Prequel 2 - Atilen
| The Assassins | Atilen - Rogue 3rd level LE (PC) |
| Locale | Market District - Gryrax. |
| Date | 14th Goodmonth 566 CY |
| Time | After Dark. |
Stakeouts were never enjoyable and this one was no exception.
Even though the summer sun had long since departed, the hard baked stone of the buildings would radiate their heat until well after midnight. Thus sitting outside, cramped and bored, exposed to the stifling heat while the object of one's surveillance sat in relative comfort, enjoying a cool glass of wine; made this stakeout particularly unpleasant. It brought home everything Atilen despised about his life. Atilen knew he wasn't suited to the life that had chosen him; he was convinced that the world owed him something better and if he endured, it was just a matter of time before he would receive his dues.
Atilen, "the Fox" as he liked to be called, was not a pretty man; his reddish brown hair was thinning, his eyes were just a little bit bulbous and his nose was too big for his smallish head. But despite his less than heroic appearance he was intelligent and he knew how to charm people. Atilen made the most of what the gods had given him and worked to his strengths. Cunning and agility rather than beauty and strength, that's what gave the fox its edge and Atilen was quite proud of his self-appointed moniker.
The emergence of his target snapped him back to the here and now. The woman he was following stepped out of the apartment rented by Jodah, a semi-retired merchant from the Iron League, and made her way down the quiet street. Atilen had been following her for some time and knew that this woman had some martial training, the well-maintained sword strapped to her side a warning to any would-be attacker that she was not a person to be trifled with.
Slipping from his hiding place, Atilen carefully picked his way from shadow to shadow as he kept pace with his quarry, using what skills he had to follow her without betraying his position. The woman was an important link in a chain of events that Atilen was tracing to its conclusion.
Greythorne, a fellow thief, had arranged to contact Atilen before the end of Reaping and asked "the fox" to look into things if that contact was not made. It was now well after month end and still no contact had been made so Atilen began to dig. Truth be told Atilen didn't really like Greythorne that much but a promise was a promise and a debt had to be paid. Greythorne had saved Atilen from a particularly nasty situation many months prior and this was his chance to clear his debt to the old man.
Prison terms for even the smallest of crimes in Gryrax tended to be harsh for a human. Gryrax had a predominantly Dwarf government and their strict laws did not take race into account when dispensing justice. Ten years in prison meant little to a dwarf who was likely to live for four hundred years but it was a significant part of a human being's lifetime. It meant that there were very few human thieves in Gryrax and what few there were here looked out for each other and Atilen was not one to take that responsibility lightly.
Since Atilen had begun his surveillance of Jodah he soon discovered that all was not as it seemed. Despite being semi-retired Jodah had regular contact with more than his fair share of shady characters and Atilen had spent the past few days following many of them. So far his conclusion was that the woman he was now following was by far the most interesting. Unfortunately Atilen had not yet learned her name but he was certain that she had something to do with the disappearance of Greythorne and his lanky young charge.
The woman continued her journey through the poorly lit streets. Despite being a major port city, Gryrax had a high non-human population so the streetlamps were few in number. That fact suited Atilen perfectly as he pursued his quarry through the darkness.
Apart from her name he had learned much about this mysterious woman; she had contact with the Gryrax guild of thieves but was not a member of that nefarious organisation. She was frequently out of town and in fact it seemed as though she was about to embark on yet another of those journeys. But this time Atilen planned to follow her - at a discreet distance of course. Atilen had a knack for learning things and it was a skill he was proud of, unfortunately his wilderness lore was not that fabulous and he did not look forward to spending an extended period out of town.
| Atilen | (under his breath) Damn it. |
He had missed a turn and she was no longer in sight.
With a quick scan of the streets he saw that there was only one way his quarry could have gone but if she had taken that path it meant that there was a fair chance she was aware that someone was following her. Atilen smiled, he loved a challenge, he knew this city very well and recalled that this particular alleyway was accessible from a long abandoned storefront - formerly a general store - and made his way there, all consideration for stealth abandoned.
Atilen soon had the front door open, and made his way to the rear of the building and to the door that provided access to the alley. He was careful as he picked his way through the scattered furniture the darkness indoors was almost total and he daren't risk a light so his progress was painfully slow.
After what seemed an eternity he was standing at the rear door.
Placing his ear to the wood he listened intently for several heartbeats and could hear nothing. The lock on the door was a simple wooden bar but given its period of disuse the wood had swollen enough to make removing it silently a difficult proposition. With a deep breath Atilen resolved to try as it was his only chance to get into the alleyway undetected.
Bunching his muscles Atilen brought his strength to bear and lifted the wooden bar out of its cradle. With luck it was not as difficult as he had first expected and he soon had the door open a crack. Before stepping out into the alley he listened once more and was rewarded for his caution by the sound of quiet conversation; a man and a woman speaking in hushed tones not less than five feet from his current vantage.
It seemed that he had not been noticed, it seemed that his quarry had a pre-arranged meeting in this particular alley. Norebo must indeed be smiling on him tonight thought Atilen. With a wry smile he shook his head and strained to overhear them.
| Woman | ... and Carabin wants to be sure his instructions to you are clear. The merchant, Jodah, must be killed, he has become a liability and we cannot let our enemies use him to their advantage. |
| Man | I will kill him tonight. |
| Woman | See that you do, we cannot afford any mistakes. |
| Man | I am not a child Tara, this is not the first task you have given me. |
| Tara | I know that Mykal but this operation has not gone as planned, we have gained nothing from the two we kidnapped. The old man died without giving us anything we could make use of and I am not convinced we will succeed with the young one, despite Carabin's hopes. |
| Mykal | There will be other opportunities, Carabin knows what he is doing. |
| Tara | I know he does, but I worry that this time he may have reached too far. I just wish he would tell me more about what he has planned. |
| Mykal | It's not his way, Tara. You have worked for him long enough to know that. |
| Tara | (sighs) I know you are right. Still, I have my doubts. |
There was a brief pause in the conversation. Atilen closed his eyes and concentrated wholly on listening and determined that the pair had paused to exchange a kiss. Clearly they were more than simply business associates.
| Mykal | When will you make contact again? |
| Tara | I am leaving Gryrax tomorrow, I will see you in Dreki in eight days time. |
The pair kissed once more, then parted company. The woman, Tara, waited while Mykal exited the alley onto the main street, then she too moved off but instead of following her partner she went deeper into the alley.
Atilen had to hurry.
He closed the door but did not bother to lock it once more and made his way back through the empty store as quickly as he was able, given the poor light. He knew where that alley led so if he was fast he should be able to pick up Tara's trail once he was back out onto the street.
| Atilen | So, she is leaving town and headed for Dreki... wherever that is. |
Once out of the building, Atilen moved quickly through the streets and rounded the corner to the street where Tara should have come out just in time to see her disappear down a second alley; she was moving much faster now, no doubt heading for her room at The Howling Mine; a nearby tavern.
| Atilen | (smiles) You'll have to be faster than that to outwit me. |
Sticking to the main streets Atilen practically ran to the next intersection as he knew that the alleys would be a much shorter path. Thankfully the streets were all but deserted so he did not attract any undue attention. He arrived in time to see Tara enter the tavern just as he expected and Atilen slowed to a walk.
It was still a few hours until midnight and Atilen needed to find out where Dreki was. Thankfully he knew someone that could help him with that. The only complication was that Bromhuld was very likely drunk by this hour it would take all of Atilen's charm to extract the information from the well travelled dwarf.
A few hours and a few silver pieces later, Atilen had the information he needed.
Dreki was a small mining town in the hills, some forty-eight miles north-east of Gryrax in the province of Deerfield near the disputed territory. The journey was almost entirely overland as there was no road that linked the two places so Atilen had his work cut out for him, he knew very well how to trail someone through the crowded streets of a city but following a person through the orc-infested wilderness was not a skill he possessed. Fortunately he had managed to convince Bromhuld to take him as the old dwarf had family there, and they had arranged to meet by the north gate at first light.
After two days of uneventful travel north along the road to Eastpass, Atilen and Bromhuld left the road and headed due East into the hills. The journey instantly became harder and Atilen did not look forward to the next four days as they made their way over the rocky hills toward Dreki.
That night as the pair made camp Bromhuld prepared a small fire.
| Bromhuld | We should be safe to have a fire for another day, but after than we must make a cold camp. |
| Atilen | I knew there was a reason I prefer cities. |
| Bromhuld | (snorts) Bah! You are a soft young pup, Atilen. It is the height of summer and the land holds much of the days heat. You will hardly miss your warm room. |
| Atilen | (looks at the stone covered ground) It's not my room I am missing, how can you sleep on this stuff. |
| Bromhuld | (laughs) It's easy... |
With that Bromhuld reached into his pack, withdrew a wineskin and took a long swig of some strong smelling liquor. With a loud belch he offered the drink to Atilen.
| Bromhuld | Get a few hits of this into you and I guarantee you won't notice the uneven ground. |
| Atilen | (takes the wineskin and has a small drink) I see what you mean, too much of this and I won't feel anything. (hands it back) |
| Bromhuld | Just as I said, a soft young pup. |
The following morning the pair awoke and continued their journey. Atilen was once more amazed by the dwarf's ability to recover from the effects of alcohol. Atilen had another few sips of the liquor before sleep and he awoke feeling a little seedy.
Their journey took them across a landscape dominated by large boulders and rolling hills. The vegetation was limited to tough grasses and a few hardy shrub-like trees, that grew in scattered clumps usually in the small valleys between the hills. Bromhuld told Atilen that the trees indicated that there was water nearby and if their water-skins ever needed to be refilled they had but to dig at the base of a tree. In addition the area was also teeming with wildlife so there was no risk of starving provided one knew how to hunt. Bromhuld spent the entire journey espousing the virtues of the area and pointing out things of interest. Atilen was not really listening to the dwarf's educational titbits but he did welcome the company as it made the travel that much more bearable.
They made camp that night in the shelter of a fissure between two enormous boulders. Tonight there would be no fire as they were nearing the region where orc tribes sometimes ranged to hunt for their food. Orc hunting parties sometimes consisted of up to five well armed hunters, sometimes accompanied by wolves. The pair agreed that it would best for them to avoid any contact with those pig-faced brutes.
After an uneventful night, Atilen and Bromhuld ate a simple meal of trail rations and broke camp. With a little effort they would reach their destination by the end of the day and Atilen was prepared to walk fast as he needed to. He was certainly looking forward to sleeping on a bed, with a roof over his head.
The journey progressed much as it had the previous few days; Bromhuld continued his lessons in survival while Atilen only half-listened to his words. Bromhuld did not seem to care and was happy to continue speaking even though he could see that Atilen was not paying attention. An hour or so before sunset Bromhuld stopped as they crested yet another rocky hill. He surveyed the horizon and then pointed to a black spec on the horizon slightly south of their current position.
| Bromhuld | That's where we need to go. |
| Atilen | Let's press on then. |
| Bromhuld | We still have a few hours ahead of us, we won't make it before it gets dark. Now I don't mind walking in the night - I can see just fine - it's you I'm worried about. |
| Atilen | Don't mind me, it has been clear enough these past few nights. We'll be slower but I'll be fine. |
| Bromhuld | Let's go then, if we're lucky we can reach the tavern before the kitchen closes. |
They had to slow their pace soon after the sun set as the extended shadows before true night fell made it difficult for Atilen to see and he had to pick his way very carefully lest he misstep and twist his ankle. Their destination, though closer, was still some distance away but at least the lights of the small town were an easy target to aim for. They continued moving and their journey became easier once night fell and Atilen's eyes adjusted to the moonlight. A light wind carried the smells of cooking toward them and Atilen's stomach grumbled loudly at the thought of a warm meal.
| Bromhuld | (chuckles) Not much farther now, pup. |
A short while later Atilen stopped. His keen hearing picked up something in the darkness behind them. He reached out and grabbed Bromhuld's shoulder and held a finger to his lips.
| Atilen | (indicating behind them) I heard something behind us. |
The pair stood stock still and listened; there was definitely something out there.
A few heartbeats later they could both hear the sound of guttural speech, the unmistakable timbre of orc. The orcs were still some distance away and there was no way to be sure if Atilen and Bromhuld had been seen until a dog that accompanied the orcs started barking. This noise was followed by the sound of running feet; feet running towards them.
Atilen didn't hesitate, they were just over a mile away from the relative safety of the village. He began to move and took no more than three steps when he saw that Bromhuld had a different idea. The dwarf stood his ground and drew his weapons, a small hand-axe in his right hand and a short sword in his left; he wasn't going anywhere.
Atilen wasn't sure what to do. Bromhuld's decision to stand his ground would no doubt buy him the time he needed to reach the town but if by some miracle Bromhuld managed to survive the encounter he would very definitely hold a grudge. However if Atilen stayed to help the dwarf there was a chance that Atilen could die.
Damn that stubborn dwarf.
With a sigh Atilen stopped running and drew his own weapon. Bromhuld was just lucky enough to end up surviving this and it wasn't worth the aggravation of having the dwarf come after him, especially out here in the middle of nowhere.
The dog arrived first - or more correctly, the enormous wild dog - arrived first its fangs bared as it leapt to attack Bromhuld. The dwarf lashed out with his sword as the dog jumped but his swing went wide and the dog's powerful jaws latched on to Bromhuld's outstretched sword arm. Bromhuld grunted in pain and chopped into the dog's wriggling body with his axe; the blade bit deep into the dog's flank causing it to release its grip.
Atilen could see the orcs now, three of them, and they ran into the fray with little or no co- ordination; bloodlust evident in their hues and cries. Bromhuld's swordarm hung limply at his side, evidently the dog's bite must have caused some serious damage. Two of the orcs engaged the wounded dwarf while the third ran past and headed straight for Atilen.
There was just enough light for Atilen to see his enemy but he knew he was at a disadvantage as the orc could see perfectly - another reason he hated the great outdoors. Atilen barely avoided the first blow, more by luck than skill and was able to score a hit on the creature's flank.
The orc growled in pain and retaliated with a vicious sweep of its blade, striking Atilen squarely in the chest. His leather armour absorbed most of the blade but the blow knocked the wind out of the young rogue. The animal snarl to his left reminded Atilen that the wild dog was still a threat despite being wounded, things were not going well at all. With a grimace "the fox" tumbled to his left, avoiding yet another blow. The move allowed him to get behind his opponent. Atilen took advantage of the situation and buried his blade deep into the orc's back. The orc fell to its knees and Atilen removed the blade in preparation for the killing blow.
That was when the dog attacked.
Just as Atilen was about to finish off the stricken orc the wounded dog bit into Atilen's leg. Atilen screamed in pain then brought his sword down hard, his thin blade entering the creature's skull. The dog died instantly but the pain in Atilen's leg sent a wave of nausea through his entire body. When he recovered he looked up to find one of the other orcs looming over him.
Atilen froze.
He waited for the inevitable blow to come, but the orc suddenly went limp and collapsed to the rocky ground. Atilen was shocked but it all made sense when he saw the axe buried deep in the orc's back. Bromhuld stepped onto the dead orc and removed the axe, then - nursing his wounded arm - he walked over to the last remaining orc and finished it off with a sickening blow to its head.
They had survived, they were battered and bloody but they were alive.
| Bromhuld | Let's get away from here, the combat may have attracted others. |
| Atilen | You don't need to tell me twice. |
| Bromhuld | Besides, (claps Atilen firmly on the back) that fight has given me quite a thirst. |
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