Chapter 125: The Way North
That morning, he went down to breakfast early to make sure he didn’t miss an opportunity, so he was still working his way through a mug of watered-down beer and a plate of biscuits and sausages half drowned in a peppered gravy when the other mercenaries came down. The gossip about last night started almost immediately, though Simon pretended to ignore it.
It sounded like a couple of guys were working themselves up to challenging ‘that fatass’ to a rematch because the honor of the Butcher’s Bill was at stake. That only came to a stop when a man sat down next to Simon and introduced himself as Kell. Simon recognized him; he should have, of course. He’d seen the man with Freya last time he was here.
“I heard you kicked Hodge’s ass last night,” Kell said, pretending to sound impressed. “Quick fight, too. Not a lot of people can say that. What’s your secret?”
The leader of the mercenary company was a tall, handsome sort, and Simon could see the blonde man’s natural charisma from the first moment. There was a sense that he’d seen him somewhere before, but at this point, Simon got that all the time, especially in Schwarzenbruck, so he ignored it.
“Goblins mostly,” Simon nodded. “I’ve cashed in plenty of ears over the years, and they’re quick little bastards.”
“They are,” Kell agreed. “Got any tips on beastmen? Near as we can figure, that’s what we’re up against for our next little stretch.”
“I heard about that,” Simon nodded. “Why do you think it’s beastmen and not something bigger, like an ogre?”
“Nah, ain’t been nothing that big in the northern lands in an age,” Kell said with a smirk. “It’s just a few farmholds and a lonely road until the hills give way to the mountains. Nothing more scenic than the occasional swamp, and if we get as far as the Bahamed Pass and the fort up there, well, then it's a northern Kingdoms’ problem, and we can let those desert dwellers deal with it. King Wilden’s charter only covers to the edge of Brin, so if we go that far and find out it's a civil war or something, well - we get paid just for showing up. Interested?”
Simon doubted very much that it was something as simple as a few beast men sacking trade caravans. In fact, he was almost certain it was zombie playing out, just like before, but on a slightly different timeline, and in a slightly different way.