Obran had to get back to the camp. He wanted to make sure Tori was okay but first he checked the dead orc. He slowly turned the orc over. It was wearing bronze plate armor, something he didn't expect to find on a common soldier or scout. The orc was probably the leader of the three—but Obran didn't know if orcs even had officers. The orc had an iron axe, leather shoes, and carried Roman silver, no doubt stolen since he didn't think orcs would trade or barter with anyone but other orcs or trolls.
Obran took the money and walked back with both horses—he didn't want to push his luck with his riding skills though the beasts seemed to like him. If they could handle orcs they must be okay with gremlins, he figured. Besides, he wasn't too far from the camp. He felt better when he saw torches in the distance where he'd left Tori, Gaius, and Agrippa. The three humans were walking down the hill, approaching the last Orc horse. Gaius and Agrippa held torches and their blades and Tori walked behind them with her bow.
"Tori," Obran called out.
"Obran. We're here. Are you okay?" Tori said.
"Yes, I'm fine. I'm coming back, all clear," Obran yelled.
He approached them from the darkness.
"Thank the gods," Tori said.
She walked past Gaius and hugged him.
"Are you okay?" Obran said.
"Yes, now that you're back," she whispered. "Don't go running off without me again, okay."
"I wouldn't leave you," Obran whispered back.
"We were coming out to look for you," Gaius said. " What happened?"
"I chased the last orc on horseback and finished him off. He's a few hundred meters west," Obran said, motioning to the darkness.
"Impressive, and all that without my help," Tori teased.
"Your lessons are paying off," Obran said.
"Well done. Let's head back to the camp," Gaius said.
"What about the captives? Are they alive? Is the gremlin okay?" Obran said.
"They're both fine, Obran," Tori said.
"Yes, they are both back at the camp. Elissa gave them wine, water, and food," Gaius said.
Back up on the hilltop, he nodded to the two young legionnaires who were scarfing down bread and wine. The human nodded and the gremlin saluted. Obran didn't recognize the young gremlin, who had the same skin tone as Erkin and the same hazel eyes as well. The young gremlin wore cloth armor, the kind Obran used to wear when he first joined his legion. The young human, had dark hair, olive skin, and a strong jaw; he wore the standard segmented armor.
"Obran, they were telling us what happened to them," Tori said.
"Yes, like I was saying," the young human said. "We were on a night scout, when those three orcs ambushed us. They knocked my horse over, injured and killed it, and beat us unconscious; after that they tied us up and took us with them. It's a miracle you saved us, sir."
"Well you have Obran to thank for that," Gaius said.
"Thank you," the young human said.
"Yes, thank you very much," the young gremlin added.
"Did either of you tell them anything, did they interrogate you?" Agrippa asked.
"No sir," the human soldier said. "But they seemed to be in a hurry."
"Okay, do you have anything to add, soldier?" Gaius said to the gremlin.
"No sir. Only I am sorry I didn't spot them in the dark. They prepared a really good trap, and I don't think they were common orc ruffians," the gremlin said.
"Okay Paulus and Beqs, is it?" Gaius said.
"Yes sir, my name is Beqs, legionnaire first class, sir, auxiliary in the second legion," Beqs the gremlin said.
Beqs nodded again at Obran. So the senators managed to recruit gremlins for the war, Obran thought.
"Are the other two orcs dead?" Obran asked Tori.
"Yes," Tori said.
"One survived for a time; I tried to get him to talk but he wasn't very helpful," Gaius said.
"Tribune," Obran said to Gaius. He spoke now as a soldier. "I think the three were a scouting party gathering intelligence. They were well armed with good horses and took a risk attacking these two."
"Sir, if they were scouts, reinforcements could be behind them, on their way north, to flank our forces," Agrippa said.
"Soldiers, what news did you hear before you were captured?" Gaius asked Paulus and Beqs.
"Not much sir. We were outside Placentia, still a day or two from the fighting, but there were rumors of orcs emerging from all their caves in the Alps and many civilians were fleeing south. We were ordered to scout the west," Paulus said.
"Yes sir, just that," Beqs said.
"Sir, we need to warn the second legion, warn your brother, just in case and also scout to see if orc reinforcements are coming," Agrippa said.
"Yes, the sensible thing to do but we have another task at hand as well," Gaius said.
"Obran and I can go on from here. We're about a day from Genoa and as you can see we can handle ourselves," Tori said.
"Hmm," Gaius said. "And if Armenus is not true to his word or If more elves show up?"
"We always knew the risks, Gaius," Tori said.
"No, I'll come with you too, to Genoa. We have three horses now. We'll use the best one for the three of us. I'm sure that won't be a problem for you Obran?" Gaius said.
"Not for me. I've ridden with Tori plenty of times before," Obran said.
"I'm sure," Gaius said. "Agrippa, after these soldiers are rested you all take the other two horses and scout ahead to the west and south; if there are reinforcements then head north to warn my brother, if not come to Genoa and these two can head back to their legion. I trust you Grips, and you'll have Beqs as well to help you at night," Gaius said.
"Okay sir, but when will you return?" Agrippa said.
"After I complete my word and see Elissa off. Depending on what happens, I'll ride straight to Placentia or leave word for you in Genoa. So either you catch up to me or I to you," Gaius said.
"Okay sir," Agrippa said.
"Is that suitable, Elissa...Obran?" Gaius said.
"Yes," Tori said.
"Yes, sir," Obran said too.
Beqs stared at Obran in disbelief. It was the almost the same look he gave Tori when they first met. 230Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHV2oso29aD
