As Trap galloped closer to the edge of the camp, he heard the clang of weapons, Halmarain's screams, and angry shrieks from Beglug. The strange shapes that had paced Halmarain also ran into the light of the fire. From the tales he had heard since childhood, Trap recognized a group of wemics, centaur-like creatures who had humanoid torsos joined to lion-type bodies.
The six wemics seemed to have joined forces with the goblins who had dashed into the camp from the other side. Meanwhile several kobolds and goblins were fighting the wemics, the kobolds and wemics were fighting the goblins, and off to the side, two goblins were fighting each other.
"Golly! How do they know when to switch sides?" Trap asked his pony as he tried to figure out who he should attack.
Just within the circle of light, and trying to avoid the panicked 'waris, a seventh adult wemic was circling with two young ones at her side. Closer to the fire and still mounted, Halmarain had pulled her axe, which she still wore as part of her disguise. She used the flat side of the blade to slap at a hapless kobold who came within her range as he tried to escape the spear of a wemic. Beglug, frightened and angry, howled and swung his tree branch at everything within reach.
Beglug, striking wildly at a wemic, tangled the small branches of his weapon in the flowing mane of the lion-humanoid and jerked to free his weapon. When he yanked it back, he struck his own mount on the rump and the pony sidled and bucked. The little merchesti kept his seat, but his wildly swinging limb struck a goblin. The humanoid raised his spear to retaliate.
Trap had set a stone in the pouch of his hoopak and was swinging it over his head as he watched for an optimum target. He let the stone fly and caught the goblin on the side of its flat nose. The humanoid roared and spun like a top, its spear knocking down one of its companions.
"What's happening?" Ripple, who had reached the scene of the fight shouted over the din of the stampeding 'waris and the shouts, roars, and screams of the fighting mass. She stood up in her saddle, her whippik in her hand, a short kender arrow fitted to the loop.
"This looks like fun! Which side are we on?" she called as she sought a target.
"Everyone's fighting everybody. " Trap said, enjoying the excitement. "Why don't you throw something at Halmarain?"
He pulled out another stone as he watched the battle. One goblin was trading spear thrusts with a wemic, while the others were battling the kobolds. Halmarain, still leading the pack pony and Beglug's mount, had been shunted to the other side of the campfire. She had lost her axe and gripped the saddle with her left hand. She used the butt end of her wizard's staff to beat off a kobold. Beglug howled with glee and swung his tree limb. The leaves had long since fallen off and two kobolds backed away from the still flexible branches that stung like willow switches.
Behind Ripple, one of the confused and still circling 'waris collided with Umpth's mount. The pony leaped forward, almost into the fire. As the animal tried to pull away from the confines of his lead, he dashed across the path of Ripple's and Trap's mounts. The wagon wheel, still in its travois, knocked a kobold into two of its fellows.
A group of kobolds decided the gully dwarves would be easy prey. Unused to fighting, Umpth and Grod ignored the axes in their saddle scabbards and pulled off their helmets. Holding their headgear by the straps, they deflected weapons and struck their attackers with a rain of blows.
Across the campfire, a wemic seemed intent on hacking the little wizard with her own axe. Ripple sent an arrow into his rump just as Trap struck him on the jaw with a stone slung from his hoopak. The wemic roared and backed away from the wizard.
The roar seemed to echo across the plain and the kender realized that the 'waris had finally sorted themselves out and were charging off to the north.
A lighter roar came from Trap's left and he felt the small claws of a young wemic. It had reared and clawed at his left leg. He raised his hoopak, intending to spear his attacker with the sharp, steel-shod point and realized he had been struck by a child.
"Stop! Behave! That's not nice, " he warned, but seeing it was ready to claw him again, he had to drive it off. He flipped the hoopak and struck it sharply on the nose with the forked end of his weapon. It howled and backed away to be grabbed by the female who was trying to keep the young ones out of danger. She pulled the child away and was growling at the kender when she raised her eyes and gave a wail of distress.
Trap looked in the direction of her staring eyes and saw what had frightened her. A dark figure in a black cloak was wading through the goblins, hacking with a sword. The kobolds and the wemics were giving way in front of him.
He wore a heavy, black, cowled cloak. When the robed figure turned his head toward the kender, Trap could see a red glow from his eyes.
Chapter 28
Trap shivered at the aura of evil emanating from the tall robed figure, but he never considered backing away. His fingers were already digging around in his pouch, seeking another stone for his hoopak. He was sufficiently awed so that his gaze was transfixed. Almost automatically he fitted the projectile into the leather pouch of his hoopak and swung the weapon over his head.
Beneath the cowl, he saw the almost skeletal face twist into an evil grin as if a stone slung by the kender was nothing to fear. He made no effort to duck the stone that whipped from Trap's hoopak, and when it struck him on the side of his head he ignored it. In one lightning-swift move he stepped around the campfire, reached past Umpth, nearly knocking him out of the saddle, and grabbed Ripple by the arm. With super strength he dragged the kender girl from the saddle.
The cowled figure had moved so rapidly Trap and the gully dwarves were caught completely off guard. Umpth gave a roar and struck out at the stranger with his helmet, but the gully dwarf barely touched the death knight. The undead warrior had turned his back and strode away, dragging Ripple with him.
His next object seemed to be Beglug. In another swift movement he strode toward the merchesti. Beglug gave a howl of terror and struck at the tall figure with his tree branch.
Trap urged his pony forward, but his mount was affected by the aura of evil and fear. It bucked and the kender left the saddle at the arc of the pony's leap. He flew through the air and attempted to land on Ripple's empty saddle, but his foot slipped and he fell on the opposite side of the frightened animal.
Blocked by three panicked ponies, he gave up trying to scramble between them and reached for another stone, the only thing he could think of at the moment.
Trap spun the hoopak over his head and sent the missile flying. He knew immediately that his aim had been off. He had aimed for the back of the man's neck but the evil influence had deflected his aim. The stone dipped low, narrowly missed a scuttling kobold and struck the death knight in the middle of the back.
But Trap had not thrown a stone as he intended. He had accidentally grabbed one of the flame balls he had picked up in Deepdel. The impact, when the glass struck, was strong enough to break the thin glass globe and fire raced up and down the back of the black robe.
The garment, incredibly old and dry, ignited in a flash. The death knight freed Ripple and she tumbled on the ground as he fumbled with the ties that held the garment in place. He turned, staring at Trap as if he could not believe what had happened. Beneath his hood the death knight's red, glowing eyes widened in fear as he struggled unsuccessfully to rid himself of the burning garment. In less than two seconds, his entire body was aflame. He staggered about, a pillar of fire, and from him came a wail that seemed to originate from some incredible and terrifying distance. He bumped into a goblin whose leather vest sprouted flames. The goblin screamed and rolled on the ground.
More fearful than the danger of being burned was the evil emanating from the dying figure. Goblins, kobolds, and wemics all cried out in fear and dashed in all directions. Halmarain's pony reared and charged off into the darkness, taking the little wizard, Beglug, and the pack pony toward the dark forest of Lemish.