Chapter Ten

Salty Harbour

Salty Harbour was in view and it didn't look good.

"I don't like the looks of that Buffus…"

"Moo!" Buffus agreed with Gordon. It didn't look good at all. There was smoke coming from town and monster tracks all over the road. Gordon stopped Buffus for a better look.

"Oh my…" Natalie gasped at the sight. Her and Egan had caught up while Gordon scanned the tracks.

"I can make out a horse shoe print in there…" Gordon said. He was about to take off again when Egan saw Douglas up ahead.

"There he is! He's being chased."

Gordon looked up and saw Douglas headed for town trying to out run the hoard of monsters behind him.

"Looks like they're having a hard time" Egan said.

"They're gaining on him!" Natalie said with worry in her voice, but her concern was unheard. Gordon and Egan were already in action their mounts carrying them down the road at an accelerating rate. Natalie was left by herself.

"Hey!" she said to herself. "Should we follow them Alicia? It could be dangerous…" Her choice was made for her when she heard activity behind her.

"What the.. AHH!" She looked behind her and saw a group of goblins trying to sneak up on her.

"Hyah!" Natalie yelled as she tapped Alicia's sides. Alicia gladly ran after her friends.

000

"Hang in there Shadow! We're almost there!" Douglas yelled to his horse.

They were closing in on the entrance to town. What they were gonna do when they got there he didn't know. The smoke coming from the town was intensifying and the gate to town was beat off the hinges.

Shadow's breathing was heavy and he seemed to be slowing down, but his determination kept him going. Just when he couldn't take anymore he could hear the monsters behind start to hoot in victory. Shadow caught his second wind, and he regained speed.

They passed through the town's gates, which were destroyed, and headed straight down the main drag.

'When we get to the town square I'll grab my hammer and bail off. I should be able to recover and take down the first one… hopefully the others will be surprised and I'll be able to get the jump on them' Douglas thought. He knew his plan was almost guaranteed not to work, but he would go down fighting not running.

Douglas's thoughts were interrupted when Shadow took an unexpected right turn down a side road. The monsters behind hadn't expected it and most missed the turn, but a few were still hot on Shadow's heels.

"Shadow! You're taking us through the inn's stables aren't you?" Douglas asked his horse, though he didn't really expect an answer. " You're one smart horse!" He exclaimed in excitement.

The road they were on was technically a dead end with the inn at the end, but the stables and the inn had entrances on both sides. They were headed for the back entrance actually for the main road was on the other side.

Douglas hunkered down as low as he could in his saddle as they shot through the stables swinging doors. Shadow went out the other side. Douglas could feel the top of the entrance push back a few of his hairs as they went through the other door. It was a good thing Shadow wasn't any taller.

Douglas looked back at the stables and saw the group giving chase didn't make it through. They must not have ducked. What a smart horse.

They made it to the town square and Shadow slowed to a stop. Douglas jumped off and grabbed his hammer right before Shadow collapsed.

"Shadow…" Douglas muttered his faithful steed's name realizing there was a good possibility he had ran his horse to death. A tear fell from his eye as he saw his horses labored breaths. Shadow was still breathing, but he wasn't making any attempts to stand back up or even raise his head for that matter.

Douglas wanted to scream that they would pay, but fought back the urge knowing it would just give away his location. He also knew he should hide, but instead stood his ground. The only way those monsters would be having horse for dinner was over his dead body!

Shadows breathing wasn't getting better...Tears, manly tears of course, streamed down Douglas's face as he walked toward the middle of the square with his hammer in hand.

000

Natalie had tried to catch up to Gordon and Egan, but it was to no avail. She slowed Alicia down to a trot and surveyed the damaged town.

It was awful. Buildings were burnt, debris and remains littered the streets, and the smell of death lingered in the air. Natalie thought she could still hear the fighting that had took place… wait she could hear fighting.

Natalie dismounted and crept forward until she got to a cross in the road. She peeked her head around the corner to see who was fighting.

Four kobolds had a tan skinned female surrounded. The young lady had a wooden pole in her hands and using it like a staff to defend herself. Just when it looked like she was done for; the girl muttered something and her polestaff began to glow. She then proceeded to start kicking butt and taking names. The kobolds fell dead and returned to the first forest.

Natalie was so intrigued that she stepped out into the road for a better look without realizing it. The girl was wearing a servant's uniform and hat; she had short brown hair and appeared to be about twenty maybe younger. She took off her hat to wipe sweat off her face with it and Natalie saw that her ears were pointed. Ok maybe she's older than twenty…

The elf looked right at Natalie and her face was in pure shock before she sprinted Natalie's way staff posed to strike. Natalie did the only thing she could and ducked. She heard a loud crack above her head… I'm dead…

"Are you alright?"

"I...yes." Natalie stood up and saw a goblin laid over beside her. "T-thank you".

"You're welcome, what are you doing here?" The elf girl replied.

"My friend was being chased by monsters and we followed, but we got separated."

"You better stay with me. Do you have anything to defend yourself with?"

"I have my scalpel…" Natalie got it out of her bag. "My name is Natalie by the way."

"Tabitha. Now give me that knife." Tabitha said as she took Natalie's scalpel. "When I signal you, smack me as hard as you can."

Tabitha began to chant the elven language and the scalpel started to glow. "Now!" Natalie slapped Tabitha. "Harder!" Natalie slapped her again. " I said harder!" Tabitha screamed it this time. Natalie smacked her so hard she hit the ground.

"I'm sorry, but you scared me." Natalie said as she helped Tabitha up.

"That's what I wanted; the harder the hit the better the effect. Your scalpel is now enchanted to scare off most monsters." Tabitha smiled at her work as she handed it back to Natalie. She rubbed her cheek and said " let's try to get to your friends before it's too late, I bet they ended up at the square."

They both mounted Alicia and took off toward the center of town. The sounds of battle could be heard as they neared...