Chapter 9

The party was granted a place to stay in the caverns as its inhabitants began to pack up and leave around them. Ceandrar was anxiously discussing something with the Halfling woman, who was writing with speed in her tome. She looked up and saw Geralt standing in the doorway patiently and nodded to Ceandrar without a word. He turned and stood to meet him,

"Geralt, I must thank you for everything you have done for us so far. We would all likely be dead otherwise."

Geralt nodded with his arms folded,

"It's what you're paying me for after all."

"True, I don't suppose you'll be staying with us here then?"

"No, I have business back in our world. Business I can't put off. I appreciate the offer though."

"Well, I've been talking to some people who live here, and I will likely still have need of your swords. If we are to make a home here, we will need to make sure it is safe for ourselves and others. The portal is too far from here to set up camp here, we cannot simply ask our potential settlers to trek across this land like we did."

"Fine, as long as you're still paying me."

"Of course, I have left instructions for you to be paid upon your return, no worries about that, the ealdorman has your payment. I had an idea, for the moment, we can set up a proper camp in the ruins we exited from and work our way from there. It will take a few days, and that Talion fellow has agreed to escort us back to the site, so I can properly install a portal to these caverns. The magic here is… foreign, but since portals, both interplanar and intraplanar, are my specialty, it shouldn't take me long to build a stable connection to this site. Lady Marwen has already given her blessing on our usage and wishes us good fortune in our endeavour, and I wished her the same with hers."

"Where are you going with this Ceandrar? If you want me to guard the ruins while you set up, that I can do."

"Ah, excellent. Yes, that is essentially what I had in mind. Delia here has been documenting these caves and they are certainly a worthwhile spot, and relatively free of monsters, with the exception of these Uruks."

"Fine. Oh, Delia,Talion said he would be happy to tell you about this world. Ceandrar, whenever you are ready, come and get me."

"Of course. I believe the Kegna brothers were looking for you. Wanted a word to you and Talion. They're probably still eating, but they wanted to talk to you both before they went hunting."

"Sure, thanks."

Geralt stood to leave, bidding them both farewell and headed to the dining hall. Indeed, the two dwarfs sat, eating and drinking merrily, even though it was still early in the morning.

"Witcher! We were wonderin' where ye had gotten of ta."

"So, you must be the Kegna brothers." Replied Geralt, sitting next to the taller of the two, wielder of an axe

"Aye, them's us. I'm Kucard, me brother's Torturn." Said the one with the axe

"Nice to meet you both. So what did you want to talk to me about? Have a job?"

"Nah, no monster slayin' for ye, we can handle that ourselves. We's professionals, like you, though not witchers obviously." Said Torturn, finishing off a trencher

"Oi, witcher, ever know why your lot never took in dwarfish boys to make into mutants? Seems to me like a wasted opportunity." Said Kucard as he drank the last of his beer

"No idea, maybe because dwarven children are harder to come by?"

"Ah, never looked in tha right place then. We gots orphans, jus' like any race." Torturn took a swig, "Well, these folk know how to make decent booze at least, I'll give 'em that. Time we got going, eh Kucard?"

"Aye, witcher, of you're ready ta go, we are." Kucard got up and picked up his axe from nearby

"You still haven't told me what you want me to join you for."

"Oh right! We was going hunting, Talion says he knows some good spots, and he'll teach us 'bout the local beasts. Says there's some mighty fierce ones here."

Geralt sighed, it wasn't the first time had been nothing more than a glorified bodyguard for such endeavours, and it would likely not be the last.

"Fine. When do we leave?"

"Talion said he'd meet us outside when we're ready." The brothers hopped off their seats and started towards the door, slinging their weapons over their backs. Geralt followed behind them to the entrance of the cave system. Talion was waiting for the three of them, leaning against a rock

"So, you wish to learn about the creatures of this land then?" he asked

"Aye, if we're ta stay here, it'd be handy ta know what else does." Said Torturn

"Very well. This way." Talion began to lead them through the narrow passage between the rocks that hid them from the Uruks and down towards the plains. From the plateau they stood upon, they had a wide view of the surrounding area. Below them, a small pack of the large creatures that reminded Geralt of huge ghouls prowled the area

"First things first, one of the more common beasts you'd be likely to come across is a caragor. It is a large cat-like creature, and they make fine mounts. If you can tame one, it makes traversing Mordor much easier, however, they will not cross water."

"Was that the beast that your Uruks were riding the other day?"

"Yes. They are usually very fierce and will attack unprovoked, so you must be ready for it. Geralt, you should have no problem with this particular manoeuvre, so watch what I do."

Talion leaped down to where the caragors were. When they noticed his approach, two of them rushed at him with their jaws open. Talion dodged the first, while the other leaped at him. He ducked under it and used its momentum to toss it through the air, making it land on its back, stunned. He ran over to it and jumped on its back, grabbing a tuft of fur on the back of its head. The caragor attempted to buck him repeatedly, as a horse would, but Talion held fast, and punched the back of its head for good measure. The caragor finally submitted to his control and growled, sounding irritated.

"And that's roughly how you do it. it won't last forever, but it will make them at least ridable. One at a time, come down and try."

"Oho, I gotta try this." Kucard jumped down, dusting his hands in anticipation

"Interestingly enough, it was a dwarf who taught me this in the first place." Added Talion

"And I bet he knew his stuff. Alright, let's get ta taming."