The First Chilling of Old Bias:
The smell of the mead hit Nomli’s senses like a nail. He nimbly slid out his pouch of spices. He sprinkled the shreds of herbs into the mug. Tapping the mug quickly quietly several times moved the herbs through his drink. The pain of the smell calmed. He took another deep sniff of his drink. He then poured a large amount over his tongue and drank big gulps.
Senshi was looking off over Nomli’s shoulder. His head, barely above the table, he saw the entire table looking over his shoulder. His annoyance was washed clean as he heard Draghan start to speak. Mead like this almost always came back up as small belches. He sat trying to listen and force this air bubble back into place. He watched the group as his brethren spoke. Draghan wanted them to travel north to Fairhaven. He was concerned that none of the normal traders had arrived. He was specifically wanting us to find his friend, Brekvam. He pulled out his prized dragon gem. He was offering to the group. Nomli did not want to take this from his friend.
Nomli knew he would cajole his new human friends into going. How would he do it. The taste of honey touched his lips. What did he know? Davin was one of these new priests. He was talking about it all the time. Nomli searched his thoughts what was his name, “Lathander”. Senshi was always talking about those Fraid hero’s from the south. They were called the “Double Dawn”. As Nomli schemed, he thought, “more like double duds”. Anger flooded through Nomli. These DD were making a better place for humans. They always forgot the rest of us. He laughed out loud at the thought.
The group started to talk about all the things they knew about the north and Fairhaven. “Rangers have been disappearing”. This went on to include some weird history about how the area has many rangers. Nomli cleared his throat and placed a shy look upon his face. Honey dripped from his lips, “The other day I heard a Bard singing a song about Selise in Fairhaven.” Notta looked confused, “What bard?” Nomli fought a small smile as he knew he now could con them all, “Wasn’t she part of the Double Dawn Gang?” He sat back just letting his little human pawns make all the connections and decide for themselves to head to Fairhaven. Barick turned to Draghan, “I think we can go check it out.” Nomli changed to Dwarven, “No worries mate. I gotch you.” Draghan rushed off to get food and drink for the table.
The next morning the group gathered for breakfast. Nomli took a nice bottle of mead and wrapped it carefully in a cloth for the travel. He downed the meat and more mead and was ready to go. Draghan had given them a nice supply of rations. Humans took so long to eat. He wanted to take the food and push it into their slow chewing mouths. His brain was set on, “Let’s go.” He wanted to meet this Selise and tell her himself that she was not as great as these humans claimed. He would set the record straight.
They headed north. It was cold. Nomli had never felt it so cold, even at night. He looked over to a small puddle that had changed to glass. He pressed his boot upon it, and it cracked with his weight. The sky dropped frozen ash. Almost out of some ancient instinct he raised his mouth into the air to gather some of the ash on his tongue. It was cold and wet. It felt refreshing in a way he had never felt. Notta lead the group north. Nomli took up the last position. He stepped carefully trying to reduce the noise from the glass like ground.
The group had moved up around some scrub brush. Nomli could barely see them. He halted to crouch and try to hear them. He heard a twig snap, and then some whispers on the wind. A low unearthly growl drifted his direction. He focused on the whispers. There was a new voice. Bees carried it to him. It was yet another human. He, yes he, was making noise chastising them for being loud. Human thought processes were always weak. He was likely some other follower of these new gods. Nomli snuck up just as his team moved out with bows.
Nomli pulled his hand crossbow out in front of him. He moved out to the left to get a better view. Some frozen creature moved toward him. He misjudged the distance and the creature made it up to him. Senshi moved to flank the beast. Notta moved up and back again. Nomli in a panic pulled and stabbed his dagger in one fluid motion. He slipped off to his left to place space between himself and the undead creature.
He moved to the wagon. It was the one that Brekvam owned. The broken wagon wheel was charred just as Draghan had said. Nomli moved around the combat to the left to get over to the wagon. These creatures had attacked it. There must be something they want within it. He reached the wagon just as the group finished off the last of the creatures. He looked under the wagon but only noticed the tracks heading off to the north.
Something or someone was being dragged off. He followed the marks up ahead. His human companions searched the bodies of the dead. He saw the new human for the first time. He scanned his clothing and gear, trying to understand his skills. He must be one of these rangers. He scanned Notta. Those would be our trackers. Nomli had to get them to follow these tracks. It looked like all the human children had finished their excited looting and it was time to push them forward, “Hey new guy. And. Notta, can you two follow these tracks. We need to move forward.”
Notta and his new ranger companion headed north again. The smell from the cleaning oil hit Nomli. His father had always taught him, “clean tools, save lives.” This was true in brewing, and it was true here. After sliding all the gunk off his dagger, he slid it back into its home. He cleaned his crossbow as he watched everyone head north. He looked back as he followed them. He placed his hand on his dagger. Even he carried a human weapon. He would need to get rid of it. His grandfather had told him about the great axes of the dwarves. He needed to shed his human connections and become the dwarf of the future.
The tracks led to an old beat-up cabin. More of the frost creatures roamed out front. Most of the human chattel moved up on the right. Nomli moved up on the left again. They took out most of the creatures as they approached. Notta went around the cabin on the right. Nomli moved up but stayed to the left. He was waiting for screams from the back. Barrick charged in. It seemed safe, so Nomli charged in to back him up. He moved left to protect Barrick, backing right into another creature. It frozen claw struck Nomli deep. Another creature stepped up to attack Nomli from the other side. Senshi to her human credit flanked this creature too. Nomli was starting to like her style in combat. He was wounded and fled back outside. Notta charged around the corner yelling something. If Nomli had understood he would have said yes, but he was thinking it was just more human fraid nonsense. Notta was going to heal him, but he yelled back, “no, do not worry about it.”
As the two of them charged back into the cabin, all the creatures laid dead and melting on the floor.