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Before sunrise, Glenn had been only able to partially heal Ron, adding four to the warrior druid’s hit point total. Ron had used his only memorized Cure Minor Wounds Spell on Petie, who’d slammed against one of the glass shop’s narrow windows in a vain effort to reach Stephi.
Derek berated Ron for the foolish gesture while Stephi thanked him profusely. After sunrise, a quick Minor Heal Draw Spell brought Ron up to full strength. They were on the road out of town minutes after that.
Stephi’d been fortunate that she had Kim’s hit points to draw from. Similarly, Ron’s recent rank advancement saved his life. Probably Glenn’s and Stephi’s as well.
Only two rode horses, since only Derek and Ron had taken the Horse Riding and Handling Skill. Kirby rode with Ron and Glenn got stuck with Derek. Stephi flew alongside. Occasionally she flew up to search the road behind to see if they were being followed, and ahead, to spot their two wagons. It was easier than looking through Petie’s eyes.
“Lysine’s Minor Heat Resistance Spell saved everyone’s ass, Gnome,” Derek explained. “It ain’t powerful enough to stop massive heat damage, like being stuck in the forge with a pissed-off fire spirit elemental. But you only take half damage, and if you make your saving roll, only a quarter damage. Stephi probably suffered a Critical Strike, being next to the elemental and breathing in that super-heated air. But made her save and only went to zero hits. Unconscious with her lungs fried, she lost another point per round. So good thing you hustled your gnomey waddle-butt to her rescue.”
That he used “gnomey” told Glenn the big warrior was in a good mood. They all were, having accomplished their mission. The elemental spirit had been released, the glass guardians were horribly damaged, and the shop itself was a wreck. Several guards and two glass blowers were dead. No one was alive that got a good look at any of them, except the monkey familiar. He only saw Stephi—a fairy. Once the party got the leprechaun’s gold coin, that trail would dry up on anyone following it. Only way things could’ve gone better was if the fire elemental had destroyed the upper apartments and set the office building aflame.
Stephi fluttered down, a concerned look on her beautiful face. She said to Ron, “There’s a couple soldiers in armor lying in the sand and patchy grass near the road.” One eye squinted as she bit her lower lip. “I think it’s where we were supposed to meet up with our hired people and wagons.”
“Your observation is troubling,” Ron said. “Return to the overwatch position.”
Derek was about to kick his mount into a gallop but Ron signaled for him to wait.
“Let us not rush into a concerning situation.”
Derek held his mount to a trot, matching Ron’s pace, but not without cussing under his breath. The bouncing made Glenn even more uncomfortable. That fact probably soothed the big warrior’s volatile mood.
Glenn stood watch on the road while Stephi remained fifty feet overhead.
Kirby rolled over one of the six bodies. “Recognize this dude?”
“Yonn,” Derek snarled. “Don’t recognize the others.”
Ron stood, a finger to the side of his chin as he observed the placement of the bodies and the abandoned campsite. “Three wagons, drawn by horse teams, and the small hoof prints of what is likely a donkey.”
Derek said, “Looks like they came in on horses and got their asses handed to them.”
“They ain’t got anything of value on them,” Kirby said. “Except their armor.”
“Yeah,” Derek said. “No weapons, neither.” He lightly kicked one corpse. “Mardin or Trumble yanked their crossbow bolt out of this guy’s face.”
“Our men-at-arms and hired drivers prevailed in the fight,” Ron said.
“Yonn,” Kirby said, seething anger in his voice. “Probably hired by the thieves’ guild. This guy in leather armor was probably leading them.”
Derek spat on the ground. “They wouldn’t send only a thief and five men-at-arms against the wagons, if we were with them.”
“That means somebody was watching us,” Kirby said. “Or at least our wagons.”
“Fortunately I opted for the Tracking Skill,” Ron said. “Thus, that no enemy retreated and returned to Riven Rock is closer to established fact than mere speculation.”
“We should catch up to our guys soon as we can,” Kirby said. “They’ll know if anyone got away.”
“Lilac isn’t a guy,” Stephi shouted down in her fairy voice.
“They might need healing too,” Glenn added.
“Agreed,” Ron said, returning to his mount.
“I’m gonna move the bodies over behind those rocks,” Derek said, pointing to an outcropping about fifty yards away.
Kirby looked up at Derek in puzzlement. “Buzzards and gore crows’ll tell anybody that comes looking for them where they’re at.”
“No sense making it easy by leaving them here,” Derek said. “Plus, bodies right by the road’ll raise questions for anyone coming by.”
Kirby gestured by tipping his head. “Main road’s five miles that way.”
Derek turned and snarled at Kirby, “Think I don’t know that, thief?”
Ron told Mardin and Blizz to take the side road out of town to be less conspicuous. It was an older, less maintained route that eventually merged back into the main road.
“No, dude,” Kirby said to Derek. “I know you know.” The thief scratched his head. “Just make sure we cut the straps to their mail armor and slice open the gambeson underneath.”
Derek grinned ferally and nodded. “Good idea, thief. The vultures can get at them faster.”
Glenn rode in the trailing wagon, on the bench next to Blizz.
They’d found the wagons camped five miles further down the road. Ron expended all of his Minor Cure Spells to bring the surviving men-at-arms up to full hit points. Glenn expended one Minor Heal Draw Spell to cure Lilac. The draw of the severe wounds transferred and draw on his hit points suggested Lilac was tougher than a typical man-at-arms. He wondered if Ron, who’d hired her, knew that.
Her unexpected ability to fight and absorb damage proved lucky for Blizz, Simmer, Mardin, Trumble and Kronk. Not so much for Harold. They’d buried him in a shallow grave. They covered it with rocks to protect him from scavengers.
Blizz and Mardin had apparently prepared Trumble and Kronk for traveling with a gorgeous fairy. Nevertheless, they only dared look upon her from afar. Seemed trust in fairies was lacking among humans pretty much across the board. Glenn suspected it was the Charm ability. He hadn’t seen Stephi use it. Heck Stephi’s Appearance Score could pretty much get her anything she wanted.
Glenn said to Blizz, “Lilac’s tougher than she looks.” He thought about that statement. Her stocky build and crooked nose. “And she looks like she can take care of herself.”
“I sure am glad Mr. Lysine hired her on,” Blizz said while flicking the reins to his horse team. Crates of coal made for a heavy load. But not nearly as heavy as the overloaded wagons the horses previously hauled. “We’d all be dead, weren’t for her.”
The old half-goblin licked his lips and cocked his head. “Them hired swords that Yonn fella was with...I mean, Mardin, he knew trouble was brewing. Him and Trumble shot their crossbows before it came to close fighting. Mardin was leading them to fight hard, but they was losing, ’till me and Lilac took’m from behind.”
Blizz laughed at himself. “Mostly her doing all the taking. They’d discounted her, ’cause she’s a woman, and me? An old, worn-out half-goblin.” He paused, glancing up into the morning sky, recalling the moment. “They turned to hacking their swords on her, but she kept giving it, and wouldn’t go down. Mardin and Kronk rallied and that was it. Not one got away, and we got their swords and horses.”
Six sturdy mounts, tied in strings of three, followed behind the trailing wagon.
“Cost Harold his life, though.” The animal handler’s head drooped. “I liked him, that Harold. Didn’t know him long, but he was like you, Mr. Jax, and Mr. Lysine. Talked to me like I’m more than a worn-out old half-goblin.”
Glenn suppressed a prideful grin. “You’re okay in my book, Blizz.”
“Hearing that from a gnome? Makes me wonder at how the world sometimes shows you a shiny copper coin edging out from under a pile of bear skat.”
The gnome healer didn’t know exactly how to take that. He decided it was more of a complement than anything else.