Chương 166: Chapter 164 - Can We Rectify This Without Blood… Yours In Particular

Yours In Particular

"You thinks you gonna shoots me old man?" he laughed, not seeing Ray come up behind him.

"No, but I may just take your head off and use it for a ball for a bit," Ray said, looking down at the young dwarf. The dwarves surrounding the wagons almost in unison let out a collective gasp when they caught sight of Ray. While the raiding party was distracted, the dwarven soldiers in the caravan and a few of the dock hands drew their weapons and aimed them strategically on the invaders. The young man turned quickly to Ray. Ray grabbed the weapon from his hand and threw it off to the side.

"Didn't your mother ever tell you it's not nice to point," he said, smiling. The young man's face was drained of color.

"What in the name of Moradin are yous suppost to be?"

"How rude of me not to have introduced myself," Ray said sarcastically.

"Ray's my name and dealing with little assholes like you is my game," he snickered.

"It seems we have a little problem, that I am really hoping we can rectify without blood… yours in particular. I hate it when I get blood all over me, my stuff, my friends… well everywhere, if I am being honest."

"Boys, tie 'em up," Grim called out to his soldiers.

"We'll be taking this lot with us. I'm sure Sheriff Matabore would really like to have a word with 'em, 'cept I don't think he's gonna be as hospitable as Ray."

"Hang on, Grim," Ray said.

"I think he has some explaining to do."

"What do yous mean?" Grim asked, unsure where Ray was going with this.

"They be a group of hoodlums up to no goods Ray. Happens out heres all the time."

"There's more to it, Grim," Ray began.

"They didn't try to rob us, they just tried to send us on our way."

"Start talkin'," Ray said to the young dwarf.

"What don't you boys want us to see down there?" he said, pointing down the road. The young dwarf looked up at Ray nervously, then over at his group of men who were now tied up at the wristes together in a line.

"I don't gotta tell you nuttin', and I don't cares what yous do to me neither. I 'aint no snitch," he said, showing false bravado in front of his men.

"I get it, you want to be a tough guy for your friends," Ray smirked at him.

"That's cute."

"Get away from me you big old goat," he said.

"I knows my rights and I don't have to tell you nuttin' without en attorney. Yous gots to reads me my rights and take me in. You can't touch me," he said, puffing out his chest and smiling at his friends.

"Buddy, do I look like I am with the Dwarven equivalent of the police?" Ray snickered.

"Hell, do you think I am just some big dwarf? I'm not a cop. I'm not official. I'm not even a dwarf. I'm just here visiting and you and your friends are really putting a damper on my vacation. I could rip you to shreds and I seriously doubt there would even be an investigation. Now, kindly tell me… what is it you don't want us to see?" he asked, this time snarling. Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

The young dwarf looked as his friends shot him a worried look, while Ray looked to Grim, who gave him a nod. Ray suddenly took the young man's arm and twisted it painfully behind his back.

"What… is… it… you… don't… want… us… to… see?" he asked, pausing between each word, placing increasing pressure on the young dwarf's arm, making him contort in pain.

"Alrights, alrights!" the young dwarf screamed. Ray released the pressure and turned the dwarf around to face him.

"I'm losing my patience," Ray said.

"The next time… I just take the arm, are we clear?" he asked.

"We blows the top offs the mountain, us and a couple of them there city workers. We made up the story about the road. That mountain be chock full of gold. We was trying to get ats it but…" he began spewing, barely taking in a breath.

"We sends word that the road was closed to keeps peoples out while we gots the gold outta the rubble."

"How many are up there?" Ray asked, looking over at Grim."'Bout a dozen or so," the young man said, rubbing his arm.

"Franco, tie this jackass up with the rest of them," Ray said, making his way over to Grim.

"Put 'um in the last wagon. Keeps your weapons on them… we wouldn't want any of 'um to get any ideas," Grim said, watching Ray approach.

"So, what do we do now?" Ray asked, then began looking around.

"Where's Sheera?" he asked, his heart suddenly racing while he scanned the caravan.

"She be overs there, don't get yur knickers in a twist," Grim said, pointing to a cluster of high rocks.

"Sheera, it's safe you can comes out," he called. Sheera made her way out from behind the rocks, causing the dwarven prisoners to look wide‑eyed at her. She ignored the stares as she made her way down the caravan to Ray and Grim.

"Wells, I don't think it be safe to keeps going that way without any back ups. There's just too many of 'um to risk lives trying to gets through," Grim said wearily.

"I'm really sorry about all this Ma'am, but I think we needs to head back." Ray looked at him and sighed.

"Grim, it's going to be dark soon. Maybe we should just set up camp here and send one of your buddies back for backup, then we can surprise them in the morning." Grim looked at the darkening sky.

"Yeah, but what do we do with our little friends?" Ray looked over at the group of dwarves sitting in the last wagon.

"Send them back with a couple of soldiers," he said, sighing.

"It will be far easier to protect a few of us in a small camp, than to worry about one of them getting free and alerting their friends down the road." He raised an eyebrow.

"At least that is my assessment of the situation. I think we have more than enough to keep watch for any visitors during the night, even if we send a few back with the prisoners." Grim scrunched his face as he weighed out the possibilities.

"Yous not wrong," he sighed.

"Stay here with Sheera, I'm going to let the others know what's going on." Sheera and Ray watched Grim walk away to his group of men. They watched as he pointed in different directions and talked to his soldiers.

"We're going to be spending the night here?" she asked Ray, concern and curiosity in her eyes.

"It'll be fine Sheera, I'm not going to let anything happen to you," Ray said reassuringly.

"I'm not worried," she laughed.

"I have been raising a not‑so‑typical daughter for five years now. I think I can handle a few dwarfs up to no good."

"True," Ray laughed.