Eddard: Chapter 2 (Con't)

Decisions, Decisions

 

The knife he held to her throat was jewelled, and his sickly sweet perfume filled my nostrils.  The girl trembled in his grip.

 

"I leave with the girl," he repeated.

 

I had to think quickly.  I was never faced with this decision before.  As a paladin, I knew that I could not go back on my word.  I hoped he knew it, too.

 

"You leave.  The girl stays.  We let you live." I said in my most authoritative tone.

 

"You won't keep your word."

 

"I have to.  I'm a paladin." I replied. He smiled slightly when I said 'paladin'. Though his very presence made my flesh crawl and my stomach nauseous, I could not have him kill the girl, or take her into slavery.  I had to deal.

 

"I don't believe you.  The girl stays with me."

 

This was bad.  Stalemate.  "Just leave the girl and go," I said.

 

"You won't sacrifice her to get me, you can't.  You're a paladin." He sneered at me.  "I am impressed though.  You got through my guards.  I honestly didn't think you could. Still, touch me, and you deal with him.  I don't think you'll survive."

 

Through all of this, the big guy in the corner was still, waiting for orders.

 

I didn't know what to do.  I couldn't make a move.  His option was just as unacceptable as him killing her before we could kill him..  There had to be another option.  But I didn't see it.  I was bound by my word, and I would not give it.

 

Surprisingly, the other party members said nothing through all of this.  Until Logan said,"Clear a path.  You can go.  But the big guy stays."

 

I sheathed my swords even as the fat man sneered in triumph. 

 

We stepped aside, and he moved to the room's exit, the way we had come.

 

Logan must have given a signal, but I didn't see it.  Two of our mercenaries released their arrows, and the fat man, with the arrows in his back, fell like a sack of meat.

 

His bodyguard went nuts.  But I was mad, and my weapons quick.  I leaped at him, ignoring my injury, drawing and striking simultaneously.  My left blade snapped like a twig on his armour.  But my right hand blade found a gap and sank into his side, to the hilt.

 

He stopped, mid draw. "Urk.." The others cut him to pieces.  Literally.

 

We found 100 platinum pieces on the merchant's body along with that fancy dagger.  We collected the armour off the Big Guy.  And in a back room, we found 6 more people taken for slavery.

 

Logan saw the way out, and I didn't give my word.  He saved the girl, and my honour.  My respect for him grew immensely.

 

We took them back to the temple of Chauntea.

 

 

 



Eddard Chapter 2 (Con't)

The Slaver

 

We exchanged shots for a bit.  I was trying to give other members of our party cover while they too descended the ladder.  Seeing what I was doing, Ulf grabbed his bow and did the same.

 

On my third shot, I took a bolt in the shoulder.  Not a hard wound, but I was a little more cautious.  I checked first before jumping out and firing.

 

Then Wren came off the ladder.  When she saw what was happening she prepared her sleep spell. I also heard a grunt.

 

Checking behind me, Thoram had picked up the bench.  How he managed this, I do not know.  I knew he was strong, but this display of strength still surprised me.  Wren cast her spell and three of the four hobgoblins fell.  Thoram, using the bench as mobile cover, charged their improvised barricade.  I threw my bow down and charged after him, drawing my blades.

 

Thoram single handedly knocked their cover over using the bench as a ram, and we were through to the next room.  Five hobgoblins awaited us, though they were surprised at how quickly we broke their barricade.  We ran over their barricade and smashed into their line.  I had both shortswords drawn, attempting to overbear the hobgoblin in my path.

 

He withstood my charge and a desperate fight ensued.  My wounded shoulder wasn't allowing me to swing my right blade properly, and the fight was my most difficult yet.  I attacked and he parried, he attacked and I parried.  Steel rang on steel all over this little cavern. 

 

Only Thoram and Ulf made the melee look easy.  A giant swing of his axe cleaved a hobgoblin in two, and Ulf's weapon was shortly covered in blood as he severed the head of the first he encountered.  Those two overwhelmed their opponents easily.  They took two apiece for every one the rest of us killed.

 

I did, after some time, manage down mine.  I was breathing heavy, tired, and wounded.

 

Wren simply dispatched the sleeping humanoids.

 

With the hobgoblins dead, we charged into the next room.  What we saw gave us pause.

 

My eyes were drawn to very large man in heavy armour.  Heavily armed, he looked ready for us.  And then I saw him.  A rather fat man, dressed in the silks and style of an Amnite merchant, holding a knife to a girl's throat.

 

"I leave, with the girl,"  he said.