Fleas - Songs of the Gnolls I

WHAT MANY HANDS PAINT 9.2

The soft winter breeze swirled through her fur, tickling her. The scent was subtle, floral, and conveyed an irreplaceable peace. The five of them walked without saying a word. What was there to say? Fizkwik did not regret her decision. She no longer wanted to fight, and was therefore unfit to be a matriarch. Maybe she would see them again some day. Or maybe not. With her were Handless, who had barely survived the orc poison, her mate, Ewik, and another unnamed female cub.

"Mother, look," he pointed to a small village on a hill.

"There must be food," Handless chuckled.

"There could be humans," Fizkwik explained suspiciously.

"The rebel trolls killed them all, remember? I'm starving. I haven't eaten since the orcs attacked us."

Fizkwik hugged Éwik and did not let go. She did not want anything to happen to him. They came to a place where nature had lost its power, and a road marked by the comings and goings of wagons gradually turned into a stony street. There was no sign of rebellion, but no sign of people either. Fizkwik had a very bad feeling about the atmosphere, as if something was wrong. The animals were in their pens, the horses in their stalls, and all the windows were boarded up with thick boards.

Handless jumped over a corral with ease. The lambs panicked and bleated a cry for help. The cry was answered by someone coming out of a house with a hoe. It was a gray-bearded man.

"Get out, get out, you filthy hairy animal!"

Handless, who was crouched over a sheep, got up and stared at him. The man was frightened and backed away. He had not noticed that it was a hyaenid. It was logical, Handless was naked. The only thing she had was her halberd, and she had left it before jumping the fence.

"Hey, are you one of those creatures from the south? Please..."

Handless was about to lunge at his throat when Éwik slipped out of his mother's embrace and stopped her.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Human. We don't want to kill you, just eat. We are very hungry."

The human came a few steps closer, still holding the hoe. Fizkwik was about to intervene when the human leaned the tool on some planks and knelt down in front of him.

"How cute, you remind me of a little dog I used to have," he stood up and looked at the others. "I'm not one to deny anyone food. My wife will be making roast beef in no time..."

"We prefer it raw," Fizkwik explained.

"I see," he scratched his head. "Well, you can have old Bel, the one over there with the big horns. Just... kill him painlessly."

The man jumped back in. While Handless, the male and the cub took care of the ram, Fizkwik and Éwik entered the house.

"What is going on?"

"Is there anything we can do to repay your generosity?" Fizkwik asked.

The human sighed and scratched at his beard. A few crumbs fell from it.

"There is always work to be done in a village. Especially now that our slaves are gone."

The human sat down. His mate was spying on them from the other side of a tarp. Fizkwik could smell her. The human invited them to join him, and they sat down as well.

"The trolls who joined us said they had killed their masters."

"That's what they said, little one, but it's a lie. When we knew what was going on, we understood that we had to let them go. They understood that if they told the truth, sooner or later those beings would come here and kill us. But you came anyway. It's a pity."

"Why is the village empty?" Ewik asked.

"Empty? Not at all, we're all here. We keep out of sight in case of an unexpected visit. I guess I messed up. What will happen now? Will they kill us all? I know I'm old, but I'd like to live a little longer."

Fizkwik looked away, ashamed.

"We ran away. I didn't want a war for my son. We've lost many loved ones, and I don't want to lose any more."

The human stared at her, sadness on his face. Sadness that reflected empathy and a mutual sense of loss.

"Will you return to your land?"

"I don't know. My entire tribe is here and I don't know how many will return or when."

"I suppose you could stay for a few days. We could use your help, since we don't have the trolls anymore. "

"And be slaves?" Fizkwik stuttered, offended.

"Not at all. There are no slaves in the villages, unlike in the cities. Here, everything belongs to everyone, and we all help each other. That's why the gnomes went to war and lied to protect us. Those who lived with us were Tri and Blen. Tri was quite tall for a gnome and was always hunched over. Blen, his sister, had very curly hair. I hope they are well."

Fizkwik noticed he was sincere.

"What do you think, my little emperor?"

"Yes, let's stay, let's stay," he replied excitedly.

"Well, it's settled. My name is Fizkwik and he is Ewik."

"I am Gabuala, and my wife is Jinne. Come on, woman, say hello, they don't bite."

The female human appeared shyly and greeted them with a slight nod of the head.

"Hey, if it's not too much trouble, may I stroke your head, little one?"

Ewik nodded. The human scratched it and he wagged his tail.

"And may I stroke your beard?"

The human laughed, bent down and allowed him to do so.

Perhaps they had been wrongly judged. Maybe they didn't all deserve to die. Would the rest of the rebels understand before the end? Only time would tell.

They went outside. Ewik threw himself on the remains of the lamb. Fizkwik enjoyed the midday sun a little longer, the calm breeze, and the knowledge that there would be a tomorrow.