The cart gets moving and they start their way through the snowy wastes. They head south from the orc village.

“So why do we have three chaperones this time?” Erevan asks.

“The mission should be easy, but the potential for threat is greater. We let you go in underprepared and almost lost Darton.” Marthal explains.

“Whats the target this time?” Erevan asks another question.

“We’ve been subcontracted by the local Lord to handle a growing bandit problem.” Celise answers proudly.

“But, it can be accomplished non-violently if they surrender and go back to their villages.” Marthal adds.

“A non-violent solution sounds pleasing.” Erevan says.

“How are the orcs?” Darton asks.

Kalile flashes him a glare.

“I meant the tribe.” Darton mutters.

“I dunno, Ozarrik, how have I been?” Erevan turns to Oz.

“Besides a total pain in my ass?” Oz smiles. “You’ve been a productive member of our tribe and have proven yourself time and time again. You command the respect of everyone without resulting to violence, flattery, or favortism.”

“Too much.” Erevan comments. “I find living with the Frostbloods to be more inviting than Arfal where there were more challenges.”

“Arfal can’t be that bad.” Celise crosses her arms.

“I slept in a stable, I was met with paranoid suspicion, and I never felt safe.” Erevan says bluntly.

“Pshh.” Celise turns her head away.

“I’m sorry it was like that for you.” Darton says.

“But, these orcs, they welcomed you in?” Kalile asks nervously.

“Yeah, I think of them like family at this point.” Erevan answers.

“You would be welcome in our tribe.” Ozarrik leans forward and smiles at Kalile.

“That means a lot to hear. Especially from both of you.” Kailile says.

The cart travels through the snow, eventually coming to a wooded area. As the cart approaches the edge of a ridge it comes to a stop. The team piles off the cart. Koldottir gets very low as he approaches the edge of the ridge and looks over it. Erevan gets down, nears the edge, and crawls the rest of the way.

Down below in the woods are three campfires and about sixteen assorted humans, half-orcs, and half-elves. One human is up on a cart with a tankard in his hand. He is shouting, rallying the others.

“They think we’re gonna lie down and take it.” He yells. “Well we’re gonna fuck em so hard their ears bleed!”

Listening to this Erevan was losing hope in a peaceful solution.

“How do you think we convince them to give up?” Koldottir asks.

“Make an example of one.” Erevan says with some uncertainty.

“Alright, fetch your ballista.” Koldottir nods.

The Siege Mage collects his weapon from the cart and begins to set it up at the top of the ridge. Koldottir turns to the others and has them circle up.

“We’re gonna walk in there full force. Let them see us. We’ll make a big display. Tell them to disperse. When they don’t Erevan takes one of them out. An instant ballista bolt death raining down should scare the shit out of them.” He explains.

“Alright.” Erevan listens as he finishes setting his weapon up.

“Any other plans?” Koldottir asks the group.

“It’s quite a few more bandits than we were paid for.” Jarn shrugs.

“It’s just the job.” Koldottir nods.

He turns and starts walking down and around the ridge to get closer to the camp. The team follows him. Erevan stays up front, close to Koldottir. The bandits go silent as they turn and see the group. A few step out of the way as the large viking like man steps before the carts. He turns around looking at all the bandits eyeing him.

“By order of Lord Dunwater we need all of you to disperse and go back to your villages.” Koldottir barks the order.

There are a few hushed whispers. Erevan turns as he picks up on the sound of a stifled laugh. The man standing ontop of the cart holding the tankard is staring at the back of Koldottir. The bandit’s eyes have turned yellow, his fingers extending into claws, hair spreading down his arms.

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“And what village do you suggest I go to?” The man asks.

Koldottir turns to face the man, his eyes growing wide as soon as he recognizes him as a werewolf mid-transition.

“Erevan now!” Koldottir screams.

Erevan flicks his finger and a bolt flies from the ridge towards the werewolf.

The werewolf bats the bolt out of the air, draws a longsword, and leaps down to stand in front of Koldottir. The man draws his axe in a hurry but the lycan is quicker. It slams the longsword down into Koldottir’s shoulder. The man grits his teeth and roars as he pushes the sword up and out of his flesh.

Koldottir takes a step back and swings his silvered axe down at the werewolf.

Erevan notes the bandits drawing hatchets, cudgels, and shortswords. He quickly steps behind Koldottir, aims at the bandits, and fires buckshot into the crowd.

“So negotiations are off?” Jarn asks jokingly as he draws two silvered daggers from his coat. Erevan gets a glimpse of it and sees many silvered daggers where those two came from.

He flicks a dagger across the battlefield and it slams into the shoulder of a bandit.

“I really thought we had a nonviolent plan.” Marthal groans as he raises a warhammer and charges at a bandit. He sweeps the hammer taking the knees out from under them before crashing the base of the weapon down onto their skull.

Bandits have already flanked around to the back and are fighting Ozarrik, Kalile, Celise, and Darton. Through the bandits closing in on the group fighting from all sides two bandits try to jump Erevan.

Erevan notices one bandit hanging back, partially covered by a tree, but his arms are growing wider and his fingers are becoming clawed.

“Another Werewolf!” Erevan shouts.

“I need support!” Koldottir yells as he swings his sword around and decapitates the werewolf he was fighting. Erevan reloads his blunderbuss and fires at close range at the bandits. Another blast of buckshot. Incapacitating three of them.

“Nobody move!” A bandit yells as he drags a struggling Darton away from the group. A knife to his throat. Another bandit drags an unconscious Kalile with a hatchet underneath her chin.

“Lay down your weapons.” The bandits yell.

Erevan’s eyes glance over to the woods. The werewolf is watching cautiously from far away. Erevan looks back to the two bandits taking prisoners. Besides them there are only two bandits left. Meaning out of the sixteen enemies there are four bandits and one werewolf left.

“Let go of my nephew!” Marthal yells.

“Drop your weapon!” The bandit yells.

Celise, Marthal, Jarn, and Koldottir drop their weapons. Erevan sets his down slowly. Ozarrik looks to Erevan for confirmation before he sets his weapon down.

“Strip them of valuables, load it on the carts, and kill anyone who moves. If you hunters think you can win, your friends will die.” The bandit warns.

The two bandits without hostages start searching Celise and Mathal’s pockets.

“I’m a trained medic. Could I have a look at the orc woman's head wound?” Erevan lies.

“You can when we leave.” The bandit shouts back.

“It may be too late by then. And we wouldn’t risk the dwarf’s life. Not for anything.” Erevan says.

“Alright, set the half-orc down, search the helmet boy, and let him look over his friend.” The bandit says.

The second bandit sets Kalile down and steps towards Erevan. There is a burst of motion from the woods.

“He’s lying!” The other werewolf roars.

Erevan flicks his hand and a ballista bolt fires.

It slams through the throat of the bandit holding Darton hostage. The bolt sails through and hits the snow in front of the dwarf. Darton falls to the snow and crawls out from underneath the bandit.

Ozarrik tackles a bandit, Celise runs up and slams a heel down on their jaw until they stop moving. Jarn flicks out another dagger and throws it at a bandit hitting him square between the eyes. Marthal charges at the last bandit, slamming into him, sending him flying into a tree. The dwarf kneels down on the bandit holding him captive.

“He’s getting away!” Koldottir yells as charges after the werewolf retreating through the woods.

Erevan scoops up his blunderbuss and charges after.

The two emerge into a clearing with a frozen pond. The werewolf whips around, realizing it's being chased.

“We had a chance at getting something real! A chance at freeing ourselves from Serfdom!” The werewolf yells.

“You should know your place, monster!” Koldottir yells.

Erevan considers raising his gun against the hunter. He wasn’t sure whose plight he supported. Koldottir charges the werewolf and the wolf charges at him on all fours. It leaps and bites down into the hunter’s shoulder as the hunter plunged his sword through the beast.

Koldottir falls back, his sword still stuck through the chest of the wolf, the wound sizzling as the silver makes contact with the cursed flesh. The werewolf arches its back before raising its claws to strike down at the hunter.

Erevan draws his silvered knife and charges at the werewolf.

Erevan plunges the knife towards the werewolf’s chest. The wolf’s clawed hand shoots out and grabs Erevan’s, but in a blinding flash of light the knife drives home. Erevan’s tattoos activate as he lifts the wolf up in the air with the dagger and then slams him down into the ice.

The young Burkwood helps up a stunned Koldottir.

“That light.” Koldottir mutters.

“Yeah, weird right?” Erevan shrugs as he puts his knife away.

“You’re a hero.” Koldottir says.

“I wouldn’t go that far.” Erevan waves his hands.

“You are a Champion of Light. That's what that was. Something, somewhere, wanted you to win that fight and blessed you. You saved me!” Koldottir grabs Erevan by the shoulders and lifts him.

“Okay, okay. What does all this mean for me?” Erevan wiggles free of the large man and drops to the ground.

“It means you need to see the Champions.” Koldottir says with a beaming smile.

“I have some things keeping me at the Frostblood Clan for a while.” Erevan says.

“Then I will call for one of them to come here and assess you.” Koldottir nods. “Let's not tell the others until after the assessment.”

“Alright, sure.” Erevan nods.

The two head back to the group. Koldottir helps get Kalile and Darton to the cart on the ridge. Jarn looks over the other two carts. Erevan suggests loading the bodies into the sleds and bring them back to the Frostblood clan for a proper ceremony. Jarn agrees. Ozarrik helps load up the carts with them.