There were eight in total among those who arrived. They had come to help Manu with his plan, and all but one were men. By sheer nature of being the only woman among them, Shukiva caught Esmi’s interest from the start. She was a middle-aged woman with dirty straw-colored hair, with a freckled face, and intelligent brown eyes, who wore a wide-brimmed hat and always had her rifle at the ready. Shukiva hailed from Zalysnaya, a land of great plains, elves, and long history of fighting orcs.

“My people have been holding these hordes at bay for centuries,” she said. “Do you know about the Great Wall?” Shukiva looked up from the rifle she was polishing. The barrel was etched with runes Esmi did not recognize.

“No,” she answered.

“The Great Wall was built by the elves long, long ago. I suppose you can’t call it much of a wall anymore, since it’s been destroyed in places and we’ve had to improvise with great ditches and worse. Still, the gates have been manned ever since the days that Vladisroi the III took the great city of Tuunillaras from the elves.” Shukiva blinked. “I suppose I shouldn’t talk like that. Truth is, I haven’t seen it myself. And the only orc I ever saw was already dead. I guess that’s a testament to the fact that we do a good job of keeping them out.”

“I thought you were here to kill one.”

Shukiva glanced around the camp at the others going about their business. “So they say. I doubt they’ve seen one either. But I can tell you this: if it’s living, it can be killed.”

“Vampires aren’t alive,” said Esmi with childlike innocence. “But they’re killed.”

Shukiva scoffed. “Are they? I’ve heard nothing of vampires. But I doubt they could compare with orcs if those weaklings in the south are killing them.”

You’d be surprised, thought Esmi, but she did not feel like sharing her story anymore. It hurt her to think that she had shared so much of her past with the people at the Red Bear and that it hardly mattered when it came to them betraying her and kicking her out. So what was the point? It was better to keep things to herself.

Like Manu. No matter what happened, he remained strong, and he always knew what to do. I don’t want to become like Dad. It was better to live in the moment than to think about such things. As much as she would have liked to find and kill Adda and that stupid vampire one day, that wasn’t going to keep her warm and fed.

The other strange faces around the camp had brought along did not look friendly or even talkative. These were hard men with dark faces that spoke as little as possible, with tight bodies that seemed to move soundlessly. One of them, arguably the most frightening, was a cleanly shaved Rovinan with a completely bald head and the brightest blue eyes Esmi had ever seen, who went by the name of Arasin. Bogdi mentioned he had killed orcs before, and probably much worse. You want to avoid him if you’re going to come with us, he advised Esmi.

Their camp was less than a quarter’s day ride away from where Bogdi and Esmi had uncovered Rogoz’s hideout. There were a few flimsy tents, a couple of campfires, but they were so far from any road that there was no risk anyone would find them. When it came time to go, they would be traveling at night.

As Esmi sat with Shukiva watching the older woman go over her rifle, Manu strutted to the center of a camp, carrying a rifle of his own. He looked around and made eye contact with everyone. “We’ll be leaving before sundown, so everyone slowly start getting ready.”

A redhead man clutching an axe in one hand turned his worried gaze on him. “I thought we were waiting for others.”

“We’ve waited long enough,” said Manu. “Besides, any single one of you should be able to do this task, as far as I know. You were brought here on the promise that you would be able to handle it alone if it came down to it. So I think with ten of us in total, it should be more than fine.”

No one apart from the redhead spoke up, nor did they seem particularly interested in what Manu had to say. Though they were technically here to follow him, they did not seem to respect him much. Some didn’t even bother to look away from the gruel they were bringing to their mouths as they listened to him.

After Manu retreated back into his tent, Shukiva gently prodded Esmi. “So what are you supposed to be? Bait?”

“I’m not supposed to be anything,” she said defensively.

“Well, that’s no good. How old are you?”

“Almost fourteen…”

“I was eleven when I shot my first goblin. It doesn’t take great strength to become a marksman. Hell, me and the boys in my village were killing hares with slingshots as soon as we could run.”

Esmi smirked derisively, remembering her father’s failed attempts at hunting. “I’m not good at that.”

“You can be. I’ll teach you.”

Though the offer sounded genuine, Esmi didn’t know Manu would feel about her fraternizing with this unknown woman. And it was bad enough that she had lost her friends at the Red Bear. She would not lose Manu, too. “Maybe some other time.”

“As you will.” As Esmi distanced herself, Shukiva quietly added, “Just don’t get yourself or one of us killed.”

Somewhat disturbed by the comment, Esmi headed around camp to find Bogdi. At least with him she could speak her mind. He may have been twice her age, but he did not seem twice as smart, or even smarter, really…

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

“What am I going to do when we go back to that place?” she asked him.

Bogdi finished strapping the saddle to his horse and turned her head towards rudely, as if interrupted from a nice daydream. “Huh?”

“When we go to that place with the orc.”

“I mean, you’re not going anywhere. You’ll be staying here.”

“You can’t be serious…”

“A little girl doesn’t belong there.”

“I can help!”

Bogdi clicked his tongue. “Listen,” he said, taking her by the arm. He took a look around then pulled her in intimately. “This is not the time or the place for a show of pathos, understand?”

“Of what?”

“Just quiet down. You’ve done more than enough. Thing is, we don’t really know how this thing is going to go down. If it goes well, great, we’ll be back here before you notice us being gone and everything will be splendid. And if we’re not, then you take that horse we rode with, my horse, and you go back to town and let Mira and the others know there won’t be anybody coming back.”

The seriousness of his tone left her speechless. “Is it that bad?”

Bogdi smiled. “Maybe not. But in life, combat of any kind is always unpredictable. You see a skinny lad approaching a twice-tall behemoth and think he’s done for. But then the big man’s foot gets snagged and puts him out of balance for a split second. That’s all you need for an opening. And that’s all you need to kill someone. There’s no knowing what can happen when there’s two sides trying to kill one another. No rules apply. But I’m fairly optimistic this will turn out fine. This is just a very long-winded way of saying you’re definitely not coming.”

His speech did not inspire confidence. Esmi even considered after that going to Manu and pleading her case… but what was she to say, really? Truth be told, she had no skills—she hadn’t even been able to defend herself from that toothless bum that Bogdi handled like a puppy. I am useless, she thought, feeling increasingly more vulnerable and useless.

She remained by the entrance to Manu’s tent and waited for him to emerge. When he finally did, close to sundown, he seemed surprised to see her there, and grinned. “How are you feeling, Esmeralda? Ready to take life by the teeth?”

“I don’t know…”

He giggled darkly. “I’m feeling great. So should you. We’re about to do great things. Life today is one thing, and life after tonight will be another. Are you ready for tomorrow to be different?”

“Different good, I hope…”

He patted her on the head. “Of course.”

He went past her and went to the center of camp and clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention. “Time to ready up, gentlemen”—he spared a glance to Shukiva—”and ladies. My friend and I will lead the way. I suspect it will take a couple of hours, so no rushing. We’ll do this nice and slow.”

One of the men, a wiry and skinny man with grey sideburns stood up. “You know, I’m not so sure I want to go without being paid upfront. Why should we trust a gypsy?”

Manu retained his steely gaze. “I told you, Montero, payment will be after.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because this man we’re after happens to have my gold.”

Arasin smiled knowingly and spoke as if to himself: “Sounds more like a robbery.” His voice had a singsong quality, and this was one of the first times he had spoken since he came. But if he did earnestly think they were going on a robbery, he didn’t seem to care at all.

“No robbery. This man owes me coin and we are simply going to recuperate it. He thought his orc would keep him safe from this eventuality. He was wrong. But if you’re opposed to easy money, Montero,” said Manu, turning his gaze back pointedly to the old man, “you’re free to go back. You won’t get anything out of me now one way or another, but you did come all this way. I’m a man of my word.”

“You’re a damn gypsy,” spat Montero.

“And you’re old enough to pay to have your food chewed,” said Arasin. “Bad line of argumentation, my dying friend. You might just die on the way of natural causes.”

Montero whirled. “What did you say, baldie?”

Arasin kept his eyes to the blade he was sharpening. “You’re the last one here that will be doing anything one way or another. And besides, we all know you’ve got the reputation of a coward, so it’s not like you’ll be saving our skins. If you’ve got cold feet about facing an orc, then head out. Or are you disappointed there’s no one here you can be sure will do the work so you can backstab him and pocket the pay?”

“You miserable fuck. I don’t even know you.”

Arasin shrugged. “You won’t get a chance to if you keep running your mouth. Stay or go. You knew the terms before you came.”

Blistering from what he heard, the old man suddenly raised his rifle and pointed it at the bald man. “Or maybe I should blow your brains out. Apologize to me, child. You don’t know the first fucking thing about where I’ve been. What I’ve seen. Coward?” Montero cleared his throat and spat, his whiskers bristling in the cool air. “I’ve got more dark deeds under my belt than all of you lot combined. And I’m not going to risk my life on behalf of this”—he scanned Manu up and down with disdain—”lying gypsy.”

“Then go,” said Manu calmly, eager to disarm the situation. “No hurt feelings.”

Arasin lifted his blade up to the little sun that was showing through the clouds and looked upon its sharp edge. “He’s not going anywhere until he apologizes.” A few of the others laughed.

Bogdi, sensing the situation was getting too tense, stepped in. “Come on, now, boys. Let’s leave this be.”

Montero lowered his gun. “Fine. You better have that money at the end of this, gypsy.”

“You aren’t staying,” said Arasin.

Montero raised his gun once more and took a step closer, keeping it pointed at the cleanly shaven head. “You shut your fucking mouth! One more word out of you, and I shoot, I swear upon all the gods, you hear me, you stupid bastard?” Bogdi grabbed the gun and tried to lower it, but that only aggravated the old man, who tried to turn it on him as well. “Get the hell away from me!”

Now it was only Montero and the Arasin, and the latter was still seated. Calmly, he put away the blade. “You’re gonna apologize,” said Montero. “I’m giving you three seconds. Three. Two. One.”

Esmi heard the rifle go off and saw the smoke but Arasin moved before that. He seemed to blink across the ground and slid behind the old man who remained shook by the blast of the rifle. Arasin grabbed him from behind and put him into a headlock, his sinewy arm tight around the old neck. “You should’ve kept your mouth shut,” he said ominously.

Montero opened his mouth to speak, but he was being choked too hard for any words to come out. First the rifle dropped out of his hands, then Arasin brought him to the ground, the old man’s body shuddering helplessly, his legs kicking as he died.

Esmi could feel a chill creep through her, but no one else in the camp did anything to help. Even Manu and Bogdi watched helplessly as the life was being smothered out of the old timer.

Only at length, did Bogdi say, “Is that really necessary?”

Arasin smiled at him, continuing to strangle Montero, till there was no life or warmth left in the old body. He dropped the corpse like a sack, with complete disinterest, and straightened. “He was only going to slow us down,” he said. “Too old. “

Something about his behavior reminded Esmi more of the vampire she and Manu had come across than anything else, and left her terrified. But if her clan leader felt the same, then he showed no signs.

“Fine.” Manu sighed. “Get rid of the body and let’s go. We’ve got a way to go, and it’s getting dark.”