by Gerard Bond
“Don't worry, I think we shall leave the start of our journey until later this afternoon, it is a hot day.” The others welcomed the news, “I am going to go have a look at the pitiful excuse for the markets they have here, I want to see what wares can be had.”
The rest nodded as Wollfen turned and left again, he was welcome to go, they wouldn't be following.
It was maybe a five minute walk to the center of town where the traders had their stalls set up. All manner of spices, fabrics and farming tools were readily seen and of no particular interest, it was the typical range of goods you would normally see. After walking along awhile having the vendors each push their wares in his face and be rejected by him.
Wollfen finally came to a stop in front of a small stall that gave off a range of different fragrances. The table was covered in small blocks of something that he didn't immediately recognize, picking one up he smelt and felt it. Of course, it was soap, a local home made variety too. He picked through a couple of them smelling each and feeling the texture. There was sandalwood, jasmine and some sort of musky smelling odor to one too. He looked across to the vendor, a young woman fanning herself as she sat sweating lightly.
“Do you have any rose smelling soap?”
She nodded and pointed to the rear row on one corner. Picking it up Wollfen once again gave it the smell test, it was quite pleasant. He picked up another and then chose eight assorted bars of the other scents. Looking across with a questioning look the girl held up five fingers,
“Five coppers thanks.”
He handed her the coins and she placed the soap in a small cloth bag for him, giving his thanks he moved off.
Wollfen spent maybe another twenty minutes doing the rounds but nothing else caught his fancy and he returned to the tavern. Keera was still there drinking an ale but the other two were gone. Sitting down he gave her a questioning look to which she pointed towards the rooms with her thumb over her shoulder. He nodded in understanding and dumped his purchases on the table,
“Here take a pick of two bars for yourself, the rose smelling ones I am keeping.” Keera gave him a curious look,
“You want to smell like roses?” He chuckled,
“No no, they are for Darkling back in Comberwell.”
“Yeah, I am sure you will smell quite dapper after your next bath.”
He didn't even bother answering her tease, just rolled his eyes and took the rose soaps out. Keera picked two different scents for herself and laid them on the table set aside from the rest.
Wollfen meantime signaled for the barmaid to bring over a drink. He looked around and noted the place was very quiet. Keera was quiet too, but she seemed to be fine. He was sure after last night that she had come to her own decisions. Earlier in the morning she had given him a hug when he awoke. During breakfast they talked about their continuing journey and he understood she meant to stay.
The afternoon wore on and the other two came and joined them, there was some idle chit chat but nothing of consequence, no one was really looking forward to the ride. Out there it would be dusty, dry and hot.
Finally Wollfen motioned for them to move and they all fell in line. Walking out to the stables they saddled their horses and tied their packs with supplies on the back. Mounting all at once they led off through the doors and down the road heading east. Once outside the gates of the town Wollfen scanned the far mountains and surrounding countryside, it was all pretty typical for the area but he did make mental notes of landmarks for their journey.
Ten minutes into the ride he swung southward at a fork in the road, ahead it looked far less traveled than the other, it was what he wanted. Anything happening further out on the more commonly used road would have reports filter back as a matter of course. No he wanted to see if there was any orc activity in the less traveled areas. He knew there were outposts and farms that kept to themselves. Even some loners who liked living apart from everyone else. They spent the rest of the afternoon slowly making their way along the partially overgrown lane, the further on they went the less obvious its existence.
The four of them were grateful for the late afternoon start, even now the sun was biting. It finally started getting cooler just before the edge of the sun hit the horizon behind them. It was a good thing to have it at their back too. As evening closed and darkness started to fall Wollfen motioned for them to halt in a valley up ahead, there was the sound of a large stream too and they pulled up near it. Dismounting Wollfen motioned to Kane and Solynne who without word began preparing a fire as he went to the pack horse and removed a sack of food. Keera grabbed a couple of bedrolls and laid them out next to where Kane was preparing a pile of twigs.
Within minutes Kane had gotten a spark going care of a flint and striker he carried, he was good at this sort of thing having been a blacksmith's apprentice. Wollfen rigged up some branches pushed into the ground either side of the small fire and set it up with a third stick over it on which he had pierced some partially dried meat. Three of them sat cross legged on the rolls with Keera stretching out beside Wollfen. They spent their time watching the flames as the meat started to give off a rich aroma that made all their mouths water in anticipation.
“Hey, do you think we will see much tomorrow?”
Keera was looking up at Wollfen, he shrugged his shoulders with a slight shake of his head,
“I can't say, there hasn't been any signs along this track all afternoon of any activity at all, not even any sighting of settlements. I was hoping to come across a farmer or some such person I could talk to.” Kane didn't think there would be anything,
“You know apart from that incident with those orcs a couple days out of Outrock it has been very quiet down in this region, I don't think the orcs are traveling down this far south.” Wollfen agreed with his observation,
“Yeah I think you are right Kane, I think the orcs are only menacing the Kingdoms more populated areas which is strange too. They could easily travel around here and not run into any resistance at all down here and even further south. Yet they seem to be in greater numbers wherever there are more people.”
“I wonder what it means?”
No one had an answer and they sat in silence once more staring at the flames, all of them lost to their own thoughts.
Wollfen was thinking about Darkling and how she was doing, hoping she wasn't fretting. He was actually looking forward to starting back to Comberwell, this scouting trip had proved uneventful and rather dull. Oh well, it was only a few days more and they would be on their way back, he had a mind to go slower as well. There was no rush, Dark would still be recuperating from her wounds.
After another hour the four of them had prepared their bedrolls and said their goodnights. One more full day of scouting to go.
The next morning they were approaching a large farm on a hill in the distance, the surrounding land around it was cleared of all trees. Wollfen was sure they had a good view of the rest of the valley and anything that approached.
“Everyone on alert, I don't expect any trouble but we can't know what they may think of us, this is the wilds we are in.”
Kane rode out to the side a bit with Solynne and Keera stayed with Wollfen.
“Kane and Solynne watch the windows and doors, Keera scan the left into the trees.”
They all unhooked the straps holding their swords in their scabbards and continued to ride on casually but on alert. At about eighty yards out Solynne spoke,
“I see movement in the window by the door, they are home and watching.”
As they got closer Keera then spoke up too,
“I don't see anything in the woods at all, it is clear.”
Wollfen switched his focus to the farm house watching warily, at thirty yards he called out,
“HO!! To the people of this land! We are scouts for the Kingdom! My name is Wollfen seconded to Lord Cazzara on official business! We mean you no harm!”
The door immediately cracked open a couple of inches,
“S
top where you are! I expect to see proof of your claim!” Wollfen held up his hands,
“What would you have me do?”
“The other three stay where they are, you dismount and drop your sword. Then come onto the porch and show me any papers you have.”
Wollfen did as he was bid getting off his horse. He then undid the belt holding his sword hanging it on the pommel of the saddle. After that he reached into a saddle bag and pulled out a scroll. Walking up onto the porch and keeping his hands in plain view he offered the scroll through the crack in the door. The man took the scroll and Wollfen waited, then the door opened and the man walked out offering his hand,
“Welcome Lord Wollfen, we are grateful you are here.”
Wollfen took the offered hand and shook it,
“Please just call me Wollfen, I am no lord, just a scout.” He could tell the man was on edge, “Have you had troubles?”
As they got into a discussion Kane looked to the other two making a nod, he understood that it was fine now for them to dismount and approach, which they did.
Wollfen turned to Kane and the others as they mounted the porch,
“This is Bordon, he was just telling me a band of four orcs attacked his cattle yesterday and chased his eldest son, they have been in lock down here since then.”
The three nodded to Bordon and they all greeted each other, two pairs of eyes peered through the door from behind Bordon, Kane smiled and waved at them,
“Hello there you two.”
Bordon turned and waved the children out, one boy in his early teens and the other a girl of eight,
“This is my son Callan and my daughter Jessica.” Again there were greetings and Wollfen turned to Kane,
“Why don't you take the other two and do a patrol of the surrounding woods, check for signs of any orcs in the area.”
“Will do, give us about an hour.”
Wollfen nodded as the other three turned and left. He was sure they wouldn't find anything but it would certainly put this man's mind at ease to see them doing something and be able to give the all clear.
“Please come in, we have some food if you are interested.”
Wollfen certainly wasn't going to knock back a free meal and entered. Once inside he gave a quick look around the room and saw it was spartan, definitely a place of practicality with no trappings of comfort. He sat down at the table on one side of the room, there was a loaf of bread already started there as well as some vegetables, all cooked. He allowed the daughter to cut some slices for him which he smiled and thanked her for. As he ate Wollfen began asking Bordon about his life here,
“So tell me Bordon, how is it you are here all alone with two children?”
The man looked down and Wollfen could see the question was a heavy one,
“Things have not gone good the last couple of years, my wife died last winter, she is buried out by the large oak tree.”
He paused and looked out the window, Wollfen noted a look of wistfulness cross his face, obviously the man was still mourning.
“Then a couple of months ago my two farm hands left for greener pastures, it has been only us three since then keeping things together.”
Again the man looked around, this time at the two children and a little smile crossed his face. He was obviously a dedicated man who loved his children.
At that moment they could hear horses pulling up outside, the others were back so soon? It had only been about fifteen minutes. They all went outside to be greeted by Kane and the other two grinning and holding their 'spoils of war'. Kane didn't hesitate in speaking up,
“We found the four orcs skulking about near the edge of the woods just east of here, it didn't take long to clean 'em up and grab their weapons. We have two crossbows and four swords here, I am sure the farmer can use them.” He was quite proud of himself.
Bordon was quite pleased,
“That's great, yes I can use those crossbows for sure, I certainly have never had the money to buy such weapons, I could also trade off some of the swords for grain at the market.”
Kane motioned for the other two to place the weapons on the porch and he looked to Wollfen who gave a wink of approval.
“Please come inside and have a meal, it isn't much but you are welcome to it.”
They all filed back inside and the conversation was a lively affair as the three of them recounted their exploits in taking down the four orcs. The two children were in awe of them. Wollfen watched on quietly taking note of what was said, curious as to the orcs. Why on earth had they hung around for another day? They had attacked and taken a cow for their own consumption and yet were still here watching the family. Were they planning to attack again? Ever since the orcs had attacked the Nightclans he had paid particular attention to orc activities over the last year, looking for but not finding any evidence of the orcs organizing or coordinating to do anything else. They had continued to carry on like mindless animals simply acting on their own urges. Those urges were simple to an orc, eat, sleep, fight and fornicate.
The end result was he had nothing to put in his final report to Lord Cazzara other than there was some extra orc activity along the borderlands. It troubled him, surely there had to be more? He turned to the others,
“I think it's time we got back to our duties, time is a wasting and we need to be back in Outrock tomorrow.” The other three nodded,
“Let me thank you once again for stopping in Wollfen, you have saved us from certain danger with the orcs that were killed.” He nodded in appreciation.
“And we thank you for your hospitality Bordon, I hope you success in the future.” Wollfen got up and walked towards the door, the others had already exited, “Goodbye and good luck.”
Once outside they all mounted and left with a wave, their journey would take them to the foothills of the mountains further east. Wollfen was curious as to what there may be now that there was evidence of orcs in the area. The day was proving to be a hot one and they settled into a slow canter as to not overheat the horses. They had many miles to go today. Kane took up position in the lead scanning the woods for any sign of activity as Keera took up the rear looking out to the sides and behind. Solynne had fallen in beside Wollfen.
“I have been watching you Wolf.”
“Oh? And what have you noticed?”
“You have been watching Kane doing his thing now for awhile and you are impressed by his leadership abilities, not to mention his quick wits.” Wollfen chuckled with a little smile,
“You did good in finding him I must say, he sure is a smart one and capable too. He is proving his worth very quickly.”
“And what of Keera? She hasn't been doing much, but what she has done seems to show she is good at it.” Wollfen agreed,
“Yes I don't expect everyone to bedazzle me, Kane is a stand out. Keera though has proven herself adept at just about everything that is thrown at her, none of us have trained together. You know me well and understand what I want or need when faced with any given situation. But these two haven't gotten to know me and yet they too have worked well with us.”
“Yes, apart from Keera's heavy drinking she is a perfect fit.”
Wollfen looked across at Solynne, they had known each other a year now and had ridden many a mile together. They had never come together as lovers though, it hadn't bothered him but he had wondered if she was maybe not interested in men. Well Kane had put that question out of his mind that was for sure.
“You know, we know each other well Solynne, you have helped me out no end this past year, I thank you for that.” She smiled at the compliment,
“Piss off Wolf, I am taken.” They both laughed.
Later that afternoon they approached the foothills of the mountains, it had been an uneventful ride with no encounters of any kind. In fact they had seen very little wildlife too. The region was almost desolate. Wollfen wiped the sweat off his brow with the back of his forearm and looked around,
“Let's pull up, I doubt we are going to f
ind anything of interest, I want head back.”
The four horses were reigned in and turned about, they wasted no time in trotting off back the way they had come, other than the stopover in the farm it had been a waste of time. Well not really, at least Wollfen could say for sure now that there was no orc activity of any importance here. They rode for another four hours until dusk fell, then they picked out a nice spot to make camp and stopped for the night. If they were lucky they should be back in Outrock after lunch tomorrow.
The evening passed quietly but later that night the clouds closed in and a drizzle started in the early morning hours before dawn, by the time they got up they were mostly soaked through. It was a cold morning as they mounted up and no one felt like breakfast, the sooner they could leave the better. The journey continued on and an hour later the rain became heavier, if there was any doubt they were wet before then there was none now. The four of them looked like bedraggled puppies having played in the rain, just not as excited.
“Any chance of you using some magics to make the rain go away?”
Solynne was looking at Wollfen when she spoke, he looked at her without a word and simply shook his head, he wasn't enjoying this at all. Kane though was in better spirits,
“You should grab a bar of your soap and start using it in your saddle Solynne, it wouldn't hurt to get rid of that sweaty smell you have built up the last couple of days.”
“Cheeky bastard.”
Kane laughed out loud and trotted off a little faster to put some distance between him and her, she just glowered at his back. Wollfen looked back to Keera who had been quiet all morning and gave her a nod, she didn't respond though and he wondered if she was okay. Well they would be back in Outrock soon enough, a hot bath would work wonders.
“Hey.”
Kane pulled up staring off to the left, they were on an open rise of the road and he was staring intently when he called out. The other three pulled up and looked too.
“About a mile out, down near the base of that hill, a troop of people moving on horseback.” They all stared for a few moments.
“It is strange they are moving through the open plain there and not using the road, are they looking to avoid any encounters?”