Disclaimer:
All the characters in this story is entirely made up and any likeness with
any real person is entirely coincidental. All the characters and names are
also © Anders Lundberg, the author of this story.
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"So what do you say?" Migdush said as he watched how Nidak closely studied the trail. The large half-orc apparently named Nidak answered, "Man flesh" before he rose from his sitting position. They had followed the trail for two days now and nothing had told them why humans had entered their territory. The large and muscular body of Nidak followed the trail for another two feet. "There are at least five of them. judging by their trail, I would say that two is wounded and one of them carries a heavy load. Perhaps a fallen comrade or a very wounded comrade" Migdush didn't answer. He had seen to much blood shed in his life to misjudge the trail. The humans had entered their land, slaughtered a few orcs and then turned west towards rustpeak. Somewhere between the slaughter and the bloodshed, a battle had taken place and the humans had killed their foe, but not without a price. "I still don't like the idea of following them. We are only two and they are at least four who still can put up a good fight". Migdush had two things to say, but he did no spoke, but thought instead. Even though Nidak and Migdush were only two and the humans at least four, he thought that they could overwhelm their foe. The two half-orcs had been outnumbered before and still they where alive.
Nidak woke Migdush from his though by laying a hand upon his shoulder. "I understand why you would like to follow them, but we can still catch up with them even if we return to the village and gather a few men. They have wounded to take care of and we can travel faster than they can" Nidak had a good point. But what if the humans had a priest or even a cleric with the ability to heal? That would put them in an even more dangerous situation than they where in now. Perhaps it was better after all to track them down, attack in the middle of the night and kill as many as possible before retreating into the mountains again and returning the night after that and so on until no one of the humans stood alive. It was the same tactics as they had used the last time humans had passed into their territory about one and a half week ago. It was really strange that humans suddenly had caught an interest in their mountains. For some months ago it was unusual to find even members of other half-orcs tribes in these mountains. Whatever who was drawing these humans attention to their quit mountains, he had no idea but he would better check it out after completing this hunt that they now had entered.
Migdash was so deep in his thoughts that he didn't realise that Nidak was sitting on a rock, waiting for him to finish whatever he was thinking. Migdash suddenly realised this and woke up from his thoughts. "Do you think we can reach them before night fall? That would give us an advantage since we know these lands better than anyone" Nidak shook his head and told his friend that there was no chance that they could reach these humans before next dawn, if they travelled all night that would say. Neither Nidak nor Migdush wanted to travel by night. Even for them, two hardened half-orcs, it could be dangerous in these mountains by night. After a short discussion they agreed that they would follow the trail until nightfall.
It took them four hours just to realise that the trail they where following had changed since they had stopped the last time. Nidak was first to realise this since he was the best tracker and the best fighter of them. One of the wounded seemed to have healed and now walked without problem. The group of men had even started to hide their trail, clumsy enough to be found, but still it wasted Nidak's and Migdush's time. Nightfall had reached them just half an hour before realising what had happened to the wounded and they continued for another two hours before setting up a camp where they could rest. "I was right before about them having a cleric" Migdush said and watched as his friend made up a campfire that they could make their food upon. Nidak just growled as answer and cursed the gods for giving him such wet wood to make up a fire from. Migdush smirked and was about to say something, but didn't. Nidak was a proud man. To proud to admit that he had picked a bad spot for camp. Last time Migdush made Nidak to admit this, he had been grumpy the entire next that and not much had been accomplished since Nidak had used about two hours to scout the area before travelling any further and another two hours to scout the area where they would put up their next camp.
Suddenly, the wood lit up into a bright fire and Nidak was caught off- guard. He tumbled backwards and fell on his back just to rise and say, "It was you, wasn't it?" to Migdush. Migdush smiled and nodded. Making campfires was really simple for him. He didn't even think as he did it. Still, it wasted some of his energy and he never did it without a purpose. This evening, he simply did it because he had hadn't cast a spell trough the entire day. Nidak just shook his head and took out a water skin from his backpack and poured some of its contents into his mouth. Migdush watched his companion as he drank. Nidak never drank alcohol, at least not anymore. Nidak had a serious trouble with alcohol before he knew Migdush and he never talked much about it. In fact, he had never mentioned it and the only reason that Migdush knew about it was because of Nidak's older brother who had died because of the wounds that he had suffered during the attack that destroyed half of the Nidak's home village. Migdush had tried to heal the older brothers wound and as he was trying to, Nidak's brother told him about his younger brother that Midgush didn't knew back then. He had told him that he was a good tracker and that he probably was dead now because he was almost dead-drunk when the attack begun. Migdush didn't know why but Nidak had taken this very seriously and he had never been seen drinking alcohol since the attack. Many men in Migdush tribe believed Nidak to be a wimp because of this but he had proved his valour plenty of times. Nidak is always ready people use to say when mentioning him. Since he never drink, he never suffers from last nights party or anything like that and can hold of a sneak attack on the village long enough for the other, still drunk men, to arm themselves and enter combat.
Nidak and Migdush didn't sleep long that morning. They where up and going even before the sun had raised over the horizon and both of them had their mind set on one thing this day: find the humans. As they travelled up the hills and through the mountain land, Nidak suddenly stopped. He smelled the very air around them and then said with a low voice. "I smell more than just man... I think they have elves with them as well. Even though this trail is old, there is something lingering in the air. I believe we are about to walk into a trap" Migdush gazed surprised around himself and couldn't find anything. They stood in a pass just beneath a slope and he could not see anything that anyone larger than a goblin could hide behind. Sure, there were some rocks around them but none of them could hide a warrior. Beside, why would their prey knew about them and how could they know about them. He and Nidak had travelled along the trail for three days and still they where at least half a day behind their prey. Another factor that made a trap really unlikely was the fact that Nidak accompanied Migdush. Nidak was a superb tracker and during their entire friendship, Nidak had never been surprised by anything less than magic. Everybody knew that humans normally didn't wield magic. Migdush had in fact never even encountered a human with magical abilities, so why would he now? Judging from the look that Nidak had in his face, you could tell that he actually was uneasy. He bent down to the ground and examined the trail once more. He moved, crouched, along the trail for a few feet and then he seemed to find something interesting. Nidak rose and said "I believe that there is magic at work here" then he turned around and stared along the trail towards the horizon where the trail disappeared. Migdush didn't believe it could be so. Nidak had to be wrong. As he had stated in his mind before, there was no possibility that human could have that magic power to. the elves! He had forgotten about the elves! Before, Nidak had told him that there probably was at least one elf in the party that they tracked. How could he have been such a fool! Elves could have the magic abilities it required to fool Nidak's ability as a tracker. Almost as if Nidak and Migdush was the same being, Nidak seemed to discover the possibility that one of the elves was a wizard. Nidak spun around to say something but instead he changed his look. Nidak spun around as fast as the wind, drawing his sheeted short sword, named Mihai and his curved long sword in the same move. The first arrow was cut in half about one foot away from Nidak's face. The second arrow was divided in two parts so close to Migdush that he could feel the wind that Nidak's sword created when he swung it. For some seconds, Migdush was confused and just stood there, starring towards the two pieces that once had been an arrow. Then his mind went clear, like a mist had been covering his sight for the last hour. The surroundings became clear and he realised the trap. The small rocks where not small. Some of them where huge and they had walked in to the middle of a circle which was outlined with some huge boulders. On the side of one of the boulders, stood two archers that already was grasping after a new arrow in their quiver. The slope that Migdush had thought to be just a regular slope was full of boulders that easily could hide a smaller army. Suddenly a scream came from the slope. Two warriors armed with great swords came charging, towards Nidak and himself. Almost as if he had four eyes, Migdush also saw a quite short and slender man who stood behind the archers. Migdush quickly understood what the man was. The elf had covered the surroundings with a mirage spell that had fooled both Nidak and himself and now he just stood there, wavering his arms in a rhythmic pattern, casting a spell of some sort. Migdush couldn't believe this. All these years he and Nidak had been travelling together and now they where trapped like rats on a sinking vessel. He knew what to do. He had only a few seconds before the wizard would complete his spell. He had to counter the spell, whatever it was. There was just this little problem. Countering the wizards spell would require concentration and he would be able to muster little of that since he had to defend himself from both arrows and swords.
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"So what do you say?" Migdush said as he watched how Nidak closely studied the trail. The large half-orc apparently named Nidak answered, "Man flesh" before he rose from his sitting position. They had followed the trail for two days now and nothing had told them why humans had entered their territory. The large and muscular body of Nidak followed the trail for another two feet. "There are at least five of them. judging by their trail, I would say that two is wounded and one of them carries a heavy load. Perhaps a fallen comrade or a very wounded comrade" Migdush didn't answer. He had seen to much blood shed in his life to misjudge the trail. The humans had entered their land, slaughtered a few orcs and then turned west towards rustpeak. Somewhere between the slaughter and the bloodshed, a battle had taken place and the humans had killed their foe, but not without a price. "I still don't like the idea of following them. We are only two and they are at least four who still can put up a good fight". Migdush had two things to say, but he did no spoke, but thought instead. Even though Nidak and Migdush were only two and the humans at least four, he thought that they could overwhelm their foe. The two half-orcs had been outnumbered before and still they where alive.
Nidak woke Migdush from his though by laying a hand upon his shoulder. "I understand why you would like to follow them, but we can still catch up with them even if we return to the village and gather a few men. They have wounded to take care of and we can travel faster than they can" Nidak had a good point. But what if the humans had a priest or even a cleric with the ability to heal? That would put them in an even more dangerous situation than they where in now. Perhaps it was better after all to track them down, attack in the middle of the night and kill as many as possible before retreating into the mountains again and returning the night after that and so on until no one of the humans stood alive. It was the same tactics as they had used the last time humans had passed into their territory about one and a half week ago. It was really strange that humans suddenly had caught an interest in their mountains. For some months ago it was unusual to find even members of other half-orcs tribes in these mountains. Whatever who was drawing these humans attention to their quit mountains, he had no idea but he would better check it out after completing this hunt that they now had entered.
Migdash was so deep in his thoughts that he didn't realise that Nidak was sitting on a rock, waiting for him to finish whatever he was thinking. Migdash suddenly realised this and woke up from his thoughts. "Do you think we can reach them before night fall? That would give us an advantage since we know these lands better than anyone" Nidak shook his head and told his friend that there was no chance that they could reach these humans before next dawn, if they travelled all night that would say. Neither Nidak nor Migdush wanted to travel by night. Even for them, two hardened half-orcs, it could be dangerous in these mountains by night. After a short discussion they agreed that they would follow the trail until nightfall.
It took them four hours just to realise that the trail they where following had changed since they had stopped the last time. Nidak was first to realise this since he was the best tracker and the best fighter of them. One of the wounded seemed to have healed and now walked without problem. The group of men had even started to hide their trail, clumsy enough to be found, but still it wasted Nidak's and Migdush's time. Nightfall had reached them just half an hour before realising what had happened to the wounded and they continued for another two hours before setting up a camp where they could rest. "I was right before about them having a cleric" Migdush said and watched as his friend made up a campfire that they could make their food upon. Nidak just growled as answer and cursed the gods for giving him such wet wood to make up a fire from. Migdush smirked and was about to say something, but didn't. Nidak was a proud man. To proud to admit that he had picked a bad spot for camp. Last time Migdush made Nidak to admit this, he had been grumpy the entire next that and not much had been accomplished since Nidak had used about two hours to scout the area before travelling any further and another two hours to scout the area where they would put up their next camp.
Suddenly, the wood lit up into a bright fire and Nidak was caught off- guard. He tumbled backwards and fell on his back just to rise and say, "It was you, wasn't it?" to Migdush. Migdush smiled and nodded. Making campfires was really simple for him. He didn't even think as he did it. Still, it wasted some of his energy and he never did it without a purpose. This evening, he simply did it because he had hadn't cast a spell trough the entire day. Nidak just shook his head and took out a water skin from his backpack and poured some of its contents into his mouth. Migdush watched his companion as he drank. Nidak never drank alcohol, at least not anymore. Nidak had a serious trouble with alcohol before he knew Migdush and he never talked much about it. In fact, he had never mentioned it and the only reason that Migdush knew about it was because of Nidak's older brother who had died because of the wounds that he had suffered during the attack that destroyed half of the Nidak's home village. Migdush had tried to heal the older brothers wound and as he was trying to, Nidak's brother told him about his younger brother that Midgush didn't knew back then. He had told him that he was a good tracker and that he probably was dead now because he was almost dead-drunk when the attack begun. Migdush didn't know why but Nidak had taken this very seriously and he had never been seen drinking alcohol since the attack. Many men in Migdush tribe believed Nidak to be a wimp because of this but he had proved his valour plenty of times. Nidak is always ready people use to say when mentioning him. Since he never drink, he never suffers from last nights party or anything like that and can hold of a sneak attack on the village long enough for the other, still drunk men, to arm themselves and enter combat.
Nidak and Migdush didn't sleep long that morning. They where up and going even before the sun had raised over the horizon and both of them had their mind set on one thing this day: find the humans. As they travelled up the hills and through the mountain land, Nidak suddenly stopped. He smelled the very air around them and then said with a low voice. "I smell more than just man... I think they have elves with them as well. Even though this trail is old, there is something lingering in the air. I believe we are about to walk into a trap" Migdush gazed surprised around himself and couldn't find anything. They stood in a pass just beneath a slope and he could not see anything that anyone larger than a goblin could hide behind. Sure, there were some rocks around them but none of them could hide a warrior. Beside, why would their prey knew about them and how could they know about them. He and Nidak had travelled along the trail for three days and still they where at least half a day behind their prey. Another factor that made a trap really unlikely was the fact that Nidak accompanied Migdush. Nidak was a superb tracker and during their entire friendship, Nidak had never been surprised by anything less than magic. Everybody knew that humans normally didn't wield magic. Migdush had in fact never even encountered a human with magical abilities, so why would he now? Judging from the look that Nidak had in his face, you could tell that he actually was uneasy. He bent down to the ground and examined the trail once more. He moved, crouched, along the trail for a few feet and then he seemed to find something interesting. Nidak rose and said "I believe that there is magic at work here" then he turned around and stared along the trail towards the horizon where the trail disappeared. Migdush didn't believe it could be so. Nidak had to be wrong. As he had stated in his mind before, there was no possibility that human could have that magic power to. the elves! He had forgotten about the elves! Before, Nidak had told him that there probably was at least one elf in the party that they tracked. How could he have been such a fool! Elves could have the magic abilities it required to fool Nidak's ability as a tracker. Almost as if Nidak and Migdush was the same being, Nidak seemed to discover the possibility that one of the elves was a wizard. Nidak spun around to say something but instead he changed his look. Nidak spun around as fast as the wind, drawing his sheeted short sword, named Mihai and his curved long sword in the same move. The first arrow was cut in half about one foot away from Nidak's face. The second arrow was divided in two parts so close to Migdush that he could feel the wind that Nidak's sword created when he swung it. For some seconds, Migdush was confused and just stood there, starring towards the two pieces that once had been an arrow. Then his mind went clear, like a mist had been covering his sight for the last hour. The surroundings became clear and he realised the trap. The small rocks where not small. Some of them where huge and they had walked in to the middle of a circle which was outlined with some huge boulders. On the side of one of the boulders, stood two archers that already was grasping after a new arrow in their quiver. The slope that Migdush had thought to be just a regular slope was full of boulders that easily could hide a smaller army. Suddenly a scream came from the slope. Two warriors armed with great swords came charging, towards Nidak and himself. Almost as if he had four eyes, Migdush also saw a quite short and slender man who stood behind the archers. Migdush quickly understood what the man was. The elf had covered the surroundings with a mirage spell that had fooled both Nidak and himself and now he just stood there, wavering his arms in a rhythmic pattern, casting a spell of some sort. Migdush couldn't believe this. All these years he and Nidak had been travelling together and now they where trapped like rats on a sinking vessel. He knew what to do. He had only a few seconds before the wizard would complete his spell. He had to counter the spell, whatever it was. There was just this little problem. Countering the wizards spell would require concentration and he would be able to muster little of that since he had to defend himself from both arrows and swords.