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Back to Empire on the HPe3000
... and ...
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
"And you want to untie him!" Talberth gasped.
"Gytha your arm," said Ghibelline, "are you badly hurt?"
"No," she said running her fingers beside the wound, "it looks
worse than it is."
"You!" Talberth commanded the orcs. "Pick him up and get him out
of here. Go on, pick up, pick up." the mage gestured.
The orcs obeyed, they barely understood the words, but lift
and carry was most of what they did when they were the giants slaves.
* * *
The halfling reached the valley first, followed closely by the
small orc. Harold had started down the last sixty feet at a slow walk, but
as he moved he picked up speed. Soon he was dodging trees and charging at
a galloping run, his short legs taking hopping leaps through the
underbrush of shrubs and piled leaves.
Little Rat gave a whoop and followed but he fell and began to
roll. He whooped some more as he came rolling down, delighted as a
child. Luck was with him as he passed between the trees, missed sharp
edged stones hidden by the leaves and smashed through bushes that were
scattered about the slope.
Harold heard the thrashing of the bushes as Little Rat mowed them
down, the crackle and crunch of leaves, and the barking laughs, loud
then muffled as they orc rolled face up and then face down. The thief
turned to see the wild flailing orc sweeping down the slope directly
for him as if the two were connected by some unseen line. He jumped
behind a tree as the orc rolled past, Harold landed in a patch of
nettles, Little Rat came to rest in a laughing heap.
"You having a good time." asked the ranger. He'd followed behind
the orc.
"Oh I'm having a great time, oouuchh!" Harold pulled himself from
the thorny patch leaving behind a few long strips of skin.
"Round up your shadow, and keep him quiet." said Harald. "I'm
going back up to help the others. You two don't go anywhere, find
someplace to hide and keep watch."
"You try keeping that one out of trouble." complained the thief.
"I don't have to," said Harald, "but you do, remember I don't want
him along."
"You've spent too much time in the woods." the thief
retorted. "Now where has he gone?" Little Rat was nowhere to be seen.
Harold ran out to where the orc had lain, but there was no sign
that he could see. It was all rocks and hard oerth, no tracks that
caught his eye. He paused and let his mind turn the trees and stones into
a city street, then imagined it a parkland, a lords preserve within the
confines of some garden walls. What looked out of place? What belonged and
what might have been disturbed by a passing foot or a careless hand.
A patch of leaves overturned, the loam beneath dark and wet and
all around it the ground dry, baked by the morning sun. The clump was
toward the valleys center, lifted up by a clumsy foot, the orc no doubt.
He'd gone ahead, Harold followed, half bent to watch the ground.
The little orc came whistling up, carefree, happy to be out
in the woods even in the light of day. The noise was painful to Harold's
ears, a sharp screeching sound like an animal whining in pain.
"Shh!" he hissed at Little Rat. "Where have you been!"
The orc was wet, his head and shoulders soaked still dripping
with the water from the stream.
"Was thirsty," smiled the orc. "Drink, sun hot, it hurt eyes,
cool water."
Harold licked his lips, they were dry, his own canteen was
almost empty, there'd been no water on the hill. "Show me where you found
this stream." he said to Little Rat.
The small orc smiled, pleased not to be punished and happy to
show the halfling where the water ran.
* * *
(To Be Continued)