Dark Obligations: Book One of the Phantom Badgers (26 page)

He rolled over onto his back, painfully aware that he wasn’t going to be able to stand up again by himself. Things were getting a bit dim and calm, just like when the drink had really bit in and the floor was only a half-pint away; he watched a Goblin charge
from the passageway with a spear aimed right for his chest without a worry in the world. Starr’s sword flickering out from the side and catching the warrior in the neck brought a warm sense of approval, as if he were watching a competition from the sidelines. It was growing harder to breathe, but to counterbalance that the pain was growing more and more
away
from him, as if he was feeling it from a great distance. Any minute he knew, Bridget would come over and Heal him and everything would be all right. Until then he planned to close his eyes and concentrate on his breathing.

Janna
darted around Iron Tusk, who was dancing atop a
Pa
she had just knocked down, and found a blood-drenched Rolf sitting against a solid section of the Fault’s wall bandaging a gash in his thigh.

“Where’s
Kroh?” Janna asked, breathing hard; the Goblins were fleeing, having had quite enough. “Is all that your blood?”

“No,
Kroh decapitated one and it sprayed all over me,” The half-Orc finished the knot and picked up his bloody dirks. “Kroh was right... there he is.” The battered and bleeding Waybrother emerged from a crevice, gory axe in one hand, the
Serao’s
totem in the other.

“Right, can you walk
? Good, then we’re pulling back to the main body, this lot’s finished.”

“
Damn
good fight,” Kroh bellowed cheerfully as he swaggered up. “Must have killed a dozen, I have, probably
two
dozen.’

“Good work,”
Janna observed. “Now come on, we’ve broken the
Serao
as a unit, but there’s plenty Goblins still alive so we’ll need to run off any stragglers and head for sunlight before they reorganize.”

“Be pretty tough for them to do that,”
Kroh observed, his pace slowing as the fighting rage left him and fatigue began to creep in. “I killed the
Serann
myself.”

Their Captain was still guarding the pack saddles when the four Badgers and two pigs arrived, his axe well bloodied and several dead Goblins littered about. “Goo
d, you’re back. Are they broken? Great. Get these back onto the
komad
, and Arian, start tending wounds; I’ll see to the others.”

Durek
found Bridget bandaging a nasty scrape on a child’s arm amidst a litter of corpses. “Looks like it was a damned hard fight back here,” he observed, trying to remember where he had left his crossbow. “How is everyone?”

“Trellan’s dead,”
Bridget covertly wiped tears from her eyes. “Too much blood lost too quickly. He died getting four children back from the Goblins.”

“Damn.”
Durek scrubbed at his face with a filthy hand. “This has been the worst...anyway, what of the others?”

“Robin, Starr, and Johann are al
l right, as are all of the children. One of the ex-slaves took a javelin and is dying-I cannot Heal at all, my powers were used up in offensive spells. Another was slain in the fighting, and two more are gone along with their packs, run off or dragged off is anyone’s guess.”

“Only one made it, eh
? They were a hard-luck bunch. Get the children sorted out as quickly as you can, I don’t want to waste any time getting out of here. The Hydra could get reorganized or another
Serao
arrive.”

The Captain paused by Trellan’s blanket-wrapped body for a
moment, lost within his own thoughts. Finally he stirred himself and told Johann and Starr to carry the dead Badger to the pigs.

He found the only surviving pack-bearer, the man who called himself Pelhan, sitting with his back to the fault’s wall, a bloody small axe in his lap. “Rig
ht, we’re pulling out now, we’ve lost two packs and the rest of the bearers, so what I want is for you to put your pack on, and tie a rope to that pack there, and drag it along behind you. It’s only a short ways to the surface, so you won’t have to drag it very far. And you can leave that axe behind.” Pelhan fixed the Captain with a murderous stare, but rose to his feet and sullenly followed his instructions. Durek looked about a bit for his crossbow before writing it off; like as not some Goblin had snatched it up. Unstrapping the weapons from the three remaining packs, he rejoined the main body, followed by a cursing Pelhan.

After borrowing one of Rolf’s crossbows and stowing the weapons from the packs
onto the
komad
the Captain set the order of march while Rolf, freshly Healed, limped around the fault finishing off Goblin wounded; like most half-Orcs raised in Human lands, Rolf hated Orcs and their cousins the Goblins with a terrible intensity.

As soon as the wounded were tended, the pigs reloaded, and the children sort
ed out and roped together again the Badgers moved on down the fault at as brisk a pace as they could manage. The rubble-slope that led to their entrance tunnel was three hundred yards from the battle site; Durek scouted ahead while Janna rigged a rope to aid the descent, and one by one the Badgers and pigs scrambled down the slope.

Starr was in the lead by design as it fell to her to e
nsure that there was no ambush waiting on the slope outside and to contact the Badgers at the base camp. One hand trailing on each wall, the little Threll trotted down the tunnel, counting her steps as she went; when she was close enough to the entrance to smell fresh air she slowed and drew Snow Leopard and her buckler.

She emerged into the frosty thicket under a starry night’s sky, the sight of the outside world bringing tears to her eyes. Composing herself, she moved two silent steps out of the opening and crouched, letting her night-keen eyes adjust to the starlight, all her Forest-trained senses alert. When she was confident no ambush was in the immediate area she reluctantly slipped back into the tunnel and moved back into the mountain, meeting
Janna twenty yards in.

“The surface is clear,” she whispered. “It’s night out, clear sky, and cold. I’m going to make contact with Kurt and Gottri.”

“Thank the Eight we’re out of this damned termite mound,” Janna shook her head. “I’ve always hated this place.”

“Truer words never spoken,” Starr agreed and hastened back into the outside world.

The Badgers had emerged into the outside world near midnight on a clear, cold night; a light frosting of snow lay underfoot, and the ground was hardening under the onslaughts of regular frosts. There were tears in more than one set of eyes at the sight of the sky and stars, and Rolf was so ecstatic at escaping the stone hell that he had to be led about like a child. Even Pelhan was heard to express his satisfaction at their escape.

F
or Durek getting outside was just a matter of exchanging one set of problems for another. He planned to leave at dawn’s light in order to put distance between the Badgers and the Hydra, who certainly would not take the defeat of a
Serao
lightly, and outrunning the heavier snowfalls that were just days away was likewise a vital consideration. Gottri was dispatched to stand guard at the tunnel mouth, Kurt and Pelhan were set to work unloading the pack saddles and supply packs into the carts, and Bridget was tasked with scrounging up more clothing for the children.

In the end
the average Badger got two hours sleep before the sun’s light came, with Durek and Rolf getting none at all, the latter due to his excitement. By the time the day was light enough to see the trail the Badgers were underway, with Rolf struggling to relearning riding, a task made more difficult by the thin cotton bandage he wore over his eyes to protect them from the sun’s harsh light. With the attrition in the last fight there were enough mounts for the adults, while the children rode on the carts.

Although the Badgers and
komad
were weary all set to with a will, and in five hours they reached the old Dwarven road; by nightfall they were nearly to the edge of the foothills without any sign of Goblin pursuit.

After making camp the Badgers selected a place on a bluff with a nice view of the surrounding area and dug three deep graves;
with the entire group assembled they laid to rest Nuilia Leandra-Klaun, Gabriella Zanetti, and Trellan Northwind. Bridget presided over the ceremony, and Starr sung a mournful dirge for each fallen Badger in her native tongue. Afterwards Kroh, helped by Rolf, selected three slabs of stone from a nearby cliff and carved simple headstones for the graves.

It began snowing not long after midnight, and by the cold dawn there was nearly an inch of powder on the ground. After a hasty breakfast the raiders broke camp and set
forth, leaving the foothills at mid-morning and swinging southeast onto the Wastes. Tired, battered, and their ranks somewhat depleted, the Phantom Badgers were heading home.

The wind out of the north cut through Rolf’s inadequate clothing like a knife, but the thin half-Orc was not complaining in the least: he was above ground, and that was all that mattered. When they reached Oramere there would be new clothing, armor, full rations, and a regular place to sleep, and until then he would get by with what was available.

Today had been a
day-long rest break, the raiders having travelled south for eight days since they had emerged into the outside world. The trip was hard on everyone after the marching and fighting inside
Gradrek Heleth
, with the addition of freezing temperatures at night and snow flurries every couple days to add a large measure of discomfort. They were staying ahead of the worst of the winter weather, but what they were experiencing in their worn state was bad enough.

Settling in on the log they had designated as the north guard post, the new Badger laid his cocked and loaded
crossbow across his knees and draped a musty blanket across his shoulders, shuddering at a sudden frosty gust. The hunting had been good enough so that everyone was still on full rations, but variety was hard to come by, making their meals a dreary business, although not as dreary as most of Rolf’s menus over the last few years.

They had made camp in a shallow creek
bed whose depth was great enough for them to have a good-sized fire, a welcome opportunity to warm up, enjoy several hot meals, and to dry a large quantity of antelope meat.

This evening
they arrived in the creek bed Durek had had them go over the events of the battle and the ambush while Bridget took notes-while the Company charter included the position of a Historian to record the Badger’s exploits no one had ever held the post. Nevertheless, the Captain insisted on detailed after-action reports, both for their archival value and as valuable ‘lessons learned’ information. Janna had pointed out that one lesson learned was not to leave weapons behind no matter what the circumstances; if she had brought her long bow into
Gradrek Heleth
she could have done real damage to the Draktaur with its shafts.

After the debriefing and note-taking
Durek formally convened an awards council as the Phantom Badgers had a detailed system of decorations and awards. Although the Company was historically stingy with awards the raid into
Gradrek Heleth
generated no less than six awards: Arian and Starr each received the Topaz Claw for excellence in administrative actions, Starr for resolving the stand-off with Rolf without bloodshed and to the Company’s advantage, and for her rock-crawling; Arian for developing the plan of attack on the bridge cavern that allowed them to overcome great odds. Durek and Kroh each received the Emerald Claw for heroism in combat for their defeat of the Draktaur in melee combat, while Rolf and Trellan were awarded the Ruby Claw for saving the lives of Badgers or suitable others while placing their own lives at risk. In all, only the Opal award saw no issuance, that being for leadership in direct combat.

To mark actions which, while heroic, decisive, or exceptional were not sufficient to warrant a formal award, the Roll of Honor was maintained. Persons whose contributions were short of a higher award but still of considerable merit received a formal entry in the Roll, which was read at certain Company functions; recipients of a Roll mention wore a small gold skull on the
Company. There were a total of six Roll mentions awarded for the raid: Bridget, for her leadership in the ambush (her second Roll entry), two mentions to Janna, for her prowess in both the bridge cavern battle and the ambush (giving her a total of three entries), to Kroh for his prowess in the ambush (his first entry), to Robin for his prowess in the bridge cavern battle (his third entry), and to Trellan for his courage while facing the Draktaur (his first entry and only entry).

In addition, a total of ten Onyx Fangs were awarded for serious wounds received in battle: one to
Durek, Janna, Arian, Rolf, Robin, Trellan, Nuilia, and Gabriella, and two to Kroh (who had been seriously wounded in both the bridge cavern battle and the ambush). Finally, Durek announced that this raid into
Gradrek Heleth
qualified for a battle marker, the eighth in the Badger’s history. Participation in such actions was indicated by a gold stud worn on the unit bracer below the Honor Roll skulls, if any.

Rolf was still in awe of the fact that he had
a Ruby Claw which he could wear on his dress uniform’s sash, or in miniature on the bracer that bore his Company insignia, when he got to Oramere and was issued a bracer and Company insignia, not to mention a campaign stud and Onyx Fang. To his way of thinking he had never been part of something so grand as the Phantom Badgers, and it seemed to him that his entire life had been leading him to this point where he was able to join their ranks. He sat and watched the darkness, marveling at his good fortune and bright prospects.

At the south guard post
Arian Thyben sat and watched the star-fill sky, a shapeless lump of clothing and blanket that periodically puffed out a breath-mist. The award of the Topaz Claw for his planning had touched him as deeply as Rolf’s award had affected the new Badger, but for vastly different reasons. It was his plan they had acted on in the attack on the Talon in the bridge cavern, and it was while following that plan that two Badgers had been killed, more if Rolf hadn’t reacted as quickly or if Kroh or Durek had faltered while facing the Draktaur. Against the guilt over the deaths of Nuilia and Gabriella he had balanced a veteran’s knowledge of luck and the fortune of battle, and in his own defense he pointed out to himself that he had taken the same risks as Nuilia, and only slightly fewer risks than Gabriella. Nonetheless, the burden of the two deaths had ridden his shoulders until tonight, when his fellow Badgers (excepting Robin, who had taken no part) had decided to award him a decoration for his plan, these being the same Badgers who had carried out the plan itself. As he stared into the darkness, he felt much of the guilt ease.

Her namesakes twinkling in the cold sky above her held endless fa
scination for the little Threll-after the terrible days underground she didn’t care how cold it got so long as there was a sky above her. Trees would have been nice, but simply being outdoors was enough for now. Starr lay on her back wrapped in her blankets and heavy traveler’s cloak watching the inky sky above her, a sheathed Snow Leopard snuggled against her right side. The long ride to this point had been easy on her, both because of the euphoria of being back outside, and because her good spirits were reinforced by those of her two primary companions, Rolf, who was even happier than she to be above ground, and Kroh, who was still smug about his personal victories.

The award she had received, the Topaz Claw, had very pleasing, a sign of her comrade’s faith and confidence, something that was very important to the diminutive Badger; the Threll are very social in their own way, and acceptance within the Company was in many ways more important to Starr than to most Badgers.

The distribution of magical loot had followed the awards ceremony. Durek had made the decisions in these matters after having been advised of the various item’s capabilities, basing his allocations on the needs of the Company and the services rendered by the individual. Janna had been awarded the enchanted black steel sword they had recovered, the two torcs (each of which had the ability to confer the same protection via enchantment as a full-face helm of good steel) had gone to Bridget and Kroh. The Waybrother, however, disdained enchantment over Dwarven craftsmanship and had given his torc to Starr, having never liked her wood and leather helm.

Starr had received the enchanted buckler, mainly because she was the only
surviving Badger on the raid who used a small shield. The shield would glow with a bright white light when activated, useful for blinding foes in melee; the veteran Badgers advised her not to get too attached to the shield as it would only take a few hard blows to the device's central boss to wreck the bonds between the material structure and the embedded enchantments. Still, it was very nice to have received it, whether the device was disposable or not.

The
torc was a better item, a permanent asset which would do her good stead for years, even though it vastly increased her personal debt of honor to Kroh. Not that that the debt was a matter of deep concern to her: she had already decided to remain with the Phantom Badgers for an extended period, and therefore had plenty of time and opportunity for repayment. Surely no other course of action she could take in her travels outside the
Lana
would offer her such a broad variety of experiences as service in this company of mercenaries. Whatever lay before her as a Badger, she was confident that it would be neither mundane nor boring.

The Badgers reached the Ward early on the forty-second day since they had last crossed it, an action which perked the spirits of all but the children, who were too young and weary to appreciate the significance of the event. The raiders’ progress south had failed to fully outstrip the weather, and hard frosts and snow flurries had dogged their steps; the first feet of Imperial territory they crossed was already sprinkled with accumulations of snow wherever shade was present to protect it from the weakening sun. Winter was upon them, and only luck had brought them such a distance without encountering worse weather.

As the light was
failing on the day after they had reached the Ward the Badgers crossed the Burgen River and set their feet upon the crude path they had named the River Road which served as the northern boundary of the Badger’s holdings; within an hour the lights of Oramere were before them.

The raiders were home.

Durek
indicated where the two Badgers (neither of whom had been on the raid) should set the book crate, and then dismissed them. It was late in the afternoon of the day after the raiders had returned to Oramere, and only Durek and Pelhan had stirred from their quarters, the Captain to see to the handing-over of the books which were the primary thrust of their raid, and Pelhan to board a river boat going south. The surly ex-slave had been issued a set of good winter clothing, five day’s rations, a dagger, small axe, and ten Imperial Marks in small change before being marched under guard to the docks.

When the two Badgers were out of sight of the sm
all clearing a half-mile south of Oramere the Captain fished the prism they had used to locate the box from his pocket and laid it atop the crate. Drawing his dirk, he crushed the prism with the weapon’s pommel. Choosing a nearby stump, he brushed away a few pine needles and sat with his axe to hand, drawing his pipe from the inner recesses of his heavy winter coat and set about packing it with Dwarven patience and thoroughness.

He had the pipe lit and drawing well, the smoke swirling away from him in the chilly breeze that was moving snow-laden clouds ever closer, when
a spark burst into life in midair across the clearing from him. A second later the spark expanded into a sheet of pale blue light that swept up and outwards into a door-sized rectangle and then vanished, revealing a tall, blond woman in a blue dress of courtly cut. She glanced around at her surroundings for a moment before swaying across the clearing and executing a curtsey before the seated Dwarf.