The Cons of GD Ep 2

Being left alone in an unknown forest with a hut and well, the boys started to have a look around. They checked the well - full, good water. They ate an apple each off the trees, fresh, tasty. And they entered the hut. Practical beds, chests full of basic tools, five sets of rough clothes. A large stack of wood, some candles, hunting bow and some arrows.

Taking the bow Vienas and Rist were determined to check the surrounds and commited to being back a little after sundown. Finn wanted to check what he could make and what they could eat for the next days.

Wandering into the deeper forest Vienas and Rist discussed the strange position they were in, but were more focused on tracking than anything. Finding many tracks they honed in on some rabbits. Opting for rocks found on the way, Rist caught three rabbits with his sling and tied them to a stick for easy carrying. They found odd carvings on some of the trees and whilst inspecting them a little closer they heard weeping off in the distance. Remembering that they were supposed to keep a low profile, their curiosity got the better of them. Walking toward the sound they found a dirty woman crouched over and holding a young boy covered in dirt and blood. A large gouge in his chest seemed to be the culprit of his death.

Approaching as slowly as they could, the woman cowered away from them a little and then seeing that she wouldn't have any escape anyway sighed and went back to weeping over the boy. Vienas quietly asked "What happened?" The woman shook her head a little bit and then forced a laugh. "He was my last hope of a life without fear." She took some deep breaths. And her nose started bleeding. "He was given to me by the gods to be the key to open the tomb of my ancestors. And to be honest with you I never really believed it. But I had hoped. Riches, escape, safety. It would have been nice. Who would have guessed that the door was locked and guarded. He was just the key" She buried her face in the boys face and let out a wail. "And now what would you have me do?"

Rist had gotten close enough to touch the boy, he put his hand on his head to feel for some life. He had seen others do it, but he instantly knew that this boy was gone. "I am sorry for your loss, is there somewhere we could carry this boy for you?"

The lady looked up at him with hope-filled yes "Can you kill the guardian? The doors are open and maybe if you killed the guardian, his death wouldn't be so meaningless?"

After agreeing to try, and helping bury the kid, the boys returned to the hut for the night and explain everything to Finn. In the morning they would return to the depths of the forest to meet the woman who would take them to the guardian. All she could tell them was that it was a beast. A beast she had never seen before.

Between them, the boys had a bow with a few arrows. A sword they stole from a village. An axe for chopping wood, Rists sling and a club Finn had just made. They all wondered what was in this apparent tomb. As they slept, all dreaming of different things, the woman continued her mourning, but now the sharpness had been softened by hope.

In the morning at first light they found the woman waiting for them at the carved trees they had found the day before. Equipped and ready they followed her to tomb mound surrounded by seven large trees. Staying back from the entrance she pointed. Thats the door. We opened it yesterday and in the first room it attacked us. I dragged my son out and slammed the door and nothing followed.

The boys got ready, Vienas with the bow, Rist with his sling and the club, and Finn with the sword and a torch. Nervous but determined Finn counted to three in his head and flung the door open and yelled. He wasn't sure why he yelled but he did. And he threw the torch in and ran after it. Seeing movement from the left he spun around to face it as Vienas walked in. "There!!" Finn pointed. It was half a man sized. hairier than a dog with a prominent boar-like nose. It squealed and pounced toward Finn.

Missing its first swipe, Finn sliced with his sword, not a perfect hit but the beast squealed a little higher as it was wounded somewhat. Shooting from inside the door Vienas scored a perfect hit to the beasts shoulder, slowing it down even further. Rist tripped through the door and fell dropping his sling and the rock he had ready. With its dying breath the beast threw itself at Finn slashing his leg drawing blood and in response Finn slammed his sword down, crushing and slicing the pig beasts skull. The three boys took some deep breaths as the woman walked in with wide eyes, picking up the torch and wandering around the room.

A low roofed tomb entrance, in the middle of the space sat a throne-like seat. Three doorways left the room and on one wall was written a rune-like language that the woman seemed to understand. "It is real. It is all real. This is my ancestors tomb. And somewhere there will be riches beyond my dreams. I will pay you for your good deeds" She said in a half panic to assure her saviours of reward. She turned to the right door way, pushing the door open with an excited flourish before something very quick and sharp stabbed through her neck and her body slumped to the floor without sound.

Finn still dealing with his own injury didn't take notice but Vienas, the only one of them still on his feet, walked over to see a sharp dart sticking out of the woman. Taking the torch off the ground he had a little look into the room, being careful to check for further traps. When hunting, his uncle would sometimes set up trip wires, so he recognised the mechanism of this trap in the door. Satisfied that there were no more triggers he stepped in.

As Rist picked himself off the ground and brushed himself off and Finn strapped his wound has best he could with parts of his shirt, Vienas started narrating what he was seeing. "This must've been an alchemists room or something. Like a library but there are vats and tubes and stuff like that trader we once saw last winter. These books could be worth something, but nothing is... treasure"

The room was packed with barrels and book shelves and vats and vials. A strange collection for a tomb. But could be filled with research and other stuff. Leaving the room as Rist was close to entering it, Vienas murmured "Maybe the treasure is in there"

"Are we not worried a little bit about the dead woman?" Rist asked. To no one in particular. Finn in his quiet way summarised the situation they were in. "We were asked to assist in low key ransacking this place. It sounds like this lady might have been the last person to know about it. We defeated the guardian as asked and are not to blame for that trap. I think we should bury the woman near the son, burn this beast, and clear out what we can from this tomb, figure out how to lock it and leave it for future storage. We may need a secret place to stock pile treasure that Kristas doesn't know about right?" Silence. The two others were thinking.

Vienas clicked his tongue like he sometimes did after making a decision. "Agreed. Lets go through the two other rooms, see if there's any valuable and then get to burying. We still have a day till the boy is back. And maybe we can trade some of these things when we go on assignment."

They systematically went through the two other rooms. One had a more complex trap, but Finn used the beast as a meat shield. In the second room was the treasure. Multiple chests filled with coins and jewels. Gold items. Silks. Ornamental weapons. Worth a lot. But impractical for anyone but a duke to deal with properly. Especially not former convicts. They closed the door and found that it could be locked with a padlock. In the next room there were no traps, barely a door. Pushing it aside the boys found the tombs. Six in two lines. Named and flanked by a statue or a bust. One top of each were weapons or tools. These were taken by the boys even though three of them were useable. Finn was convinced that they could use them for something else.

Burying the woman next to her son and dragging the beast into some bushes to maybe burn another day, they returned to their hut as the sun began to set.