Chapter 2: The Haggard Hills

Back to: "Chapter 1: Torin and the Underdark" 

The Haggard Hills

In the stillness just before dawn was heard the soft clop, clop and creak of a horse pulling a wagon. For a moment the sound paused, then continued on again. The night wore on quietly. As the sun began to rise, movement could be seen coming over the ridge. On closer inspection, a group of orcs could be seen trundling over the stony hills. Spotting the wagon's trail, the leader signaled the halt, throwing up his head to sniff the wind. Hearing nothing and smelling nothing, the orc signaled the group to move on. He paused to speak gruffly to his second then struck off away from the rest.

In a bound, he crossed the wagon trail, running to the base of the cliffs overlooking this section of the orcs' hunting grounds. Swiftly, he scaled the cliffside, pausing only when he reached the lookout. The orc's eyes narrowed as he surveyed the undisturbed site. His mouth drawn down in a scowl, he noticed that the ground was free of dust. No footprints at all.

A choked scream made him look up and he leaped aside, but too late to escape his attackers. His nose flared in anger. Humans! He could smell their stink and briefly wondered how he had failed to notice their pungent odor before.

At the top of the cliffs, three human men struggled to hold onto their prisoner. She flailed her arms, angry and frightened. One fist connected, sending one of her assailants flying off the cliff. She screamed again, this time in fury as the men threw a net over her head and knocked her to the ground. She hit the ground hard enough to knock the air from her lungs. Gasping, she couldn't avoid the blow that knocked her unconscious.

Just below, the orc leader threw off the rest of his attackers. He braced himself to leap to the aid of his adopted daughter, but halted at the sound of another scream. In seconds, he was down off the cliff, running as fast as he could toward his family group. He skidded to a halt before the carnage. The whole group had been slaughtered. They had walked right into a trap set up by the humans. A slight sound attracted his attention. Turning his head, he saw the humans coming his way.

"Look!" Jeoff said, nudging Seamus.

"I'll get him," said Seamus. He lifted his bow, hitting the orc dead center.

"He's still coming!" marveled Honre, another hunter.

Seamus set another arrow to his bow. Still no effect.

"Man, look at that bugger!" Jeoff exclaimed. "Shoot him again, Seamus."

This time they could see the orc slow.

Murdock strode forward, cutting the dying orc down. He kicked the dead orc. "That better be the last one."

"That'll be twenty-two," said Argon, wiping his own blade clean. "We'll have a nice booty awaiting us back in town."

Jeoff tugged the axe out of the dead orc's hand. "Look at this thing," he said. "Can you believe he actually could lift this?"

Honre shrugged. "So? He's dead now. Why don't you keep it? Could probly sell it for 50 or 60. In gold."

"I don't want to have to lug this thing around."

"Seamus," said Murdock, "go find out what's keeping Patterson so long. We'll meet you back at camp."

The orc-hunting party climbed back on their patient horses, trotting back to their base camp. They had most of the camp packed and stowed on the pack horses when Patterson returned.

"What happened?" Murdock demanded.

"They had a scout," Patterson explained. "Wait'll you see her!"

Murdock frowned. "One orc female killed four men?"

"No, no, only one, come on, she's over here."

The three men of his group carefully pulled the prisoner off one of the horses. Even battered, bruised, and covered in dust, Murdock could tell this was no orc.

"What the devil?" he exclaimed.

Patterson grinned. "Fought like one, too, but the real devil got away. Big brute, too."

"We got him," Seamus said. "She's something, isn't she?"

"Just what are you planning to do with her?" Murdock asked.

"Figure, pretty as she is, even as nasty as she is, she'll fetch a pretty penny in town."

Murdock nodded. "Sure, until her family finds out you've kidnapped her."

"Family? Them orc's 're all dead."

Murdock knelt down next to the prisoner and pulled back a lock of hair. "You've captured an elf, you imbecile."

"That can't be an elf," Patterson protested. "Leastways, not a whole one. And if she is, what's she doing with a band of bloody orcs?"

"I say kill her," snarled Votor, nursing his broken arm. "Damn near killed the lot of us."

Murdock shook his head. "Just because you couldn't deal with a lone female doesn't mean the rest of us can't. Keep her if you will, Patterson, she's your concern."


{c}"Chapter 3: The Dragon"