Chapter Four: The Blooding
"WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!"
Dalthu jumped to his feet, quickly stuffing himself back into his trousers. He scooped up Samson, still dazed from his orgasm, and dropped him into a thicket of bushes.
"Stay there," he snarled, and charged toward the main campfire.
Samson trembled. He could hear screams and the clashing of weapons. What had attacked them? Who was crazy enough to challenge an orc raiding party?
Maybe humans? Samson thought hopefully. Perhaps his village had hired mercenaries to try to save him?
Hope surged through Samson. Shakily, he got to his feet, peeking over the shrubs. Something was crashing through the woods toward him. Samson ducked his head, ready to hide if whatever it was wasn't human.
A man stepped into the clearing. It was the same man who had been communicating with Samson by blinking! He looked around frantically and Samson knew he must be looking for him.
"Here," he hissed, and the man jerked toward the sound of his voice.
"There you are," he gasped. "Quick, now is the time, we must run."
Samson scrambled out from the thicket. "Is it not mercenaries?" His hopes from before crumbled at the man's wild expression.
The man shook his head. "Trolls."
Samson shivered.
More monsters.
Trolls were hulking gray beasts that ate anything they could catch. Didn't matter the size. In fact, it seemed as though they took it as a personal challenge to catch something bigger than their mouths. They preferred their food alive and wriggling.
The battle echoed in the woods around them. Samson pointed in a direction away from the fight. "That way, let's hurry," he said, and they were off.
The woods grew darker the further they ran, and soon they couldn't hear anything except the sounds of their own hearts thumping.
Samson's eyes adjusted to the darkness. Now that he had time to think, perhaps they had been rash in trying to escape at night. However, it may have been their only opportunity. His fellow captive was a few steps ahead. He seemed to be the same age as Samson, though his body was more slender. He was about to ask for the fellow's name when suddenly he pulled up short.
Samson almost plowed into him. "What? What is it? What's wrong?"
The other man held up a hand for Samson to be silent. Samson cocked his head to listen.
Nothing.
There was nothing to be heard. And that was the problem.
While they had been walking, Samson had heard chirps and hoots of the night-dwelling creatures, but now it was deadly silent. What could have stopped their calls?