In the village of Dorsten.

Torval sat in the tavern, nursing his mug of ale. He was low on coin, and would have to find work soon. He had seen a message board outside, but he hadn't been able to read it... These were strange lands to him, it would be fine to take stock of this place for a moment. He had come south from his tribe in the Steppes for one reason - to kill Orcs! He had to avenge his family, and his village. He had heard recently that the human General - Marcus Victorious - was leading an army that fought the Orcs and their Warlord. Perhaps he could get in good with the army, and they would give him his chance. And if not, he would take his chances on his own, he was good in battle, and he had little left to lose. He would find a way to kill the orcs, to make them pay for what they done... to make certain they never could do it again.

Laughter accompanied by groans arose from a corner in the room and caught Torval's attention. Gambling, that same man had won quite a bit since he had been here. It was morning, the game must have been going all night. The winner noticed Torval looking in his direction.

"Ah! my friend has arrived." He said to the men whose money he had just taken. "Unfortunately I must leave you now. Better luck next time."

"C'mon Finn thas not fair! Give us a chance to win it back!" one of the men cried out. Finn simply gathered his coin off the table and got up to leave.

Another man at the table started to move, and then stopped when he saw Torval looking at them. Torval smiled, few men sought trouble with a Barbarian from the North. The other man sat back down and looked back at his fellow gamblers. Finn sauntered over and sat down across from Torval as he signalled to the barkeep.

Neither said a word. Soon two mugs of ale sat before them. Torval took a drink. Finally Finn spoke, "what brings you down from the hills northlander? I haven't seen any of your people here in a long time."

"I have come to kill Orcs." spoke Torval as he looked at Finn, memorizing his face. "I suppose you are here taking coin, I have need of some myself, though I have no skill at gambling."

Torval finished his mug and reached for Finn's but before he could take hold of it a dagger appeared point down in the table where mug's handle had been a moment before. Finn took his drink and then spoke with a hint of danger, "Don't presume I couldn't have handled that myself earlier... you just provided a convienence to me, for which the debt is now paid."

"... The debt is paid." Casually Torval rested his hand on the rough wooden table. "but what of work, do you know of any to be had here?"

"I saw a sign for caravan escorts outside, and I happen to have an interest in leaving town soon." Taking his dagger from the tabletop Finn glanced back to the remaining gamblers, the five men glared at them. "I can introduce us to the caravan master now, he's not far."

"Let's go then." Torval hefted his great axe like a feather, and walked out the door. Finn left copper on the table and followed him out.

He found Torval waiting outside facing him. "It's this way." Finn led them to a part of town where the buildings had less windows, and people either looked away and quickened their step, or openly sized them up - and then looked away. Torval smiled again to himself as he walked a few paces behind Finn, being strong had carried him through life in the tribes - it would be no different here. They came to a fenced off wagonfield next to a large warehouse with no entrance to be seen from the street. A large man stood relaxing against the fence, guarding the closed gate to the wagonfield. Finn walked right up to him. "We're here to see TJ Blightbottom."

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"Wait here." The guard slipped inside and locked the gate. A few minutes later the guard returned with an oily looking man who looked them up and down.

"I'm TJ Blightbottom, what brings you here? Perhaps you are interested in some caravan work? We're short a few guards for this shipment."

Finn scratched his nose. "What's the pay?"

"Oh, say 50 gold each, half now, half when you deliver." Behind him, horses began pulling covered wagons from the warehouse into the field. "In fact, we're leaving presently, but I suppose we could wait up to an hour if you need to take care of anything before leaving."

"That's not enough."

TJ laughed along with the guard, "What are you on about fool?! That's more than fair for caravan work, especially as we're only going to Fishenhiem." At that point a gust of wind blew the canvas that had been covering the wagon back enough to reveal iron bars, and green limbs.

"Orcs." Torval strode forward. The guard immediately blocked his path. "Out of my way man, I saw an orc there!"

TJ grimaced. turned and yelled, "Jason, Jackson, get that canvas secured you idiots!" And a man wearing a sword ran to tie down the canvas cover that was flapping in the breeze. It had been meant to cover a cage full of orcs, who were now moving. One or two voices cried out in their language, until another large man appeared and cracked a whip towards the cage, yelling at them to be quiet, while the other two secured the canvas covering.

Torval stood frozen, gripping the handle of his great axe. "Out of my way!" He growled.

The guard unsheathed his sword and TJ stepped between them. "Look you great dumb Ox of a northerner! That is my cargo! I can't have you killing them now can I? Look I can see you are strong and ready to fight with that axe of yours, I'll pay you double if you come with us and guard my cargo."

Torval blinked, and he slung his axe over his shoulder. "You're a fool, you should be killing those orcs. I'll have no part of guarding the life of some Orc!" He spat for emphasis, and turned to walk away. Finn bumped into him.

"So, you'll pay him double will you?!! Well now he's gone and I'm all you can get on such short notice, and I want double." TJ opened his mouth to object, when he heard a wis-thunk. His eyes followed Finn's suddenly outstretched hands and saw two daggers embedded in the fenceposts on either side of the gate. His mouth snapped shut. "Not to worry, I'm worth the extra coin." Finn smiled twirling a third dagger in his fingers.

~~~

Torval strode away, Finn was clumsy and stupid - bumping into him like that and dealing with slavers. That had been a waste of time, frustrating too. But he didn't want to go out of his way to kill humans, even if they didn't know better, just orcs. That was why he had come south after all. To avenge his family, his tribe, and to rid the world of their evil as much as one man with an axe was able. He had no time for fools, as certainly that lot had been. The Gambler had shown some teeth, but he was completely motivated by coin. A man like that had already lost sight of what was important. Money was just a means to an end, not an end in itself. The tribes knew this. He had enough coin to last another one or two weeks, and a man like him could find work easily in that time, especially during a war.

He walked around Dorsten for a couple of hours just to get a sense of the layout of town, and also to warm his legs. When he arrived back at the same tavern he had been in that morning, he was ready for some lunch. He ate a delicious meal of roast pheasant and potatoes with rosemary and butter, and a mug of ale to wash it down. Yes, this would be a fine place to rest while he waited for work, though it seemed they always overcooked the meat here in the south. He would get information about the army, and seek them out as well. Automatically he reached for silver to pay for the food and drink. His hand felt nothing, his coin pouch was gone!

Sipping his ale, Torval tried to remember... when did he last have his pouch? He had walked all over town, but not bought anything. He had it this morning, when he had had his ale, right before he had met that fool Finn.. Finn... Finn had bumped into him when he had turned and left the caravan. "That fucking weasel!" He roared.