Business

Krelle nodded to Nargesh as she slid off her undead horse, leaving the mindless creature by the cave entrance. She'd never named it. Lu's mechanostrider had more personality - and required more maintenance - than her mount ever would.

Nargesh led her worldessly into the cave. Her eyes adapted rapidly to the darkness inside, picking out the silhouette of the wounded orc on the floor.

"Bind his arms behind him," she said emotionlessly in the Cant. Nargesh complied silently. The captive cursed loudly but couldn't thrash much - his broken legs made movement painful. The orc twisted around to spit in his captor's face. Nargesh growled, raising a huge fist to backhand him but was pulled up short by Krelle's sharp "Hey!"

Krelle smiled mirthlessly as her Vanguard looked at her. "You'll break his face, Narg. He needs his face to talk."

Nargesh grunted, wiping the spittle from his cheek as he stood. "You want a hand?" he offered, taking his cue from Krelle and speaking in the Cant.

She shook her head mutely. "I'll be fine. Watch the entrance."

Nargesh nodded once, giving the captive a kick in the knee by way of parting as he headed back towards the faint light of the Duskwood night.

The big orc sighed, stirring up the fire. He'd been trying not to listen to the screams coming out of the cave for the past hour, but there wasn't much else to listen to out here. He found himself wishing that someone would come to investigate the wails, just so he could distract himself with a fight.

He wondered when she would start asking questions.

The faint hints of dawn were touching the horizon when the small Forsaken finally appeared at the cave mouth. Nargesh stood up immediately, his hand going for his weapon, but she raised a hand to still him.

"None of it's mine, Narg."

He stood, unsure of what to say as she came and sank to a seat by the fire. Her hands and face where covered in blood, as though it had poured out of her mouth onto them. Drops of it had matted in her hair, and smeared her cheeks. Her knees were bloody too, and her arms, chest, and legs were spotted with the dark red stains. Her left hand still held her skinning knife. The big orc glanced towards the cave - the captive was obviously still alive, though his sobbing was growing fainter.

Nargesh looked back to the small silhouette by the fire, then shrugged philosphically and sat back down. He waited in silence, letting Krelle decide when to talk.

Eventually she spoke, not looking up from the embers. "They ambushed Nerrok," she said quietly, and Nargesh felt his hands ball themselves into fists as she continued. "Nightshade charged in, but there were ten of them. He wounded her badly and killed three others."

Nargesh waited.

She shook her head. "He finally fell, and Nightshade swooned. Apparently he managed to poison her. Her men brought her back to her house. When she found out they had forgotten to cut out his heart, she killed one of them in a rage. She sent two others back to go get it."

Nargesh had to remind himself to breathe as she shifted her weight on the ground.

"They went back, seveal hours later. They couldn't find the body."

"What?"

"They cut out the heart of one of the orcs that Nerrok had killed instead, and told Nightshade it had been his. They threw the others and everything they could find into the lake, hoping she wouldn't find out. She never did."

The two tigers sat in silence as the sun rose through the trees. After a moment, Nargesh noticed that their prisoner had fallen quiet. He was faintly relieved not to have to go back there to finish him off.

Eventually, Krelle sighed and stood up. Her leather creaked as she brushed herself off. "Guess I should wash up," she murmured.

He pointed helpfully to the south. "Stream over that way, hundred yards or so."

She nodded absently at him, staring off into the woods as though distracted. He stayed quiet again, knowing that she needed time to think. Eventually she shook herself slightly, and turned back to him. "Thanks for waiting, Narg." She nodded absently to the small metal pot by Nargesh's feet. "What'd ya have for supper, then?"

He lifted the lid. "Beans." There were still some left - he hadn't been that hungry, for some reason. "Want some?"

"No thanks," she said quietly as she turned away. "I already ate."