Send a spelling or grammar correction to: Tracy Johnson
This is a first draft of a story set in the world of Greyhawk.
It is based on a home campaign so some of the people, places and things
may be different. Any helpful comments or suggestions are very welcome.
Thanks
Jason Zavoda
A slow smile spread across the knight's face. "You've stolen
the eyes of an eagle. Those must be the Rovers."
"Rovers!" Nwyvre grunted in surprise. "Better than Bakluni
nomads I suppose."
They are a wild pack." Matholwch agreed. "The Watch disapproves of
them."
"You do not." said Nwyvre.
"I've never seen their like before." Matholwch said respectfully.
"I've heard the Tiger nomads are better with the bow, but with horses,
light horse, these Rovers are the best. I don't think there are better
on Oerth."
"Oerth is a wider place than you imagine." Nwyvre looked away from
the approaching horsemen and glanced back over his shoulder for an
instant. "A runner from your soldiers."
"Our soldiers." said Matholwch.
Nwyvre just shook his head in response.
* * *
"Waddard." Kyle called over to the lead sergeant. He'd left his
monitors in charge. Nothing to do but dig in the muddy oerth and watch the
empty, gruesome walls of the city.
"Kyle, what news?" asked Waddard.
"I sent out a messenger." said Kyle.
"I saw. He's still up there." Waddard stood in a trench almost
deeper than he was tall. He crane his neck to look in the direction
of the road.
"He is." said Kyle. "I want to speak to one of those rangers.
Waddard there is something wrong here."
"The walls?" Waddard jerked his head toward the city.
"I don't like them." Kyle said with an angry voice. "I don't
like them, those bones, the guards. No guards, no watchmen. That isn't
it. Something is wrong about that road and the bridge. That road is still
there."
"Someone's been using it." Waddard said thoughtfully.
"That bridge." it was Kyle's turn to shake his head. He was
watching his feet and the flow of thick, brown water that filled the
trench up to his ankles. "You saw, this side of the bank's been gone for
years. That bridge would never reach. They lower it and it's in the
water."
"So, the road is used but no one can use the bridge." said
Waddard.
"There is something we're not seeing." said Kyle. "Maybe one of
those rangers will know."
"Guard coming in!" called a trooper.
Both Waddard and Kyle jogged quickly over to a point where the
trench was only partly finished. They could see clearly over the field.
It was nearly level except where the giants had torn gashes or gouged
holes.
"That isn't Kynwal." said Kyle.
"Your man. No that is one of the guards I set to watch." Waddard
explained. "Horsemen. Rovers."
A milling crowd of horsemen could be seen where the rangers had
set their road guard. The knight's stallion made the other horses look
like colts.
"The sun's light." exclaimed Kyle. " We can use some bowmen, but
not Tabulech."
"Coyote Children, they bring more trouble with them than giants"
Waddard said with a laugh. "I thought they were still in Sterich."
Waddard stood half his height above the low side of the
trench. The opposite side was piled high with a mound of mud, hardening
into clay. He waved toward his guard who picked his way toward them,
trying to find a solid path through the mire.
* * *
(To Be Continued...)