Snippet #1473896

Forest, ???

The brothers pressed on, their footsteps hurried though their eyes and movements seemed more cautious. Gormun followed a few lengths behind his brother, who spent most of his time sweeping the ground for signs of what lay ahead of them. Looking away from the back of his brother he took in the sights of the trees pressed around them, of various size, shape and kind. He closed his eyes form a moment and looked ahead, his mind filled with stories the Shawoman told him… told all of them of a time before the Dragons. Where the Civee were the enemies but there was still a freedom to move around. Their father was one such hunter that combed the forests for threats to the horde and food.

The horde… another thing that died quickly with the dragons. Thousands of Orcs used to be under the Shawoman’s care, after the death of her husband and the War Lord. Guided by her premonitions and fighting the Civee when necessary, it was a sensation he’d never know. Their horde fell to shambles at the fall of Gia, so many Orcs dead in the aid of helping others escape… And for what? To watch two of them to be wiped from the face of the earth and third vanish, for some of their closest friends be turned into mindless animals.

Movement brought his mind back to the task at hand; Brack had raised his war hammer. Caution, something ahead, keep silent. The signals were practiced constantly between the two, a silent code only they knew, it helped make them efficient. Hunkering down, shoulders dropping as a hand clutched the handle of his sword his eyes peered around as he drew closer.

“More bodies. ‘Nother fight.” Brack motioned ahead a bit and when Gormun squinted his eyes a bit he could see them.

“Lead on.” He fell into place a few steps behind his younger brother, bodies crouched as them moved towards and past the corpses, his brother using his war hammer in short low swishes to knock aside the brush and look for tracks. The sound of their walking in the brush and fallen leaves had dropped dramatically. Looking at the back and side of his brother’s face, he didn’t need a signal to know he found someone’s tracks. With his free hand he patted his brother’s back and they pressed on.

---

The sound dropped again. Yanis sucked in his breath and kept as quiet as he cold, still moving on but trying not to make any noise as he moved on. Something or someone was following him and it seemed to have half a mind to hide its approach to an extent. Did the Children send someone back to makes sure they were all dead? Had they picked up his trail? That didn’t seem right. Since when did a single Child need to sneak around after one injured target? The approach was closer and he moved around a tree quickly and quietly, pressing himself to it and closing his eyes, trying to have his stomach and mind ignore the throb where his hand was missing.

Waiting and listening to the occasional sound from his pursuers set his mind on edge. Breathing slowly his eyes looked to the side, waiting for them to catch up and hopefully move on. He could hear their footfalls clearly now, there was two of them. At that moment a pair of Orcs moved past him and stopped, both standing up from their crouched run.

Looking at them closely their dark green bodies were covered with marks and scars, their armor died deep brown and some sort of leather, the shorter of the two seemed to be carrying both a war hammer AND a battle axe. The other had a sword that could easily be as large as he was. He saw no mark or hint of them being Children, and he doubted one of the Children would even remove their white robes. Perhaps they had been hunting the forest and led as well? But why would they need to sneak around, and why would they stop after just passing him?

He had to get to the tower and the signal as fast as he could, but moving around the orcs and keeping himself hidden from them may take more time than necessary. Stepping out from the tree he approached them, ”Were you looking for me?”

---

Brack spun around at the sound of the voice, hands clenching his weapons before he paused and looked down. The halfling before him wore armor, and was missing a hand, the wound untreated but the bleeding stopped. He seemed tired, bothered by pain, yet determined. “What’re you doing out here?”

“You’re not with the Children I take it?”

“Ha, we with the Shawoman. Sent us out here to stop premonition. Who’re you?” He pointed his finger back at the smaller of the three in the area.

“Yanis, soldier of the Legion of Ashes. I won’t ask about this Sha…woman or these premonitions, but I will take your help.”
The brothers looked between each other. “What you need?”

“I need to make it to a tower to raise a signal to warn the Legion about the Children. Skipping the details I’m slightly more than half way, could you help me get there?”

The brothers looked at each other again, “Maybe premonition helps legion?”
“Great threat to Legion may threaten Shawoman.”
“Threaten Shawoman, threaten tribe.”
“Yes.” The spoke as one and faced the Halfling.

“We give you our aid.” Brack smiled as best his tusks would allow. “Lead us to this tower.”

---

Forest, ?????

”Stop!

Only a whisper called out but in the forest of silence it was heard as clear as day. The brothers and Yanis stopped and turned, the larger two of the three ready and guarded for an attack.

In the trees a small bit away stood a huntress. She was a deep human and her skin was as pale as the full moon, untouched from the sun in a long time. Silver hair streaked with white fell down over her shoulders as a few remained forwards. Her armor was tanned and mixed of earthy browns and blacks, almost as if it sat with the shadows. In her hands was a smooth and intricately carved longbow, the quiver hovering near right shoulder. Two blade handles rested over her left shoulder as a long blade rested at her right hip. Her bow was drawn; arrow aimed at the small group though her hands shook slightly. Sapphire eyes watching them, as the barest edge of crimson lurked there.

”What are you doing here?”