Chapter Thirteen: Exhaustion

Zak thought through a thousand scenario's as one of the Dwarves behind them approached cautiously "Adventurer's bringin their children with em now?" he asked a grim expression on his face.

Zak was relieved it seemed they weren't recognizing Garrok and Ziri as full orcs, "Was training the lad, when a cave-in blocked our route back" he replied "We were just trying to find the way out."

"The orcs?" the dwarf spat the word derisively, before Garrok had a chance to respond Zak interjected, "We met them down here, Garrok here was doing the same when the tunnel collapsed they were trapped same as us, we met them along the way." "No orc, half breed or not is coming through our tunnels" the dwarf replied angrily, "There is a route to the south that leads to the surface, take the first right, if you go to far south you'll keep descending" he advised Zak.

"You and the lad can take the route through our lands if you wish," before Zak had a chance to respond Dayn replied "That's kind of you, but we'll take the southern pass." The dwarf, Zak, and Garrok all looked at him in surprise, Ziri smiled briefly, Dayn began walking down the tunnel towards the armored dwarves before anyone had a chance to argue, Ziri followed.

The dwarves looked at Dayn disapprovingly as he passed by them and out to the other side, racism was prevalent in his old world and it always made Dayn sick, sure most orcs are evil but the bigotry towards a father and daughter looking for help was to much. Zak considered scolding Dayn for his rash decision however when he saw the look on the boys face he decided against it, Garrok was unsure how to react, he had always heard the outside world would never welcome him. Yet here was a child of man who bore his race no animosity, maybe there would be a place for him and his daughter yet.

Time dragged on as they returned down the path they had come, Garrok and Ziri had begun to lag a bit, orcs had a superior stamina yet these two looked as if they hadn't slept in days, the tunnel was to narrow to set up camp but it widened ahead. Where the path they intended to take split off from the main corridor it widened enough for them to set up for the night, it was dangerous considering there were Iron Orcs further south. There was no way of knowing when they would next come to a cavern with a defensible location.

"They need rest" Dayn said quietly to Zak, "This tunnel could take another full day before we reach another cavern." Zak considered this and agreed, they could yet come across an enemy and if Garrok was to worn out to fight it may go badly, "We'll set up camp here" he said aloud.

"I'll take first watch, Garrok you can have second, then Dayn and Ziri can take third" Zak wanted to make sure that there was always one of them with the orcs just incase they tried something. He was nervous about letting Dayn be alone with them but was certain Ziri at least would protest to harming the lad.

Dayn couldn't tell if it were night or day down here but one thing he knew was he had never felt more exhausted, his jaunts through the woods had only ever lasted an afternoon and they usually didn't involve fighting or constant ups and downs. He collapsed onto his bedroll in the corner of the tent and was asleep in moments, Ziri curled up next to her father on the other side and drifted off quickly.

Garrok lay there looking at the ceiling absorbing everything that had occurred over the last several days, its true he was exhausted but he was still to concerned to sleep immediately. He felt as if he had only just closed his eyes when he was shaken awake for his watch, he had half expected Zak would take Dayn back to the dwarves after he had fallen asleep and was surprised to see him honoring his word.

Garrok went out and sat in the corridor next to the low burning embers of a fire, he thought how reckless it was to leave a fire burning when all creatures had an innate dark vision. He looked up and down the tunnel and thought he heard a scuffle from the south but when he peered in that direction shifting to his dark sight he could see nothing, his watch quickly came to an end. Garrok decided to watch a little longer to give Ziri more rest but also because he was still concerned about the scuff he had heard an hour prior, when nothing happened he woke Dayn and Ziri and went to sleep.

"I've never gotten to do night watch before" Ziri said excitedly, in her clan women weren't allowed to fight, they had to see to the every day needs of the men, Garrok didn't like that idea and had trained her in secret. Despite this she couldn't let on that she could fight and was expected to be awake early to prepare the days meals and clean up around the settlement.

"This is a first for me too" Dayn replied, having grown up in the church it had always been early to bed and early to rise for him. Dayn absently poked at the fire which had all but gone out, he opened the book that Zak had given him while chatting absently with Ziri, they suddenly heard a loud scuffle from further down the tunnel.

Ziri focused in on the noise and shortly saw three forms in the dark approaching, "Somethings coming" she whispered, "Should we wake up the elders?" Dayn asked in a low voice, "There are only three and they're small" she responded.

Three small forms emerged into the dim light of the campfire, they were green skinned with long ears decorated with copper earrings, they had small beady glowing red eyes and showed a sharp toothed evil grin. "Goblins" Ziri spat derisively, "There are more coming behind them."