“Well, let’s get cracking. We might catch a straggler or two in this mess, and as we say, every person helps,” Rune said, trying to remain calm. The truth was, he felt a tumultuous wave of emotions after having made it back through the void. His heart raced and he thought he could hear a slight quiver in his voice when he spoke. Remaining a rock on the outside, he hoped his stoic expression was enough to inspire the others.
“Good to have you back, boss,” Ophelia said as she hopped off her seat and walked past him.
He grinned slightly, breaking his typical hardened middle-aged expression as he watched the lively girl lead the others downhill. Saaja was the last to walk by and he stopped two steps into his venture.
Slapping Rune on the shoulder, he said, “You can’t fool me, old friend. I could smell the stink in your pants once you walked down there.” He grinned and continued, “but you put on a good show for the others. Very inspiring, I must say.”
Rune shook his head as the large man continued past him, joining the others on their way into Grandwood. Rune could still feel the adrenaline pulsing through him as he stepped in line after them.
Upon entering Grandwood, Saaja took their lead, shouldering his broadsword as the others withdrew their shorter swords and daggers. They weren’t going to take any chances if goblins, kurr or worse were still roaming the streets. Just because the bulk of the enemy forces left earlier didn’t mean none had stayed behind. Starting at the east end of town, they combed the streets, searching inside homes and buildings as they passed. The east end of town remained relatively unscathed compared to the waterfront, a nicety that quickly disappeared the farther west into town they ventured.
Making their way up and down the streets, the group saw only the remains of those who hadn’t survived the recent attack. Rune noted gray-haired goblin limbs protruding from the rubble. Near the heart of the town, they came to the chapel the occupying force had been determined to save. Rune followed Saaja closely as they approached the town’s tallest building. The stone walls had been scorched and the roof had collapsed. Rune wondered what could’ve been inside that was worth saving. As they entered through the busted down doors, he noticed dead bodies on the open floor. Seeing the swords at their sides, he wondered if falling rubble or fighting had killed them. His group searched the entrance as it opened into the large worship area, finding only more remains. Not coming across anything of value in the place of worship, they moved on.
Continuing their search outside, they found townspeople who were too injured or weak to be of use to the enemy’s army. Rune and the others helped those left for dead to Grandwood’s port. While Rune set to work treating the injured, Saaja and the others completed their sweep of Grandwood. In all, only twenty people were found, five of whom Rune knew wouldn’t make it through the night, their burns too severe for healing. He and Ophelia provided clean bandages and tried to ease their suffering. The small medical kit Ophelia had with her wouldn’t last long, so Rune ordered four others to fetch his supplies. Seeing they would need to remain with their wounded, he told them to gather up their camp and horses, and bring them down to the docks.
Rune looked up from his patient when he heard Saaja shout. He followed the man’s outstretched arm as it pointed toward the horizon. Outlined against the late afternoon sky, Rune saw the silhouette of a ship’s sails come into view. Daring to chance it, he ordered Saaja to signal them in.
As the ship worked its way closer, Rune was pleased to see the arrival of his medical supplies as the four from his group returned from their camp. He worked to clean and patch up the wounded, taking little notice of his companions who shouted and whistled in an attempt to gain the attention of whoever manned the ship. The only time he looked away from his patients was when Saaja mentioned that the ship had made anchor. As the sun painted the horizon in evening shades, Rune kept Ophelia busy, not bothering to watch the ship send a skiff in to the docks.
“Rune, they’re landing now,” Saaja said, at last drawing Rune’s attention from his work. He saw the dark-haired men pushing oars through the waves as their shuttle boat skidded to shore. Rising, Rune told Ophelia to call him if she needed anything and joined Saaja to greet the ship’s crewmen.
The black ink wrapping the men’s tanned arms told him these were the famed warriors of the Rollo Islands. He guessed the woman he’d met on the trail was a Rollo native as well and, in that case, hoped these men would be friendly. He and Saaja approached cautiously as they watched the four crewmen heave their boat onto the shore. Because they didn’t leap from the craft with weapons in hand, Rune thought they had come in peace. Rune addressed the Islanders as they straightened and approached him.
Speaking slowly and clearly, Rune said, “Hello. We are friends.” He held up his arms to show that he didn’t carry a weapon. “I am doctor. Helping sick and hurt people,” he continued and pointed to the people on the docks. “Are you friend?” he asked, hoping he’d conveyed his position clearly to the foreigners.
The men looked at each other, then to Saaja. Rune saw him shrug as if to say he didn’t understand him either. One of the men said, “Why do you talk like that? We’ve not heard this slow form of Landish before. Where are you from?”
Rune’s pride took a blow as he knocked himself internally for assuming they wouldn’t understand him. “I’m sorry, I just assumed you would speak Rolloan.” Rune waited for their expressions to sour at his insensitivity, but they nodded in understanding.
Saaja steered their attention away from Rune by saying, “We’ve seen your ship sailing the coast, but not getting too close. I wasn’t sure if you were with the orcs until they left, and you stayed behind. What is it you’re looking for?”
Rune watched as the two of the men looked past them at the group of people on the docks. “Our Captain,” one of them said. “We got separated from her awhile back and she warned us it wasn’t safe to come for her.”
Instantly Rune’s mind turned to the woman they’d met on the trail. He asked, “This captain of yours, did she have black hair and dark skin and is she stubborn to a point?”
All four of the crewmen locked in on him and responded in unison, “Yes.” Then one of the warriors said, “She is fierce and does not take any orders, if that’s what you mean by stubborn. She’s a natural-born leader and our Captain. Have you seen her?”
Rune nodded, “I think so. She’s with a small group. They ran into some trouble here a few days back and we crossed paths with them in their escape.”
“How did they escape? Britt told us they were trapped here, but when we returned to see the destruction and this place crawling with orcs and kurr, we feared the worst. Our Captain told us she would be here?”
Rune nodded, “They escaped the fighting alright and I’m not sure how, but she won’t be coming back here anytime soon.”
The warrior narrowed his eyes and asked, “Why would you say that? Where did she go? What happened to her?”
Rune explained how he met them on the trail and what had happened to Kirsten. Saaja added some commentary to the description about how badly injured Kirsten was. Rune explained how he bartered with them to join the Resistance if he brought them to Solomon’s. Rune could tell the warriors didn’t fully trust him that she would abandon them in this way without any word.
“Where is this Solomon’s place?” one of the men asked. “We must get there soon and be reunited with our Captain.”
“You boys sure are devoted,” Saaja said.
“You would be too if you knew her,” one of the Rolloans said.
“Before I tell you how to get there, I have a proposition that could help us both out,” Rune said with a smirk growing on his hawkish face as he looked from the warriors to Saaja.
“When we started this mission, our goal was to gather the support of others who might be affected by the invading forces. I knew Grandwood had been under attack during the Grandwood Games and thought if I made it here before our enemy did, I could recruit the people of Grandwood to join us in the Riverlands. We were just as surprised as you to find Grandwood in such disrepair.
“I sent your captain and those she was traveling with to join our army after the girl received help. Now I know there are those among your people who fought alongside the other nations to stop the dark lord and his dragon in the first war. As I find myself at a loss for recruits in this place, I want to extend the offer to you and your crew,” Rune said, watching the Rollo Islanders glance at one another, a sign they weren’t completely dismissing the idea.
“From what I recall about the Rollo Island Warriors, they work together as a navy and attack in large numbers. Seeing the lone ship so far from home and without a captain makes me wonder if you all are outcasts,” Saaja added after they failed to respond immediately.
“We have many wounded here with us who are not fit to travel over such rugged terrain,” Rune looked to the ship. “That ship looks like it could hold quite a substantial group.”
“You want us to sail you to the Bareback Plains. Then you’ll show us to our Captain?” one of the warriors said, folding his arms.
Rune nodded, “If you take us to the plains, I’ll show you where your captain is.”
The warriors eyed each other, seeming to hold an entire conversation with their looks, then the one said, “You have a deal. We’ll return with more shuttle crafts for transport.”
Before they could begin hauling their skiff into the water, Rune called after them, “And when we get to the Resistance, you’ll to stay and fight?”
One of them turned and said, “That is for our Captain to decide,” and they pushed the boat out into the water, rowing toward the ship.
Over the next several hours, the Rolloans ferried the wounded to the ship anchored in the port. Due to the small size of the skiffs, they could only take a handful at a time. After taking the wounded and those in his group aboard the ship, Rune looked to the horses. As the shuttle landed on shore, he led his horse to the water.
The man in the boat shook his head when Rune approached, saying, “No, no. I am sorry, they cannot come with us.”
Rune nodded his head saying, “This is how we’ll cross the plains. We need them.”
