by F. P. Spirit
“…brought back…meat last night…”
“Narthos keep all…himself…”
Seth realized they were talking about the caravan from last night. He fought hard not to gag.
“Narthos…greedy…”
“…be his…downfall…”
There was about a yard between the two orcs, easily enough for him to slip through undetected. Seth carefully wound his way in-between them. As long as neither orc decided to move, he should be fine.
“Hope…demon eat him…”
“Ha ha…as long as…not eat us…”
Demon? Seth froze in his tracks. He glanced up at their ugly faces, but he could not read their expressions. Seth was not certain he heard right, but that reference to a demon was not good. Still, there was nothing he could do about it now. He slowly crept forward once more. Finally, after what seemed like forever, he was through. The orcs kept chattering, but he was no longer paying attention. He continued a few feet past them, then turned and waited.
Less than a minute later, the top of a pale blond head appeared around the bend in the tunnel. It was followed by a robed arm. A moment later, a faint purplish circle appeared on the floor of the tunnel, just catching the two orcs in its radius. Both their heads nodded, then drooped, followed by their bodies slumping down the walls and sliding to the floor of the passage. Luckily, they made little noise.
Seth rushed forward and quietly dispatched the guards. It had the unfortunate side effect of breaking the invisibility spell, but it could not be helped. He was the best at this kind of quiet work.
Once done, Seth stood back up and let out a deep sigh. He glanced up and saw Lloyd and Titan slowly moving down the passage toward him. Both were taking great pains to be silent. Seth had to admit, they were not doing a bad job. He could see Glo behind them back by the bend in the tunnel. Seth gave him the all’s clear sign. Glo nodded, then disappeared back around the bend. He would head to the well and get the others.
Seth waited until Lloyd and Titan joined him. He signaled for them to wait there, then went ahead to scope out the cavern. He would have to wait a while before he could turn invisible again. Magic was funny like that. In the meantime, he would have to do this the old fashioned way. Seth crept to the end of the ledge, then got down on his belly. He inched forward till he could just see over the edge.
The first thing that hit him was the smell. The overpowering odor of orc wafted its way up from the cavern floor below. He fought the urge to clasp his hand over his nose. The floor of the cavern was maybe thirty feet down. The area was well lit, torches flickering at regular intervals along the walls. There were orcs everywhere, dozens of them. Some sat around fires, others moved about the cavern floor, and yet others appeared to be asleep. As he glanced around, Seth noticed something strange about these orcs. They were mostly women and children. This is the bandits’ base camp!
Seth continued to scour the room until he spotted four full-grown male orcs. Two of them wore armor with those wickedly curved swords strapped to their belts. The other two sat around a fire. One wore armor like the others. The other was garbed in robes.
There’s that orc priest. They’d let him escape last time. This time he wouldn’t be so lucky. Seth spied a small path that ran along the cavern wall. It rose up from the floor and ended at the ledge he was on. He had seen enough.
Seth slid back and spun around. Everyone was now here, waiting for him at the end of the tunnel. He crept back to join them and filled them in on what he had found.
Aksel’s expression was troubled. “It would be best if we don’t harm the women and children.”
Seth grimaced. He understood Aksel’s concern. In fact, it was one of the things he respected most about his gnomish friend—his belief in the sanctity of life. Still, it was not always realistic to think that you could always save everyone. “There’s a lot of them down there.”
Aksel appeared unphased by his statement, the gnome’s jaw firmly set. “All the more reason to try.”
Seth heard the sound of soft whispering. Lloyd and Titan had their heads together and were speaking in a rapid, hushed conversation. The two warriors must have realized all eyes were on them. Lloyd spoke for the duo. “What if we draw the warriors to us?”
Aksel’s hand went to his chin. He rubbed it furiously. A few moments later he nodded. “That just might work.”
Seth silently agreed. In fact he might be able to help. A wicked smirk spread across his lips. “If you give me a few minutes head start, I can get close to that warrior and the priest. “I should be able to keep them occupied for a bit.”
“I could probably help you with that, too,” Glo said. He pointed his fingers and made a weaving motion in the air. “My projectiles hone in only on the specific target. No one else would be hurt.”
Elladan cleared his throat. “I may be able to help as well. There’s a song I can play which will not only boost morale, but will also make the sword arm more accurate and deadly.”
Seth’s eyes narrowed. “Why don’t you just step out on the ledge and scream, ‘We’re here!’”
Elladan flashed him a half smile. “Don’t worry, I can play so softly you’ll barely hear it. The magic will still work.” To emphasize his point, he plucked a string.
Seth heard the barest of sounds. He glanced at Aksel. “Did you hear that?”
Aksel nodded slowly. “Just barely.”
Lloyd’s expression was puzzled. “I didn’t hear anything.”
“Neither did I,” Titan said.
Glo appeared amazed as well. “I think it was just outside the range of the human ear. I heard it, as did Aksel and Seth, only because of our racial tendency toward improved hearing.”
“Very well. Do it,” Aksel instructed the bard.
Elladan went ahead and played his song. When he was done, Seth did notice a lifting of his spirits. Still, he was not about to admit that out loud.
Aksel nodded to Elladan, then turned to Seth. “Go ahead. We’ll give you fifteen minutes to get in position.”
Seth smirked. “More than enough time.” He grasped his cloak and turned invisible once more. He spun around and headed for the ledge that led down to the cavern floor below.
A little more than ten minutes later, Seth was in position—about a yard away from the orc warrior and priest. The pair were still sitting next to the fire, close to the other end of the cavern. A few more minutes went by, then a loud voice echoed across the cavern.
“Hey ugly!”
Seth glanced up and saw both Lloyd and Titan standing at the top of the ledge, swords drawn and ready for battle. Not his most original line, but it was quite effective. The two orc warriors closest to the ledge drew their swords and rushed up to attack the two humans. The warrior in front of Seth stood up and drew his sword.
“You know, you should never turn your back on a wizard,” Seth said aloud.
The warrior half turned, looking for the source of the sound. He took a swipe through the empty air in front of him with his wickedly curved sword. At that same moment, Seth glimpsed two purple blurs winding through the air toward them. They slammed into the orc’s back.
Thud. Thud.
The warrior convulsed, momentarily stunned by the dual concussive strikes. Seth, knife already in hand, rushed forward and stabbed the orc straight in the heart.
“Venenum,” he spoke the single word.
The orc glared down at him as he became visible. It clutched its heart, then collapsed to the ground. Around him, the entire cavern had erupted in confusion. Shouts and screams sounded from all sides. Seth glanced over and saw the orc priest was gone. He spun around and saw a robed figure disappear down a tunnel at the other end of the cavern.
Dragon dung! The priest had gotten away again.
Seth glanced back the other way. Lloyd
and Titan had easily dispatched the two remaining orc warriors. The rest of the cavern occupants swiftly gathered against the cavern wall between Seth, Lloyd and Titan, cowering away from the three of them.
Aksel’s voice rang out across the cavern, “Lloyd. Seth. Chase after the priest!”
Seth nodded and raced for the tunnel the priest had disappeared into. Within moments, the tall figure of Lloyd was at his side.
Captive Audience
I seem to have misplaced my torch
Seth and Lloyd disappeared into a tunnel at the other end of the cavern. The three orc warriors were dead, and the rest of the orcs, all women and children, cowered together against a wall of the wide cavern.
Aksel turned to Glo. “Can you speak to these folks?”
Glo nodded. “What would you like me to tell them?”
“Tell them we won’t harm them as long as they don’t give us trouble. Tell them to sit down against the wall and be still.”
Glo strode up in front of the remaining orcs. Titan joined him, her sword sheathed at her side. Glo stole a quick glance at the warrior. She gave him a brief, reassuring smile. The orc women pushed the children behind them and eyed the wizard and warrior cautiously. Glo kept his hands at his sides and spoke calmly in Orcish to the crowd. “Sit down and no harm will come to you.”
At first the orcs just stood there, then one older woman stepped forward. “How do we know you speak the truth?”
Glo kept his voice even. “Are you an elder of this tribe?”
She held her head up proudly. “I am.”
“We have no quarrel with you, only with your priest. Sit down, and we will not harm you.”
The elder orc did not move. She stared from Glo to Titan then back again, as if measuring the truth of his words. Finally, she turned around and motioned for her people to sit down. All the orcs obeyed her without question. The elder then sat herself down.
“Thank you,” Glo told the elder, relieved that she had listened. He looked over his shoulder to see Aksel staring at him, a thin smile on his face.
“Nice work.”
Elladan drew up beside Aksel. The bard gazed around the large cavern, his eyes finally falling on the sitting orcs. “So what do we do now?”
“Now, we wait.” Aksel sat down on a nearby rock, clasped his hands together and began to pray.
“Very well,” Elladan replied. The bard chose another rock nearby to sit down on and pulled out his lute. He began to play a tranquil tune.
The orc women and children grew silent, all eyes fixed on the bard. A half smile graced Elladan’s face as he continued to play.
A short while later, Seth and Lloyd reappeared. Their frustration was quite evident. Aksel rose up from his rock to greet them. “Well?”
Seth responded for the duo, “We lost him. The tunnel splits a few hundred yards down, and there were too many footprints to track which way he went.”
“Dragon dung,” Aksel swore.
Glo was surprised. It was the first time he had heard the little cleric say anything profane.
Seth glanced around at the scene behind them, a smirk on his lips. “Captive audience, Elladan?”
“The best kind,” the bard said without missing a beat.
Titan still stood over the crowd of orcs, keeping a watchful eye on them. The orcs, however, still appeared rapt in Elladan’s performance. Glo nudged his head toward the crowd and spoke softly.
“So what do we do with them? We can’t just sit here and babysit them all day.”
Elladan must have heard him. “Don’t worry. I’ve got it covered. The bard’s tune changed subtly and took on an even more soothing tone. The crowd of orcs began to yawn and one by one fell asleep. Within a few minutes, every orc woman and child was out cold.
Elladan rose and slung his lute back over his shoulder. “There you go. Problem solved.”
Glo had to admit, he was impressed. At best, he could only put four creatures to sleep at a time. “That does come in rather handy. How long will they be out?”
Elladan cocked his head to one side. “Hmmm, about an hour, give or take.”
Aksel stroked his chin. “That should be good for the moment, but I don’t like leaving them alone here like this.”
The cavern grew silent. Glo was not sure what to do with the orc families either. Aksel was right. The gods only knew what was down here in these caves. Leaving them alone, defenseless was unconscionable. Unfortunately, leaving Lloyd or Titan behind to guard them was not an option either. They might need both warriors, depending on what they ran into themselves.
Seth was the first to break the silence. “Hm. I wonder…”
The halfling strode over toward a thick canvas draped across a section of the cavern wall. He lifted up a corner. Behind it was the entrance to another tunnel.
“I wonder where that leads,” Glo mused aloud.
“You all go check it out. I’ll stay here and keep an eye on the women and children,” Titan said.
Glo looked at the tall warrior. Her expression was strangely soft.
“Good idea. Thanks,” Aksel told her.
The rest of them joined Seth.
“That priest was camped out right in front of this tunnel,” Seth explained. “I thought it odd at first that he was over in this corner, but maybe he was protecting something inside.”
Glo peered past the canvas. The tunnel beyond was pitch black.
Seth nudged him. The halfling wore an impish expression. “A little light please? I seem to have misplaced my torch.”
Glo could not help chuckling, and he was not alone.
Elladan appeared puzzled. “You do know there are dozens of torches in this cavern.”
Seth’s mouth twisted into a half smirk. “Yeah, I know. I just couldn’t resist saying that.”
A half smile crossed the bard’s lips. “Guess I must have missed something.”
Glo clasped Elladan on the shoulder. “Long story. I’ll tell you later.”
He lit the end of his staff and held it aloft. Lloyd held the canvas aside for them, and Seth and Glo entered the tunnel. The passageway only went a short way back before ending in an alcove. It appeared to be empty except for a small altar.
Seth motioned for the rest of them to wait, then crept ahead. He only went a few yards, then stopped and knelt down. After a few moments he called back to them, “There’s a pit trap here. Glo, can you bring that light closer?”
“Sure,” Glo said. He walked down to join Seth, still holding his staff aloft.
There was indeed a pit trap in the floor here, lined with sharp spikes. The trap extended the width of the tunnel and maybe three dozen yards back. Glo swept the passageway with his keen elven eyes. He spied a wooden board lying against the wall of the tunnel behind him. It appeared to be fairly long, probably long enough to reach the other side of the pit.
Seth walked past him and knelt next to the board. “Yeah, I saw this already.” He gave it a tentative heave. “It’s kind of heavy though.”
Glo reached down and tried to heft the board with one hand. He budged it slightly, but it was too long and unwieldy. He glanced back toward the others. “Hey, Lloyd. Care to give us a hand with this?”
The young warrior strode down to join them. He easily lifted the board and laid it across the pit. Seth crossed over and entered the alcove. From here Glo could see a copper idol on the altar. It had one eye.
“Is that Krieg?” Lloyd asked. From his tone it sounded as if he was sizing up a would-be opponent.
Glo found it amusing. “A replica, yes. The real Krieg is supposed to be twelve feet tall and weigh over two thousand pounds.”
A broad grin spread across Lloyd’s face. “Now that’s more like it.”
Seth had disappeared behind the alt
ar. They heard his voice ring out. “There’s a chest back here.”
Glo continued to hold his staff aloft while Lloyd went to join the halfling. They returned about a minute later, Lloyd carrying a medium-sized chest in his hand. He brought it back out of the tunnel and opened the lid for the others to see. The chest was filled with gold, silver, and copper pieces along with some jewelry, although nothing magical.
Aksel bent close and perused the contents. “This is probably loot from those missing caravans.”
“It’s about a thousand gold, a little more than two hundred silver, and just under three hundred copper,” Seth said.
“You counted it that fast?”
Seth shrugged. “What can I say? I’m good with money.”
Glo eyed the coins pensively. It seemed like an awful lot of coins, even if the bandits had waylaid a few caravans.
Elladan also bent over the chest, his expression thoughtful. “I wonder…maybe not all of this is from the caravans.” He glanced over at Aksel. “I’d like to try something.”
Aksel’s eyes narrowed as he stared back at the bard. “Sure, go ahead.”
Elladan motioned to Lloyd. “Here, help me with this.” The bard began scooping out the copper pieces. He walked them over and dumped them in a pile in front of the still-sleeping orcs. Glo wondered what the bard had in mind, but decided to wait and see. They all pitched in, except for Seth, who watched with a stony expression, his arms folded across his chest. Once they were done, Elladan motioned for Glo to join him.
“Come translate for me.”
Glo raised an eyebrow but followed Elladan over to the sleeping orcs. The bard stood over the elder woman who had spoken for the tribe before. He bent down, and gently shook her. She roused slowly, but nearly jumped when she saw the two elves standing over her.
“It is alright elder,” Glo said in Orcish. “We only wish to speak with you.”
She nodded slowly, still eyeing him suspiciously.
Elladan put a hand on Glo’s shoulder. “Ask her if the priest collected ‘offerings’ from them.”
Glo raised an eyebrow. He suddenly realized where Elladan was going with this. A thin smile crossed his lips as he translated the question.