Watching Urim and Torrelsav lead the other riders out of the village, with a Hobgoblin driving the wagon filled with sword's and axes at the center of the group. I mind couldn't help returning to what had happened last night.
*Flash Back*
"Brother... we have a problem" Urim says.
"what happened?".
"One of our Hobgoblin warriors from the hunting party is yet to return" Urim spoke with gritted teeth but I began to wonder how he was left behind in the first place.
Perhaps seeing my expression, he decided to explain.
"His name is Duma, has one with child, so he tends to go out to get potatoes or something else that is edible and easy to consume besides meat for her" He narrated as I turned back towards the throne room, but this time I didn't sit on the throne, but sat on the normal chairs on the right.
I gestured for him to sit opposite me as he continued, "Today was the same as well, only, he is three hours later than usual, the guards at the gate can confirm it..."
"Calm down brother, although this is the first time this is happening... you must never let yourself get agitated and unstable, move your breath in the way the heart Sutra showed us" I noticed his agitation and quickly say, I've always known that this brother of mine, was an emotional Orc, which was strange.
Emotional, but it's better than that of the humans...it was hard to explain as it was hard to predict when it usually shows up for him.
Could it be because of the child? perhaps something really happened when my he and this body's previous owner were little.
"what do you think?" I finally asked.
After being silent for a while, he looked into my eyes and said, "it's too strange and suspicious, Kharag Greyeye just left and one of our people go missing..."
"we are not sure he's missing yet" I countered and Urim looked stomped for words before saying," then do you think he ran away?... impossible"
"Urim, speculations and trying to understand the motive behind people's actions might be good but if you depend on that all the time, you won't know how you died" I lectured him once again and asked, "So when you are not sure about something, what do you do?"
"..." he thought for a second before responding with more of a question than an answer, "find out?".
"Yes brother, you seek to find out it's secrets, if you don't see it? dig deeper... but You don't want to alert your enemies...Moz"
"My Chief" a shadow detached itself from my shadow while responding to my call.
"I think the three of us will have to go on another little trip" I said as I took off my Cloak, no time to act like a Chief tonight. Then I felt something in my blood, this only happens when Torrelsav is around,. "Make that four of us".
"?..." the two of them looked at me confused, right on time, there was a knock on the Thick doors.
Urim silently opened the doors to find Torrelsav there, both of them were surprised to see each other.
"Torrelsav, I will listen to what you have to say but first, we have work to do" I ordered.
"As you wish" He said.
'As you wish huh, feels like ages ago since I heard such human like phrase'
"Lead the way to his house" I said in deep baritone before calling out to my mount, "Alpha"
a bark came from not too far away and He was here, before he attempted to lick, I quickly jumped into his back before c.a.r.e.s.sing his sides. The others called out their wolves and we dashed in the direction of the Hobgoblin's house.
As soon as we got there, I told Urim to bring any of the warriors personal properties and give it to Alpha to sniff.
Once this was done, I caught a glimpse of the pregnant goblin, it looked like it's child would drop out at any second.
'As expected of goblins, very fast but...' With such thoughts, I ordered Alpha to search for the scent and follow up.
it took twenty minutes of moving in the general direction of Govan but the scent was quickly found, surprised Urim said "we could actually do that?".
Moz and Torrelsav were surprised as well, the former even affectionately moved her hands through her Wolf's fur, her eyes almost spewing light out.
The nights moon shined on us directly and our tattoos gave off a greenish glow. I frowned, 'This was something new...but what does it mean?'.
Luckily the Wolf's stealth could still cover us.
Alpha diverted from the path to Govan and was heading towards white mountains direction.
When we came to a stop, we found a corpse.
A confirmation from the angry Urim, we understood that this was Duma.
'All sign shows that they had been...'
"Torture?" Torrelsav said in shock, despite the culprit's attempt to make it look like a wild animal attack, we could still find signs of torture, even his hair was cut.
Moz had a frown etched on her face, just like everyone else.
"The question is, what did they want to know for them to go so far?"I said but no one answered.
"Alpha, can you pick up another scent?" The wolf began sniffing around for a while and looked lost, the feedback I received in my mind was that, there was a lot and they moved in different directions.
'That's strange' My greatest suspicions are on Kharag and I still don't know know his abilities yet.
"Let's head back, bring him along...we can't leave our dead in such miserable state." I said with a sigh.
"Brother, if I find out who did this, I'm going to ..." Urim was raging and didn't know how to express it.
"what did I tell you earlier tonight?" I asked.
"But...!"
"Yes... you are not wrong my dear Urim, we will destroy this creature and we will enjoy every bit of it" This time I was angry, no it was better to say that the predator in me was furious, this was a slap to my face and I am dying to retaliate.
______________
Presently,
In the Throne hall,
I was still in my own thoughts, trying to come up with plans and trying to make sense of what happened last night.
The prime suspect for now remains the Greyeye clan and I could also guess their motives.
"The wolves" I muttered darkly.
"Moz, I want you to go with them..." I suddenly said, somehow, I could always feel her presence and I know she was doing it deliberately.
"..."
"When you see something strange, use your shadow energy to touch that" I pointed at the earring I have her, I'm finally teaching her how to show me what she sees actively.
Surprised, She subconsciously touched the earring before nodding her head and leaving with a determined expression. No long talks or flattery...