Chapter 2

Tanis was the first of the quartet to step into Ardeep Forest. His eyes beheld the various thick blue leaf, weirwood, and duskwood trees that covered the landscape. A family of deer wandered aimlessly into his line of sight, foraging for food. When they saw Tanis and his friends approaching, they fled into the forest.

Despite the beauty of the forest, Tanis couldn't help but notice a rank odor hit his nose. It was a smell he had encountered quite often. It was the smell of death.

Lucilya, Freya, and Kaylah stepped in behind Tanis. While the elf and the rogue were admiring the forest, Freya looked to the ground. Her halfling eyes saw blood and footprints. It was then that the smell of death brushed by her nose.

"Something tells me a battle was fought here last night," the halfling whispered as she un strapped her double-axe from her back.

When she heard Freya's words, Kaylah reached into her cloak and drew her repeating crossbow. She then looked at Tanis, who had drawn his long sword Wyrmclaw, formerly Dragonsclaw.

Lucilya had drawn her long bow, and as already several steps ahead of the others. She cursed herself for getting lost while her comrades spied on Gileed and his men.

Following a trail of blood, broken weapons, and corpses, Lucilya camp across a ruined campsite. A large pile of elf and corpses lay near a white ruined tent,

While Lucilya was scanning the camp for any sign of her friends, the others arrived at the camp, wondering what kind of onslaught had taken place.

Tanis walked around the area until he noticed the dead body of an elven male wearing torn and tattered robes. The half-elf sighed when he noticed a large spear going through the elf's neck. "I think I found someone," he shouted.

"You best stand back from that corpse boy," growled a low voice in front of Tanis.

The half-elf held Wyrmclaw forward when he saw the tall orcish humanoid step out of the white tent. Bandages covered his forehead and arm.

"I don't want any trouble," Tanis whispered to the humanoid," but I'll make you pay for killing his elf."

"You don't understand. That elf was my friend," laughed the half-orc named Gilderoy. "Aravillus died fending off two orcs while Gileed and some of his elves ran. I tried using my healing magic to save him, but I was too late." The half-orc stumbled for a moment, then regained his stature.

Lucilya ran over to Gilderoy and placed his arm around her shoulder. "Gilderoy, thank the gods you are safe."

Gilderoy smiled at the elf maiden and replied," Lucilya you made it. Praise Waukeen."

Lucilya looked at the ground, then at the half-orc. "Aravillus lies dead, but what about Dranan?"

A sad expression flashed across the face of the half-orc. "Dranan fell as well," he answered. "I already buried him earlier this morning." The elf sat Gilderoy down as he explained the details of the battle. Anger began to stir within Tanis's stomach.

"I can't believe someone who calls himself a leader, would leave the fallen behind," Freya whispered with disgust in her voice.

Kaylah sighed after the halfling spoke. "It sounds like this Gileed knows his course, and won't let anything stop him. Sad to say, that's how a lot of people do things around here in Fauern." She glanced over at Tanis, who closed Aravillus's eyes.

"We should find the orc bastards who did this," the halfling whispered, spinning her weapon. "They could not have gotten too far."

Tanis glanced over at the half-orc, who was praying to his goddess. He then looked at Lucilya, who had walked over to a tree and began carving a rune of some sort.

"We can go scout ahead," the half-elf said in a quiet voice.

"Or we can just wait for them to come to us," Kaylah whispered as the sound of war drums echoed through the forest.

Gilderoy let out a growl and rose to his feet. "Those are the same drums I heard the night before." Before Gilderoy could draw the cutlass on his belt, a group of orcs jumped from the trees and ferns, and charged at the half-orc. Lucilya draw an arrow from her quiver and aimed her bow. When the first orc came into her range, she released the arrow, sending it through the air until it found it's way into the lower part of an orc's neck.

Five feet from where Lucilya, Kaylah aimed her crossbow at one of the larger orcs. Her finger pressed the trigger, unleashing five bolts.

Two of the bolts flew into chest, but the other three missed their target, and hit a tree close to where Freya and Tanis were standing. Kaylah quickly loaded her crossbow, and fired more.

Despite the crossbow bolts zipping past their ears, Freya and Tanis ran at the orcs. The halfling spun her double-axe, cutting through an orc's legs. She then slashed her axe forward, making a deep gash into another orc's chest.

Two bald orcs jabbed their spears at the hordebreaker, but they were easily parried by the combination of the halfling's quick reflexes, and her double bladed weapon. The orcs tried to stabbing Freya with their spears again, but the halfling's double axe swung in a high arc, cutting the ends off of the spears.

As the sharp tips fell next to her feet, Freya began spinning in a fast circle, her axe ripping through the bodies of the orcs.

A few feet away from Freya, Tanis stepped his long sword through an orc's face. Another orc stabbed at the half-elf, but Tanis stepped left, avoiding the attack. The orc then made a quick swing with his long spear, slicing a deep cut in the half-elf's side.

As the warm blood dripped from the wound, Tanis held Wyrmclaw high, and bought it down through the orc's skull. The moment Wyrmclaw's blade was driven through, the orc's head turned into a large ice cube, then shattered.

Just as the orc fell to the ground, Tanis turned around to see three orcs coming at him. When they were within reach, the orcs stepped their spears fiercely at him, but Tanis blocked the three spears. He quickly swiped Wyrmclaw across one orc's neck, then stabbed another orc deeply into the chest.

He lunged forward and slashed his long sword at the last orc, but the orc blocked the sword with his spear.

After taking a moment to look at his fallen comrades, the orc turned tail and ran deeply into the forest.

Normally, Tanis would let the orc leave and return to his friends, but the adrenaline in his veins forced him to pursue.

While Tanis chased down the fleeing orc, Gilderoy swiped Nightwalker across the throat of a one-eyed orc. Freya, who stood on the other side of Gilderoy, cut down two more orcs with her double-axe.

The halfling was about to go for the last orc, but before she could get to her target, two crossbow bolts, and an arrow flew past her shoulder. The bolts and arrow flew into the orc's face.

Freya looked back at Kaylah and Lucilya. "I almost had that one," she said with a smile.

Lucilya laughed, then went over to the half-orc. Kaylah was about to ask Tanis how many orcs he had killed, when he noticed that he was missing.

"Tanis?" she called out. When she heard no answer, her heart began to race. Where could he be? she asked herself.

Kaylah's search led her to the edge of a hill. On the ground lay a wounded orc, but there was still no sign of Tanis.

When she saw the orc's feet began to move, the rogue drew her short sword Dice from within her cloak. She bent down and pressed it to the orc's throat. "Where is he?" demanded Kaylah.

The orc let out a soft cough and shivered, as if he was freezing to death. "Hhhe took a tttumble down the hill, and then wwwas taken away bby dark elves wearing ccccloaks." He let out a laugh, but it was cut short when Dice's sharp edge slit the base of his throat.

"Kaylah, what's going on?" Freya asked when found the half-drow. "Where's Tanis?"

The rogue turned to face her halfling friend. "I don't know, but I'm going to find him."

"Tanis is a strong man, he can take care of himself," the hordebreaker said in a soft voice.

Kaylah shook her head. "I can't leave him out there alone. This world is still new to him. Go back to Lucilya and Gilderoy." Though she was reluctant to do so, Freya nodded and began to walk back.

Kaylah sighed. It had hurt her to send her friend back, but drow were much more formidable foes than orcs, and she did not want to risk Freya's life. Not when there was already so much at stake.

After whispering a silent prayer to Tymora, the goddess of luck, Kaylah drew the hood of her cloak over her head and began walking down the hill, in search for her friend.