As Ob'haad and I emerged from the cottage, we walked into a street filled with fleeing people. Men could be seen running towards the direction we had come from earlier, the gate. I glanced over towards Ob'haad to see that he already had a bow in hand as he calmly picked his way along the edges of the fleeing peoples. I followed, now knowing what else to do. It made little sense to me that the human workers were not rallying in protection of their hives, instead a scant few made to defend while the rest fled. Their numbers should have been sufficient to repel any minor threat, so maybe this was something far worse? As we got closer to the gate things only got worse.

     Ob'haad was ahead, and it wasn't too long before he began to loose arrows at what looked to be men that had broken through the gate and were attacking villagers. I picked through the smells of fear to try and identify the attackers, feelers twitching this was and that to pick up even the slightest current above this miasma of terror. It was then I noticed these men to look somewhat familiar. The bandits that had attacked Kip's caravan! I twitched in agitation, had these rutting beasts tried to find us? Or maybe fates had decided I wasn't to be rid of them. The crowed cleared as we approached the raiding party, a few corpses strewn the ground and I could see the gate broken uselessly from it's hinges.

     Ob'haad called out to them, his steady voice cutting clean through the screams and crashes echoing in the houses near the entryway. "Mongrels! Where is yer leader? If ya dogs even have somethin like that! I demand to know why you've a come to rape and pillage! Parlay! Parlay!" At this some of the rogues turned towards us and began to make their way. There was at least five of the brutes, and by the way they held themselves, it seemed clear that talking was the last thing on their minds. Ob'haad moved with grace that defied his wizened appearance, fluidly transferring an arrow from hip-quiver to string and loosing the arrow in one swift action. One of the attackers fell with a feathered shaft protruding from and eye socket.

     The other four called out to their fellows and began to spread wide, running and ducking behind over turned stalls and wagons for cover. Seeing them take to hiding I stole under a wagon that had not yet been vandalized, not a meter or so from where Ob'haad held his ground. It was then that I noticed some of the rogues had slipped behind us, but by then they were mere steps away. "Parlay this you old son' bitch!" One of them yelled and he charged ahead of the two at his side. Ob'haad whirled around and tried to draw the blade at his side, but it was obvious he wouldn't draw before the rogue was upon him. I darted between Ob'haad and the aggressor from under the cover of the wagon, the man's eyes widened in shock and surprise. "A fuckin wood ha-" Was all he got out. 

     I reared unto my hind limbs and struck out with a strong mid limb, using it's hooked end to slash through the air. The man tried to back step and managed to only catch a glancing blow from the sweep. He recovered and tried to bring a crude club to bear upon me, swinging the cruel lump of wood above his head. I side stepped and managed to glance the blow aside using a raised fore limb. The scant impact stilled jarred the limb and staggered me a bit, seeing an opening the attackers two fellows decided to move in and mob me. But Ob'haad moved forward too, standing at my side with curved saber drawn, grim anger painted his features as he slashed at the one approaching from the left. 

     The one that had struck first attempted to swipe again, but Ob'haad countered with a slash to the attackers side as he raised the club above his head. Howling in pain the mad staggered back only to have his ally from the right charge in bearing an ax. Ob'haad deftly defended against the two, and I lashed with hooked mid limb to keep them at bad as well. The four that Ob'haad had shot at earlier emerged from cover and were fast approaching though and it was clear we would be more than outnumbered in the next few moments. These marauders won not through skill it seemed, but using overwhelming force to get what they wanted.

     Ob'haad and I stood at each others backs as we were surrounded, sneers and hoots from our hunters proclaimed their victory as they bore their sharp steel and heavy wood. Spears, swords, and axes rushed in from all sides, too many my instincts screamed, and it was at that point that the world suddenly stood still.