[WFRP2e] The Power of One - Part 2 - "Transire Benefaciendo"

[BananaPhone]

Taalia Giovanni

Taalia remained steely-eyed as she watched the three by three column of goblin wolf-riders paw their way into view, the slavering tongues of the beasts hanging wetly from the corners of their fanged muzzles. Though she was caught in a horrifying moment, the shepardess' mind couldn't help wander to the practicality of wolves as mounts. Horses were magnificent steeds, not just because of their speed, strength and trainability, but because of their long-distance stamina. Their short fur allowed them to sweat across their bodies and buffer them against overheating, just like humans, allowing them to run for hours and hours at a time. But wolves? Those long, ghoulish tongues dangling from their mouths, slathered with foamy ichor, was the sole avenue for cooling down, rendering them short-ranged beasts. That meant their camp must be somewhere within riding distance.

The death-wail squawking of the poor chook tore Taalia from her mental exercise, her face grimly acknowledging the little birds unwitting sacrifice as she uttered a tiny prayer to the gods of fertility in thanks for its deed. Peeking her eyes around the corner of the tree trunk that was her current separation between life and death, the shepardess watched as the goblins convened, every minute they stayed here a minute longer Bella had to escape and the men to prepare themselves. One...two...four...five...how many precious minutes had she bought them?

The goblins seemed to have decided their course of action. Consultation over, they reared about on their wolves once more and departed along their original trajectory. If there had been three or so, Taalia would have ambushed them. Pick them off from the trees and blast them with Leonardo when they got too close. But nine? She'd be insane.

Slinging her rifle back over her shoulder, Taalia turned towards the forest depths and took off, her long legs picking her over the umbrage and scrub and powering her forward into a sprint...