Lord Toede

There was a silence, then, 'If we did that, then the scholars would probably starve.'

No great loss to the world, thought Toede. He weighed his options, trying to berate Groag into joining him versus just slipping away in the dead of night. At length he said, 'You're probably right,' and stretched out, lacing his fingers behind his head. 'Goodnight, Groag.'

'Goodnight, Toede,' said his companion. No title. Not lord, not highmaster, but just Toede. Toede scowled.

Toede stared above his head at the dark tracery of the bare oak branches against the night sky. He waited until Groag's breathing was regular and deep, then quietly rolled out of his own bedding.

He checked Groag and frowned, for the smaller hobgoblin had the pouch of coins clutched in his hands and resting under his chin. He'd have to abandon the money, unless he killed his companion. That was a tempting idea, but probably unnecessary under the circumstances. Groag was snoring loudly, and was deeply asleep. At length, Toede decided to take both horses and equipment, since he could sell or eat one if need be.

Besides, thought Toede, this way Groag could still get the supplies for his precious scholars. It would just take a few more days. Not that they couldn't stand to lose a few pounds.

Toede quietly untied the horses and led them a short way from the oak. One of them whickered softly but followed without further complaint. Toede was about to saddle up and ride off when all the hellish Abyss seemed to rip open and dump its contents into his life.

The first thing he was aware of was the scream, or screams, that came from all sides. Blood-curdling howls that would have frozen the blood of a lycanthrope. Then they were all around him, huge creatures swarming over him.

Had Toede mounted up and tried to ride away, he would have gotten fifteen, maybe twenty feet before a dozen spears pierced him. He didn't have the chance anyway; he was immediately swept up by a huge set of furry arms, then thrown roughly on the ground. He heard the horses neigh in panic as the wind was knocked out of him.

Then three spear points pushed roughly on his chest.

Toede looked up into the faces of three large gnolls, their faces caked with reddish mud in lines and swirls. A larger gnoll stood behind them, bellowing.

'King of Little Dead Frogs!' shouted Charka. 'Charka thought you starve by now!'

Kill me now, thought Toede, careful not to voice his desire.

Chapter 13

In which Our Protagonist makes threats he cannot carry out and promises he does not intend to keep, and also places his fate in the hands of greater powers, and is not surprised as to their performance.

The other gnolls looked at Charka, and the large gnoll barked something at them in some swamp-tongue that Toede could not follow.

Charka, draped in a broad swath of quilted armor that could have been used to make blankets for fifty kender, with a wide belt and sword hanging on the side, was more impressive now than before. A steel skullcap ornamented with a single blood-red gem was fitted between the gnoll's hyenalike ears.

Whatever Charka had said had its effect, for Toede was pulled up and frog-marched back to the oak. Other gnolls were holding Groag under spear-point guard. Toede noted the tatters of the bedrolls and decided that Charka's goons had cut his companion out, probably after Groag wrapped them tightly around himself in hopes that their attackers would ignore him.

There were about thirty gnolls, all told, dressed in quilted armor that was significantly more faded and less flashy than that worn by Charka. Charka got the best and the newest material, which indicated a stature not evident when they had first met.

The gnolls tossed Toede against the tree trunk next to Groag and leveled their spears on the pair of them.

'Friends of yours?' muttered Groag.

'We've met,' said Toede quietly, then added, 'I heard a noise and went to investigate.'

'So you took the horses with you so they wouldn't get lonely,' suggested Groag. Without looking at him, Toede could imagine the arch of his eyebrows.

Charka squatted in front of the two hobgoblins. 'Charka wonder one question,' he said. 'Where get horses?'

Toede managed the broadest smile he could manage with a dozen well-armed gnolls around him, and asked, 'Charka kill Bartha?'

Charka's smile widened in a happy grin that made Toede think of a duck-sated hunting dog. 'Charka kill Bartha!' The gnoll's face immediately dropped back into a somber mode. 'Where get horses?'

Toede hesitated as the gnoll spears lunged a few inches closer. Groag made a gurgling noise. The spears drew back slightly.

'They belong to some humans,' said Toede in as neutral a fashion as possible. 'They're loaners.'

'They're the property of Chief Scholar Renders,' Groag interjected. 'We are under the humans' protection, and you'll be in great trouble if any harm falls to… Aurk!'

Charka started frowning the moment Groag started speaking, the furrow in his forehead growing craggier by the instant. He gave a hand signal, as one of the gnolls drove his spear into the wood by Groag's head, accounting for the 'Aurk.'

'I think they want me to do the explaining,' said Toede quietly.

'I think you're right,' gasped Groag, trying to force the blood back into his face by sheer mental effort. 'Carry on.'

'Human horses,' said Toede, motioning at the two mounts for effect. When none of the gnolls proceeded to stab him for his actions, Toede tried rising to his feet. 'Powerful humans,' he added.

A few of the gnolls growled, but Charka gave them a dismissive chop of the hand. They silenced at once. Impressive. 'Powerful humans?' asked Charka. 'Muscles and swords?'

Groag made a rude snort despite himself, and Toede inwardly cursed for not having left the area five minutes sooner. Apparently Charka did not notice the snort. He asked, 'Humans in forest of stone?'

Toede tilted his head to one side. 'Hur?' he said, trying not to smile.

'Forest of stone!' said Charka loudly, then motioned with sharp-taloned, furry hands, vertically, to indicate trees. 'Forest of tall rocks. Carvings. Forest of stone!'

'Ah,' said Toede. 'Forest of stone. Yes, humans in forest of stone.'

Charka snarled. 'Forest of stone taboo. All who see must die. Humans. Horses. You.'

'I knew that was coming,' muttered Groag. 'Call it a premonition, but I just knew it.'

'If you don't mind, I'm bargaining for our lives,' Toede shot back.

'Go right ahead. You're doing a good job so far.'

Toede moved his wish of departure up to ten minutes before the gnolls had arrived and said to Charka, 'Charka not want to kill humans. Humans powerful wizards.'

'Hur?'

'Wizards,' said Toede, grasping for synonyms. 'Magic-users. Magicians. Thaumaturges. Juju priests. Charlatans. Shamani…'

Something sunk into the gnoll's skull. 'Juju? Humans have great juju?'

'Moby juju,' nodded Toede. 'Humans seek more juju in forest of stone. Angry if gnolls disturb them.'

Charka rocked back on his heels for a moment, deep in thought. Toede could almost see the steam leaking out of his pointed ears from the stress the thought process was placing on his brain.

'Human in forest of stone… humans must die. Humans have great juju… humans kill gnolls.' Toede saw the coin mentally flip. Charka smiled. 'Charka think you lie, King of Little Dry Frogs. If humans have big juju, humans attack gnolls first.'

'Incredible logic,' noted Toede for Groag's benefit. To Charka he said, 'Humans not care about gnolls.