by F. P. Spirit
They waited in silence after that. The woods around them were deathly still, a body without a heartbeat. Finally, after about ten minutes, Seth reappeared.
“Where’s Brundon?” Titan asked, a slight edge in her voice.
Seth was rather nonchalant. “Oh, I’m sure he’ll be along any minute now.”
About five minutes later, Brundon appeared as well. He sauntered up to Seth, a wide smirk on his lips. “Guess you gave up without even trying.”
Seth folded his arms across his chest. “Did I?”
Brundon expression grew uncertain. “What do you mean?”
It was Seth’s turn to smirk. “Oh nothing—but you might want to check your belt.”
Brundon gazed at the halfling as if he were crazy, but then began running his hand around his waist. He reached back behind him, and his eyes suddenly went wide. “No…” he drawled. The tracker brought his hand out from behind his back. In it sat a familiar-looking black throwing knife. “How in the world…”
Seth wore a twisted grin as he stepped forward and swiped the knife back from the tracker. “I’m just that good. Now, can we get back to scouting out the trail ahead?”
Brundon shook his head in amazement. “Very well. I’ll take the left flank, and you fan out to the right. Let’s plan on meeting back here in about twenty minutes.”
Seth nodded once, then spun around and took off. Brundon briefly caught Titan’s eye, shrugged, then also took off. Human and halfling disappeared into the woods, shadow-silent.
Once they were gone, Glo heard a soft laugh from Titan. “That was priceless.”
They waited once more, but somehow the forest no longer seemed quite as oppressive. Still, Glo could not help wonder what had happened to make them this way.
Glo whispered to Aksel, “It is unnatural for an entire wood to be like this.”
The young gnome grimaced. “Probably some dark magic was used here at one time. But nothing I have ever heard of.”
“Nor I.”
Seth and Brundon reappeared out of the woods almost exactly twenty minutes later. The tracker signaled for the others to gather around. Seth spoke first, keeping his voice low.
“I think there is a trap up there inside the pass. I saw something lying across the path between the two cliffs. Whatever it is, it is crudely covered with underbrush.”
Brundon then added his findings. “And I came across some large footprints. Two-legged and five toed, with clawed feet. Bugbear would be my best guess, from the shape and size.” He looked knowingly at the others, his eyes finally resting on Titan.
Bugbears
Glo caught a glimpse of the ugly, bear-like face
Glo had read all about bugbears in his father’s library back home. He had been required to read an entire book series entitled Races of the World as part of his studies. Bugbears were two-legged creatures, somewhat larger and broader than a man, but with a bear-like face. Goblinoid, like their cousins the orcs, they would also eat people. They needed to be very careful if there were bugbears in these woods.
Brundon continued his report. “I followed the trail up to the edge of the tree line. I did not want to get too close, but there is definitely something large and brown lying up on the cliff south of the pass.”
Glo’s nerves started to rise. “Don’t bugbears usually travel in packs?”
Brundon smirked. “Yes, as a matter of fact, they do. But they also like to send out scouts and set ambushes for the unwary.”
Seth snorted. “Bet if we follow the trail up to the keep, we’ll find the rest of his clan.”
Brundon pursed his lips. “Most likely, but there’s no telling how many of them there are.”
Aksel’s head tilted slightly, a quizzical expression crossing his face. “Maybe we can take advantage of the situation. By any chance, does anyone speak bugbear?”
There was silence for a moment, then Glo answered hesitantly, “I do.”
Seth gave him a sidelong glance, his expression skeptical. “Really?”
“Sort of. It was part of my studies,” Glo replied. The halfling still looked unconvinced. Glo sighed as he thought back on all the hours he had put into what he had then deemed useless studies. His father had forced him to learn the basics of a number of languages in order to earn the right to be called a wizard. Glo ticked off each language he had learned on his fingers as he spoke.
“I know Common, Dwarven, Draconic, Orcish, as well as Goblin, which is what bugbears speak.”
Lloyd gazed at him, his expression curious. “You had to learn Common?”
Glo had a sarcastic retort on his lips, but stopped himself when he realized that Lloyd was serious. “Well…I am an elf.”
“And elves speak what, Lloyd?” Seth said, his voice thick with sarcasm. Lloyd stared back at the halfling, a foolish look on his young face. “Elvish!” Seth finished folding his arms across his chest.
Lloyd’s face took on a sheepish expression as he placed his hand behind his head. “Sorry, guess I didn’t think it through.”
Glo gave him a sympathetic smile. “That’s okay. At least you didn’t question my knowledge of languages like some people.”
Seth smirked. “Pardon me. I didn’t realize we were traveling with a walking library.”
Aksel cleared his throat. “Anyway, if there is only one of them, let’s see if we can capture it. Maybe that way we can find out more about what we are dealing with.”
Brundon’s eyes narrowed. “So what do you propose?”
Aksel paused and stared at him for a few moments. When he finally responded, he sounded more formal than usual.
“First, you lead Seth, Glo, and me back to the spot where you saw the bugbear.”
Brundon’s face took on a smug expression. “As long as the rest of you can be quiet.”
Aksel fixed the tracker with a stare. “We may not be as stealthy as you two, but trust me, we can manage.”
“Okay. Then what?” Brundon prodded him further.
Aksel sounded more and more annoyed as the lean man continued questioning him. “Then you and Seth spread out and flank the creature.”
Lloyd interrupted them, sounding quite eager. “What do you want us to do?” He pointed to himself and Titan.
Aksel’s face visibly relaxed, a thin smile gracing his lips. “Provide distraction. Give us about fifteen minutes to get into position, and then you and Titan start slowly heading up the path on horseback. Try to make a bit of noise so that you keep the bugbear’s attention.”
Lloyd nodded, his face lighting up with enthusiasm. “Sure thing.”
A gleam of excitement filled Titan’s sharp blue eyes.
Aksel smiled at the duo then addressed the group in general. “So while the bugbear is focused on Lloyd and Titan, Glolindir will cast a sleep spell on it.”
“That’s all well and fine. What do we do if the wizard’s sleep spell doesn’t work?” Brundon said with thinly veiled amusement.
Aksel turned to face Brundon, exasperation quite evident on his face. He paused a moment and took a deep breath. “That is why you and Seth will be flanking the creature. If the spell doesn’t work, then the two of you will pounce on it from both sides.”
Brundon looked over Seth speculatively, then turned back to Aksel with a dubious expression. “You do realize that bugbears are quite large and very strong, don’t you?”
Seth stared at the tracker, his arms folded across his chest. “What’s the matter? Afraid you can’t handle it?”
Brundon glared back. “It’s not me I’m worried about.”
“That’s enough!” Aksel barked, his voice hard as stone. He stared Brundon in the eye, neither flinching nor blinking, his face completely devoid of emotion. Brundon returned the gnome’s gaze, appearing quite self-assured at firs
t; however, as Aksel continued to glare at him, the tracker looked more and more uncomfortable. Glo and the others watched the staring contest in stunned silence—all except for Seth, who had a wicked grin on his face. When Aksel finally spoke, his tone was very firm. “Then let’s just hope that Glo’s sleep spell works. Unless, of course, you have any better ideas?”
Brundon held up his hands in front of him. “No. No, not really.”
Aksel’s expression was triumphant. “Good, then let’s move.”
Brundon led Seth, Glo, and Aksel through the trees and near-dead brush. They moved parallel but to the south of the path. When they reached a point adjacent to the pass, the tracker stopped and began cautiously moving north. After a few dozen yards, they dropped down on their knees and crawled the rest of the way up to the edge of the tree line. The four adventurers ended up behind a thick fallen tree trunk, the open cliff just on the other side.
Brundon raised his head, peeked out, and then ducked back down again. He signaled to the others that the bugbear was still there. Glo raised his head and peeked over the top of the fallen trunk. He saw a large humanoid-looking creature with big protruding ears lying face down on the top of the cliff, his back toward them. It had brown skin, but was also partially covered with thick brown fur. Its torso was wrapped in some kind of cloth, with a piece of spiked armor strapped around its left shoulder. Lying next to it on the ground was a large, deadly mace.
So that is what a bugbear really looks like. It was larger than he imagined, and even at this distance, he found it intimidating. Glo was glad he was not facing this big creature alone. The bugbear turned its huge head to look down the path to the east, and Glo caught a glimpse of the ugly, bear-like face before he ducked back down behind the fallen tree.
Glo’s heart was pounding in his chest. “That was close.”
“Shhhh.” Seth put a finger to his lips.
Glo clapped a hand over his mouth. Seth was right; there was no telling how sensitive this creature’s ears were. Aksel motioned to Seth and Brundon, and the man and halfling moved out to the respective left and right of their current positions. They soon disappeared from sight. The two remaining companions stayed down and waited. A few minutes later, they heard voices drifting up the path from the east. It was Lloyd and Titan.
Right on time. Aksel nudged him and cocked his head in the direction of their target. He lifted his head again and saw that the bugbear was now staring down the path toward the sound of the approaching warriors. It was now or never. Glo reached into a pouch on his belt and pulled out a pinch of sand. Then he began to concentrate while moving his hands in a circular motion—slowly letting the grains of sand slip from his fingers. As the last of the sand fell away, he spoke the word, “Somnus” and gestured toward the unaware bugbear.
As the spell released, a faint purplish circle appeared around the creature. The light disappeared after a moment, and the bugbear’s huge head slumped down onto the rock surface and lay still. Seth appeared off to his right, moving soundlessly toward the listless creature. He spied Brundon sneaking in from the left. Seth reached the bugbear first and stood quietly over the slumbering monster. He knelt down and examined it. It didn’t move at all, except the gentle rise and fall of its massive chest. Seth stood up and gave the all-clear sign. Glo and Aksel climbed over the tree trunk simultaneously and joined the others standing over the fallen bugbear.
“It’s asleep,” Seth whispered. “And I didn’t even have to sing him a lullaby.”
A fleeting smile passed Aksel’s lips. “Good, then let’s tie him up.”
Brundon pulled a thick rope from his pack, and he and Seth bound the bugbear and gagged it for good measure.
Seth rubbed his hands together. “Now that that’s settled, I’ll take care of that trap below.” Before anyone could stop him, he launched himself off the cliff. The three companions hurried to the edge and watched as Seth caught the branch of a tree and swung to the ground, landing neatly on one knee on the path below. He then stood, looked up, and waved to the three figures on top of the cliff.
Brundon’s voice was filled with awe. “Nice trick.”
It was the second time now that the halfling had impressed the smug man. “That’s nothing,” Glo said to him. “I once saw him fall from a kite thirty feet in the air, bounce off the net below, and easily land on both feet.”
Brundon turned to face him, his expression one of disbelief. “From a kite? Now you’re just pulling my leg.”
“It’s true.” Aksel smiled. “It’s called kite riding. It’s a big deal where I’m from.”
Brundon raised an eyebrow at the gnome. “You can’t be serious.”
Glo snickered. “I thought the same thing at first, but trust me, I’ve seen it with my own eyes. They even tried to get me on one of those contraptions.”
“Kite riding?” Brundon repeated, his expression still skeptical.
“Yes, it really is a big deal up in Caprizon.”
Brundon stared from Glo to Aksel, then shook his head slowly. “I can’t tell if you’re trying to pull one over on me, but there’s not many people that I can’t read either. I will say this—there’s definitely more to you folks than meets the eye.”
“You’ve no idea,” Aksel responded with an air of mystery, his expression unreadable. He spun around, winked at Glo and walked back to their sleeping captive.
Brundon gazed after the gnome, looking completely puzzled. Glo suppressed a smile. Good for Aksel. Maybe Brundon will think twice now before questioning everything he says.
Glo shifted his gaze back to the pass below and saw that Seth had uncovered a pit trap. A pile of dead leaves and twigs still covered it somewhat, but the halfling had pushed a section to the side. There is no way they are going to get the horses over that, Glo thought. Seth must have thought the same thing. The halfling skirted the edges of the pit and headed back down the pass toward Lloyd and Titan. Ten minutes later, the three of them appeared atop the cliff.
The bugbear had already woken up and was straining at its ropes, but Brundon had pulled out his sword and held it to the monster’s throat. It stopped its thrashing and sat still, glaring at them all. At Aksel’s request, Lloyd and Titan dragged the big creature back to the fallen tree trunk and propped him up on it. Aksel then asked Brundon to keep an eye out at the top of the pass.
“Sure thing,” Brundon replied, a hint of newfound respect in his voice. He turned and ran west through the tree line and up the hillside until he was out of sight.
Glo sat down on the ground in front of the creature, trying to figure out how to handle this situation. The bugbear was still quite ugly, but being all tied up and seated up against the tree trunk, it did not seem particularly threatening at the moment. Of course, it didn’t hurt that Lloyd and Titan stood to either side of the creature, hands on their sword hilts, with fierce looks on their faces. Titan in particular glared at the creature, as if daring it to try anything. Glo was quite impressed with how intimidating she could be, but the bugbear didn’t look scared in the least bit. It stared up defiantly at the two warriors.
Well, intimidation certainly was not going to work with this creature. Glo rifled through his mind, dredging up all he had read about bugbears. He knew their characteristics, enough of their language to get by, and even some basic culture. This creature was not afraid of them, so how was he going to get it to tell them what they wanted to know? As the wizard racked his brain, the answer came to him in a flash. Culture! That’s the answer.
Glo began to speak to the bugbear in its own language. He was not that great at it, but he could get his point across. As he spoke, guttural sounds came from his mouth consisting of grunts and growls. “We worship…Gruel…the one…true god,” he told the bugbear. Gruel was the chief deity of all bugbears. Though generally barbaric in nature, bugbears were extremely religious. The bugbear’s eyes widened.
It’s working. “We are here…to test…your honor,” Glo said haltingly. “We remove gag. If you scream…Gruel think… you weak. You understand?”
The bugbear gave a fervent nod. Well, this will be the test. Glo turned to Seth.
“Remove his gag.”
Seth raised an eyebrow but walked over to the bugbear and took out his knife. The bugbear stared at the gleaming blade as Seth held it up to his huge bear-like face. He slid it under the gag and cut it off cleanly in one quick motion. The material fell away and landed on the creature’s lap. Seth stepped back, and the knife disappeared from his hand.
The bugbear cleared its throat, a horrible rasping sound, and said to the elf, “You worship Gruel? How that be? You not bugbear. You meat.”
“We…worship…Gruel,” Glo said with a grunt, doing his best to sound fierce. He felt woefully inadequate next to the huge beast, but he continued to give it his best. “Gruel…one true god. He master of…blood and battle. He twelve feet tall…with great fangs…clawed hands…clawed feet. He carries…ten foot…mace. Other gods…cringe…before Gruel.”
Glo thanked his lucky stars for his father’s extensive library. There was a book there entitled, The Deities of All the Races. It even had pictures of each god in it.
“Yes, yes,” the bugbear declared with clear passion, “that is Gruel. You do know him.”
“Yes. What your…name?”
“I am Gilstench.”
“What your…clan?” All bugbears belonged to a clan. It was the cornerstone of their society.
“My clan is Ironfist.” The bugbear proudly raised his head.
“Ironfist,” Glo repeated. “Good. Gruel…sent us…to test you. To test…Ironfist clan.”
Gilstench glared at him suspiciously. This next step would be crucial. If the bugbear did not buy this then there would be no getting anything out of him.
“Ironfist…now…weak!” Glo cried with as much ferocity as he could muster. If only Lloyd or Titan could speak Goblin. At least they would have a chance of intimidating this huge creature; but he did not, and it was left to him. He pushed on, giving it his best.