Blade of Erogrund

Chapter Six- Confrontation

A rough hand shook Godric's shoulder, jolting him awake suddenly. With a sharp flash of pain, he felt the top of his head connect with someone's jaw.

"Niron, lad!" Thain stumbled away from where the drowsy boy lie. "Next time give a bit of a warning, won't you?" The dwarf tenderly massaged his chin.

Godric sat up and mumbled a half-hearted apology. He clung tightly to the thick cowl Ennor had given him, drawing it farther around his shoulders. The brisk morning air seemed to sting his bare skin even beneath his shirt as he glanced around the make-shift camp.

The wolf was still pacing back and forth in front of what looked to be the coals of the previous night's fire while Ennor rolled up his bedroll and loaded his pack. Thain was drinking some foul-looking green concoction which, judging by the veritable greenhouse of wilted leaves that lay strewn around the fire area, was some kind of herbal tea.  Sarah was nowhere in sight.

Grunting as a sharp stone jabbed him in the side, Godric turned over to see where Mira was. Or, rather, should have been.

"Where is Mira?!" He leaped to his feet, flashes of the conversation he had picked up on the previous night striking through his mind, particularly the parts about leaving the two of them behind.

Ennor glanced casually up at him. "Sarah took her down to the spring over yonder," He said, waving a hand toward the east of the camp. "Sarah wanted to clean up a bit and the girl figured that she would too, while the opportunity presented itself."

Godric inspected the young man's face for signs of deceit but, apparently finding none, turned to pick up his cloak from where it had fallen. His sword protruded awkwardly from behind him, pushing the back of the coat up from where it normally should have fallen, but he ignored it with a shrug. His breath came in misty puffs as his hands worked to tie the knots.

"Hellstorm, it's cold."

Thain nodded, the expanse of his facial hair following suit. "Aye, that it is." Ennor said nothing.

The dwarf took another long drought of his tea before setting the flask down on a crude stone and gestured to where Godric's sword remained visible. "That reminds me, lad. You dropped this in Dunn after Narn almost turned you into mince meat." The stocky man chuckled and reached into his ragged pack, pulling out the silver dagger and sheath that Godric had dropped when he was struggling with the wolf. "It is a fine quality weapon to be sure and I know you would hate to have to part with it."

The boy took the dagger with a nod of thanks and hastily strapped it to his waist, but had trouble with the icy metal buckle. Hiis dwarf companion appeared to notice.

"Here, have a dowse of this. It will warm your hands and put a fire in your heart." Thain handed the boy a steaming mug of tea that he took reluctantly.

As soon as he touched it, however, warmth spread from the cup and blossomed from his fingers into his hands. Eyeing it carefully, he inspected the contents of the flask. It was by far the strangest looking tea he had ever seen. The consistency appeared thick, almost like gravy except a minty green color, with flakes of dried leaves and peculiar lumps that rippled across its surface like marbles. Good gracious....

"Umm.... Are you sure about this?" He asked, his doubt obviously showing through. Thain cackled with laughter.

"Aye. Good stuff that." The dwarf took a long, slurping drink, streams of the frothy liquid oozing down his beard as he did so.

With more than a few reservations, the boy raised the grizzly looking broth to his lips and tasted a sip of it. A wave of immediate regret radiated like the heat from the drink, flashing form his taste buds down his throat. The harsh tea was the most bitter thing he had ever had the misfortune to taste, which was followed by a residual spicy, grainy substance that coated his mouth like foul-tasting sand.