Chapter 5 - OrCs at Dusk

The rest of the day’s ride passed uneventfully, if slowly. Tarn rode in front with the other two following close behind.Eventually, the long day in the saddle started to make themmore than a little sore, and Tarn called a halt near a bendin the river. A few trees provided both shade from the sunand shelter from the wind which all three knew would bringa chill to the spring air. They quickly went about the tasks of setting up a camp,and Tarn was surprised at how skilled Logan was. The bigcleric seemed to know his way around a campsite, and tookcharge, allowing Tarn to focus on caring for their horses.Before long though, Tarn grew sick of listening to the othertwo complain about their sore backsides as they worked

and took an efcient looking shortbow from his pack and

set off, promising to return with dinner. The others didn’tbelieve him —there was little game in the area —but aftervery little time he returned with a pair of rabbits. Loganlooked at him in surprise. “You shoot them with your bow?” Tarn’s smile showed a hint of amusement. “No, I didn’t. The bow was to protect me if any orcs came by to introducethemselves. I caught these with a snare,” he replied,holding the remnants of the trap in his left hand. Nyla cameover, grabbed the rabbits in one hand, and quickly begancleaning them. “I can do that,” he told her.She looked at him with one eye as she took one of therabbits in her hand. “You think I can’t clean and cook ananimal?” Tarn shook his head. “Well, I can, you know, and Iknow for certain that I’m a better cook than you.” Tarn chuckled. “Ten years in the army teaches a person

how to cook food over an open re well enough, girl.”

She smiled at him as she slit open the rabbit and beganto clean out its intestines. “I never said you couldn’t cook,

old man.

But I’ve been making food for customers in myUncle’s inn since I was ten, and I know that merchantshave a much more

refned

palate than hungry soldiers.”

Logan called out from his spot by the re, “She has you there, Tarn.” Tarn ipped up his hands, concedingher point. He went over and sat by the re with Logan,

and the two of them sat chatting in an amiable manner.“Headstrong girl, isn’t she?” Logan queried.“Girl? She’s not that much younger than you,” Tarn

replied. “You’re what, all of twenty-ve winters?” Logan

nodded. “Unlike you, I really am old compared to her.”

Logan said nothing, but sat staring into the re for several

moments. Tarn broke the silence with a quiet statement. “I just hope she isn’t taking on more than she can manage.Sure, she handled those drunken cattlemen well enough,but orcs?” He stretched his arms back, and then kicked atthe dirt with his boot. “What he we gotten ourselves into,Shieldbrother?”Logan just shrugged in response.

* * *

The night slipped by quietly enough, with little otherthan Nyla’s fascination with the distant wolf calls to disturbthem, and so the three companions arose early. They brokecamp and enjoyed a quick breakfast of trail rations beforesaddling up the horses and heading out. Tarn set a hard pace as they headed down the road. The day was beautiful —a clear blue sky stretching acrossthe prairie, and they made good time. The sun marchedslowly across the sky, and the three travelers rode incompanionable silence until, late in the afternoon, Nyla

sighted the wooden buildings of Redwatch far off in thedistance. She reigned in her horse and waited as the otherspulled up next to her. “What do you think?” She asked. Tarn and Logan looked at each other, then at her, andboth shrugged simultaneously. “I suppose that’s up to you,since you’re the tracker,” Tarn replied. “Obviously, we caneither ride into town and ask around there what’s going on,or we can start looking for tracks around here.” He lookedat Nyla, who despite her question, seemed to be looking off into the distance and ignoring her companions.She turned in her saddle and motioned off into thedistance. “You see that?” she asked. Tarn and Logan both looked over toward where shepointed. “See what?She pointed again, off in the direction away from thevillage and toward the west. “Over there, beyond that lowswale. A glint off something where nothing should be.” Tarn shook his head, and Logan kept looking as if heshould see something, but obviously couldn’t. Nyla gavean exasperated sigh, and gesturing emphatically, pointedagain. “Aaaah! Right over there!” Tarn cupped his hand over his eyes to shield himself from the glare of the setting sun. “I don’t see anything.Nyla, I think you’re imagining…. Wait! What was that?”Nyla let an amused smile come to her face. “Half-elf, remember? I have better eyesight that you —but

not by much. I gured you should see it.” She paused

momentarily. “What do you think? Should we go check itout?”Logan looked at her. “At this time of day? So nearRedwatch? Surely it’s just a shepherd or a cattleman