Born To Hail

Chapter 7

"Wake up Sebastian." Ceradell whispered in his ear as she gave his shoulders a shake.

                Sebastian only groaned in reply and swatted her hand away.

                "I said you need to wake up." She said in a voice just above a whisper. She had been at the task for a few minutes now and was growing frustrated. The barbarian having been brought up in the wilderness had heard her cries and was up with his axe in hand expecting enemies.

                "Here I got it." Lueken said to the elf, his voice hoarse from snoring. "Sebastian." He cried as he gave the sleeping man a swift, and none too light kick in the ribs.

                That did the trick. Sebastian bolted upright into a sitting position arms folded over his now bruised ribs, and oddly enough tears running from his eyes. "What the hell is your problem?" He yelled at the big man grinning down at him.

                "My problem is that it took too long to wake your ass up." He explained taking on a more serious visage. "If we were under attack you would most likely be dead."

                Sebastian felt foolish for his outburst. "I'm sorry." He said weakly unable to look either of them in the eye.

                "Next time you don't wake right up you may be very sorry, and very dead. I don't know how things are on your world but here, especially now with orcs and goblins running amuck, you need to be alert when sleeping out in the open." Lueken lectured the man, glaring at him hard after he was done speaking to make sure his words sank in.

                "Now..." He said turning to the elf. "Why are you waking us before the rise of the sun?"

                "You two see that?" She asked pointing off into the distance.

                Both men peered in the direction she gestured.

                "I think I see a light, but I can't be sure." Sebastian offered, still ashamed of the berating he got.

                "Your right. I believe it to be a campfire. I've noticed one popping up each day around this time in that direction the past few days." Ceradell explained.

                "Who do you suppose it is that's making the fire?" Lueken asked while packing up his bedroll and blanket.

                Ceradell didn't give voice to her suspicions instead she asked. "How about we go have a looked? It's a few miles off if we make haste we can be there in an hour or so."

                "Lets go have a look." Lueken said hefting his pack on his shoulders and sliding his axe in place behind it.  He had a good idea of what they will come across when they reached the distance fire. He wondered as to why the elf had just now told them she had seen it the past few nights but decided not to ask.

                "If you two think we should then what choice do I have? And, like Lueken pointed out things are different here than on my world."

                "That settles it then. Let's be off." She shouldered her own pack then kicked dirt over the few embers still lit in the fire pit and set a swift pace for the distance fire.

                The top of the sun had just breached the rim of the world when they reached their destination. The three of them stood around the body of an orc Ceradell had dropped with a single well placed arrow to its throat, so it wouldn't cry out with its dying breath.

                Sebastian stared down at the creature, it was the first one he'd seen in person. It's skin a greenish gray color with beady black eyes, a snout much like that of a pigs and its lower jaw had two small tusks that rested against its upper lip, one of them looked broken.  It wasn't a tall creature, about his height Sebastian guessed, yet it looked sturdy enough, with well toned muscles covering its arms and legs. Then he looked into the camp where nine more mulled about, the sight had his heart hammering and palms sweaty. He glanced over at the elf she looked calm, too calm; Sebastian swore there was a twinkle in her eyes. He looked at Lueken next, that sight was almost as daunting as the orcs. The barbarian looked like he was about to explode with unreleased rage. There was a massive vein throbbing on his forehead, his skin the color of angry sunburn. A fire burned behind his eyes so intense Sebastian could almost feel the heat.