The Prowling Forest, Part 9

The Storm

The gnoblars were still at work, trying to rebuild the palisade around the Ironforged camp in Blubberfen. The ogors sat around the camp fire, munching on charred bones, all that was left of their larder.
"I will have the beard of that Ol' Mudgob!" grumbled Skargat, his pride, if not his body, still hurt by the Swordfyshe Shaman's stomping.
"Is it that what matter most now?" Hrothgur's challenge was plain for everybody to hear in his voice.
Skargat raised and loomed over the Crusher.
"It is! We are still safe here, unless you fail to find out why the bog is drying! Take your Gluttons and keep searching!"
Hrothgur stood, his eyes fixed onto the Tyrant's ones.
"Or else?"
With incredible swiftness, Skargat's belly tensed, pushing his gutplate into Hrothgur's chest. As the Crusher leant forward for breath, the Tyrant's horned helm slammed into his forehead. Hrothgur stumbled backward, barely able to stand.
"You go searching, and that's it! Cargo, Barag, Braggoth, with me! We're hunting some orruks!"
As the two parties made their way out into the Prowling Forest, thunder rumbled over their heads. Dark clouds were gathering, lit by blue lightining.

The Tyrant and the Maneaters had split, trying to cover more ground and finding the Swordfyshes. Cargo approached a cumbling ruin, Watcha at his side.

The gnoblar screamed in excitement, rushed forward, pulled out his spyglass, put the small end up his big nose and pointed the large one towards the ruin.

Cargo chuckled, both at the gnoblar's ways and at the sight of Krashhart and Ol' Mudgob on the ruin's balcony. Blue lightening landed close to them and they rushed inside.

The Maneater moved closer and opened fire at the orruks pearing from the windows. It mattered not that he didn't hit. That was the signal the others were waiting for.

As more and more lighting came crushing down, Skargat and Braggoth emerged from the wood, just behind Ol' Mudgob and closing on him from two directions.

But the sound of gunshots had been heard by the Swordfyshes, too. A trio of them tried to sneak up on Cargo.

The Maneater heard them, turned around and again opened fire, forcing the Brutes to duck behind a tree.

Battendown stomped forward, his squig parrot's hungry eyes set on Watcha. The gnoblar legged it and then turned his spyglass again towards the ruins.

There, swinging down a rope, Krashhart came to Ol' Mudgob rescue, his Gristle Grinder slamming hard on Skargat's chainmail. but the Tyrant focused his attention on the Shaman, as did Braggoth.

More Brutes and Barag, with Loota in tow, emerged from the woods, lighting crashing all around them.

Yardarm was soon upon Barag. The two traded blows, but the Brute fought dirty and got the upper hand.

The rumbling thunder was loud, but not nearly as much as the din of combat from inside the ruin. Pike and greataxe fell repeatedly on Ol' Mudgob until the Shaman was unconscious on the broken tiles. Skargat turned toward Krashhart, taunting him to come and join his Shaman. Then the Gristle Grinder came down and the Tyrant fell silent. Braggoth climbed up to the terrace, putting as much distance from the Warchanter as he could, even if that meant getting a bolt of lightining square on his chest.

Loota cried in panic as Yardarm pressed his advantage and knocked Barag down.

As the storm intensified, Cargo realised things were taking a bad turn and rushed for a safer place.

Krashhart and Braggoth could not reach each other, as that would have surely meant getting hit again by ligthing. Staring at each other, they withdrew, accepting the stalemate.

***
Hrothgur and the Glutton too had to take shelter, but as the thunderstorm rolled away, they heard a different kind of sound. Rhythmic, as if somebody was beating a work song on a drum.
Warily, they followed the sound until they were approaching the point were the main affluent of Blubberfen entered the bog. And there they saw them. Mr Flea still bandaged around his gut, beating the tempo as the Swordfyshe ardboys hefted heavy stones to dam the river. Ushing the Gluttons, Hrothgur signaled to return to camp. He now had a stronger footing to stage his challenge.

***
Basha and Burna left the other gnoblars to rebuilding duties and went fishing. They both came back carrying Itxi Grubs and arguing about who had caught the biggest one.