Of Vacant Throne And Dragons Bone

Hello, Toothpick

The slaver's horde tent was packed with boxes and random rucksacks and bags bursting with various items. From weapons to armor and food and gems - these bandits also had a penchant for wizard's books. Not that they could probably read any of them - who even reads High Sindarin anymore?

Excepting High Sindarins, of course.

Tossing one such book over her shoulder, Hester missed Nera's face by a fraction of an inch.  The Tabaxi deftly danced out of the way, catching it with her off hand and she shouldered her rucksack.

"Where is it?" Hester's voice was hushed, barely audible as she rifled through a box of colored gems.  Leather armor scratched and stained was half-buckled, hanging open across her torso.  Three daggers, rusted and dull, hung from a belt at her hip.  Cropped, black hair blended into the dark tent, her pale face glowing in the dim light. High cheekbones offset by thick brows and wide jaw spoke of her Northern heritage. 

Shifting the boxes, the glint of a bottle caught Hester's eye.  Stout, brown glass stamped with the crest of Kaebo or "Starfall" as the locals lovingly referred to it.  Known for its wines and cities built into sheer cliff faces, Starfall was home to many a seasoned traveller. Snatching the bottle from its resting place, Hester fondly remembered her first steps in that beautiful kingdom.

Starfall was a cruel contrast to the dull plains and sporadic forests of Wildhele. Hester shuddered, the realization and hopelessness of the country in which she now found herself was beginning to sink in.

In the fading torchlight, the three scars that traced across Hester's face caught the light, giving her a more rugged appearance. Her body toned from walking and barfights, was sturdy. At her hip was a silver whip, it shone brightly in the dim light. The handle was wrapped carefully in leather, a polished, clean weapon. 

The Tabaxi glanced at the wizard's book before setting it down gently on the box beside her. Leaning on her staff, Nera switched between watching for her companion and keeping a wary eye on Hester's frantic search. She watched as the human turned the gembox upside down. The jewels returning to the earth.

After a moment, she turned to the front of the tent, leaning her back flat against the fabric of the tent.  As she peered through the thin opening, her sharp eyes caught the Teifling's silhouette as it darted back from behind the other tent, "Belphi's coming back." 

Belphi nodded in greeting as he ducked beneath the fabric the Tabaxi held open for him.  "He's out cold," he whispered, acknowledging Nera motion to the pile of his things.

Nera watched as her companion dug through the pile of his clothing and armor before turning to the distracted human.  She hissed, closing the gap between them: "What are you looking for? We have to get out-"

"My ring!" Hester growled, "The bastards took my ring!"

"Uh," Belphi's breathless voice carried from the other side of some crates, "They are going to be waking up soon."

"Go on without me!" Hester ordered, hands moving feverishly through this third box of coin and gems. Roughly pushing her dull hair behind her ear, "I am not leaving." 

"Wait, uh, there's others," Belphi whispered. "Children in that, uh, other tent over there," he gestured vaguely with his thumb pointed to the left. "And, uh, cage.  Don't know if there's anything in it-"

Hester felt her temper, already boiling, spill over and burst out: "Who the fuck takes kids?" Her voice was loud and rough. Her hand slapped over her own mouth as the three froze, listening.

A bird's song cut through the tricking of crickets, disrupting the quiet calm of the morning.  Light began to seep into the tent from the gap at the ground.  The flap of bird's wings as a shadow flew past the back of the tent.

"Let us help you find it," Nera said, urgently.

"My father gave-" 

From the direction of the campfire, a voice loudly greeted the morning sun.  A conversation began, muffled.

"Lord, save us," Belphi muttered, hurriedly clasping the last of his boot buckles.

Brown eyes raised to the faces of these two people just as lost and alone as she was. For a moment, Hester felt her guard slip: "It is on a silver chain. Has a yellow diamond and a badger."

"It wasn't with your...uh..." Belphi searched for the word as he listened to the nearing voices, "...stuff?"

The look Hester threw at her new companion could have melted steel. Throwing her hands in the air, Hester violently mouthed another foul word before stepping back. Holding her head in her hands, she turned to the tent flap, "Let's go get those kids out of here."

Belphi grabbed her arm as she passed him, "What about your ring?"

Grasping the Trifling by his lapels, Hester pulled him down to her height.  Teeth gritted, she could feel the Cursed One's breath on her face. Blue eyes met red ones, one passive, the other's rage burning like a stormy ocean: "Then, we are fucking coming back."

Hands extended in surrender, the Teifling made to pull away when light suddenly blinded them. Both Teifling and human took steps back, covering their eyes with their hands.  Belphi stumbled on one of the empty jewelry boxes, falling heavily to the ground.

"Hello, there, toothpicks," greeted one of the three shadows at the open flap.

"Shit."