I came to meself amongst bodies an gore.
I remember ta start o’ it.
I tapped on ta door ta one o’ ta buildins. A man answered it, surly like, weapon in hand. “Whadda ya want now?” he said. Behind him were beast-folk in chains, and another o’ ta captors.
I didn’t let ‘im finish his words. I battered ‘is face with my shield, and slipped my sword in under ‘is right ribs. One an done.
One o’ ta beast folk let out a screech an ta other guard charged at me, swinging hard for me head wi’ an axe. I parried it down inna dirt with me shield, an sheared his face off wit an upsweep o’ me sword. More squeals from the beast folk. Dats sure ta draw his friends.
I went ta work on ta chains wi’ me blacksmith hammer. I’d had most o’ em freed, and was working on ta last, a little cat faced girl by ta look o’ em, when I felt something pierce me. A spear point jutted out o’ me chest, south o’ me heart, but part o’ me lungs I had thought. When does blood look black like dat?
I broke ta girls chain in ta same moment. She looked up at me, an I could feel all the pain an ta rage at me injury takin me ta that red place. Me eyes were burning, blood boilin, I looked her in ta eyes. “RUN!” I screamed.
Ta rest is hard ta remember. I turned, breaking ta spear dat gored me, pulled it out, ducked under a swing from ta spearman wi’ what remained o’ ta shaft, and ran him stern ta stem wi’ his spear.
The others closed in, an everythin went red.
Now here I am, six bodies I count amongst ta bits and pieces strewn alongst ta floors an walls. Ta beast folk are freed. None o’ their number amongst ta bodies. No witnesses dat weren’t ta victims o’ ta slavers.
Can’t see any mark o’ ta spear on me. Was I wrong about getting stuck? I see a hole in me armor, and black fluid aroundt it dat smells o’ peat. Maybe somehow ta blow skipped aroundt me? Dats a question for better minds dan mine.
I gather ta bodies, an what wealth an goods they hold. The bodies are fer ta fire. Ta profit, fer me pockets, an ta give back ta Tannas. All I’ll leave behind is blood, empty chains, an dat strange smell o’ peat dat lingers about ta area.