Pike awoke to the smell of blood and the croaking of carrion-birds. Hauling himself up on weary legs, he rubbed sleep from his eyes as he took up a rock. Going to the shelf’s edge, with his good hand he hurled a rock at the orc-bodies that he had thrown off the cliff. Satisfied to hear a fox yelp in pain, he stalked back to the campfire. At least the night’s rain had washed away some of the blood from the shelf. Some of it…

There, Wudu was still busy over a steaming pot resting on the coals. Beside her lay her cloak of owl-feathers, which Pike eyed suspiciously, as if expecting the thing to come to life at any moment. The troll-woman had spent much of the night in owl form, scouring for herbs and stuff to make the poultice which she applied to Erasmus’ wound. He now lay beside the fire, his waist wrapped in linen bandages which the dwarves had given them. Despite the morning’s chill, sweat beaded on his brow.

“Morning Pike,” he said with a weak smile.

“Yeah,” said Pike. “You going to be able to get much walking done today?”

“Maybe. I feel like shit.”

“You look like shit too. You better not get a fever.”

“This should help that,” said Wudu, pouring some of the steaming healing juice into a cup. “Drink this slowly. Goblin weapons carry sprites of sickness like nothing else. We must banish them before you get an infection.”

“Hmm, not bad. Tastes like mint,” said Erasmus. “You’re a godsend, Lady Wudu. If you hadn’t shown up, we’d be screwed.”

“Yeah, now we are only mostly screwed,” Pike grumbled around a mouthful of dried mushroom. “We’re still losing time we can’t afford to, having to wait for your tummy to feel better, Paladin.”

“No need to fret so much, Trollslayer,” said Wudu. “Now I am here, I can get you boys back on the proper road.”

“About that. What are you doing here Wudu?” said Erasmus. “How are the others faring?”

“They have passed through the lands safely, and should have arrived at the Rangerhome by now. There was little trouble along the way, but we learned that goblins were roaming the country like never before. This made Erda very worried. When we came to the end of the Trollway, and the Ranger’s could find their own way home, Erda bid me turn back, to spread the warning about the goblins, and to look for sign of you. Luckily I saw your fire last night.”

“So the others are safe,” Erasmus breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good to hear…”

“But we’re not out the woods yet,” Pike snapped. “All well and good for the she-troll to fly around, but I doubt that’d do us much good unless she can carry us.”

“Interested in riding me now, Trollslayer?”

“Ew. Yuck. Yucky. Don’t go and make me sick, I’m eating here. Anyway, the point is, what the hell are we going to do now?”

“Well, what were planning on doing to begin with?” asked Wudu.

“Follow the river, hit up the nearest town, then improvise from there. The thing with the monsters and the Paladin getting spitted like a hog, we didn’t factor in.”

“You’re wounded too, you know” said Erasmus, nodding at Pike’s right hand, smothered in bandages. “You won’t be able to handle a sword as well with that. How’d you get your hand so burned anyway?”

“I could handle myself well enough,” Pike said, deflecting the question like I deflect dating opportunities. “It’s babysitting you that will be the problem.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” snapped Erasmus. “My bad for not having shadowy demon powers that turn me into a literal monster that can mow down enemies. I should have picked up some before we left.”

“Don’t you get all high and mighty, mister fancy Paladin with a magic fire-sword. It’s not my fault that you are too weak to keep up.”

“Boys, come on, now’s not the to fight with each other,” said Wudu.

“Yes, of course you are right,” Erasmus sighed. “We should think about the task ahead. Do you have any ideas, Wudu?”

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

She shrugged. “We can either turn around from here and head back for the troll-way, or stick to the river until we reach the city. Either way, I still don’t know where the Rangerhome actually is.”

Pike sighed. “Great, so we’re still fucked.”

Wudu shook her head. “Erda said all the rangers are heading there to help the fight. We will meet one and they will show us the way, no doubt.” She looked Erasmus’ way. “But I think we should still go to this city. My medicine will only really work if you have rest.”

Pike groaned. “So we have to fight our way through these goblins, just so the Paladin has a nice feather bed to sleep in. Fantastic.”

“Calm down Pike,” said Erasmus.

“Calm down? I am calm! Who says I’m not calm? Why wouldn’t I be?!”

“If you’re that worried about the others, then just go already. Even if I’m late, I’m still weak anyway, right?”

Pike huffed. “Now you’re talking sense, Paladin. But whether there’s any point it or not, I promised to settle my debt with Erda by brining you back alive. As much help as that will be, that’s what I intend to do.”

“And how do you intend on settling your debt with me?” Erasmus raised an eyebrow. “I saved your life from the Troll-men. Didn’t I, miss Wudu.” She nodded her head in agreement. “I know you intended to settle that by saving my arse from the dwarves, but we know how that turned out.”

Pike scowled. “I’m hauling your arse cross-country so you have one last shot of impressing Erda and fulfilling your oath. As far as I’m concerned, that would make us even stevens.”

“As good as that sounds, does doing this mean that you won’t help fight in the battle?”

Pike shrugged. “Not my fight. You all intend to die for your honour or whatever. I do not.”

Erasmus chuckled. “But you’ll risk your life to settle a debt?”

“I don’t break promises. I’m just smart enough to not make stupid ones.”

“Then I suppose there’s no point arguing over it anymore. The sooner we get to this city, the sooner we can get back on course and fulfil both our promises.”

“That’s the spirit,” said Wudu. “Better late than never.”

Erasmus nodded. “Trust me, I don’t like the delays any more than you do Pike. I won’t feel a measure of peace until we see our friends again. We’ve been through a lot on this quest, us and all the others of the company. Erda, and the Rangers, the Thanes, I can’t stop thinking about them. And Myra… I regret even dragging her into all this. I hope she’s doing okay.”

Wudu looked up sharply. “Myra? The skinny girl?” Pike stopped sharpening his knife.

Erasmus stared at the troll-woman in confusion. “Yes. That’s her. Why? Did something happen to her?”

“I don’t know. I mean, I thought to see her with you, but I didn’t want to mention anything.”

“What? Why would she be with us?”

Wudu glanced at Pike, Erasmus did the same, but Pike said nothing. “Myra and Ruadh the old man left with the Troll-slayer to find you. That’s the last we saw of any of you.”

Erasmus went pale. On shaky legs he forced himself to stand up. “Is this true, Pike?”

Pike paused for a long while, looking intently at the horizon. “Yeah.”

“Yeah? Is that it? Just ‘yeah’? For fuck sake Pike, why didn’t you say anything? Where the hell are Myra and Ruadh?”

Pike sighed in annoyance. He walked over to his pack and shuffled. He pulled out a roll of dark red cloth and tossed it at Erasmus’ feet. Erasmus looked in horror as he held up Myra’s cloak.

“What do you think?” said Pike coldly.

“Why didn’t you say anything? What happened?”

Pike shrugged.

“Answer the fucking question!” Erasmus hobbled over, clutching his bandaged stomach. “This ‘silent stranger’ act is getting real old Pike. Now tell me what the hell happened.” He grabbed Pike’s shoulder, and Pike slapped away his hand angrily.

“I don’t know, alright? We got separated in the mountain. The old man disappeared behind a door or something, and the she-bitch just… I don’t know… vanished. Shit got crazy in there.”

“Perhaps your dwarf friends killed them both and kept it kept it secret. But it doesn’t matter. If they’re not dead, they might as well be. Ain’t nothing we can do for them.”

“How can you say that?!” Erasmus jumped to his feet, ignoring the pain of his wound. “You are the one that kept them secret. What else have you forgotten to tell me? You were always a bloodthirsty brute who never cared for anyone. I’m sure you killed them both for sport!”

“So what if I did?”

Erasmus hand clenched the hilt of his dagger, as if ready for a fight. A murderous light flashed in his eyes, but he turned and, leaning heavily on a staff, began limping away.

“Where the hell do you think you’re going?”

“We’re still only two days march out from the mountain… I’m going back and finding out for myself.”

“I can’t let you do that, Paladin.”

“Damn you! I won’t turn my back on friends, no matter…”

Pike’s hand gripped Erasmus’ shoulder tightly. Erasmus went to rebuke him, but Pike’s fist slammed into Erasmus’ stomach, right were he had been stabbed. Wudu cried out in shock. Erasmus gasped and keeled over, blood pouring fresh from the wound. Pike loomed over the fallen man, bloodied fist raised.

“My job right now is to hand you over to the rangers,” said Pike, his eyes cold and inscrutable. “If I have to drag back a crippled mess, then by hell’s teeth, I’ll do it.”

Erasmus glared up at him with bloodshot eyes, but he could only grit his teeth as he clutched his stomach, blood dripping through his fingers. Pike turned to Wudu. “I guess now we have no choice but to go to this town,” he said, his face a blank mask.

She gave him a stare that was half anger and half confusion. She shook her head and snatched up her feather-cloak.

“Leaving us now?” said Pike.

“I need to look for more ingredients. We’ll need more medicine before we go anywhere…”

Pike gave a sardonic grin. “Good thinking. I trust that you will lend us your aid on the road to Hargrave?”

“It is a dangerous road, and…”

“You’re a saint,” he beamed innocently as he took up the red cloak and wiped his bloody knuckles on it. “Don’t take long now, we have places to be…”