Chapter 3 - The Keep


Morfindion engaged the woman in quiet conversation and was no doubt treated to a tale of woe and hardship from both her and the man she was with, presumably her husband. Hrodulf admired her shapely legs as he checked the Kobolds for coins and trinkets but finding little he spat on the corpses and turned his attention back to the woman.

"We must head for the keep" she said her eyes flicking between Hrodulf and his Elven companion "the raiders haven't got that far yet but it won't take them long". Morfindion agreed and Hrodulf rolled his eyes "There had better be something in this for me" he said through gritted teeth to Morfindion before examining the way the woman, Linan he learned later, filled the tight leather britches she was wearing and a wolfish grin lit up his face, making it seem almost boyish... Except for the blood "maybe I can think of a reward..." he said not quite quietly enough for the woman and her husband not to hear.

Hrodulf wiped his axe on the body of the Kobold closest to him and the small party headed off again. Linan and Hrodulf both carried a child on their backs to keep the small group moving at a reasonable pace.
Twice they came across other groups of Kobold raiders, one with human cultists and another with a flying Kobold of some kind who they avoided, the chances of the injured man or one of the children getting caught up in the fighting were too high to risk getting into a protracted fight.

Linan led the way with Hrodulf close behind, his gaze lingering on the back of her legs, a smile on his lips.She indicated changes in direction using her spear rather than speaking and Hrodulf wondered if she had been involved in raids herself... If he could get her alone and lose her tongue perhaps he could find out.

The Keep loomed larger as they made their way through the village, the last hundred yards or so were in the open but Linan had been right, the raiders had not yet approached the keep proper. Instead they were busy looting the homes in the village. The small group rounded the corner of the last building between them and the keep and almost ran head first into a big lizard and four Kobolds. "Run!" shouted Morfindion and took off like a hare towards the gates of the keep.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Chapter 12 - A figure on the horizon

Image
As they crested the first hill a single figure could be seen coming back along the same route that the army had taken, it appeared to either be wounded or old as it was leaning heavily upon a staff and making slow progress. "We should investigate Hrodulf" Morfindion whispered needlessly as the figure was still too far away to hear what might have been said. Hrodulf grumbled saying "the quicker we get this over with the quicker I can get back and try my luck with Linan" at which Morfindion looked at him as if trying to work out if he was being serious or not. As they closed the distance it became clear that the figure was a woman, relatively young but injured with a ragged bandage wrapping her leg and bruising starting to appear beneath one eye. "Ho friend!" Morfindion called out once the distance had been almost closed "you look as if you have been in the wars... What news have you of the road ahead?" I  hear that you intend to follo...
Read more

Chapter 11 - The Hunt...

Image
Morfindion looked out at the fields that surrounded the southern side of the village of Greenest, the rolling hills and copses of trees, a look of bewilderment on his face "How are we going to track them down to their encampment?" he asked of no one in particular. Hrodulf looked at him sceptically and then laughed, a laugh that came from deep within his belly and filled with genuine mirth "You aren't joking are you? Where have you been living all your life? in a cave or something?"he asked the haughty looking Elf. A twitch, almost too small to see appeared on Morfindion's face as the question hit an apparently raw nerve but Hrodulf ignored it saying "Well if I am going to be doing the tracking I am definitely going to be having all of the reward... what are you here for? Muscle?" he said with a feral grin enjoying the wounded look that briefly lit the Elf's features. "There is a trail Elf, one that even a blind man might be able to...
Read more

Chapter 6 - When is a door not a door?

Image
A cold fury burned within Hrodulf's eyes, a twitch pulling at the muscles of his face as he adjusted his grip on the axe he named Grimnir. He rose silently and charged towards the group clustered at the door, action being the answer to the question Morfindion had asked. Grimnir whistled as it rent the air cutting the thread of life from one of the cultists and burying itself in the neck of a Kobold. Morfindion followed up behind and once he got close launched a spell that covered the other human with a green spray that caused him fall to the floor jerking and spasming in his poisoned death throes. The remaining Kobolds seemed to not quite understand what was going on until it was too late, Grimnir swung again, rending the air, drinking their blood and spraying it across the rear door of the temple. Two more lay dead at Hrodulf's feet, no sound issuing from his lips that were drawn back from his white teeth. Morfindion stabbed at one of the remaining Kobolds cutting ...
Read more