Chapter 5
Split the Party to Spring the Trap
Amara secretly hoped the ambush came sooner rather than later. She had concealed herself in with the guards, and didn’t much like the idea of staying hidden all day for several days, and it was only the afternoon of the first! Brul had three of the guards dress like Orensland, Jenika, and Amara (so there was a double of her, since she had opted to be hidden with the other guards). The sorceress had her doubts about this part of the plan, but the two guards managed to look surprisingly like Orensland and Jenika. Her double, however, looked hideous. They had used a female wizard, but still, the white dye in her dark brown hair didn’t take as well as Amara would have liked.
Then there was the sitting down, crouched under the tarps of her wagon. The sun’s heat magnified under the cover, and only occasionally did a breeze of air gust in to cool them off. Occasionally one of the guards would switch, so everybody got a chance to walk, but Amara didn’t want to switch with her double and risk being attacked at the beginning of an ambush, so she stoically remained under the cover. She had the dumb luck of having selected the cart with the tarp over it. The covered wagon was much roomier, but she wouldn’t have been able to lie down. Not that with this heat napping was an option. She wiped her brown again, noticing that her hair was plastered to her forehead. Ugh.
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Khaska walked with Rynn towards the front of the caravan. Both of them kept a wary eye out, but Hammerdine still loomed in the distance, and they were not expecting the attack on this first day so close to the city. As the sun climbed, their wariness waned and gave way slightly to the natural tiredness of having walked all day with their equipment. Khaska was used to his plate armor by now, but it was heavy. Still, he said a silent prayer to the Gods that Jenika and Orensland had been successful. They had left early in the morning, just as the first light of sunrise was about to peek over the horizon, and had not heard if their compatriots had been successful.
Rynn loped along easily, Ranna at his side, her tongue lolling out to keep her cool as the day grew warmer. It was May now, and summer was beginning to assert itself. The ranger was a bit concerned. Brul had all but placed him in charge of the caravan. The leader of the Faatin guards, the shaved-head, crossbow-wielding gnome Akle, basically just deferred to him. It was a heavy responsibility. But when he had expressed his misgivings to Khaska, the cleric had merely smiled. “You sprang the trap on Nathan well. You give yourself less credit than you deserve.”
But nothing happened that first day. They made camp about a mile off of the main road, in a secluded spot that nonetheless allowed them to see some distance around. Hammerdine was still close enough that the timber had long since vanished in construction projects, so there was little cover. That would probably not be the case by mid-day tomorrow.
In talking through their situation that night (Amara’s double went to bed early) there really were no specific plans. Rynn was of the opinion that the entire train should stick close together, but other than that had no suggestions. Amara assured them that she would send Kirza out to scout, the familiars of the Faatin guards not nearly as versatile as a bird for such matters. Khaska agreed that seemed the best—sending out scouts along this well-traveled trail would seem suspicious. But the raven was unobtrusive enough, he noted, looking up at she perched atop his horns.
The next day also passed without incident. Kirza saw no sign of an ambush, and none came. They slept restlessly that night. Khaska, in saying his prayers the next morning, continued to pray for Orensland and Jenika, whatever had happened to them. He was joined in his prayers by the two clerics that were accompanying them, one a human cleric of the Platinum Dragon, the other a dwarf of the The Dwarffather’s priesthood.
It was that afternoon as they entered a small ravine that the trap they had been expecting was finally sprung. The ambushers had hidden themselves well, and even Kirza, flying around and around, was unable to see them. The first sign that they were present was the whizzing of arrows and the flash of Magic Missile spells.
The wizard doubling as Amara went down fast, a crossbow bolt slamming into her side as a Magic Missile blasted her down. She dropped to the ground, bleeding and unconscious. The rogue doubling as Jenika also went down as two arrows sprang into her, also dropping her.
Rynn was hit in the chest himself, and a Magic Missile wove its way through the air to strike Khaska, though it did little damage. Several projectiles flew at Akle, who had been walking alongside one of the carts, but the little gnome just laughed as they all flew by him. Nobody else was hit.
The ambush had begun. It was time to spring the trap.
“Attack!” Rynn cried out as he ran back to the nearest cart. All around him the animal skin coverings where thrown off as their reinforcements revealed themselves. Their bard stood high and sang an extremely high note. Now imbued with both bardic and divine magic, the party began to return fire. Arrows began to fly back and forth between the caravan and its attackers.
Amara rose from her position, half crouched to hide herself, and launched her own Magic Missiles at a robed caster near her position. The missiles slammed into the other woman, who dropped to her knees.
Khaska cried out to the Gods, and Rynn felt a surge of energy course through him as the Bless spell took effect. Then the Maha’i also sought cover as another volley of arrows rained down.
“Stick to the plan! This changes nothing!” Zeke’s kidnapper yelled. A big man next to him, his face painted in dark red tones, screamed and ran towards them. “Charge!”
After another volley the attackers all advanced on the caravan, but the defenders were too numerous. Several of the attackers stayed back to cast spells. Amara heard screams of pain from the next cart over, and she could see an animal had appeared in the cart. A dire rat. It immediately sank its teeth into the bard, who cried out and stopped singing. He and his fellow guard began to attack the animal, but it evaded their strikes. The sorceress launched another series of Magic Missiles at one of the casters, and the magic unerringly sought out and hit the figure.
But, as they did so, the ground around him and the other attackers on that side began to weave and shift. Roots sprang from the ground and the nearby trees and shrubs came to life, trapping three of the attackers. Their own druid had countered with an Entangle spell. As he smiled, he leaned down and touched the wizard that had been her double. Color returned to the girl’s face, and she was able to sit up.
Khaska loosed his bow at the magic-user who was targeting him. More Magic Missiles flew to hit him, and they struck even as he ducked down in the wagon he was taking cover in, but still felt the sting as the magic damaged him. He came up again and fired, and the magic user dropped when the arrow struck home.
The big guy with the red face tattoos was fast approaching the wagons, swinging his large club as he ran towards the fray. He looked to be trouble. Rynn fired and hit him once, but then one of the fighters from a nearby cart jumped down and engaged the man. Zeke’s kidnapper was right behind him, and a Dwarf was coming as well. Arrows flew into Zeke’s kidnapper, and the man staggered, but continued forward as some of the other guards came down and began fighting hand-to-hand.
Amara glanced towards the back of the caravan, but the guards back there seemed to have things well in hand. The attackers back there were all on the ground except for two of them, and they were quickly being overwhelmed by the formerly hidden guards. She glanced back at the magic user she had targeted and watched as a nearby elf touched her. A healer of some kind. Amara reflexively cast Magic Missile again and watched with satisfaction as they pierced the healer’s defenses. Yet from behind her an arrow lodged in her shoulder. She cried out in pain and dropped down.
Rynn and Khaska both saw Amara get hit, and both turned to fire on the attackers trapped by the vines and roots from the druidic Entangle spell. One of them dropped to the ground from the arrows, further enveloped by the writhing flora. A man in half-plate on that side of the caravan saw that everybody by him was trapped, and he turned to flee. Akle laughed maniacally and called “get after him!” One of the Faatin guards, a barbarian, gave chase as Khaska also jumped down to engage in hand-to-hand combat.
All in all, the battle looked to be going well. Then the dwarf reached out to touch Zeke’s kidnapper, and the man’s wounds mended very suddenly. He went from looking like a stiff breeze could knock him over to looking quite healthy again, and he moved to engage the guards fighting the tattooed man.
Part of Rynn wanted to go after Zeke’s kidnapper and his tattooed friend with their healing plate buddy, but they were enmeshed in combat with three of the guards and shooting into that mess would be difficult. But first, he drank a potion of healing. The magic flowed from his mouth and lips to his body, and he felt his wounds heal slightly. He nocked an arrow, but saw that six sets of Magic Missiles arced out from the back of the caravan, dropping the caster on the east side down. The healer bolted, leaving his companion, but arrows flew at him from multiple guards, and another series of Magic Missiles dropped the man before he had taken many steps to flee.
Khaska and the guard were not faring well against their attacker. In the space of a few seconds, the man they were attacking managed to get in two very lucky hits. The first dropped the guard, the man grasping feebly at the sword that had found its way into his stomach. The attacker yanked the sword free and arced it to bring it down on Khaska. It glanced off of the Maha’i’s helmet but but deep into the cleric’s neck. Khaska went down, blood pooling on the ground by his head.
Rynn ranger fired at that attacker, who was now charging towards him, but both arrows flew wide. Rynn was about to draw his sword when a crossbow bolt appeared in the man’s face. He screamed once, and then went down. Rynn glanced to his left to see Akle closing in, reloading his crossbow. Apparently the gnome, or someone else, had been able to take down the fleeing man to the west. The ranger looked to see how the rest of the fight was going. Those trapped by the Entangle spell were all unconscious from their wounds, and many of the Faatin guards from the back of the caravan were charging forward to help, apparently having taken care of their attackers. The healing dwarf went down, stabbed twice by one of the Faatin rangers. Zeke’s kidnapper also dropped from a well-placed blow by another guard. However, the tattooed man smashed his way through a guard and ducked a few feeble blows from a monk and charged Rynn. The ranger didn’t even have time to draw his sword before the raging man hopped up into the cart with him and clubbed the ranger over the head. The blow sent Rynn flying, and he dropped his weapons as he fell off the cart, going numb before he hit the ground and falling unconscious from his wounds.
Amara jumped down from her cart to see what was happening. As far as she could tell, all of their attackers were down, but looking forward in the caravan she saw the tattooed man club Rynn over the head, dealing the ranger a vicious blow that sent him flying. She raised her fingers and again invoked her sorcerous powers, sending another pair of Magic Missiles at the man, the last remaining attacker. He was whirling towards the guards charging towards him, but before anybody else could reach him or before any additional spells or arrows hit him, her magic struck home, and he collapsed into the cart.
The battle was over.
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Khaska awoke to see one of the Faatin clerics standing over him. The dwarf nodded quickly, but then moved a few feet away to mutter another healing prayer. The fighter he touched did not awaken, but his breathing leveled out. He would be fine.
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A few yards away the other cleric squatted next to the fallen form of Rynn, Rana whimpering by his side, licking the rangers face. The healer also muttered a prayer and healed him. Rynn did also not awaken, but would no longer succumb to his wounds. Amara was running up.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
Khaska stood very weakly. He had been healed, and was conscious, but his wounds were still grave.
“I am alive, if barely.”
“Ha! We shows them!” Akle said, swinging his crossbow onto his shoulder. The gnome grinned as he walked up to them, removing his helmet and wiping his bald head with his hand, flicking sweat onto the ground.
“We should see to the survivors,” Khaska said. “They should be punished for their crime, but that does not mean they should die unnecessarily.”
“Whatever,” said Amara.
Akle broke the caravan guards up into groups to accompany the healers, who only used their most basic healing spells. None of those they reached in time awoke from the healing. Overall, only seven of the Sendylus attackers survived. Among them were Zeke’s kidnapper, the tattooed man, and the dwarf that had been healing them. With spells to spare, Khaska healed Rynn to consciousness. The ranger was grateful, and helped tie up their attackers and loot the bodies.
“What are we going to do with these,” one of their guards said. The woman wrinkled her nose as she lightly touched one of the dead bodies with her foot.
“Bring them,” said Khaska.
“What?” asked Amara. “You can’t be serious!”
“If we are going to have these men,” the Maha’i cleric pointed to the unconscious survivors, “taken, arrested, and tried, we should bring the other bodies as proof. Plus, it will not do to leave them out under the sky. It would not be proper.”
Amara rolled her eyes. Rynn shrugged, but helped Khaska and the other guards load up all the weapons, equipment, and bodies, both dead and unconscious. Within an hour, they were on their way back to Hammerdine. Not a single Faatin guard had perished.
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The attackers began waking from their wounds the next day. The big tattooed man woke up first, but said nothing. Akle sat in the cart with him, crossbow ever pointed in his direction. Most struggled with their bonds, but realized it wasn’t likely to help, what with multiple guards standing around them all the time. Several tried to beg and plead, but nobody paid it much attention. The day passed without incident.
Zeke’s kidnapper awoke the next morning while they were eating breakfast. Amara was sitting nearby, eating some dried meat rations. The man fixed her with a stare. “How did you know we were coming?”
She looked at him, gave a small amused smile, but didn’t reply.
The man looked around, clearly checking to see who of his men were still alive. The tattoed man gave a small nod, but remained silent. Zeke’s kidnapper returned the nod, but also did not say anything.
Rynn walked into the camp, Ranna following him behind. The man twisted on the ground to look at him. “So, what, you going to take us back. Have us arrested?” The man was amused at the thought, somehow. He smiled at the ranger.
Rynn glared at him. “I don't want to hear you say a word. You are a despicable person and a coward. You victimized a helpless boy to use his mother. When we get back to Hammerdine, you'll be turned over to the authorities to be punished for your crimes. But if I hear so much as a peep from you, I'll kill you on the spot — as far as I'm concerned, you deserve an immediate death.”
Zeke’s kidnapper and the tattooed man both glanced at each other. Both smiled. The kidnapper looked at Rynn.
“You don’t have the stones to kill me.” His smile just grew wider.
Without pause or hesitation Rynn reached down to his belt and drew his orcish dagger. He took a step forward.
“Hey, wait! Stop . . .” The man’s cry was cut off as Rynn jammed the dagger into his chest. He stiffened and gurgled, but then collapsed. Rynn looked down, noticing that the blood coming from the wound was not pulsing as if the heart was beating. Just a straight trickle came as the blood drained from the body.
One of the other Sendylus attackers, a woman, burst into tears. Amara turned to look at her with a bemused smile. “I didn’t suppose you thought much about the consequences about meddling in the affairs of other people?”
The woman continued to sob, but through her sniffles she managed to squeak out, almost one word at a time. “I didn’t want to be killed as I lay here helpless!”
“You didn’t need to be put down,” said Rynn, who had just finished cleaning his dagger on the man’s shirt. He sheathed it.
“Damn, Rynn.” The voice was Akle’s. The gnome was watching from about ten yards away. He looked up at Rynn, and their eyes met. “You scary.” But the little gnome inclined his head, a small bow.
“I’m going to scout ahead a little,” the ranger replied. He turned and walked off, whistling to Ranna, who followed obediently.
Khaska walked up to the man. The cleric had been too stunned at Rynn’s actions to move, but now he checked on Zeke’s kidnapper. A cursory examination made clear that it would require the power of a cleric more skilled than he to help this man now. Khaska closed his eyes. “My friend was correct about this man. His actions were utterly despicable. Though I am certain he did not care, it is his kind that get humans cursed among my people. May you not put the taste of gallweed upon our tongues, as he has.” He paused, and looked over the survivors. The tattoed man was glaring at him. “And I must warn you. I will not heal you so you can continue living as you have, under the curse of the Gods. I would advise you to be careful, for I cannot hold back the sword of justice but once.”
The tattoed man growled, but Amara simply reached down to the side and held up her crossbow. “By all means, continue to press your luck with me, if you wish. My poor crossbow hasn’t had any fun lately.” He continued to glower, but said nothing.
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Rynn stayed ahead of the group, but no too far ahead. He stayed there most of the day, wanting to be alone. Nobody came to talk to him, but the ranger didn’t mind. Loneliness was part of his way. Had been for years. He didn’t feel much remorse over killing Zeke’s kidnapper, but it wasn’t something he had particularly enjoyed either. As the sun set, he moved back to be with the group. As he entered the camp, he found Akle working to start a fire, and Khaska speaking softly with one of the other clerics. Khaska ended the conversation and walked up to the ranger.
“Your actions this morning have worried the other prisoners.”
Rynn shrugged. “I’m not going to go stabbing them all, Khaska.”
“I know this.” The cleric continued to walk with him. “But why did you feel that man deserved to die?”
Rynn frowned and looked askance at Khaska. “Zeke’s kidnapper?”
“His name was Adrian.”
“Adrian, then. A man vicious enough to wreck a family. Use blackmail to further his ends. Lead an attack to murder innocent people.” Rynn reached down to scratch Ranna’s head. “Sometimes, for the good of all, a rabid animal must be put down.” The he sat down near the fire that Akle had just succeeded in starting. “And to be honest, if he is well connected, he might not suffer for his crimes in Hammerdine. He was too confident.”
“Well,” said Amara, sitting next to Rynn. Khaska moved to Rynn’s other side, and sat down as well. “We should be back at the city tomorrow. I guess we’ll find out then.” She smiled. “I’ve been examining their gear, though. There are a few nice things there.”
“How can you think of money and equipment at such a time?” asked Khaska. “Perhaps Orensland has rubbed off on you some.”
“I think the more important question is, what are we going to do when we get to the city tomorrow,” she said. “The guards at the gates are probably going to want an explanation why we’re carrying six trussed up people and all those dead bodies.”
Khaska straightened, and his ears flattened against his head. “I had not considered that we might encounter a problem with then, but you are right to bring up such possibilities.”
He looked at Rynn, then at Amara. “What should we do?”
“Well, the dead bodies were your idea,” Amara said to the Maha’i. “I would like to get rid of them as soon as possible.”
“We could just tell the guards what is going on,” said Rynn. “Get the authorities involved immediately.”
“There is some merit to that idea,” replied Khaska. “But I fear that our kidnapping foe may be well-connected in the city. Besides, I have been speaking to some of the prisoners as we travel. I would suspect that a few of them will cooperate.” He gave a rueful smile. “Especially the ones that saw you kill Adrian.”
Rynn frowned at that. “Perhaps one of us should go ahead and contact Hartwin first. See what his suggestions are.”
Amara nodded. “I like that idea. I will go ahead in the morning.”
“If you like,” said Rynn. He shrugged. “I’m happy to stay here. Or go. Either.”
“I’ll go,” she said. Her tone was firm. “But I had best get some rest now so I can be on my way early.”
She excused herself and went to grab her gear to sleep.
Khaska looked over at Rynn. “I wonder why she wanted to go.”
“Probably didn’t want to stay around the dead bodies. You saw how fast she cleaned herself up after the combat.”
“You are likely correct.”
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Amara left as soon as there was enough light to see. One of the closer moons hung just above the horizon, whizzing its way through the heavens as Jenoa circled its mother planet. A quick glance to the west saw the sliver of Arkenos hovering just over the horizon. She grimaced at it, and pressed on.
She was able to make good time, and by mid-afternoon was ushered into Hartwin’s office. The elf had immediately dismissed the others he was in a meeting with, and quickly had her give her report.
When she was done, he stood. “This is wonderful news. None of our employees were lost, and you were able to even bring back survivors of the attacking band!”
“Yes. I’m afraid the most valuable person, Zeke’s kidnapper, was killed,” she said. She did not elaborate beyond that.
“Well, there are others. And that’s good enough.” He rang the bell on his desk, and his assistant appeared. “Do be so kind as to find Brul and bring him.” He turned back to Amara. “We will be going to the city watch and having them come out to your caravan. I assume that you can find it again?”
“They were going to come a bit closer, but not enter the city yet. Park a few miles away. They shouldn’t be hard to find, especially with Kirza.”
“Excellent!”
Hartwin himself came with her and Brul to the local authorities. The leader of the local precinct of the Hammerdinian city watch was a graying human by the name of Lyndon Jespers, and he, with a few of his guardsmen, came with them after Amara explained the basics of what had happened. Hartwin was most persuasive himself, about how uncovering the illegal operations of the Sendylus guild would likely bring promotions to the city watchmen who brought the criminals in. This seemed to please Jespers, and within an hour they were riding out of the city to where the caravan was parked. Lyndon interviewed each of the party, along with Akle, alone and away from each other. He seemed satisfied with each person’s answers.
He approached them all as a group, with Brul and Hartwin. His men were taking over care of the prisoners, shackling them with official irons and the like.
“Now, you indicated, Mr. Khaska, that one of them might be willing to turn state’s evidence against the rest of them.”
“Yes sir,” the cleric replied. “The rogue, Esme. She seemed particularly shaken up after . . .”
“She thought we were just going to kill her,” Amara interrupted. “That’s not true, of course.”
“In my conversations with her,” Khaska continued smoothly, though with an edge to his voice this time and a glare at the sorceress, “she seemed to be merely one who was hired merely for the money. She has no personal stake in the fighting between the two guilds.”
“Well, unfortunately, she did attack your caravan,” he said. “But I’ll see what I can do. If she cooperates, perhaps she will get a lighter sentence.”
“That would be a good idea,” said Rynn. “Not everybody that attacked us was kidnapping kids, blackmailing others, and resorting to murder.”
“So it seems,” Jespers replied. “I will need all of you to come to my office and swear an oath in a Zone of Truth, that what you have told me is true. I will interview the prisoners separately to confirm your story.”
“We will be happy to do that,” said Rynn.
Jespers looked at the carts carrying the dead bodies. “Though, I am not sure we have any use for the bodies in the investigation.” He looked at Brul. “Have your men bring them to the city cemetery on the west side. Give the bodies to the undertakers there. I will send one of my officers with you to explain the situation.”
“Thank you,” said Khaska. “It would not have been proper to just leave them there. At least they will be more properly disposed of now.”
Jespers looked him over. “You seem awfully concerned about them. They’re your enemies.”
“They are merely people who have strayed from the true path. It grieves me to know that they will no longer have a chance to return to it.”
Hartwin looked particularly gleeful at the entirety of the events of the afternoon. As they began heading back to the city, Rynn finally asked about Jenika and Orensland. Amara sheepishly realized that, in all her time with Hartwin, she had failed to ask about them.
“Oh, they were able to rescue the boy. Though,” he frowned, “apparently Orensland set fire to the Sendylus buildings as a distraction. And now he’s left town.”
“What?” Rynn asked, startled.
“You’ll have to ask Jenika for the details,” Brul said, “but apparently his father was in town and followed them the night they rescued the boy. Saw everything that happened. He threatened to tell the officials,” he glanced over his shoulder back to where Jespers and his officers were riding, “but Orensland was able to get out of town before anything could happen, with Amy and her family. We guess his father took off after him, though I doubt they will be easy to find.”
The fact that Orensland had left the city, without even a proper goodbye, cast a pall over the group. They rode in silence the last mile or so into the city. Hartwin put them up at a nearby inn, free of charge. They each had their own room and were treated very nicely by the staff. Jespers had each of them come to his office and write up a short document to give to his superiors, and then had a city cleric cast the Zone of Truth spell so that each could swear that the document was accurate. Jespers himself left with the sheathes of paper to report to the higher authorities in the City Watch.
By this time the sun was setting, and the party all went back to their inn and went to bed. Jenika had not, by this time, come back to the Faatin Merchant House’s headquarters, so they did not know where she was.