Valgrin's head dipped forward, jerking back up as the wagon wheel hit another rut. His eyelids weighed ten pounds each. He lurched to his feet, nearly toppling as the cart swayed beneath him. Grabbing the edge of a wooden crate, he steadied himself, his knuckles white against the splintered wood. The cart jolted again. He glanced toward the front where Skwilly's snores still rumbled over the creaking wheels. Through the canvas flap, purple twilight painted the horizon. Thankfully they'd caught the earlier transport. The wagon wheel dropped into a hole, jolting him against the crate. "Oof," he muttered, rubbing his bruised shoulder.

  “Wha?” Skwilly mumbled as we woke up.

  “Good morning to you.” Valgrin teased. He heard Skwilly’s muffled reply, though he didn’t understand any of it. “What did you say?”

  “Not much, just waking up a bit confused. Sleeping while traveling isn’t all to restful, is it?”

  Valgrin's words died in his throat as the canvas flap rustled and parted. One of the drivers head thrust through.

  "We may have a problem." his whisper carried the weight of a shout. "People. Side of the road. Where the rock formations narrow." His fingers whitened against the canvas. "Perfect spot for an ambush."

  The flap slapped shut. Valgrin lunged forward, knees buckling as the wagon lurched. He grabbed a rope hanging from the roof, steadied himself, then pushed the rough canvas aside with his forearm.

  He paused, momentarily, to admire the light bar placed on the wagon top. It was structured to not illuminate the drivers, the light pushed forward flooding the trail with light, two spotlights on either end of the bar dug deeper into the shadows.

  One beam caught movement—a flash of metal, a huddle of silhouettes. Valgrin squinted. Three figures, maybe four, clustered around a small wagon. Its wheel lay in pieces, scattered across the dirt like broken pottery.

  “I’m assuming a broken down wagon is a common decoy method?” Valgrin asked.

  “Aye, tis one of the most common.” The driver, who’d warned them, answered.

  The other driver's jaw clenched, a muscle twitching beneath stubbled skin. "Third one this month." His knuckles whitened on the reins as he slowed the team, eyes never leaving the figures ahead. Their wagon slowed but kept rolling forward, the horses' ears now pinned flat against their heads.

  “I’ll do this fast, I’m Fenlo and the guy next to me is Bronnick. Follow my lead, I’m going to see if they’ll let us through before we help them—will tell us a lot about them, either not bandits or stupid ones. Stay hidden until needed.”

  Valgrin nodded and he slipped behind the canvas, pressing his eye to the gap between the flaps, fingers curling around his katar's hilt.

  The wagon hadn’t gone but a few feet further before a robed figure stepped into the road. “Would you be willing to give us a hand?”

  Valgrin fought laughing at the mage outright. Purple robe with gold and silver sparkling stars and crescent moon trim. It screamed out clearance sell at the Halloween store.

  "Do you have a defensive spell. Starting with a mage to make the demand to stop usually means they will use magic to stop us.” Fenlo rumbled.

  “It’s an all or nothing thing. You can’t shoot out while the wall is up.” Valgrin lost his grin staring back out at the small cluster of bandits.

  “Cast ‘er up, mate.” Bronnick bellowed, a hint of laughter cracking through.

  Valgrin nodded and commanded the Ice Wall to form, arching it around the front, forming a near semi-circle around them.

  “Impressive, should buy us several minutes.” Fenlo swiveled his head side to side. “Be interesting to see if the send anyone around the ends there.”

  A slight boom followed by a kaleidoscope of orange, red, and yellow flowed over the center curve of the wall. Followed by a second, then a third, each one lighting the wall brightly before the lights faded, the wall dimming before the next attack hit.

  “Going to time something to the fireball attack, when I shout you can take shots.” Valgrin watched the patterns dance on the wall. “Get ready,” the dancing colors faded out and the wall disappeared. “Now!” Valgrin fired an Ice Spear at the mage, sending him flying backwards when it hit him in the chest. “Wall is going back up!” And as soon as he’d said it the wall once again curved around them.

  “Quick Strike! Whoa, me fella, bet it’s a right drakfest on the other side.” Bronnick laughed. “We ought'n grab da bolters and add to the chaos.” He patted the crossbow in his arms. “Drop the wall, me fella.”

  Valgrin dropped the wall and watched as Falon and Bronnick fired bolt after bolt into the group of bandits. Some sort of magical magazine type feed for the reloading…those things are something to contend with. A couple of seconds of admiration later he heard Skwilly call out to close their eyes then a couple of flashes from the back.

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  “Got to go help Skwilly, guessing they had some people to hit the back once we stopped.” Valgrin called out over his shoulder as he made the way to the back.

  As he rounded a stack of crates he found Skwilly sitting on top of a shorter stack.

  “Hey,” he stopped next to the priggy.

  “Gave em a full dose of Improved Blinding Lights, has a bit of a secondary strobe. Based on reactions they’re down for a few, so I pulled back to be safe.”

  “Smart move. I’m going to stick my head out to see what’s out there.” Valgrin made his way through the back flap, taking a stand on the wide back bumper. Surveying the bandits laying on the ground or stumbling around, he turned back, “Looks like you got them good.” He walked along the bumper to the right side. “Should be able…”

  The a flicker of a reflection showed the blade of the dagger as it descended. Valgrin called out to Skwilly as he tried to duck the attack, and failed. He felt the heat of the wound takeover his left shoulder. He jabbed forward with his right blindly striking out at whatever had wounded him. The katar slide off something metallic, deflected. Valgrin quickly turned his wrist letting the deflection slide past his blade, freeing it up for a short jab. A wet, slurping sound accompanied the resistance Valgrin felt as his katar hit home. The weight slipped off the katar and a thud sounded in the shadows made by the wagon. Valgrin’s focus on the fallen creature allowed another fur covered arm to swing, this time there was enough light to see what Valgrin had thought was a dagger was in fact long, jagged claws.

  Dodging, the swing grazed his left shoulder and chest with just enough force to remind Valgrin of the damage that had already been done. He, carefully, jumped backwards landing both feet on the bumper. His eyes never left the white sloth-spider monkey looking thing hanging from the wooded frame of the wagon’s roof by it’s feet. The four arms dancing with their wicked claws glittering in the lights of the battle.

  “Ain’t going to try to spar with that,” Valgrin mumbled as he sent a couple of ice shards toward the creature. His mouth gaped open when the shards shattered before making any impact on the creature. “That’s not good—not good at all. Skwilly, keep an eye on the others. This is going to get...um...involved.” He cast Bloody Vision, since the creature was hanging upside down, the blood ran to the ground without affecting the beast. Valgrin bent backwards, avoiding a couple of claw swings.

  He release two more ice shards, frustrated that these exploded before harming the slothy beast. With a grunt of effort he lifted his left arm, it’s only sort of functional. But what else to I have? Valgrin invoked Ice Shield, the frozen surface appeared along his left arm. Another groan that was part effort and part battle cry sounded as he brought the shield forward the sloth creature focused its attack sending ice flying everywhere.

  Gritting his teeth Valgrin kept driving forward, the creature spending it’s energy on digging through the shield. A sharp jab of the katar brought gurgles instead of growls out of the monster. Valgrin drew his katar upward to do the most damage possible. Mid-stroke he saw something in the distance pick up a bow and aim an arrow at him. Everything moved in slow motion, he begin to spin away in hopes of dodging. The archer drew back his knocked arrow. Valgrin pulled his katar sideways as he started to drop from the bumper. A flash of white and the archer was gone. Nothing left.

  Valgrin looked back to find the sloth-spider monkey creature laid out on the bumper, partial hanging off. He looked back to where the archer had been, and still saw nothing.

  “Almost hate to ask. Did you see anything out there helping us…” Valgrin paused when a growl followed by a scream broke through. “Where did that come from?” Another growl and scream answered him.

  Skwilly’s head bobbed back and forth, “I don’t see anything.” The priggy’s voice cracked as he spoke.

  Valgrin tapped his chin, “Me either, but I thought I did before we heard those sounds. Take it you didn’t?”

  The priggy shook his head slowly.

  The katar in Valgrin’s hand begin to quiver slightly. He looked down and saw the stylized wolf glow faintly blue, then go back to normal. “And we start already…”

  “Start what…” Skwilly started.

  “Yea, mate, start what?” Bronnick asked, his head peaking through the flaps.

  “Um, strange stuff. Seems to always happen when we come up here.” Valgrin gave a quick grin. “Them screams fall on the strange side of things. Guessing you guys took care of the rest.”

  “The first scream did most the work getting rid of them, we had them but they weren’t quite ready to see it that way until the scream.” Bronnick drawled.

  “Hmmm, well not going to dismiss anything that helps us.” Valgrin paused for a count, “About how much longer, once we get going again?”

  “We get back to fast-travel we have about fifteen to twenty minutes til we get to Plarest.” Florin spoke from somewhere inside.

  “Wooo.” Valgrin climbed back into the wagon, pausing to take one last look behind him. “Well, lets get going.”

  When Florin and Brannock turned to head back to the front Valgrin mouthed “I’ll tell you more at Plarist.” at Skwilly, who nodded his understanding.

  ###

  Skwilly and Valgrin sauntered into their room, each jumping onto their bed.

  “So what you going to tell me? Hard enough to not mention it before, now you don’t get a reprieve.”

  “Okay,” Valgrin sighed, with a grin, “this is going to be anti-climatic. You know the White Death stuff I ran into last time here and this trip is to find out more. I think there was, at least, an element of the White Death weirdness going on during the bandit attack. I thought I saw something take out an archer right beore those screams happened. Right after the screams, the wolf etching that showed up when we were here vibrated and glowed blue.”

  “Glowing blue…thought that was something didn’t work.”

  “It is a thing, but this glowed blue and worked.”

  “And you think the white form you believe you saw was part of the White Death?”

  “That or maybe the scream, or both, I just think the katar reacting was a pretty good sign.”

  The priggy nodded, “Can’t argue there. This is why I really think I should go with you, way to much unknown. I get the arguments for me to stay here, but with what we just went through, not so sure that’s the best way to go.”

  “Does add an element of uncertainty—but I think its actual safer, now that I know I’m being watched over.”

  “Or it could be they are making sure you make it to a ritual that you will be the star sacrifice for…”

  “Thanks for that image.” Valgrin smiled at Skwilly.