"I'll be glad to take you," the Mercenary said, as he slowly backed away from the wardog.
In one fluid movement, Jaybone's foot was on the man's chest. "Did we say you could move yet?" he whispered.
The mercenary coughed, and felt the cold, hard steel of a dagger on his neck. He went still, swallowing hard.
Ritzbits stepped up beside his friend. "Let him breathe, Jaybone. If he moves anything but his lips again, we'll just feed him to the dogs."
Stifling a cough, the mercenary licked his lips. "Please, let us help you. We were forced to lead them to you. I don't even know how they found out we had any dealings with you! Honest..."
A second later, he felt himself being raised off the ground. Strong hands brushed some of the soil off of his filthy shirt. Ritzbits stepped back, and frowned. "Get down to the creek, and get cleaned up. Don't think about running, the dogs will be watching."
The mercenary glanced at Razor, whose eyes were still locked on him. "Never let it be said that Lofton Trueman ever goes back on his word," he mumbled before shuffling away.
Jaybone laughed. "At least not when he can't get by with it!"
The men were soon ready to begin the long trek. Pemmican and other lightweight food kept weight to a minimum, and they made good time.
"Let's resupply in Riverview," suggested Lofton.
Frazfrea shook his head. "No, every time we encounter anyone, it puts us and them in danger. Didn't you learn anything when you were captured, then almost fried?"
Lofton looked at his feet. "You're right, of course. I guess I just hoped that was far behind us."
"They've been following us for more years than you've been able to lift that sword of yours," said a voice in back of him.
He whirled, catching himself before he touched the hilt of his sword. "Iris... I wish you would stop doing that."
The mysterious Deathknight simply smiled and walked away.
That night, they camped in a willow thicket, without a fire.
One of Lofton's mercenaries chewed on a piece of pemmican. He grimaced as he swallowed it. "We didn't bring enough food to get to the battlefield. How are we going to make it if we don't resupply?"
Frazfrea smiled, looking fondly at his wardog, Hunter. "There are plenty of rabbits out here, we will never go to sleep hungry."
The man frowned at his damp bedroll. "But you won't even let us have a fire. How are we going to cook them?"
Ritzbits laughed harshly. "You don't always have to cook your food. They'll be good for you. Look how healthy Razor is!"
The young mercenary's face went a little green, and he silently climbed into his bedroll.
To be continued!
Cover image made in Canva Pro using their gallery
Serfdom and Sorcery is a discord based game where you can play for free, and earn crypto. Become immersed in a world of fantasy and adventure today!
This has been a story from the fantasy world of Serfdom and Sorcery. To play the game, go to the Serfdom and Sorcery Official Game Discord
