The Tattooed Woman Pt. 11

"Oh, of course not."

The Optio finished the flask with obvious relish and Nyx winced as he casually tossed it aside.

The Centurion smiled at the Dark Elves for a moment then frowned, "Did you perchance see our kin, Captain."

"I did, they were four in number, and all looked hale and healthy enough, if they had any wounds the humans at least tended to them."

The Dwarf grunted, "Well, after we take their heads off, we might do them the same courtesy, for all the good it will do the bastards."

Ashunara smiled, "The famed restraint of the Dwarves. Well, the silly bastards asked for it so they can hardly complain."

"Not after having their skulls smashed in they can't anyway," muttered Nyx.

Garok looked about and then turned a shrewd eye on Ashunara, "Captain, folks generally come this way when they seek to throw off pursuit. Is this what is happening here? Are we likely to run into those who are chasing you?"

"Hmm, I do not know for certain Master Dwarf, for we destroyed the party who tried to bar our way, but my scout sensed others dogging our tracks, but I do not know for sure if they pursue."

"What manner of pursuit?"

"Well, one of those we destroyed was a warlock, dressed in red armour."

"A red nun perchance?"

"Mayhap. She was powerful."

"Might there be more of that accursed sect following?"

Ashunara nodded, "I do not know, but it is a definite possibility Master Dwarf."

He gave her a hungry wolfish smile, "Good!"

The Dwarf turned to his subordinate, "Prepare to march at once! If we are to be delayed by massacring a clutch of foul sorcerers, we will need to make up time as we can."

Turning back to Ashunara he bowed again, "I regret Captain that I will be unable to share the hospitality of your camp at this time. I pray you forgive my discourtesy."

"No forgiveness is necessary Centurion, if it were my folk being held, I would not tarry either."

He nodded and turned as if to go, but instead gave the Captain a mischievous wink as he glanced at Nyx, "Captain, we are at present well supplied, might I offer you a small keg of our brandy in recognition of your hospitality and payment for the information you provided. There are those among both our kind who would not be so forthcoming."

Ashunara winked back, "Oh, surely no payment is neces..."

"YES!" blurted Nyx.

The Dwarf laughed, "Well and good, I shall see it delivered. May The Smith guide your blows, Captain."

Ashunara bowed, "And may The Dark Lady watch over you Centurion."

...

Cassie struggled hurriedly to her feet and rushed to the doorway to peer out at the armoured column, "I saw a Dwarf once. He was a merchant tradesman, and he visited the forge. I heard him compliment the smith on his craft, and folks spoke of it for ages!"

The tall woman smiled at Cassie's delight, "That's no small thing, Cassie, the smith must be uncommonly skilled to draw a compliment from a Dwarf."

The little slave drew her breath when she saw a couple of the squat figures moving towards the shrine and she turned to the tattooed woman and seemed to be almost bursting, "Can we talk to them?"

The woman looked down at her with a smile, "Where did that shy wee girl who fed me soup go, I wonder? We can talk to them if you wish Cassie but do not get your hopes up, for they have ever been a taciturn lot. I suspect they come to look at the stonework is all."

The two Dwarves were looking at one of the columns of the old acropolis and muttering to each other, but they halted and eyed the two women suspiciously as they approached. They both had reddish hair and braided beards and they were similar enough to be kin thought the younger woman.

At their approach, one of them muttered to his companion and they both laughed.

The tattooed woman spoke a few words and gestured to Cassie.

If the Dwarves were surprised that she spoke their language, they hid it well behind their beards. Though the young slave girl noted how the one who had spoken seemed to flush, perhaps in embarrassment.

Cassie looked curiously at the tall woman who pursed her lips, "Erm, well he made mention of how slender you were let's say."

The little slave frowned and looked at the Dwarves, "Well you just tell this rusty poltroon that we can't all look like we swallowed a barrel of rum!"

The two Dwarves stared at her a moment before bursting out laughing.

"Ah, Cassie, many Dwarves speak the common tongue well enough."

The Dwarf who had spoken stepped forward and bowed, "Forgive my jest young one, I see it was unfairly made. I am journeyman Draxigarn and yon is my uncle, Master Craftsman Graften Triforge, may it please us to know your names if such can be spoken in this place?

Cassie blushed, "I'm sorry if I was rude Mister Dwarf, I'm Cassie, this is...", she turned to the tall woman, "erm, it's a funny thing but in all this time I never did ask your na..."

"You may call me Adair if you wish Master Dwarf, Cassie is my sister."

Cassie stared, unable to speak.

The Dwarf rumbled on, "No need to apologise young Cassie for the insult was mine, I did not know you spoke the old tongue and made a jest at your expense, only for my ignorance to be fairly caught out," he turned to the tattooed woman, "it is not a common thing tall lady to find a human who speaks our language so well, for it can take some time to master and they say humans are a hasty folk."

"Well, humans do not have the advantage of your long years, so perhaps one must forgive their hastiness."

He bowed, "Gently am I rebuked lady, may I ask where it was you learned our speech?"

"Oh, my mother taught me, some... years ago. She had a gift for languages you see."

"Then I salute her wisdom."

Adair simply nodded.

A horn blew in the distance and the older Dwarf muttered a few words. Journeyman Draxigarm nodded and turned back to the two women, "I regret we are called back to the march. I see young Cassie you wear a slave's collar. Might I ask how much is your price, or ransom? I do not know the word."

Cassie's hand touched her collar, "I, er, don't rightly know, I doubt I'm worth much though."

"In that case, I would perhaps contribute towards your freedom in recompense for my words, might I speak of this with the Dark Elf in the encampment, or would this offend you?"

The little slave spluttered and Adair grinned, "I had heard that Dwarves were a thrifty folk. This is an uncommon gesture."

"Have you not also heard we are an honourable folk?"

Adair smiled broadly, "Everyone knows the Dwarves are an honourable folk, and only a fool or a liar would ever say otherwise."

"Good enough. I would not leave an insult between us unanswered; it would not be... fair. What then can I do?"

Adair turned to the slave, "Cassie?"

"Sorry, what's happening?"

"The journeyman feels he insulted you undeservedly and seeks to balance the scales, for such things are important to them, what would you say to him in reply?"

Cassie blushed, "Oh! Well, erm, tell him no offence is taken and it's fine. There's, um, no charge, besides, I er... might have been a bit testy in saying he looked like he'd swallowed a keg."

The journeyman laughed and bowed again, "Mayhap so little human, but it is for the elder to teach the young wisdom and not the other way round and I have walked these lands for twenty times your years and more at least. I will speak to the Dark Elf afore we depart. Now, I ask forgiveness for we are called and cannot tarry."

As the two stout figures marched away Cassie turned to her companion, "What was that all about?"

She grinned, "He made a joke at your expense not thinking we would understand and got caught out. Dwarves are prideful folk who hate to be embarrassed and they truly despise the very thought that they might leave a thing unresolved, so his insult had to be answered or he'd have shamed himself in front of his uncle, who by the sound of it is also his master, being an artisan craftsman and him only a journeyman. Basically, he thought he was being clever and made a fool of himself in front of his kin and now he's trying to dig his way out of it. Dwarves! They never change, stubborn as the stone they are."

Cassie nodded and glanced at the woman, "You speak Dwarven?"

"I do."

"And Elven, and Orcish?"

The woman grinned, "I might have picked up a few languages in my time Cassie."

"How many?"

Adair looked down at the girl and her eyes twinkled with mischief, "A few."

"You told that Dwarf we were sisters."

"I did."

"D... Did you mean it?"

The woman smiled at the girl, "What makes you think I would not Cassie?"

Tears appeared in the girl's eyes and her voice trembled, "Why me?"

The woman put her arm about the girl, "There comes a time when everyone asks such a thing, Cassie, I've asked it myself oft enough in my time. And why not you? I think I could do worse and perhaps would be hard-pressed to do better. Also, I suspect you will be good for me."

"Will you really be my sister then, it's not just a jest?"

The woman chuckled, "For as long as you'll have me, girl."

...

Ashunara watched as the two Dwarves marched away towards their company which was reassembling with military precision and looked down at the ten gold coins in her hand. The Dwarven gold darics were hefty hexagonal things stamped on one side with the coat of arms of the Dwarven Royal House, and upon the other with the sigil of the craftsman's scales with hammer on one side and sword on the other.

Nyx grinned at her, "If this keeps up that girl's going to be richer than either of us."

Ashunara chuckled, and shook her head, "She's probably got about a fifth of her buy price already."

"You think?"

The Captain nodded, "I suspect I could get more if I sold her as a sex slave, she's virginal after all, or seems such. I'd imagine an auction value of mayhap a hundred gold if we sold her to a brothel. But as a domestic or household slave, maybe half that. She's young, healthy enough, appears hard-working and seems biddable but I'm not seeing any specialised skill, so maybe forty to fifty gold.

"You'll not be selling her to a brothel though I wouldn't think."

"Oh, come now Nyx, you know me better than that. I'd sell a lass to a bawdy house or bordello if that's what she wanted, it's as good a way for them to make coin as any after all, but I said I'd see her go with Maggie if such was her want."

The veteran mused, "And what if yon painted wifey objects to such?"

Ashunara sighed, "Well, if she wants to go with her I'd not object overmuch I suppose, I still owe that woman for what she did for Varoona after all," she mused, "I suspect though that yon tattooed wench would be happy enough if Cassie followed Maggie along a safer road than the one I feel she will be travelling in the end, but it's a guess is all."

Nyx looked through the snow and trees towards the shrine, "Ever wonder how she came by those burns and wounds, for they were not insignificant?"

The Captain grinned, "Somehow I doubt she'd just up and tell..."

They were interrupted by a cacophonous eerie howling cry that echoed about the trees and brought Nyx surging to her feet, sword in hand, eyes wide in fear, "Holy fuck!"

Ashunara looked about and rose, "What is it?"

The veteran turned towards the camp and bellowed, "STAND TO ARMS!"

Further ululating howls came from the woods, and she looked at the Captain as Orc and Dark Elf snatched up weapons, "That was a fucking Barghest or I'm a red nun."

"A Barghest? Here? That's not..."

An inky black cloud flowed from the trees like so much liquid fog and a great pack of creatures bounded out from the murk. They were huge and dog-like in form, each as large as a pony, and as hoary as a winter wolf. Their eyes glowed a septic yellow, their great fangs were white, and their maws were bloody crimson and flecked with the foam of madness.

The monsters bounded across the snow with horrifying speed. Three went careering off towards the shrine, baying and howling as they ran, a further three charged for the Dark Elven encampment while a full half-dozen made straight for the dwarves, snarling and slavering with an insatiable bloodlust.

The beasts smashed into the Dwarf formation like a battering ram, rending shield and mail with equal ease. One wrapped its jaws around a warrior's head and crushed his skull into bloody ruin, armoured helm, and all. Another bit through a mail hauberk and tore a Dwarf's guts out before hurling the body a dozen yards through the air in a bloody arc with a vicious twist of its head. A great monstrous hound leapt over the front rank of Dwarves to land with a crash among those behind, scattering some and trampling others beneath its weight as it ravened among them.

If the beasts expected their prey to be daunted their hopes were in want for the Dwarves have ever been doughty folk and they unleashed a great warcry, attacking with pick and axe, but the iron-hard skin and hide of the hounds turned aside most of their blows.

Muriah had been sitting chained to a log outside the Captain's tent and she looked in frozen horror as a beast ran straight for her, snarling and growling, with its black eyes fixed upon hers and great flecks of spit and foam trailing from its jaws.

Ashunara surged forward roughly shoved the terrified woman aside as the beast leapt for her and the ancient black blade she carried split the beast's gut open like she was filleting a fish. Blood and entrails spilt across the snow as the thing sailed past the Captain to come crashing to the earth in a shapeless quivering lump.

Nyx rammed her blade through the thing's eye and silenced its snarling growls with a sudden finality.

An Orc bellowed a furious roar and caught a charging beast a smashing two-handed blow with his axe. The blade failed to bite, but the impact still sent the creature crashing to one side. It rose swiftly from the snow, shook its head and turned to face the Orc. It didn't have to wait as a trio of Orc warriors piled into it, howling stabbing and slashing at the beast with all the savagery of their kind.

The third ran for Maggie, who stood open-mouthed at her cookpot. She dropped the ladle in her hand and quailed as the thing ran at her jaws agape.

The beast exploded into a bloody cloud with a thunderous clap of thunder, sending bits and pieces of burning meat spraying in all directions.

Quintus sagged against Roseanne as a wave of weakness all but overcame him. He wiped the blood from his mouth and nose with his sleeve and pushed himself away from her. Fire poured from his hands and his eyes burned as he gestured, and an incendiary cloud engulfed another monster, turning it into a shrieking torch that crumpled twitching to the snow, but the effort to cast this second spell brought the human wizard to his knees. With Roseanne's help, he dragged himself to his feet and speaking another word of power he incinerated a beast as it lunged towards a fallen Dwarf. The thing was seared to the bone and fell into smoking ruin, but the effort caused the young wizard to finally collapse breathless and groaning to the snow.

The tattooed woman watched the beasts as they came. One pounced at her while Cassie shrieked in fear as a second leapt straight for her, while the third bounded for the entrance to the temple where the children were still sheltering within.

Adair batted the one jumping at her with a backhand blow that knocked the beast aside and with a vicious snarl she kicked the second as it leapt. Bones snapped and the beast flew thirty feet through the air to smash into a pillar with enough force to crack the very stone. It slid to the ground in a boneless heap. The second rose and charged at her again. It crashed fully into the woman driving her back a pace snapping and biting at her, but she grabbed it by the jaws and with a scream of rage tore its head in half with a violent wrench. Blood sprayed across her face and splattered all about her. She spat on the beast and contemptuously tossed the corpse aside.

Cassie pointed towards the temple and screamed, "The children!"

With a vicious oath, Adair sprinted, knowing even as she did so she would not be swift enough.

Within the temple, all that was left of the beast that had run inside was a massive bloodstain and a few torn and tattered bits and pieces of fur. Overhead crows and ravens feasted as they roosted in the eaves and spars of the roof, cawing and shifting furtively as they watched those below with baleful red eyes.

The ravening howl of one beast came to an abrupt end as it was pincushioned by a half-dozen powerful Dwarven crossbows. The heavy bolts punched through even the supernaturally tough hide of the thing, knocking it down and Dwarves swarmed over it, battering it into a crimson mush.

Another was spitted by an Orcish spearman who waited as it charged and then rammed his spear down its open gullet. Both went down in a tangle of limb and fur, and Tallis plunged her sabre into the fallen beast over and over until it finally stopped moving. The Orc rose from under the thing with a grin, ignoring the scratches and wounds that lacerated him and slapped her on the back almost hard enough to dump her in the snow before placing a boot upon the monster's head, yanking his spear free and looking about eagerly for another monster. It spared the trembling Dark Elf a grin and hefted its weapon with a snarl, "Spear hungry!"

The last of the beasts went down under the picks of the Dwarven infantry and as suddenly as it had started the battle was over.

Ashunara sent Nyx to assess the camp as she bent over Muriah. The woman was quivering in shock and the Captain severed the chain holding her with a swipe of her sword and pulled her close, "Hey now, you're all right. Come on, I'll take you to the fire and Lashelle will look after you while I check the others."

The woman swallowed and she shivered, "T-thought you d-didn't care, Captain."

Ashunara smiled as she helped the girl to her feet, "Well, I wouldn't want to waste a perfectly good slave now, would I? Be bad for business after all."

By the time she had deposited the still trembling woman by the fire Nyx had returned, "Fuck knows how but we got off light. No casualties Captain, though we have a few wounded. That wizard practically killed himself incinerating a trio of the bastards. You know, I'm really starting to like him. Maggie and a few of the slaves are in shock, but they'll be fine. The mixed-blood children are in good health. Seems that painted lunatic tore a couple of the things to bits."

"How?"

"Fuck knows, didn't ask, but there are three dead ones at the shrine, one looks like it's literally been ripped to shreds."

"Hell's teeth."

Nyx spat as she looked about, "The Dwarves took the worst of it. Looks like they lost a few and there are at least a dozen wounded, some badly. Their surgeon is one of the mangled, but Hildegard is doing what she can, Roseanne is tending the wizard."

Ashunara nodded, "Anything else?"

"Aye, I don't know about the ones killed by the magister because they're ashes, but from what I could make out this was a pack of adult males, all full-grown and hungry."

The Captain hissed, "Barghests are solo hunters normally anyway. From the look of it, these padfoot bastards are some sorcerer's hunting pack and they've been set upon us."

"Aye, now I'm thinking there's no way the red nuns would have dealings with the Gwyllgi and the Cwn Annwn would tear them to bits as quick as look at them."

"So, these fucking things were sent by someone in the Fae?"

Nyx nodded, "That's my thinking Captain."

"It takes a significant amount of power to master these many beasts. Now I suppose they might have been sent for the Dwarves, but something tells me, with all the other creepy shit we've been dealing with, that we're just not that lucky and it's us they were after."