Twerk | The Bowman | Greenblade | Mila | The Explorer | Bletcher | The Hoffmeister | Pecs | Fortune | The Bludgeoner | Smoke | Mental | Tree

  Character Sheets:

  Jaelin led the thirteen strong squad out of Eisenberg. Usa’s murder was a black cloud over them, the frenetic conversation back in The Pig and Iron giving way to a glum silence.

  Through a twisted chain of events, it had provided The Rotten Apples with the manpower they needed to take on this mission. Because despite losing Usa and Izil, they had been replaced with Smoke, Mental, and Tree—three formidable operators. Once one added the other newcomer, The Bludgeoner, to the mix, Jaelin was hopeful that made them strong enough to take on the trolls they had encountered near the barrow.

  Tree was also a scout, but he seemed to be offering Jaelin a professional courtesy. He stayed at the back of the group, allowing Jaelin to pick their route. Instead, Mila walked beside him. Like everyone else, they spoke little. But he liked having her there. Used to his own company, Jaelin had always felt most at peace alone. That seemed to be changing. Because now, on those occasions when Mila wasn’t by his side, he felt like something was missing. Such feelings were new, and at times alarming. Does it make me weaker? And what if I lost her for good? And yet, not for one moment did he want them to go away.

  They spent the night at Stiff’s new settlement of Mer Khazer. That sense of peace he had first felt upon discovering the place—that had threatened to keep him a prisoner here—had been diluted. But not completely dispelled. It cheered their spirits a little, their talk around the evening’s fire turning to lighter matters.

  ‘I suppose,’ young Larik said, as the warriors in the party passed his mace around for inspection, ‘it was decided I wasn’t much good with sword and spear. So I was encouraged to specialise with it.’

  ‘Nothing wrong with that,’ Pecs said, returning his weapon to him. ‘In a company such as this, it’s good to have a range of skills.’

  ‘Indeed,’ said The Hoffmeister. ‘I myself trained with the hammer, so that I could offer a second option to the spear.’

  ‘Oh, aren’t you a tiresome fountain of common sense?’ Fortune sniped. ‘Wielding a sword is more than just adding another skill to your set to impress a potential employer. It is an art form. It’s a way of life.’

  ‘Perhaps so,’ said Larik. ‘But some of us are not artists. We are simple reapers.’

  ‘What say you, Tree?’ Smoke asked, leaning on his backpack as he sipped something strong. ‘One could argue that you have collected more skills than are strictly necessary.’

  As well as having the Scouting and Medic skills, the Hargon was proficient with five different weapons. It was, Jaelin thought, highly impressive. And arguably, made his own role in the company completely redundant.

  ‘I can’t help being good at things, now, can I?’ Tree answered.

  ‘What’s the frickin’ point?’ Fortune demanded. ‘How many weapons can you use at once?’

  ‘That’s what I tell him,’ said Mental. She scraped a whetstone along the sharp curve of her battleaxe. ‘Get good with one weapon. That’s the way to do it.’

  ‘Well, there’s more than one way to skin a wildcat,’ Tree said, unaffected by his comrades’ digs. ‘Let’s take these trolls, for instance.’

  ‘Good,’ said Twerk. ‘I was wondering when the conversation was going to get to something useful.’

  Jaelin had to admire Wilson. He truly didn’t mind being rude.

  ‘Only,’ the gnome continued, ‘Cap taught us how to fight with a shieldwall. Which was effective. But with him, Usa, and Izil gone, the heart of it has been ripped out.’

  ‘Now, this makes my point,’ Tree said. ‘Fighting with spear and shield is all very well against orcs and goblins. But a terrible mistake when it comes to trolls.’

  ‘Why’s that?’ Ashlyn asked. ‘And if so, what should we be doing? We’re liable to face them tomorrow.’

  ‘The reason is their power. One hit from a troll club could be all it takes to kill you—whatever armour you’re in. Soaking up a troll attack, therefore, is not possible. Much better to be mobile, and avoid getting hit. Use any archers we have to soften them up. Outmanoeuvre them. Surround them. Trolls, unlike hordes of goblins or orcs, can usually be outnumbered.’

  ‘Not a bad plan, I suppose,’ Smoke said, knocking back more drink. Mental reached out a hand, and he passed it over. ‘A nice ambush would be good. But I suppose that’s not possible out in the wilds. Can’t help wishing we were fighting in this town, not out there in the emptiness.’

  ‘An ambush in the wild is not impossible,’ Tree told him. ‘But certainly tricky. Despite their appearance, trolls are not stupid creatures.’

  ‘Well, listen to you, making all the decisions,’ Mental said, wiping her mouth. ‘I guess you think you’ve proved us wrong about all your stupid skills.’

  ‘Perhaps I’ve proved that hard work and discipline is better than getting wasted every night.’

  As the conversation returned to bickering, Jaelin got up and walked away. Footsteps made him turn to see Mila was following. He waited for her. ‘Sorry. I just find the ribbing tiresome after a while. I need some alone time when there are this many people.’

  ‘Oh,’ she said, looking crestfallen. ‘I’ll give you some peace.’

  He grabbed her hand. ‘Not you, Mila. Never you, do you understand? I want you by my side all the time.’

  She dazzled him with a smile. The way she looked at him set his heart racing. It made him wonder if he deserved that amount of adoration. It was a precious thing she offered him.

  ‘That’s the only place I want to be,’ she told him.

  ‘I—I’m just not sure why. Why me, I mean.’

  She frowned. ‘Because you’re who I want. It’s not for you to worry about why. It’s my decision, isn’t it?’

  ‘Yes. You’re right.’ He took her in his arms. ‘From now on, I shall just be happy that you chose me.’

  Jaelin had no understanding of magic. Apparently, Bletcher had been told to stay in Mer Khazer to ensure the new town’s stability after the changes that had been made to the barrow. Many of the standing stones had been pulled from the ground, and the rumours were that this process had weakened the magic of the site, making it less dangerous.

  Now, Stiff’s orders were that Bletcher should accompany them to the fourth barrow. No one seemed to know exactly what had prompted the change.

  ‘It will be Rosalind’s decision,’ Wilson told him when they were alone.

  ‘Rosalind?’ Jaelin knew little about the woman, except that she seemed to be Stiff’s partner, in more ways than one.

  The gnome looked left then right, as if about to impart some great secret. ‘She came to Mer Khazer, and organised all the changes. She’s a witch.’

  ‘Oh,’ Jaelin said. That was indeed a significant piece of information.

  ‘Keep it hush hush. She and Stiff aren’t keen on word getting out.’

  ‘I didn’t see Stiff as the type to work with wizards and the like,’ Jaelin admitted. ‘Always saw him as more old school.’

  ‘He is. Or at least, was. Question is, is she working for him, or he for her?’

  ‘I see. It’s all a bit complicated for me. I prefer the simple life.’

  ‘Oh, me too. But things are getting rather complicated in Gal’azu,’ the gnome warned him. ‘Whether we like it or not.’

  They left Stiff’s fledgling town. Jaelin guided the squad northwest, towards the barrow he and his friends had discovered.

  The terrain became more difficult the farther they walked. Tree accompanied Jaelin as they neared their destination.

  ‘How many trolls do you think we’re dealing with?’ Henning asked him.

  ‘There were four that came for us out in the open. But I got the feeling there might be more.’

  ‘I would trust those instincts. It may be that the size of our troop provokes a greater response. The question is, when will the encounter come?’

  Jaelin thought back to his previous expedition. ‘They came for us while we were at camp last time. In the darkness. I heard something, probably just in time.’

  Tree thought about this. ‘If they used that tactic last time, we should expect them to do so again. A bunch of trolls blundering into a thirteen man camp could create real confusion. We need to be ready.’

  ‘That should be less of a concern this time.’

  ‘How so?’

  ‘Bletcher has a Staff of Warning, and Fortune has Redblade. We really shouldn’t get caught off guard.’

  Tree’s eyes widened. ‘I’m beginning to see the advantages of having magic on our side.’

  When they stopped for the night, Jaelin and Henning made sure to explain to everyone that they needed to be ready. No merc worth their wage slept without a weapon by their side. But if the trolls did come, they represented a very different kind of threat to the norm.

  Jaelin decided he should talk the plan over with Bletcher again. He was of the opinion that it was safer to explain things a second time.

  ‘So, you mustn't go to sleep. As soon as the staff gives you the warning, let us know.’

  ‘The gods rarely let me sleep, Explorer. Don’t worry. You’ll get your warning. But thanks for checking on me. Here. A present for you.’ He reached into his cloak and revealed an object he had clearly crafted himself. It was constructed from odds and ends, like something a child would make.

  ‘Thank you,’ Jaelin said, taking it.

  Bletcher held out his hand. ‘Tuppence.’

  Jaelin reached into his own cloak. ‘Here. Something even better. A toy I owned as a child.’ He gave the wooden bird to the sorcerer. ‘I used to play with him all the time. Imagining we were flying through the skies together.’

  ‘You’re sure you want to give this to me, Explorer? It must mean a lot to you.’

  ‘It does. But it’s time for me to give it up now. I want you to have it.’

  ‘It’s beautiful. I must be blessed for such a fine thing to come into my possession.’ He held the worn thing in the air, studying it from different angles. ‘Truly, the gods are good.’

  They are also cruel, Jaelin thought to himself.

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