It had been a strange evening. Eoghfur had ventured to the North, and found himself in the Company of three capable warriors. One moment he’d been warming his hands by the fire, and the next he was riding out to a place called Stoneheight. “The Houe of Hithfaer has been lost”, Thandanar had said. Eoghfur had no idea what that meant but it sounded important.
They had ridden to an estate in the hills, which was strewn with the bodies of the slain littered across the floor. The scene was unpleasant, but it seemed to really affect his new companions personally. As they travelled through, they saw that the devastation had been deliberate and also barbaric. “They even burned down their own feast”, Belenir lamented as they made their way through the estate.
Finally, they came across one of their companions, chained in a stock with five Corsairs revelling around her. Belenir gave the orders, and as he did, Eoghfur nodded, unslinging his bow, and sent an arrow straight through the eye of the one on the right. They started in urprise, but his target didn’t scream. He was dead before he hit the ground.
Minaiadan unsheathed his longsword, but fell over his own feet as he charged! Belenir covered him, though, severing the hand of an onrushing corsair, and Thandanar took the next by slashing his opponent’s left arm. The corsairs counter attacked, and Eoghfur shot once more, but merely hit one in their thigh, though it was enough to topple them to the ground in a heap.
The third shot, however, struck true, slashing through a corsair’s throat, who fell to the floor clutching their neck as the last of their breath whooshed from their lungs in a spatter of coughed blood. The remaining foes were swept up by the band of warriors, and aside from the wounded Corsair by their feet, all was still once more.
Eoghfur looked up at the woman in the stocks, but suddenly, something seemed familiar. Blonde hair, tied behind her head for practicality. Could… could it be? Had he stumbled upon Daphnee by chance? Sighing, he looked at her and exhaled, disappointedly. “It’s not her”.
Belenir looked at him curiously, but before he had a chance to talk further, behind him Minaiadan shouted. “They’re getting away! With me! He’ll warn the others”
In the chaos, their captive had managed to slink away Into the night. They made chase after them, knowing that more may be near, and that if they weren’t careful, they’d join the dead below in the courtyard of the estate.
Daphnee would have to wait. Once again, by trying to discover more about the bloodhound, he’d found himself right in the thick of it. Some things never changed.
