Death Or Fortune

by James Chesney

  The longer we talked, the better he looked. Soon he was back to his old self, the shock of seeing and killing his father wore off. Mason continued to watch us, shifting his head back and forth as we spoke. At first, I just thought he might be hungry and was hoping one of us would feed him. After an hour or so I looked down at him, his eyes were so focused on me. When Windfall noticed he started laughing at me. 'Don't worry, you will get used to it.' I asked him what he meant? 'Mason is not your average wolf. A few years ago Ebbit found a ring that would grant him one wish. He tried to give it to me but I told him I didn't want it, he might not like what I would wish for. He pondered what to do with it for weeks. He questioned a wizard in Eystlund about it, trying to find the limits of the ring. In the end he used it to make his companion smarter. You are looking at perhaps the smartest wolf in all of Majius. Not only can he understand everything we say, he has a bad habit of letting you know when he thinks you are wrong.' I just looked at the half elf; I could not believe a word that was coming out of his mouth. He could see it on my face that I wasn't buying it. He leveled one finger at me and pointed. 'I see that look on your face, trust me it is true. Don't get me wrong, he isn't a great thinker or anything but for a wolf, he is very smart. I’d bet he is a fair bit smarter than your halfling friend.'

  I kept waiting for the big laugh but it never came. While I don't know today if the story was true, I tend to believe it. Mason was a very strange wolf. Looking back, it felt rather odd having an animal sit there and watch you. Hanging on every word that came out of your mouth. My son was close to a year old when I noticed he would do the same thing. It reminded me of the wolf right away when I noticed it. When Windfall and I went back inside the temple I asked Mason if he wanted to come inside. He just turned around and went back to the same spot he was in before Windfall and I came out. Waiting for his true master to return. Pare was able to find enough food in the temple to make us a simple stew. While he wasn't a great cook, I didn't have to worry about him killing us all. After we ate, we decided to inspect the rest of the temple. I was able to find a detailed map of the island that Argon had put together. It showed us where everything was down to the finest detail. It showed the location of the slave compounds, both in the city and near the shipyards. The one near the shipyard I knew about, the one in the city I did not.

  Michaels, Windfall and I went over the maps together, making plans on how to proceed. Looking back, Michaels was overly agreeable with most of what we said. I never knew he had other ideas on his mind. Not until it was too late to stop him. We figured Bryce and the Dead Squad would be along by morning, we could get started in full from there. From everything we could find and from everything Kandella told us the guards at the slave camps would be light. We planned on getting all the slaves free and putting them to the test. They would have to fight for their home. After all that time as slaves, we all figured that they would be ready to fight back. Kandella, while she was there during the planning, she told us right away that she would not fight. Explaining that while yes, she was a cleric, her gifts were used in other ways. She didn’t even have the power that Michaels had. 'I don't find many books that are in need of healing. My skills would do you no good on any battlefield.' I told her not to worry about it as her safety was the most important thing. I did promise my friend that I would rescue her.

  The last thing we did was find a place to rest for the night. There were more than enough beds but I didn't want anyone sleeping alone. No matter how much Kandella protested, I insisted on that. While I was willing to take her and Michaels word that we wouldn't need a guard for the night, I wasn't going to leave anyone alone all night long. In the end it didn't matter. We slept through the night and for the first time since we had left the ship I had dreams of home. Just before I awoke in the morning I could see Jasmin, her belly was showing the child in her womb. I rolled out of bed and put my armor on; I expected I would need it before the end of the day. I was right about that but blind to so many other things. I woke Pare up before leaving the modest room we were crammed in, telling him to get ready. I then took a bowl of what was left of Pare's stew outside to see if Mason would eat it. I was shocked to see him gone. I didn't know why or where he went for another three hours. When Bryce showed up he had both Mason and Ebbit with him. Two of the Dead Squad had a small stretcher and the body of Ebbit was on it, covered in blood and cold as the grave.

  94. Questions

  All of us were outside, gathered around the body of our fallen friend. Bryce told us how they found him and about the Orc they found near his body. Ebbit had a single wound on his body, it wasn't deep but it cut just enough to open up his jugular. He bled to death from a single lucky strike. The Orc who did him in was hacked to bits and its ears were chewed off. The strangest thing about it all was Mason who refused to leave the rangers side. Kandella offered to try to have the dwarf restored to life. 'While I may not have the power, the god may hear our prayers.' In the end it was Windfall who made the decision. 'Ebbit did not want to be brought back to life should he ever fall. He said to return his body to the earth where it belonged. He will be welcomed into the halls of his ancestors with open arms and begin his battle anew in the afterlife.' No one would argue with him, none of us wanted to. The look on his face was enough of a warning. Ebbit was more than just someone he adventured with, Ebbit was like family to the half-elf. We dug Ebbit a grave right there alongside of the past Clerics of Solarth and laid him to his final rest.

  If the Orc army was following its orders and doing as they were trained, we had less than a day before they would be marching on the tower. I looked up at the tower to see the Flame of Hope was burning strong that morning. I looked at Pare and figured I better give him something to do before his depression over losing another friend set in. I reached into my pack and pulled out the spy glass that I had on loan from Lomark. As I handed it to him I asked him if he thought he could climb up the tower to take a look to the north. 'Really?' he said to me as he looked up at the tower. 'I started to climb up there last night but figured you might get mad at me. But if you want me to go up, I will be happy to.' I then asked him when he had done that. 'Oh, right after you went to sleep last night. I was still a little hungry and then I found the ladder that goes up to the steps. I went about half way up before I stopped. I didn't want to get cooked by the flame.' I shook my head at the halfling but I should have known better than to think he slept all night long. I started to wonder if I should check his pack for items that shouldn't be there. I figured I would let him slide but remind him who owns the items in that temple before we leave. I told Pare he didn't have to go all the way up and that I just wanted him to watch to the north for a little while. He gave me a big smile as he ran off.

  With Pare out of the way I gathered all the men together. I told them I was going to give them eight hours, they were to find their selves something to eat. Then they were to get as much rest as possible. At sun down we were going to march. I asked Kandella to show the Dead Squad in and to show them were to find all the food. As everyone filed into the temple, Bryce stood there looking at me. He waited until everyone else was inside to speak. 'Well, we are another man down and we sent away some of the best archers I have ever seen. What is the plan?' I told him from all that we learned, when the call went out the Orcs would leave a very small contingent of guards at the slave camps. We were going to avoid the main army, hit the slave camp closest the ship yard. From there we would split up, he and the Dead Squad would then hit the ship yard. Then we march around the army to the Othos city and free the remainder of the slaves there. Windfall and Michaels would go with me and the Othos slaves while I would send Pare with him. 'You really think that halfling will follow me?' I told him to let me worry about the halfling. 'How long?' he then asked me. I asked him what he meant? 'How long till we assume you and the others are dead. I would hate to leave you behind but to be honest, I have had quite enough of this place.'

  I thought about it and told him he was to find a
ship, anchor off shore. If he saw the Orcs marching on the ship yard he was to lift anchor and set sail. If he did not see us in three weeks, he was to leave without us. Bryce looked at me and just shook his head. 'Yer a crazy son of a bitch Kromwell. I knew it from the start but I didn't know how crazy you were. You pull this off and they just might make you king after Roderick is gone. You have already won a battle with the odds against you, no one is that lucky twice.' His voice was getting heated so I just stood there and let him go on. When he stopped I looked him in the eye and asked him if he had anything else to say. 'Yea, you don't have to do this. We got who we came for, we can go steal a ship and get the hell out of here.' I moved down the steps of the temple so I was on even ground with him. I asked him what then? 'We go home, that is what!' he was growing furious. I just shook my head. I told him that we would only be passing the problem on to someone else. Argon wasn't dead. If he found his army waiting here for him, he would start all over again. It might be year or even two years from now but they would show up. Even stronger than they were right then and there. All the while the people of Va'Nox would continue to suffer under an iron fist.

  'Lord Kromwell, Captain, what in the hell ever it is that I am supposed to call you. Might I remind you that this is not our problem. We have Kandella, all we have to do is hit the ship yard and sail away.' I put my hand on his shoulder and asked him if we should wait to deal with them until they are marching on the capital of Arcadia, when our only ally to the south has been destroyed. When the Orc army is three or four times stronger than it was that day. I saw something in the eye of Bryce, desperation. For the first time since I had met him the man was scared. I told him what I saw, he tried to deny it but I asked him point blank, what it was that bothered him so? 'I've seen some strange things on the field of battle but this? I saw the wound on Ebbit's neck, it shouldn't have killed him. It wasn't that deep. Had he just packed the wound with something he would have still been alive when we got to him. I just don't understand what in the hell is going on here. It is like everything is going wrong and I am the only one who can see it.' I walked away from Bryce, told him to follow me a bit. As the full body of the tower came into view I looked up the tower and saw the halfling. I pointed up and told Bryce to go tell him that.

  Bryce got real quiet after that. All of us felt the loss of Miri, while Pare felt it more than anyone. It had an effect on all of us. He stood there looking up at the tower where Pare was perched on one of the steps, laying down, watching to the north. 'I'm sorry sir. I guess I just miss my wife. It has been too long ya know and I am ready to go home.' I just smiled at him and told him we were all ready to go home. That is when I told him that I was having a child. If I had anything to say about it, we were all going to get home. 'Tell me one thing then. Tell me you are not doing this for the glory of it all, to improve your position to take the crown when it is time. I understand you telling me this has to be done because no one else will do it but tell me this isn't about you stepping forward towards the throne.' I told him that was the furthest thing from my mind. At one time all I cared about was how many coins I could call my own and shouting out battle cries as I charged headlong into danger. I know now that there are things that are more important. Coins cannot buy you friends or let you feel love. A good friend of mine asked me to do him a favor and only death would stop me from doing that for him. That is why I was there, it was the only reason I was there.

  'So what now?' he asked me. I told him that for now, he should get himself something to eat and get a good sleep in before I was kicking his bunk. 'You kick my bunk and you are going to get an arrow in the leg. Then again, that might kill you so I better hold off on that.' I could only raise an eyebrow at him as he walked away laughing to himself. I wasn't sure if I trusted his laughter or not. I told myself that I needed to keep an eye on him, make sure he wasn't going to lose it. Looking back he held it together till the very end. I even came to accept his strange sense of humor. Before I walked in I looked up one last time at Pare, only now he was looking down at me. He was waving his little arms back and forth. When I waved back I waited for the signal. First he pointed to his eyes, telling me he saw something. He then tried holding up his fingers to show me how many but I couldn't make it out. I told him just to come on down. I watched in horror as he flew down the steps as if he had been going up and down them his entire life. He ran through the temple shouting that he had seen one Orc riding towards us. When he came bursting out the front door of the temple, everyone came with him. 'One Orc, riding fast. He will be here soon.' I looked at all of them, looking at me. Waiting for me to command them to do something.

  Looking back, it was nice not having to argue about what I had to say for a change. I told Michaels to come with me and for everyone else to get back inside. Pare was to go back up on the tower to keep watch. He was gone again before I got the word tower out of my mouth. Michaels and I took the horses that we had ridden before. I wasn't sure why I asked him to come with me, even today I don't know why. I didn't even mind when he pulled out his banner, in my mind it seemed like the right thing to do. I still don't know what in the nine hells I was thinking. We rode out as fast as we could, his banner streaming out behind him. I spared a moment to look down into the rift between the island halves. More than a hundred feet down to the water below, enough to kill a man for sure. Once we crossed over the bridge we could see the approaching rider. He looked to have light armor and a bow of some kind in his hand. He must have been a scout for the advancing army. As he saw us he stood up in his saddle to get a better look, just before he fired an arrow at me.

  I watched as it flew past, I was in no danger of being hit but I still put my head down and dug in to the flanks of the horse. I drew my blade and charged at the Orc as fast as the horse would carry me. The creature came to a quick stop and tried to turn around to run. While the horse was more than able to make the turn, the Orc could not stay mounted. The beast turned under him and he went falling to the ground. Michaels and I were on him before he could get back to his feet. He thought to put up a fight, holding up his short bow, letting out a roar. I lashed out with my blade, cutting the weapon in two just above his hand. He laid there looking back and forth between the two of us, waiting for the killing blow. The killing blow that never came. I asked the creature if he spoke common. I could hear Michaels praying to his god, so soft were his words that it could have just been the wind blowing across the plain. When the command word came, 'obey' I knew what would come next. The Orcs eyes glassed over and he looked like a dog waiting for his treat. 'Stand up and speak!' he told the creature.

  'I talk.' was all it said as it stood up. What happened next was not part of the plan. Yet I stood back and said nothing. Not once did I interrupt him. To this day, I don’t know why. Michaels held his weapon in front of him, holding it in both hands in front of his chest as he spoke. 'Return to your army. Tell your chieftain that it is over. Return to your homeland and leave in peace now. Refuse and face the wrath of the god Solarth. You have invaded this land and enslaved his people. This is your only chance. Go, tell your people now. Leave the island in peace now or die.' I watched as the Orc turned and ran from us back to his mount. I seem to remember having to force my mouth to close. I looked at my friend and asked him what that was all about. 'Darmot, I have to give them a chance to leave. While justice demands they pay for the crimes they have done here, I will give them this once chance. One chance to show that they were just enthralled by an evil man.' I watched as he returned to his mount and asked him what if they don't leave? 'Then my friend, they will answer to the good god for all that they have done. I will see to that.' He started to ride away before I even got back on my horse.

  95. Nightmare

  As the sun started to set in the western sky, Pare came down from the tower. He told me that he couldn't see anything as of yet but we could hear them. The horns of war were blowing to the north. They were faint, it almost sounded like the buzzing of a fly. I had everyone up and ready
to march out by the time it was dark outside. Before leaving we gathered everyone together for one last meeting in the kitchen of the temple. It was the largest room we could use. We could have gone into the main temple but something about discussing war in there didn't seem right to me. Using the maps Argon had made we discussed our plans. I wanted everyone to understand what it was that we were doing. Should any one of us fall, the others would have to carry on the mission. That ship yard had to burn. We had to keep that army from launching at all cost, even if it meant we all had to die.

  I took the time to answer all of their questions. Looking back, it seemed odd to me that Michaels was the only one without questions. On the other hand, Bryce had not stopped until we were well on our way. I sent Michaels and the Dead Squad to the west bridge and the rest of us took the one on the east. Using the lantern oil that Michaels had collected we coated as much of the two bridges as we could. I was standing there on the north side of the bridge, a torch in my hand all the while Bryce kept on with the questions. 'What about Kandella, you have not brought her up in any of your plans? She isn't even a real cleric, she is a scribe. What am I supposed to do with her while we are trying to torch the ship yard?' I looked at the man, who I had grown to like and respect. I could see the other bridge was already burning out of the corner of my eye. I said his name while holding up the torch. 'What?' he said to me while holding his hands up. I pointed down at his feet, telling him that he was still on the bridge. 'So? I am trying to make a point here.' I shook my head and tossed my torch in the middle of the bridge. Bryce walked off the bridge just before the flames reached his feet.