This update got away from me a bit length-wise, I think.***
"Alright, here they come," Stalia said when the first wagon rounded the bend on the road below. She squinted, trying to make out the indistinct figures of the caravan's guards. "Looks like they did fall behind the wagon when the road narrowed," she paused in thought before making her decision. "We're doing this. Weiss, Dza, get ready."
Even Stalia she of the "let's steal everything, travel a thousand miles through the wilderness, and then traverse the goddamn mountains to boot" plan took some persuading to raid the monthly food transport from Catchdike. This was because the idea came from Dza and, as far as the whole group was concerned, Dza was completely insane.
Back in Standardblunt, Dza's family secured him a job in the communal kitchens. But he found that boring and one day rode a bull through the dining hall during the noon meal, throwing meat pies at fleeing diners.
His father pulled in some favors and got Dza assigned to the fortress's massive underground farms. Perhaps he hoped that wading through knee-deep muck for the whole day would keep his son too tired to cause trouble. But Dza found that boring as well, and got caught trying to organize a mud wrestling club.
Using all their remaining clout, his family managed to get him into Standardblunt's militia, hoping this, at least, would keep Dza's interest. Things were fine until his first training bout, which ended with the overenthusiastic Dza biting off another recruit's ear. This proved the final straw after getting kicked out of the militia, he was exiled to the Mudhole.
"We're sticking to the plan," Stalia said, pulling down the darkened goggles over her eyes. "Remember no names. Matter of fact, no talking unless it's life or death. And no
biting," she added, giving Dza a hard look. "Let's try and stay anonymous for at least a bit longer."
"Right-o, Boss Lady," the dwarf grinned broadly, proudly displaying an array of gleaming white teeth. "Today my babies stay holstered," he promised, covering his face up with a scarf.
Dza loved the Mudhole. The danger, the violence, the daily struggle to survive he couldn't get enough of it. He didn't even mind serving as the group's cook not when getting the food on the stove usually meant prying it out of someone's hands while biting their face off.
His teeth were famous throughout shantytown. Huge, sharp, pearly white unless they just happened to be stained with someone's blood. They were known and feared enough, that Stalia would take Dza with her to negotiations with goblin gangs just for the added intimidation value.
"Just think of all the food they're carrying," Weiss could hardly contain his excitement. "And we'll get the wagon and the horses as well."
"Not possible," Stalia shook her head. "Not with every patrol from here to Catchdike looking for it if we pull this off. You'll be talking us to the old quarry we'll meet the others there, grab what we can, and run on foot."
"Well, that sucks," Weiss threw another longing view at the wagons. "And for this trek of yours, do you plan to have us carry everything on our backs?"
"Of course not. We'll be getting a different wagon."
"Oh? Where from?"
"There's this- damn, they just passed the mark. Dza!"
The dwarf was already in position. He covered his eyes with his own set of goggles and, with a grin visible even under the scarf, kicked the support out from under the platform holding back the stones.
With a terrifying crash, nearly twenty tons of rock went over the ledge, gathering speed as they tumbled down the steep incline and towards the caravan, where dwarves were looking up, pointing, shouting, and predictably enough panicking.
"I think we timed it right!" Stalia yelled over the noise. "Our turn!"
And all three of them jumped off the ledge.
When the rumbling started, both the driver of the leading wagon, and the marksdwarf riding with him on the box seat looked up to see the rockslide bearing down right at them. But whereas the guard froze in shock, the driver cracked the reins and yelled, urging the horses forward, while behind them stones crashed into the road and any dwarves or animals that didn't managed to get out of the way.
The wagon came to a stop a few dozen feet away. The sound of falling rocks was fading, giving way to terrified whinnies and the cries of the wounded. The air was thick with dust. The driver coughed, spat, then looked at the still shocked guard.
"We should head back and he-"
Then Dza arrived, dropping down on both their heads.
A foot to the head sent the guard off the side of the wagon and most likely tumbling further down the slope, towards the river. Dza was too busy repeatedly punching the driver in the face to care. Stalia landed on the cart with a surprised gasp, followed by Weiss, who immediately jumped down onto the road and started calming down the horses which, already jittery after the rockslide, were now on the edge of panic.
The drive finally unconscious, Dza threw him off the wagon as well, and turned around, scanning for threats, but the only think he could make out was a single body, half-buried under the fallen rocks. He looked down at Stalia, who was still sitting down, clutching her left ankle.
"Sprained," she explained through clenched teeth. "We need to get moving!" this was directed at Weiss, who climbed into the seat and took the reins, getting the wagon moving.
"Ouch," he said, noticing the ankle. "Will you be able to walk?"
"Doubt it. I'll be talking the boat."
"Alone? Are you crazy?!"
They've hidden a small boat about half a mile down the river, as an escape route in case something went wrong.
"We're already one person less for carrying this stuff," she retorted. "Can't afford to lose another just to carry me. I'll be fine.
"Once you get to the quarry, Niyazov knows where to take the supplies. We'll meet back at the hideout in the morning."
***
"Certainly," Stalia replied to the goblin.
Dza knew that tone of voice. He's been around Boss Lady long enough to know that she only ever used it if negotiations were about to
break down. Therefore, even though he didn't know where she got the sword, he wasn't surprised in the least when the goblin leader died in the span of a moment. And Boss Lady's warcry and charge preceded his own only by a split second.
He picked the bowgoblin as his target, a manic grin already creeping onto his face as he dashed forward. The goblin fumbled with an arrow, sending it wide in a hurried shot. Before he could draw another one, Dza was upon him.
Not bothering with subtlety, Dza simply slammed into the goblin, causing him to fly back and crash into the tree trunk behind him, air driven from his lungs by the impact. Before the hapless brigand could recover, Dza grabbed his chin, tilting his head back. Then, in a single motion, he bit down on and ripped out the goblin's throat, turning a frightened cry into a dying gurgle.
His enormous grin stained red, rivulets of blood running down his beard, the dwarf straightened up, looking for another victim. His eyes fell upon the two macegoblins taking swings at Stalia, as she danced between them, parrying some blows, dodging others. She was no trained swordsdwarf, clutching the blade clumsily, and barely managing to hold her own, staying alive only thanks to her superior reach and even so, she was being driven back.
He was starting to move to help her, when it happened. One of the goblins swung his mace in a quick, nasty downward arc aimed at the dwarf's hip. Stalia saw it coming and slashed up to parry. The two weapons connected.
And the sword the dwarven sword the product of dwarven smiths, working with dwarven steel.
It broke.
***
I couldn't come up with an idea for a prelude for a second animal trainer that wouldn't read similar to the one for Niyazov, so instead I'm having Weiss appear as a supporting character in this update, and the next one. I hope empfan doesn't mind too much.
Also, there's still two slots open for the starting dwarves. Volunteers?
Author
Topic: [Community] The Broken Clan - Exiles (Read 4368 times)