Back south I - Unfinished business
Kortheod was just setting a campfire, when he heard silent footsteps of someone sneaking. Plusheila was away for firewood, he was alone.
Nevermind. I don’t fear you, creeper.
He tried to reach unnoticeably for his woodworking hatchet. Suddenly he tumbled aside, turned and raised hand with the small axe.
"Come on, you sneak!"
Sun hasn’t set yet, but it was hard to see the intruder. He used a tree shadow and Kor saw only silhouette of the hooded figure.
"Good reflexes, y’old codger," said familiar raspy voice and started to laugh.
"Tarnon?"
The young man stepped out from under the tree and approached Kor.
"On the contrary, your skills worsened, boy. I heard you for twenty paces."
Tarnon grinned.
"Your little animal farm could be heard and smelled from much farther," grinned Tarnon and pointed to the bear playing with the hound.
Sound of cracking branches came from thick bushes on the other side.
"Look who’s coming."
Plusheila was dragging a small dried tree to the camp. She smiled as she saw Tarn but immediately put on the mask of strictness.
"Ah, here comes the beautiful lady. Kor, you have such an advantage. Usually men have headaches of their wives talking too much…"
"Now it’s you who talks too much," said Kor, but grinned.
"She could gaze someone to death at least, I am sure of it," poked Tarnon again.
"Not to death, but to unconsciousness surely."
Sheila turned from them, pretending being insulted, and started to cut the wood to smaller parts.
"Oh man, I guess I will have silent treatment today…" whispered Kor to Tarnon who exploded with laugh.
*
Moon and stars caught them later at blazing campfire with half wineskin emptied.
"So you heading to Dale?" asked Kor.
"Yep. I’ve roamed these parts long time already. And I want to see the land of my childhood."
"I want to see that region too. But we still got some unfinished business ‘ere."
"I see. But I’m not in hurry. I’d join you for some time, if you let me."
Kor shrugged, but the idea was not bad. More reliable people like Tarnon were nice boon at the moment.
They had a light conversation for a while, until the topic changed. Their current plans related to the politics of Enedwaith and Dunland fractions. Sheila needed explanation about that.
"It's simple. Like barter. Favor for favor, blood for blood, favor for which-blood-flows-in-you, and similar."
Which-blood-flows-in-you?
"Exactly. You are one of the kin, the kin can do you a favor. Sometimes."
And the other bargains - are we gonna now shed blood of one clan to gain favor of another clan?
"No. No!" He paused. "Only with one exception. Maybe. The Draig-luth. No. Two exceptions. Damn!"
He put his head into hands.
Plusheila gazed at him with both confusion and amusement.
"Of course I will not ignite more conflicts. But the Dragon clan is most greedy and corrupted."
He took a breath.
"Not all of them, of course. There are some peace-loving people among them. A few settlements. Easily recognizable. "
Sheila watched him, still not getting the whole picture.
Tarnon kept silence. He knew a bit too, but never heard so many information about it and never from Kor.
"I meant - I will help the other clans against the Draig-luth, or other enemies, and they will be open to do us a favor for it. Understood?"
"Many of them fell and the other clans can maybe force them to leave. That would be beneficial to all. We cannot and don’t want to war with them. First – we are too few and second – there was already enough," Kor tried to conclude.
"That still sounds like opportunity for me daggers,“ said the dark side of Tarnon.
"Nah. Words before swords."
Tarnon shrugged. "If you say so…"
Kor realized that he was too not so sure while saying it. Damn… We may shed some blood yet. Okay. But at least to cut off every bit of the half-orc influence. That would be a suitable goal.
After already more than a year together, he was used already to talk more, mainly because of Sheila's handicap. He still hated long speeches. but sometimes it was important and inevitable to explain even the tiniest detail.
Plusheila nodded.
If I get it right, many of the clans are self-reliable, reserved and shunning the others?
"Yes. Vigilant, but not hostile. As far as I remember the Stag clan, the Avanc clan... we have met them, you remember?"
Nod in accord.
"Boar clan, Wolf clan... and also the Ox people are usually fine. Then the others: Bear, Crow, Badger… They are quite isolated, so... not quite sure about 'em."
He took a swig from the wineskin.
"And the Falcons. Frickin bastards!" He clenched fist.
Enough for today. We need to go to sleep, to get strength.
Both men nodded.
The glittering stars were guarding as they wrapped in their blankets.
