At dawn they set off from The Thirsty Boar and towards the East, the time to ride to the Misty Mountains has come after finding the letter in Ovehill. The three Dwarves set off long before and were waiting in Ost Guruth, now Fiontann was leading the rest to Lone-Lands, then through the Trollshaws and Rivendell with Misty Mountains as the destination. Cerriel, Gaeded, Anriett, Sigfread, Carmillia on the horse with him and Dindrik were all on their steeds, riding quietly. The rest of the company would reach them shortly as they had to finish certain affairs of theirs before setting off to such a perilous trip, a perilous trip where the very land would be against them. The ride to the Forsaken Inn was uneventful and Sigfread got a horse for Carmillia, getting a debt repaid. The ride to Ost Guruth was uneventful as well oddly enough. The company has gotten used to getting attacked on the road but everything was quiet, until they reached Ost Guruth...
They had just left the horses at the stable-master and started making their way up the stairs in order to rest after these days of riding and sleeping on the road. Even from the bottom of the stairs they could hear whispers, a shout every now and then or an exclamation of amazement and all those made them rush up, concerned that maybe the settlement was under attack or an attempting robbery but it was nothing of the kind. At first they saw people gathered in front of the Keep and others rushing there to see or here better so they all did the same, seeing that the guards were still at their posts it couldn't be a threat but something else, gossip or a dispute. The group passed through the crowd that formed a semi-circle around a man, thin and slightly taller than average, with long light brown hair and clean shaven, his hair reaching below the shoulders, free of any bands but in his right hand that was hanging by his side he had a hat with a green feather on it. Across him stood a group of men fifteen or seventeen in total, armed, plus one in the front with red hair that reached the ears and an unkept beard, he seemed to be someone with authority as no one spoke when he did and he was...
-You crossed the line minstrel! he said angrily, pointing at him with his right index, a lute held in his left hand, the men behind him nodded.
-I didn't do nothing! protested the lone man.
-Nothing? You spoiled my woman!
-I did not!
-Yes you did, I just caught you!
-What I'm saying is it's not my fault!
Those words made the angry man redden even more and one could see spit coming out of his mouth or from the gap between his front teeth as he spoke.
-You're saying that my wife came under you?
-Y- No!
-Then you did seduce her.
-I did not! It's... it's my good looks.
-So she came to you.
-No! Yes!
-You'll die!
-I didn't do nothing!
-You touched my wife! I'll kill you minstrel and every other of your kind that sets foot in Ost Gurth!
The man shouted to the top of his voice and threw the lute with anger towards the minstrel, but it's the build of the instrument that it changed direction in mid-air and made for the ground.
-No! My lute! Shouted the minstrel and dived forward to save the flute which landed in his arms.
At that moment Dindrik, the Dwarf in Fiontann's company, saw his face.
-Peragor! No one touches my friend! he shouted and gripping his huge double-bladed axe he ran between the fallen man and the others, at once three more Dwarves appeared from within the crowd with their weapons drawn. It was Therden, the stocky Dwarf with the black armour and the warhammer in his hands and the twin axes on hsi back, Hori the older Dwarf with an axe and shield and Blosi, then younger and kind of thinner Dwarf with a bow in hand and a sword ready to be drawn in its scabbard.
-Let's leave them to it... I don't want us to get into trouble before getting out of familiar lands... said Fiontann and turned towards the walled area where the travellers used to camp for the night.
*
As soon as the group started to fall asleep after the long trip and the encounter loud voices were heard in the distance and approaching. Soon enough Fiontann saw them, the Dwarves and the minstrel, but he didn't ask anything. He decided to stay out of that.
-I am Peragor Thiorren! said the man and bowed deeply with hand in hand.
-I am Fiontann, a pleasure...
-The pleasure is all mine, your arrival saved my beloved lute. said Peragor and took it out from its case and started wiping it with a piece of cloth. Friends call me Per and Dindrik here is a dear friend to me.
Fiontann turned to look at Dindrik and the Dwarf nodded with a slight shrug, as if stating the obvious.
-I arrive in this town, that woman sees me playing music and singing and of course she cannot resist, I look at her, I send a smile and that's it... She was mine but that bastard old man came up to us...
-Easy now Per. Said the Dwarf. It wasn't easy to get you out of that, you know it.
-I do and I thank you Dindrik. I shall know follow you and compose songs for your company's bravery!
Fiontann turned to look at the man and then laid down to try and get some sleep and to pretend he couldn't hear him. The man kept talkin about songs and battles but it was obvious that the sword with the silver hilt was nothing more than a decoration on his hip.
*
It was less than an hour before the dawn when the company got awoken by shouts all over the settlement, when Fiontann and Cerriel opened their eyes they saw armed guards rushing towards the gate. From the other side of the wall they heard something like grunting and that was not a good sign. The whole company got up in full armour and armed and ran to the gate, down by the stairs the guards and the Dwarves were fighting some orcs and a quick glance to the left shown something entirely different, the source of the grunts, two Gaunts wandering along the wall towards the gates. The dead were coming towards Ost Guruth. The four of them, Fiontann, Cerriel, Gaeded and Carmillia rushed and fought them back until dawn. What remained in their minds was the blue spark that came out of the staff of another Gaunt, one by the red river. One that they believed controlled the wandering dead and the fight went on...
