NEVER SPLIT THE PARTY: The Adventures of the Creeping Bam (BOOK 4: The Hunt)

CHAPTER ONE: VIFRI

"The fuck are you lot doin' here?" One of the larger men breaks away from the group as we approach, already rolling his shoulders like he wants to limber up, preparing for a scrap, looks like. Lovely, that's just what we need right now. We're s'posed to be here to help, but far as they're concerned we're just poking our noses in their business. Like they still ain't clued up to the fact their precious dynamic's changed some, and it's been that way for a while now.

Another one starts to move out beside him, flanking without even really thinking about it, I notice. Smaller, leaner, but just as angry, looks like. Younger, too, so she's likely gonna be even harder to reason with. "We got this shit handled, don't need you lot for this. This is townsguard business."

When I stop, the others stop with me, all at once. No hint of any rippling lag passing back, it's like we're one well-oiled machine, all working in perfect harmony. That's another thing these southern bastards are being awful slow catching up to, they ain't got the same kinda discipline we do. It's a fatal flaw in their reasoning, da always liked to say. I guess he was right, cuz it's one o' the reasons we beat 'em so roundly once we were finally able to take Tabaphic. Now all o' Rundao's under our control.

Means these idiots do what they do entirely at our sufferance. We could just give 'em all the boot, bring more of our folk in to do their work too, but this is way more efficient. When it works, at least. Times like this though ...

Holding out my halberd, it takes Vidram all of a single beat to take shift his own to grip it under his shield so he can free his right hand up to take hold of mine. Tuthi's already stepping out of line to join me, having done much the same herself, so when I set my shield down on its bottom rim on the other side she props it up almost without me needing to check first before I let go. Finally I give my neck a little roll, just working it one side and then the other, working out any kinks that might've crept in since we got to marching. Looking straight ahead so much when you're moving can wear on your neck some, I've found.

Now free of encumberment, I step across the remaining distance, letting my hand settle on Wirnur's hilt as I stride cool as I can towards the slowly growing group of townsguard who are breaking away from the scene to intercept us. It's a gesture I remember da adopting often when I was growing up, one I never been able to stop picking up for myself, I realise now it's just another sign I grown up so much more like him than I ever planned. I may not have gotten into quite the same line o' work as him, but ...

"What's going on here?" I venture as I draw close, taking a few more steps before finally planting my feet in an easy, casual stance now. Taking 'em all in.

Five of 'em, now. Three men and two women, all of 'em looking pretty pissed. Pretty young, too, none of 'em any older'n half o' my squad. Which I guess means I know well enough how to deal with 'em, but still ...

They all look broadly alike, 'least in terms of dress, kitted out in the standard light armour and livery of the Untermer townsguard. Worn, battered copper-and-brass accented laminar armour cuirasses with fitted pauldrons and separate greaves and vambraces, worn over thick quilted gambesons and tall leather boots and fingerless-gloved bracers. Over the top of all that, their surcoats are simple wool in a uniform bottle-green, each bearing the stylised waves and twin-sailed boat of the Untermer Authority.

Aside from that, though, they're a mixed bunch. None are wearing their helmets right now, instead wearing 'em hung from brass loops on their belts, so at least I can see their faces and identify their individual races. Two half-orcs, one male and one female, the rest are human, with one more in the mix, the second one to approach us. The leader, on the other hand, really couldn't be mistaken from his pea-green skin, prominent jaw and protruding little tusks.