Chapter 375: The Patrol
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The seven companions hid beneath a mud covered tarp in the belly of Baelin’s boat, moving stealthily toward unknown voices.
The cloth was draped over the sides, blending with their surroundings, and if they maintained a snail’s pace, they shouldn’t draw any more attention than the low, bumpy hills they were drifting past.
“Can anyone make out what they’re sayin’?” Cedric asked, his voice barely audible.
“Something about a patrol,” Theresa whispered, cocking her ear toward the voices.
Alex frowned, focusing on separating ambient swamp noise from people talking.
‘There’s…three of them,’ he thought. ‘They sound…stressed. No, not just stressed…scared. Like they’re afraid of…maybe of being spotted? …could be the cultists we’re looking for.’
He held his breath, listening intently, but while he could hear talking, the words weren’t clear at their distance.
“Let’s get closer,” Drestra hissed. The Sage raised the tarp slightly, peering ahead, but all she could see were clumps of dense plants between them and the owners of the voices.
“We should just fly over there and ambush them, this is taking too long.”
Alex started trying to reason with her, when Hart spoke up.
“That’s probably not the best idea, Drestra,” his voice was low. “While stomping them to paste would be fun, we gotta make sure things don’t get outta hand if we want a live prisoner. Any spellcaster worth their salt isn't just gonna sit there and let us jump them so easy. They probably have familiars, summoned monsters, and who knows what else on watch, so the minute they see us coming, guaranteed there’ll be a fight…and that means a bunch of dead prisoners…and they can’t talk.”
“Yeah, they're demon worshippers, why wouldn’t they have summoned demons watching for threats? That's what I’d do,” Alex agreed.
Looking down, he considered the water, noting its murkiness. Even a demon swimming under the surface would have trouble seeing anything alive in all that murk…especially if it just looked like more water.
“Hold on, I’m going to try something.”
Alex concentrated, casting Summon Water Elemental through all of the Mark’s interference, and conjured Bubbles beneath the tarp. The little water elemental bubbled happily, no doubt excited for his usual reward of a potion or two, or three.
“Hey, Bubbles,” Alex whispered. “I need your help.” He switched to a tongue of elemental water and pointed to where the voices were coming from. “I want you to go underwater and swim to the sound of talking. Have a good look around, pay attention to everything you see above the surface of the water: everything talking or moving around. Okay?”
The water elemental bubbled again, then rolled over the side of the boat and slipped into the water.
Cedric raised an eyebrow. “Really? Bubbles?”
Alex’s face flushed hot under the tarp. “I-it’s appropriate,” he said quickly.
The Chosen opened his mouth to reply, but the voices ahead rose in pitch, stopping him. The party sat in silence, listening…but the talking began to fade.
“It seems like they’re moving out of earshot.” Theresa said. “I can hardly hear them now.”
“Let’s hope your elemental comes back soon,” Drestra murmured.
As if summoned, Bubbles appeared a few heartbeats later, rising from the water so Alex could lift him into the boat. “Welcome back, what’d you find over there?”
He listened as the water elemental—unable to differentiate between humans and other humanoids—gave him a vague report that Alex was able to piece together to get a picture of what he’d seen.
“Hmmmm, no demons by the sound of it,” he spoke in low tones.. “My little friend says there’s five things that look like us…I’m thinking human or close. He also said that there’s something with wings circling above them, staying close, so I think it’s a familiar.”
“Demon?” Drestra asked.
“I don’t think so,” Alex said. What Bubbles had told him was that ‘the flying, winged thing looked like that swarm of winged things that attacked us’, referring to the blue annis hags’ giant flock of birds. “I think it’s a bird familiar, to be specific.”
“Well if they’re watching from above, it’ll be hard to get to them,” Hart said.
“We can still do it if we move in from where the trees are thickest. We can use them as cover,” Destra pointed ahead to a swath of trees rising from the swamp. “A flying familiar could miss us if we keep our distance and keep the canopy above us.”
“That’s true,” Theresa said. “Okay, so we’ll keep the tarp covering us and the boat so we blend in like we’re part of the swamp. All we have to do is make sure we keep moving cautiously.” She watched the trees. “Let’s go. I can pick out a path for us.”
With the huntress and Drestra guiding, the boat glided on, silently closing the distance between the party, and their prey. All the while, Alex, Cedric and Hart peered at the sky from beneath the tarp, keeping the bird familiar in sight.
Soon, the voices grew louder.
Alex could pick out the odd snippet of conversation now.
‘Jeez, they’re loud,’ he thought. ‘It’s like they want to be found.’
The closer they sailed, the clearer the voices, until Drestra suddenly gasped.
“I know that voice!” she hissed. “That’s Llyworn!”
“Who?” Cedric asked.
“She’s one my kindred from deep in the swamp!” her voice was filled with relief. “We found them! …but, I don’t understand why they’re going in the opposite direction to Crymlyn Village instead of rowing there as fast as they can?”
“Hmmm. That’s what I’m wondering too.” Alex said. “But, maybe it’s not really your people. Theresa and I’ve come across these monsters that mimic voices perfectly, and there’s also demons that do the same thing. Hells, some of them can even change shape. What I’m saying is this could be a trap.”
“Aye,” Cedric said. “I could see that. We rushed ‘em yesterday and gave ‘em a scare. Now they send out a bunch o’ nasty, dirty ol’ demons to throw us off.”
“Yeah,” Alex said. “Could very well be.”
“Mmm, let’s get closer,” the Sage suggested. “We need to hear exactly what they’re talking about. Maybe see them if we can. I don’t want some demon tricking me with shapeshifting or illusions. So, let’s make sure this isn’t a trap.”
“Right…” Theresa said quietly. “Let’s go around that island then. The trees are thicker up there and we can hide under them when we get closer.”
They moved closer, the voices grew louder and the words distinct.
“—is going to kill us if she finds us out here,” a woman’s voice said.
“That’s Llyworn,” Drestra whispered.
“And don’t you think Osian will kill us if we don’t act like we own our own territory!” a man’s voice snapped back. “Now, stop arguing with me, you’re going to alert half the damn swamp.”
“A little late for that,” Theresa whispered. “Who’s that?”
“I don’t know that one.”
“Will you two quiet down and keep your eyes open?” a third voice hissed. “If those trespassers are still around, they’re either going to be running from us or sneaking up on us, and I don’t know about you, but I don’t need my back decorated with fletching or acid arrows!”
“You’re louder than the two of them put together!” a fourth voice snapped, and though he was quieter, his tone was even more stressed than the other three.
Alex frowned. Each of them sounded…agitated, even fearful, but that wasn’t too surprising, it was the high level of frustration in each voice that was so striking.
“What’re they talking about?” Drestra also sounded agitated. “What they’re saying makes no sense if they’re my kindred, but if they’re not and this is a trap—and they’re really demons or cultists—shouldn’t they be acting…like they’re on top of the world and not like frightened lambs?”
“It does seem strange doesn’t it? All that noise they’re making will just put anyone looking for them on their trail,” Hart whispered, peering out from the tarp. His large eyes focused through a gap in the thick tree cover. “I count five of them in the boat.”
“Yeah, same here. They’re maybe…two hundred yards away,” Theresa said, then looked up. “Look. There’s the bird.”
“Where?” Hart’s eyes searched the canopy. “I can’t see—oh wait, there it is. Good, if it’s hard for us to see it, then it’ll be hard for it to see us.”
Alex squinted at the sky, but couldn’t find the bird, nor the five people in the boat below it. No…there was movement between the trees; no way he would ever have seen them before using blood magic to cleanse his body.
“Can you see what they’re armed with? He asked Theresa.
“Two of them have bows and they’re standing; one’s watching the bow and portside, the other’s watching the stern and starboard,” she said. “The others don’t have weapons drawn, but…actually, one of them has an axe.”
“Spellcasters,” Drestra said. “That’s a classic formation for our patrols. Two standing archers, one spellcaster on the oars, and two others ready to strike with their spells. …if they are demons in disguise, then what terrible things did they do to my people to pry that information from them?”
“And is the familiar flying above also a tactic the witches use?” Alex asked.
“Yes,” she said. “Whoever they are, they know our strategies.”
A grim thought suddenly hit them and everyone went quiet. It wouldn’t be the first time traitors were found where friends were supposed to be.
“We have to catch them,” Drestra’s voice was hard.
“Agreed,” Cedric said. “But with ‘em havin’ their eyes peeled and that bird up there, s’not like we’re gonna be able to jus’ creep up on ‘em with nothin’ but a tarp. …it’d be simpler to rush ‘em and just beat ‘em down.”
“Yeah, but if spells start flying, that’ll alert everything in the swamp,” Alex said. “And let’s face it, some in that boat will end up dead, if not all of them.”
“Right, takin’ ‘em alive means quiet-like, which means no blastin’.” Cedric frowned. “How’re we gonna get ‘em, then? We three ain’t exactly…used to tryin’ t’nab enemies alive, that’s not our rule for fightin’ Ravener-spawn. We go all in.”
Alex asked Drestra, “Do your people use Orb of Air spells?”
‘Yes, of course,” she said. “It's important for living in the Crymlyn so it’s one of the first spells we’re taught. ”
“Damn,” Alex swore. “I was thinking I could send Wizard’s Hands at them, crunch some sleeping potions in their faces, and send them off to dreamland.”
His mind was working on another plan when Theresa suddenly chuckled. “I have an idea. We have Orbs of Air around our heads. Now, the question is, can everyone here swim?”
The answers were all positive.
“Hmmmm. Drestra,” she said. “Do you know a spell to keep us warm or dry us off if we get wet?”
The Sage nodded. “There were some environmental spells that I learned growing up. They’ll keep you warm…they won’t beat a blizzard, but in temperatures that aren’t extreme, they work quite well.”
“That includes if we get really wet?”
“Yes, we’d still stay warm…why?”
“Good. I have an idea, but it means we’re going to have to go for a little dip.”
Brutus began to shake.
“Not you, boy, you’ll stay here. And Drestra, if you’re okay with it, I need someone to stay here and protect my dog.”
The Sage raised an eyebrow. “Really? Dog sitting?”
“Yeah, trust me, it’s important.” the huntress said. “Here’s my plan.”
###
“Hold it!” Llyworn squinted up at her familiar circling their boat.
The duck’s squawking travelled through the swamp, drawing the attention of everyone in the boat.
“What is it, Darkwing?” she asked. “What do you see?”
She listened, confused. “What? What’re you talking about?”
“What’s he saying?” one of her compatriots asked.
“I’m wondering if he’s taken to seeing things,” she said. “He’s telling me there’s a boat about two hundred yards east…with a big statue lying in it.”
“Well that’s a trap if there ever was one,” an archer said . “Who puts a statue in a boat?”
“Still, we should at least get close enough to take a look,” another witch said. “Report it to Osrian, ‘cos if we don’t and it turns out to be something, we’re all demon food.”
“Right,” Llyworn said, turning to the witch navigating the boat. “Take us east. Around fifty fifty yards away from this supposed boat.”
The navigator gave a short command to the animated oars.
They took them through the murky waters, weaving between trees and rough brush until the boat rounded a corner and was greeted by another boat slowly drifting along the water’s surface. A tarp obscured the stern, but lying in the vessel’s bottom, was what Darkwing had described: an enormous, ferocious looking clay statue.
A large ruby-coloured gemstone shone in its forehead in the morning light.
Llyworn immediately knew something was not right: the statue was far too big to fit in the boat without sinking it…and why would anyone abandon such a valuable jewel in the swamp, and how did the statue get there in the first place?
Her eyes narrowed, watching the tarp. “Fire some arrows in there and into that statue, I want—”
Her eyes caught a flicker of movement in the water.
“Shite! Everyone w-”
Something burst from the water beside them.
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The seven companions hid beneath a mud covered tarp in the belly of Baelin’s boat, moving stealthily toward unknown voices.
The cloth was draped over the sides, blending with their surroundings, and if they maintained a snail’s pace, they shouldn’t draw any more attention than the low, bumpy hills they were drifting past.
“Can anyone make out what they’re sayin’?” Cedric asked, his voice barely audible.
“Something about a patrol,” Theresa whispered, cocking her ear toward the voices.
Alex frowned, focusing on separating ambient swamp noise from people talking.
‘There’s…three of them,’ he thought. ‘They sound…stressed. No, not just stressed…scared. Like they’re afraid of…maybe of being spotted? …could be the cultists we’re looking for.’
He held his breath, listening intently, but while he could hear talking, the words weren’t clear at their distance.
“Let’s get closer,” Drestra hissed. The Sage raised the tarp slightly, peering ahead, but all she could see were clumps of dense plants between them and the owners of the voices.
“We should just fly over there and ambush them, this is taking too long.”
Alex started trying to reason with her, when Hart spoke up.
“That’s probably not the best idea, Drestra,” his voice was low. “While stomping them to paste would be fun, we gotta make sure things don’t get outta hand if we want a live prisoner. Any spellcaster worth their salt isn't just gonna sit there and let us jump them so easy. They probably have familiars, summoned monsters, and who knows what else on watch, so the minute they see us coming, guaranteed there’ll be a fight…and that means a bunch of dead prisoners…and they can’t talk.”
“Yeah, they're demon worshippers, why wouldn’t they have summoned demons watching for threats? That's what I’d do,” Alex agreed.
Looking down, he considered the water, noting its murkiness. Even a demon swimming under the surface would have trouble seeing anything alive in all that murk…especially if it just looked like more water.
“Hold on, I’m going to try something.”
Alex concentrated, casting Summon Water Elemental through all of the Mark’s interference, and conjured Bubbles beneath the tarp. The little water elemental bubbled happily, no doubt excited for his usual reward of a potion or two, or three.
“Hey, Bubbles,” Alex whispered. “I need your help.” He switched to a tongue of elemental water and pointed to where the voices were coming from. “I want you to go underwater and swim to the sound of talking. Have a good look around, pay attention to everything you see above the surface of the water: everything talking or moving around. Okay?”
The water elemental bubbled again, then rolled over the side of the boat and slipped into the water.
Cedric raised an eyebrow. “Really? Bubbles?”
Alex’s face flushed hot under the tarp. “I-it’s appropriate,” he said quickly.
The Chosen opened his mouth to reply, but the voices ahead rose in pitch, stopping him. The party sat in silence, listening…but the talking began to fade.
“It seems like they’re moving out of earshot.” Theresa said. “I can hardly hear them now.”
“Let’s hope your elemental comes back soon,” Drestra murmured.
As if summoned, Bubbles appeared a few heartbeats later, rising from the water so Alex could lift him into the boat. “Welcome back, what’d you find over there?”
He listened as the water elemental—unable to differentiate between humans and other humanoids—gave him a vague report that Alex was able to piece together to get a picture of what he’d seen.
“Hmmmm, no demons by the sound of it,” he spoke in low tones.. “My little friend says there’s five things that look like us…I’m thinking human or close. He also said that there’s something with wings circling above them, staying close, so I think it’s a familiar.”
“Demon?” Drestra asked.
“I don’t think so,” Alex said. What Bubbles had told him was that ‘the flying, winged thing looked like that swarm of winged things that attacked us’, referring to the blue annis hags’ giant flock of birds. “I think it’s a bird familiar, to be specific.”
“Well if they’re watching from above, it’ll be hard to get to them,” Hart said.
“We can still do it if we move in from where the trees are thickest. We can use them as cover,” Destra pointed ahead to a swath of trees rising from the swamp. “A flying familiar could miss us if we keep our distance and keep the canopy above us.”
“That’s true,” Theresa said. “Okay, so we’ll keep the tarp covering us and the boat so we blend in like we’re part of the swamp. All we have to do is make sure we keep moving cautiously.” She watched the trees. “Let’s go. I can pick out a path for us.”
With the huntress and Drestra guiding, the boat glided on, silently closing the distance between the party, and their prey. All the while, Alex, Cedric and Hart peered at the sky from beneath the tarp, keeping the bird familiar in sight.
Soon, the voices grew louder.
Alex could pick out the odd snippet of conversation now.
‘Jeez, they’re loud,’ he thought. ‘It’s like they want to be found.’
The closer they sailed, the clearer the voices, until Drestra suddenly gasped.
“I know that voice!” she hissed. “That’s Llyworn!”
“Who?” Cedric asked.
“She’s one my kindred from deep in the swamp!” her voice was filled with relief. “We found them! …but, I don’t understand why they’re going in the opposite direction to Crymlyn Village instead of rowing there as fast as they can?”
“Hmmm. That’s what I’m wondering too.” Alex said. “But, maybe it’s not really your people. Theresa and I’ve come across these monsters that mimic voices perfectly, and there’s also demons that do the same thing. Hells, some of them can even change shape. What I’m saying is this could be a trap.”
“Aye,” Cedric said. “I could see that. We rushed ‘em yesterday and gave ‘em a scare. Now they send out a bunch o’ nasty, dirty ol’ demons to throw us off.”
“Yeah,” Alex said. “Could very well be.”
“Mmm, let’s get closer,” the Sage suggested. “We need to hear exactly what they’re talking about. Maybe see them if we can. I don’t want some demon tricking me with shapeshifting or illusions. So, let’s make sure this isn’t a trap.”
“Right…” Theresa said quietly. “Let’s go around that island then. The trees are thicker up there and we can hide under them when we get closer.”
They moved closer, the voices grew louder and the words distinct.
“—is going to kill us if she finds us out here,” a woman’s voice said.
“That’s Llyworn,” Drestra whispered.
“And don’t you think Osian will kill us if we don’t act like we own our own territory!” a man’s voice snapped back. “Now, stop arguing with me, you’re going to alert half the damn swamp.”
“A little late for that,” Theresa whispered. “Who’s that?”
“I don’t know that one.”
“Will you two quiet down and keep your eyes open?” a third voice hissed. “If those trespassers are still around, they’re either going to be running from us or sneaking up on us, and I don’t know about you, but I don’t need my back decorated with fletching or acid arrows!”
“You’re louder than the two of them put together!” a fourth voice snapped, and though he was quieter, his tone was even more stressed than the other three.
Alex frowned. Each of them sounded…agitated, even fearful, but that wasn’t too surprising, it was the high level of frustration in each voice that was so striking.
“What’re they talking about?” Drestra also sounded agitated. “What they’re saying makes no sense if they’re my kindred, but if they’re not and this is a trap—and they’re really demons or cultists—shouldn’t they be acting…like they’re on top of the world and not like frightened lambs?”
“It does seem strange doesn’t it? All that noise they’re making will just put anyone looking for them on their trail,” Hart whispered, peering out from the tarp. His large eyes focused through a gap in the thick tree cover. “I count five of them in the boat.”
“Yeah, same here. They’re maybe…two hundred yards away,” Theresa said, then looked up. “Look. There’s the bird.”
“Where?” Hart’s eyes searched the canopy. “I can’t see—oh wait, there it is. Good, if it’s hard for us to see it, then it’ll be hard for it to see us.”
Alex squinted at the sky, but couldn’t find the bird, nor the five people in the boat below it. No…there was movement between the trees; no way he would ever have seen them before using blood magic to cleanse his body.
“Can you see what they’re armed with? He asked Theresa.
“Two of them have bows and they’re standing; one’s watching the bow and portside, the other’s watching the stern and starboard,” she said. “The others don’t have weapons drawn, but…actually, one of them has an axe.”
“Spellcasters,” Drestra said. “That’s a classic formation for our patrols. Two standing archers, one spellcaster on the oars, and two others ready to strike with their spells. …if they are demons in disguise, then what terrible things did they do to my people to pry that information from them?”
“And is the familiar flying above also a tactic the witches use?” Alex asked.
“Yes,” she said. “Whoever they are, they know our strategies.”
A grim thought suddenly hit them and everyone went quiet. It wouldn’t be the first time traitors were found where friends were supposed to be.
“We have to catch them,” Drestra’s voice was hard.
“Agreed,” Cedric said. “But with ‘em havin’ their eyes peeled and that bird up there, s’not like we’re gonna be able to jus’ creep up on ‘em with nothin’ but a tarp. …it’d be simpler to rush ‘em and just beat ‘em down.”
“Yeah, but if spells start flying, that’ll alert everything in the swamp,” Alex said. “And let’s face it, some in that boat will end up dead, if not all of them.”
“Right, takin’ ‘em alive means quiet-like, which means no blastin’.” Cedric frowned. “How’re we gonna get ‘em, then? We three ain’t exactly…used to tryin’ t’nab enemies alive, that’s not our rule for fightin’ Ravener-spawn. We go all in.”
Alex asked Drestra, “Do your people use Orb of Air spells?”
‘Yes, of course,” she said. “It's important for living in the Crymlyn so it’s one of the first spells we’re taught. ”
“Damn,” Alex swore. “I was thinking I could send Wizard’s Hands at them, crunch some sleeping potions in their faces, and send them off to dreamland.”
His mind was working on another plan when Theresa suddenly chuckled. “I have an idea. We have Orbs of Air around our heads. Now, the question is, can everyone here swim?”
The answers were all positive.
“Hmmmm. Drestra,” she said. “Do you know a spell to keep us warm or dry us off if we get wet?”
The Sage nodded. “There were some environmental spells that I learned growing up. They’ll keep you warm…they won’t beat a blizzard, but in temperatures that aren’t extreme, they work quite well.”
“That includes if we get really wet?”
“Yes, we’d still stay warm…why?”
“Good. I have an idea, but it means we’re going to have to go for a little dip.”
Brutus began to shake.
“Not you, boy, you’ll stay here. And Drestra, if you’re okay with it, I need someone to stay here and protect my dog.”
The Sage raised an eyebrow. “Really? Dog sitting?”
“Yeah, trust me, it’s important.” the huntress said. “Here’s my plan.”
###
“Hold it!” Llyworn squinted up at her familiar circling their boat.
The duck’s squawking travelled through the swamp, drawing the attention of everyone in the boat.
“What is it, Darkwing?” she asked. “What do you see?”
She listened, confused. “What? What’re you talking about?”
“What’s he saying?” one of her compatriots asked.
“I’m wondering if he’s taken to seeing things,” she said. “He’s telling me there’s a boat about two hundred yards east…with a big statue lying in it.”
“Well that’s a trap if there ever was one,” an archer said . “Who puts a statue in a boat?”
“Still, we should at least get close enough to take a look,” another witch said. “Report it to Osrian, ‘cos if we don’t and it turns out to be something, we’re all demon food.”
“Right,” Llyworn said, turning to the witch navigating the boat. “Take us east. Around fifty fifty yards away from this supposed boat.”
The navigator gave a short command to the animated oars.
They took them through the murky waters, weaving between trees and rough brush until the boat rounded a corner and was greeted by another boat slowly drifting along the water’s surface. A tarp obscured the stern, but lying in the vessel’s bottom, was what Darkwing had described: an enormous, ferocious looking clay statue.
A large ruby-coloured gemstone shone in its forehead in the morning light.
Llyworn immediately knew something was not right: the statue was far too big to fit in the boat without sinking it…and why would anyone abandon such a valuable jewel in the swamp, and how did the statue get there in the first place?
Her eyes narrowed, watching the tarp. “Fire some arrows in there and into that statue, I want—”
Her eyes caught a flicker of movement in the water.
“Shite! Everyone w-”
Something burst from the water beside them.
The seven companions hid beneath a mud covered tarp in the belly of Baelin's boat, moving stealthily toward unknown voices.The cloth was draped over the sides, blending with their surroundings, and if they maintained a snail's pace, they shouldn't draw any more attention than the low, bumpy hills they were drifting past.Can anyone make out what they're sayin'? Cedric asked, his voice barely audible.Something about a patrol, Theresa whispered, cocking her ear toward the voices.Alex frowned, focusing on separating ambient swamp noise from people talking.There'sthree of them,' he thought. They soundstressed. No, not just stressedscared. Like they're afraid ofmaybe of being spotted? could be the cultists we're looking for.'He held his breath, listening intently, but while he could hear talking, the words weren't clear at their distance.Let's get closer, Drestra hissed. The Sage raised the tarp slightly, peering ahead, but all she could see were clumps of dense plants between them and the owners of the voices.We should just fly over there and ambush them, this is taking too long.Alex started trying to reason with her, when Hart spoke up.That's probably not the best idea, Drestra, his voice was low. While stomping them to paste would be fun, we gotta make sure things don't get outta hand if we want a live prisoner. Any spellcaster worth their salt isn't just gonna sit there and let us jump them so easy. They probably have familiars, summoned monsters, and who knows what else on watch, so the minute they see us coming, guaranteed there'll be a fightand that means a bunch of dead prisonersand they can't talk.Yeah, they're demon worshippers, why wouldn't they have summoned demons watching for threats? That's what I'd do, Alex agreed.Looking down, he considered the water, noting its murkiness. Even a demon swimming under the surface would have trouble seeing anything alive in all that murkespecially if it just looked like more water.Hold on, I'm going to try something.Alex concentrated, casting Summon Water Elemental through all of the Mark's interference, and conjured Bubbles beneath the tarp. The little water elemental bubbled happily, no doubt excited for his usual reward of a potion or two, or three.Hey, Bubbles, Alex whispered. I need your help. He switched to a tongue of elemental water and pointed to where the voices were coming from. I want you to go underwater and swim to the sound of talking. Have a good look around, pay attention to everything you see above the surface of the water: everything talking or moving around. Okay?The water elemental bubbled again, then rolled over the side of the boat and slipped into the water.Cedric raised an eyebrow. Really? Bubbles?Alex's face flushed hot under the tarp. I-it's appropriate, he said quickly.The Chosen opened his mouth to reply, but the voices ahead rose in pitch, stopping him. The party sat in silence, listeningbut the talking began to fade.It seems like they're moving out of earshot. Theresa said. I can hardly hear them now.Let's hope your elemental comes back soon, Drestra murmured.As if summoned, Bubbles appeared a few heartbeats later, rising from the water so Alex could lift him into the boat. Welcome back, what'd you find over there?He listened as the water elementalunable to differentiate between humans and other humanoidsgave him a vague report that Alex was able to piece together to get a picture of what he'd seen.Hmmmm, no demons by the sound of it, he spoke in low tones.. My little friend says there's five things that look like usI'm thinking human or close. He also said that there's something with wings circling above them, staying close, so I think it's a familiar.Demon? Drestra asked.I don't think so, Alex said. What Bubbles had told him was that the flying, winged thing looked like that swarm of winged things that attacked us', referring to the blue annis hags' giant flock of birds. I think it's a bird familiar, to be specific.Well if they're watching from above, it'll be hard to get to them, Hart said.We can still do it if we move in from where the trees are thickest. We can use them as cover, Destra pointed ahead to a swath of trees rising from the swamp. A flying familiar could miss us if we keep our distance and keep the canopy above us.That's true, Theresa said. Okay, so we'll keep the tarp covering us and the boat so we blend in like we're part of the swamp. All we have to do is make sure we keep moving cautiously. She watched the trees. Let's go. I can pick out a path for us.With the huntress and Drestra guiding, the boat glided on, silently closing the distance between the party, and their prey. All the while, Alex, Cedric and Hart peered at the sky from beneath the tarp, keeping the bird familiar in sight.Soon, the voices grew louder.Alex could pick out the odd snippet of conversation now.Jeez, they're loud,' he thought. It's like they want to be found.'The closer they sailed, the clearer the voices, until Drestra suddenly gasped.I know that voice! she hissed. That's Llyworn!Who? Cedric asked.She's one my kindred from deep in the swamp! her voice was filled with relief. We found them! but, I don't understand why they're going in the opposite direction to Crymlyn Village instead of rowing there as fast as they can?Hmmm. That's what I'm wondering too. Alex said. But, maybe it's not really your people. Theresa and I've come across these monsters that mimic voices perfectly, and there's also demons that do the same thing. Hells, some of them can even change shape. What I'm saying is this could be a trap.Aye, Cedric said. I could see that. We rushed em yesterday and gave em a scare. Now they send out a bunch o' nasty, dirty ol' demons to throw us off.Yeah, Alex said. Could very well be.Mmm, let's get closer, the Sage suggested. We need to hear exactly what they're talking about. Maybe see them if we can. I don't want some demon tricking me with shapeshifting or illusions. So, let's make sure this isn't a trap.Right Theresa said quietly. Let's go around that island then. The trees are thicker up there and we can hide under them when we get closer.They moved closer, the voices grew louder and the words distinct.is going to kill us if she finds us out here, a woman's voice said.That's Llyworn, Drestra whispered.And don't you think Osian will kill us if we don't act like we own our own territory! a man's voice snapped back. Now, stop arguing with me, you're going to alert half the damn swamp.A little late for that, Theresa whispered. Who's that?I don't know that one.Will you two quiet down and keep your eyes open? a third voice hissed. If those trespassers are still around, they're either going to be running from us or sneaking up on us, and I don't know about you, but I don't need my back decorated with fletching or acid arrows!You're louder than the two of them put together! a fourth voice snapped, and though he was quieter, his tone was even more stressed than the other three.Alex frowned. Each of them soundedagitated, even fearful, but that wasn't too surprising, it was the high level of frustration in each voice that was so striking.What're they talking about? Drestra also sounded agitated. What they're saying makes no sense if they're my kindred, but if they're not and this is a trapand they're really demons or cultistsshouldn't they be actinglike they're on top of the world and not like frightened lambs?It does seem strange doesn't it? All that noise they're making will just put anyone looking for them on their trail, Hart whispered, peering out from the tarp. His large eyes focused through a gap in the thick tree cover. I count five of them in the boat.Yeah, same here. They're maybetwo hundred yards away, Theresa said, then looked up. Look. There's the bird.Where? Hart's eyes searched the canopy. I can't seeoh wait, there it is. Good, if it's hard for us to see it, then it'll be hard for it to see us.Alex squinted at the sky, but couldn't find the bird, nor the five people in the boat below it. Nothere was movement between the trees; no way he would ever have seen them before using blood magic to cleanse his body.Can you see what they're armed with? He asked Theresa.Two of them have bows and they're standing; one's watching the bow and portside, the other's watching the stern and starboard, she said. The others don't have weapons drawn, butactually, one of them has an axe.Spellcasters, Drestra said. That's a classic formation for our patrols. Two standing archers, one spellcaster on the oars, and two others ready to strike with their spells. if they are demons in disguise, then what terrible things did they do to my people to pry that information from them?And is the familiar flying above also a tactic the witches use? Alex asked.Yes, she said. Whoever they are, they know our strategies.A grim thought suddenly hit them and everyone went quiet. It wouldn't be the first time traitors were found where friends were supposed to be.We have to catch them, Drestra's voice was hard.Agreed, Cedric said. But with em havin' their eyes peeled and that bird up there, s'not like we're gonna be able to jus' creep up on em with nothin' but a tarp. it'd be simpler to rush em and just beat em down.Yeah, but if spells start flying, that'll alert everything in the swamp, Alex said. And let's face it, some in that boat will end up dead, if not all of them.Right, takin' em alive means quiet-like, which means no blastin'. Cedric frowned. How're we gonna get em, then? We three ain't exactlyused to tryin' t'nab enemies alive, that's not our rule for fightin' Ravener-spawn. We go all in.Alex asked Drestra, Do your people use Orb of Air spells?Yes, of course, she said. It's important for living in the Crymlyn so it's one of the first spells we're taught. Damn, Alex swore. I was thinking I could send Wizard's Hands at them, crunch some sleeping potions in their faces, and send them off to dreamland.His mind was working on another plan when Theresa suddenly chuckled. I have an idea. We have Orbs of Air around our heads. Now, the question is, can everyone here swim?The answers were all positive.Hmmmm. Drestra, she said. Do you know a spell to keep us warm or dry us off if we get wet?The Sage nodded. There were some environmental spells that I learned growing up. They'll keep you warmthey won't beat a blizzard, but in temperatures that aren't extreme, they work quite well.That includes if we get really wet?Yes, we'd still stay warmwhy?Good. I have an idea, but it means we're going to have to go for a little dip.Brutus began to shake.Not you, boy, you'll stay here. And Drestra, if you're okay with it, I need someone to stay here and protect my dog.The Sage raised an eyebrow. Really? Dog sitting?Yeah, trust me, it's important. the huntress said. Here's my plan.###Hold it! Llyworn squinted up at her familiar circling their boat.The duck's squawking travelled through the swamp, drawing the attention of everyone in the boat.What is it, Darkwing? she asked. What do you see?She listened, confused. What? What're you talking about?What's he saying? one of her compatriots asked.I'm wondering if he's taken to seeing things, she said. He's telling me there's a boat about two hundred yards eastwith a big statue lying in it.Well that's a trap if there ever was one, an archer said . Who puts a statue in a boat?Still, we should at least get close enough to take a look, another witch said. Report it to Osrian, cos if we don't and it turns out to be something, we're all demon food.Right, Llyworn said, turning to the witch navigating the boat. Take us east. Around fifty fifty yards away from this supposed boat.The navigator gave a short command to the animated oars.They took them through the murky waters, weaving between trees and rough brush until the boat rounded a corner and was greeted by another boat slowly drifting along the water's surface. A tarp obscured the stern, but lying in the vessel's bottom, was what Darkwing had described: an enormous, ferocious looking clay statue.A large ruby-coloured gemstone shone in its forehead in the morning light.Llyworn immediately knew something was not right: the statue was far too big to fit in the boat without sinking itand why would anyone abandon such a valuable jewel in the swamp, and how did the statue get there in the first place?Her eyes narrowed, watching the tarp. Fire some arrows in there and into that statue, I wantHer eyes caught a flicker of movement in the water.Shite! Everyone w-Something burst from the water beside them.
