-Chapter Nine:
A centaur, dwarf, elf, halfling, and young boy wound their way through the orc tunnels that meandered like the stream that had made it. No longer did they use stealth...after a battle, quietness was not essential.
"I don't see why we can't just go and confront that back-stabbing king," Rurik muttered darkly. The centaur, trotting besides the dwarf, actually agreed with him.
"You never know what stuff we may find down here," answered the halfling. "I have a feeling that King Swill has been paying bribes to these orcs for a long time."
"And we need a plan," added Felosial.
"Why did they attack us?" Cleon asked. This was first time he had spoken since the battle with the orcs.
"Because we have something they want," answered Hrimfaxi quickly. The centaur bard did not want the boy to know that he was the thing coveted.
"What did they want?"
"Now is not the time for questions!" snapped the centaur.
Cleon looked hurt. Felosial shot a dark look at her best friend. The centaur caught the look and her temper passes.
"I'm sorry Cleon," she said, looking down at the top of the boy's head. "It's just right now we need to concentrate. I really don't know why they wanted this thing and it's annoying me something awful."
They continued passing rooms. Some were blackened with the smoke of cooking fires, others filled with unorganized piles of weaponry.
"Trust orcs to let good armor rust," said Eldon, examining a dented and soot-stained breast-plate. "Everything in this cave is worthless...nothing valuable at all."
"And don't try the food in that other cave either," Rurik said while entering.
"You didn't!" Felosial gasped while the dwarf licked his fingers.
The dwarf didn't answer, just wiped something from his beard.
"Are we done looking yet?" Hrimfaxi asked, flicking her tail impatiently as she tossed aside a beat-up shield.
"Hold your horses," Eldon said, jogging over to the entrance and staring down the long cavern hall.
"Are you implying something? 'Cuz I'm not a horse!"
"No...what I'm trying to say is that there is only one more room left to explore."
"Well let's go!"
Eagerly the centaur galloped down the tunnel, her hooves pounding a rhythmic beat.
"The door's locked!" she said.
"Here," said Eldon, pulling out several sized lock-picks out of various pockets. "I'll unlock it-"
But the centaur, racing back to them had turned around just as speedily and driven towards the door, spear leveled. With a loud bang she reared up and thrust her two hooves against the rotting and soft wood. The wood tore apart from the hinges and the four other adventurers heard the bard gallop on through, only to hear her hooves skidding against the gravel floor in metal on rock.
"The room must be smaller than she expected," Felosial said, amused.
"You're lucky that the door was half rotted," remarked Rurik as he walked in. "If the door had been of dwarven make...that little stunt would have only served to dent those horseshoes you wear."
"You're just jealous that you missed out because you were too busy eating."
"I liked it better when they agreed," said Felosial.
"Too good to last," added Eldon.
"If a midget like you had tried that -even against a half-rotted door- you would only have made a hole big enough for Eldon to climb through!"
"Your head is big enough to make a hole large enough for ALL of us to climb through!"
"What?...who's...there?"
A voice, strained and raspy, was hardly loud enough to break into Rurik and Hrimfaxi's argument. But as it was the centaur's pointed ears picked the sound up and she turned towards a older elven man, chained to the wall.
"Are you friends?" It continued. Chains rustled as the elf tried to stand up.
A centaur, dwarf, elf, halfling, and young boy wound their way through the orc tunnels that meandered like the stream that had made it. No longer did they use stealth...after a battle, quietness was not essential.
"I don't see why we can't just go and confront that back-stabbing king," Rurik muttered darkly. The centaur, trotting besides the dwarf, actually agreed with him.
"You never know what stuff we may find down here," answered the halfling. "I have a feeling that King Swill has been paying bribes to these orcs for a long time."
"And we need a plan," added Felosial.
"Why did they attack us?" Cleon asked. This was first time he had spoken since the battle with the orcs.
"Because we have something they want," answered Hrimfaxi quickly. The centaur bard did not want the boy to know that he was the thing coveted.
"What did they want?"
"Now is not the time for questions!" snapped the centaur.
Cleon looked hurt. Felosial shot a dark look at her best friend. The centaur caught the look and her temper passes.
"I'm sorry Cleon," she said, looking down at the top of the boy's head. "It's just right now we need to concentrate. I really don't know why they wanted this thing and it's annoying me something awful."
They continued passing rooms. Some were blackened with the smoke of cooking fires, others filled with unorganized piles of weaponry.
"Trust orcs to let good armor rust," said Eldon, examining a dented and soot-stained breast-plate. "Everything in this cave is worthless...nothing valuable at all."
"And don't try the food in that other cave either," Rurik said while entering.
"You didn't!" Felosial gasped while the dwarf licked his fingers.
The dwarf didn't answer, just wiped something from his beard.
"Are we done looking yet?" Hrimfaxi asked, flicking her tail impatiently as she tossed aside a beat-up shield.
"Hold your horses," Eldon said, jogging over to the entrance and staring down the long cavern hall.
"Are you implying something? 'Cuz I'm not a horse!"
"No...what I'm trying to say is that there is only one more room left to explore."
"Well let's go!"
Eagerly the centaur galloped down the tunnel, her hooves pounding a rhythmic beat.
"The door's locked!" she said.
"Here," said Eldon, pulling out several sized lock-picks out of various pockets. "I'll unlock it-"
But the centaur, racing back to them had turned around just as speedily and driven towards the door, spear leveled. With a loud bang she reared up and thrust her two hooves against the rotting and soft wood. The wood tore apart from the hinges and the four other adventurers heard the bard gallop on through, only to hear her hooves skidding against the gravel floor in metal on rock.
"The room must be smaller than she expected," Felosial said, amused.
"You're lucky that the door was half rotted," remarked Rurik as he walked in. "If the door had been of dwarven make...that little stunt would have only served to dent those horseshoes you wear."
"You're just jealous that you missed out because you were too busy eating."
"I liked it better when they agreed," said Felosial.
"Too good to last," added Eldon.
"If a midget like you had tried that -even against a half-rotted door- you would only have made a hole big enough for Eldon to climb through!"
"Your head is big enough to make a hole large enough for ALL of us to climb through!"
"What?...who's...there?"
A voice, strained and raspy, was hardly loud enough to break into Rurik and Hrimfaxi's argument. But as it was the centaur's pointed ears picked the sound up and she turned towards a older elven man, chained to the wall.
"Are you friends?" It continued. Chains rustled as the elf tried to stand up.