Slayings in the North
At first light Chaney and Rick Cobb would set out and continue their journey north. They left the Brockenborings and headed on the path up towards the little village of Oatbarton. Rick had said he would stock up on their supplies there. Was it that he were to join Chaney for a longer time on the road? Only time would tell.
After replenishing their provisions, food, water, plus supplies, they headed on north. The path would wind on northwards and upwards for a time. Civilization would again give way to wooded areas, and grassy plains. Here and there they could hear the rustle of wildlife which seemed large within the thickets of bushes that were dotted around the trees.
After a time they would approach a fork in the road, left or right. Right would take them down to Dwaling, a small hamlet which overlooked the Barandalf. It would be this path the intrepid travelers would take.
They approached cautiously, for they could see quite clearly the wooded areas had been scorched, and the unmistakable signs of goblin camps were abroad. What were they doing so close? Chaney and Rick decided better than to take on an encampment of goblins as they were only two, and the goblins would be many.
They continued cautiously onward toward Dwaling, and soon found what was left of the hamlet. This was ablaze and the unmistakable marks of brigands were to be seen. Chaney remembered the time she had spent within the Blackwold’s camp and this made her blood boil.
She had decided to watch them from afar for now upon a small crag overlooking the destroyed hamlet. Rick had gone on ahead to Bullroarer’s Sward, which was home to a number of hobbits. Chaney had shown her complete disgust toward Rick when he had turned down the opportunity to join her in killing these brigands. He had sited that he would kill no man, or woman for that matter. Nothing, however, was going to stop Chaney from exacting her rage upon these men.
She made her way silently, and swiftly toward the brigand camp which was housed in what was left of Dwaling. This time however, these brigands would not be facing a Chaney whom had been captured, chained up, and mentally and physically tortured for weeks on end. She was now fully recovered, fully prepared, fully armed, and at full strength.
The brigands didn’t even know what had hit them until it was too late. Effortlessly, she moved in and around the camp slaughtering the men and women before they had chance to mount any kind of defense and counter attack. By the end of it all Chaney had brutally slain all brigands with ease and with a stone cold malice unlike ever before.
The leader she had kept alive long enough to question as to what they were doing here and if they were in any kind of allegiance with the goblins close by. She would then send one of her blades through the man’s throat and with all her strength rip it through his gullet almost decapitating him.
Chaney returned to Rick and could see him preparing food at a fire. Later they would sit and eat steak, which was laced with herbs and spices, albeit interrupted by a rather rude hobbit whom claimed to be a Bounder of the Shire. The hobbit would grant them stay for the night, although the halfling would soon skip away into the night after enduring one of Chaney’s cold silent glances.
The evening would pass without incident, however what lay on the roads beyond, time would only tell…………
