The sight is an eerie one. A narrow road snakes between the wings of a dark forest. With the rain stopped, fog has crept across the night land, obscuring vision.
To the south, a prison cart, drawn by two draft horses, bears Hobb and his family down the road. From the north, towards you, gallop six Sathanids of the Tol Nedran Spectral Legion, weapons drawn, white horses at full gallop, bearing down on the cart.
Raising his hands to the sky, Khom-bei calls out; "Great Father, hide us from the Dark Ones that we may strike them down." He moves to touch each of his companions, making them invisible to the undead racing toward them.
The fog is thick, murky, and clings to the trees and seems to seep into your bones. On one side of the road, behind a fallen bole, lurk Kane and Brion...on the other side, Khom-Bei and Thragga, weapons drawn, ready to strike as the spectres gallop past. The undead warriors, in banded armor, approach. As they close, a small figure breaks off from the cart to the south as it is about to round a bend. It waves a small dagger defiantly at the fearsome warriors.
"Come on, I am not afraid!" cries Tyrin...ten years old and fearless, like his heroes the Hunters.
As the others move to hide along the roadside, Khom-bei grasps a leather pouch that hangs around his neck and walks in a circle on the road.
A cry of glee goes up from the lead Spectre at the sight of the small boy. The Spectres seem to suspect nothing, as you are cloaked by Khom-Bei's magic.
Khom-Bei moves to hide near Thragga and again calls upon his god: "Great Father, grant me your aid in this battle and look upon me favorably."
Kane readies himself to spring and attack.
Thragga bows his head over his axe at Khom-Bei's prayer.
Khom-Bei says, "Great Father, bless these warriors in your fight against the Dark Ones."
Brion sprints out unseen to rescue the foolish boy. He races down into the roadbed, muttering as he runs "Stupid, stupid boy!"
The trees here form a thick canopy of branches over the road.
Thragga grips his axe with both hands and breathes deeply, driving himself into a rage. Soon he is grunting, spitting and hissing with Urag fury.
Tyrin holds out Brion's dagger. Then he see Brion racing towards him and whines, "I am not afraid! We will fight together!"
As the spectres race along the road, Khom-bei stands and calls again on the Great Father as he steps unseen into the path of the riders.
Kane draws Light Bringer and brings the pommel to his lips. He says to himself, "This is a good day to die, but a better day to hunt."
Brion races up to the boy sword in hand. He jumps in front of Tyrin waiting the spectral assault
As Khom-Bei steps into the roadway, the two lead horses draw up close, shrieking in rage and kicking out their forelegs. Their riders wheel about tightly. The leader cries..."Be...ware!"
Kane stalks quietly out into the road towards the lead rider, draws back Light Bringer and attacks.
As the horses rear, Khom-bei extends his hands and yells: "The Great Father commands that you return to your foul place of origin!"
The leader glares at Khom-Bei and begins to point his sword. Kane drives Light Bringer through his head and out the other side, then yanks his sword out. Green light leaks from crevices in the spectre's banded armor, and there's a sudden implosion as the cursed soul flees the dead shell. A cold wind sweeps over all of you, and the suddenly empty armor drops from the horse's back.
In the rear, one of the blinded spectres reins his horse about in terror at Khom-Bei's words.
Thragga hacks at the second Spectre, but his axe passes harmlessly through the warrior's undead body. The Urag gives a grunt of rage.
Brion grabs Tyrin, throws him over his shoulder, and sprints for the safety of the treeline.
The two spectres behind the leader charge forward, slicing at Kane from horseback.
The black blades cut and thrust at Kane. Light Bringer parries one, the flames lighting the fog...but the second drives home.
The second spectre's weapon cuts deep into Thragga. A black radiance envelops the Urag and he growls in incoherent rage. Thragga throws off the unholy weapon and lashes out with his axe again.
The Spectre howls in frustration as Kane shrugs off the energy drain.
A fourth spectre bears down on Khom-Bei in the roadway. The black blade is raised high and slashes into Khom-Bei's flesh. A white light rushes up the blade from Khom-Bei's wound, into the Spectral warrior. The Northerling goes a little pale, and staggers.
Thragga's massive strike passes through the warrior again. He howls now, wordlessly.
Staggering backward from the spectre's attack, Khom-bei stabs his hands toward the thing; "I command you! Be gone!"
The shaman's form fairly glows with holy fire as he makes his imprecation. Something stirs...you sense a presence. The four Sathanid warriors hiss in impotent fury, waving weapons..One calls..."This...is...not...over...Hunters!"
Brion stashes Tyrin in the woods, under a huge oak, and draws his rapier, watching the fight from a distance. When Tyrin tries to run to help, Brion grabs him by the ear and drags him back. "Stay here, kid!"
The remaining spectres mutter between them in an archaic tongue, slow and hissing and full of consonants. They wheel their horses around and turn to flee back up the road.
Kane thrusts deep into a fleeing spectre as Thragga also strikes. Thragga's axeblow drives the creature's visored helmet from its head, revealing a hairless skin as pale and shining and pitted as the surface of the moon, with baleful black eyes. It hisses in terror and spurs its horse away.
Seeing the Sathanids flee, Khom-bei drops to his knees with his head bowed, clutching his prayer bag with both hands. He says, "We thank you for your aid, Great Father. I am your servant, always.""
Brion cheers from the treeline. "You should have left one for me!"
The Sathanids gallop away at top speed the way they came, fleeing in terror of their souls.
Kane mounts up on his horse looking as if he intends to follow them.
Khom-Bei stands shakily and whistles for his pony. "We should go now, Kane. They may have allies following."
Thragga roars at their retreating backs. "We can still catch them and send all of them to hell!"
Kane looks from Khom-Bhei to the fleeing spectres and finally shakes his head, mad at the loss of his quarry.
Tyrin races up to Khom-Bei. "You were great!"
Kane says, "Stay Thragga, it will have to wait for another day. Now we must see to the boy and his family."
Brion ambles up behind the boy. "This was nothing, kid. You should have seen the time Kane and I...well, me mostly...took six Vorghol Elders in a fight. I could have taken them all if Kane hadn't held me back."
Khom-Bei places his hand on the boys head. "I am not great, child. I only do the work which the Great Father allows me."
Kane says, "Quickly let us be out of here. I'd hate to have to sic Brion on them."
Khom-Bei climbs aboard his pony chuckling. "Yes, that would be a shame, Kane."
Thragga is glowering down at the boy. "You were foolish, you could have been killed."
Kane says, annoyed, "He was not--so let's move and save the lecture for later."
Thragga snorts. He lifts the boy on his shoulder. "Do not do that again, or I shall spank you. And you would not like an Urag spanking."
Brion retrieves the horse and the pony. He mounts up, pointing down the roadway in the direction the cart went.
The fog has come thick and soupy now, and visibility is nearly nil.
Kane sends his horse up the road at a gallop. He is soon lost to view in the thick fog.
Khom-Bei kicks his pony into motion after Kane.
Visibility is no more than a few feet in this thick mist. Such mists are common here in the foothills of the Dragonsback range.
Khom-Bei says, "Thragga, can you track in this fog?"
Thragga calls, from somewhere behind, "Yes, but I cannot see!"
Tyrin says, "I am not afraid!"
Khom-Bei reins in his pony and calls out. "Kane, Brion, we must stick together."
Brion suggests, "Perhaps we should stay on the road, Kane...they couldn't have gotten too far."
Kane slows his horse and waits for the others to catch up.
You all gather in the roadside. The night is silent, and you don't hear the cart away to the south.
Khom-Bei says, "We must keep together and move slowly. If they have stopped, we could miss them in this fog."
Thragga says, "Wait here...I will track them. The little girls leave the scent of fear all over the roadside." He sets down Tyrin, squats by the road a moment to get the spoor, then dashes off into the fog.
Tyrin looks after him admiringly.
Kane says, "Don't look so worried boy. If anyone can find your family, Thragga can."
Thragga's howl is heard in the near distance. "Come, come, at once! Follow the road!'
Khom-Bei kicks his pony into a canter and follows the road into the fog.
Brion clings to Kane as he bumps along behind him.
Kane draws Light Bringer and races to Thragga.
Realizing that they have left Tyrin behind, Khom-bei reins in his mount and lifts the boy up behind him before following Kane into the mist.
Thragga is standing near the abandoned prison cart. The horses are gone, and so are Hobb and the two little girls. Thragga points off through the woods.
Tyrin gasps. "Are...they dead?"
Thragga gestures. "There was a struggle. Little feet. Someone took the horses, and the girls. The trail leads off that way." He points down a short slope that leads down into a hollow.
Kane inspects the the track signs.He says, "There were anywhere from ten to twenty of them. Probably women or small men."
Khom-Bei says, "What about Hobb?"
Brion says, "Maybe they carried him off on horseback."
The tracks are of a group of small feet, barefoot. Between ten and twenty.
Brion gives Tyrin back his dagger.
Kane tells the rest: "Follow me!" and heads into the woods following the trail.
Khom-Bei dismounts and whispers to his pony. "Stay here."
As you head into the darkened woods, the trees close in about you. They are tall, fragrant pines, in the last blush of autumn. The forest is darker than the roadway.
Thragga puts Tyrin on his shoulder again and races off after Kane.
As Kane leads you into a hollow by a rocky, shallow, creek, about a dozen small figures spill into the hollow, with sharp spears levelled in your direction.
Khom-Bei readies his great hammer with a snarl. "I am getting very tired of this place."
They are barefoot, clad in dark silks, long hair tousled and knotted. These can only be Dorje, the nomadic Tobon folk. "Hunters! You Hunters must be!" one says.
Thragga gives a roar, brandishing his axe. "Gholibins! Let the girls go or I will kill each of you slowly! Face me in single combat!"
Brion says, "Uh...Thragga..."
Khom-Bei steps forward and places a hand on Thraggas shoulder; "No, Thragga, not Gholibins."
Thragga roars again. "Who will be the first to die??"
Brion shakes his head.
Khom-Bei says, "Thragga! Hold!""
Thragga cries. "No mercy! Death to the Gholibin filth!"
Khom-Bei thumps Thragga lightly in the ribs with his hammer; "Thragga! These are friends!"
Kane says, "Hold Thragga. Let us parley first with our little friends."
The leader hurries forward, hands up. "No fighting! No fighting, we beg of you ! We only to wanted to keep the horses safe!"
Kane says, "You range far Dorje warriors."
Khom-Bei says, "Where are the girls and their father?"
Thragga hisses, "Friends?" He glowers at the Dorje and does a double-take. "Oh."
Kane says, "You have friends of ours in your keeping." This is not a question.
The leader bows. "Yes, yes, friends. I am Ducas. Our camp is not far from here. We are safe keeping them. We saw the fight between you and the spectres! Dorje no friends with the Vorghol!"
Brion dismounts. "Look, Kane, they were doing us a favor."
Kane extends his hand, "I am Kane. Take us to your camp."
Thragga glowers at Tyrin. "Do not go near them. This could be some Gholibin trick."
Khom-Bei whistles softly for his pony.
Kane says, "Thragga, calm down they appear to mean us no harm. We shall go with them and collect the boy's family."
Ducas beams. "Dorje no friends to Vorghol." His troupe parts and points off through the woods, where you can see a fire twinkling in the mist.
The steppe pony appears in the hollow at Khom-Bei's side.
Kane follows the Dorje.
Ducas leads on through the woods. You emerge in a shallow clearing, and Hobb and his two daughters are watching some Dorje dance by the fire, while they recline and eat roast duck. Hobb gets to his feet and waves, and Tyrin leaps down and races to embrace him.
The camp is broad and well-lit. Stout ponies stand near, and tents are pitched here and there. The whole encampment is probably fifty Dorje. It's a welcoming oasis on this dark night.
Brion grins. "Now this beats fighting Sathanids!"
Khom-Bei says, "Ducas, would you answer some questions?"
The Dorje greet you in ritual fashion, bowing and inviting you to share their fire and food.
Thragga's stomach rumbles loudly. The sound is like boulders rolling downhill.
Khom-Bei returns the bows of the Dorje, his skin pale in the light of the fire.
Kane says to the Dorje Leader, "How comes your tribe to be so close to the city?
Ducas shrugs. He offers Kane a spitted roasted duck, succulent and smelling of garlic. "We just were there. Trading for supplies. City needs herbs, spices, and Dorje have plenty of those."
Khom-Bei says, "You can travel freely in this land?"
Kane takes the duck and takes a bite.
Ducas shakes his head. "Not freely. But Dorje quietly move."
Thragga wipes drool from the corner of his mouth. He hasn't been offered any.
Khom-Bei looks around for somewhere to sit.
There is a circle of logs around the central campfire.
Khom-Bei leads his pony to some nearby grass and returns to sit by the fire while the animal eats.
Kane takes a few more bites of the duck then hands the rest to Thragga.
Brion helps himself to some of the duck, and passes a drumstick to Tyrin. "I've run into Dorje before, Kane...They trade in the cities and villages, make a few coins as they can, and then wander out again."
Thragga jams the entire carcass into his maw looks wideeyed with glee. He crunchcrunches the bird, bones and all.
Khom-Bei says, "Good people to have as friends."
Kane says, "Perhaps."
Thragga crunches.
Brion pulls a pipe from his pocket and lights it from the campfire.
Ducas insists, "Dorje afraid of spectres. Saw your fight and tried to keep family safe." Hobb sits next to Kane.
Kane says, "And for this you have our gratitude."
Khom-Bei gives thanks to the Great Father and helps himself to some duck and a few roasted roots from the fire.
Hobb and his daughters sit next to you. "And ours. But what now?"