“Who the fuck does he think he is,” I complained to my brother Warren, again.

“He beat you at your own game, Tabs,” Warren smirked.

“He is a god-damned Quarry Worker. They only have rocks for brains. How did he even find me?” This was really bugging me. Warren and I were preparing for the “interview.” Sure the last job I attempted was a cluster fuck and now I have to leave town, but it did level Thief into the Journeyman levels, and I got an elusive affinity. And it was the very rare Shadow Affinity. I had only told Warren. If Longstrider knew I had it there was no way he would let me leave town, regardless of how much heat was on me. It came with the Skill, Shadows Embrace. While it was only Level 1 I was using it last night and there was no way he should have seen me, let alone be able to follow me.

“Even with the Hunter Class,” I continued, “he would only get Far Sight which helps with distance and ranged weapons. I have the specialist skill Dark Sight almost at Journeyman level. Night is almost as clear as day to me. I should have seen him and he shouldn't have been able to find his own butt in the dark.” I had been fuming at Warren ever since the meeting last night with Rock Brains and Longstrider.

“Rock Brain didn't even have a status skill and the simplest of Spiritual Traps caught him. How the hell did he beat me at night?” I think Warren was tired of me whinging.

“With the way he negotiated with Longstrider I think he might have rocks for balls,” Warren piped in.

“And that is going to come back and bite us as well. Did you see the look Longstrider gave us? We will be the ones paying for that,” I complained.

“Well, we need him to pull through,” Warren stated. “We need to get out of here because someone attempted too much.” He looked pointedly at me.

“If he does get us on the caravan he will have a treasure trove of skills to choose from with Longstrider,” I said enviously. “Did you see Longstrider steer him toward the simplest of skills that anyone with the right Attributes would pick up? I bet Rock Brain misses the most of this opportunity.” I groused.

“We need to leave to get to this interview,” Warren reminded me.

There were about a dozen warrior types milling around the entrance to Training Yard 4 when we arrived. I definitely stood out as not a warrior type with my light leather armour, truncheon and cosh. I really don’t have any lethal fighting skills. Warren tried to at least get me to wear a war knife in a visible place to try to fit in. I decided not to because if they asked me to use it then it would be obvious I had no skills.

Rock Brain arrived with two fully armoured warriors and led us into the Training Area. One of them was huge and in full plate with an axe and a massive shield. The other was skinnier and had combination leather and chainmail armour with a spear and small shield. The two warriors marched to the centre of the area and turned to face us. Rock Brain went to the edge and squatted down to watch.

The big one planted the massive shield into the ground and the other one did the same with the spear. Then they took off their helmets and my brain skidded to a halt. Holy Troll shit, they were Orcs! I heard at least two people exit the training area in a hurry. Our parents used to tell us horror stories about the viciousness of Orcs. How the hell are they even in the empire? I glanced over to Warren to see how he was handling it, but he was just frozen with his mouth open. I really wanted us to leave as well, but we didn’t have many options. I figured if Rock Brain can work with them I guess we could. God, what a horrible thought. We are better than Rock Brain. Then the big one spoke and SHE was in charge! I am not sure I can take anymore.

“Pay attention, you lot. I am Branik and we are the Mother's Tusks,” she announced. “We have a contract with Torgovlya Enterprises to escort them to Hrothgar. We have seen fighting and taken losses. There will be more fighting. This is no easy contract. If you can’t hack it or you can’t work under my command then you are best to leave now.”

Another person left. Warren glanced at me, obviously worried about what we were getting into. A senior man stepped forward along with a younger man. He had an air of authority about him. He said, “We represent the Furious Fighters. There are five of us, all seasoned warriors. We are interested in sharing the contract.”

Branik replied, “There will be no split authority. You come under the Mothers Tusks or you don’t come.”

He frowned, “Very well. You are on your own. I warn the rest of you, that without seasoned warriors this is a suicide run.” He turned and the two of them walked out. A couple more also decided to go.

I looked around and there were only five left, plus Warren and myself. Branik spoke up again, “Please come forward one at a time and state your name, class and major Skills. Then you will spar against myself or Smeška. We are not interested if you don’t have the Skills to survive. We will start with you.” She pointed to one of the other warriors.

One by one they went forward, talked to Branik and then sparred with one or the other. She then dismissed them. She hired three of the five. It was obvious she was leaving Warren and myself for last.

The spearman took Warren and questioned him and they started sparring. Branik started questioning me. She had the same competent air about her that Longstrider did. However, where he was quiet and seemingly friendly, but you knew the poisoned knife was poised at your back, she was straight up and in your face. I knew I only had one chance to convince her to let me come. She certainly wasn’t going to bow to pressure from Longstrider or anyone else. She was also distressingly knowledgeable about my current troubles.

Then she wanted to spar. I drew my truncheon, but I wasn’t sure what it could do against a warrior in full plate. She didn’t have her helmet on so that was her only weak spot. She didn’t draw any weapons, but came at me with her armoured fists. I dodged and weaved and tried to strike back, but my truncheon was deflected by her gauntlets. This was the opposite of where my skills were most effective. There was no cover, it was broad daylight and I was in a stand up battle. I normally did none of those things. Then she started landing hits. I was determined to keep going till she either stopped or killed me. Eventually she decided to finish it by landing a hit to my head and I went down and couldn’t get back up. She went to talk to Warren and the spearman while I tried to get the world to stop spinning and desperately tried not to throw up. Warren was looking at me very worried, but trying not to show it. Eventually I joined them. Rock Brain hadn’t moved from the side of the Training area where he had gone when we first arrived.

Branik said to me, “You have enough speed, but you have never trained for situations where you do not have the advantages, or where your advantages are turned against you which is what happened on your last job. I will take you both. You, Warren, are acceptable for your level but you will need to step up or you will die out there. You, Tabitha, have obviously only trained in the areas where you are good, not in situations where you are weak. If you choose to join us you will have some way to fight, during the day against Beasts. If you turn up tomorrow at dawn at the Thirsty Traveler with just what you have now you will not be joining us. I am not taking people who are going to be killed in the first fight.”

Warren nodded. I sort of nodded, but actually the world was still spinning for me, so I really needed to sit somewhere for a while. We stopped at an eatery near the Guild.

“So what can I steal to fight beasts?” I asked the obvious question to Warren.

“Your Blunt Weapons Skill might transfer to a mace, but I think your Physical Strength is too low.” Warren replied.

“My perception is high, but there is no way for me to learn the bow or to throw in time.” I still wasn’t feeling great as I sipped on the free water.

“What about your newest ability,” Warren asked. “You do have quite high Mental and Spiritual Attributes.”

I looked inward with Identify. I was getting some hints that there were Skills available. I would need to figure out how to bring them out. Before dawn. And hope they would satisfy the Orc. I still shuddered thinking we might be working under an Orc.

“What do you think about the Orc?” I asked.

“I sparred against the one called Smeška and he was very good. Much better than me. Branik definitely has a Specialised Class, probably based around that massive shield. Honestly, they scared me. If only half the rumours are true we are going to have to be very careful. When you were sparring with her she had no compassion or mercy, but she was very precise in her actions,” he replied.

“In beating me up, you mean,” I grumped.

“Yes in that,” he smirked again. “I was worried, but she was very controlled. There was honestly nothing I could do. Smeška could have taken me and she is levels above him. Wiremu seems OK with them and if we are heading to Hrothgar we will need to work with Orcs.”

“Wiremu?” I asked, my mind still buzzing from the hits and the revelation of the fact there were Orcs here, and we could be travelling under their command.

“Rock Brain.” he clarified.

“Oh yeah,” I replied.

I saw some local guards walk by. I pulled my hood up. “Right, we need to get off the street back to the safe house, and I have a lot of work to do if we want to leave tomorrow.” I said.