A Tale of the Wolf Folk Sea
The orc led the unicorns into the night dark market square. He looked about as the animals nosed wearily at the cobbles and stray detrius. Other than a few tradesmen, craftsmen, and merchants the square was empty. The sound of a silver smith working on a ring came clear, but other than that it was quiet.
"Heras!" a voice cried, "what kept you?"
Orc and unicorns turned to see a human come out of the shadows. The Orc smiled.
"Griga, my friend," said he with a grin of his own, "I was delayed."
Man gave orc a look.
What would keep one such as you?" the Human inquired.
The orc replied, "First, there was a dead dragon."
Griga scratched one unicorn, a young mare, between the eyes. He then inspected the other five as he asked, "A dragon?"
"I was coming down the North Shore Road," the orc replied, following the human as the latter inspected the steeds, "When I came to seawyrm point I found by way blocked by a goodly crowd, who had their way blocked by a dead dragon, and the two wizards arguing over who would get the parts."
The man stopped to ask, "They couldn't..."
"Both insisted that he alone was to get the dragon's organs. A good three ton beast too."
"Wizards."
Man and orc continued assessing the unicorns.
"And?" Griga continued.
"'Bout an hour later a 40 ton seawyrm hauled itself up out of the ocean, grabbed the corpse, and made off with it."
That got a snort from the man.
"Ended their argument, now didn't it?" he noted with a smile.
Stepping back to the mare he asked, "This is a nice one, hope you're not..."
"No," Heras said, "She's my mount, and not for sale. Windblossom's a good unicorn, a good steed, and not one I'd care to lose."
Pointing at her feet Griga noted, "Dang near a three toe, and smarter seeming than the others. Were she mine I'd keep her too."
The animal in question gave him an approving nuzzle. May have been the praise. May have been his sure hand at scratching the itchy spots.
Human turned again to the orc and asked of him, "That wasn't the sole reason for you lateness, right?"
"The second delay came but a block from here. A trio of bravos decided I needed help with my unicorns. I assured them I was having no trouble at all, but they did not believe me."
"Just three?"
"Just three."
Orc and man smiled very big smiles.
"After twenty-three years of delivering unicorns here you'd think people would know you by now. So how long did it take you to kill them?"
"I didn't."
The look on the human's face brought the smile back to the orc's.
"Windblossom spitted the lead felon on her horn, the other two went running off yelling for the law."
With a look of disbelief and a canted head Griga asked, "The law?"
"You're breeding your criminals stupid these days."
"Damn near imbecilic."
As the rest of the unicorns crowded around to get their heads scratched Griga inquired of his friend. "Did the law show up?"
"That they did, and it turns out they knew both me and the muggers. Took the two survivors off to be interrogated, and the deceased off to be questioned by a necromancer. But sorting everything out took some time. So between that and the dragon night fell before I could get here."
With a shrug of the shoulders Griga replied, "At least you're safe."
He turned to face up a byway and motioned Heras to follow.
"The wife and children have been waiting all day for your arrival. And I have a forty pound roast on the spit, been slow cooking all day."
Clucking at the unicorns to follow the orc asked, "What do I get to eat?"
That got a look from the man.
"Why I ever became the friend of a cousin to the wolf folk I'll never know." he observed.
Said Heras with a smile, "Nobody else would have you. Now, the two whites will be delivered to the Count's agents when?"
"As soon as I get word to them. I've had them checked out, and they've gotten good people to care for the beasts on the trip south."
"Is it true the southerners believe only virgins can..."
The rest was lost in the shadows.
*****
The orc led the unicorns into the night dark market square. He looked about as the animals nosed wearily at the cobbles and stray detrius. Other than a few tradesmen, craftsmen, and merchants the square was empty. The sound of a silver smith working on a ring came clear, but other than that it was quiet.
"Heras!" a voice cried, "what kept you?"
Orc and unicorns turned to see a human come out of the shadows. The Orc smiled.
"Griga, my friend," said he with a grin of his own, "I was delayed."
Man gave orc a look.
What would keep one such as you?" the Human inquired.
The orc replied, "First, there was a dead dragon."
Griga scratched one unicorn, a young mare, between the eyes. He then inspected the other five as he asked, "A dragon?"
"I was coming down the North Shore Road," the orc replied, following the human as the latter inspected the steeds, "When I came to seawyrm point I found by way blocked by a goodly crowd, who had their way blocked by a dead dragon, and the two wizards arguing over who would get the parts."
The man stopped to ask, "They couldn't..."
"Both insisted that he alone was to get the dragon's organs. A good three ton beast too."
"Wizards."
Man and orc continued assessing the unicorns.
"And?" Griga continued.
"'Bout an hour later a 40 ton seawyrm hauled itself up out of the ocean, grabbed the corpse, and made off with it."
That got a snort from the man.
"Ended their argument, now didn't it?" he noted with a smile.
Stepping back to the mare he asked, "This is a nice one, hope you're not..."
"No," Heras said, "She's my mount, and not for sale. Windblossom's a good unicorn, a good steed, and not one I'd care to lose."
Pointing at her feet Griga noted, "Dang near a three toe, and smarter seeming than the others. Were she mine I'd keep her too."
The animal in question gave him an approving nuzzle. May have been the praise. May have been his sure hand at scratching the itchy spots.
Human turned again to the orc and asked of him, "That wasn't the sole reason for you lateness, right?"
"The second delay came but a block from here. A trio of bravos decided I needed help with my unicorns. I assured them I was having no trouble at all, but they did not believe me."
"Just three?"
"Just three."
Orc and man smiled very big smiles.
"After twenty-three years of delivering unicorns here you'd think people would know you by now. So how long did it take you to kill them?"
"I didn't."
The look on the human's face brought the smile back to the orc's.
"Windblossom spitted the lead felon on her horn, the other two went running off yelling for the law."
With a look of disbelief and a canted head Griga asked, "The law?"
"You're breeding your criminals stupid these days."
"Damn near imbecilic."
As the rest of the unicorns crowded around to get their heads scratched Griga inquired of his friend. "Did the law show up?"
"That they did, and it turns out they knew both me and the muggers. Took the two survivors off to be interrogated, and the deceased off to be questioned by a necromancer. But sorting everything out took some time. So between that and the dragon night fell before I could get here."
With a shrug of the shoulders Griga replied, "At least you're safe."
He turned to face up a byway and motioned Heras to follow.
"The wife and children have been waiting all day for your arrival. And I have a forty pound roast on the spit, been slow cooking all day."
Clucking at the unicorns to follow the orc asked, "What do I get to eat?"
That got a look from the man.
"Why I ever became the friend of a cousin to the wolf folk I'll never know." he observed.
Said Heras with a smile, "Nobody else would have you. Now, the two whites will be delivered to the Count's agents when?"
"As soon as I get word to them. I've had them checked out, and they've gotten good people to care for the beasts on the trip south."
"Is it true the southerners believe only virgins can..."
The rest was lost in the shadows.
*****
