The Books of Renly.
Chapter 4: A new Alliance

Their adventure was not yet over, the road had many a mile left before the gates of the Hatch clans. It seemed as if the Nomey’s luck had caught up with the group putting an end to their streak of luck with no point in returning to home as there was no reasons and few creatures or fighters left to pitt, this journey was now do or die for our fighter and the Nomeys either way maybe this was not their preferred outcome, yet push on they must. Trekking these roads seemed like a dumb idea at the best of times the few people they had left in their group where going to be no match if they were attacked, they had barely begun to relax on their journey with chattering of their daring escape becoming the topic of conversation. This is when our fighter became aware of a rustling that could be heard coming from the undergrowth dismissing the noise at first thinking it was some small wild life, then once again a breaking branch could be heard from the undergrowth as if someone or thing was following them. Calling everyone to tighten the pack and be more vigilant our fighter was on high alert watching the tree lines with stealthy glances from the corners of his eyes his head firmly fixed on the road ahead.

The fighters were talking to each other with whispers and signals as they searched the trees back and forth throwing the Nomeys side glances as they rode. The Nomey’s started to think they had a fight on their hands either way this would turn out, either their fighters had made a plan to slay them or some wild beast or men were going to end their life , the pace quickened as they grew more nervous as time went on. They were stuck in an internal loop of fear and anxiety which was to be broken a few miles down the road by an arrow leaving the darkness and swiping across the face of our friend as he quickly leant back lying flat atop of his horse when he heard the bow twang to avoid the oncoming attack. A deep voice called for them to halt their journey and stand ready to release any wares and goods of value, the attacker not yet seen by the group. They decided to cooperate with the unknown attackers doing as asked thinking this attack may be the end of them all, to die for what little they had left it hardly seemed worth losing a life over.

Quickly dismounting and using the horses for cover from the direction of the arrow as delay tactic to gather one’s thoughts one might say, this seems only good sense given there are too few of them to put up a good fight and where abouts of the attackers still not known, as they surveyed the woods through and over the horses. All was revealed when the bushes began to shake emerging from them was a group of eight men made their way out of the tree line, dressed well to blend into the trees with bits of twigs and leaves stuck to them, brown leather armour covered most of their skin, arrows drawn ready to be unleashed from their longbows at the release of their fingertips resting under their chin as they aimed and poised at our group, “what are you doing out here?” one of them calls as another one of them beckons to the group to move closer, then pointing to the direction of the tree line where they wanted them to relocate to. Committing a robbery in daylight was not a cleaver affair given the likelihood of more travelers, just maybe a group of mercenaries looking to make a quick coin or two may pass by if their quarry calls on them to join the fight. The group moving slowly towards the tree line slowly at first to try and buy time for someone to see them, then ushered quicker when one of them was kicked by the robbers adding a furry to the pointing of arrow, once in the safety of the tree line they were ordered to place their weapons on the ground and surrender all. Nomey’s not one to give up any valuables lightly they gingerly reached for their weapons slowly, while looking at their remaining fighters gesturing them to take the next upper hand they see or suffer the pain of death on their next opportunity to do so.

Not wanting to annoy their attackers the best thing to do for now was to obey all their demands, the fighters turning out empty pockets and casting away the weapons they had, the questions that followed came thick and fast “where are you headed strangers on such a road and so little protection one might say a futile journey?” one of the men called out, with no time for an answer another snaps back “never mind that shall we leave them for bait or let them go last thing we need is a group of mercs coming back here,” The conversation was soon silenced as the now apparent leader spun a large club over the back of their heads striking them both at once causing one of them to release their arrow directly into one of the Nomey’s legs dropping him to the ground in a hail of pain and screaming. Pointing the end of his club at the moaning Nomey the leader says “Quieten down you women, You two would have the forests upon us long before any mercs can gather to find us, silence your screaming or I will, there will be no reason for killing you unless you have nothing to spare but the meat on your bodys you look well fed enough to feed my men for a week you oath.” swapping his club for the Nomey’s sword as he bent down to pick it up, the tip of his sword now pressed against the neck of the Nomey’s which pierced the skin as his adam’s apple moved in the swallowing of the Nomey to silence his pain.

The two of them locked in a stern look one of horror and the other of determination to get what he had come for, this was not going to end pretty for our group. “Search their horses lets see what they have to offer for their pitiful lives,” the leader calls back to his men his blade still poised at the Nomey’s neck two of his man began to churn out the satchels of goods attached to the horses looking for anything of value, a clattering of objects were discarded on the floor as they pillaged through their remaining belongings. Halted only by one of them cheering as they found the Nomey betting funds for the pits, met with a nod of approval from the leader and a glance away from his captive audience gave our fighter his opportunity to make his move as he knew these funds where his chance of a meal, not a prize to be left in the hands of these would be thieves. With a swift kick he removes the blade from his master throat, launching to his feet he makes a reach for the blade in an attempt to gain a hand on the situation. With a grunt and a step back the leader halts his attack as quick as it began with a crack of his fist on the back of his head launching him down towards the floor almost knocking our fighter unconscious. Drawing his weapon back into the air ready to cleave it through the flesh of our friend screaming “you street rat” as the blade came down, the blade shone from the small glints of light bursting through the trees into their small gathering point the group closed their eyes feeling all hope was lost and awaited the killing blows of the blades and arrows.

The situation could not be more dire yet we know our story has barely begun for what happened next is the start of a long and powerful connection that was to bring about one of man’s revolutions, the next sound to be heard was the snapping of bone and the all familiar tearing of flesh followed by a scream that sent every flying creature for miles a message to flee into the skies. Gingerly our group opens their eyes to survey the damage, after awaiting their blow from their would be killer which was taking its time to arrive. Except what they saw made them chill to the core stood over our friend was their leader missing one arm and bleeding clutching his open wound and his men now poised looking into the surrounding trees with white faces, trembling and twitching from place to place. As a movement was spotted the they let off a hail of arrows to catch their leaders attacker which was unknown to our group at the moment, they did not have to wait for their saviour to show their face. The rustling from the undergrowth quickened as the approaching creature parted the bushes the glint of his eyes pierced their hearts stopping it from beating in the instant each of their eyes meeting its. Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ Find_Nøvel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

The hound they had badly injured the night before was back and he looked even more angry now his skin was scaled and fused with hard solidified rock covering him from head down his sides the only hint he had fur was his hind quarters where tufts of fur and scorched flesh now gave way to the rock now embedded onto the creature. The creature let out a spine chilling growl coupled with saliva and rotting flesh being projected towards the robbers, everyone was now on their feet moving backwards away from the creature awaiting it to pounce. The nervous men let out another volley of arrows aiming for the creature bouncing from its hide none penetrated the hound’s stone covered chest and head, the creature winced looking back at them as the arrows had finished pelting it, now he was really angry it’s eyes shifted and the blood seeped into its eyes turning them crimson red with rage. With a single charge it knocked four of them to the ground one of each front paws now perched upon the skulls of two of them, the men screamed in fear and pain a slow erie cracking sound could be heard as the creature locked its gaze on the three remaining thieves, lowering its body ready to launch towards them was all the skulls of its victims could take, finally breaking under the weight of its paws and silencing the curdling cries of pain from the thieves. The creature took flight once more landing on the middle of the three eventually slamming on a tree a good ten feet from where he stood tearing and snapping at his flesh in a blind rage, the two remaining standing fighters saw better of their chances choosing instead to take this opportunity to escape, dropping their weapons and taking to their own flight running with barely a foot touching the forest floor as they disappeared into the distance.

Our friend and his group now left alone with the hound amongst a mess of blood covered bodies and discarded weapons now began to look for their escape from a fate worse than the thieves they had apparently just escaped. Our friend not going to allow his masters to be slaughtered by the creature stumbled to his feet still shaking off the enormous blow he had just received. Looking around for a weapon his eyes comes to rest on the arm severed from his attacker still clutching the sword tightly in its finger tips. Diving toward it he rolls over the top picking up the sword on the way toward the creature with the intention to drive it into the underbelly with a hope of some soft penetrable flesh to drive the blade through and end their misfortune of fates, sliding under the hound driving the blade as hard as he could into the underbelly of the hound sparks flew in every direction as the blade bounced off its hardened hide, coming to a halt directly under the snarling beasts jaws who was now growling in anger at the feeble attempt of his attacker.

The creature takes but a few steps back and looks down and locks eyes with our friend and as quickly as its eyes had converted to blood red they calmed to their green tone and it began to wag its tail backing off the top of him. Our friend was not sure of what to make of this, slowly creeping his way over the body of the creatures last victim backing up against a tree still clutching the sword for fear and life. With little else to do our friend let out a cry of a warrior to scare off the creature who tilted its head to the side now giving him a look a wonder as to what he was trying to do. One of the others thought he saw his chance with the creature’s gaze and attention fixated on our friend seizing the chance to grab his weapon, mount the creature and drive his blade into the back of his neck, as quick as the thought had occurred to him he was on the back of the creature wildly stabbing at its back in an attempt to pierce the hardened skin. The creature flipped him twenty feet into the air lurched upon its back legs and was about to catch him in his mouth, halted only by our friend calling him to stop from where or why he cried to the hound he was later to tell he did not know. The creature left his perched position and walked towards our friend in time to see the man hit the floor with all the force of nature pulling him back to the ground silencing the horror scream he was calling to alert the world of his fate giving way to moans of a new sort as he lay face first on the ground.

Now our friend and the creature stood face to face with each weighing the others intentions with an air of suspense broken when the creature rubbed its hardened skin of its head against the side of our friends face still not sure what to make of it he uses his head to push the creatures away sword still clutched in his hand ready to start the attack again as he was not one to give up lightly. The next few moments seemed to be a life time as our friend began to move forward off the tree and maneuver himself towards his fallen comrades, checking each as he could never leaving the gaze of the creatures eyes as it followed his movements intently. Our friend stood on the leg of one of his masters who let out a cry of pain which caused the creature to come back to high alert about to pounce forward, our friend raised his hand calling out no, the creature again turned its head to one side and laid down upon the forest floor still transfixed on our friend who by now was considering the idea that this creature had somehow chosen him to be its master of sorts. The unwritten law of nature and these lands who would demand it so, after all no creature would give to a weaker man, confirmed when one of the remaining attackers thought the situation was in hand and tried to hurl an arrow at out of the undergrowth towards our group, the creature stood up and disappeared into the trees, the group looking at each other trying to figure out what they had just witnessed. The hound returning a short time later with the top half of the torso of a man held within its mouth wagging its tail it dropped the now lifeless blood soaked corpse at our friends feet and began slowly bowing its head as if ready for its master approval.

“It seems that the beast has chosen its new master boy and you’re it, I have many a family member who has raised beasts for generations and their loyalty has been that of the men of the forest, to have a creature like that so willing freely to bow its head to you is one I have never seen.” The Nomey’s explained regaining his footing and approaching the side of our friend slowly and cautiously. They stood for some time debating their new beast and the ability to control it and their fighter given his new friend and protector. Deciding the test would be if they could approach the creature and use the remaining spell to rid them of it as they didn’t want to lose their fighter, nor could they keep the beast alive with what it would need to feed it. The attempt to do so would see their pouches dry of gold before they could see the pits and better their fortunes. Feeling around their cloaks for the reaming spell they began to approach the creature in a vein gesture of friendship to deliver the killing blow as closely as possible as not to chance a retaliation as they would no more survive it then the victims which lay now at their feet. Their cloaked attack had barely begun when the creature began to growl with their approach, warning them a step closer would not end well if they continued. “It seems we have a new member of our group as I fear if we try anything this creature is not going to stand for us approaching it, I doubt you’re willing to kill this creature are you fighter?” you could tell our fighter had no interest in doing so he knew this beast may be his undoing if he were to attempt it, a simple yet well newly judged plan slowly began to merge in the Nomey’s head if we placed them both in the pits they might just rid themselves of the fighter and be left with a creature that may just have the strength to make them rich and the envy of the Nomey’s bloodline. The plan was hatched all that lay in their way was to ensure the death of their fighter and the gaining of the prize that lay beyond, they began to weave and lay out the tale of the Hatch clans to our fighter as the group relaxed.

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