The Hero of Brookshire

Chapter Eight

"Little One, wake up. I've spoken to an agent of Greigut's and he wants us to go meet Umitgruik and his bandit gang by the Corgate Mountains," said Utorg in a hushed voice.

Amere sprang up from his bed and proceeded to yawn before stretching out both of his arms.

"Greigut wants us to go near the Corgate Mountains just to speak with Umitgruik?" he asked, groggily.

"Yes. You heard me correctly. Now come on so we can complete our mission as quickly as possible."

"Alright, Utorg, just let me get dressed first."

Utorg walked out of Amere's room before Amere started to get dressed for their mission.

In his mind, he had wondered why Greigut wanted to send the two of them out to the Corgate Mountains without backup in order to speak with a rival bandit gang. And not only did Amere think of Utorg and himself going without any backup, but he also thought about the wild nature that inhabited the area. Amere knew that dire wolves, bears, and other wild animals lived in the mountains.

A part of him wondered if their boss was trying to set the two of them up to get murdered by Umitgruik's bandits or devoured by the wildlife. It wouldn't be the first time that Greigut sent Utorg and Amere on a dangerous mission by themselves. Amere had grown used to the treatment.

Beyond an unwavering will to live, Amere also possessed the necklace his father had left him. Amere clutched on to the necklace tightly as it hung around his neck. He believed it offered him protection. And not just protection, but the burning will to fight and survive just like his father had. Though Amere was not on the caliber of his father as a fighter, he was trained enough by Utorg and Fenyl to hold his own against opponents who'd wish him dead.

After getting dressed, Amere grabbed his sword before sheathing it in its case that hung from the side of his hip. Very wearily, he snuck outside and made it a great effort not to wake Fenyl or Evelyn. Once reaching outside of his home, Amere met up with Utorg.

Amere noticed as he headed outdoors that the sun wasn't quite up in the sky. It was still relatively dark outside. On top of that, Amere could see the shining stars in the sky.

"Don't you find it a little odd that Greigut is sending us out to meet Umitgruik by ourselves with no backup?" asked Amere, looking over at Utorg.

"Little One, it's not like this is our first time with a mission like this. You know that."

"I know, but something just doesn't feel right."

"Don't tell me you're getting scared now."

"I'm not scared; I'm just weary."

"We'll be fine. We're trained well enough to handle ourselves. Besides, I'd think Umitgruik would know it isn't wise to piss off an orc from Greigut. Especially one that's a top operative."

"Your searing blood rage will only get us so far, Utorg."

"It's done the job up until this point, Little One, I see no reason why it won't do us any good now."

"Yeah, well, let's get a move on before Fenyl and Evelyn wake up."

"You're right. While we're standing around, we could be on our way to finish this little mission our boss has us set on."

Amere and Utorg began walking away from their house hidden away in the woods before they came across Brookshire. The village was quiet in the early morning hours. There weren't too many people walking around, as well as there weren't too many shopkeepers that had set up their business.