Dragon Riders of Etrea—Chapter 8

As their path continued east, the farms grew further apart and eventually disappeared altogether, leaving them riding through wild grasslands. With the lack of buildings to block the view, the sky itself almost seemed larger. Henrik took a moment to enjoy the simplicity and beauty of it all. Life was often complicated, but a cool breeze was not.

“How long until Limestone?” Henrik asked. 

“We should get there tomorrow evening,” Tobias said, still looking around him.

“I do hope the food they provided is up to par,” Rasud said, momentarily glancing behind him at his saddlebags. “I fear it’ll be mostly dried meat.”

“What else do you eat when you travel?” Tobias asked. 

“A good vegetable stew is my favorite,” Rasud said. “Especially if I can forage some local produce or herbs to put in it. Maybe a handful of beans for heartiness. Also, they have these wonderful things to the north called apples that are just delightful. Shame they don’t grow in our hot climate.”

Tobias gave him a flat look. “Are you saying you don’t eat meat?”

Rasud shook his head. “Not unless I have to. I’ve been trying to convince Henrik of this for years; eating more plants is just better for your digestion.” He leaned over in his saddle and farted loudly. “See? It doesn’t even smell. Come closer and see for yourself.” He wafted it towards Tobias.

“You are a strange man,” Tobias said, fortunately not sounding angry. “A halfbreed, a witchman, and you don’t eat meat. Do you at least enjoy the comforts of a woman?”

“I’ll wager I’ve been with ten times the women you have,” Rasud said, eyeing him flatly. “While some women don’t like my complexion, or…” he trailed off, tapping one of his small tusks. “The color gold always changes a woman’s mind. Not all of us have the luck of Henrik, here.”

“And what are you?” Tobias asked, looking over at Henrik.

“Huh?” Henrik asked, giving him a hard look. He didn’t like people inquiring about his past.

“You’ve got to have something in your ancestry, being your size,” Tobias said. “You have a giant as a grandfather or something?”

Henrik looked down at his massive hand and flexed it into a fist. “I suppose the gods blessed me in a few ways.”

“There are certainly some women that think so,” Rasud said. “My brooding friend is rather popular with the ladies when he’s not busy scaring them off or robbing them.”

“I don’t rob women,” Henrik snapped. “You know that.”

“It’s called a joke, Henrik,” Rasud said. “Really, I think all that beer and meat has gone to your head. You’re too tense. Shall we sing a song to help lighten the mood? Oh, I know one!”

“Shut up!” Tobias and Henrik said at the same time.

Rasud frowned. “I guess I’m the only one that enjoys life out here. Well, no wonder. The two of you can’t stop the song that’s in my heart.”

“What does that even mean?” Tobias asked after a moment.

Rasud frowned again. “Hold on. Give me a minute and I’m sure I can think of a witty reply.”

“Where are we going once we reach Limestone?” Henrik asked, cutting his friend off.

“To the local inns and pubs to hunt for rumors,” Tobias replied. “And we’ll sift through those rumors until we discover facts, and we’ll use those to figure out where the raiding parties are so we can avoid them. That far to the east there’s a chance someone might remember sightings of dragons, but the country folk might just dismiss it as fantasy.”

“You think they’ll know enough for us to avoid the orcs?” Rasud asked. “I certainly have no desire to fight any of them.”

“While they’re fierce fighters, they’re also known for their laziness,” Tobias explained. “It is rare they have any guards at night. After all, who would be dumb enough to attack a group of orcs?”

“Dumb, indeed,” Rasud muttered.

“Do you really think we can just sneak into a cave and steal a dragon’s egg?” Henrik asked.

“You? Yes,” Tobias said. “After all, you made your way inside my boss’s house, and that place is guarded better than the royal palace.”

“Point made,” Henrik said. “I suppose compared to that, slipping through a dark cave won’t be overly difficult.”

“Exactly,” Tobias said. “It’s just a matter of staying completely silent and staying aware of your surroundings.”

“I believe I have a spell that can help with that,” Rasud said.

“Do you know where most of the orcs live?” Rasud asked.

“The duke has done his research,” Tobias said, shifting on his saddle. “At least, as much as you can research wild orcs. He has sent his fastest scouts out since learning of the egg. Most of the orcs live in Silverkeep, a city further to the east. Probably two weeks’ ride from here. If we run into any, it’ll be a raiding party.”

“What do you know about the city?” Henrik asked, rubbing his chin. “I’ve only heard about the raiding parties. The town crier mentioning the city was the first I’ve heard of it.”

“It’s a new thing,” Tobias said, continuing his explanation. “That new war chief of theirs, Torgan I think his name is, founded the city. He’s had orcs working there day and night for the better part of a year, crafting buildings from stone and even brick.”

“An orc city. Who would have guessed that?” Rasud said. He turned to Henrik and grinned. “They say the orc women are just as fierce as any man and twice as cunning. You like strong women, Henrik. Maybe if there are any running along with the raiding parties, you can, eh, sheath your sword, if you catch my meaning.”

Henrik looked over at him and laughed. “You know my feelings on orcs,” he said.

“I know your feelings on most things, not that they make any sense at times,” Rasud said. “Well, I suppose it would be best to avoid the orcs at all costs. If a group of them manages to find us, I think we’ll be okay, though.”

Tobias glanced over at Henrik. “I have a feeling Henrik here could stand toe-to-toe with an orc and survive.”

Henrik just grunted.

“He’s sensitive about his toes, that’s all,” Rasud said. “So, have Duke Ardun’s scouts been to the mountain where the dragon lives? Or dragons, I should say? Although I certainly hope we only have to be around one.”

Tobias nodded. “They helped the wizard sketch his map. We’ll go over it tonight, once we’re done with everything else.”

“This sounds surprisingly straightforward,” Rasud said.

“Most plans are. At least until something goes wrong,” Henrik added.

“He’s right,” Tobias said. “I believe that’s another reason my boss hired you two. If things go wrong, you two stand a good chance of surviving. At least, I hope. If you two die, that doesn’t bode well for me.”

“Nothing wrong with self-preservation,” Rasud said. He looked around and sighed. “Not the most exciting place, is it?” he asked.

Henrik looked around at the grasslands. They looked the same in every direction, as far as he could see. Only the road, cutting straight through like an arrow, offered any respite from the monotony.

“May I see your bow?” Henrik asked, steering his horse closer to Tobias.

The soldier passed over his bow and quiver, which Henrik examined for a moment. He examined it, noting its high quality. Well, with how much money Duke Ardun had, it made sense that his soldiers had the best equipment. He gripped the bow and began scanning the area.

“See something?” Tobias asked.

“Grouse,” Henrik replied. “Back there, I saw one hurry away from us. I’m sure our travel rations are good, but I prefer fresh food when possible.” He pulled an arrow from the quiver, glanced at the tip, then nocked it and held it in place.

“Can you hit a target that small from horseback?” Tobias asked, his voice openly doubtful.

“Never underestimate my friend’s ability to kill,” Rasud said. “Especially if he’s angry. You never want to see him angry, trust me.”

“As long as they’re not flying, I’ll be fine,” Henrik said, keeping his eyes on the land around them. 

They rode in silence for a while as the sheer boredom of the expansive grasslands almost seemed to seep into them. On occasion several small birds flew away when their party rode near, but nothing large enough to eat. 

An hour passed by and Henrik suddenly raised the bow. He pulled the string back to his cheek in one smooth motion and held it there, his eyes scanning. A brief flash of color had caught his eye.

There.

He released the bowstring, sending the arrow into a patch of brown grass. Three birds flew away, creating quite the racket.

“I think you scared them away. Better luck next time,” Tobias said.

Henrik ignored him and swung down from his saddle. He walked over to where he had fired the arrow and searched through the grass. A moment later, he picked up a medium-sized bird with speckled feathers, skewered right through the middle with his arrow. It was still alive so with a quick motion he snapped its neck so it wouldn’t suffer.

“Think you can hunt down some potatoes for me with that thing?” Rasud asked, looking at the dead bird in Henrik’s hand.

Henrik wrapped a leather thong around the bird’s feet, then tied it to the back of his saddle. He examined the arrow for a moment, then gasped it firmly and pulled it the rest of the way through the bird. It was still in usable shape, if a bit dirty. He grabbed one of his water skins and gave the arrow a quick rinse. Leaving it bloody would attract insects.

“You’ll have to find the potatoes yourself,” Henrik said. “But Tobias and I will feast on grouse tonight.”

Tobias looked at him and nodded. “Now, that’s something I can appreciate. Shame we don’t have any beer or wine to wash it down with. Just water.” He looked forlornly at his water skin.

“I’m sure Limestone will have something to drink other than the horse trough,” Rasud said, looking down at his own water skin.

“Should always carry strong wine,” Henrik said. “It can be used to keep wounds from getting infected.”

“And more importantly, it keeps me from getting cranky,” Rasud said. “We’ll make sure to pick up several skins in Limestone.”

They continued riding until the sun was low on the horizon behind them, causing their shadows to stretch far across the land. Riding in the dark was too risky; if a horse broke a leg, they’d have to buy another horse to continue, and none of the horses in Limestone would be as nice as Duke Ardun’s.

As the sun set, they found a relatively bare patch off the north side of the road and steered their horses there. Making camp was simple enough with three men in warm weather; just bedrolls and their saddles as pillows. Rasud picked the ground clean of grass and lit a small fire in the center, over which they cooked the grouse Henrik had killed.

Rasud complained loudly about the provisions they had been supplied with, noting that they were, in fact, mostly dried meat. At least there was some hard cheese and several loaves of crusty bread, so he proclaimed that he wouldn’t starve.

“Is he always like this?” Tobias asked quietly.

“Yes,” Henrik said. “But you won’t find a better man anywhere.”

“I heard that, Henrik,” Rasud said, narrowing his eyes. “I’m warning you; you keep up with that line of talk and I’ll start telling people you’re nice.”