furry which blazed in his eyes. For an instant, GreyEagle stood stunned, but then she blinked and nodded. "Thank you..." she stammered. The mage nodded silently in reply, and then turned his eyes back to the top of the rise where Ormec stood battling the ogres behind them. At the top of the rise, Ormec stood alone, facing the advance of the ogres. He had managed to get off a number of arrows as they had charged up the hill, but he quickly dropped his bow in favor of his massive battle-ax as the ogres closed the gap between them. He met the charge of the first ogre head on, using his short height to his advantage as he swing up and through. The blow caught the ogre in the midsection before it even had a chance to bring its massive longsword down on the dwarf. Ormec howled angrily as the ogre stumbled past him and fell to the ground. One of the other ogres suddenly dropped to the ground as it ran, but Ormec had no time to contemplate what had happened as the two lead ogres came down on him, swinging their massive clubs. Ormec ducked to his left in an attempt to dodge the blows, but would not give up his ground at the top of the rise, and both ogres were able to hit him, staggering the dwarf. Still he stood, brandishing his axe, daring the ogres to try to get past him. GreyEagle turned and looked back up the hill to where Ormec stood. Coyle had just stepped in front of Ormec to block the ogre's attack, and the silent mage was already sprinting towards the other side to try to prevent the dwarf from being surrounded. Just beyond them, Trouble and Laurel stood against another group of the smaller orcs. Ormec was giving up no ground, even though he was already covered with blood and some of the pieces of his armor hung off of him at cock-eyed angles, knocked loose by the heavy blows he had already taken. He risked a quick look back as he heard the swift footsteps approaching behind him, and by the look in his eyes, she could tell that their help was none too soon. GreyEagle clenched the hilt of her shortsword even tighter, and suddenly a searing flash of pain shot through her arm and shoulder. For an instant, she thought she had been hit from behind, but then she knew that it was the sword itself unleashing its powerful magic. The fire poured through her body, through her heart and then down, into her legs and feet. She thought the very dirt under her boots would catch fire. The world around her slowed almost to a standstill as she lifted the blade over her head, racing past Coyle and the mage at the fluttering shadows which shifted and turned around the ogres. She went for the shadows rather than the slowly moving solid forms, having learned by now that the form followed the shadow. There was the power of the sword, anticipating, diving ahead, showing her where the ogre would go, before he even moved. Her sword struck home, tearing through the heavy chain covering the exposed armpit even as the ogre tried to spin out of her way. Its bellowing cry echoed in her ears as she almost collided with the huge beast. Unfortunately, the sword had no way of telling her where the ogre would turn next. She had been a little too quick, and had left her back exposed in her haste. The massive club came around and caught her squarely in the side, spinning her around like a top. She could taste the gritty smack of the dirt in her mouth as she was thrown to her hands and feet. She tried to force herself to her feet again, exactly as she had done before, but this time something was wrong. She let out a scream of pain and surprise and anguish as she collapsed to the ground. She coughed, and the bittersweet taste of blood was on her tongue. The magic had failed! She had become careless, and paid the price. Her vision blurred and spun as she tried to lift her head to find the others. She saw Coyle as he threw himself between herself the advancing ogre, deflecting the blow which would have killed her, and then striking again and again. The ogre fell back, still swinging wildly at Coyle's shadow as he ducked back and forth. There were still too many of them. Another ogre caught Coyle off guard, blind-siding him. Coyle lifted his shield just in time to deflect the major part of the crushing blow, but his arm buckled and collapsed under the force of the impact, catching his face with the edge of the shield and tearing a bloody gash just over his eye. The silent one too was thrown back, but the rage which burned in his eyes only intensified. His flowing robes became a grey blur as he lunged at the creature, slicing the tip of his sword through the ruddy flesh of the ogre's upper arm. GreyEagle flinched as a shrieking cry broke out behind the ogres, and she looked up to see Laurel running at them. She had silently circled around behind the ogres, and now as the shrill cry broke from her lips, she sprang into the air. There was a brilliant flash as a stream of fire exploded from her fingertips, and in an instant, the flames engulfed the ogres. Two of them quickly fell to the ground, writhing in pain for only an instant before their movements ceased. A third ogre quickly fell as Conrad appeared behind it and struck it down. The last remaining ogre spun around frantically trying to put out the flames which licked at its clothing and flesh. Suddenly it stopped, realizing that it was now alone, facing an angry group of armed warriors. With a howl, it wheeled around and sprinted back down the path. In an instant, Conrad had a dagger in his hand, and with a blurred motion of his arm, he flung it at the back of the fleeing ogre, quickly followed by a second. The blades cut a high arc, flashing brightly in the harsh sunlight as they spun towards their target, but the ogre was moving too fast, and both fell wide of their mark. Conrad swore under his breath as the still smoldering ogre quickly disappeared into the thick underbrush which stood between them and the surrounding hills. They stood in stunned silence, tense, as if expecting another attack. Around them there was no sound except to the faint hissing of the breeze in the dry grasses along the road. Only the silent one moved, angrily carving wide arcs in the air before him with his sword, as if by sheer force of will he could get one more shot at the retreating form of the ogre. Slowly, it dawned on them that nothing else around them moved. GreyEagle suddenly realized how badly her shoulder hurt, and she slowly sank back to the ground. Her head spun as the rush of the battle seeped away like water into dry earth, and the harsh reality of their injuries rased its ugly head. Trouble let out a great whoop and ran to Laurel. He caught her in a giant hug and spun her around. The others did not appear to have so much energy left. Ormec coughed and looked around. "Thank you my friends. I was almost convinced that I was fighting my last battle. But," he added, looking at the bodies of the ogres which lay in the road before them, "we have defeated them. Good work!" "Perhaps in the future you will consider more carefully before dragging us into a battle," GreyEagle said, struggling to control her own anger. Her head still spun, and every breath brought new stabs of pain which raced through her side. "That was a narrow victory for us. We might have done better had we given time to consider options. I just am glad we had no casualties." The dwarf appeared to ignore her words though, and instead was looking at the silent mage in great awe. "I had no idea... You fight well!" He winced in pain as he extended his hand to the mage. The silent one stood there and glared at the dwarf. At first he made no move, but then in the blink of an eye, his left hand went to the flat of his sword and he brought the blade down abruptly on his raised knee. With a sharp crack, the blade shattered in two, and the mage flung the pieces into the brush which lined the trail. Still gripping his ribs, he turned and slowly limped down the hill towards the rough barrier. Ormec stared after the mage for a moment, and then shrugged. "Did I say something wrong?" "I don't know," Marianne answered, "but I need to see what I can do to stop your bleeding." She persuaded the dwarf to sit down and quickly began to bind up his wounds. GreyEagle forced herself to a sitting position. Near by, Coyle knelt on the ground, his face white with pain, and his hand pressed over his eye in an attempt to stop the free flow of blood. Laurel stood in numb silence, surveying the carnage around them. Recuahc still lay in the dust of the road a short distance off, where Marianne had quickly bound his wounds. He was moaning softly. She found the small satchel which she carried over her shoulder and slowly began to search through it. She found the small vials of the healing potions she had purchased earlier, and thankfully, none of them had been broken. She slowly forced herself to her feet, trying to hold her balance as the ground spun around her. Recuahc was not a long way away, but it still took most of her strength to reach him. As GreyEagle knelt carefully next to him, Recuahc's eyes fluttered open. He looked in her direction, but she could tell that he was not fully conscious. She gently lifted his head to her lap and cracked open one of the vials. Just the sweet aroma of the liquid was enough to clear her head some as she lifted the vial to Recuahc's lips. He swallowed the potion with a minimum of choking, which relieved GreyEagle, given his incoherent state. Almost immediately, GreyEagle could see some of the color return to his face, and his eyes blinked open. "Is the battle over? Is everyone alright?" "Yes... well... almost," GreyEagle assured him, placing her hand on his. "We did suffer a few injuries." Her breathing came in short gasps, and she held her teeth tight as the blood from the gash in her side continued to seep down the side of her tunic. "You look like you did not escape cleanly." GreyEagle looked down at the spreading bloodstain and nodded. "I suppose I should take care of that, once I'm sure you are OK." Recuahc grimaced. "There is another potion in my belt pouch. Take it and give it to someone who deserves it. You have already wasted one on me. Had I been awake, I would not have let you do that." "Don't be a fool," she whispered softly, squeezing his hand. "You deserve the potion no less than anyone else here." She looked over at Marianne. "I think though that I will accept your offer of the potion, at least for now, as it looks like others may have need of it." "Where is Marianne?" Recuahc asked. His voice was suddenly urgent. "I remember her being here and then she was gone." "She's fine, and in better shape than most of us. We were able to protect her from attack while she was helping you and some of the others. She is a very busy woman right now, but I promise you that she will be back." "Did Ormec satisfy his hunger for blood?" Recuahc's face clouded with anger, and he tried to push himself up on one elbow. "There is certainly enough of our own to go around!" GreyEagle gently pushed him back. "Don't fret yourself over Ormec. We will deal with that issue later. Right now you need your strength for other things." "If only we had gotten out of there when we could, but no one listened..." "We were caught off our guard," GreyEagle interrupted him, shaking her head. "In any event, I'm not sure what we could have done any differently, once we found ourselves surrounded. Unfortunately, it seems that whatever Schimray did to protect me has now lost its power. I will have to be much more careful in the future." "I feel so tired..." Recuahc's voice trailed off. GreyEagle bent over and kissed his forehead. "Rest for a time while we clean up the damage." She pulled her cloak out of her backpack and tucked it under his head. Recuahc closed his eyes and sighed. She was confident that, with some care, he would pull through, but he would need rest, and that would take time... time which she was not sure they had. Marianne approached GreyEagle as she stood to her feet. "How are you doing?" "Never felt better," GreyEagle replied, doing her best to stand up straight. Marianne raised an eyebrow. "Well, I did manage to slip once." Marianne continued to eye her. "OK, I did get hit a couple of times, though only the last one hurt." "More than a couple of times from how often I saw you getting up again," Marianne replied firmly, "and frankly, I don't understand how you are still with us." "Schimray." Marianne looked confused. "Like on the ship, when the sailors caught us out on the deck. Schimray must have done something to protect me, only it seems to have finally failed, which is why I finally went down." Marianne didn't look too sure of GreyEagle's explanation, but finally she shook her head. "In any event, we need to see what can be done for you." "I have more potions of healing, including one which Recuahc shared with me. I have not taken any myself yet, since I wanted to see what the others needed first." Marianne considered for a moment. "No, I still have healing spells which I may use, and we can save the potions for later." Marianne looked down at Recuahc. "He was near to death when I first got to him," she whispered. "Yet, he is willing to share the one healing potion he carries. I wish some of the others were so generous." "I already gave him one of the potions I had." "Good," Marianne nodded. "That will help. I have already done what I can for, but it will be some time now before he regains his strength." She looked up again at GreyEagle. "Now there are others who need help. I believe you are hurt." Greyeagle started to protest, but Marianne quickly silenced her objections. "Do not let your pride make a fool out of you. The rest of us need your strength too. We are not out of danger yet, and your sword and shield may be crucial in our survival." GreyEagle shrugged. She hurt too much to put up much of an argument, and quickly relented to Marianne's insistence. Before she started to work on her bandages, Marianne checked GreyEagle over carefully. Aside from some minor scrapes and bruises, her only injury was where the ogre had pounded her with the club. Marianne poked and prodded gently, but it was all GreyEagle could to keep from crying out in pain. Then she paused. Placing her hands on GreyEagle's side, she closed her eyes in concentration and began to gently press. GreyEagle expected pain, but instead, she felt a warm tingling sensation, starting from where Marianne's fingers touched her, and spreading through the injury, reaching, touching, probing, mending, straightening, healing. She was almost afraid to breathe, for fear that the sensation would go away, but it continued to grow, stronger and stronger until it almost completely covered the pain. Then the feeling melted away, and Marianne stood back. There were beads of sweat on her forehead from the exertion of the spell. GreyEagle took a deep breath and swung her arm in a wide arc, testing out the bones and muscles on that side. Some of the pain was still there, and it would be some time before she would be able to put her full weight behind her sword, but she felt much better. She nodded her thanks to Marianne. "That is what I can do for you today. I must move on to the others. Ormec will still take a long time to heal, but at least a good portion of his strength has been brought back." Marianne glanced over at where the dwarf was resting. "We will need his strength before we get through this little quest of ours, perhaps very soon." Marianne approached Coyle. He had hastily applied bandages torn from his shirt to the worst of his wounds. Marianne was able to clean up some of the bandages, but he refused to let her use her special healing powers on him. "I'll be fine," he said, "and others need your help more than I." She looked at Coyle for a moment, and then relented. "You always were the stubborn one," she retorted with half a smile. "I will check on the mage," she added, looking down to where the silent one was poking around the barrier. "Perhaps he will relent to my poking and prodding." She limped down the road after the mage, and GreyEagle noticed that she too was moving stiffly. She carefully avoided putting her full weight on the one leg where she had taken one of the orc arrows. Laurel approached her. "We should attend to the horses," she said, "and go to recover the ones that bolted during the fight." GreyEagle agreed, and the two of them rounded up the mounts and pack horses which were still within calling distance. The one pack horse which had been hit didn't want to move, and it was some time before they were able to calm it down enough to remove the arrow and bandage the wound. While they worked, Trouble approached. GreyEagle looked at him and noticed blood on his hands, but it appeared that, unlike everyone else, the mage was the only one to have escaped injury. She gave a quick glance over to where the rest of the orcs lay, and guessed that the blood on Trouble's hands was not his own. "You fought well," he said, smiling broadly at Laurel. "I applaud your skills... but perhaps you should have that wound checked." Laurel grunted from where she was working on the horse. "I'm fine, thank you." She looked up and managed a smile at the mage. Trouble shook his head. "Far be it from me to try to change your mind." "You are a quick learner," Laurel replied sweetly. Conrad began to drag the bodies of the orcs and ogres into a heap, but GreyEagle could tell that he was not satisfied. "I think we should track down that last ogre," the gnome growled finally. "There is no logic with them. Besides, they probably stored their valuables in a cave or shelter nearby. For all our effort, I don't want that ogre slinking away with our well earned booty." The silent mage nodded his agreement. He had returned from the barrier, and his limp was now gone. He was checking over his mount while the others talked. "Treasure!" Ormec blurted out from where he was checking out one of the ogre bodies. "Do you really think they have more valuables?" For a moment, he appeared to forget his pain. "Perhaps they have been here collecting tolls for a long time before we got here, or maybe their lair is close by. It wouldn't hurt to look around for a trail." The Sumatran let out a low whistle and backed away from Ormec. "Your excitement to kill a creature for its treasure frightens me, dwarf. It seems no different to me than theirs." Raal pointed to the dead bodies around them. "What you seek is at the barricade below, but think of what it has cost as you count your coins." "Well, it's over anyway," Ormec growled. "We might as well claim what they have left behind for our efforts." "I need to track down the horses that bolted," GreyEagle said, shaking her head. "You may go if you like, but I have shed enough blood for a day." "I'm in no hurry to go rushing off into unknown territory in the shape we're in," Trouble snorted. "I suggest that we rest under the cover of the barricade while we burn off these bodies." GreyEagle sighed. "A fire might be a good signal for Sucaba." "Do you think he's close enough to see?" Recuahc asked. "A fire may attract others too. Perhaps we should conceal it." "I don't know if Sucaba is close enough," Conrad answered, "but with all these bodies, it will be a large fire. I doubt though that there is anyone left nearby to threaten us, especially if they see that we defeated the ogres and orcs." "Is it wise for you to go off by yourselves into the hills?" GreyEagle asked. "What if you are ambushed?" "The mage with the red hair, Raal and I will follow the fleeing ogre," Conrad stated flatly. "Everyone else should stay here. There will be time enough to use the wood of that barricade to burn the bodies. I don't want that creature coming back with relatives." "If we find he has relatives," Raal added, "we'll be sure to come back for help." "And lead them right back with you," Trouble muttered. "I still think it foolish to go wandering off after them, treasure or no treasure." "Don't worry," Conrad laughed. "We'll be careful. Believe me, Raal and I will have no trouble finding the ogre and its friends without them finding us." "Well," GreyEagle said, "If you are going off, at least you can take this with you." She reached once again into her small satchel and pulled out one of the healing vials. "This could be useful, just in case you run into problems." Conrad accepted the vial and eyed it closely before he carefully tucked it away. "I thank you," he added with a curious look. "I intend to return it, but carrying it along won't hurt." The trio mounted quickly, with Raal scurrying up into the silent one's saddle-bags, and disappeared up the same rough trail that the fleeing ogre had taken. The others turned to cleaning up. Laurel turned to GreyEagle. "We should track the horses. We can't afford to lose them, and if we hurry, we may find them before they have gone too far." Coyle looked over at them. "Are you two going off alone?" GreyEagle nodded. Coyle frowned. "I would go with you, but I don't want to leave Marianne and Recuahc." Laurel smiled. "I think we can look out for ourselves," she assured him. "Don't get too far away," Trouble said, watching Laurel intently, "and call if you need help." He turned to GreyEagle and chuckled. "And do try to stay awake this time." GreyEagle gave him a dirty look, but then smiled. "Yes, and do try to take care of yourself while we're gone." She swung up on her horse, ready to head out. Coyle watched Ormec as the dwarf searched the area around the barrier, and silently shook his head. "We'll be fine." GreyEagle whispered to him. "As soon as we find the horses, we will be right back." Coyle nodded, never taking his eyes off of the dwarf. "Just be careful." GreyEagle and Laurel took two of the remaining healthy horses and headed back up the road. She was still troubled by what had just happened. It was as if she had gotten used to having blows simply bounce off, but now that isn't going to happen next time... She felt jumpy, and it was good to get away from the others for a little while to think. It didn't take long to find the horses. They had only run off over the previous hill, and the scrub and brush on either side of the road was thick enough that they had not wandered far. Laurel slid down from her mount and cautiously approached one mount, while Recuahc's horse limped over to where Greyeagle stood and nuzzled her shoulder. She checked the bloodstain on its rear leg, but the arrow had apparently fallen out, and the blood had already stopped flowing. Laurel returned with the other mount, but there was a worried look in her eye. "The arrow is imbedded too deeply for my skills," she said. "The shaft is broken off, and we will probably need Marianne to look at it." Marianne walked up to meet them as they returned over the crest of the hill and quickly began to examine the wound of the one horse. She shook her head, knowing that they would have to cut the arrowhead out. GreyEagle knew that it would not be easy, but Marianne appeared to be confident that she could do it. GreyEagle spoke softly to the horse as Marianne worked. Without knowing why, she thought of Krifel. She was glad that they had located the runaways, but in a way, it only served to intensify her sorrow over loosing Krifel. It had been a long time since she had become attached to an animal in such a way, and then to have him wander off while she was sleeping... There was nothing to be done about it though. Almost an hour after Conrad and the others had left, GreyEagle looked up and was surprised to see a column of dust approaching. She stood and strained to see who it was approaching in such a hurry. After a minute, she picked out Conrad and the silent mage, riding hard. She alerted the others and they stood to await their return. As soon as the riders thundered into camp, Conrad slid from his saddle, calling for a drink of water. There was no indication that they had been in any kind of a fight, so GreyEagle was confused as to why they would be in such a hurry. "Good news," Conrad scowled once he had quenched his thirst. "We discovered another encampment a half hour up the trail. We saw the one wounded ogre and perhaps eight other common orcs, as well as one of the big leader types in plate-mail. There was another trail leading from that camp higher into the hills. It looked like the group was waiting for something to return from above." "Waiting?" the Sumatran hissed. "You got there late. While we were waiting for you to catch up, we saw at least ten orcs take the path up into the hills, and something in my bones tells me they wouldn't send a group of ten to fetch another two or three orcs. There could be an entire orc tribe up there... maybe hundreds!" Conrad pulled on his beard. "I don't know much about orc habits, but I expect them to be looking for blood, and I don't want to be around when they return! I suggest we finish our business here quickly and move on." "We may have to leave the road," Trouble said, "since the orcs will have no problem following our trail." "With this many of us, leaving the road will not likely help us much," Coyle answered. "Once we are in the brush, it will only slow us down. Our best chance now is to move swiftly." GreyEagle looked over at Recuahc. Marianne was still bending over him. "Will he be able to travel?" Recuahc groaned. "Yes." He forced himself into a seated position. "I suppose all this was worth the two or three gold pieces we saved by not paying the toll." Ormec started to reply, but a quick flash from the silent one's eyes silenced him. GreyEagle turned back to Conrad. "We will be able to move neither quickly nor silently. If the orcs are angry enough to track us here, then they will follow us down the trail. I would rather be armed and prepared this time. It may be too hot to travel in full armor, but we can at least stand it for a while." GreyEagle paused. "Would it be better to try to find a place to ambush the orcs when they follow us?" "Have you ever seen a tribe of angry orcs on the trail?" Conrad shot back. "This is not a wandering raiding party we're talking about. Believe me, ambushes are my specialty, but I for one do not want to be trapped in a tight spot with a sea of angry orcs trying to break over me." Trouble ran a hand through his hair. "We are probably fifteen miles from Rethmar yet. We have been making good time up to this point, but with an injured person...." He shook his head. "Sucaba will be expecting to meet us in Rethmar tonight, I wonder how long he would wait before coming back to investigate? Probably through the night at least." Ormec shook his head. "We cannot depend on the mage now, as if we ever could. We will have to get out of this ourselves." He hefted his broad battle-ax. "I do not intend to go down easily." Trouble cleared his throat. "I do not intend to go down at all, thank you. I do still have a few tricks in me. If I can see the orcs coming soon enough, I can blind them for a minute with the same effect as I used on the ship to save Coyle and GreyEagle." GreyEagle began to strip off her leather armor to put on the heavier mail that she had packed away earlier. She winced as her exaggerated movements abraded against the fresh wounds. Marianne stepped quickly to her side to help. "I am worried about Recuahc," she said softly. "He should not be moved yet, but he will be in even more danger if we are forced into a battle. We barely managed to pull through before. Now what will happen if we are attacked by an entire army of orcs? There will be little left of us for Sucaba to find. No, our only chance is to head for the city as fast as we can." Coyle shook his head. He had been standing silently by up to this point, but now he stepped up to the rest of the group. "If the orcs come, it will be by the hundreds. Our only chance it to take what we can and head for Rethmar. We may gain some time on them, since they will likely spend a great deal of effort arguing over what to do first, but in the end, I am sure that they will come. We must leave now." Conrad held up his hand. "I think we all know the importance of quick action and expediency in this. I see that we'd both like to get out of here as well as take as much stuff as possible, as well as hurt the orcs if possible." "So, make your point," Trouble interjected. "We don't have all day." Conrad nodded. "In good time. It should be a little while before the orcs get organized and get back down the hill. We saw no evidence that they had any mounts, so we do have the advantage of horseback. But it looks like Recuahc's and Laurel's horses will be unable to carry them." "I would gauge the suits of plate mail here to be worth at least four thousand gold pieces, and the rest of the arms and armor will bring in a good value in town. They also weigh a lot." "Four thousand gold pieces for this?" GreyEagle asked, her mouth open. "Even so, unless some of it is magical, I would rather leave it and save our skins." "We will save our skins. Look, we have six healthy mounts and two pack horses, If I stay behind with Raal to set traps and harass the orcs that try to follow us, my horse will be available. Laurel can ride it, and Recuahc can ride with someone else to keep him on. If we load one suit of armor on each of the other five horses, that shouldn't weigh them down too much. We can load the last three suits on the pack along with some of the weapons." "Raal," Conrad grinned, "I think we can make an effective vanguard. We'll set traps to slow them down, and if needed, we can fake an attack. If we get cut off or can't stay in front of them, we can hide." "Stay... Cut them off... Attack..." the rat sputtered. "Oh! You misunderstood. I have no intent of sitting around waiting for an army." "If these orcs return by the hundreds," GreyEagle said, "you may not be so lucky getting away, unless your ability to slip away unseen depends on more than just your small size." "No one needs to stay behind," Trouble said. "Marianne can hold the reins of Recuahc's horse and Laurel can ride with me. We can put armor on all available horses, and if it seems to slow them down, just dump it on the way. Forget the halberds; the armor alone will be enough `profit' from this battle." "Of course, if we do take the treasure and the orcs do catch us," Raal added, "we can drop the treasure in their path, which may break their ranks and let us escape in the confusion. If they are only half as greedy as dwarves, it could work." Just then, the silent mage stepped from the bushes at the edge of the road, leading another horse. He stopped for just a moment, considering, and then walked over to Coyle and handed him the reins. Coyle looked a little surprised, but he nodded to the mage and than turned to Laurel. "Do you wish to ride this horse?" "I'll ride with Trouble for now," Laurel replied. "It would be better to load this one up with the armor we have collected." Coyle thought for a moment before he nodded. "OK. Collect the stuff you want to take and pack up the horses. I'll get Recuahc secured on Marianne's horse so she can watch him. The rest of you help Conrad and Trouble. Let's get moving." Coyle and Marianne managed to get Recuahc up on Marianne's horse and secured in place so that he would not fall off. By the time they were done, Conrad, Trouble and the silent mage had finished with the armor and were ready to head out. "GreyEagle and Ormec, take the lead," Coyle called out as he swung up on his own mount. "Marianne and Trouble follow them, then the silent one, and Conrad. I will take the rear and watch our backs. Let's move!" GreyEagle trotted passed Recuahc and Marianne on her way to her horse. "Are you going to be able to ride OK like that?" she whispered up to Recuahc. "I'll be holding on," he answered weakly. "Let's just get out of here." GreyEagle climbed up on her horse, though not with the energy that she was used to. She was already feeling the heat of the day in her heavy armor. It was lighter than most, but still the sun beat down relentlessly on them. She took a quick drink from the water sack she had tied to the horn of her saddle and wiped her brow. It would be a long ride like this, with an angry mob of orcs nipping at their heels. As soon as they began to move, it was immediately apparent that they would not be traveling fast. The weight of the extra armor that they had collected, and the heat of the day meant that the horses could push no more than a brisk trot or they would soon be exhausted. The road was narrow, but there was just enough room to ride side by side. GreyEagle dropped back a little until she was even with Recuahc and Marianne. "Perhaps we should reconsider taking the armor," Recuahc mumbled. "If it is so valuable, then maybe it should be hidden nearby, and Horton could come back for it. It would be a pity if we got caught because dragging it along all this dead weight." GreyEagle agreed. "We could stash the armor off the road a short way. I do not think that the orcs will be looking for it if they are intent on catching us." "Of course, you could look at me as dead weight also," Recuahc added with a sigh. "Enough of that," GreyEagle and Marianne both added at the same time. "No," Conrad insisted from his place behind them. "If we stop, they will catch us. We have made our plans, and now we will stick to them. The horses won't go any faster anyway. Remember, we are riding horses and the orcs are walking. It's not like the orcs will be able to get in front of us. We will see them gaining from behind, and be able to take actions." "You've never seen an orc army on the run I presume," Trouble muttered. "No, and I don't care to," Conrad shot back. "Besides, we can hope that perhaps Sucaba will see the plume of smoke and can find us." "Perhaps," Recuahc answered, "but it just seems that a bunch of angry orcs bent on revenge are going to make better time than we are..." His voice trailed off and he let out a sigh. Marianne looked back, worried. "Save your strength. We are staying together, and we are not leaving you behind." It seemed that there was nothing else to do. Conrad was intent on bringing the armor, so they pushed on. The road was generally clear, so there was little risk of the horses stumbling, but the hills rose steeply on either side of them, and GreyEagle knew that the orcs could drop down on them with little or no warning. She pulled off to the side at one point to try to use the extended vision of her eye pieces to see if she could spot anything behind them, but the hills were so close in around then that she could not see far. She quickly gave up. Suddenly, the silent mage wiped his horse around, almost colliding with GreyEagle as she came up behind him. GreyEagle watched as the mage quickly brought his mount along side of Coyle and leaned over. Almost immediately, Coyle whipped his horse into a gallop. "Faster, we must ride faster," he shouted as he surged forward, "or they will cut us off up ahead." He pulled up next to the pack horses and urged them on. Recuahc grunted painfully as Marianne urged her horse into a run. He held on tightly, closing his eyes and biting his lip against the pain. They rode quickly at first, but it was soon evident that the wounded horses would not be able to keep up the frantic pace for long, and they began to fall farther and farther behind the others. GreyEagle could see the stains in both Marianne and Ormec's bandages beginning to spread as their wounds once again began to open and the blood flowed freely. Still, Coyle did not let up, even when the mounts bearing double riders began to falter. He shouted for the others to keep moving while he dropped towards the back with the slower horses. GreyEagle turned and looked back as he quickly fell behind. She slowed slightly and let the rest of the lead group get ahead of her. She didn't want to be too far from Coyle should he need help, but she didn't want to risk being caught by the orcs either. She kept glancing back to see if she could spot any sign of their pursuers, but for a long time she could see nothing. Then she saw it, or rather she heard it. Over the pounding hooves and raged breathing of their horses, she could hear what she thought at first was the sound of approaching thunder. Coyle was still shouting, trying to urge one last bit of speed out of their exhausted mounts when she saw the dark shadow crest a narrow gap between two of the hills some distance behind them. She could not count them, but she guessed that there had to be more than a hundred orcs, with the massive lumbering forms of ogres in a column through the middle. They were on foot, but GreyEagle couldn't believe how fast they were traveling. They moved like a rushing black wave breaking on the shore, threatening to engulf the riders at the tail end of the group. The silent mage rode ahead of all the rest of them. Unencumbered by heavy armor, his horse showed no signs of slowing, and he was already gaining ground. Suddenly, GreyEagle saw his arm fly up, and she thought she saw the rays of the sun brightly reflecting off of something. In a moment, Ormec let out an anguished cry, and she quickly realized what he had done. The dwarf began to slow, but GreyEagle screamed at him to keep moving. There was no time to pick up the loose gold and platinum pieces -- for that was what the mage had dumped on the roadway. GreyEagle grinned, in spite of her pain. It was a brilliant stroke. The orc army would surely see the coins, and if they didn't stop completely, it would throw them into a momentary state of confusion as some would stoop to pick up the valuables. It would not be much of delay, but it might be enough... The plan worked, and the ranks of the orc army broke as soon as they reached the glittering coins scattered over the roadway. A few of the orcs hurled spears and war-hammers at them, but they fell short. They had lost their momentum, and in the confusion which ensued, it appeared that close to half of the raiders had been left behind. Still, the rest of the orcs and the greater part of the ogres followed them, tireless in their running. GreyEagle had heard tales of their speed in large groups, but that did not make it any easier to believe it, now that they were on their heels. It was still hardly good odds for a fight, and GreyEagle knew that they would not be able to ride much further. She dropped back until she was riding along side of Marianne and Recuahc. "How are you doing?" she shouted over the pounding of the hoofs. "I've felt better," Recuahc answered weakly, not bothering to open his eyes, "but I think I'll survive." "If we can out-run these orcs," Marianne shouted back, struggling to keep both herself and Recuahc on the horse. Suddenly, the air above them split open with a screaming cry. GreyEagle instinctively ducked and almost slipped from her horse before she recognized the sound. A black form flashed briefly above them, darkening the sun for a heartbeat before it fell into the middle of the army behind them. GreyEagle looked back just long enough to see orcs fleeing in all directions, some cut down in their tracks as a stream of blackness and smoke issued from Horton's screaming maul. The screams of pain and terror from the orcs and ogres rose in a horrendous symphony with the scream of the dragon, all of them quickly falling behind as they rode on. The silent mage stopped and pulled to the side of the road to watch the rout. GreyEagle saw a hungry grin in his face as she passed by. Soon it was plain that they were no longer being followed. Odds of a hundred to one appealed to the ogres, but a dragon was not something that they fancied tangling with, so the attack had been immediately abandoned. Coyle slowed the pace to a walk, giving the horses a chance to cool off. They stopped to rest at a small grassy spot next to the road and Coyle carefully untied Recuahc and lowered him gently to the ground. Coyle and Marianne huddled over Recuahc attending to him. The others got down and began to rub sore backs and shoulders, or check through their things to assure themselves that nothing was broken or damaged. GreyEagle swung sorely down from her saddle. Her own wound had opened up some, and she pulled some bandages from her saddlebags to bind them once again. With that taken care of, she went around to check on the horses. None of them appeared to be lame, but it was evident that they would be going no-where soon. They might be able to be walked, but it would be slow, perhaps reaching Rethmar shortly after nightfall. They would probably do better staying in this spot for the night. Glancing over at where Recuahc lay, she guessed that it was just as well. Still, it was a risk. Horton had surprised the orcs, but with numbers that great, they might still be foolish enough to attack a small dragon... and win. Coyle came around to check on everyone. Ormec sat wearily on the grass next to where his horse now happily grazed. The dwarf was still alive, but not necessarily happy about it. Fresh blood showed on his bandages, and he growled at anyone who came near. He did brighten up some when the silent mage walked past him. "A nice bit of thinking back there," he said as the silent mage passed. "I appreciate your help." The mage took one look at Ormec and then simply walked on by. "It's a good thing you knew they were coming Coyle," Recuahc added. He propped himself up on one elbow and gave the man a curious look. "By the way, how did you know they were coming?" Coyle shook his head. "It was the silent one who alerted me," he said, giving the mage a strange look, "though I have no idea how he knew. I'm glad he was on the lookout." Laurel pointed up at the sky. "Looks like Sucaba and Horton are returning." There were cheers for the dragon and rider as Horton circled the area twice just to be sure that there were no stray orcs, and then glided in for a dusty landing on the roadway. Sucaba quickly jumped down and walked towards them. The shouts quickly quieted down as they caught the expression on his face as he strode straight up to Ormec. "What happened here!" he demanded. GreyEagle swallowed hard and gave the others a quick glance. She stepped between the mage and the dwarf before Ormec had a chance to respond and looked Sucaba in the eye. "We had a bit of a problem along the way," she said, trying to keep as straight a face as possible. "We were ambushed along the road by a band of ogres and huge orcs. They had set up a blockade across the path, and when we tried to back up to discuss our options, we found that others had already come around behind us. They attacked quickly, so we had little option other than to stand and fight. We were able to defeat them, thanks to a number of well timed spells on the part of the mages, but a number of us were still seriously injured. One orc managed to flee into the hills before we could catch it. We were planning on resting there for the night, but Conrad, Raal and the silent one followed the trail of the orc, thinking that they might be able to keep it from telling others of our presence, or that it might lead to a lair and more treasure. What they found though was a massive encampment, and that the ogres were planning to swoop down on us in mass. After they had returned and warned us, we quickly packed up and moved out. Some thought that we might be able to gain some profit from the suits of armor, though as it turns out, they did us little good other than to slow us down. Coyle was the first to hear the approaching army, and it was he who kept us just ahead of the wave of orcs and ogres, with the silent one's help, until you appeared." "But, but..." The Sumatran suddenly appeared next to the silent mage's horse and began to sputter. The mage spun around and gave the rat a fierce look. Raal got out one more "but...", and then fell silent, though his tail continued to twitch back and forth. "I must admit," GreyEagle added with a shy smile, "I never thought that I would be so happy to see a dragon swooping down on us from above." It was perhaps a rather creative recounting of what had happened, GreyEagle knew, and omitted a few salient facts as to why the orcs had attacked, but she had no desire to bring the mage's wrath down on them at the moment. It appeared that none of the others were about to contradict her story, though she thought she could detect some amused smiles. Raal gave her one more sharp look and then turned and stomped off. Sucaba looked around at the condition of the others, and in particular at Recuahc and Ormec. He pulled his riding gloves off and angrily threw them down on the ground. "Did no one scout ahead, to avert such an ambush?" "Umm... no," GreyEagle answered, looking down. "We did not wish to get separated." Sucaba's face reddened briefly, but then the just rolled his eyes. "We will plan further the next time I leave. Can he go on?" he asked, pointing his chin at Recuahc. Recuahc tried to push himself to a sitting position. "Don't worry about me." Marianne shook her head though. "He needs rest. He will be able to travel, but not for long. The sooner we find a camp site, the better." Sucaba let out a long sigh. "There is no way we can reach Rethmar today. The rest of you will keep moving along the road while Horton and I search for a secure camp site from the air. We will also watch for any return of the orcs. They will think twice about attacking with Horton near. GreyEagle and Marianne, once we find a suitable place to rest, make sure the horses will be able to travel tomorrow. I will not be delayed by a slow animal." "I understand," GreyEagle answered quickly.