-1The next morning, Armin, Strom and Toren sat around the remains of a campfire. A few yards away, Rom and Kendrac slept peacefully, either unaware, or not caring that they were bound hand and foot, as well as gagged. Strom looked over at them for a moment, then back to the other two.
"Tell me again why we gotta take em along?" He asked, prodding a dying cinder with a stick.
Armin leaned back against a rock. "Kendrac can cast spells, as ye saw last night, and Rom be good in a fight." He took the stick from Strom and examined the glowing end. He blew on it, and it flared briefly. "And his immunity to fire do be useful."
Toren looked up from his maul. He was diligently polishing the surface, allowing the runes to be easily visible. "So...we send them into the caves ta create a diversion, then we git in there and smash up good, eh?"
Armin nodded. "From what the constable tol' me, the place be a network o caves an tunnels. We split up, and take out as many as we can." He placed two fingers around the smoldering stick and extinguished it. "They ain't got nothin' we canna handle, assumin' that boy Drin be tellin' th' truth. All th' same, watch yer arses when we get in there."
The other two nodded in agreement and set about clearing the campsite. Toren began to hitch the donkeys to the wagon, Armin took the waterskins to the river over the rise to fill while Strom kicked Rom and Kendrac to wake them up.
"Wake up, ye lazy bums," he yelled, pulling their gags away. "Git a goin."
Rom's eyes blinked open and peered through his massive bushy beard. He tried to move, but was unsuccessful, due to being tied up.
"Hey!" he complained. "Why for Rom be tied to Klerk?
Kendrac looked around and worked his arms a bit, giggling. "Mesa stucks!"
With that, the blond dwarf began a sing song rhyme, of sorts.
"Me
on da ground, 'n all tied up
and me tinks Rum do look like a duck
Me wants a ale an' a 'nudder one too
and a big ol' bowl
of yum yum..."
"CLUCK!" Rom offered helpfully.
"...cluck!" Kendrac finished, then blinked. "uh-oh"
The ropes that bound the two dutifully slithered off and to the ground. There they writhed around, forming a large ball. Kendrac gave Rom a shove, and the two rolled away from the mass as it continued to grow larger and larger, taking the shape of a large chicken, made out of rope.
"Oooooh" Rom and Kendrac intoned together as they watched the rope chicken take a few tentative steps.
Toren poked his head around the side of the wagon. "oooh?" He asked, then blinked looking up at the bird.
Strom stepped backwards as well, shaking his head. "Great" he murmured, drawing his axes. "Jus' what I need, a mornin' workout."
The giant rope chicken turned and lifted its giant clawed foot and tried to step on the dwarves, who scattered. The rope claws seemed to be quite sharp as they left furrows in the ground where the bearded ones stood. Its large head came down and began pecking after Rom, who crawled away on all fours.
"Yipes!" he yelled as he barely managed to avoid being pecked. "Me not likin this chicken"
Toren ran towards the bird, maul in hand. He swung, bringing the massive face of the weapon to bear on the knee of the bird, a classic maneuver dwarves have used for centuries to down creatures larger then themselves. This time, it was doomed from the start. The maul impacted the creature's knee, which buckled, but did not shatter, as a bone would. Instead, the ropes split apart and reformed, wrapping around the head of the maul and the dwarf holding it as well. Toren cursed as he was pulled into the beast, disappearing from view, save for one stubby leg, sticking out of the creature's side.
"Ye bastard!" Strom yelled and hurled both axes at the chicken. The sharp edges of the blade sliced through the ropes and spun away, doing no apparent damage, but gaining the creatures attention. It let out a horrific squawk and charged after Strom.
"Oh snap," He muttered as he turned and started to run.
He glanced over his shoulder and saw the rope chicken gaining on him. He cursed his short legs and ran for all he was worth, turning this way and that, barely avoiding the beak as it struck the ground scant inches from him. Had he not been running for his life, he might have noticed that the farther he ran, the smaller the chicken became. Finally he crested the hill and tripped, rolling down the other side, slamming into a returning Armin, sending filled waterskins flying.
"By the gods...ooof!" The two fell to a heap.
"What are ye about, Strom?" Armin growled.
"Giant...rope...chicken...Kendrac's...spell..." Strom panted.
Armin clambered to his feet and walked up the hill a few feet and picked up the end of a rope. "Ye mean this'n?"
Strom stood up and scratched his head, confused. "I dinna understand," He frowned, walking towards Armin. "Th' damn thing was right behind me."
Armin cast him a look, then proceeded to follow the rope. On the other side of the hill, they found Toren struggling to his feet, a puzzled look on his face. "Lemme guess. Giant rope chicken?" Armin queried.
Toren nodded, and the three followed the rope back to the campsite. There they found Kendrac and Rom sitting on the ground. Both were beaming with pride. In front of them was the other end of the rope, staked to the ground.
Kendrac grinned and slapped Rom on the back. "Rum smart dwarf."
Rom oofed and grinned at the three, who just shook their heads. Strom looked at Armin, then lifted his hands in surrender.
"I know. I know. It be a long story."