by Justin Wayne
Chapter Thirty Three: A Group Effort
The next three days were quite the three days to remember. Bryn busied herself checking up on Outsider every few hours and assessing his progress based on his descriptions of how he was feeling, but the fact that he couldn’t feel anything hindered the process. Instead she began seeing how much he could move by having him perform a series of stretches every four hours and comparing.
Thom practiced with Merlon and the three men from Bryn’s group to get his fighting back up to par. His little axe was long gone by now so he substituted it with a long knife one of the men had as it was practically a short sword to him. The gruff dwarf spent many long hours instructing him how to block and dodge while keeping your footing, then showed him the basics of footwork.
“Ye’ have to keep yer upper half balanced by the lower.” he explained. “If ye’ swing too far without spreadin’ yer legs to a wide stance ye’ll fall right over. So accommodate for bigger strikes with bigger steps.”
Their progress went well and Thom was soon able to hold his own against the men one on one, though he was no expert by any means. They all left with new bumps and bruises to nurse and Thom with the most. But the hobbit was happy to do it and hoped to prove himself useful.
Cuke spent most of his hours sifting through scrolls and tomes then checking his personal notes to make the optimum selection of spells. He wanted a good mix of offense and defense to support his friends, but had trouble finding spells he thought would make a dent against a demon.
He scratched his balding head and continued flipping through the old, dog-eared pages.
Natalia visited Outsider the first day and sat with him for awhile, telling him she was sorry for reacting so poorly and that she had come back not an hour after looking for him.
“I was so scared you were going to get caught by them,” she recounted. “I told Bryn about it and she sent some of the men to watch the prison, and the next day they said they thought they saw someone crossing a rope there. I knew it had to be you, so we set out to keep watch.”
“How did you watch?” he asked and managed to sit up fully.
She reached into her pocket and removed a rustic spyglass with a wooden body and golden border around to the lens. “We have a few of these with us at all times and just watched what we could through the windows. Which wasn’t much I have to tell you.
“But when Blaine and Thom came out on the roof, I knew you would follow. As soon as you did we set out immediately to get you both out. The guards tried to stop us at first but once we showed them we meant business, they had too few to do anything but watch.”
Outsider stroked his chin as he imagined it all happening chronologically. “Well I’m glad you did otherwise I wouldn’t be here.”
“It was definitely a close call.” she agreed. “You had already lost so much blood by the time we got there..we brought you back to the inn for a day to get some fluids in you, then set out that night to take you to Journ as Thom instructed.” Her eyes moved from his face to the hobbit across the camp. “He didn’t leave your side once. I think he feels he needs to repay you somehow for saving him.”
Outsider nodded. “I came to the same conclusion. But I don’t agree with it; he’ll just get himself hurt trying to prove he can.” He tried to stand then for the first time but couldn’t get his legs beneath him.
“Take it easy, give it some time.”
“Like I have a choice.”
Bryn came over then and handed him a bowl of a foul smelling broth. “Drink it, it’s good.” He wrinkled his nose and looked at her incredulously but she waved her hand to hurry. With a shrug, he tilted the bowl back and drank it all as fast as he could; ignoring the bitter taste that coated his tongue like chalk.
He cringed. “Why couldn’t I have lost my sense of taste too?”
“You’re sitting up on your own now. Seems you’re making good progress.” She took the empty bowl from him. “And I meant it’s good for you, not good tasting.”
The second day was spent doing much the same but at a more fervent pace as the weather took a turn for the worse. The constant gray of the sky had turned a bruised purple and threatened snow. Already the wind had picked up and brought with it a bone-chilling gale worthy of legend.
All but Merlon, who was accustomed to cold weather, and Outsider who was still wrapped in a blanket and his tattered cloak, shivered and shook. More wood was collected and thrown into the fire with a large pile nearby just in case.
Thom wrapped his arms around his chest and put his small hands in his armpits to warm them. “I swear to any god that’s listening, I’ll never steal again if I can just be warm!”
Merlon clapped him on the shoulder, bowling him over as typical, and picked him up. “Oh come now, boy, it aint so bad.”
“Maybe not for you with a beard as thick as a wool blanket.” Thom scoffed.
“I thought ye’ had a little dwarf in ye’?”
“Only when he’s fighting.” Natalia put in with a wink and smile.
Merlon and Thom shared a surprised glance and as one raised an eyebrow into an arch with a crooked grin. Despite their thorough attempt at hiding it by masterly turning their backs to her, she didn’t miss it and suppressed her giggling.
“Boys.” Bryn laughed and shook her head.
Outsider walked past then with his blanket wrapped around his shoulders. The women jumped up to stop him but he waved them away. “I’m fine, I’m fine; I’m walking aren’t I?” and he made his way to the fire where he sat heavily with his hands out.
Cuke looked up from his pages and to Outsider who was frowning at the flames in deep thought. “Cold are we?”
Outsider remained pensive for a moment then noticed Cuke’s waiting face. “Sorry, what?”
“Are you cold?”
Outsider shook his head. “I wish.”
On the third day, the weather escalated and beat down on the group. Snowflakes rained down on them in sheets upon the howling wind. The fire flared in and out as the storm buffeted it, even blowing over poor Thom.
Outsider trudged over to Merlon who was sitting near Natalia and Bryn discussing business plans. “Sorry to interrupt, but I think we have a problem.” He pointed across the plains the opposite direction of Journ. There, the sky was black and roiling like water set to boil. “That’s a blizzard coming right for us.”
Merlon cursed and shook the frost from his beard. “Yer not gonna say what I think yer gonna say are ye’?” His eyes locked with Outsider’s and they shared a silent conversation in the look alone. He nodded and looked down at the ground. “I thought ye’ would.”
Natalia and Bryn looked to them for an explanation. “Thought he would what?”
When Merlon didn’t answer Outsider did. “Thought I would suggest we move into the town early.”
The women cast a concerned eye on one another then around the group. “What about the demon?”
“That’s not going to matter if we freeze to death in the middle of a storm. At least there we can bunker down inside a house with walls, a roof over our head, and a stove to keep the fire going.” Outsider sighed and called Cuke over. “Will they work?”
“I think they will.”
The hunter eyed the cleric critically but decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. “Alright, that’s good enough for me.”
“What are they?” Natalia asked. Merlon remained staring at the ground with a still growing pile of snow atop his bushy head.
“They’re symbols of Dirringyr and Griphon that Merlon crafted from silver. I blessed them last night as well.” Cuke showed them the small silver pieces; one a round anvil and the other a square hammer. “They should repel Cancer enough to leave us alone if we stay together.”
“Should?” Thom’s voice squeaked and he appeared from within the snow that was now to his chest.
“Should.” Outsider echoed. “It’s the only chance we’ve got so I say we take it. Unless you’d prefer to sit through
that?” They all turned to regard the tempest fast approaching, and it had indeed grown more perilous to stay outside. “What do you think?” He looked about the group.
The men stood by Bryn and Natalia. “We go wherever they go.”
The women shrugged and Bryn wrapped her arm around her sister’s shoulders. “What choice do we have? We’ll go in the town.”
Outsider watched Thom’s reaction. “As long as it’s warm and keeps me dry, I would go even without those symbols.”
“Cuke?”
The cleric stuffed his books back into his pack and heaved it onto his shoulders. “They don’t call it the wild north for nothing.” He grinned at the prospect. “It’s been far too long since I last adventured.”
Outsider glanced down at the mound of snow beside him last. “Well what do you say about it all?” Merlon stood and the white pile collapsed as he appeared from within it. He grabbed his small pack and slung his axion to his back without a word.
Together, with all of their supplies and plenty of firewood in tow, they made their way into the little town; descending down the hill to the street. Merlon walked the slowest and felt as if all the world was upon his shoulders. He felt a longing in his heart that ached miserably as the buildings he had seen every day for so much of his life came into view.
Yet at the same time, the dark feeling of being watched crept over him and he felt a tug at his consciousness. Like a worm burrowing into an apple, he felt something pressing against his mind and he recoiled from the presence. “Cuke!” he called out. “Pass out the symbols. Now.”
The cleric obliged and once everyone had their charm with them, he felt better. The group passed the first house then and Merlon called for a halt. “There’re small houses throughout the little town and mines one of ‘em, but I think we should all stay in the inn. It’s the largest an’ has a big stove that can heat the entire place.”
They followed the gruff dwarf inside and shook off the eerie feeling abandoned buildings shared. Merlon’s mind was years away as he saw the inside of the tavern and he could clearly picture all his friends there cheering a rousing drinking song for them all to empty their foaming mugs to, while Garth tended to each table replacing the drained glasses with full ones, and a roaring fire in the back of the room casting the homey glow across them all.
Outsider patted him on the shoulder and made his way to the corner of the room to rest. An hour later, the group was settled and a fire crackled happily in the stove. The wooden floor was smooth from years of feet stomping it so, and created a comfortable enough stay. But the wooden walls creaked and groaned like voices calling out as the storm pressed them.
Merlon sat back and watched as his memories of the place gave way to the reality of it; the stark contrast heartbreaking. He balled his gloved hands into fists and wiped the tears from his eyes. With a sigh he pulled his axion close and began sharpening it determinedly; a new drive in his limbs and a fire in his heart to restore Garth’s home, his home, and all of his old friends’ homes, to their former glory.