Mud War (Dwarvish Dirty Dozen Book 1) by Aaron D. Schneider & Michael Anderle

Author:Aaron D. Schneider & Michael Anderle [Schneider, Aaron D.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9798885414326
Publisher: LMBPN Publishing
Published: 2022-06-23T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

“This is bad for those poor animals.”

Ober tried to answer, but his teeth clacked together as the wagon hit another hole in the road. He was certain he was only one or two impacts from permanent dental devastation.

Aside from his teeth, there was the matter of staying on the rattling wagon for the last few days of accelerated travel. Both siblings fell off a time or two during the first day of “draught-running,” as Haeda had called it, so Gromic had fashioned a rope tether that bound them to the bench of the wagon. That might have seemed generous, but Ober had demonstrated before the end of the first day that there was just enough slack for him to be dragged behind the racing wagon if he pitched over.

After tumbling off and being dragged for the seconds it took for Waelon, Gromic, and Tomza to reel him in, Ober had been determined to keep his place. As a result, he’d been sore and exhausted for days. His skewered arm was showing remarkable signs of recovery despite his tribulations, though.

“Those pigs are not the first thing on my mind,” he spat as he fought to keep his seat, knuckles whitening as he braced himself. “At least they have Haeda to look after them.”

They’d gotten a late start the day after his conversation with Torbjorn. That was part of the reason none seemed eager to head into wight territory. The other reason was that Torbjorn and Waelon had set out at dawn and hadn’t returned until near midday. Torbjorn informed them that they’d backtracked to the road near the picket tower in search of information.

Posing as a pair of enterprising prospectors, they’d hailed a passing patrol for word of the wights and their levies moving about the border. Parting with a few coins meant the fordwan leading the patrol was happy to share information about a goblin band and possibly a wight levy, though maybe an independent group of grem, moving westward. They were advised to hug the mountain shadows if they were foolhardy enough to go prospecting in the wilds between wight and dwarvish territory.

Torbjorn and Haeda had talked and decided whether or not to follow the fordwan’s advice. In the end, Haeda stated that goblins heading west, most likely to Lake Blacmere, meant their best hope was to cut straight to Fang’s Nest. Gromic and Waelon had expressed support for her plan since both held contempt for any threat goblins might pose. No one asked the siblings, so the decision was made. Despite this, Torbjorn delayed until the sky showed the blush of the sinking sun before they moved out.

Ober and Tomza, anxious that Torbjorn’s deliberations had been on their account, were eager for things to get underway. They soon learned they would have been better off enjoying their last few hours of ease. Once the elven concoction was sprinkled into the worcsvines’ mouths, the beasts had frothed and snapped their tusked jaws as their thick frames shivered with energy.

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