Garrett hastened his step as the dogs picked up fresh scent. “Yaevagrim, look there!” He exclaimed. From the beaten path, the small party had strayed maybe half a mile at the dogs’ signal. In front of them nestled between two trees was a low shelter. “Stragglers, round them up, men.” Yaevagrim called his dogs to inspect the tent, and quickly the men drug out the remnants. Two packs were retrieved of different sizes. One seemed almost as if it were made for a child, but Garrett struggled at first to pick it off the ground. “Is this packed full of bricks?” He said, getting a hearty laugh from his comrades. With a quick slash from his long straight sword, the tarp fell in a pile. “No sign of fire, I doubt that this was a hunting party. The packs seem the same as all the rest in the encampment” Parth said in his quiet, thoughtful speech. “How odd…” he puzzled.
“Barnut, what say you?” Yaevagrim asked, as was often his way. He considered Barnut a voice of reason. After all the commotion in Nearborne, reason was in short supply and surely all of Enwyld would be stirred up in this war. Slowly, Barnut replied, “This crossbow, it is not made by elven hands. It is far too handsome. Something’s strange. Oh, well, either way’s the same.” Barnut grabbed the blanket and presented it to the dogs. Excitedly each sniffed and in chaotic unison, each pulled at the end of their long leashes back towards the road. The party rushed on, with the dogs barking all along.
Soon they were back on the winding mountain footpath that led down the northern slope. On this side of the mountain, it was a fair bit cooler, and the shadows were heavier, although it was barely midday. Their clunky armor did not make for a quiet approach by any means, but it gave them all a deep sense of protection. Standing shoulder to shoulder within the ranks of the shining silver and blue guard was a great honor for the men of Nearborne. In fact, their greatest commodity had been brute force for as long as anyone could remember. It was because of this that they demanded a stifling tribute from all of their neighbors.
Coming around a switchback in the forest path, something strange caught the attention of Parth. A medium size animal lay, as if dead, across the path. “What is that?” he said to the others. “I’d call it a dog if it weren’t twice the size.” Barnut said. Each of them heeled their canine companions with a quick command and two wide they approached the poor creature. Garrett and Parth took the rearguard and were led by Yeavagrim and Barnut. Approaching the animal, the dogs hesitated. Sharing a quick glance among themselves, the patrol drew their swords and approached the lifeless mass that laid across the path with it’s back to them.
When they got nearly within striking range, Barron, the supposed lifeless mass, leapt upward and to the side, off the path. Startled, the dogs whined and tugged at their masters. “Be still, men.” Yeavagrim said firmly, slowly backing up. As he did, the dog belonging to Garrett bolted from his hand, leaving the company behind and retreating back the way that they had come. “Garrett!” Yeavagrim shouted, but he could say no more as he tripped over something and fell to the ground. Upon the ground was the lifeless body of his companion. Blood ran from his mouth, but there was no other sign of the attack. His armor appeared intact and he clutched his sword still in his hand. “Ambush!” Barnut shouted.
The men set free their dogs and they ran away yipping, forgetting any allegiance to their masters. Forming a tight circle the men stood back to back preparing for an assault. The wind blew loudly overhead, and birds filled the trees but there was no sign of the attackers. A few tense moments passed. “What’s next, Yeavagrim?” Barnut asked with tension in his voice. “Be still, men. Garrett will be avenged.” A hoarse, deep howl tore through the forest, sending a chill down the spine of every man. The animal that they had seen laying across the road presented himself, a stone’s throw further down the path.
The grotesque face of the boar sized animal faced them now and they reeled in horror. It only vaguely resembled a face, with large dimly colored eyes. What had appeared as a dark black or brown hide now shown as a deep green, and in place of a mouth, woody shoots formed innumerable huge jaws more akin to a spider. Barron wailed again, and no birds were heard among the treetops. Even the wind seemed to obey the shrieking creature, and the forest became silent. “What on earth is that!” Yeavagrim exclaimed, and all of the men assumed a posture of battle. “I’ve killed many beasts, with less than the fine swords given to us by Kardone” Parth said, and in a moment of weakness the tip of his sword lowered. “But I’ve never seen anything like that.”
“All together now men, for Garret. And for Kardone!” Yaevagrim said with a great holler. As one, they charged upon the beast. Barron growled like trees rubbing in the wind, and charged them. In a swinging motion, Yaevagrim brought his sword down but the large sword was slow and Barron dodged with ease, parrying the three and taking their rear, grabbed Barnut with a single fearsome bite, and drug him yelling into the trees. All of the forest heard his yells for help, but the creature moved with a terrifying grace and speed that the humans could not match. The remaining two were filled with dread as his cries faded and eventually stopped.
“Steady…” Yeavagrim started, but before he could get the next words out of his mouth there was a clink of steel falling to the ground. Parth turned and ran for his life. “Coward!” Yeavagrim said, steeling himself and pressing towards the forest. Unceremoniously, he felt a hot searing blade plunge into his neck and his final sight as the light left his eye was blue sky and a swirl of blackened air that faded into nothing.
With all the speed he could muster, Parth neared the pass in the mountain, and he was sure that he would be within sight of his great city soon. The great clamor his armor made at a full sprint left a ringing in his ears. Be had half a mind to strip it away, but quickly put that thought out of his mind. He only hoped that he could convince his masters there that he had not been such a coward. Keeping the pace was proving difficult. “Maybe shouldn’t have skipped so many drills.” he muttered to himself. After his short time in the guard, he had not grown to the standard levels of physical strength you’d find in a guardsman.
A tall figure appeared on the path ahead. It was unmistakably elven, with more pronounced ears than the city elves that Parth had come across, and quite slender. The elf ahead had a much darker hue as well. All of these thoughts crossed his mind, and many more in his anxiety. His heart raced in his ears, and his vision seemed to blur. He had very much hoped to make it back to the safety of his guardsman brothers before seeing an elf again. Turning around, a great lumbering beast familiar from before walked calmly behind him. Overwhelmed, Parth fell to his knees. A towering figure presented itself before Parth.
“Why have the humans gone to war with these people?” Veryyn asked calmly. “Wh..what are you?” Parth muttered, struggling to get a word past his teeth. “What a rude question, little man.” Veryyn replied. “I have a deal for you. Very much like the one your ancestors made with my kin. Tell me why the humans are on the warpath and you will die quickly. Tell me not, and you will die a hard death. The choice is yours.” With those last words, a fanatical Parth begged for his life while letting as much information fall from his mouth as he could manage.
Veryyn held good to his word.
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