BTtNR - Book 3 - Chapter 47

Chapter 47

Jepi studied the entrance to the Shadowpath Canyon with a critical eye, noting the high walls, narrow passage, and countless overhangs that could hide attackers. Everything about this place screamed "ambush waiting to happen."

Totally the perfect vacation spot… Just what I always wanted.

Behind him, the caravan was making final preparations. Four wagons, each loaded with trade goods and supplies for Irondeep. Twelve dwarven guards in heavy plate, looking uncomfortable at the prospect of fighting in confined terrain. A dozen merchants who kept glancing nervously at the canyon entrance like it might swallow them whole.

And his team. Twelve Vikings, including Vidar and Hogni, all armed and ready for whatever the canyon threw at them.

Varanda appeared at his side, the scarred dwarf ranger's expression unreadable. "Your scouts are in position?"

"Hogni's ranging a quarter mile ahead," Jepi confirmed. "Two more Vikings on point, two watching our rear. The rest will stay with the wagons, spread between the carts to respond to threats from any direction."

"Good tactical deployment," Varanda said. "But remember, the Karg-kin hit from above and the sides. They split formations and isolate targets. Keep your warriors mobile."

"That's what Vikings do best," Jepi replied with more confidence than he felt. The canyon looked even worse up close than it had during the scouting briefing.

The communication rune at his belt suddenly warmed. He pulled it out and pressed it to his ear, hearing Einar's voice come through clearly despite the magical static.

"Den assault team moving in. Will update when we've cleared the den."

"Understood," Jepi replied. "Caravan entering canyon in ten minutes."

He turned to address his team and the dwarven guards. "Listen up! We move in column formation, five-yard spacing between wagons. Warriors on all sides, eyes up and scanning. These Karg-kin are smart, so assume every shadow hides a threat. If we get hit, the priority is protecting the cargo and creating a defensive position. Questions?"

One of the younger Vikings raised his hand. "What if they split us up?"

"Then we fight in sections and work our way back together," Jepi replied. "Trust your pack mates. Trust your training. We've faced worse than a couple of hybrid monsters."

"Have we though?" someone muttered, and nervous laughter rippled through the group.

"Probably not," Jepi admitted with a grin. "But that's never stopped us before."

The team moved out, entering the Shadowpath at midmorning. The temperature dropped immediately as the canyon walls blocked most of the sunlight. Jepi felt the oppressive weight of stone on all sides, the way sound echoed strangely off the walls, making it hard to judge distances.

He positioned himself between the second and third wagons, where he could see most of the column and respond quickly to threats from either direction. Vidar took the rear position with three warriors, watching for attacks from behind. The dwarven guards maintained formation around the most valuable cargo, their heavy armor gleaming dully in the shadowed light.

They moved at a steady pace, wagon wheels crunching on loose stone. Every hundred yards or so, Hogni would appear from around a bend ahead, signal all clear, and vanish again. The Vikings on point reported nothing unusual. The rear guard saw no pursuit.

It was too quiet.

Two miles into the canyon, Jepi's instincts started screaming that something was wrong. He couldn't point to any specific threat, couldn't see or hear anything out of place. But years of combat had taught him to trust that feeling when it came.

He whistled sharply, signaling everyone to be on heightened alert. Every Viking immediately shifted their stance, weapons coming up slightly, eyes scanning more carefully. Even the dwarven guards responded, their formation tightening around the wagons.

The communication rune warmed again. Einar's voice, triumphant but strained: "Den assault successful. Throk down. Den cleared. But Jepi—two Karg-kin escaped. They're heading your way. Repeat, two hostiles inbound to your position. Be ready!"

Jepi's stomach dropped. "Understood. We're in the canyon now. Will prepare defensive positions."

He turned to the caravan, already making decisions. "Possible hostiles inbound! Wagons, close up formation! Dwarven guards, defensive positions around cargo! Vikings, prepare for—"

Varanda's voice cut through his orders, sharp and urgent. "Movement above! Multiple positions!"

Jepi looked up and saw shapes on the canyon rim. Not many, maybe six or seven, but they were moving with purpose, coordinating their positions. And there, on a ledge halfway up the eastern wall, two massive forms that could only be Karg-kin.

"Contact!" she shouted. "Incoming from—"

The world exploded into chaos.

The rockslide started from three positions simultaneously, tons of stone cascading down from above. The Vikings and their dwarven allies scattered, some diving under wagons, others pressing against the canyon walls. The merchants screamed, their voices lost in the roar of falling rock.

One wagon took a direct hit, the massive boulder crushing the front axle and sending cargo tumbling. Another wagon was missed by inches, stone debris showering the horses and causing them to panic.

But the worst part was the rockslide's placement. It split the caravan almost perfectly in half. Two wagons and about half the guards were on the northern side with Vidar. Two wagons and the rest of the guards were trapped on the southern side with Jepi. And between them, a wall of broken stone six feet high and maybe thirty feet wide.

"Defensive positions!" Jepi roared, already moving to the most valuable wagon. He'd memorized which one carried the quality metals and finished weapons. The Karg-kin would target that one first.

They did just that.

Two massive shapes dropped from the ledges above, landing in the middle of the southern section with impacts that cracked the stone beneath their feet. One was wounded, bleeding from gashes along its side that looked suspiciously like axe wounds. The other was fresh and ready for violence.

Both were nine feet of hybrid nightmare, all tusks and claws and hungry intelligence.

"Shield wall!" Jepi commanded. Vikings and dwarven guards scrambled to form a defensive line around the wagon. Shields locked together, spears and axes bristling between them. It was crude and hasty, but it would have to do.

The wounded Karg-kin snarled something in a language Jepi didn't recognize, gesturing to the wagon. The fresh one nodded and they split up, clearly planning to attack from two directions simultaneously.

These things are actually coordinating tactics. Great. Just great.

The fresh Karg-kin charged first, coming in fast and low. It hit the shield wall like a battering ram, its momentum and mass driving three Vikings back despite their braced stance. Spears thrust out, finding flesh, but the creature's thick hide absorbed most of the damage.

It grabbed one shield and yanked it free, pulling the Viking holding it off balance. Before anyone could react, the Karg-kin's claws opened the warrior's throat. He went down, blood spraying, and the shield wall had a gap.

"Close it!" Jepi shouted, moving to fill the breach herself. He swung his spear in a wide arc, forcing the Karg-kin back half a step. Another Viking moved up beside him, shield raised, and the wall reformed.

But now the wounded Karg-kin was attacking from the opposite side.

It moved more cautiously, favoring its injured side, but it was still dangerous. It feinted left, then struck right, its claws raking across a dwarven guard's armor hard enough to leave deep scratches in the metal. When the dwarf counterattacked with his hammer, the Karg-kin caught the weapon and twisted, nearly breaking the guard's wrist.

Jepi made a split-second decision. "Half the wall, rotate! Face both threats!"

The formation shifted, becoming an oval instead of a line. Now they could defend against both Karg-kin simultaneously, but they'd lost the advantage of concentrated force.

The two creatures pressed their advantage, attacking in coordinated strikes that forced the defenders to constantly adjust. When one Karg-kin attacked high, the other struck low. When the defenders focused on one threat, the other exploited the opening.

And they were learning. Jepi could see it in how they adapted their tactics, avoiding the same attacks that had worked before, testing the defenses for weak points with frightening intelligence.

On the other side of the rockslide, he could hear the sounds of combat. Vidar's voice shouting orders, announcing that there were human bandits. The clash of weapons and screams of pain echoed off the stone. The human bandits must have attacked his section simultaneously with the Karg-kin assault on Jepi's.

We're outnumbered, split up, and fighting enemies that are smarter than they have any right to be. If this goes much longer, we're going to start losing people fast.

The fresh Karg-kin grabbed a Viking's spear, pulled it free from its owner's grip, and threw it like a javelin. The weapon punched through a merchant's chest, killing him instantly. The other merchants broke, running for the back of the formation and creating confusion.

"Hold the line!" Jepi commanded, but he could feel the defense starting to crack. The warriors were tired, wounded, and being worn down by creatures that were simply too strong for a direct fight.

The wounded Karg-kin saw the weakness, too. It roared something to its companion, and both creatures pressed forward simultaneously, hammering at the shield wall with brutal efficiency.

A dwarf went down, his helmet crushed. A Viking took a claw strike across the chest that opened his armor like paper. Another warrior lost her footing on the loose stone and was nearly grabbed before her pack mate pulled her back.

Jepi found himself face-to-face with the wounded Karg-kin as it broke through a gap in the wall. The creature was massive up close, its breath hot and reeking of rot. It swung one clawed hand at his head, and he barely ducked under the strike.

He thrust with his spear, aiming for the existing wounds in its side. The weapon pierced deep, and the creature bellowed in pain. But then its other hand caught his shoulder, claws digging in, and Jepi felt himself being lifted off the ground.

This is bad. This is really bad.

Then arrows began falling from above.

Not on the defenders but on the Karg-kin.

Jepi looked up and saw dwarf rangers on the canyon rim, appearing from positions he hadn't known existed. Varanda was with them, her bow singing as she put arrow after arrow into the fresh Karg-kin's back.

"Vrádni sent backup!" Varanda shouted down. "Hold on!"

The wounded Karg-kin dropped Jepi, distracted by the new threat. He hit the ground hard, his shoulder screaming in pain, but he rolled to his feet and grabbed his spear.

"Now!" he roared. "Hit them while they're distracted!"

The Vikings and dwarven guards surged forward as one. With the Karg-kin's attention split between the defenders and the rangers above, they finally had an opening.

Jepi drove his spear into the wounded Karg-kin's existing injuries, widening them, preventing them from healing. Two Vikings attacked from the sides, their axes finding gaps in the creature's defenses. A dwarven guard put his hammer into the thing's knee, and it buckled.

The wounded Karg-kin tried to rally and fight back, but it had taken too much damage. Between the injuries from the den assault and the fresh wounds from the caravan battle, its body finally gave out. It died with a gurgling scream, collapsing across the very cargo it had been trying to steal.

The fresh Karg-kin saw its companion fall and made a decision. It broke away from the fight, turned, and ran for one of the side passages that branched off from the main canyon.

"Don't let it escape!" Jepi shouted. "If it gets away, it'll warn others or come back with reinforcements!"

He led the pursuit, six Vikings following her into the narrow side passage. The Karg-kin was wounded now, multiple arrows protruding from its back, but it was still fast and desperate.

The passage twisted and turned, growing narrower with each bend. Perfect terrain for Vikings, terrible for something over nine feet tall. The Karg-kin had to duck under outcroppings, turn sideways in places, and each delay let the pursuers close the distance.

They cornered it in a dead-end chamber, a small cave that offered no exit except back the way they'd come. The creature turned to face them, blood streaming from its wounds, breathing hard but still ready to fight.

"You want it dead?" Jepi said to his pack. "Then we do it together. On my mark."

The Karg-kin roared and charged, knowing this was its last fight.

The Vikings met it with coordinated strikes, each warrior targeting a different vulnerability. Jepi went for the legs, his spear hamstringing the creature and bringing it to its knees. Another warrior opened its throat with an axe strike. A third drove a sword through its back and into its heart.

It took everything they had, and two more Vikings suffered serious injuries in the process. But finally, the Karg-kin fell and didn't rise again.

Jepi leaned against the cave wall, chest heaving, shoulder bleeding freely from where the other Karg-kin's claws had torn into him. "Anyone dead?" he asked.

"No," one of the Vikings replied. "Hurt bad, but alive."

"Then let's get back to the others before something else decides today is a good day to attack a caravan."

They made their way back to find the caravan section reorganized. The dwarf rangers had descended from the rim and were helping clear the rockslide. Varanda approached Jepi with a nod of respect.

"Well fought," the dwarf said. "Vrádni was smart enough to position backup rangers along the route. When we saw the rockslide, we moved to support."

"Thank the ancestors for smart commanders," Jepi replied. "How's Vidar's section?"

"See for yourself."

The rockslide had been cleared enough to create a passage, and Jepi limped through to find the northern section of the caravan. Vidar was there, directing cleanup operations. Bodies lay scattered around, but they were all human bandits. The Vikings and dwarven guards had cuts and bruises but no fatal injuries.

"Bandits?" Jepi asked.

"Six of them," Vidar confirmed. "They attacked when they heard the rockslide, probably thinking we'd be distracted. Bad assumption on their part." He gestured to three figures bound and gagged near one of the wagons. "Captured these three alive. The others chose death."

"Good," Jepi said. "They'll have information about who's organizing these attacks."

The communication rune at his belt warmed again, and he pulled it out. Einar's voice came through, concerned. "Jepi? Report."

"Both Karg-kin dead," he replied. "Caravan secure. We took casualties but nothing we can't handle. Three bandits captured for interrogation."

There was a pause, then Einar's voice came back, relieved. "Well done. We're double-timing to your position. Should reach you in about thirty minutes."

"We'll be here," Jepi said. "Not like we're going anywhere fast."

He looked around at the battered caravan. One wagon was damaged but repairable. Cargo had been scattered but not lost. Two Vikings and three dwarven guards were seriously wounded. One merchant was dead. Several of the captured bandits were injured but stable enough for questioning.

All things considered, it could have been much worse.

Varanda approached with a water skin, which Jepi accepted gratefully. "You commanded well," the dwarf said. "Kept your formation despite being split and outnumbered. That's not easy."

"Learned from the best," Jepi replied, thinking of Einar's tactical lessons. "Though I'll admit, my style is less 'careful planning' and more 'hit them until they stop moving.'"

The dwarf laughed. "Sometimes that's exactly what's needed. Einar thinks three moves ahead. You react in the moment and make it work. Both styles have their place."

One of the younger Vikings approached, his face pale. "Jepi? That merchant... the one who died. He had a wife and kids waiting in Irondeep."

Jepi's good humor evaporated. He'd been so focused on the tactical victory that he'd momentarily forgotten the human cost. "We'll make sure they're taken care of," he said quietly. "And we'll make sure his death meant something by getting this caravan through safely."

The young warrior nodded and moved away. Jepi watched him go, feeling the weight of command settling on his shoulders. This was the part of leadership that never got easier. The victories felt good, but they always came with a price.

Vidar joined him, his own wounds being tended by one of the healers. "First time leading a major engagement without Einar present?"

"That obvious?" Jepi asked.

"Only to those who know you," he replied. "You did well. Kept your head, made good decisions, and adapted when the situation changed. That's all anyone can ask."

"Tell that to the merchant's family."

"They'll know their husband and father died while brave warriors defended him against monsters," Vidar said. "That's more than many get. And the caravan making it through means food, supplies, and trade for their settlement. His death wasn't meaningless."

Jepi nodded, knowing he was right but still feeling the sting. Leadership meant making decisions that could result in people being killed, even when you did everything right. It was a burden Einar carried every day, and she was only now starting to understand how heavy it truly was.

The sound of running feet announced Einar's arrival. The den assault team appeared around a bend in the canyon, moving fast despite their obvious exhaustion and injuries. Einar spotted Jepi and made a beeline for her position.

"Status?" he asked without preamble.

Jepi gave him the full report, including casualties and the captured bandits. Einar listened without interruption, his face unreadable as he processed the information.

"You did well," he said finally. "Split formation, coordinated enemies, ambush from above... You handled everything and kept the caravan intact. That's a victory."

"Doesn't feel like one," Jepi admitted.

"It never does when people die," Einar replied quietly. "But you made the right calls. The caravan survived. The Karg-kin are dead. The trade route is secure. Those are the objectives that matter."

"And the bandits?" Jepi gestured to the three bound prisoners.

Einar's expression hardened. "Those we interrogate. Because if humans were working with Karg-kin, someone organized this. Someone coordinated the attacks. And I want to know who."

Stenri appeared from the northern section of the caravan, having apparently ridden with the supply wagons. The portly quartermaster looked shaken but determined as he surveyed the damage.

"Two Karg-kin dead, you said?" he asked Jepi.

"Dead as they're getting," he confirmed. "Want to see the bodies?"

"I need to confirm for the bounty," Stenri replied. "But more importantly, I need to understand how they knew which wagon carried the valuable cargo. They went straight for it."

That was a good question. The wagons all looked similar from the outside. There was no marking to indicate which carried gems and metals versus which carried simple trade goods. Yet both Karg-kin had targeted the right wagon immediately.

"Someone told them," Einar said, reaching the same conclusion. "Someone who knew the caravan's manifest."

All eyes turned to the captured bandits.

"Looks like we have some questions to ask," Stenri said grimly.

As the caravan began organizing for the remainder of the journey through the canyon, Jepi took a moment to check on his warriors. Most were mobile despite injuries. The seriously wounded were being stabilized for transport. The two who'd died would be resurrected once they returned to Kvellholl.

He found himself standing next to the dead Karg-kin, studying its face. Even in death, it looked intelligent. Cunning. This wasn't some mindless beast. It had worked with its companion, coordinated attacks, and targeted specific cargo.

"Thinking deep thoughts?" Vidar asked, joining him.

"Thinking that we just fought the symptoms, not the disease," Jepi replied. "These Karg-kin were organized by someone. The bandits were working with them. This is bigger than a few hybrid monsters attacking caravans."

"That's a problem for tomorrow," Vidar said. "Today, we won. We kept the caravan safe. We killed the threats. We captured intelligence. That's enough for one day."

Jepi smiled slightly. "When did you become the wise one?"

"Someone has to be, and apparently Thorodd's busy being unconscious after Throk threw him into a wall."

They both laughed at that, and some of the tension bled away. They'd survived. They'd succeeded. And tomorrow they could worry about the larger implications.

For now, there was still half a canyon to traverse, wounded to tend, and a caravan to deliver safely to Irondeep.

Just another day in the nine realms.

***

By the time the caravan emerged from the Shadowpath's far end, the sun was setting in shades of orange and gold. The settlement of Irondeep lay ahead, smoke rising from its forges in welcoming columns.

The journey through the second half of the canyon had been tense but uneventful. Every shadow made warriors flinch, every sound triggered readiness. But no more attacks came. The Karg-kin were dead, the bandits captured or killed, and the route was clear.

Stenri rode up beside Jepi, his face thoughtful. "You've secured the trade route. Eliminated the Karg-kin threat. That's one of the three tasks completed."

"Two down, one to go," Jepi replied. "Any hints on what the third task might be?"

The quartermaster smiled mysteriously. "That's for the High King to reveal. But I'll say this: if you can handle Karg-kin and coordinated ambushes, you can handle whatever comes next."

Jepi wasn't sure if that was reassuring or terrifying. Probably both.

As the caravan rolled into Irondeep, greeted by cheers from the waiting settlement, Jepi allowed himself a moment of satisfaction. They'd done it. They'd cleared a den of hybrid monsters, killed their leader, secured a trade route, and delivered the caravan safely.

Not bad for a day's work.

But as he looked at the captured bandits being hauled away for interrogation, he couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning. Someone had organized the Karg-kin. Someone had coordinated the attacks. Someone was targeting dwarven trade routes with purpose and intelligence.

And tomorrow, they'd start finding out who.