“Here, over here!” a voice whispered, and a trembling hand reached out the window that was nearly underneath the caravan’s side now. She took it, and was pulled up inside.
It was momentarily disorienting to slip into the caravan where everything was proportionally sized for halflings, after having spent the night in an orc-sized tent. That, and everything was askew, slid across the tilted floor.
Bianca got to her feet, dusting herself off. Valspire, the troupe’s director, was the one who had offered her a hand, her eyes growing wide when she realized it was her. “Bianca?”
There was absolutely no time to explain where she’d been the last day or so, or what the deal was with all the orcs, or the little drama the whole troupe had probably observed when she’d failed to pretend to take Tanis hostage for all of thirty seconds.
Behind Val, in the doorway hanging open, Bianca could see the beast snapping at each orc that surrounded it with weapons drawn, unable to choose which one to smite first.
And Tanis was clinging to the beast’s shoulder, his blade stuck in its natural armor, Bianca realized, when it shrieked and turned around again, hissing at all of them.
Gods, no.
“Val! Hang on, I need to borrow something,” she said quickly, looking for the nearest thing that might qualify as a weapon. A blunt object, at best? Nothing seemed substantial enough that she could also lift.
“No no no, get in here! We’ll lock the door,” Valspire was stammering as Bianca pushed past the director before she could tell her she was fired for missing work or presumed dead.
When the huldira roared again, she jumped and scooped up the nearest object, a basket full of discarded inedible mushrooms. Bianca rushed out of the caravan, unsure of what exactly she meant to do.
One of the orcs saw an opening, darting towards the huldira and attempting to grapple onto its plated hide. The huldira shook its back, tail swinging to hit. It knocked Tanis’ grip loose, and he collided with the other orc, sending them both to the ground.
Her heart could have fallen out of her chest to see the huldira turn, hissing, advancing on the prone orcs.
Bianca dashed across the clearing, legs burning with the effort it took to kick through the snow to get there. There wasn’t a plan, there was barely a thought when she got close enough to the huldira, that she was standing before it with nothing truly effective to defend herself with.
She hurled the basket at its side, hoping maybe at best that would distract it long enough for Tanis to get up. The beast whipped its head around, snatching the basket of mushrooms out of the air.
Then it turned its eyes on her.
Its dagger-long teeth shredded the basket in its maw, scraps like ribbons falling out the sides of its mouth.
It growled, low and triumphant, as it advanced slowly, knowing it had all the time in the world and she could never possibly hope to outrun it.
And then it coughed. Or, something like a cough.
Bianca stumbled back, watching carefully as the beast began to dry retch.
She felt after a few moments of watching it wheeze and attempt to vomit the basket back up, that she ought to look away. Then it growled through a choke and took another threatening step towards her, foamy bits of spittle leaking out between it’s teeth.
It gave another mighty flail, stumbling down and tripping over its own feet. The ground shook when it fell, a purplish tinge forming around its mouth, but when Bianca looked up, Tanis was standing there.
She ran to him without another thought. Threw her arms around his waist the second she could, only letting go so he could fall to his knees next to her.
She buried her face in his shoulder, only looking up when she heard the murmuring of others.
The orcs were looking at her and Tanis, some poking at the huldira as it grew still. Others had some cuts and shallow wounds from fighting the creature, but were more intently watching her and Tanis.
The halflings started to creep out of their camp, bruised and shaken from their caravans being knocked over, looking to the orcs, to the huldira, to Bianca, with utter confusion.
After a moment, her eyes fell on Dhane, who stepped forward. Tanis tensed in her arms, but he released her to turn towards him.
Dhane the Bloodthirsty crossed his arms over his chest, frowning deeply. “You have some explaining to do.”
7
Tanis
Dhane stood still, glowering, arms crossed over his broad chest, as the orc camp moved around them, busy with the day’s work. Tanis stood by, hands on his hips, pretending not to notice.
