"Huntress, you have come a long way!" Bourne said in a loud voice. "I supposed Lady Druces neglected to tell you of our new arrangement."
She looked down on the two men with emotionless eyes are replied, "I no longer take orders from her ilk. I make my own rules from here on out. Now, if you will give me the Mace Stone I will kill you quickly and your companion may go free." She thought such a bargain would appeal to the Dwarf and thus he might encourage Bourne to not be foolish (hopefully using some force).
Durrock chuckled a little and said, "A reasonable request from an unreasonable source is no bargain at all. Besides, I do not make bargains with Orcs or children." Bourne was relieved Durrock was not anxious to tell the Huntress that the stone was in Strom's possession (which he was certain Durrock knew despite it having been given in confidence). "I suppose, Horrenda, you will just have to take us by force," he continued. They both drew their weapons as Moornam gave the order to the men to draw their bows. Durrock took a slight step forward towards Bourne's side and grabbed his arm just as the Huntress yelled, "FIRE!"
At the bottom of the ravine, a dozen fire bolt arrows struck and erupted all at once. The force of the blast reverberated off of the ravine walls and exploded upwards knocking over most of the thieves that had just stood there watching the eruption. Moornam, Cerif, and one other had dropped to shield themselves from the blast just after they had loosed their arrows. The sound the explosion made was deafening to them all, however.
After a moment, Moornam stood up and look down into the ravine to see what was left of their targets amidst the large ring of smoldering grass and burning scrub bushes. Cerif looked over his men who were getting back on their feet and shaking their heads trying to clear them. He turned around to see the Dwarf as he was abruptly arising from under the ground hauling the Man up with him. Cerif made to cry out but had been taken by surprise. Moornam seemed to sense the disturbance behind her and she whipped around only to have Bourne's sword point jammed deeply into her side. "Now you die!" was all that he said.
Cerif dropped his bow and leapt back trying to avoid Durrock. But, as he tried to draw his short sword, he found his head severed from the rest of his body by a single axe stroke from the onrushing Dwarf. Bourne got another stout hack in on the Huntress who then collapsed and fell back into the ravine. He heard her yelling, "NO!" as she fell. Bourne ran past Durrock and engaged the nearest two thieves who died quickly. Then, the tide began to turn once again for the rest of the thieves were either running away or nervously knocking another of the bright red arrows into their bows. Bourne stayed his anger for a moment when he realized what was about to happen. He pivoted to make a leap towards a small and distant hillock but Durrock seemed to tackle him. "Wait," was all that the Dwarf said and then he quickly mumbled the command words for his ring spell. There was another series of massive concussions going on above the two as they dropped into the Earth for a third time.
Inside the ground, Durrock got firm hold on Bourne's wrist and hauled him in the direction of the forest's edge. He wanted to get a little inside of the tree line before going back up to the airy world so that any of the thieves that might survive the crossfire of explosions occurring might not see them.
Bourne noticed that they were moving rather slowly throw the dirt and stones of the ground. He hoped that the spell was not somehow failing. Finally, Durrock simply let go of his wrist and Bourne found himself popping up onto the nearest patch of open ground. He watched Durrock slowly climb up to the open air and saw that he was singed and bloodied. He must have caught part of the blast as they were descending. The Dwarf lay flat on the ground and panted.
The sound of men yelling and an explosion came from just outside the tree line about one hundred yards away. Bourne looked through his pack but found no healing potions. "I am sorry," he said. "I have no nothing for you. I wish that I did."
"Do not trouble with it. Give me a moment to collect myself and then we must be off. The sound of those explosions will, no doubt, draw in every Hippogriph and nasty for many miles. We should try to stay under tree cover as much as possible. I do not think I am fit for any more encounters today. That last spell was all that I had left."
They spent rest of the day hiking through the woods in the direction of the outpost. Durrock managed to keep up with Bourne but his shorter stature and physical injuries made that a difficult task. To lighten his burden, Bourne carried some of the Dwarf's belongings for him, though he thought it best if they each kept a Bag of Holding full of treasure. Thrice throughout the afternoon they either saw or heard something large flying past them overhead and they once had to lay low for few moments when a band of Goblins strode near them. It was after that when Bourne asked, "I hate having to hide from mere Goblins, but I believe that I am as tired as you. Also, I thought you said a spell caster should always have one more trick up his sleeve. I suppose I am not one to speak as I only now noticed that our Thief got off with the Nine-Lives Stealer. At any rate, I suppose that last casting was the end of your magical rope."
Durrock smiled slightly and replied, "Perhaps and perhaps not. Having to Passwall to escape those fire bolts was not in my original plan. I like keeping that spell available to me at all times. Tell me, do you think you managed to do in the Huntress back there?"
Bourne replied flatly, "I think so but I cannot be sure. She was in the blast zone for that last ill fated crossfire but since we left so quickly, I did not get to see for sure."
"Let's hope those idiot Thieves all killed themselves with those fire bolts. Giving such weapons to men who are little more than children was a very bad idea. That Huntress was certainly intent on killing you," said Durrock. He took a long drink from his canteen than said, "If she did survive, would Horrenda continue to follow you even when your business is concluded with Lady Druces and the bounty is lifted from your head?" Bourne only nodded. Durrock then said, "It is a shame that her tenacity and skills could not be plied to a greater affect on a more deserving adversary." To this, Bourne had no reply.
Some time before the sun had began to set, the two adventurers entered the clearing near the watchtower overlooking the river. Durrock slumped with his back against a tree. The last league of the march had been difficult for him and he was now very weary. Seemingly in pain he said, "My friend, I believe I will take my leave of you now. Your companions will hopefully be here soon and I need rest to regain my strength in the wilds where I am most comfortable. I should be able to heal myself fully in a day or three."
Bourne un-slung the pack he carried for Durrock and replied, "Very well then. All in all, I'd say we made out rather well on this campaign, save for that last bit of nonsense. And, as for Avet, tell him what you like but my dealings with either side of his affairs is ended. Take care of yourself, Durrock."
The Dwarf nodded and then his face went blank. He sniffed the air around him and whispered, "I know singed Dwarf is not aromatic, but I'd swear that I smell burning Orc. Methinks we should ." But his words were interrupted by Bourne shoving him aside and yelling, "Duck!" Bourne managed to leap behind a wide tree trunk just as it erupted with flame. A very singed and bloodied Moornam appeared in the clearing. She tossed her bow aside as she ran straight for Bourne with her mace drawn and murder in her eyes. Bourne sprang up from behind the tree and he made to intercept her mace arm and deflect the blow so as to knock her off balance and cast her down the steep ridge. He did manage to deflect most of her onslaught but the Huntress's momentum bowled him over and they both tumbled down the hillside in a frenzied ball of pummeling and grappling limbs.
Bourne tried to escape the maddened Half-Orc's clutches all the while avoiding running into trees and rocks as they rolled down the steep slope, but it was to no avail. After what seemed minutes, the two splashed into the shallows of the river's edge and Bourne managed to throw the Huntress off of him. This gave him a moment to draw his sword and prepare his own attack.
"Your tracking skills are superb but they have brought you to your d
eath!" Bourne rasped as he slashed at Moornam. Neither of them where very mobile in the knee deep current so their fight consisted mostly of savage swings and shallow lunges. Bourne's longer weapon would have put him at the advantage had the larger Half-Orc not kept closing the distance between them trying to grapple with him. Bourne thought himself to be a good wrestler, but his metal armor and her superior weight would count too much against him in the water. All she would have to do is take him down and keep his head under the cold water for a short time to do him in.
As out of her mind with anger as she was, Moornam would not try to out and out tackle the fighter while he was armed with a sword. So, she kept trying to disarm him by striking is arms and hands with her mace. If she could, she would move in on him, latch onto his torso, and grab his sword wrist keeping it out of the way. But, he was playing it safe and not allowing her to get close to him by keeping up a constant barrage directed mostly at her head.
Finally, her rage momentarily subsided and she suddenly turned and ran as fast as she could against the current to a patch of muddy shore several foot spans behind her. Bourne followed her but found that the waterlogged padding under his leggings slowed him down. Breathing hard, she made it to the shore and made ready her attack. Instead of just pursuing her and giving her the advantage when she got to the shoreline ahead of him, Bourne moved at a tangent to her and came up on a slightly narrower patch of ground at the water's edge a few yards downstream.
They arrived at the shore at the same instant. As Moornam got her footing in the mud, she whipped around to see where her prey was. When she saw that he was also on land, she immediately picked up a large rock and threw it at the fighter. His armor protected him but the impact caused him to lose his footing a bit. Nonetheless, he pressed forward as he wanted to get as far onto firm ground as he could. When the two closed on one another, their final fight was on.
Bourne was impressed with just how physically strong the Huntress was when she was mentally unhinged. Her reckless abandon was causing her to be a formidable opponent. Her mace swept in under his guard and ripped at his ribcage. He felt its spikes tear through his armor and into his flesh. He counter-attacked with a hard downward slash but she was too fast for this and her mace screamed past his head just catching the top of his helmet before he had fully committed to the strike. In all his years, Durrock had seen this type of fighting a few times before. A cornered or enraged animal will sometimes fight with such vigor that it can kill foes many times its equal. 'Berserkers' are what Men call such fighters. The downside is that the enraged animal holds nothing back to protect itself and recklessness could be a double edged sword. Bourne knew that if he could survive the initial onslaught that she would eventually give him an opening to kill her with. He just had to wait for the right moment to strike. He wished that he had his shield with him but it lay in smoldering bits around Tantalus's thrown.
Bourne had no time to consider whether Durrock was still alive or a victim of that last firebolt's blast. He knew that no help would be given to him and, in truth, he wanted none. He was tired and injured but so was Moornam. The smell of her burnt flesh told the whole story although the wounds he had given her back at the ravine seemed to be healed. She must have had a healing potion with her back there. Her mace screamed past his head again and again. Bourne was now trying to parry and dodge all of her blows and only counter-attack enough to keep Moornam on the offensive. He did take a few more blows from the mace and they did hurt him but he waited until she over-extended her thrust and faltered a little. Bourne seized that split second and made a hard slash at the Half-Orc's back. She howled with pain and frustration but that was met by Bourne's fury. Now he was on the attack and stabbed at her relentlessly.
The end of battle came when the Huntress made a wide swing and Bourne's left knee. He managed to raise his leg up and move just inside the weapon's range thus taking the blow from the weapon's handle and not its head. As he moved in he raise his sword's pommel up with its tip pointed downward. As he blocked the blow, he stabbed Moornam through the sternum and down into her bowels. She dropped her mace and fell backward quickly losing consciousness. Bourne just stood over her and panted to catch his breath.
From behind him a gruff voice said, "Very good show." It was Durrock. He was still a ways up the hill and trying to make his way throw the undergrowth down to the river with his axe in hand. Bourne found a small outcropping of tree roots and rocks to sit on and waited for the Dwarf to arrive. When he did, he looked only a little worse for wear from the final fireball. "I just hope she did not bring anyone with her although I imagine that to not be her style," he said as he walked over to Bourne, holding his side all the while. "As foolhardy as attacking us outright was, had she struck either of us directly with that arrow, I think we would both be dead now."
"Truly," replied Bourne. "She simply does not give up. In fact, she is still breathing. I imagine she'll awake presently."
Durrock nodded then said, "Would you like me to dispatch her for you? I would not mind slitting her throat as I have had quite enough of her myself."
"Actually, I might have a better idea. Something you said got me thinking. You implied that if her tenacity and anger could be channeled properly, she might make a fine instrument for your cause," Bourne said while removed his helmet to wipe the sweat and blood from his brow.
Durrock thought for a moment then replied, "Yes, I did mention something like that. It is not really my cause per se, not any more. Still, I suppose that she could infiltrate Lady Druces's monastery quite easily. Now that is one person that needs killing. You do not know her past if you think otherwise. She sounded like she was quite upset with the Lady when you mentioned her name back at that ravine. Hmm, yes I can see how this Huntress could be of some use to Avet. I might even get a commission on her work!"
"Is that so? I have never taken her hunting me personally until now. I blame the Dark Lord's minions for continuing to send these assassins after me. I never did them any direct harm and they were just trying to look good in their Lord's eyes. But, just because I can no longer kill them does not mean I cannot help others to do so if only indirectly."
The Dwarf smiled and said, "But she does seem to be committed to causing your death. I wonder just how much gold we would have to throw at her to change her mind I guess it depends on how hard we throw it!" Durrock let out a hearty laugh that Bourne feared might even awaken the Huntress. Fortunately, the laugh was abbreviated because it seemed to cause Durrock some considerable discomfort.
Bourne took off his leather belt and made to tie the Half-Orc's hands. "The problem will be in transporting her. We can tie her up from head to toe but what then?"
The Dwarf smiled a broad smile. "A good spell user always has another trick up his sleeve and I have at least two. Firstly, let us fetch some more rope from my pack to secure her totally and then we can put her inside my bag of holding. That should make transporting her easy enough and keep her immobile for as long as need be. I'll just have to let in fresh air from time to time."
Bourne added, "Also, sitting on that much gold might calm her down a bit; put her in the right frame of mind to negotiate. "Where will you take her? You are in no shape for any more excitement I think."
Durrock fished out a small trinket from a gold chain around his neck. He had kept it under his armor so that even Strom knew naught of it. "A gift from Avet. He used to give these to his most trusted until the Enemy figured them out and began using them against him. But, I still use mine when need be," Durrock explained. Bourne took a good look at it but it just seemed to be a small, gold medallion with runes on it. "It is a clairaudience charm. I can communicate with one of Avet's minions with it; a powerful sorcerer. I imagine he will be happy to help me in this case even though his help has been quite fleeting in the past. This might also settle my debt with Avet."
"Ah," Bourne said, "that is what you meant when you told Beneth you had a way out of anything. I had thought you meant your passwall spe
lls. Having a Sorcerer's aid from time to time would be a nice thing to have!"
"It generally comes at a dear price, believe me. But, as I have said, I think Moornam could be of use to Avet's cause."
Bourne replied, "Let us hope so. Just do not call her Horrenda again!" And with that, they set out to retrieve the necessary rope to bind her, bound her wounds to some extent, and then put her in the bag of holding just as she started to rouse. The pair climbed the hill to the watchtower together but they moved very slowly as fatigue pulled at their muscles.
Durrock finally said to Bourne, "Whatever is to happen with the Huntress, you will be troubled with her no more; that much I can promise you." They agreed that each would take a single Bag of Holding and forget about dividing the treasure up equally by item value. Durrock's bag was necessarily less full as he had to initially carry Bourne and now the Huntress, so Bourne decided not to quibble over it. The Dwarf then bade the fighter to ascend the tower and await the coming of his friends.
As Bourne slowly climbed up the tower stairs, he looked back at Durrock who was reclining on his pack by a large tree. The Dwarf seemed to be lost in deep thought. When the summit had been reached, Bourne looked down to where Durrock had been, but he and his possessions were gone.
Within the hour, Beneth and Leena appeared at the base of tower. "Finally," was all Beneth said. Bourne made his way down the stairs and into Leena's arms. Even through his battered armor, she felt wonderful to hold.
"We were a little delayed in our arrival but we came as fast as we could!" she told Bourne.
Beneth intoned, "My initial attempt at teleporting here landed us at a similar tower in Voddestan. I am not as familiar with this local as I should be. Fortunately, I was able to read a scroll spell and remove ourselves from there before the entire Kobald guard compliment was fully roused. Of course, now we will have to wait until morning before I can safely teleport us to the Clerics' Temple."
Tales of Fantasy, Fables, and Fiction Page 22