The Iron Teeth

Playing With Fire 5

Blacknail reacted quickly to the fight brewing between the two men in front of him. He growled menacingly as he pulled himself to his feet and reached for the pommel of his blade. The hobgoblin's cloaked body was tense and hunched over as he readied himself to spring forward.

Sir Masnin threw a startled look the hobgoblin's way at the unexpected noise, and he hesitated. His eyes tore themselves away from Saeter and tried to peer past Blacknail's heavy clothes without success. Unnerved, the paladin hesitated and then turned back to the old scout.

"Sir Devos is a young fool" the paladin muttered as he reluctantly let his hands drop to his sides. "If he is truly attacking you and your compatriots then it's his own folly, although I fear I have been caught up in it."

Blacknail smiled proudly to himself. Obviously, he'd terrified the man into submission without even needing to fight. He sure was a scary warrior!

"He's got us all involved in this mess," Saeter huffed back. "Now, come with me. Herad wants to see you."

As Blacknail watched, the paladin nodded in agreement and then began to follow the older man. The hostility from moments before had yet to completely fade, though. Saeter kept one wary eye on the paladin while Blacknail glared suspiciously at the man's back as he followed.

Saeter led sir Masnin back through the camp and towards the entrance. There, Herad and her lieutenants were yelling orders at dozens of bandits that were running around. One of the outlaws near the chieftain had a trumpet and was signaling the call to arms. The annoyingly loud tones of the instrument filled the clearing and echoed off into the trees.

Almost everyone seemed focused on the eastern entrance to the camp, so Blacknail peered in that direction as well. However, the long dusty road that ran through the forest looked empty.

The hobgoblin grunted in annoyance. Hopefully this wasn't another stupid human waste of time. The trumpet was starting to give him a headache.

"How do you know Lord Strachan's men are on their way back? I don't see them," sir Masnin asked.

Saeter grunted in annoyance before answering.

"Herad had mounted scouts sent out to trail your friends the second they left. Apparently, they didn't go all that far. They picked up a few more men from the first village they crossed and then headed straight back here. Now, they're sitting up on the hill that lies down that road. It's just out of sight from here," Saeter explained.

"You must mean Datshire. It's the village we stopped at yesterday. We left our supplies and some of our retainers there," the paladin commented.

"I know it was Datshire. There aren't many villages left hereabouts and I've been to them all," Saeter replied scornfully.

Before sir Masnin could reply, Herad shouted in their direction.

"Come here, paladin," the bandit chieftain yelled as she motioned him closer.

"Mistress Herad, if my companions are really returning I need to talk to them. There is no reason for this to devolve into a fight," the paladin told her as he approached.

"That would be nice," Herad replied sarcastically. "I didn't call you over to play peacemaker, though. If these damned idiots plan on charging to their doom I want you within arm's reach where I can keep an eye on you."

"I know you outnumber sir Devos' force but they are trained and mounted knights," the paladin explained. "Your victory is far from a sure thing and would undoubtedly cost you in blood and souls. It would be better for everyone involved if it didn't come to violence."