“As you say, part of that reward is yours. I am sorry we made collecting it difficult,” Bron said.

Fara frowned. “Why only part? That mission cost me dearly. Besides, Lovell is there and I want to see him.”

Rhun shook her head. “The Guildmaster’s brother, Hugh, died in that old tomb as well. Half should go to him, it was Hugh’s wish.”

“If he returns, and if he is still sane you mean,” Fara scoffed. “He was raving like a madman when he forced his way through a mass of enemies.”

“As you say, we will wait and see if he returns,” Bron said.

Fara stepped closer to them, her eyes full of challenge again, her grief momentarily forgotten. “You probably shouldn’t have told me about this. What is to stop me from just going and grabbing that head myself?”

Rhunal shrugged. “I doubt you’d be able to find the place. The path we took was wiped out by a massive cyclone from the north. Kyvril might be the only one who could navigate his way there.”

Fara shrugged. “I wasn’t serious. The Guildmaster would kill me if I were to take his half of the reward like that. He’s not as easygoing as his brother was. I guess I’ve got no choice but to wait for Kyvril too.”

“We’ll come to you again when he comes back,” Rhunal promised. “Or he will.”

Fara’s expression didn’t soften. “Why should I trust you two?”

Rhun laughed. “You think I’d wait for the head to get moldy to turn it in? We would have collected on it weeks ago.”

Fara’s expression finally softened. “I guess that makes sense. Find me later. I’ve got a lot of work here.” Her eyes shifted to look at the wounded man.

Taking the hint, both waved goodbye and got out of her way and then out of the temple. The exhausted priest hunched over the same couple of wounded. He was obviously focused on those who still had a chance to survive.

“I wish I could help him,” Rhunal muttered as they walked out the door.

Bron nodded. “I know your healing is dangerous to humans. You can not do anything about it. I am just glad the temple has a priest at all.”

After walking a few more steps down the street, he turned back to her. “It is a little strange that we left the reward there.”

The she-orc shrugged. ”We couldn’t turn it in. And there was no point dragging a head across the frontier to Refuge? It was safe enough where it was. It was too much to think about in the state we were in.”

Bron chuckled, “We were pretty beat up. I definitely was not thinking straight. If we’d taken the road to Refuge, we could have told the next of kin within a couple days. But instead we got blown of the road by that storm and lost for weeks.”

”Just as well we didn’t take Taino’s head. It would have been lost in the cyclone.” Rhun said.

”Right! Inferno knows I would have dropped it in the swamp when I fell in.”

Rhun looked up to the sky, the sun was getting lower on the horizon. “We better see where we’re sleeping tonight.”

When they arrived at Valda’s orphanage, Guluss the smith was waiting for them.

Bron waved to him. “Hey Guluss, we were just about to turn in for the night. What brings you here?”

Guluss grinned. “It’s been a long, weary day. And there is nothing I’d rather do than get some drinks at the bar. I want to take you both with me.”

Rhunal’s eyebrow raised. “Bars are rowdy places. And I’m not exactly welcome. I’ve been getting a lot of angry looks.”

Guluss nodded, “It’s been a hard day for the entire town. But you two were there in the thick of the fight, and I want the people in town to know it. The quickest way to end their mistrust is to make yourself known to people. A bar is where people go to unwind. Their guard will be down. I’ll even buy the drinks.”

The she-orc stepped closer to him. “Guluss. Why are you being so generous to me?”

“Come on Rhun. It is a small favor, no need to interrogate the man,” Bron said.

“Because I owe you. Both of you. Chione and I came very close to death today. I might have brushed it off in the moment, but we were trapped with nothing but our shortswords. It would have been a quick death if you two hadn’t arrived. Facing a beast like that in close quarters would have been a grim prospect. So yes, I’d like to buy you both drinks. Please.”

“I understood your meaning Guluss.” Bron said. “Rhun was just being a little thickheaded. Sometimes you must allow someone their pride.”

”You wanted to repay us, but make it seem more like a favor?” Rhun asked.

“Well, when you say it like that, I sound like a jerk.” Guluss grimaced.

”I sorta get it.”

He shook his head. “We’re going to need a lot of ale I think.”