The four days since they began on the journey to Al Nowaro have been physically exhausting, and mind-numbingly tedious. Kaalaas has been absorbed by the hunt, intent on studying the road and their surroundings. The Kavi's expertise in tracking is plainly greater than the poodle's, though how good she is Elise finds difficult to judge. Now and then, they'll stop to look at something, and often Elise can't tell what has caught the ferret's interest, or what she's learned by the time they mount again and continue riding.
On the third day, they left the main road to follow a winding sidetrack, which, according to Kaalaas, Ordway and Nyorga took. For Elise's part, she can distinguish occasional hoof prints on the narrow path. Careful observation of the differences between those prints and the ones left by their own Drokars lets her conclude the ones they follow were made by Rhians, given the length of the strides and the size of the prints. But if there's something about them that makes Kaalaas certain these prints belong to the particular Rhians they're chasing, Elise can't discern it.
The best reason Elise can see for fugitives to use this path is that it's annoying for the pursuers. It leads through a forest tangled with underbrush, and a few times the path just stopped, and even Kaalaas had to hunt around for a few minutes to find the route their quarry followed. The Drokars hate it, and Elise is little more fond of the thorns and branches that continually claw at her hood and robes, and force her to dismount occasionally due to overhanging branches.
On Harvest 15, the woods finally open up into harvested fields – or rather, what would be harvested fields. As they ride forth, they find that about two thirds of the field has been harvested of grain, and the remainder looks like its been hit by some kind of narrowly defined natural catastrophe. Stacked sheaves have been scattered in all directions, and plants torn and trampled, as if a stampede of wild animals had been through. In the distance, they can see a mixed group of humanoids working on a fence to the south.
"Al Nowaro?" inquires the Executor Secundus quietly of her superior. The subordinate, worn and tired and dotted pieces of underbrush so thorny as to remain attached to her robes even having long since passed them, glances to the Kavi woman momentarily before instinctively reaching to make certain her crossbow is still there.
Kaalaas shakes her head. "No. We've got to still be at least another three day's ride, at least, from Nowaro, and that's assuming Ordway doesn't find us any more twisting scrubby paths to slow us down. Riding through that stuff wasn't much faster than walking would've been." She makes a face.
Elise nods, then gestures towards the expanse of trampled fields. "It seems as though the village has run in to some poor luck. We might wish to inquire of that as well as Ordway – though I do not think I need to tell you to be on your guard, ma'am," the Gallee says.
The Kavi snorts. "Watch yourself, binadantake. I think I see some children among them." She turns the head of her Drokar and starts towards the villagers. One of those working on the fence has noticed them, and is calling the attention of the others to them.
"Of course, ma'am." She nudges her mount, and the lady poodle is soon off after the Kavi woman heading towards the villagers.
"Hi-ni, strangers," one of the Rhians, a stout gray stallion with a whitening muzzle, hails them. "You are on Fadeed land. I am Ashab el Fadeed. What brings you among my herds?"
The lady reaches for the pouch at her side and draws out a folder, flips through it, then removes two sketches before placing the folder back away. She holds these sketches out so the gray stallion can see them. "We are looking for these men. This one," she says, tapping her pinky finger against his image, "is likely to be of a brown, from dark near-black to a more likely fading shade of brown. It is also possible he may resemble his picture in coloring."
Ashab examines the images for a moment, perfunctorily. "We had a couple of strangers through here, visitor," he answers, "about four, five nights ago, I believe. The one might've been him." Here he indicates the picture of Nyorga. "Don't reckon the other looked much like this other drawing. He was piebald, dark brown with beige spots."
"Thank you," says the lady, and she bows her head in appreciation. "Did you or others happen to notice which direction they were headed?"
"South, I believe," the gray stallion replies. "May I ask why the visitors seek these men?"
"One is wanted for murder and slavery – the slavery of a child, specifically. The other is an accessory to these crimes," answers the Executor Secundus. She then adds, as a warning, "They are both highly dangerous."
The small knot of Rhians, mixed with three Khattas, murmur at this revelation, exchanging glances, but Ashab shows little reaction save the quirk of one ear. "These are terrible things. Your pardon, visitor, but your accent is unfamiliar to me and you wear the garb of an alien. Where have you come from, that you would hunt the criminals of the Golden Peninsula in their own land?"
"The sky island of Rephidim, under the authority of the Temple," answers Elise. The woman glances between the gathered Rhians and nods. "These crimes were committed on Rephidim ground, and these men have come here to skulk behind the good folk of the Golden Peninsula, bringing their guilt into your midst."
More murmuring among the others, but nothing Elise can make out distinctly. Ashab merely bows. "Then Fadeed wishes you all success, visitor. Good day to you." He turns back to his people and shouts, "The fence shall not fix itself, you sluggards! Do not stand and stare 'til the sun has dropped from the sky."
The lady Executor raises a hand. "Hold, Ashab el Fadeed. I would inquire as to what occurred here." She waves the hand out, gesturing to the damaged lands and destroyed fencing. "If you would be so kind as to answer my inquiry, of course."
The older Rhian flicks an ear, glancing back to Elise. "Visitor from Rephidim, Abaddon hogs came upon my herd yestereve, from the north. They broke my fence and scattered my animals, killing several, before my people were able to drive them off."
Elise frowns at the news, and then inclines her head in thanks for the man's answer. "I see. Do these … 'Abaddon hogs,' was it? Yes, do they roam this way often?" she then asks.
"No, visitor. I would not have known them for what they were, save that a daughter's husband is of the Himar, and he recognized the beasts. These Abaddon hogs are ferocious monsters, and terrifying to the animals, especially," Ashad answers. "When he first noticed the beasts, one of my strongest men came after one with his staff in hand, but it attacked him rather than flee, and he barely escaped with his own life."
"Abaddon hogs?" Kaalaas repeats the words, frowning, though she's obviously not following the Khattan conversation. "What's he talking about Abaddon hogs for?"
Again the lady bows her head. "Should we come across this herd, and should we be capable and it not interfere with our mission, we shall dispatch them. But for now, we must be off. May you walk in Their light, Ashab el Fadeed," the lady promises. She then glances to Kaalaas questioningly to see if her superior had anything else to add – or complain about.
Ashab bows to Elise and returns to overseeing the repairs on the fence, while Kaalaas repeats her question, looking her usual annoyed self.
"Ah, excuse me Executor Majoris. He said that they were attacked by something he calls an 'Abaddon hog' and that they destroyed his fence and killed several of his herd," explains the Secundus. "I volunteered to slay them, should we encounter them and it not interfere with our mission. Shall we go?"
Kaalaas laughs. "Oh, certainly. Have you any idea what an Abaddon hog is, binadantake?" she inquires, with the air of one who knows very well. "And where did the old man say we are? I want to check my bearings."
"I did say if we could dispatch it, ma'am. And yes, ma'am." The lady turns and directs her mount a few steps forward, asking, "Pardon me again, Ashab el Fadeed, but might I ask as to what village we are in?"
"This is Fadeed," the man answers, after neighing a command to a couple of people manning a post-hole digger.
"Many thanks to you," offers the noble before she turns to her superior, answering, "We are in the village of Fadeed."
The Kavi has her maps out. "Abaddon hogs leave trails so obvious even you could spot them, Secundus," she says, searching for their location on the document. "We'll be staying well clear of them – if there are any around, which I doubt, whatever this old man says. Abaddon hogs aren't found on the Golden Peninsula. Ah, there we are. The trail has borne us north – we'll have to veer south again to get back to the main road." She reins in her Drokar and gesture to Elise to lead.
"Yes, Executor Majoris," responds Elise in her well-practiced manner of response. Responding to a superior has become like second nature, and she doesn't think twice on it despite the nature of this particular commanding officer. She glances at Kaalaas's map, nods, then turns southward and spurs her mount in to the lead.
A day later, and Kaalaas has made some more disparaging comments on the gullible nature of the villagers, noting that she hasn't seen any signs of Abaddon hogs yet. They are traveling now through open, grassy plains, long and lush, with scarcely a tree in sight in any direction. The next evening, as Elise chews on dried beef while the Majoris is off hunting, the poodle hears a curious rumbling sound.
The poodle, jerky stick partly in her mouth as she works to try and chew the questionably edible piece of meat, pauses, leaving her in the curious pose of gnawing the resilient edible. Slowly, very slowly, she reaches for her crossbow and quiver.
Keeping the crossbow loaded and cocked continuously would soon destroy the instrument, so the first thing the poodle does once she secures it is to start cranking. The rumbling noise grows louder, coming from the southeast of her. Elise has time to wonder where Kaalaas is, and how soon she'll be back.
While she winds the crossbow, the lady poodle glances around for her sword as well. The stick of beef is left all but forgotten as it is slowly grinded by the setting of the poodle's jaw. If she cannot wind her crossbow in time to deal with whatever threat approaches, she prepares to grab her sword instead.
Her cane, with an indifferent steel blade concealed within it – she has not had time to commission a truly good sword for this purpose – is at her hand as always, for the convenience of the cane, if not the weapon inside. The two Drokars, tethered together to a nearby rock, nicker and shift, their eyes rolling. They pull at the halter rope anxiously, nostrils flared. Elise can't tell now if the growling is coming from the southeast or the southwest, though it's getting louder and definitely nearer. She has a bad feeling the answer is "both." She finishes cranking the crossbow back.
Once risen and armed the lady shifts her sword to her off hand for support and makes a quick survey of the area for cover. Trees, rocks, anything she can hobble behind, or in a pinch throw herself behind, for cover.
Unfortunately, the area around here offers nothing by an expanse of grass, broken only by the line of the road to the north. Even the smallish lump of stone holding the halter ropes of the Drokars down is something of a rarity. Standing now, she can see a ripple moving through the grass to the southeast, about ten yards away, that doesn't seem likely to have been caused by the wind.
The lady raises her crossbow to point towards the sounds somewhere south. Crossbow aloft and ready to fire she edges her way slowly towards her mount.
The rumbling abruptly gets much quieter. At the same time, from the corner of her eye, Elise catches movement very near, and she twists in time to see a great black-and-grey shape with too many legs leap towards the Drokars – and herself.
Twisting at the waist and bending at the knee, the Gallee turns to aim her crossbow at the approaching creature to fire while simultaneously preparing to leap to the side if her shot goes wide.
Without sufficient warning to prepare her shot, Elise's quarrel only grazes the side of the blurry assailant. Her lame leg twinges as she pushes away from the Drokars, but she manages to get away from them just as the many-legged beast comes crashing past. One of the rearing, wild-eyed Drokars manages to kick it as its pounce comes in too low to hit them, and it lands in a coiling heap between the Drokars and Elise, briefly stunned. Elise notices that this beast isn't making the growling rumble she heard earlier … but she can still hear that sound, from the southwest. Behind her.
The crossbow is abandoned in favor of her sword, both because it is a weapon made more easily ready than a crossbow and because she needs the cane to stand back up. As the lady rises she draws her sword with her main hand while using the remaining sheath/cane to support herself. Sword in hand, she edges towards the stunned beast, keeping her body turned so that her right arm faces the fallen creature and her left the direction of the noise, glancing right and left and trying to keep hold of the situation.
The two Drokars thrash, squealing, and Kaalaas's manages to pull its rope loose of the rock. Hooves digging into the ground, it charges away, while the stunned hog gathers its legs beneath it, recovering. It has a powerful-looking wedge-shaped head, with three horns radiating out from the top, while the claws of its feet gouge at the ground. Elise hears the second rumble abruptly stop.
Elise lifts her sword high, ready to bring it down upon the once-stunned hog that for the moment doesn't seem to be paying her any mind. An idea crops up in her mind as she judges the relative angles, distances, and placements of the encounter – she thinks that should the one to her rear change she could dive away again, leaving it to crash in to its fellow from behind with those massive tusks. Instead of swinging now she waves at the hidden hog with her cane as a taunt, trying to enrage it in to charging while she prepares to dive away again.
The second hog leaps, much as expected, charging for the waving cane. Elise tucks and dives to one side as it emerges, and though she feels a slash of pain against her forearm as she pulls it out of the way, she manages to get clear. The stunned hog has managed to pull itself together enough to go after the Drokar, but the tethered animal manages another sharp kick. It knocks the Abaddon hog off-stride as it tries to gore the Drokar – and at that moment, the hog which just grazed Elise crashes into it. The first hog keens in pain as its companion's horns gore into its flank.
The lady's jaw clenches hard as the dual pains from her newly acquired wound and her old injury flare up. The dried beef cracks in her jaws, causing it to flop slightly against her muzzle, though she notices it not as she pushes herself up to a knee and makes a thrusting strike at the charging hog's underbelly.
The sword slices open the abdomen, and entrails spill out, steaming and fountaining blood. The first hog tries to scramble away, its rear legs badly injured by the goring it took earlier, but it's moving slowly, and still keening with pain. Elise can hear the tread of running feet – Kaalaas finally returning, perhaps.
To cease the hog's keening wail, and the possibility it may thus call help, the lady poodle steps around its thrashing and gutted fellow so as to perform a coup de grace. The lady's blood-slicked sword-cane is drawn up and she makes a lunging strike for the fleeing hog as it attempts to retreat.
In moments, Elise has dispatched the last creature, and it sags onto the ground as Kaalaas skids to a halt in the campsite, a throwing knife in either hand. "Secundus?" She takes in the scene, breathing quickly but not breathless, eyes darting out from the immediate area – where the situation appears in hand – to scan farther out.
For a moment the Gallee does not answer; instead she stands breathing heavily through her nose, head dipped in exhaustion and face contorted in pain. After a moment she straightens and turns, wiping the sweat from her brow as she answers. "Yrrs Emxmm – " The poodle blinks, then reaches with her uninjured arm to pull out the mangled beef strip and toss it away before she resumes speaking. " – Executor Majoris?"
