Not so easily spooked, Zhahn ambled up but had to jump back as Kannish
whirled about threatening all about with his dagger, looking for the
'vervolf!'
"No, no," cried Mensa. "There is no werewolf. Perry! Where is Wolfe? We need him."
"Oh
dear," groaned Perry, as his horse pranced away from Kannish, who had
not yet come out of Red Alert mode. "Wolfe is on the way to Khazan with
Dominick. Running some errand for the Count. What is going on here?"
The
hyenaman had now recovered his breath and spoke with a wheeze. "My
friends, I went today to visit my sister and her mate and their
children. They are hyena folk, like me. They live on a farm in the woods
near here. When I arrived I found my friend dead. He had been tortured
before they kill him. My sister dead too, raped and tortured before they
kill her. The pups are gone though. None of their blood there. House is
looted. Slavers do this! I found dead slaver in house. I know slavers.
They bring me and my sister to Kazgrad years ago where Count Rasulki buy
us. The dead man one of them. I know his scent. There are many tracks-
eight, nine, maybe more.
Nalki has sworn to find the children...I
am their godfather. And I have sworn to kill the kidnappers and
murderers. I go to get my gear, my armor and weapons. It will be a hard
journey, a hard task. I cannot ask you to go but I would love your
help."
A vicious rumble answered him. Kannish growled, a sound to
make strong men weak in their knees. "My people value our pups. And we
value our freunds too. Your folk are much like mein. Kannish is bored
hier. Und we wolf folk love the chase, with blood at the end! I vill go
vith you, Nalki. I go to get my bow and axe, and pack. Don't leave
vithout me." And the big wolf man ran off at speed.
Nalki
grinned, "I am good tracker and have good smeller too. And if Kannish
come, he spend his whole life in woods. And he has wolf smeller too. Ten
people and many children leave trail you could follow, Mensa-friend. We
will be glad for you to join us on this quest. There are many deadly
enemies and we are yet few."
Being outnumbered was not perturbing to
at least once of the group. The maths did not worry him one bit. Mensa
howled, causing Kannish spin about, searching again for the werewolf. "I
have heard of this atrocity. Lavabreath made toys for those children,
as you see." He pulled one from his bag. "And he found the place as you
describe it. For this purpose have I sought Wolfe because I am certain
the trail is cold. We need a good tracker to find and kill these human
monsters, so never this can happen again!"
Reining in his now nervy
mount, Perry thumped his fist to his breast. “I was made to be a
nursemaid to greedy women. If my lady friend is content to stuff herself
silly and not care about her figure going to pot, I’m certainly not
going wait on her, hand, foot and finger when there are wrongs to be
righted and noses to be tweaked. Get your fighting trousers everyone,
the Fellowship rides again!”
He took out a poniard and nicked his wrist and offered the knife to Kannish.
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