Tales of Fantasy & Wonder Vol. 1

XII - Flight to the River

Flight to the river

Game XII                                         December 29th, 2017.

Five days later the company of nine men and two water burdened mounts sighted a distant building toward which they steered, hoping for settlers or friendly refuge. Arriving by mid afternoon to the ruins of a raided home, the wearisome travellers retired from the sun's zenith in the shade of what remained, mainly the supporting corner of what could have been the main house.

Some of the sailors noticed that small fire had been kept, and reckoned by First Mate to be no more than a day old. Theo hitched both animals to the remains of a fence on the other side of the ruins, scouting the land for the well that must have supported the builders of the homestead. Returning by late afternoon, he could not locate the water, guessing that the raiders from some camp like Lord F.'s had plugged it with rock and earth to keep others from resettling.

Finishing their eventide supper without a fire of their own, Pinky and Hodge drew guard duty for that night, leaving the others to sleep as they walked the perimeter, Pinky coughing from time to time in the dark as Theo lay his head down to listen to the night before becoming comfortable enough to rest like the other men.

An hour or so passed, then Theo's eyes opened in alarm as his mind suddenly asked why he could no longer hear the old man's cough. Shifting out from the travel blankets as he continued to listen out for further danger, he tapped any men nearby to waken.

Seen rising from their beds by the feline night vision of half orc outriders, the group came under fire from their short riding bows, sending the men scrambling for cover as the air whistled. Theo called out for the sailors to leap through an empty window to the south side of the wall, covering them. Jerac returned arrow shot once he was on the other side, sharing the infravision sight of the desert raiders by blood. His target was a kokosh mounted scout circling to the east.

Theo drew his sword and called for Xammy to add some light to the scene as he reached for the bridle of his kokosh. Suddenly aware that someone had loosened it already from the fence, an unseen foe assailed him from the animals' right flank. The thief had been caught in the act, and more bad luck was to follow as the ranger tested the gifted sword from Vhendalla on his hide, bisecting the goblinoid sneak from crown to vertical frown in the light of Xammy's cantrip.

Arrows came from the west as well, another rider trying to keep them pinned now to the south side wall. Drawing his bow, Theo aimed for the region where the projectiles sprang from, pinning one of his own into the raider's side. Charging in retaliation, Theo drew his sword again as before clashing aside, his own strength knocking the rider down from impact. Jerac continued to harass the east raider with arrows, until watching it retreat after the fall of its companions.

Recovering the startled kokosh from the west raider, Theo turned back to count up the injuries of the other men. They were for all alive, but for Pinky. He was found with his throat cut, no doubt from the goblin thief who had unsuccessfully made an attempt to lead the animals away. He was buried that night as the sailors recalled their time aboard Faelie's Bluff with the old salt dog.

* * *

Continuing onward the next day, a river was sighted in the north by noon as the travellers wandered down gradient shallow hills, the sunlight burning like white embers on the serpentine meander of the waters. As the landscape moved their perspective with each hill, the river would hide from view, making it difficult to determine if there was a bridge or safe passage over.