(Reunion)
It is dusk when we finally reach our destination. The camp is just as devastated as we anticipated. Smoking craters tear through the camp, leaving a haze in the air. Through the smoke screen we can make out two large shapes in the distance. Straining my eyes I just make out that the larger is a bison. That can only mean one thing. Stepping forward I call a traditional greeting, from trollkin to another. It must be one of my people. The figure straightens, looks my direction and approaches cautiously. “Vessas?” he enquires. With a cry I spring forward, this is someone I know! In fact, it is none other than Keblan, we would play together as youth before his kriel left ours for other pastures. He has grown since the last time I set eyes on him. With a hug, I introduce the Rider to my group and then we sit and start catching up as the others explore the camp.
Gorem and Whist circle the camp, making their observations and then reporting back. It is obvious this was an ambush; most everyone is dead although it looks like a couple may have escaped. This looks more like a political group than a research gathering though. I notice the gobber is off looting goggles from one of his own, predictable. Thale asks Gareth if his friend we were coming to meet is among the dead. He is, but it looks like his assistant is missing, possibly one of the survivors. True to character, Gorem taps the only undamaged keg as Keblan and I rejoin the group. Keblan tells us that he was tracking a Khadoran force when he came across this place. He was following them to keep his kriel out of their way. It looks like anything of value has already been looted from this place, but we set an uneasy watch anyway. Gareth and Gorem take first shift, sharing ale as they settle against the barrel.
It’s sunlight that waked us from our slumber. With unease we stand and find the dwarf asleep in his cups. Gareth is nowhere to be found, the tablet and hammer are gone also. Waking the dwarf takes a little effort and we realize it is more than just strong ale that has come over him. Thale takes a look around the camp and finds where Gareth went off after the other survivors. Keblan decides to join us for this part of our journey, so we all mount up as best we can with the mounts at hand. Thankfully the bison is strong enough to carry two trollkin so that my horse can be used by another.
A couple hours down the path we see where Gareth joined up with someone else who apparently had a horse for him. We don’t break for lunch since our quarry has a good lead on us now. By mid-day we see smoke on the horizon. The gobber and Thale sneak ahead to check out the situation. There is good cover in the woods to our right so they circle through that to see a tent standing on the edge of the wood. There are two men outside, neither of which they recognize. As they start back to tell us, we realize Gorem is already running towards the camp. He wishes revenge for the drugging in his ale. With a cry the rest of us start charging, might as well try to protect the party. I can only hope that these are not innocent bystanders. The gobber reaches the camp first but trips and misses both men. Thale hits and kills his target and Gorem catches the other man by surprise killing him as well. Whist razorwinds the tent in the chance that Gareth might be there, but it falls in tatters and is empty. Looking up, we can see a rider in the distance, without stopping to check with the party Keblan and I take off after him.
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