It was full day light when the rat re-entered the building, glancing suspiciously at Hastrog and Dode before checking his comrade. The two exchanged a low-pitched conversation with many glances and cut-short gestures at Dode and Hastrog. After a moment the unhurt rat opened a satchel and removed a parcel wrapped in cloth; unwrapping it he broke a flat oval loaf of bread into four and holding one quarter held it out first to Hastrog, then to Dode. Both held out their hands for a piece and in return Dode handed over one of his water bottles.
All four went outside to eat and perform their ablutions; Dode noted that the rats held their bread up to the sun for a moment before eagerly eating it, clutched in both hands. Once they had all finished Dode tried to communicate to Hastrog that he was going on to try to find the trail of the raiders. Hastrog seemed to understand and indicated he would go too, pointing in the same direction as Dode had and nodding vigorously. Dode then
caught the rats' attention and made the same set of mimes; they too seemed to understand and pointed in that direction, squeaking and making a series of gestures Dode could not follow.
The party set out and luck was with them. Their path took them across the route the raiders and captives had followed, again littered with filth and dropped items of clothing. They followed the trail for the rest of the day. Dode noticed that Hastrog was walking better, his sore leg having apparently improved, and that the rat who had been stunned in the fight with the dune-bugs appeared little the worse although the other occasionally fussed over him, squeaking solicitously and prodding him.
Late in the day the trail dropped down a gentle slope to a broad river which swept from north to south through the brown landscape. There was a pier roughly built from rocks and gathered materials and the trail ended there. There was no boat to be seen, no shipping on the river, and no sign of the trail resuming at the other side of the river.
Dode was downcast. He sat by the river for a long time. Rising he went to the rats, and tried to convey that he had no idea what to do next. He pointed to himself; pointed upriver; shrugged; pointed downriver; shrugged. The rats stared then jabbered together. One then pointed to himself then the other, then at Dode, then bumped his clenched fist fiercely on his own chest. Dode took that to be that they would go with him; he smiled and held out his hand, but the rats recoiled so he withdrew the hand and bowed instead. Going to Hastrog he performed the same pantomime. He was even more surprised at Hastrog's reaction. Hastrog pointed to himself then to Dode and then knelt in the sand, bowing his head for a second. Dode, touched, held out his hand and Hastrog, rising, touched it briefly with his fat-fingered hand.
The little group agreed a sentry rota again, all four now taking a turn, and those meant to be resting huddled uncomfortably in an overhang cut in the sandy cliffs beside the river.
The following day Dode led the party south, downstream. They filled their water bottles from the river, and shared what little food they had. Dode had reasoned that if the raiders had embarked at the pier they would most likely drift downstream rather than struggle upstream against the current. They kept a close watch on the river, but not a single vessel was seen. Towards night the river was clearly rising and tree-trunks and other debris began to appear, moving down the river much faster than any of the group could have run. When his turn to rest came Dode lay awake, feeling numb, and gradually a realisation crept into his mind. The raiders, and the captives from his village, were beyond his reach. He would never see them again; all trace of the village and of his previous life were gone. A crushing feeling of grief strangely combined with a feeling of relief filled Big Dode and eventually he slept.
Dode was shaken awake just after dawn by Hastrog. Hastrog clamped a hand over his own mouth as a signal to Dode and pointed downstream. A family group of dungers was making its way towards the river along the bank of a small stream. Dode glanced over at the rats, who were loading their muskets with silent efficiency. Hastrog pointed at the dungers, mimed raising a gun or crossbow to his shoulder, then rubbed his midriff. Dode immediately remembered his own empty stomach and realised the group planned to hunt the dungers for food. He was at once alarmed; the creatures, although mainly herbivorous, were fierce and had an alarming degree of intelligence. Back in his village any dungers sighted - either in family groups like this one, or in the larger herds that passed twice a year - were avoided. Big Dode searched his memory for what he knew about them. They had good eyesight but a poor sense of smell; the males would charge recklessly in defence of their families, trampling down attackers; their large tusks and claws were used mainly for digging, even to the extent of toppling large trees to eat their roots; there were stories that the creatures were as intelligent as a person and capable of co-operating with people and of bearing long grudges.
1 x Dunger bull Quality 3+ Combat 4 Dashing 46 points
4 x Dunger females & juveniles Quality 3+ Combat 3 30 points
Total 166
Big Dode: Quality 3+ Combat 2 Crossbow, Opportunistic 34 points
Hastrog: Quality 4+ Combat 3 Humanoid, Laser Gun, Slow 33 points
Musketeer: Quality 4+ Combat 3 Musket, Humanoid, Strong Constitution Points 38 x 2
Total 143
4 x Dunger females & juveniles Quality 3+ Combat 3 30 points
Total 166
Big Dode: Quality 3+ Combat 2 Crossbow, Opportunistic 34 points
Hastrog: Quality 4+ Combat 3 Humanoid, Laser Gun, Slow 33 points
Musketeer: Quality 4+ Combat 3 Musket, Humanoid, Strong Constitution Points 38 x 2
Total 143
Above: The band of hunters creep closer to the dungers, shoving through some bushes to where they can see their targets. The male spots the hunters and turns at bay.
Above: As the bull dunger charges one of the rat musketeers takes careful aim and fires.
Above: A hit! The bull dunger falls to the ground. As he tries to rise the second rat aims carefully and fires, killing him. The other dungers do not panic and flee as the hunters expect, but charge right at them. The rats frantically reload. Big Dod freezes in terror.
Above: Big Dode turns to run but is caught by a dunger calf, which tosses him with its tusks and rears up to trample him. One musketeer fends off a cow with his musket-butt until his friend finishes reloading and shoots the dunger dead. Hastrog draws his axe and as another juvenile charges sidesteps and sinks his axe into its head. The two surviving dungers gallop away.
For the next four days the little band cut and smoked meat under the instruction of Hastrog. Hastrog was clearly familiar with the process but found the butchery distasteful and left that mainly to the rats. They did not seem to understand the purpose of the smoking and for a start insisted in opening the tent, made from the dunger hides, in which the smoky fire and the meat was placed and trying to remove the meat. Only after Hastrog stood guard at its entrance and curled his snout fiercely at them did they desist. Dode vaguely remembered how to do it but left it to the competent Hastrog.
For his part Big Dode was unhurt despite having been flung into some bushes by the dunger which attacked him. Emerging from the undergrowth to see two dungers dead and two in flight he had been pleased to see his panic when the creature charged him had gone unnoticed and that Hastrog appeared to be concerned for his wellbeing. After a day or two his self-esteem had recovered.
By the end of the fourth day the carcasses smelt very bad and were attracting unwelcome attention. Two strange hook-beaked dog-like creatures began to creep close to them, scampering back warily whenever one of the band moved or shouted, and Big Dode dreamed that a pack of carnosaurs were approaching. He had experienced an attack by carnosaurs once before, while out collecting water as a boy, and had escaped only by climbing a pinnacle of rock and sitting wedged in a crevice all day until they lost interest. The carnosaurs, small bipedal creatures which were all mouth and digestive system, were very dim-witted but relentlessly fierce and voracious. The thought of them prompted Dode to indicate to the others in mime that it was time to leave - a mixture of holding his nose and pointing to the carcass and crouching down in attempt to look like a fierce predator seemed to convince them.
They they loaded their packs with as much of the stringy and tough meat they could carry and filled every vessel they had with water and, lacking any better plan, set off downstream.
http://www.spodilicious.com/1---the-ordeal.html
http://www.spodilicious.com/2---the-rats.html
http://www.spodilicious.com/3---an-ally.html
http://www.spodilicious.com/4---scorpion.html
http://www.spodilicious.com/5---water-water.html
http://www.spodilicious.com/6---cornered-rats.html
http://www.spodilicious.com/7---the-river.html
http://www.spodilicious.com/8---r-10-t.html
http://www.spodilicious.com/9---the-pilgrims.html
http://www.spodilicious.com/appendix-1---bestiary.html
