Either Talimar did not find the news as exciting as Kersath had, or he hid his elation well. “Where to?” he asked his long distant kinsman.
Kre had not seen Kersath uncomfortable before, and he didn’t really like seeing it now, given the circumstances. “Heading towards Yahaestra,” he mumbled.
Talimar nodded as if he had expected that exact response. “They will make it within the outpost before we can catch up. We will not survive if we start a fight there.”
“Why would they go to Yahaestra,” Dain asked. He and the others had emerged from hiding when Kersath had ridden up. “They are certainly vile in their own right, but even the Yahaestrans won’t deal with Rakshasa.”
“They likely do not know they are Rakshasa,” Talimar answered. “We shall need a new plan and quickly. Either the Rakshasa will get rid of our friends before they reach Yahaestra and then assume their identities, or they will sell them to the first flesh trader they can find.”
“I’d not like to meet the flesh trader that would buy either of those two,” Beleg muttered. His tone indicated an attempt at light-humored-ness, but the dark look on his face indicated an immense amount of barely contained rage.
Kre stepped back to hang next to Rasmussen and he whispered to his small friend, “What is this Yahaestra place?”
Ras shook his head, “I’m not sure. I’ve only heard rumors of it but have never visited. Most folks with any sense of conscience won’t visit that place. It’s rumored to be a place where anything and everything has a price, and not always in coin.”
Kre nodded. It was certainly not one of those places that the Professor had ever mentioned. He supposed that was a good thing though. If Marxin had known of such a town, Kre would have to question everything he knew about the man.
‘I wonder if Cooter knew of this place…’ As a Dragon Knight, it wouldn’t be unheard of for him to have a place like this in his sights if for nothing else than to know where to find the worst of the worst for apprehension. Once, he would have attributed that sort of law enforcement duty to the Rangers, but after experiencing their “service” first-hand, he knew that the only reason for the Rangers to visit a place like this would be to partake of their services.
Ras elbowed Kre sharply and the younger man brought his attention back to Talimar. “… split into three groups. Kersath and myself as one. Beleg, Dain, and…” He paused for a moment as if reconsidering but shook his head and continued on. “Beleg, Dain, and Kre as a second. The others will remain at camp about half a day’s trek south of the outpost.”
The dwarves of the group immediately raised their fists in protest, but Talimar raised his hand to quiet them. “I know it is your kinsmen at risk here, but we cannot send dweorvkin in to ask about others of your kind. If they catch wind of you, they will scatter and leave only corpses behind to cut their losses.”
Though they still grumbled, every one of them knew the truth of their leader’s words. “An’ if they catch yer hunter’s scent an’ run?”
This time it was Kersath that answered, “We hunt them like the vermin they are and slaughter them to the last.”