Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="ScyldSceafing" data-source="post: 802286" data-attributes="member: 5928">Afoul of the slaversIn retrospect, it is hard to blame either Eladkot or The Dwarf for falling afoul of the slavers. Neither had much experience in the world. And up to that point it had just seemed so ... easy.The journey began with a boat trip down the Velverdyva. The Rhennee boat captain had orders to make certain the two weren't bothered, and he took it literally. Despite sharing a small cabin, the two exchanged fewer than 20 words in the four-day trip from Dyvers to Verbobonc, all of those from Eladkot. The human wondered, at times, if perhaps the dwarf couldn't speak; but of course he heard the priest's prayers in the mornings, so the thought was idle, and he put it away.Leaving Verbobonc was more like a stroll than any dramatic undertaking. After two days on the road, the companions had settled into a peaceable but extremely quiet routine. Eladkot occasionally spoke about his theories on Hidden Valley Ranch, or less often about people he knew in Greyhawk; The Dwarf grunted assent or amusement, as appropriate, but offered little else. Would it kill him to tell me his name? Eladkot thought more than once. It's been two days now. But the human never asked directly, and the dwarf never offered, and so they walked on, west and southwest, through verdant farmlands and tiny hamlets, toward the hills and mountains looming before them. Their passage was not much noticed by those around them. So on they hiked, their bodies growing stronger and leaner as they went - through the northern edge of the Kron Hills and onto the path suggested to them by a local woodsman. It seemed he was available for hire - but who needs help walking? On their eighth day out of Verbobonc - the day Eladkot successfully set a snare and caught a mountain hare for dinner - the pair settled down to sleep in a sheltered camp site off the path.They awoke when jostled by something hard. The butt of a spear, it turns out. The butt of a spear, held by an orc. Around them were several orcs - a few had weapons on them, while the others turned out their packs and looked for valuables. The largest stood to the side, arguing with a human who spoke the rough and degraded tongue of orc kind.It was the human who broke the news. "Sorry about all this," he said, wincing slightly. "The boys are a bit difficult about security sometimes. It seems there's some goblins marauding through these hills. You need to come with us.""Come with you?" Eladkot asked, his anger growing now that the spear-haft was absent from his ribs. "What is this? Tell them to leave our equipment alone!"With a curt word in their tongue, the human got the attention of the orcs. They answered angrily, and the human replied in kind. After a brief exchange of obvious animus, the orcs repacked the equipment and left it where it lay."There you go. A show of good will, I suppose," the human said, smiling in the moonlight. "I'm sorry. I've started poorly with you gentlemen. My name is Bjorn, and I'm a trader around these parts. These orcs are ... well, they're familiar to me, if they're not friends. At least I know them a bit."This doesn't have to go this way. Just come with us, sleep the night through, and we'll all go our ways in the morning. It's the goblins they're worried about.""Goblins? Surely these can handle goblins?""Ah, but the goblins have great numbers, and are increasingly cunning."With that, he gestured to the orcs, who took the pair in hand. The largest orc - the one who had argued with Bjorn - approached with manacles."Wait!" Eladkot said, and The Dwarf jostled with his minders. "You didn't say anything about being bound!""Oh. Sorry," Bjorn said. "Grak is adamant about that. He thinks you're agents for the goblins. He wants you to have a hard time fighting." Seeing their obvious disbelief, Bjorn smiled. "Look, I'm telling you the truth. And what choice to you have, really?"A quick count showed six orcs in the area, and this Bjorn. With a tiny shake of his head, The Dwarf counseled patience to Eladkot, who said, "Very well. We'll go with you. We have your word that you'll loose us?""Oh yes," Bjorn replied. "You have my word."A quick, quiet march further into the mountains led to the orc camp. As they arrived, Bjorn whistled and several more orcs stumbled out of their small, rough shelters to the fire-pit. A long, low lean-to held ... prisoners?"Ah. Yes," Bjorn said, laughing. "Well, it seems we've had a misunderstanding. You shan't be freed - not now, and not ever. You are mine, lads, until we get where we're going. Then, after a little commerce, you'll be someone else's."The orcs were already dragging them over to the chain-lines that held the other prisoners - a sturdy but slightly elderly man and two young women."We set out tomorrow morning," Bjorn said, his face still glowing with amusement at his little ruse. "I'd get some sleep if I were you."</blockquote>

Verification