Chapter 5: Two Options
Kosh
Kosh sits up in the bed. He is stiff from laying down so long and stretches out his muscles. In and out of consciousness, he overheard Renimil and Eris talking of whispers that the orcs carried a banner of the Black Sun. More rumors, Kosh thought. If the Black Sun were here, it would be easy pickings going across the mountains into Thassilon. All that stood in the way were tiny villages that wouldn't have the defenses to hold back an Orc army. Kosh's thoughts went back to his actions in the cave. He was feeling weak, and weakness is something he hates to feel. He didn't survive slavery and the streets on weakness. He hated how the people looked at him as he walked back into the village. Their small town villagers fawned and fussed on him. Kith stayed nearby, knowing Kosh's annoying thoughts. And his distrust of people he didn't know. He didn't trust anyone outside Kith. What he felt of Kith is the closest he's ever been to anyone before. He prefers to keep his trust to a minimum. People only let you down.
Kosh walks downstairs to join the group and eat. The townspeople were extremely grateful. They allowed them to stay in the inn free for two days and gave them gear at a discount.
"I'm starving," Kosh says gruffly. He picks up a mug that was Eris' and downs it. "And thirsty."
Eris didn't seem to mind. "How are you feeling?"
"As a giant eight-legged monster stomped on me," he says flatly.
She nods her head. "What's the plan?" Eris asks, changing the topic.
"We can keep going across the mountains. Follow the directions the villagers said the orc receded to." Renimil offers.
"Have we gathered our gear together and anything else we need?" Kosh asks. He orders another drink—one for him and another for Eris.
Renimil replies smugly. "Yes. We have better venom antidotes as well."
Kosh didn't like overly confident people. But for whatever reason, Renimil amused him. Cocky bastard. he thinks to himself."You're quiet over there, Kith. Did my injury scare you?" Kosh asks with a smirk and a twinkle in his eye.
Kith scoffs. "We need to get stronger. We can't continue getting hurt after every battle."
"Do we have a choice?" Renimil asks.
Kith shrugs nonchalantly.
Kosh agrees with Renimil. "No choice. If the orcs make it across, we're stuck fighting them there. At least we can take them by surprise by going to them."
Eris shakes her head. "What it sounded like from the villagers is the same group orc is attacking. Taking on an army would be suicide."
"We can scout first and decide if we meet up with any orc threats," Kosh replies.
"Sounds like we have a plan," Renimil says.
Renimil
The group changes, gathering their belongings and the additional provisions that will hopefully last until the next outpost. Meeting outside, a little girl walks up to Kith and hands him a small stuffed thatch doll. In Kith's hand, the doll looked dainty and… ridiculous. Ren had to admit, though, that it was a sweet moment.
Kith stiffens as if he'd never received a gift before. It wasn't surprising to Ren. He heard that Kith's clan was not amicable towards the half-orc kind. Growing up must have been a bitch. So different from his upbringing. Ren was loved; that's what made losing them so hurtful. Ren shakes his head. The mountain they are climbing is the tallest one so far. And Renimil is glad for the new gear. The floor gives way as they reach the summit. Kosh falls but can land on his feet. Kith manages to catch himself on edge. Eris slides past him and is seen by Kith.
Renimil slowly moves towards Kith to grab Eris. The ice begins to crack again, and all of them fall. Renimil lands on Kith, who cushions the fall. Eris thankfully lands on a pile of snow, breaking her fall. However, she winces as she sits up.
Renimil looks over at Kith and puts his hand on his shoulder. "My hero."
"Arse," Kith says, shoving Ren off him.
Ren laughs.
Eris chuckles. "Would you two like some privacy, she pauses. Or would you prefer an audience?" She winks and leaves Ren and Kith to gape after her.
Perhaps she isn't as innocent as Ren believed. "Damn."
The group moves further down into the cavern. Ren is walking in the back, and as they pass through a narrow hallway, he thinks he sees something moving behind the ice wall to the left of him. " Did you guys see that?"
Kosh and Kith are further ahead, and only Eris stops to look back at him. She looks in the direction Ren is now focusing on. Someone or something runs past, causing Eris to jump and step back. "Kith. Kosh." She calls after them. They stop, and Kith walks back to her.
The distorted figure walks closer to the wall, but they can make out exactly what it is.
Kith's hand goes to his weapon. "Is that a yeti?"
"I'm beginning to really hate caves," Eris says, backing away to put Kith between her and the wall.
The yeti does nothing, and the group backs away slowly.
"This way," Kosh says. " I think I see a way out."
They follow Kosh into a more extensive cavern where two dead carcasses of boar lay in the corner, on the opposite side of them. There is a doorway to their left and another just behind the carcasses. The one to the left grows darker as two yeti come through it into the cavern. Seeing the group, they roar. The sound of ice breaking and footfalls coming behind them has the group running to the other entrance. They run for a few minutes, the yeti on their tail. Light from the outside, or what they hope is the outside, is growing brighter as they leave the cavern to the outside. Kith hits the entrance causing the hallway they were running down to collapse on top of the enraged yetis.
On the other side of the mountain, the sun's warmth kisses their face. Kosh has no desire to waste time-fighting the yeti. No doubt there is more than the three they'd met. They can see a thicket of trees with smoke rising from the canopy from this view. They hear the soft tune of a lute.
"Could be another dwarf village," Eris says optimistically.
"To only hope," Ren responds.
Kosh
It is an hour later before they make their way to the area with the smoke. It is a small caravan party with a few soldiers standing guard. Three, to be exact.
Kosh comes into view, announcing himself. The guards gather closer to Kosh. "State your business, gnome?" One soldier commands.
He is puffing his chest and trying to appear intimidating. He is short, even for a human. His armor is clean, too clean, and his hand quivers slightly on his sheathed sword.
Kosh keeps a straight face. "My group and I are just passing through."
The other guardsmen look around. The youngest guard shouts, "Show yourselves!" and takes out his sword. Ren, Kith, and Eris come into view from behind him.
"We just seek to pass through. We saw your light," Kosh flicks his hand, "and got curious."
A gnome merchant steps forward to come to the captain's side.
"Easy friends," he says peacefully. "Please come sit by the fire and rest."
So trusting. Too trusting. If Kosh's group was evil, they could have quickly taken over the guards and slaughtered the merchants. The wares would have been theirs for the taking. That wouldn't have been unheard of for him not too long ago. But, he is not that same man of old. He only did that because he was forced to, not because he wanted to.
The party sits down by the fire and takes their food to cook.
They participate in small talk to lighten the mood. The guards eye them and murmur to each other. "Is there a village or town nearby?" Kosh asks.
"About two days east of here." The peaceful gnome points. "Further down the mountain. I would offer you something from my wares, but these will be delivered to a dwarf village further north."
Eris puts her hands up. "We appreciate your kindness, sir."
The gnome smiles. "Please call me, Medge. We come from the village I told you about. You'll receive a warm welcome. " He says, the boys here, indicating the guards, "are from a few villages over. Soldiers sent to help us deliver our merchandise."
Eris and Medge talk amongst themselves. Nice. Kosh can now scope out their new friends without participating in the conversation. He notices two other gnomes, one female and the other male. They are chuckling and setting up a sleeping tent. Another older male gnome is feeding their horses and latching down the cover over their wares. Kosh continues to scan his surroundings; his eyes fall on Kith. Kith flicks his eyes to indicate the guards behind them are still huddling together. Kith smooths his hand over his chest as if to brush something off. When Kosh's eyes look back to the guards, he looks at their clothes again. Something about the uniforms is peculiar. They didn't quite match, and their shoes weren't regulation boots. Even they didn't match the uniform.
Kosh yawns noticeably. Getting up, he walks closer to the guards. "Do you guys mind if we rest here the night?"
One of the guards starts to walk towards the female gnome, who is still talking to what seems to be her mate. Kosh throws one of his kukris at the guard with a wrist snap. The dagger lodges into his hand, and it's pinned against the side of the wooden caravan. And the small blade falls to the ground with the man groaning in agony. Kosh rushes towards the man. The merchants huddle together and hide behind one of the farther caravans.
Ren is already mumbling an incantation as he eyes the younger guard. A wisp of darkness surrounds the young guard, and he bends over to retch.
Lightning streaks out of Eris' fingers and shoots through the young guard and into the other, whose hand is presently incapacitated. They convulse. One is dropping to the ground, the other slumping over, falling to his knees.
Kith stands and turns towards the captain. "This can go two ways, though, to let you know, I'm partial to letting them wreck the three of you," Kith continues. "Option one, you can tell me who you are and your business. Or option two. You can try and attack us, and we just kill you." Kith shook his head. " Please note. I said try."
The captain stays quiet, visibly shaking at this point. His hand is still on the hilt of his sword. I'm pretty sure he's about to shit his pants. Kosh thinks to himself.
"He asked you a question, "Eris says. Electricity snaps and pops in her hands as she walks closer to the captain.
Shit. He pissed his pants. Kosh thinks.
Ren smiles and points at the captain's pants. "Is that option one or two? I'm a bit confused."
"Was there even an option," Kosh states as he walks over to dislodge the dagger ?" He is still alive." He tells Eris.
Eris looks relieved. She has her hands down, but tiny sparks still crackle around her hand.
Kith walks over, disarms the captain, and checks on the younger guard. "He is too ."Then he adds, " empty your pockets and that of your friends. Put your bags here." Kith points to a spot on the ground. The captain and younger guard scramble to do what Kith asked.
The guards have a bag of money, food, and equipment, a shield-shaped iron medallion, and some jewelry. Ren looks at the jewelry. "Should fetch a good price."
Eris opens the bag of money. Looking over to the merchants hiding behind the caravan wheel, she asks, "What was their price?"
"50 gold pieces." The female gnome responds.
Eris takes out the difference and holds out the bag holding their 50.
"They were going to rob you," Kosh informs the merchants. Isn't that right?" Kosh says, looking at the captain in disgust.
The captain nods.
"Got any rope?" Kosh asks.
Medge speaks up. "Yes." He retrieves it, and Kosh ties the guards up.
The group finally managed to get some sleep. They tell the merchants to be wary of yeti and apologize for not being to help them further.
"It was nice of them to give us some of their gold." Eris states.
"We did save their lives," Renimil adds.
"Wouldn't you have done it if you knew there was no money involved?"
Renimil looks at her. Such a pretty little world she lives in.
