Jeff Inlo - Chain of Bargains

A shriek broke the relative silence of the evening. Curses followed. Shouts and calls rumbled across the motley collection of tents outside Burbon's wall. Men with staffs, pick axes, shovels-anything that could be used as a weapon-cautiously stalked away from their campfires and makeshift shelters. They headed toward the scream with a mix of hesitancy derived of concern for their safety and determination born from a desire to help a neighbor in need.

They moved warily, despite the urgency of the cry. They knew one of their own was being attacked and they understood the need to stick together to fight off the enemy, but they were not soldiers. They were farmers, merchants, and laborers. They lacked training and experience.

While many were accustomed to guarding flocks and herds, or dealing with ruffians and thieves, they had moved on from their fields, shops and homes. They made temporary camps in the most secure areas they could find. The predators that hunted them were beyond wild beasts hungering for their flock or men with devious desires. They knew the scream in the distance warned of more than just thievery or assault. The shriek kindled thoughts of monsters and mayhem, nightmare's they were hoping to escape.

At one of the gates, the town guard acted in a much more methodical manner. They immediately followed their standard procedure for responding to such incidents. Whereas the refugees outside the wall lacked experience, Burbon's guard faced various confrontations on numerous occasions and they had trained vigorously in dealing with such threats. They acted without hesitation, and with great reliance on each other.

Four soldiers on horseback and eight on foot bolted from their stations. They moved orderly through the western gate, which was then secured behind them. Additional guards waited in reserve by the entrance as they signaled their status to the tower guards that watched over the town.

Outside the gate, those on horseback broke into two separate pairs. Each pair moved in opposite directions, urging their mounts beyond the edge of the campsites that bordered the exterior wall. Once in the clear, the riders pressed their horses into a full gallop as they circled Burbon's borders until they met at the opposite end of the town to exchange reports.

The eight soldiers on foot proceeded immediately to the site of the disturbance. Two in the front moved with spears as they shouted for the civilians to clear a path. Tents, small fires, wagons, and bundles of various goods littered the way, but the guards had become used to navigating such obstacles. Four soldiers following just behind the trail blazers carried sabers in one hand and torches in the other to light the way. The final two soldiers brought up the rear with crossbows ready to fire.

Another shout for help-a man's voice and clearly different from the high pitched shriek-added to the confusion. The soldiers forced their way through the crowd of both curious onlookers and armed individuals. They reached a young girl masked in terror. She couldn't speak once her shrieks ceased. All she could muster were hollow sobs as she pointed to the shadowed opening of an isolated tent.

A farmer had a hold of the girl and tried to calm her. He passed the girl to his wife as the soldier approached.

"You called for help?" one of the guards asked as he moved toward the farmer.

"Yeah, she was just standing there screaming. She kept pointing at the tent."

"Did you see anything?"

"Nothing."

The soldier in charge stepped up to the girl as the remaining guards took defensive positions around him.

"What's wrong?" the guard asked with a tone of calm authority.

She said nothing as she clung to the woman who held her. Her eyes remained fixed on the darkened tent, wide in horror with tears streaming down her cheeks.

The soldier wasted no further time. He motioned for the guards to circle the tent. Two soldiers with torches moved carefully to the entrance. Before they could inspect the inside, one of the guards from the back of the tent called out.

"It's tore open in the back!"

Another solider carefully placed his torch through the ripped section of canvas. The light shattered the darkness as the flames forged dancing shadows within the shelter. The tent was empty.

Sy Fenden charged up a ladder to the platform of the western guard tower. Before he completed his climb, he demanded information from the tower guard who watched the commotion at the wall.

"Report!"

"All gates secure. No reports of any interior breach. All other towers have reported in. One apparent incident outside the wall at the southwestern edge, directly between the western gate and the south road. Foot patrol is at the site. No indication of immediate hostilities. Investigation is continuing."

"Mounted patrol?"

"They've already completed their round. No signals of additional threats. They're moving back to the site of the incident to add support."

Sy had reached the platform and looked down at the throng of tents. Despite the number of people outside the wall, the area in question immediately caught his attention. A large group of citizens had gathered around the soldiers that had encircled a single tent. Upon reviewing the situation, Sy immediately issued new orders.

"Signal the reserves at the gate to assist. Tell them to disburse the crowd around our soldiers."

The tower guard followed the command without hesitation as Sy monitored all the activity near the wall. When the soldier completed the signal, Burbon's captain pressed for more details.

"Any casualties?"

"None that I can see from here. One girl screaming. A man reached the scene and called for help."

"What was it?"

"No report yet from the field."

"Any ideas?"

"Guards are inspecting the back of the tent. Something probably broke in and scared the girl."

"Did you notice any movement?"

"Sir, people are moving around the wall all the time. It's impossible to keep track of all of them."

Sy let out a heavy breath.

"I know. What about beyond the tents… the clearings further out. Did you see anything near the hills?"

"You can barely make them out from up here. Blasted campfires all around the walls. You can't see past them into the dark."

Sy tried to focus into the clearing, but he already knew the guard was right. He had been up in the towers many times at night reviewing the grounds. He ordered small campfires to be kept to a minimum, but there were so many that they created a radiant glow that made it near impossible to distinguish anything in the distance.

"Signal from the patrol, sir," the tower guard interrupted Sy's inspection. "Something ripped into the tent, but the area is clear. No hostiles found. They're going to question the girl."

"What do you think it was? Best guess."

"Could be a rogue coming down the river, but more likely goblins. A rogue would have attacked the girl. Goblins would run for it."

"You're probably right. Signal the western gate. I'm going out there and I want Sergeant Klusac with me."

As the guard made the signal and Sy climbed down the ladder, the soldiers outside the wall attempted to question the young girl. She trembled and sobbed through heavy breaths. It took long moments before she finally mouthed an answer the soldiers could understand.

"Goblins… tore into the tent. They took our food. My father… he went after them."

"Did you see where he went?" one of the guards asked.

"I… couldn't stay in there. I ran out. "

She broke down into more violent sobs.

One of the soldiers studied the tracks at the back of the tent and quickly called out his findings.

"Maybe only two goblins. Tracks in and out. They're gone, but it looks like they were followed to the south toward the hills."