Born To Hail

Chapter 8

"My name is Seba..." He started to introduce himself. Adrenaline no longer coursing through his veins, heart slowing down, he lost the disconnected feeling to the scene around him. He had no food in his stomach so only bitter bile rose from it to spill at his feet. It was the smell that did him in. He went to wipe his mouth with the sleeve of his hoody, noticing at the last moment he was covered in the blood of the orcs he'd slain. He was sent into a violent fit of gags and dry heaves. He pulled off his hoody to use the plain red t-shirt underneath to wipe clean his mouth.

"Sebastian Hail." He introduced finally able to speak. "Sorry about that." He pointed at the puddle by his feet. He took several steps away lest it happen again.

"I am B'naire Battleheart. I think you for saving my life. I am eternally grateful and am forever in your debt." She said tears of joy a river down her filthy cheeks.

"You're welcome." Is all he could think to say at that point. He had never saved someone's life before. He was thankful at that moment for his beard for it hid his reddening cheeks. Even with B'naire covered in a thick layer of grime, Sebastian could tell she was a very beautiful young woman. Realization flooded through him when he gazed into her eyes. One eye a soft brown the other a dark forest green. Just like the world appearing veiled in those two colors in his dreams. "Not all the thanks goes to me though, I had the help of my friends." He added after collecting himself.

"Are those two you're friends then?" She asked.

Sebastian turned around to see Ceradell and Lueken walking up to them. "Indeed they are."

"Already rescuing damsels in distress? You may be a hero after all." Lueken said giving Sebastian a hearty slap on the shoulder and slipping him a sly wink.

Ceradell looked at the young woman then gave Sebastian a curious look. Sebastian couldn't be sure but he thought he saw a hint of jealousy in that look.

"Just doing my part," He said. "By the way you're standing in my vomit."

Lueken took a step back and wiped him boot on a patch of clean grass. "I stand corrected hero's have a stomach for killing."

B'naire looked confused.

"Inside joke." Sebastian explained. "Here let me introduce you, this is Ceradell Silverleaf of the Guardian Forest. And this giant man here is Lueken son of Ludwik of the Orcsbane tribe."

"It's nice to meet you. I am B'naire Battleheart." She gave a slight curtsy and nearly lost her balance. Sebastian caught her arm and steadied her before she fell.

"How did you come to be a prisoner?" Sebastian asked.

"We can get to that later. We need to gather and burn these bodies and be away from this place." Ceradell commanded before B'naire had a chance to reply.

"Fine." Sebastian said giving the elf a disapproving look for being rude.

They spent the next hour doing as the elf said. They rummaged through the packs of the orcs trying to find anything worth taking. The food was no good, the bread was hard and moldy, cheese riddled with maggots, and the meats raw and rotten. Even if the meat was fresh Sebastian decided he wouldn't have eaten it for fear it be human. They found a few water skins that seemed to be safe. Sebastian gave one to B'naire knowing that she was in dire need of water. She downed one in a matter of seconds.

When they were done looting the dead the two men and the elf piled the bodies on one another to burn. Ceradell went to start the fire with steel and flint.