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The Scouting Party
Topic Started: Oct 27 2015, 01:26 PM (20 Views)
The Great Thaunock
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“The scout returns, captain.”

Captain Thath Lathasei responded to his second in command by lifting his head and body from the shallow creek in which he and his warriors had made their base. His eyes peered out before him, but he could make out nothing in the black night. However, a flicker of his forked tongue past his fangs revealed the scent of one of his warriors on the wind, mounted and making his way swiftly, but quietly, back to this motely camp. As if to confirm this, the gurtri, tied up about 100 yards downriver, began to splash about excitedly in the sterile creek water and bellow to their returning comrade. They filled the air with this sound, half a bear’s roar and a bullfrog’s ribbit.

Thath swam to the edge of the creek and climbed out onto the bank to meet his scout. Swiftly, the outrider was upon him, bringing his gurtri to a halt just before his captain’s face. The beast was breathing heavily through rows of sharp teeth.

“Shais, what do you have to report?” the captain demanded.

“Much, Captain,” the scout responded. He pointed a spear, held in an outstretched tentacle, out behind him. “There is a decent sized pond just three hours ride to the north. We and our gurtri would all fit beneath the surface; wait out the daylight hours.”

Thath nodded his head, bobbing with it the small horn which grew from between his nostrils—a horn that only grew on the snout of Oanali who had attained officer status, and grew with promotion.

“Good.” Thath told the scout. Noticing that his second in command had sidled up next to him, Thath began to direct him.

“Make sure the warriors are ready to move out in an hour and a half.”

However, Shais the scout interjected. “Captain, there is more to report.”

Thath looked distastefully toward the impetuous outrider. Shais had spoken out of turn. Now only merit in his words could forgive this faux pas.

“Speak, outrider.”

Shais tightened his tentacles around his gurtri steed, startled by this rebuke. “From the pond, I saw the flickering of numerous fires in the distance. I approached to investigate, but from the moment I stuck out my tongue, I knew the scent I tasted on the wind. The scent of human.”

Thath’s eyes widened. He and his hundred warriors had been sent by the Elder Council to investigate rumors of a human mass migration along the length of the Rend Mountains, it was true. However, based on all the information he had been privy to, he had not expected to see any signs of humans for the next three days. If humans were within three hours ride from him now, that would mean that this migration had taken them far out of their habitual range—and such expansion would give them a disturbingly straight shot toward the Great Swamp.

“Outrider, if you lie-” Thath’s second in command began, only to be cut off by his superior.

“Prepare the warriors, number one,” Thath barked, as he slid back down the bank back into the creek. As he swam downriver, toward the area where the gurtri were tied. As Thath located his own steed, his second in command began to argue.

“My captain, we should not divert from our objectives based on the impressions of a single outrider.”

However, Thath had already mounted his gurtri, and his warriors looked on curiously and expectantly. The warband captain knew that he needed to be strong, to continue to command the respect of his men. So, with four tentacles firmly wrapped around his steed, Thath

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