"Move ye a little faster my beauties," cackled the orc slave driver, Diklah, to his ragtag bunch of slaves.
One of the slaves, a battered and grizzled old dwarf, yelled "I'd like to see you're fat lazy arse pull this wagon full of that horse piss ye call beer."
Diklah showed a crooked half smile, and then flicked the sharkskin whip across the back of the dwarf, who grunted and continued to pull on the harness to the wagon. The dwarf, named Einar, turned to the red headed drow warrior-maiden next to him and saying, "well Tanwen, it seems that we are in deeper trouble than last thought. It seems that we may have to fight our way out of here."
Sighing deeply, Tanwen turned her almond-shaped green eyes from the sky to the grizzly dwarf next to her, quietly stating "I don't know why you start things with them Einar all it does is cause you and all the other prisoners to get whipped and get driven even harder. Einar starts to interrupt her with "but we can han…" She quickly cuts him off, snapping, "Look hear me out I know we can handle it, but how many of these weaker people can handle it…exactly so just bite your tongue next time they annoy you ok?"
"Alright alright, will do, but only for the sake of the others. I think your insolent ass could do with a good beating or two," mumbled the dwarf.
The slaves all looked up collectively when they heard the sounds of many feet running towards them. "A half legion of dwarves and humans headed this way," wheezed a breathless orcan commander. As the commander was speaking, the slaves began to mumble amongst themselves about possible freedom. "We've got to do something quickly, if not, we'll never get free," stated the halfling slave to Einar's left.
"He's right you know," whispered Einar.
"Well what in the nine bloody hells am I supposed to do? I am weaponless and am locked into this harness pulling that bloody wagon," declared Tanwen.
Einar gives Tanwen a lopsided grin, laughingly saying "If you don't have a weapon on you somewhere, then I'm a bearded gnome!"
Tanwen grins, then says "You're right, I do have a weapon, but all it is it this tiny little knife. What can we do with it? It's dull." While speaking, she holds up a knife that is two inches long handle included. "I have already tried to pick the locks of the harness, but I can't get them open." The hafling who had spoken before held out his hand and asked for the knife. "You wont be able to anything with that thing its worse than useless" Tanwen said sadly.
"Keep talking," said the newly freed halfling. Glancing around nervously and shifting her weight from one foot to the other Tanwen, looked toward Diklah to make sure he wasn't looking, and then said, "Well, why are you just standing there proud as a thief with a full purse? Go and unlock all of the other prisoners' chains and tell them to be ready to move"
"Yeah, tell 'em not to move 'till I give a signal, and tell 'em that the first one to make a noise deals with me as soon as we're outta here" added Einar in a strained whisper. They both watched the newly freed halfling creep along to each slave and undo all the locks; soon the only lock he had left to undo was Tanwens', so he quickly began to undo her locks. When at last the harness fell from her slender shoulders she sighed in relief. "Thanks a lot Biron, I had been afraid I was going to die in that thing."
"You're welcome" he replied quickly, adding even more quickly, "let's be gone while they wait for the dwarves and the human warriors," Tanwen and Einar look at each other, then silently shake thier heads, coming to a conclusion. Einar quietly tells Biron, "We ain't going no where, ya'll go on, we'll sneak around to the back of the wagon, get our weapons, and take those damn orcs by surprise"
" Alright, if ya'll are staying then I am too," Biron stated matter of factly. "I'll be damned you are" said Tanwen, barely keeping the anger out of her voice.
Einar finished the thought for her with hardly more grace than she had, saying quickly "Alright now enough arguing be gone! Take off, and head south. We'll meet up at the pond about two miles back.
Biron nodded his head in understanding and motioned for the others to follow him. Einar and Tanwen watched Biron and the others slide easily into the woods and start heading south, once the escaped slaves were out of sight, Einar looked at Tanwen, and using the drow hand signal language, they made their decision on what their battle plan was. While talking Einar looked around nervously, his hands flashed the drow hang signals. He carefully watched the score of orcs crowded around the babbling slave owner.
Once you get our weapons, he signed excitedly, head over to the right of the group, he paused, glancing sidelong over his shoulder. With a sigh, he turned around and continued you know this is risky, he said with shaky hands. If we go into that mess, he signed, then pointed to the some 2 score of orcs, we may not live to tell about it. Tanwen shook her head and closed her bright eyes. When she opened them, she turned and looked at Einar, I have decided on my course of action, but you don't have to come with me. Einar suddenly bristled, and said aloud in a quiet, but gruff, voice "What?!? Me leave you here to have all the fun! I think not!"