A Prelude to Spooky Mountain

Old Crow looked at the carnage. Eight bodies littered both sides of the cave mouth. The cave itself reeked of vomit.

"I'm not cleaning this up," he muttered to no one in particular. Pierre stood up and wiped his chin. He looked around apologetically before kicking some dirt over the rum-soaked puddle. Lamont stepped forward.

"I'M WILLING TO BET THESE MEN-AT-ARMS WILL BE MISSED." Eris covered the ear nearest him and winced in pain. Pretty much everyone else did likewise. "PERHAPS WE SHOULD NOT STICK AROUND TO FACE ANY INQUIRIES FROM INTERESTED PARTIES." Old Crow nodded in agreement. He looked up into the night sky. The full moon was rising. There would be just enough light for a night march.

"Yes," he said in a voice that radiated a serene wisdom. "We need to get the fuck out of Dodge." He picked up an old satchel that lay near the cave mouth. He encouraged the others to take up their belongings. "Just west of here is valley that is none to well traveled. It should offer us a safe place to spend the night, now that the ways north and south will no doubt be watched. We can make it there in a little over an hour, with luck."

Elizabeth chortled. "Luck? Better start casting every bless spell we got. Did you see what happened down in that burial mound?" Everyone nodded in mute agreement. They shouldered their packs and loaded the horses.

"Old Crow," Pierre sidled up to the wise old Chinan as they headed down the winding path from the burial cave. "You've spent a lot of time in these parts... What lies between here and the valley you mentioned? Will it be an easy journey?"

Old Crow stopped and looked west, his eyes getting that faraway look they got whenever he had to search his memories for the threads to tie together for a tale.

"Ah, it's bullshit. A piece of cake. We'll be safe in our bedrolls before the moon sets." Pierre gave a sigh of relief, and stepped up his pace to catch up with the others. Old Crow smiled and reversed the ancient Chinan hand signal his grandfather had taught him by uncrossing his fingers and bringing them out from behind his back.