It was a cold, frosty morning. What little of the afternoon sun shone through the gaps in the dark clouds. Far into the center of the deep blue lake sat a small wooden boat almost unmoving on the undisturbed surface. Two figures wrapped in furs sat still inside, one held a crudely crafted three pronged spear, poised just above the water.
Amee scanned the water, waiting for her time to strike. She dared not draw breath lest she give away her position. All that occurred over the coming weeks did not concern her at present. Not the undead, the chaos, the constant dangers. All that mattered now was catching the fish.
Out of the corner of her eye she caught her sister's gaze. The one she gives when she is confused. Though her knowledge and training advised against speaking, curiosity won her over.
"What?" she whispered.
Anderea must've realised what she was doing and looked away. "Nothing."
She shook her head. "Tis not nothing. Tis always something."
"Did father not teach you any other ways to fish?" Anderea sighed, knowing full well Amee would not leave it be.
"Why would he do that? He only ever used spears."
"I know he knew how, but he never used them."
Amee shot the spear straight into the water. With such precision and swiftness, Anderea observed, no doubt she was taught by someone. However, when the spear emerged empty, Amee gave a disappointed sigh, placed it down on the floor of the boat and sat down to face her.
"Surely not." She said, still keeping her voice low.
"Did father teach you mostly spear-fishing?" Anderea matched Amee's volume.
"Yes. You?"
"Net."
Her eyes grew wide in disbelief. "You jest. But he was so adamant. You know father when it comes to fishing."
Anderea laughed. "That's an understatement. I merely spent my entire childhood in a boat out to sea. We would return to the village, boat piled with the things, and sell them for a small fee."
Amee crossed her arms and looked puzzlingly at the sky. "Not us. We took away perhaps five on a good day. We would cook them and invite friends over for dinner."
"I supposed he changed it." Said Anderea after some thought.
"But that would be as if he were to change his religion or some such."
She shrugged. "Folk change, especially humans. Not his fault we were born twelve years apart."
Amee held a hand out. "No. No, because the moment you went off here to Neverwinter, it was me in that boat and he taught me spear-fishing on the first day. This is not behaviour developed over time."
The moment Amee had finished talking, realisation dawned on her. Anderea looked at her, and from the tears emerging she could tell she came to the same conclusion.
"You think he did it for us?" Said Anderea shakily, which confirmed her suspicions.
"Because he knew our values differed." She cried and laughed at the same time. "He knew you wanted to provide for many people and to get something in return. Whereas I wanted to give to those closest-"
She choked on the last few words, turned around and picked up the spear again.
"OK, remember his rule," Anderea was fighting her own battle, "no crying on the boat. It scares the fish."
She tried to focus, though she could feel her chest heave as she fought back, breaking ever so slowly. If she was to focus, she needed to do something to fight the overwhelming despair she felt. Something occurred to her, and gave her a small glimmer of hope. It might just be enough.
"Mother and he... I just..." she struggled to say. "Maybe Cormyr wasn't struck so bad. Perhaps it's better there. Do you think?"
Anderea stayed silent. There was no way, they both knew. Just like that, the glimmer was gone. Though she knew it was a vein hope. But she did know what else to do.
"Gods." She hissed as the tears rolled down her cheeks.
It was no use. As much as she tried, grief was too strong.
"So much for... the no crying rule." She muttered.
Anderea put an arm around her. "I believe it was more for father that the fish."
A few feet in front of them, ripples broke the surface.
High above them, Dall lowered his telescope, satisfied that they, and his boat, were safe. It would do no good to watch them endlessly when there were others around him. He picked up his spear again and continued to clean it. It didn't take long before something caught his eye. He moved to the other edge on top of the ox-cart and peered through the telescope once more. His friend and helper Ghim milled around at the top of a hill doing... something.
Dall was about to continue his watch when he noticed he had a shovel in his hands. Though the leaves of the trees made it difficult to see clearly, he saw he was digging into the earth. Dall continued to watch in confusion. What on Toril is he doing? he wondered.
Then he saw it. Through the trees, a collection of long holes lined up in a grid-like manner.
He was building a graveyard.
Time stood still in the weed ridden garden of the Moonstone Mask as everyone froze in place. With only the heavy ragged breathing of Dar, rage barely contained. He held his crossbow, a loaded bolt aimed squarely at Ty-Varaz's forehead. The only thing stopping him from pulling the trigger was the sharp edge of a shortsword blade at his neck.
"I will not hesitate." Rillick said sternly.
He the anger, there was despair in the half-orc's eyes, and he certainly couldn't blame him. He could not imagine what he would do in Dar's place. The four stood unmoving, and Rillick began to get nervous. He admitted he wasn't entirely confident his blade could pierce Dar's tough light grey hide.
Fortunately, Dar lowered his crossbow, and a huge weight lifted on three of them at least. Dar looked at the grass with contempt, then looked up at Ty-Varaz.
"You have a pouch or some such?"
Ty-Varaz eyed Dar cautiously, but pulled the large coin-pouch from his belt and handed it to him. Dar grabbed it and pulled it inside-out to let what few coppers fall to the ground. He stepped around the pile of corpses and knelt down at the fountain's basin where the chain, and his brother's severed hand and foot lay.
"Sawed through his hand." Muttered Dar as he lifted the hand by the little finger. "From the look of it, his foot got stuck and he cut that off too."
Gently, he lowered the limbs into the leather bag and tied it shut. He walked over and shoved it into Gelnen's backpack. Rillick didn't quite understand what Dar was doing, but he thought it wise to not pry.
"Must've used a tourniquet." He said as he walked back over to the fountain. "Be much more blood otherwise."
He looked around the garden at the corpses strewn about. Rillick did the same, noting the group semi-circling the fountain facing the broken fence were more dense. The corpses leading to the fence were fewer, then the largest amount hung over the metal bars and sporadically trailed out of view around the corner.
"He fought his way out through the fence." Said Dar. Seems he came up with a similar conclusion.
Dar moved up to the fence and looked out. "Mrrl, you out there?" He called. Then, without so much of a gesture, he climbed over.
Rillick noticed two small trails of blood leading out of the garden. One was straight and thin, the other winding and splattered. He followed the half-orc, while Gelnen and Ty-Varaz quickly snatched up the smithing tools before hurrying to join them.
Dall followed the scrapes and crunches coming from the top of the hill, a mound of furs slung over his shoulder. The eery sound of shovel on dirt made him ill at ease. He emerged on the hilltop and carefully approached his ragged friend.
"Ghim..." he said softly, "are you well?"
Ghim didn't respond. He proceeded to dig. How long had he been at it without warm clothes? He thought worryingly.
"You keep this up, you'll freeze to death over out here."
He still didn't respond. It was as if he could not hear him. The biting breeze chilled him to the bone. Dall stepped closer.
"Put on some warm clothes at least." He showed him the furs.
Still nothing, not even a glance his way. It was evident there was no use in talking to him. For whatever reason, he was much too focused on his task. Dall turned around and headed back down the hill.
Rillick followed close behind Dar as he followed the blood-trail leading through the back streets, away from where the the walkers would be thickest. Mrrl wasn't that idiotic, he thought, at the very least.
They turned a corner and came face-to-face with three walkers. Rillick quickly noted the narrow surroundings and went to draw his shortsword. But before anyone could react, a bolt shot straight into one of them, then the other, then the last one. Rillick turned his head in confusion and saw Dar with his crossbow raised, one hand on the lever at the side. Dar said nothing and continued, yanking out the bolts out of their heads along the way. He glanced at Gelnen and Ty-Varaz, then moved his hand away from his sword and continued.
A short walk up the alleyway revealed a sizeable number of corpses, eight at a glance, all with stab wounds in the head.
Dar exhaled loudly and lowered to his knees. "Had enough in him to take out so many. Even one-handed and hopping about." He set to work loading his crossbow, slipping them into a small belt connected to the channel. "Toughest berk I ever met, my brother, even amongst my kind."
"Any man can pass out from bloodloss," said Rillick, "no matter how tough they may be."
"Oh will ye look at that. Hey, feast yer eyes."
Morralees bounded over to the two half-elves walking up to the camp, bags of fish in their hands. Other settlers sidled up with relieved grins on their faces. Anderea took out a rope with the fish tied to it and handed it to him. He laughed triumphantly.
"Lasses... because of you, my children will eat tonight. You have my sincere gratitude."
Anderea grinned and wrapped her arm around Amee's shoulders. "You can thank my sister for that." Amee look at the ground and smiled.
Anderea walked up to Lorelai and handed a rope to her as Chorrol stared at it wide-eyed with amazement.
"Wow."
"Wow indeed." Lorelai laughed. "Where did you learn to do that?"
Amee smiled proudly. "Father."
"Can you teach me to do that?" asked Chorrol.
"Er, sure. I'll teach you all about crafting spears and the like." She looked at Lorelai nervously, "if that is OK."
Lorelai laughed again. "You won't catch me arguing."
"Hey, Dall."
Amee looked behind her at Anderea's calls. Sure enough, the old beastmaster wandered up to them wearing a concerned frown. His manner dampened the cheerful mood. Shaan, who was sitting by a tree silently a few feet away, rose to his feet and joined the rest. Dall cleared his throat.
"I, uh, I don't want to alarm anyone... but we may have a bit of a problem."
The blood trail lead the four to an opened door into a blacksmithy.
"Mrrl!" Dar shouted into the darkness.
The loud echoes that bounded off the empty walls made Rillick flinch.
He shot a glare at Dar. "Might I remind you we are not alone?"
"Sod that." Said Dar, as he marched into the store. "He could be bleeding out as we speak. You said so yourself."
Rillick sighed, annoyed, and gestured to Ty-Varaz and Gelnen to follow.
They stole through the building, past the empty storage devoid of weapons up to the furnace itself where the trail stopped. Dried blood was smeared on the anvil and an sharpened blade lay on the top. Rillick tapped it with the back of his hand. It was still warm.
"What is that burnt on there?" Gelnen asked and pointed to specks of charred black along the metal.
Rillick examined the steel closer and his heart sank.
"Skin. He used fire to seal the stumps."
He looked over at Dar who looked pale.
Dar cleared his throat. "Told you he was tough. Nobody can kill Mrrl but Mrrl."
"Best not to take it on faith." Said Rillick. "He lost a lot of blood." Though he was not thrilled to be the pessimist, he had to remain vigilant if he wanted to save Mrrl's life.
Dar shrugged in response. "Didn't stop him from escaping his death trap, slaying all those blighters back there."
"Where would he go?" Gelnen approached them. "How in Torm's name are we to find him?"
Dar thought a moment and wandered over to the broken window in the far side of the room and peered outside. The glass was on the ground. "He's out there alone as far as he knows, doing what he must to survive. I'd say he would try to get out of the city."
"Ya call that survivin'?" Ty-Varaz snapped. "Just wanderin, aboot tha streets, maybe fallin' unconcious, wha're his odds out thar."
"No worse than getting chained and left to rot by you sorry shites." Dar growled threateningly. He turned and towered over Rillick. "You couldn't kill him. Not so worried over some dead monster bastard."
"What of a thousand dead monster bastards." Rillick looked him firmly in the eye, trying to hide his nervousness.
They stood silent for some time before Dar spoke. "Do as you wish. I will get him."
He shoved past him. But Rillick braced and arm on his chest. "Dar, wait."
"Get your hands off me!" Dar exclaimed angrily, and shoved him back. "You cannot stop me."
Rillick almost flew across the room from the hard shove. He struggled to keep his balance and threw himself back in Dar's path.
"I do not blame you." He said quickly before he had the chance to do it again. "He's family, I understand. I faced countless dangers to find mine. I know exactly how you feel." He paused briefly to study his manner, then continued. "He cannot get far with his wounds. We'll help you check a few blocks but only if we keep a level head."
He stepped back and waited. Dar's heavy ragged breathing returned as he glanced at the floor. Finally, he looked up and nodded once.
"I can do that."
Rillick breathed a sigh of relief.
"Only if we get those weapons first." Said Ty-Varaz. "I'm not wanderin' tha streets 'o' Neverwinter with just me good intentions, aye?"
Dar hesitated, but nodded in agreement. Satisfied, Rillick took the lead.
"He will come back. They always do."
"I know." Ghim muttered under his breath.
"Speaking of which, I think I hear him now."
Sure enough, he too heard the thud and snap of footprints trekking up the hill.
"Sounds like he brought the entire camp with him."
Dall and Shaan stood before him, silently watching. He ignored them and continued his work, hoping they would go away.
"Hey, Ghim." Shaan slowly stepped forward. Ghim picked up the pace. "Ghim, why don't you stop a while? Just give us a moment here, please.
"Might as well humour them. They'll never leave you alone otherwise."
Ghim stopped and glared at Shaan. "What do you want?"
Shaan backed away. "We're a little concerned, is all."
"Dall says ye've been out here for hours." Said Morralees.
Ghim looked down at the halfling. "So?"
"So, why are you digging?" asked Shaan, then chuckled, tying to lighten the mood. "Heading to Kara-Tur, Ghim?"
The mood did not lighten. Ghim narrowed his eyes. "What does it matter? I'm not harming anyone."
"Except yourself." Said Dall. "The frost is setting in, and you've been out here in the cold for hours with no protection. You can't keep this up."
Ghim suddenly noticed he was shivering furiously. Perhaps he should stop for but a moment.
"I suppose he speaks the truth. Still, it's not like you'll die this second. Carry on."
Ghim started digging again. "Sure I can. Watch me."
"Ghim, they will not say it, so I shall." Lorelai spoke next. "You're scaring folk." This made him stop what he was doing. "You're scaring my son and Cralo's daughter."
"Ah, yes, children. The driving force behind everything. One only needs to mention them and they bring nations to their knees."
Ghim sighed, annoyed. "They have nothing to be afraid of. I'm out here by myself. Why don't you simply leave me be?"
Shaan took a few steps towards him. "We think you need to rest, OK? Why don't you go and sit yourself by the fire? Some food maybe." He paused, searching.
"Persistent, isn't he?"
"I'll tell you what, perhaps in time, I'll come out here and help you myself." Shaan continued. "Ghim, just tell me what is this about. Why don't you just give me the shovel?"
"He thinks he can push you around after what he did? The nerve!"
Shaan extended a hand, but Ghim pulled the shovel away.
"Or what?" he growled.
"There is no 'or what'. I'm asking of you." Shaan stated calmly as he could. "I'm coming to you and I'm asking you, please. I have no intention to take it from you."
"And if I don't, then what?" he shouted. "Then you beat my face in like Eddard, will you not?" Shaan's fists scrunched into tight balls. Ghim gestured to everyone around him. "You lot seen his face, yes? What's left of it." He turned back to Shaan. "See, now, that is what happens when someone crosses you."
"That was different, Ghim." He muttered through his teeth.
"Would you look at that. It seems we've hit a nerve."
"You weren't there." Amee cried out. "Eddard was out of control. He was hurting his wife."
"That was their marriage!" he spat. "That was not his. Who let be king?"
Ghim stared down Shaan, breathing heavily. Shaan relaxed and stepped closer to him. "Ghim, I'm not here to argue with you. Just give me the shovel."
"That does it. I'm tired of this."
With a yell, Ghim swung his shovel at Shaan's head. He ducked under it just in time and dived into him. They crashed onto the ground.
"You have no right!" Ghim yelled.
"Hey, hey, Ghim." Shaan whispered as he pinned his arms and legs with his own.
"You have no right!" He yelled again, tears welling up in his eyes.
Shaan shushed him gently . "Nobody will harm you. You hear Ghim? Nobody means you harm."
Ghim struggled for a while, but gave up and relaxed.
"That's a lie." He said softly. "That's the biggest lie there is. I told that to my wife and two boys. I said it a hundred times. It did not matter." He gazed into the dirt that swallowed him. "They came out of nowhere. There were dozens of them. Just pulled them right out of my hands. He looked up and locked eyes with Lorelai. "The only reason I got away was because the undead were too busy eating my family."
"It's OK, my love. I'm here. It will all be OK."
Gelnen knew what the others were going to say. Though he refused to look up he could feel the judging eyes booring into him. He knew that if he himself were among them, he would give him the same stare.
"You are not doing this alone."
Rillick's comment made him flinch. He did understand why they would think this madness. Hopefully he could explain his plan properly. He looked up from the etchings of the city on the ground made with chalk.
"It's a good idea, OK, if you just allow me to explain." He began. "Going out there in a group might work of we all had shields, but we don't. Instead we're slow, drawing attention. If I'm alone, I move fast. Look." He rested the tip of his finger between two squares. "That's where the staff lay, five blocks from where we are now." He dragged it along through a narrow gap and stopped at a scrunched up piece of paper. "That's the bag of weapons on the opposite side," He then placed an unsharpened spearhead a ways away from the paper, "and here's where the alleyway I dragged you into when we first met. That's where Dar and I will go."
"Why me?" Dar asked.
"You have the only ranged weapon among us. While Dar waits here in the alley, I run up the street, through the narrow passage, grab the bag."
"You have us elsewhere?" asked Rillick.
"I may not be able to return the same way. Walkers might cut me off. If that happens, I won't go back to Dar. I will go forward instead, all the way to this ally where you people are." Gelnen placed a pommel of a dagger onto the map. "Whichever direction I go, I have you in both places to cover me. Afterwards, we all meet back here."
"Hey," said Dar, "what did you do before the plague hit?"
Gelnen gave him a confused frown. "Delivered letters. Why?"
The air felt still, as if holding its breath. Though that may have been Rillick himself. He and Ty-Varaz weaved through the alleyways to their position.
Meanwhile, Gelnen and Dar ducked behind a stack of crates overlooking the ruined main street.
"You have some balls for a tree-hugger." Dar said with a sneer.
Gelnen gave him a sideways glance. "I'm not a wood-elf, I'm a sun-elf." He then ran ahead, keeping his head low.
Dar snorted in response. "Whatever."
Keeping close to the wall, Gelnen quickly crept along, occasionally ducking behind the odd upturned cart when a walker turned his way. Walkers grew in number, and he got the rising dread suspicion he had been seen by one. He dove over a line of barrels. Only a few more steps to go.
Dar heard footsteps from around the crate. He readied his crossbow, and when the sounds were close enough, he spun around out his hiding space.
"No, no shooty! What you want?"
He nearly shouted a cry of shock. Over the channel of his crossbow was a goblin in crude leather armor, his arms outstretched in surrender.
"I'm looking for my brother." Said Dar, his crossbow aimed firmly on the small creature. "He's hurt bad. Have you seen him?"
Of all the confusion on seeing a goblin of all things in the city, it was the only thing he could think to ask.
Before he could react, the goblin screamed at the top of his lungs. He couldn't understand the words. Dar's foot shot out and rammed into its chest. It flew into the wall and he shoved the loaded crossbow onto its forehead.
"Shut it!" he hissed. "You'll bring the gluttons. Answer me, goblin."
Gelnen burst out of the narrow alley and darted his head around. His eyes landed upon the thing he was looking for. The dead centaur lay a few feet away from him. He dashed towards it, the swords and spears wrapped in a blanket tied with rope came into view. Gelnen stopped but a moment beside the marvellous creature. Countless chunks of flesh had been rendered from it and its entrails spilled onto the stone.
"Wow..." he breathed. He had never seen a centaur before.
He heard a chorus of snarls gaining on him, and he gathered up the weapons and ran as fast as he could back the way he came. Through the alley and back onto the street he spied a brown cloak lying on the ground next to a staff. judging by the glowing skull of the Balder's Gate brand it had to be Rillick's cloak. It would be incredibly foolish to retrieve it.
He cried out in anguish and snatched it off the ground as he ran.
Rillick heard a high-pitched scream coming from the location where Dar was. He glanced at Ty-Varaz and saw his surprised expression. Without need of any words, they darted towards the sound.
Dar seized the goblin by the throat and lifted him off the ground.
"Shut up, shut up." He growled in warning.
Suddenly he felt a pair of hands grab his clothes and a sharp pain shot into his ribs. He felt another pair of hands scramble up his side and another sharp pain hit his arm. He spun around only to see a flash of green jump at him and land in his chest and drive a small dagger into his shoulder. He fell backwards from the sudden attack and landed onto the cracked stone. Only then he could see his attackers. Four more goblins looked down at him, one held a dagger at his throat.
Dar heard hurried footsteps ahead of him, and the four goblins sharply turned. The one on top of him extended an arm.
"That is bag, gobs, take, take!"
The four leapt off Dar and disappeared from sight. He lifted his head to see Gelnen being swarmed by the creatures.
"Get off me!" Gelnen screamed. "Dar! Dar!"
Two more goblins stormed into view astride hairless hound-like beasts and tossed ropes around the terrified elf. Dar grabbed his crossbow and aimed it at the struggle. He pulled the trigger and a bolt embedded high up into one goblin's thigh and scrambled to his feet. They hoisted Gelnen up and threw him on one of the mounts.
Dar pulled the lever on his crossbow and another bolt clicked into place, but before he could shoot it, walkers ambled in front of them. The goblins atop the beasts had spears and fought against them, and Dar growled in frustration as he pushed through the walkers, trying to reach them. By the time the walkers lay dead, and he reached the street, the goblins were gone. Their mounts bounding away into the distance with Gelnen bound with rope.
"Come back here, you bastards!" he yelled in vein after them.
He turned to see Rillick and Ty-Varaz run around the corner. They stopped at the goblin keeled over in the middle of the alley.
"What the?" Rillick managed to say before Dar stormed over and grabbed the creature by the throat.
"I'll rip your head off!" he roared.
"What happened?" Rillick asked with urgency.
The goblin kicked and struggled against Dar's grip, desperately clawing at his leathery hands.
"They took Gelnen!" He yelled into its face. "This little bastard and his little bastard friends. "He shook it violently. "I'll tear you apart!"
Rillick looked at the creature in the orc's vice. There was fear in his eyes. He would have to question why and how goblins were in the city. But later.
"Lads," Ty-Varaz called, "we're cu'off."
"Get back to the blacksmith." He ordered. "Dar. Don't kill it. Yet."
The rage in Dar's eyes softened. "Fine, lets go." He followed Ty-Varaz, dragging the helpless creature behind him.
Rillick walked over to the bag of weapons and hoisted it over his shoulder. He then noticed the cloak laying underneath, and smiled. A metal skull with ruby eyes was emblazoned on the fabric.
That was foolish, Rillick thought. But he picked it up regardless and joined the others.
Shaan was almost annoyed he didn't join Rillick's mission, just to get out of this cold. Frost began to settle on the grass and the wind picked up to a light biting breeze. Indeed, the Northwest could get cold in the woodlands around Neverwinter. Especially at this time of year. He pulled his fur cloak closer towards him to try to ward off the cold and trudged on. The metal bucket in his hand was freezing something awful. He laid eyes on Ghim, peering off in the distance, a rope tied around him and to the oak tree and a small campfire glowed beside him. He stopped a few feet from him and watched him for a few moments. He hadn't noticed him yet, and was... talking. To no one.
He put it out of his mind, and approached him. Ghim looked up in surprise, then changed to sullen. Shaan reached for the wooden mug and scooped some water from the bucket.
"Ghim, drink some water?"
He looked down. "Okay."
"Here you are, my friend."
He rose the mug to his lips and tipped it carefully. He flinched as the water reached his lips.
"It's cold."
"I am aware," Shaan chuckled.
Eventually he drank with minimal protest. He then looked at the glowing embers to his side, then looked back up.
"Can you stoke the fire a little?"
Shaan considered it, and decided to comply. "Sure. But not too much, remember?"
He made his way around the tree to the small stack of firewood and picked up a log.
"Warm you up, yes?" he called back to him.
"Indeed." Came the response, though he could barely hear.
Once he pushed the log onto the fire, Ghim spoke again.
"How long will you keep me like this?" he asked.
"Well," Shaan explained, "until I no longer think you're a danger to yourself and others."
Beyond the two was another, larger simmering campfire inside a ring of stones. Lorelai and Cralo huddled around it with their children wrapped amongst their winter clothing. Lorelai had her poetry book in her hand tutoring Chorrol with reading.
"I apologise if I scared your boy and little girl." He said to the two.
"Cold can make one do strange things." Said Lorelai quietly, not looking up from her book. "Nobody's blaming you."
"Your not scared now, are you?" He asked with a hint of desperation.
Salpha looked up at him. "No, mister."
Ghim looked away and breathed a sigh of relief. He looked to the side to see his friend Dall wander up to join them.
"That guard captain's wife isn't very bright, is she? Tis nowhere near cold enough to addle one's mind."
"Your mother's right." He said. "The frost had addled my mind is all."
"Ghim, do you know why you were digging?" Dall asked. "Can you say?"
He opened his mouth to explain, but his mind drew a blank. What was he doing up there?
"I had a reason." He said after some thought. "Something I dreamt last night." He paused and looked over to Chorrol. "Your father was in it. You were too. You were worried about him." He sighed and looked back at Dall. "Can't remember the rest." He then looked back to Chorrol. "You worried for your father?"
Chorrol tapped nervously on his mother's arm. "They're not back yet."
"We need not talk about that." Lorelai snapped.
"He is a brave little child, is he not? He's very afraid, but he will not show it."
"Your father's a guardsman, child." Ghim continued. "He helps people. Perhaps he came across some folk needing help is all." He gazed at the ground and smiled in admiration. "That man, he's tough as nails. I don't know him well, but..." he looked up. "I could see it in him. Am I correct?"
"Yes, indeed." Shaan chuckled.
"Nothing can stop him from getting back to you and your mother," he said, "I promise."
An air of silence washed over everyone.
"All right then," Shaan announced finally, "Who wants to help me clean some fish?"
Chorrol looked at Salpha excitedly and they ran after him. Cralo rose to her feet and followed behind.
"Stay with Cralo, okay?" Lorelai called out to them, then turned to face Ghim.
She stood up and marched slowly towards him. She had some choice words to say to him, scaring Chorrol like that. She knelt down to his level, but the dead serious expression on his face gave her pause.
"You keep your boy close." The tone of his voice left her shaken. "You don't ever let him out of your sight."
She stared at him, who stared back. There was fear in his eyes. Why was there fear in his eyes?
Without another word, she rose to her feet and followed the others, perhaps a little quicker than usual.
Dar threw the goblin onto a dishevelled wooden chair. It squealed and tied to clamber over the back, but he pushed it back down.
"The rest of you," said Rillick, drawing his shortsword, "we need to know where they went."
"I tell you nothing." It said in response. His voice was throaty and high-pitched.
"Moradin's hammer," Ty-Varaz grumbled, "Wha' in tha blazes happened back thar?"
"I told you," Said Dar as he pulled off his shirt and reached for a cloth and the bucket of water on the floor, "this little green dungpile and his friends came out of nowhere and jumped me."
The goblin jumped up on the chair. "You jump me, you say you want find brother like it my fault."
He set to work tending to the multiple cuts on his body. "They took Gelnen. Could've taken Mrrl too."
It threw its head back and cackled. "That is stupid name! Orcy name. Not even gobdog stupid orcy name give."
Dar snapped his head in its direction, eyes burning, and he ran at the creature, but Rillick leapt in the way and held up his sword as a warning. The goblin screamed and leapt onto the back of the chair. It toppled backwards sending it sprawling on the floor.
"Back away, Dar!" Rillick shouted.
Dar's beastly growls soon died down and Rillick turned to face the creature. Dar stormed over to Gelnen's pack and reached into it.
"Want to see what happened to the last 'orc' I encountered?" he threw Mrrl's gnarly severed foot at the creature, who squealed and scrambled backwards, knocking over a shelf of raw materials. Dar ran over and grabbed it by the arm and lifted it up.
"Perhaps I'll collect some goblin feet next." He growled, so menacingly even Rillick felt a little shaken. He wrapped his fingers around its scrawny leg. It yelped loudly.
"Dar, enough!" Rillick ordered.
Dar picked up the chair again and shoved the goblin back onto it. The creature was visibly shaking in fear. Rillick approached and tried to make himself as unthreatening as he could manage.
"The goblins took our friend." He said softly. "All we want to do is talk to them, see if we can work something out."
It looked at him, confused. "You human. You not kill us?"
He smiled. "There are more pressing concerns, and bigger threats these days. Do you not agree?"
Rillick peered around the corner of a small run-down mill. Before him was a crude looking fortress made of various bits of debris. The structure looked as if it was hastily built.
"Can't fault them for their adaptability." Came Dar's voice behind him.
Indeed, despite the look of it, it was impressive what they did with the little recources they had. He looked back and to Ty-Varaz nervously testing the string of Dar's crossbow.
"Are you certain you're up for this?" Rillick asked.
He gave him a stern gaze. "Aye."
"Just pull the lever after you pull the trigger." Said Dar. "It'll load another bolt straight away."
Rillick marched over to the pile of weapons in the bowl of the large grinder and picked up a spear and a buckler and handed them to Dar, who shot a glare at their captive goblin, Lem-Lem, sitting quietly fiddling with the rope around his wrists.
"One wrong move, you get an arrow up the arse." He growled. "Just so you know."
Lem looked up and returned his glare. "Gom take arrow and put up you." He looked back down at the ropes again and lowered his voice to mock Dar's. "Just so you know."
"Gom?" asked Rillick.
"Gom-Relli." He answered without looking up. "He chief."
He turned to Dar and drew his longsword. "OK then. Let's go see this 'Gom-relli'."
The three all made their way up to the fort's gate, Rillick dragging Lem-Lem along. Guards along the wall saw their approach and called out. He instinctively glanced around to make sure no walkers had heard, then back to the front when the gates opened.
Two rows of three goblins with spear and shield marched out. In-between them was another astride an armoured boar. He wore rusty chainmail and a skull of some horned beast over his eyes. When they were close enough to be in ear-shot, he drove his mount to a halt and held his hand up. The goblins on either side of him stopped in unison. Or tried to. Clearly they hadn't practised much.
Everyone stood ten feet from each other in an uneasy silence, waiting to see what one another will do. Finally, the chieftain turned his head to Rillick's prisoner.
"Lem. Are you well?"
Lem nodded his head furiously and shuffled up to the front. "They cut off Lem-Lem's feet." He cried.
Gom's beady eyes peaking out through the skull's sockets darted to Rillick, who readied himself.
"You're a guard." He said, noting his guard-captain's cloak. "Guards don't do such things."
"No, not he." Lem exclaimed before Rillick could respond. "This orc here. He cut other orc foot, show Lem-Lem-"
"Silence." Said Gom, and Lem slinked back and dropped his head.
Rillick noticed another goblin emerge from the gates and rush up to them.
"That is he!" It shouted as it pushed past Gom's guards and brandished a knife at Dar. "He shoot Fepi in arse."
"Fepi, calm yourself." Gom ordered. Once he stepped away, Gom looked back up and at Rillick. "Is this true? He wants Lem-Lem's feet? That's not very civilised."
Rillick waited a moment just in case something else will interrupt, then spoke. "We were hoping for a calm discussion."
Gom gave a small laugh. "This big dumb orc attacks Fepi's cousin, hits him, threatens to cut off his feet, Fepi gets an arrow in the arse, and you want a calm discussion?" he shook his head in amusement. "You humans fascinate me."
"Heat of the moment." Rillick quickly explained. "Mistakes were made. On both sides."
Again his eyes shifted, this time, to Dar. "Now, what does a human want with an orc?"
Dar's eyes narrowed as he fought to stay his ground.
"He is half-orc," Said Rillick, "and a member of our party." He glanced at him. "More or less."
"You got my brother in there?" Dar demanded, taking a few steps forward.
"No.. half-orcs, here." Gom grinned under his mask. "We do have an elf. Interested?"
Rillick drew a quick breath before he had the chance to do something foolish, and yanked the rope in his hands, sending Lem to the front. "I have one of yours, you have one of mine. Sounds like an even trade."
Gom stared down at the scrambling goblin at the human's feet, then looked up. "That doesn't sound even to me."
Lem's eyes shot open in panic. "Chief, no, no, no-"
"My people were attacked." He said, ignoring Lem pleads. "What do I do for their pain? Also, where is my bag of swords and spears?"
"Your mistaken." Rillick answered.
"I don't think so."
"About it being yours. It's my bag of weapons."
Gom's eyes narrowed. "The bag was in the street. Anyone could say it was theirs. Should I take your word? No." He gestured towards the goblins on the sides of him. The boar snorted menacingly at them. "What will stop my guards here from killing you now, and I take the weapons." The six soldiers rose their shields and advanced towards them.
The side of Rillick's mouth moved into a smile. "You could do that..." he looked up behind him to an opening in the mill where Ty-Varaz stood with Dar's crossbow aimed at the chieftain. "Or you could not."
"How quaint." Gom laughed. "A human, a half-orc, an elf, and a dwarf all working together."
He ordered the soldiers to stop and turned his steed sideways and shouted over his shoulder. Seconds later, on the top of the wall, Gelnen emerged, arms bound and getting pushed up to the edge by four goblins.
Rillick knew Gom took great pleasure in his feared expression, but he couldn't help it. Things were not going accordingly to plan.
"I see a choice before you." He announced. "You come back with Lem and the swords and spears, everyone will leave unharmed, or come back armed, and we see who can spill the most blood."
With that, he turned his boar around and they marched back towards the gates.
"A blade's worth more than gold. You will give that up for a scrawny elf?"
Rillick picked up a spear from the weapon pile. Dar turned his head to Ty-Varaz.
"If we ge' Gelnen back we might agree." Said Ty-Varaz. "Ya think 'e'll 'and 'im over?"
Lem jumped to his feet. "You call chief liar?"
Before he could react, he was shoved into the wall, his feet dangling from the air.
"Are you part of this?" Growled Dar, lifting him up further by his torn clothing. "You want to hold on to your teeth?"
This caused no reaction from him. He merely stared strongly at Dar.
"Question is," Ty-Varaz wondered, "do ya trust a goblin's word."
Dar dropped Lem and he landed clumsily on the floor. Dar walked over to Rillick, who was inspecting the shortswords and largely ignoring the two's displeasure.
"No, question is," he said, "what are you willing to wager on it? Could be more than these swords and spears. Could be your life. Gelnen worth that to you?"
Finally, Rillick looked up, and at Dar. "With what life I have, I owe it to him. I was nobody to Gelnen, just an... orcwit lucky enough to be stuck inside a magic barrier. He could've walked away, but he didn't. Neither will I."
Dar looked away and sighed, leaning forward on his hands on the bowl of the mill's grinder. "So, you hand the weapons over."
"I didn't say that."
He looked up to see Rillick's determined frown. Which moved to face Ty-Varaz.
"There is nothing keeping you here." He said. "You should get away, back to camp."
"And tell yer family what?" Said Ty-Varaz after a pause of consideration.
That was all that was needed to be said. Dar gave a single nod and picked up a spear of his own. Ty-Varaz did the same.
Lem-Lem jerked forward as Dar yanked the rope around his wrist. This could only end in disaster, he thought. He feared for Gom's life.
"Come, come, this madness." He pleaded. "Just do as Gom say."
They reached the uneven shaped gates and they opened, letting them pass. The group followed a pair of goblins through a courtyard past many cautious faces. Rillick adjusted his weight on the weapon bag over his shoulder and tightened the grip on his spear, holding it in front. He realised he may have made a big mistake, given how many there were. Not as many as what was normal, but still enough to overwhelm the three of them.
They were escorted into a large round hut and a throne made of stones and pieces of broken furniture. Sitting in the throne was Gom-Relli, his boar sleeping on some furs beside him.
"I see my swords," he said, guards with curved daggers took position between him and Rillick, "but I can't help but notice my spears are not in the bag."
"That is because they're not yours." Answered Rillick. "I thought I mentioned that."
"We stab foolish humans now!" one particularly muscular goblin cried. He recognised him as the one named 'Fepi'.
"Stab them to dead!" another cried out.
"Silence!" Gom ordered, then leaned forward, his arms folded into his lap. "I don't think you fully appreciate the weight of the situation."
"I am quite aware." Rillick signalled dar, and he pulled a dagger from his belt, cut Lem's binds, and shoved him towards the line of goblin guards, who let him through. "You have your man, I want mine."
Gom rose from his chair. "I will chop up your precious elf friend. I will feed him to our dogs." He made that menacing grin, accentuated by the horned skull on his head. "They're not like the types of dogs you have. They're the evillest, nastiest man-eaters you ever saw. And they have a particular taste for elven flesh." His smile changed to that of anger. "I told you how it had to be. Are you woefully deaf?"
Rillick dropped the bag. "My hearing's fine. You said to return armed." He moved into a fighting stance, holding his spear over his shield. Dar and Ty-Varaz followed suit. "OK then, we're here."
Gom stood up and revealed a shortsword and a round shield from behind the throne. The guards in front advanced slowly up to them, brandishing their knives.
"Fepi! Fepi!"
A voice rung out from the doorway behind them. When Rillick turned around he saw a wizened goblin with a look of desperation.
"Abelu," Fepi hissed, "go to others, now."
The old goblin hobbled straight through Rillick's line and stood between them, seemingly oblivious to their presence. This display caught everyone off-guard and lower their weapons.
"Abelu. This is not the place for you right now." Said Gom.
"But, but, Gitreb no breathe. He need heal magic."
Gom looked over at Rillick, who looked as if he was asking for permission. Rillick merely stood his ground, which Gom seemed to read as his blessing.
"Fepi, go remedy this, OK?" he ordered without looking away. "And take your grandmother with you."
Fepi hastily skirted around the wall and put an arm around Abelu, but when he tried to guide her out of the hut, she looked up wide-eyed at Rillick.
"They humans." She Gasped. She looked at Fepi, then back to him. "You no hurt Fepi."
"M-madam?" Rillick stammered, not knowing how to respond.
"Fepi good gob." She pleaded. "Fepi have problem but Fepi work much. Tribe need Fepi."
Rillick swallowed down the lump in his throat. "Madam, I wish for nothing less than to avoid bloodshed." A slight lie on his part.
"Then why come here?"
"We're... looking for someone. An elf named Gelnen."
Her eyes lit up. "You seek yellow elf? yellow elf with Gitreb. Come. Come, I show."
She grabbed his finger and began eagerly pulling him. He looked back at Gom, who narrowed his eyes, but ordered his guards to stand down.
The elder dragged Rillick towards the largest building up against the fort's edge. It was a structure already built before they arrived, and looked like it may have been a tavern of sorts. Behind him Dar, Ty-Varaz and many others, including Gom and even Lem, walked past him with urgency.
Upon entering the building Rillick was greeted by a large crowd of aged goblins hobbling on tall sticks and resting on beds of straw. Younger ones were dotted around them aiding them and made sure they were comfortable.
"Abelu." Said Gom. "Take me to him."
He followed Fepi into a room in the back where a group of elders crowded around one sitting in a chair, desperately gaping for air. Among the crowd, Gelnen knelt near him, looking just as concerned as everyone else.
"What in the hells is this?" he sidled up and whispered to him.
"I had heard of this affliction." Gelnen whispered back. "They call it 'asthma' I think. he just couldn't get his breath all of a sudden."
"I thought ya were bein' ate by goblin dogs, lad." Ty-Varaz hissed on the opposite side.
Gelnen looked behind them where a goblin dog lay on a bed of furs. It was hairless with albino skin, staring back at him showing the whites under its eyes. Gelnen stared at it for a few seconds where it began to thud its tail on the ground. He continued making eye contact, causing it to squirm and drag itself forward on its front paws. He looked back at Ty-Varaz with an amused smirk.
"Good, good. Breath slowly."
Gom's voice turned their attention back to the front.
His hand reached out and touched Gitreb's arm, and Rillick's eyes widened in amazement as he witnessed the chieftain's hand begin to emit a white light. When it dimmed, the elder in the chair made a long satisfying gasp, and exhaled in relief. The other elders around him assuredly patted him on the back.
Rillick's head was spinning. He could feel a few drops of tears leaning on his eyes. He had encountered and killed many goblins, but he never considered them as anything more than monsters of whom posed a threat. He guessed they still were, but even monsters will fight to survive.
He thought what would've happened if he attacked, if Abelu didn't arrive. He watched the old goblin smiling in relief and something occurred to him. Because of his sickness, Gitreb unknowingly prevented a war, and perhaps saved his entire tribe. Though as he considered how close they were to killing one another, anger began to grow.
When Gom managed to peel away from the grateful elders, Rillick put a hand on his shoulder. "A word, if I may?"
He complied, and they retreated to a quiet corner of the room. Rillick looked him in the eye.
"Although you have a good grasp on the common tongue," he whispered sharply, "you may be the most dim-witted goblin I ever met."
Gom inhaled sharply. "That hurts more than you realise, human."
"We were ready to kill every last one of you!" He said as loudly as a mere whisper would allow.
"Well, I'm glad it didn't happen that way." He said calmly.
"If it had, I would've had the blood of innocents on my hands."
"Mine too. We would've fought back. Not the first time we had to." He ushered Rillick and the other three and made their way out of the building. As he walked, he continued. "Protect the food, the healing supplies, what's left of it." He stopped, turned around and looked up at Rillick. "My kind may not be the brightest bunch, but we stick together. This tribe is my life-blood, and I will give everything to ensure its survival."
"Do you even have the supplies and knowledge to tend to so many of your elders?" Rillick asked, hoping he didn't sound too forward.
"Fepi is a good alchemist, and knows what herbs to get." Gom continued walking. He didn't seem to mind the question, much to Rillick's relief. "As for myself, before I became chieftain, I was a druid."
They followed him back to the chieftain's hut, where he ordered the guards to leave, and seated himself on his throne.
As they entered, Rillick now noticed the splintered bookshelf against the far wall filled with stacks of various books in relatively OK condition. He would ask why the large collection, but a more pressing concern had his attention.
"Why did you enter the city?"
Gom removed his helmet and hung it on the rung on the back of his chair. "I thought the walls would protect us. A foolish move it was." He turned around, scratching his bald head. "And not because of what you might think. We crossed paths with many humans. Not that one could call them such. Plunderers, more like, the kind that take by force."
Rillick gave a stern stare. "That is not who we are." Though his words were directed at Gom-relli, it was more a promise than a statement, to himself than to anyone else. Or perhaps it was a warning to his companions, or again, himself.
"How was I to know?" Gom shrugged in response and leant back in his chair. "My people get attacked and you show up with Lem captive. Appearances."
In the corner, Ty-Varaz sighed solemnly. "I guess tha world 'as changed."
This harboured an amused glance by the chieftain. "For you lot perhaps. For us, it is the same as it ever was." He looked back at Rillick. "Except now humans are focused on a bigger threat, and leave us alone more or less."
He reached over and stroked his boar's hide. It twitched slightly but did not rise from its slumber. "We do what we can here. We would leave, some of our workers have been preparing our hounds, but the journey here exhausted our elders. I don't think they can make another journey so soon. So we do what we do best. Gather up every scrap of debris, down to the last shard of glass, and build and fortify this place as best we can."
As Gom stared forlornly into the ground, Rillick noticed a change in his expression. His eyes grew intense and his brow descended to a frown. "The previous chieftain, he wanted to leave them. Leave them to wither and die. For the good of the tribe, so he said. I could not let that happen." He picked up the skull once more and stared into its empty eyes.
"The day our chieftain died... everyone appointed me. They wanted me to lead. I know not why."
Rillick thought a moment, weaving his hands together, then noticed Gelnen staring at him. The look he gave was of respect, he knew this. He looked over to Ty-Varaz, then Dar. They all had the same look when they glanced at him. He turned back to Gom-Relli still gazing into the skull.
"Because they can." He said simply.
He looked up, somewhat surprised, then smiled warmly. Rillick looked over to the blanket and quickly counted his inventory. Other than the rolled up pieces of paper, seven longswords with small round shields each, three spears and over a dozen shortswords.
Once it was clear, but those days are over. Goblins, orcs, knolls and any other lesser race no longer fell into a simple category.
There are no monsters anymore. Rillick concluded. Only flesh. Us and the undead.
"I am unsure how you would wield our larger weapons, but..."
He gathered up most of his shortsword supply and walked over to the throne. Gom's eyes lit up and he gifted him with a grateful smile.
With Gom-Relli's blessing, the party continued along the road, the great gates of the goblin fort closing behind them.
"Admit it," Gelnen nudged him in the shoulder, "you only came back for your cloak."
"Tell no one." Rillick chuckled, giving the cloak a swish.
"I cannot believe you gave away all our shortswords save for four." Dar grumbled behind him.
He began to try and justify his actions in his mind, giving away so many useful weapons that may save one's life.
"Shortswords are situational." He began.
Dar cut him off, ignoring him completely. "And for what? A bunch of goblins? They are not known for surviving long."
"Are any of us now?" he muttered.
Dar couldn't argue with that.
"Oh, gods."
They finally arrived back at the wagon. Or, at least, were they left it. Now all that remained was an empty space. Rillick ran forward.
"Fjord?" he called desperately. "Fjord!"
"We left her right there." Gelnen exclaimed. "Who would take her?"
Then it struck them. They all fell silent as the revelation came. Rillick spoke, clarifying what everyone else was thinking.
"Mrrl."
Dar strode forward with a worried look on his face. "He will be taking vengeance back to camp."
Rillick barely heard him. That beast of a man was likely riding towards the camp. His wife and son would be at risk, but, and he would never admit it to anyone, though his family were a close second, they were not the most urgent thing on his mind.
He wanted his horse back.
Dall felt a tap on his shoulder. When he turned, Anderea looked at him with an exited smile. She held up a small necklace with an emerald.
"It's Amee's birthday tomorrow." She said. "I was counting the days to be sure."
Lorelai strolled along with Amee by her side towards Morralees standing proudly on a pile of rocks where their main campfire was. When he noticed their approach, he changed to a more timid stance.
"I, uh, built up stones all around, see? So the flames can be a tad higher and have 'em be hidden." he gestured to the circle and Lorelai could see the fire in the center. "After the mighty cold mornin' I doubt it'll get better."
Amee and Lorelai glanced at one another, impressed.
Shaan climbed to the top of the hill, with Chorrol close behind. When he emerged into the clearing, he noticed Ghim remained quiet against the tree, not talking to himself, simply looking out onto the horizon. He preyed that it was a good sign.
He walked up to him and knelt down. "Ghim, how do you feel, friend?"
He turned his head, and smiled reassuringly. "I am well. More myself now."
"I do hope you understand the need for this... this confinement." Shaan said carefully. "I have others I must think about. I just want to make sure there's no... there's no bad blood between us."
Ghim shook his head. "There are none. I understand."
Shaan sighed with relief. "OK. Will you come join the rest of us? The half-elves caught some fish earlier, they're cooking as we speak."
"I would like that very much."
Eddard heard the flaps of his tent open as someone entered, then two sets of footsteps, one quieter than the other. He dared not look them in the eye. Not like this.
He heard the sloshing of water and something placed at the edge of his bedroll.
"Will you not come outside with everyone?" that was Cralo's voice. She sounded different, somehow.
"To the abyss with the lot of them." He mumbled. "Wouldn't piss on them if their head were on fire."
He immediately regretted those words, as he began to hear them leave. Desperately, he turned and grabbed Salpha's arm. She struggled in his vice grip.
"Hey. Stay a while." He said softly. "Keep father company."
He could see through the blurry vision of his one working eye Cralo standing at the entrance. She stepped forward and gently took their daughter's hand.
"Edd, she wants to join."
Letting go hurt him more than the many cuts and bruises covering his face, but he was too weak to move. He dropped his hand and rolled over.
"Fine then!" he shot. "To the abyss with you both. None will need to bother my any longer for the rest of the night."
Once he heard their departure, he began to feel himself weep.
"Must you keep ignoring me? You can pretend I don't exist but it does not make it any less true."
Ghim looked down on his plate of cooked fish. In the centre was the main campfire and surrounding him were all the settlers he knew well, their faces illuminated in the darkness of night by the flames.
It was a strange sensation. These people who once feared him hours earlier were now eating with him.
"I must ask ye. It's driving me mad." He heard Morralees. Looking up, he saw him addressing Dall.
"That spear." He said, taking a bite out of his own fish.
Dall glanced over to the spear resting tip-down over the log he sat on. "What's wrong with my sword?"
"I see ye every day, same time, polishin' that thing, like a priest makin a sermon."
"I wonder this myself." Ja'qi chimed in.
Dall glanced at her, then back at Morralees. "I seem to miss the point."
"Unless I've read the signs, the world had come to an end this time." She said. "At least hit a ditch for a long while."
Morralees pointed at the polearm. "Yet there ye are every day polishin' that bloody spear."
Dall picked it up and held it. "Is it not important to maintain your weapons? Anderea, lend me your aid here."
His pleas for help were in vein, however, when she merely shook her head. She would not get involved in this. Instead, he simply focused on the weapon in question, picking off specks of dirt which clung to the tip.
He cleared his throat. "I am partial to something a father said to son, when he gave him a sword, dagger, or indeed a spear, that had passed down through many generations." He paused as he recalled the words.
"I give you all of what you hope and desire. Which will protect you no better than it did me, or my father before me. I give it to you, not that you may slay your enemies, but to remind you of your friends and allies, for a moment now and then, and remember that they, in fact, are the key to conquering them."
Silence fell over them as the words resonated in each of them. Shaan, especially. He looked over to where Lorelai sat, who simply looked onward. Again, he felt his anger rise.
"You're very strange." Said Amee, breaking the stillness.
"It were not me." he objected. "Another said those words. My own shoddy retelling, perhaps."
She laughed quietly and everyone settled. Behind her she noticed the oxen were restless, shifting and pawing the ground. She rose to her feet to investigate.
"Where are you going?" Anderea asked immediately after she stood.
"I won't be long." She said, annoyed at her sister's clingyness. "You don't need to know where I am at all times, you know."
Eddard awoke to a rustling sound, and sighed a growl. Someone was trying to get in.
"I thought I told you to leave me be, did I not?" he called out.
No answer. The shadow bumped the tent. He shot out of bed and stormed over to the entrance.
"Hey! What did I say-"
As he threw the flaps aside, he witnessed a pair of rotten, gnashing teeth lunge into his shoulder.
Amee rested a hand on the rumbling ox's neck.
"What's wrong?" she murmured, and made her way around him.
As she rounded the ox's head she heard a growl. Seconds later a walker seized her and chomped down on her arm. She screamed and wrestled free of it's grip and fell. She scrambled away and looked back to see its head impaled by the ox's horn.
At that moment, Anderea jumped to her feet and charged towards her as other walkers emerged from the tree line, filling the night sky with their snarls. The camp erupted into chaos, everyone shouted and scrambled to their feet and grabbed the first weapon their hands touch.
"Mother!" Chorrol screamed.
Shaan rushed forward with his greatsword. "Lorelai, get him down!" he swung the large blade, slicing through multiple targets with each swing.
Ghim charged past armed with a wooden club, smashing walkers in his path. "The oxen! We need to protect the oxen!
Rillick's heart leapt with fear as sounds of screaming men and beasts filled his ears.
"By Helm! Go! Go!"
Dall hurled his spear into the fray where it struck the head of a walker close to Ghim, who dropped his club and wrenched it free.
Morralees heard the horrific screams of the horses ahead, as he brought his club into an elf's knee, then its head once it was in range.
"Mother!" he heard Lorelai's son cry.
"I am here. Shaan, what do we do?"
"Follow me!"
Ghim ran over to Amee as another walker, a human, bit down into her shoulder from behind. She yelled in pain and slumped to the ground. He himself yelled in frustration and drove the spear into its head. He looked down at Amee's bloody form lying still, gasping for air, while a walker reached out at the ox. She looked up at him as he tried to consider what to do.
"Protect them..." she said weekly.
He nodded, and struck the walker in question and disappeared around them as soon as Anderea threw herself around her.
Shaan fought his way towards the pen, his sword caked to the hilt in the blood of the dead. Lorelai and Cralo followed close behind, clutching their children. When they reached the pen where walkers poured over the fences, he unbolted and swung the gate open and what few horses remain bolted through the gate and past them. All but one.
He rushed forward, sweeping through the leagues of undead surrounding his own horse, Highlander. He swung himself onto his back and lifted Chorrol and Salpha up with him and galloped back into the fray.
Beads of sweat poured from Morralees' forehead as he clubbed the dead dwarf for the fifth time, finally reaching the brain and killing it. In the distance he saw something bounding towards him. It leapt over him and barrelled over a group coming towards him. At last he saw it. Dar's wolf had joined the fight.
"This way, you lot!" Shaan shouted over the snarls and yelling. "Work your way over here!"
Chorrol and Salpha climbed up on top of the ox cart and Shaan immediately rode off and around the settlers, felling walkers as he did so. He noticed the halfling and Dar's wolf fighting for their lives.
"Morralees!" he yelled, swinging his greatsword both sides of him. "work up here!"
"Make your way to the cart!"
Shaan darted his head to the familiar voice. Over the hill, Rillick ran into view wielding a spear and shield, as did the others beside him. They pushed towards them, fighting in formation. Morralees sprinted towards the cart, and Harley bounded over to Dar.
The moment the last walker fell, Rillick dropped his weapons and sprinted over to the cart.
"Chorrol!"
Chorrol leapt off the top of the cart and ran crying into his father's arms. Seconds later, Lorelai joined in the embrace.
Soon everyone went still, and stared to the front, where Anderea held her dying sister in her arms. Rillick was hit with immense grief. He didn't know her, but there was no doubt she didn't deserve this fate. Chorrol began to cry in his arms.
"Aye, I remember your vision now." Said Ghim.
Everyone turned to him and he looked back in surprise for a moment. He looked over at the carnage before them, the dead bodies that littered the settlement, the once living and the now dead.
"I remember my vision now." He repeated. "Why I dug the holes."