Archives: Trials of the Half-Elven
Chapter 5: Road to Shinning Hill
The group set out on the road, heading west. The pace was slow for the sake of Derrick’s wounds and Thangroth’s short legs. Dara settled down again after Krisatris was on her back a little longer, but Olula still had a feeling the horse was tense.
Olula was taking the lead of the group unintentionally. Her pace was just fast. However, once she realized it, she slowed down and let Derrick and Thangroth pass her. She wanted to speak to Kiran.
Dropping into place beside the dark elf, she acted nonchalant, focusing on the road ahead and not looking at him. “Kiran,” she said.
“Yes?” the dark elf asked, his head jerking sharply. It seemed as if she had yanked him out of deep thought.
“Can...can you start teaching me spirit magic?” she asked.
“Certainly. Though it would be easier when you have the chance to sit and focus,” Kiran replied. “I can teach you some basics for now though.”
Olula looked up at the dark elf and nodded.
“Now, spirits are everywhere. In the air, the water, the soil, shadows, and light. Plants are tended by fairies. However, you can’t see them because most of the time, they’re on another level. The spirit world is a veil over this world and spirits manifest as just barely tangible...” Kiran continued a description of the spirits, though Olula had a hard time focusing on it. She understood some of the basic points at least. It began to feel overwhelming to her, could she really become a shaman, or was it too late?
Thangroth said little during the trek, but the dwarf was roused from his quiet musing when Derrick spoke, “So Thangroth, that hammer of yours is beautiful craftsmanship. Do all dwarves know metals so well?”
The dwarf glanced over at the young man, “That depends on what one wishes to find their calling in. Some of my people are blacksmiths, others are metal smiths and others are masons, they know the cut and craft of stone and rock.”
Derrick looked surprised, “I...I thought all dwarves were good with metals and stone.”
Thangroth chuckled then spoke again, “That’s a misunderstanding your kind and others have. My race are more familiar with the workings of stone and metal than most, but it doesn’t mean that we’re all great stone masons and blacksmiths. Usually if one’s lucky you spend a good fifty years learning the bare basics in any one craft.”
“Fifty years?!”
“Aye lad, fifty years no time at all, really. And that’s just for the basics, but I suppose to you humans that’s almost all your life. It’s sad really you have such short lives, otherwise your blacksmiths could truly learn something. Still, human metal work isn’t bad, it’s just unrefined.”
“Oh.. So..are you good with metals?”
Thangroth sighed and shook his head then smiled, “Aye, I’m good but not as much so as my father. He’s got a good bit of years on me in skill.” The two continued to talk while in the lead, as Olula and Kiran followed behind. Both parties each had their own topics to discuss.
* * *
Trent went ahead of the group as he said he would, keeping a distance yet they were well within earshot of his alarm arrow. It made sense, Trent was the most mobile of the group save for Kiran and he could evade danger much easier than a caravan with wounded. But it also robbed him of any conversation to pass the time. The young ranger shrugged it off and fished out a section of sugar cane and cut sections to chew on.
* * *
Darvis had sent a few soldiers to make sure Olula left his realm and to watch for anything suspicious. They were kind enough to let Olula camp on the outskirts of Darvis’s fiefdom, but the next morning, their scout spied the party leaving camp with a dark elf. The soldiers debated what to do, but it was the captain, a former freedom fighter for Kanon, who made the final decision. Olula was apparently in cahoots with a dark elf.
Now, the small troop, seven men in all, were riding at full gallop toward Olula’s party.
The thundering of hooves on the road behind them caught the attention of sensitive elven ears first. When they came into view of elven eyes, Olula felt as if someone had just walked over her grave. The half-elf was terrified. Had they come for her?
“I can’t let them see me,” Kiran said beside her, then tossed Dara’s reins to Olula. As far as he knew, they couldn’t see him at this distance. “Spirits of Invisibility, let thy form become my form,” he chanted, loud enough for Olula to hear. He’d integrate that into her lessons later.
The dark elf vanished, but his voice came softly to Olula. “Don’t worry, I’m right next to you. I’m sure they’re just passing by, but I can’t take any chances being what I am.”
Olula was startled by the dark elf’s disappearing act, but she found herself trusting him. He didn’t seem to realize how afraid she was. “I hope you’re right, but I fear they may be after me,” Olula replied to the dark elf.
“We should act innocent,” Olula suggested to the party and continued walking as if nothing was bothering her. The sound of hoof beats was growing stronger as the riders approached.
Krisatris’s ears moved slightly as she heard them talking, then she looked behind her to see soldiers after them. Her eyes narrowed in anger. If what the half-dark elf said was the truth then... “I thought we were allowed to go,” she growled, pushing herself softly down the horse. Kris would fight, even if hurt, to protect one of her own kind.
Thangroth heard the tromp of horses at full gallop and noticed a score of soldiers coming right for them. The dwarf cursed then hefted his hammer as he made ready to dodge the fray and shouted to the others. “Damnit! I should’ve known Darvis couldn’t be trusted, curse his hide! Don’t let them run you down! Olula! Child, get off to the side, stick to the woods if need be.”
He made ready to meet the attackers as he was going to roll aside. The dwarf noticed Derrick pulling his sword and making ready to try for a defense. He admired the boy’s courage, but it was obvious he wasn’t up to defending anyone. Still, outnumbered and against Darvis’s soldiers they needed every sword they could get. “Be ready lad, they’re going to try something nasty. Dive to the side when I do.”
Olula frowned at Thangroth’s order. She didn’t want to seem suspicious by running off into the woods. They had to see her as innocent, as if she had nothing to hide—though what she did have to hide was already hidden.
“Kiran, if they attack us, can you protect us with spirit mag...er, shamanism?” Olula asked, staring straight ahead, since she didn’t know where he was.
“Yes,” the invisible dark elf replied. She felt a slight breeze pass her, meaning Kiran was probably taking the rear position.
“I say we act natural, so we don’t seem suspicious. We don’t know they’re coming for us,” she told Thangroth. All she did was strafe towards the side of the road, leading Dara behind her. It only appeared as if they were opening the road to the soldiers.
Thangroth didn’t like it, but she had a point. Still, it didn’t hurt to be wary and the dwarf moved to the side of the road, as he spoke. “Alright, we’ll try it this way. But be ready for anything.”
Derrick moved to the side as well, albeit slowly, as his wounds still hurt. The young man sheathed his sword and waited. Maybe if they did this in the right way they’d escape any type of conflict. He hoped that they could.
Kris was in all terms agreeing with Thangroth, she didn’t like it either, but she knew it was better not to start a unwanted fight. She calmly stepped out of the way as well.
The horsemen reached them, and for a moment, Olula thought they would ride right by. However, they wheeled around when they passed Thangroth and Derrick and blocked the road with their horses. “HALT!” the captain shouted, holding up his hand to the group. He looked over the party, seeking something, but it wasn’t Olula or any of the members.
Olula felt Kiran brush her arm, he was letting her know that he was taking moving to the front this time.
“Where is the dark elf?” the captain questioned. Bows were drawn and arrows nocked. They were trying to intimidate them. Olula was not afraid though.
“Sir, I am the only one of dark elf blood here,” Olula replied, her voice even.
“Liar!” the captain spat. “My scout spotted you leaving camp this morning with a dark elf in your company!”
They were watching?! Olula thought. Her brows furrowed slightly. “He left us shortly afterwards. He was merely a traveler passing through.”
“Likely story. I know that dark elves can make themselves disappear,” the captain sneered at Olula. “Show yourself, you cowardly fiend!” he roared, glancing over the party for any sign of Kiran.
Kiran did not drop his spell. Unless they actually found him, he would allow the others to talk themselves out of this, and defend them if necessary. He was ready to summon Sylph to create a barrier if it came to that. Either way, it could spell doom for the half-dark elf girl whether she lied or told the truth.
Krisatris didn’t show the anger she was feeling at the men right now. Would they ever just leave them alone? “He did leave us sir,” she replied in agreement to Olula’s story. “Shortly, before you showed up.” Kris doubted they would listen to them; if anything they would be accused of lying.
Thangroth let the man vent and shout for a moment then spoke in a seething voice. “There’s no one with us now. If you wish to escort us out of this territory that’s fine. But I say to you, we are merely leaving this place as we were ordered to do by your lord,” he paused, waiting on the man’s response. There was no guarantee that the fellow would listen to reason, but he had to try anyway. The dwarf was at the point of frustration now that he’d gladly pound the fellow if need be.
Derrick waited and watched, tapping the sheathed hilt of his sword and watching the other soldiers carefully as he waited for the man to respond to Thangroth’s statement.
* * *
Trent sat down on a nearby rock to give the others a chance to catch up to him. The road was winding and there were trees which blocked his sight, keeping him from seeing the rest of the party and vice versa. In fact, he imagined that they would have to shout at the top of their lungs for him to hear anything. Then he began to realize that he could signal them but he wasn’t sure he could be alerted to them if a problem arose.
He assumed that any trouble would come from the road before them, that was why he volunteered to scout ahead. But what if something attacked from behind? More specifically, what if Darvis sent men after Olula, far from the eyes of the other villagers who might revolt at the slaughter of one of their own? Trent felt a sickening swell form in his gut. Am I letting my imagination get away from me, or could something be going wrong right now?
It was then that he heard faint shouting in the distance towards the camp. He couldn’t make out any of the words but he could tell that the voice didn’t belong to anyone in the caravan. That was more than enough to make up his mind, the young ranger headed back to meet the rest, cutting through the woods and making himself as invisible as he could.
“I am not a warrior,” Trent whispered to himself “Where I come from there are no warriors, only hunters.....and prey.”
* * *
The captain looked over the party. They could be telling the truth, but he thought it more likely that they were hiding the elf. Where ever there were dark elves, he was always cautious. Cautious enough to cross the line of zeal.
“Archers, fire,” he said. The bows that had been held taut for the last few minutes released. Either these adventurers would be hurt, or the dark elf would protect them. And if the dark elf didn’t help, then it would likely be injured as well.
Damnit! Kiran thought as he began a quick summon. “Sylph, protect us!” was all he had time to call. A blast of wind, and the shield had formed in front of Kiran and the whole party. The arrows ricocheted off the shield and shot off in several different directions, all far from the party.
The invisibility spirits had lost their hold on Kiran and the dark elf stood defiantly in front of the mounted soldiers. “Fine, you wanted me, here I am. I am guilty of no crime, and neither are these travelers. What my kin have done to the people of Kanon is a tragedy, but I was never involved with any human wars. This girl, and I, should not bear the brunt of your hatred because we are of dark elven blood.”
The captain wasn’t interested in arguing Kiran. “Attack them!” he ordered his men. The soldiers dismounted, though the captain stayed mounted. They drew their swords as they cautiously stalked toward the party.
Trent came in range just as Kiran blocked a volley of arrows. His face and clothing caked in mud and leaves which offered almost as much stealth against the woods as Kiran’s invisibility. He gave a quick thanks to Marfa that every one was still alive before knotting his own arrow. Trent approached the situation as a hunter, observing his prey and waiting for the perfect moment.
“Please don’t fight!” Olula urged both sides. “Just let us leave and let no blood be split over me!” The half-elf was upset and on the verge of tears. She couldn’t stand to see such conflict over her.
Despite his wounds, Derrick drew his sword and leapt forward alongside Kiran. “Touch her and die!” the boy threatened with a growl. At that, a soldier nearest Derrick struck out at him. Derrick parried, but a duel had begun. He grit his teeth, trying to ignore the sensation of his lashes breaking open again. His fatigue was strong, but he ignored it.
The nearest of the soldiers advanced towards the dark elf’s group. He was a younger man, eager to prove himself to his superiors by being the first to claim a kill. He dashed ahead of his comrades but before he got within ten paces of Olula he stopped suddenly with an expression of shock and confusion. The young man reached behind and pulled back a hand that was covered in blood, he then dropped to one knee and revealed an arrow sticking out of his back.
“They have a sniper!” The captain shouted in rage as the young solder dropped to the ground.
From his hiding spot, Trent knocked another arrow while the captain barked at his men to launch a volley in Trent’s general direction. The first solder was an easy kill, Trent had the luxury of taking his time, but now they were on to him and his cover would only hide him so long. Trent released one more arrow into an exposed thigh before he was spotted by one of the men. The young ranger tried to get a third shot but was interrupted by an enemy arrow that came close enough to barely brush his neck, startling him enough to stagger back while his arrow disappeared into the trees above. Trent decided then to abandon his spot and regroup.
Krisatris growled as she saw the swordsman attack Derrick. “Damn you!” she hissed as she drew her sword as well, standing beside Olula, sword at the ready. “Don’t worry, we’ll protect you,” she said to the half-dark elf as she watched Derrick attack back. She noticed the archers shoot out behind them but she didn’t really pay much attention to them as she was preparing to attack the enemy.
Derrick’s duel continued, despite the archers, and he was quickly losing vitality. His opponent’s sword broke through his defense, but luckily only clanged against his armor. Blood was running down his back though, as his wounds had opened. He barely noticed the burn of his wounds, only focusing on the fight.
Kiran saw that the situation was turning for the worse. Their ranger was hiding in the woods behind them and had already taken out one man, and the young warrior was dueling with another soldier. If they killed the rest of the soldiers, they would become ever greater fugitives. The bodies would have to be disposed of, though eventually someone would realize they were missing and know who they were hunting. The dark elf had no desire to see blood split either, but he could end this without blood.
He stepped back, leaving the fighters to handle the soldiers, and began to chant a spell. {“I summon thee, spirits of darkness, drain the life from my foes. Make them sleep into the depths of night,”} Kiran spoke in elven, though it took him several chants to gain the attention of the spirits for such a powerful spell.
“The dark elf is casting a spell!” one of the guards cried out as he saw Kiran move back. The attention of the men shifted from the entire group to focus solely on Kiran.
Trent found a new shooting spot, once again hidden by the bushes. He wasn’t used to combat archery, as a hunter he knew how to take his time, he knew that if he didn’t have a perfect shot then he had no shot at all. So even as the guards were starting to gain some ground Trent forced himself to silently count to three as he lined his shot. The ranger arrow flew from his bow and through the neck of one of the soldiers who had the misfortune of surviving the wound, at least for the time being. It was a brutal way to die. Trent admitted to himself that he wouldn’t have the stomach to do the same thing with a sword. But maybe the others would be distracted, maybe even stop long enough to speed up the poor man’s passing. Trent pushed aside the sick feeling in his gut and took advantage of his stealth as he readied another shot.
Thangroth cursed and moved quickly. Charging into a soldier, he barreled him over. “That’s enough! You attack us and we’d done nothing more than attempt to leave? Enough of this, I’ve had quite enough!”
The dwarf noticed something out of the corner of his eye. One of the soldiers moved behind Derrick’s flank and Thangroth shouted, “Derrick! Lad, watch your...” But it was too late, an arrow slipped in between his lower ribs. The young man’s eyes bulged and he gasped, then went down in a heap. The dwarf saw red and moved, growling as his hammer swung and caught the soldier full in the groin. There was a horrid crunch and the man went flying nearly two feet, then crashed to the ground. Thangroth knelt and saw Derrick’s eyes were wide, then glazed over. A thick pool of deep dark red, almost black, blood was pooling under him. Thangroth know that the thicker the color, the worse the wound.
* * *
Flora stood in a tree watching them. She looked up into the sky and close her eyes. Protect me as I help these people, Falis, she prayed to her god as she took out her bow and knocked an arrow. She aimed for the soldiers that were getting ready to attack Kiran and shot after them, hitting one in the back. Flora observed what happened and quickly flipped into another tree. She landed silently on the tree, then aimed again at another soldier and quickly shot before jumping into the bushes silently. The arrow impaled itself in the soldier’s leg. Flora sat in the bushes, observing what would happen next.
* * *
Kiran focused himself on the spirits, and not the chaos unfolding around him. He was protected long enough for him to finish his spell. {“Dark Sisters, destroy my foes!”} the dark elf finished and a shadow descended around the remaining soldiers. Their energy was drained by the evil spirits, but they were not killed. Instead, they collapsed in a deep sleep. The men still mounted, including the captain, slumped in their saddles, causing their horses to spin about until their unbalanced load tumbled off.
Kiran raised his head to see the aftermath. Several men were felled by arrows. Had Trent done that? Damn, this is only going to make things worse! Kiran thought. “Everyone, take a horse! We must escape from this region as fast as we can. These dead bodies are only going to give them just cause to hunt Olula!” he shouted to his companions. “Take the reins of all their horses, it’ll slow them down when they wake.”
The dark elf strode forward, stepping over bodies and sleeping soldiers, then took the reins of the closest horse. He gracefully swung into the saddle, and it was then that he noticed they lost one of their own. “We should take his body for a proper burial,” Kiran suggested. He was rather blunt and cold about Derrick’s death, but he hardly knew the boy and this wasn’t the time to sit and mourn.
Unlike Kiran, Olula witnessed everything. The half-elf had broken into tears once the fight began and Trent’s arrows brought down some of the soldiers. She was unaware of the other archer, her attention lost in the chaos of the battle as the fighters held back the soldiers from Kiran. She couldn’t believe that proud Derrick had fallen so quickly against mere soldiers. He bragged about killing an ogress, and was killed by a simple arrow. His attitude had frustrated her to no end after they first met, but he didn’t deserve this death. The half-elf was frozen in shock for a moment, but as Kiran began to shout orders, she came around. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she went back to the single horse they brought and took Dara’s reins.
“Kris,” Olula spoke to the other half-elf in a shaky voice. “Stay on Dara, she knows you.” She offered Krisatris Dara’s reins and stood by to help her into the saddle.
* * *
Oh Falis, can I trust these people? Their kind are very different and I wish to make friends, Flora thought. A bead of sweat ran down her face as she walk out of the bushes with an arrow aimed at Kiran. Can I trust these people? she asked herself again. “Wh-what are you guys doing here?” she asked, walking up to them. The wind blew the smell of blood toward her and she began to feel a little queasy from the scent as she came closer to them.
Kiran’s long elven ears shot up as a lavender-haired girl stepped out with an arrow aimed squarely at him. She definitely wasn’t a soldier. Had Trent really been the archer? “We’re just travelers,” Kiran told the girl. “These soldiers misjudged us because of what I, and the young lady here, are,” he gestured toward Olula. “Were you the one shooting the men?”
“She was one of them,” Trent stated from behind Flora with his own arrow trained on her heart, his face and tunic still caked in mud. She had talent, Trent had no doubt about that, but apparently she had no patience. Otherwise she would have noticed that some of the arrows weren’t hers and she would have known that he was hiding somewhere.
Flora looked at the man behind her and lowered her bow. “What exactly are you?” she asked, curious of their race. “Also, where are you guys heading?”
Kiran looked at the girl curiously. She was in Kanon, yet she couldn’t recognize that they were dark elves or elves at all. “I’m a dark elf, she’s only half-dark elf,” Kiran replied. “Where we’re going is our business.” He was not ready to reveal that information to a stranger considering their situation.
The red bearded dwarf moved to a horse quickly and scrambled up it as best he could, then shouted, “We need to go!” Olula and the others needed him and no matter how well they were doing, there might be other soldiers on the way, this wasn’t what they’d wanted. He’d been so angry he never noticed their newcomer.
Yes, I can tell by their ears that they are elves, but can the dark part means that they are evil, Flora thought. She looked at them one more time and sighed. “Please, may I join your travel group?” she asked, blushing while bowing, her lavender hair falling over her shoulders.
“Kiran, she helped us,” Olula argued with the dark elf. “If more soldiers come, she’ll be in just as much trouble as we are. Trent, please lower your bow.”
“Fine, take a horse,” Kiran said to Flora. “We don’t have time to to sit around and debate this.” He noticed that Thangroth had left Derrick’s body, but Kiran couldn’t stand to leave the boy behind. The dark elf slipped out of his saddle and went to the warrior’s body. “Trent, will you help me get Derrick’s body up?”
Flora looked back at Trent who was still aiming at her, then she walked over the sleeping bodies to the nearest horse. She watched the horse, wondering how to get on its back. “Now my little friend, you don’t know me and I don’t know you, but I would love to be your friend,” she said, petting the horse and smoothing down its fur. She carefully climbed on the horse’s back and into the saddle. Flora held onto the horse’s neck as it start to move over the dead bodies. “Wow, this is strange,” she said softly as she sat up and got used to the feeling of moving around. She held the rein of the horse as it continued walking around.
Trent lowered his bow at Olula’s request and scanned the battlefield. He noticed that the captain had survived the melee, deep in slumber under Kiran’s spell. The dark elf then asked him to help with Derrick’s body, but the words barely registered in Trent’s mind. The young ranger redrew his bow, this time aiming at the helpless captain. With precise aim Trent’s bladed arrow flew towards the man’s head and severed his left ear clean.
The spell was instantly broken and captain shot out in a sitting position, shock overcoming pain. The captain touched the side of his head and pulled back a bloody gloved hand. But before he could scream in alarm Trent dashed towards him with a rock in hand and cracked the man in the temple, rendering him unconscious once more, only with much more pain ahead of him when he woke up again. Trent then picked up his arrow and walked towards Kiran. “Let’s find a place for Derrick to rest.”
Flora rode around on her horse, her hair bouncing up and down. She stopped to fix it up into a bun. She keep her distance from everyone as she watched Trent and Kiran help each other. “It’s not safe enough to stick around,” she said softly, petting the horse.
Kiran put his hand to his forehead as he witnessed Trent’s retaliation. “That was sadistic,” he groaned. There were other things he wanted to say, but they had to leave. The dark elf turned away and bent down to pick up Derrick’s body by the underarms, leaving Trent to take his feet.
“It was a reminder,” Trent replied as he picked up Derrick’s feet. “I’ve killed a lot of animals to survive, but I’ve never killed in cold blood and I wasn’t about to start with an unconscious and helpless man. But we both know that the survivors won’t stop looking for that girl.” Trent’s voice shook as he spoke. Though he cleaved the captain’s ear without hesitation, the young man was clearly shook up by passing the point of no return. “He’ll wake up in pain and in two pieces and he’ll know that there are few things in this world more desperate and dangerous than cornered prey.”
Kiran shook his head as he and Trent carried Derrick’s body to the nearest horse. “The damage we caused them will only make them more determined to find us. No matter what that man has done to us, it doesn’t mean you should stoop to revenge. The blood we spilled today may make us enemies of Kanon, and that’s not something I want a sweet girl like Olula to be burdened with.”
The two men threw Derrick’s body into the saddle of a horse. Kiran covered Derrick’s body with a soldier’s blanket and tied him securely to the saddle.
Trent had more to say but decided not to hold up the group with his debate. Nor did he want to risk breaking the sleep spell on the other solders. Once Derrick had been loaded on to the horse, the young man grabbed his pack and took a last look at the unconscious leader of the mob, letting the his image burn into Trent’s mind.
Flora stopped her horse and listened to the two men. She sighed as she looked around at the dead and sleeping bodies. The smell of blood was still heavy in the air, and her body shook as she turned back to look at Trent and Kiran. “We must leave this place quickly,” she said in a very low voice. Flora frowned as she looked in the direction of where the soldiers came from. The body they are moving must be one of their lost ones, Flora thought to herself as she closed her lavender eyes and started to pray.
Olula sat silent and solemn on the back of the horse she had chosen while Trent and Kiran tended to Derrick’s body. The half-elf did not approve of Trent’s act of vengeance, no matter what the soldier had done. She was slightly annoyed by the new girl who urged them to leave, but that was only because she was now in a foul mood. It just didn’t seem the place for a new companion to say things like that.
Krisatris had mounted Dara with some difficulty, dealing with the nervous horse and her wounds. She didn’t speak, seeming to seethe with anger, as did most of her companions. This other half-elf waited patiently for the two men to finish with Derrick, sitting on Dara’s back where the horse had been standing since the battle began. The mare didn’t seem too happy with Krisatris alone and no Olula to soothe her, and tossed her head back to glance at Kris, who disturbed her so much.
With everyone mounted, Kiran took the lead and turned everyone westwards on the road. They took all the horses, and Kiran insisted as fast a pace as the animals could stand. No one really wanted to talk, even about the girl who had just joined them. They just rode hard toward the capitol city of Kanon.
* * *
After a couple miles, the horses became exhausted. Their chests were flecked with foamy sweat and they breathed heavily. Kiran slowed his horse and the ones he was leading to a leisurely walk. The rest of the group followed his lead and slowed down too.
The dark elf turned around in his saddle to look at the party. “Let’s take a break. We need to get rid of these horses now,” he said. He was honestly surprised that he had taken the lead since the fight. Kiran slipped out of his saddle, then continued. “Strip off their saddles and bridles and toss them in the woods, then let the horses run off where they want. No need to torment them by leaving all this equipment on them. Check the saddle bags too, they might have rations and money that we can use. I think we should switch horses too, the ones we’ve been riding are exhausted.”
Olula stopped her horse alongside Kiran and looked down at the dark elf. “I don’t think it’s right to steal from these people anymore than we already have,” she said.
“Then don’t,” Kiran replied.
Olula frowned at the response, but Kiran moved away and went about the duties he assigned. The half-elf dismounted, then began to busy herself with unloading her pack and the saddle bags off the horse she had been riding. With Kiran’s suggestion, she was going to switch horses. Hers was quite tired, but the ones she had been leading were less exhausted.
Krisatris pulled Dara up alongside Olula. “Don’t worry about it, Olula,” she said. “These people were trying to kill you, and they may have things that will help us survive in the wilderness.”
Olula still wasn’t convinced, she just frowned and focused on her work.
Krisatris dismounted Dara, then went to some of the horses that had been led behind them to start unsaddling them. Unlike Olula, she had no complaints about picking over what goods there were in the soldiers’ supplies. However, the horses weren’t reacting favorably to her. It was probably a good thing that they were so exhausted, or else they might have been bucking and biting. Instead, they just whinnied nervously and tried to side-step Kris.
Flora stopped her horse away from the others and dismounted. “I like you...I think I will keep you, but for now I will have to go on another horse,” she said to the horse as it watched her. She walked over to two other horses and took off their saddles and bridles. The horse she was riding followed her everywhere she went. Flora found five gold in one saddlebag and ten gold and a dagger in the next. When she was done, she went and pitched the tack into the woods.
Flora walked up to the horse she was riding. “Hmm...I will keep you. How about a name? Let’s see...Keyo...Keyo is your name,” she said, petting it. “I will have to switch with a different horse now.” She walked over to the next horse and unloaded it. She only found three gold. She let the three horses go and pitched the saddle and bridle into the woods. The next horse had nothing of any value on it.
Tack disposed of and extra horses set free, the party members mounted the remaining horses. Thangroth protested riding further, but he realized that he would have to forgo comfort in order to put more distance between them and the soldiers. With fresher horses, the group set out further down the road, bringing them closer to Shinning Hill. However, before they could enter the city, they would have to bury Derrick.
