I never understood why Namri liked the woods so much. After all, we'd been raised and spent our time deep underground or in the frozen waste of the mountain. That's where I would have rather been, I always liked the snow, it was the only thing I really missed from home. Not Namri though, he'd grown soft and now preferred all this greenery. Despite all this, it was nice to see him after so long, and as a way of keeping him happy, we went for a trek to the Chetwood forest. It seemed to work, and he really did appear to enjoy himself. I myself even felt gladdened, this new land was taking it's toll on me, there was no respect, no honor around here.
It was during our walk through the forest that we were jumped. Masked bandits, maybe five or six of them. I don't know what the damned fools wanted, we didn't look wealthy, and a dwarf makes a poor hostage, but they attacked us anyway with clubs and knives. I don't know what happened to me, I panicked. After everything I'd seen and done, I was scared. It was Namri who had to take the lead. axe raised he charged them, it took them by surprise, hell it might have worked if I'd been quicker on the uptake and followed him, but even one dwarf will find a tough match against six large men. They beat him to the ground, and like a complete coward I fled, I ran for my life like never before. I'll never forgive myself for it, no matter what I do now, I always will have run and left my friend.
I kept running till I came across a stranger, another blasted human. Later I learnt his name to be Jorich. I asked, begged him to help. He was suspicious damn him, but to his credit he did come to help. By the time we arrived at the site, there was only blood and scuff marks in the ground where they had all been. They'd gone and gone in a hurry. I had a bad feeling about this whole thing, why would the filth clear out after a victory?
I heard the growl from somewhere to the right of the path, I knew what it was straight of, what trapping I had done had taught me enough to know the sound of a bear a mile away. And sure enough, there it came, lumbering out onto the path like some great behemoth. It stood, looking at me with those dead, black eyes. It was like looking into the eyes of some dead thing, though dead things won't run you to the ground and tear your throat out. We both started to back off slowly, only for two more of the monsters to come lumbering out of the undergrowth. We had nowhere to go, one was blocking the path back, and one forwards. The one to the left seemed to be the leader, bigger and generally more evil in appearance. The one near Jorich was the first to attack with a primal fury. It raised itself onto it's hind legs, swiping at the man with talons that would tear open chain mail. From what I saw it was all he could do to keep out of it's reach. I saw sward swings at it, but little damage. I myself had my own problems. The lead bear had backed me against a rock, and all I had was a bloody dagger. I tried to get 'round it's side, but it bowled me to the floor as easy as anything with one swipe. I was lucky to live, you lie down in front of a bear and you're as dead. I swung my dagger blindly in attempt to keep it back, and amazingly it worked.
It was about this point that the centre bear, the one who had been watching quietly turned to it leader. I don't know which god made it do so, but it threw itself on my attacker, maybe looking for dominance, I don't know. It tore bloody swathes into it's back until it was thrown to the ground. This was all the chance I need to get around the back of the two, narrowly avoiding be drawn into the brutal fight. I went to aid Jorich as best I could. I sunk my blade into the bears leg, and by this point it had gone into a blood fueled frenzy at the humans refusal to give up. I knew our chance was slim, but we had to try and run while they were distracted.
A deafening roar ripped through the forest like an avalanche. Everything stopped in it's tracks, the bears and us included. Without a second thought or look back, all three of them ran deeper into the woods, and without waiting to see why, we ran he opposite way. A glance over my shoulder gave me the briefest view of whatever made that noise. Another bear maybe, but whatever it was, it was bigger and more menacing than any creature I'd ever hunted, or would ever care to.
As we paused for breath, Jorich questioned the fate of Namri. I told him straight that if the bandits didn't kill him, the bears will have. I couldn't tell him I was scared to go back, after everything that had happened, I didn't have the heart to go back. But he was adamant he was going back to look, and if he was going, I'd be damned if I was left behind. So we went deeper int the woods, until we came across some ruins. The entrance was guarded by two bloodied bandits. Whatever was left from that raiding party was in there. We didn't waist time here, my arrow pierced one through the throat while a knife from the human killed the other. They were the only ones left it turned out in the camp, except for one.
'Looking for something dwarf?'. The filth was stood on top of the ruins of the camp. In his hand he held a bloodied mass high for us both to see. He tossed it down and it rolled to my feet. It had been a long time since I'd felt guilt, but I had caused Namri's death, his head lay at my feet as proof. I completely lost all sense then, I charged up the hill blindly to kill that rat. The human followed me, and had to dodge a spear from the murderer for his troubles. By the time I reached the ruins, the coward was ready, another spear in hand, hiding behind a shield. I knocked the spear away with one hand as I charged, tackling him as hard and fast as I could. We were sent tumbling over the edge of the ruins where we landed with a sickening crack. He hit me with his shield, and after the fall, it knocked my out cold.
By the time I came around, I was being kicked in the side by Jorich, and the filthy murder was gone. My strange ally left shortly after, and I was left alone to bury my last friend. I was so tired of them, these humans with their petty murders and robbers, the filth of the streets, I was just, so tired of them. I was going to make them pay, all of them. And I was going to find that filth in particular, and show him the true fury and hell a dwarf can rain down!
