Birds of a Feather

by Eric Mosher

The Salty Siren Inn wasn't the only place in Farhaven to get a drink and a room, but it was the cleanest. Camryn knew that bit firsthand, having been to the city before in his journeys across the kingdom of Mirador. That didn't mean it was safe, however. This far north with a bustling port on the eastern coast meant the city attracted a certain disreputable clientele. Fishermen were as honest as it got. The rest were smugglers and pirates who wanted to stay well away from the capital and the Queen's knights with their rule of law. It was a good way to keep your hands attached and a noose from around your neck.

Camryn wasn't afraid of the criminal element. His large frame and rippling muscles he earned working in the goblin mines tended to make people think twice about messing with him. The twin hand axes on his back did the rest. Most people thought he was a barbarian, with wild black hair that hung down past his ears, a body covered in scars he also earned in the mines, and leather armor faded by the sun. That's what he wanted them to think. It was easier than explaining he lived among the goblins willingly, having been raised by them since his youth. But that was a story for another time.
He pushed open the door and felt eyes on him sizing him up, even if only a few heads turned. A shadowy figure with a shock of purple hair showing under a large hat looked up and then went back to their drink. The innkeeper nodded as Camryn walked up to the bar. The man was bald and stocky with a thick handlebar mustache.

"Been awhile since we saw you last, barbarian," the man said in a friendly tone. The same build that made people afraid of him also him memorable.

"Haven't had reason to come down from the North for awhile," Camryn replied, returning the nod.

"What brings you around now?"

"I was doing some trading further west, around Briarton and I heard of some trouble this way."

"You heard right. We've got a bit of a monster problem."

"What kind?"

"Harpies."

That was a creature Camryn had heard about, but never seen. Apparently, they had the body and head of a woman, but the lower half of a bird of prey. Instead of arms they had two gigantic wings.

"Stealing livestock?"

"That would be the better option. No, they're snatching sailors right off of their ships. Word is getting around and if it keeps up, trade will fall off as nobody is going to want to come here."

"Have you sent word to the Queen's Knights? This thing is up their alley."

"We have. They won't come here. They're too busy living it up in the outposts along the Crack in the World where nobody can see them. The goblins haven't been a problem in years. No reason to keep so many keeps there, watching them."

Camryn figured as much. He was all-too familiar with the Knights of Thanatos and their wretched, lazy ways. Once they were a shining beacon of hope in the land. Now they were a blight upon it, taking from the people they were sworn to defend.

"Any idea where they are holing up?"

"There are some cliffs north of the city. My guess is there. You're asking a lot of questions about them. Does that mean you are inclined to stop them?"

"I've dealt with worse in my travels, and I'd hate to see this place close down. You've got the best lamb stew I've had."

"Thank you kindly, stranger."

"Camryn."

"A pleasure. I'll get you one of those bowls of stew. I'd offer it on the house but people have been afraid to walk around lately for fear the harpies might get them, so times are tight."

"That's ok. I have gold."

Ears at a few of the tables around him perked up, and Camryn took note of them. Lean times made men bold, bold enough where they might try and waylay him. And humans were the most unpredictable creature around. If he was planning on leaving, he might have been concerned. However, he was staying the night and this kind of brigand was loathe to show their face in the light of day. He tossed out a couple of pieces to the innkeeper for his meal and lodging.

"I'm not sure I have change for that."

"Then give me your best whiskey and keep them coming until we're even."

***

Camryn slept well that night, filled with good food and better drink. The bed was a nice change from the road, as well. The warrens had their comforts but none like the inn, and more often than not he was sleep under the stars with only the ground as support. Well-rested, he performed his daily ablutions and ate the bread and coffee that had been left at his door for breakfast. Then he headed out into the city.

Looking north he could see the cliffs the innkeeper had mentioned, cutting the sky like crooked teeth. It would take him most of the day to reach them, from his reckoning. Camryn didn't need much in the way of supplies but topped off his water and rations at the market. The stalls were bustling that morning. People trying to get their business done before the harpies attacked again, he thought.
After that, he started walking towards the nearest city gates. The path he took brought him close to the docks, which looked emptier than they should be. Several of the ships there had damage that looked like it was made by claw marks, and he wondered if they even had a crew left or if they were just moored there, abandoned and waiting for someone to claim them. It was while he walked through there that he felt the eyes on him once again. To his left and right, shadows moved along with him against the thinning crowd. He caught a glimpse of purple hair on one of them, but it was gone as soon as he marked it.

Camryn sighed.

"Might as well get this over with."

He turned down an alley, as if he were trying to lose those following him. When several men walked out in front of him, blocking the exit. Others filed in behind him to prevent escape.

"We hear you have gold, barbarian," a blonde man with a patchy beard called out.  "We aim to take it from you."

"I earned my money fair and square from trading," Camryn replied. "I'm not parting with any of it."

The men around him pulled out cutlasses and daggers, tools of the trade for pirates and rogues. They were a motley sort, thrown together by necessity or as part of a guild, Camryn noted. Considering there were no guards about, they had either bribed the city watch or were powerful enough that nobody wanted to bother trying to stop them.

"We're not giving you much of a choice."

"Your funeral," Camryn shrugged, and removed his axes from the sheathes on his back.

He didn't wait for them to make the first move. Instead, he dashed forward, catching the apparent leader by surprise. The axe caught him in the side of the face, slicing it off like the end of a rotten potato and it fell to the ground with a sick plop as blood and brains poured out of the gaping hole in his skull.

Everyone made a big deal about how dwarven weapons were the best in the business. Those people had never seen goblin craftsmanship. Dwarves were artisans and made their weapons to last forever as art to be appreciated more than used. Goblins? They made theirs to survive. The blades were never the prettiest, but they were very, very sharp.

The rest of the rogues were stunned for a moment, then they attacked. By that time, Camryn was already moving and swinging at the next man. That pirate had his blade up and deflected the first axe up high. Unfortunately for him, the second was slicing across his belly, spilling his guts out onto the cobblestone of the alley like a chunky, red waterfall.

Despite two of their comrades falling, the men pressed on, now motivated by vengeance as well as by greed. The alley was tight with not a lot of room to maneuver. Camryn knew if he was surrounded, he was dead, so he decided to make a hole in their ranks so he could achieve more favorable fighting conditions.

He swung the axe in his right hand wildly, hacking at the two men in front of him while the one in his other blocked the swords and daggers of the others. Camryn winced in pain as one nicked him across the back, slicing through his leather armor. His axe chopped through another in retribution, splitting his sternum with ease and sending the man to the ground in a gurgling mess.

The rogue in front of him, a burly man with dirty hair and a dirtier beard raised his blade to attack. His eyes widened before he could bring the sword down and it clattered to the ground as his arms went limp. Then he collapsed in a bloody heap, a gaping wound visible on his back.

Standing there in his place was a tall woman wearing black trousers and a white shirt with a black vest over it. Blood from her kill dripped from what looked like iron gauntlets that ended in clawed tips. Her boots were high to the point of impracticality, going almost to her thigh. Over her shoulders was draped a tattered black cape that looked like the remnants of a pirate flag, complete with skull and bones. A tri-corner hat sat on a mane of purple and fuchsia that looked like the sky at sunset. She was beautiful, even with the scar that ran from her right temple down to lips the color of blood.

"Need a hand, handsome?" she asked in a husky voice as she flicked blood off her fingers. One blue eye and one eye as violet as her hair regarded him as she waited for the answer, the mark of one who was hag-born, he recognized.

"I can't say no to an entrance like that," he replied.

The pirate woman smiled and stepped up by his side. Camryn turned to face the others, who had paused at the sight of the newcomer. Their numbers were already dwindling and the extra combatant made things trickier. Still, they outnumbered their quarry three to one, and if the rogues worked as a team, there was no foe they couldn't handle.

Unfortunately for the brigands, while in a guild, they were very much not a team.

In the melee that ensued, Camryn took down his three in a flurry of savage blows, his axes hacking the men to pieces without remorse. His new companion dispatched hers with ease as well, claws ripping out one man's neck before moving to the gullet of another and then raking across the face of the last one, blinding him. The man screamed for a bit and then her fingers sliced through his back, cracking the rib cage before piercing his heart. When they were done, bodies littered the ground and an ocean of blood pooled around them. The woman went from body to body, checking for any money they had on them and turned up a handful of silver.

"This dreck wasn't worth the effort," she said, pocketing the coins.

"Thank you for your help," Camryn said before sheathing his axes and holding out his hand. "I'm Camryn."

"Corvinna Vanore, at your service," she replied, and gripped his hand firmly in a shake. He saw that the claws weren't gauntlets at all but were part of her flesh. "I hear you're looking for the harpies."

"Word gets around fast here, about gold and otherwise."

"The innkeeper is a friend and let me know someone was after them. I'd like to join you."

"What's your interest in them?"

"They took some of my crew. I want them back. If they're dead, I'll have vengeance instead."

"Fair. It couldn't hurt to have another body on the task. There's not enough time to raise a full posse to hunt them."

"Not that you'd have luck here," Corvinna remarked. "There's not too many brave souls in this town.

Occasionally you'll get some adventurers through, but it's usually just traders and scoundrels."

"And which are you?" he asked, eyeing her garb.

"Oh, I'm a scoundrel, but the sociable kind. A pirate without a home port is a sad thing indeed. I've come to love Farhaven and these harpies are making it inhospitable. What interest does a barbarian have in them?"

"I come through here often. It's a good place for a hot meal and a warm bed. Maybe a warm body if I'm in a good mood. It would inconvenience me to have it otherwise."

"Ahh, the basic instincts are something I can get behind. Especially the warm body. I tried to get to the caves by the sea but the shoreline there is too hazardous for the boat. I can't get close enough to begin the climb. I'd donate my crew to the cause but I need them to watch the ship and our cargo."

"Fair enough. So, we'll be walking it. There's a path I've used in my travels that should get us in the vicinity and save us some climbing. It'll take most of the day to get there, though."

"Then we had better start if we want to reach their caves by nightfall. They're less active then, I hear. I've got everything I need," she said, hefting a backpack on her shoulder.

"Let's be off, then, and leave the guards to clean up this mess," Camryn said.

***

The walk was uneventful, but difficult, as the two headed to the cliff up the steep and winding path. On more than one occasion they had to use the trees lining the rocky route to keep themselves from tumbling back down to the base of the mountain. Camryn lent Corvinna a helping hand where necessary, but her life of climbing the rigging kept her nimble, so she didn't require it often. Most of the time he thought she was only doing it to make him feel better.

"So you know a lot about harpies?" he asked during one of their breaks. This time they stopped in a flat area that afforded a pleasant view of the ocean and the city below. Camryn sat on a rock while Corvinna plopped down onto the grass.

"Comes with the territory of being a pirate," Corvinna replied after taking a drink from her waterskin. At least Camryn thought it was water. More than once he thought he caught the scent of cheap whiskey after she used it. "They're one of the banes of sailing. Sirens, harpies and kraken in pretty much that order. Kraken would be higher up but they're so rare they dropped a few spots. Also if you know what to look for you can avoid them. See an island that shouldn't be there? Kraken."

"What can you tell me about harpies? I've only heard the stories about how they have the top of a woman but the bottom of a bird."

"That's the basics for the vile things. What they stories don't tell you is that they have teeth as sharp as daggers that they like to bite you with while you're worried about the talons. There's a sort of poison in their bite that makes prey more docile. Makes it easier to carry them back to their lair, as they prefer their meals alive. Harpies usually kidnap men first, if they have a choice."

"Why is that?"

"So they can breed," Corvinna replied, grinning at Camryn's uncomfortable shifting at that. "There's no male harpies, you see, so they need someone to fertilize the eggs that they lay. The venom helps with that, too. Not many people want to fuck a harpy. Especially since they eat their mate, afterward."

"That's horrifying."

"Aye. The circle of life usually is. I'm just hoping they didn't get to my crew yet."

"We should get moving again," Camryn said as he stood up. "It's not too much further."

"You're right. I'm just not looking forward to taking on a whole flock of harpies. This would be a lot easier if you had your goblin friends with you."

The warrior shot her a confused look.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I trade in information, and one of the more interesting tidbits is about a giant of a warrior around the mountains who travels around with a posse of goblins. Carries two axes. You're not wearing the demonic mask that he's reported to wear, but the rest of it checks out."

Corvinna had him dead to rights. Camryn figured he could lie about it but there was little sense. Besides, they were both heading into a situation that could result in their untimely demises, so there was no harm in telling her. Besides, he was wishing for his friends were there as well. It would be easier with them around, no doubt. And less lonely.

"It's too risky for them to travel this far east of the warrens. Besides, I'm to gather information about the state of the kingdom for the goblin king. People are more inclined to talk when there weren't a gaggle of creatures they distrust standing around them."

"You'll have to tell me how this arrangement came about. That is a story I would love to hear."

"Maybe over a drink after we get through this."

"It's a date."

The remainder of the hike was rougher than the first by a mile. Surfaces went from steep to nearly vertical towards the end, and they hand to climb up them, finding purchase in one rock and then another as they crawled up the face of the cliff. There might have been an easier path, but it would take too long to find it and time was a luxury they didn't have at the moment. It took a long time, but they eventually got to the wide ledge where the cave was located. Camryn pulled himself up first, gleaming from exertion and sweat and Corvinna followed, her own body and hair in a similar state of filth. He was happy to see that there was actually a cave there on the cliff top. There was no way to know ahead of time and he was glad they had chosen the correct one. Off to the side was a forest with a path that no doubt wound out down and around to the bottom. He couldn't see in very far as the sun was beginning to set and the shadows had grown longer and darker under the dense canopy.
The cave entrance was larger than he expected, Camryn noted as he turned his attention to it. It would be high enough in there for him to stand at his full height and swing his axes unimpeded, should he need to. He took a sip of his water and passed it to Corvinna, who drank from it without complaint. Her eyes were narrowed as she studied the cave. Then she frowned.

"Problem?" he asked.

"I've seen a few harpy roosts in my day, and none were as big as this. Or accessible. They like to play hard to get. Usually you toss some bottles of oil in and smoke them out. That won't work here."

Camryn looked at the ground by the entrance and then the path. It was hard to tell in the dim light, but it looked like there were faint footprints going in and out. They weren't human and were huge, making his own boot look like that a toddler would wear. He pointed them out to Corvinna, who had been watching him as he searched the area.

"There's the reason the cave is so big."

She gave a low whistle.

"Haven't heard of them teaming up with anything on two legs before. Sirens, yes. They're almost symbiotic there. The sailors crash on the rocks and the harpies get their pick of the leftovers. They also protect the sirens in case someone isn't swayed by their song. Any idea what leaves tracks like that?"

The barbarian shook his head.

"From the foot alone? No. Giant-kin of some sort."

"Are there a lot of those? Not just big and bigger?"

"Yes, and almost all of them are tough as hell in a fight," Camryn said.

"Well, that's just peachy."

"We could go back and get help."

"There's no time. I guess we just have to be quick about it. Kill the harpies, find the crew, get the hell out."

"It'll be dark in there, so we can lead the harpies out here into the evening. We'll have a better chance of handling them where we can see. Might be able to get them as they funnel out."

"Sounds reasonable," Corvinna said. "Let's get this over with. My crew needs saving."

But as the two entered the looming maw of the cave, they saw it wasn't pitch black inside. Torches had been set into the walls about halfway up, no doubt within easy reach of the one who lit them. Harpies didn't have hands so it was unlikely they did it. They also had decent night vision. The orange glow of the flames reach down to them and allowed them to navigate without tripping over the uneven, rocky surface. The cavern inside was enormous, and Camryn could see multiple tunnels higher up leading off into darkness. From those unlighted lairs echoed out screams of men, some in terror, others in pleasure. Above that, a higher octave in the symphony of pain, was the strange ululation of the harpies, an ecstatic warble that rose in pitch and volume before its screeching climax.

"They are breeding," Corvinna said, the cacophony confirming her assumption. "That must be why they're so active, kidnapping so many. Hopefully they haven't gotten to my crew members they took. Not the way I'd choose to go."

"I've found that not many of us get to choose the method of our demise in our lines of work. However we can affect the when."

"Bold words. Let's hope you're right."

Movement in the dimly lit cave ahead of them caught their eye. As they approached, Camryn could make out a throne carved from stone that was cloaked in shadow, hiding its occupant. On a table in front of it were the remains of what he assumed was a sailor. It was mangled and in horrible condition, and from first glance it appeared parts had been gnawed off by something with a big bite. From the dark, a giant hand reached out and grabbed the body and pulled it back into the shadows.

As their eyes adjusted to the low, flickering light, they could see as well as hear two enormous heads tearing into the flesh of the dead man with hungry abandon, biting off gory-soaked chunks. The creature was an ettin. Camryn knew their kind from experience, having encountered them on occasion in the mountains by the warren. Its rough, leathery skin was like the color of a rotten orange, mottled with patches of brown. The beast was almost hairless, save for a shock of white on the right head. Two large tusks protruded from each of its lower jaws, covered in grue from its meal. Ettins were difficult foes, with prodigious strength and the two heads meant it was hard to find a blind spot on them. Both heads were staring right at Corvinna and him, chewing the bites of food they took before swallowing. Then it discarded the carcass of its victim aside as if it were the core of an apple.

"Who dares enter the home of Jorguskar the Ever-Hungry?" the right head of the ettin bellowed in the common-tongue with a deep, grumbling voice that held the fury of an avalanche in it. It was oddly disorienting, seeing two heads so close together on one body but only one speaking. The lips on its counterpart moved silently, as it had thought of the same words but didn't get to speak them.

"Camryn Raukar, Demon of the Western Goblin Warrens," the warrior answered.

"And Corvinna, Captain of the Dread Hag, Scourge of the Rylian Sea," Corvinna added. Camryn gave her a look and she shrugged. "What? You're the only one who gets a cool title?"

"Why are you here?" the left head asked.

"Harpies have been attacking ships coming into the harbor and stealing sailors--and my crew. We're here to stop them."

"They are my pets and are under my protection, so you will do no such thing. They bring me food and in return, I give them a safe roost."

As they stood there in front of the throne, Camryn and Corvinna became aware that the raucous noises that had been echoing around them stopped some time ago. All around, watching them from stone perches above with beady, black eyes, were the harpies. Some of the creatures had blood on their mouths, having finished off their prey to feed the eggs gestating within them. Others had a glint in their eyes, still ready for more carnal pleasure, though Camryn hoped that was just the light from the torches. Their faces were dirty and angular, but beautiful, and the human parts of the body were lithe and buxom, with feathers covering up the breasts of some, while others bared their chests proudly. Some others had rudimentary clothing like a toga or a bra around them. It was hard to count them all in the dark, but Camryn guessed there were at least twenty, if not more, there.

Jorguskar stood up, legs cracking like a mast in a hurricane, and grabbed its club, which to Camryn looked like a tree with sharped bones driven through it. Towering over them, the ettin bellowed a challenge at the intruders with warm, fetid breath.

"Kill them!"

The sound of beating wings filled the cavern as the harpies alit all at once in a mass fluttering. Their shrill cries of battle added to the cacophony as they dove talons first towards their prey. Camryn had his axes drawn the minute the ettin picked up his club and was ready for the airborne charge. Goblin-forged steel flashed in the flickering torchlight as he sliced with abandon. The honed edged ripped through the flesh of the harpies with ease, spilling intestines from one's gullet and then the wing off another, sending it crashing into the dark depths of the cave.

Beside him, Corvinna's claws slashed at the foes around her, shredding the throats of any harpy that let her get close enough to do so, creating a flying fountain of spurting blood that poured out onto the floor before screeching in shuddering death throes. Sharp, metal fingers, tore through those gaunt faces, shredding them into bloody rags of skin and pierced fragile eyes, rendering them useless as their now-blind owners screeched in a chilling harmony of anguish and rage.

But for each foe they felled, Camryn and Corvinna took wounds of their own that taxed their bodies, making it harder to fight with each new injury, dampening their clothes with blood. They didn't stop fighting, or turn to run. There was no more time for that. They were in a fight to the death.

Something whistled loudly over their heads, heading right towards them. The two jumped to the side, dodging in the nick of time as the spiked club turned a harpy to pulp beneath its mighty swing. Rocks kicked up in a spray, and the pirate and the warrior had to cover their eyes lest they get blinded by it.
Camryn's shoulder flared in pain as the sharp teeth of a harpy tore through the leather armor he wore, down to the corded muscles underneath. He let our a roar of pain and grabbed the thing by its throat, ripping it away from him and throwing it at the ettin, who was readying another crushing blow with his club. It hit the left face of the giant, talons clawing at the giant visage, leaving jagged tears with thin red lines of blood welling up in their passing.

The wound in Camryn's shoulder was starting to numb immediately as the venom worked through his system. He wasn't sure if the dose was enough to bring him down, but he and Corvinna were already outnumbered, and if he couldn't fight, they were doomed.

"You hanging in there?" the pirate asked, hair whipping in the air as she landed a spinning slash on another harpy, tearing out its throat.

"We need to finish this up, fast," Camryn replied, his breathing starting to become labored.

"Only a few more of the chicken ladies left. Then we can focus on tall, dark and double ugly."

Camryn nodded as he knocked away another harpy who had moved in for a bite, the flat of one of his axes smacking it in the face, stunning it. Then he held the neck in place with the same axe before bringing the other one across, the sharp edge severing the head off with ease. The headless body flapped around for a moment, blood spurting like a fountain into the air. Then it fell to the ground, lifeless, as another harpy came screeching in to take its place.

Corvinna hopped into its path, her right hand striking out as a metal fist, hitting the harpy square in the face with a sickening smack. The monster reeled backwards, leaving its belly wide open for the pirate to tear it open to reveal the gruesome bouquet of organs inside right before they spilled out steaming into the cool air of the cave.

The club of Jorguskar smashed down again, though it wasn't even close to hitting its targets as it was still blinded by the flapping wings of the harpy in front of its faces. More rocks kicked up and the ground shook, but Camryn and Corvinna stayed on their feet.

His strength ebbing away, Camryn finished off the last harpy menacing them with an axe through its rib cage into its heart. It fell to the cave floor, which had become littered with the things. The stone surface was slick with the warm blood that had been spilled out onto it.

In front of them, the ettin batted the harpy away with one hand, the force of it shattering the startled creature against the wall of the cavern. Then it directed its attention at the intruders, each head glaring with rage-filled eyes, one at the warrior, the other at the pirate. It had no words for them, only anger. Jorguskar bellowed a cry for the fallen and charged them.

The monster was spry for a being of such great size and covered the ground with unexpected speed. Corvinna got out of the way as the club smashed down, but Camryn, still suffering the effects of the venom, did not. He avoided contact with the sharpened bones, but the hard wood caught him in the side and sent him reeling to the side. Jorguskar laughed and raised the club to strike Camryn where he had fallen to the ground.

Instead of finishing his foe off, the ettin let out a cry of pain as Corvinna ripped at its right leg with her claws, tearing the flesh to ribbons and severing the tendons underneath. Jorguskar wobbled, his leg unable to support his weight, and came crashing down to the ground. Camryn got to his feet and retrieved his axes that had gone spinning out of reach. The monster was trying to lift itself off the ground when the barbarian chopped at its hand, severing several giant fingers with one blow and more on the follow up.

The head nearest Camryn snapped at him, trying to take him down with a desperate bite. That enormous maw closed on nothing but air, so the barbarian gave it an axe to the eye for its troubles. Jorguskar screamed and then screamed again as Corvinna started tearing at the throat of the other head. It raised its good hand and smacked at her but missed, hitting its right side instead, which bit at the offending appendage in retaliation.

Camryn raised his axe again but then fell to his knees as the world started spinning around him. He crashed to the ground, unable to break his fall with arms that had gone useless on him. The last thing he remembered seeing as Corvinna standing on the monster's chest, cracking it open with a mighty punch before she plunged both hands down into its heart.

***

The smell of the ocean woke Camryn up. As his eyes great focused on the world around him, he realized he was outside once more. In the sky above, the moon had risen and begun its trek across the canvas of stars behind it. He sat up and saw Corvinna tucking some clinking bottles into her bag while a pair of skinned hares roasted  on a fire. Her hair looked as vivid as ever in the light.

"Welcome back to the land of the living," she said.

"How long was I out?" Camryn asked. His head felt like it had a cloud in it, like when drinking too much goblin firewine.

"Long enough for me to do all the hard work of finishing off the ettin. You're welcome, by the way."

"Thanks. Sorry about that."
"I'm surprised you stayed up as long as you did. If you fell any earlier, we'd both be goners, though the harpies would have had a field day with you."

"I'm glad that didn't happen. How about the crew they took? Did they survive?"

Corvinna looked off at the ocean for a second before answering, and Camryn knew what that meant.

When she turned back, she wore a frown.

"No," she said softly. "We were too late. Maybe we didn't have a chance at all in the first place. Ricken and Thorsson were good men. They deserved a better death than that. Those two should have died in combat, burning down an armada. At least those beasts won't take anyone else."

"I'm sorry for the loss of your friends, Corvinna."

"It's what it is. Come, have some food and warm yourself. We'll break our necks if we try to climb down the cliff tonight. Or we'll run into something as nasty as that ettin taking the long way around. Might as well wait until morning. We can check the cave for treasure then, get a little reward for our troubles."

Camryn got up and stumbled his way over to the log that the pirate was sitting on and accepted the results of her hunt. The juices of the hare tasted good as he bit into roasted flesh, and only made him hungrier. He had devoured his before Corvinna was even halfway through her own. She tossed him a wineskin and he washed his meal down with a few mouthfuls of the sweet fluid before handing it back to her.

"I guess I was hungrier than I thought," he chuckled.

"A side effect of the venom, no doubt. Probably took a lot out of you fighting it off."

"I think you're right. I'm feeling much better now, though. Thank you for taking care of me."

"Couldn't just leave you there amongst the dead. It wouldn't be right. That's not what a captain does for her crew."

"You're my captain now?"

"I could be. You're a great fighter. We'd be unstoppable with you on our side. No ship would be safe."

"I have other obligations, unfortunately."

"To the goblins."

"Yes, to the goblins. They rescued me and raised me. Their home is mine. I feel my destiny is with them, at least for the time being."

"That's a shame," Corvinna teased. "I could get used to having such a good-looking companion."
Camryn laughed.

"Thanks. I must say, you're definitely more pleasant to look at than the goblins."

Corvinna chucked a biscuit at him, hitting him on the side of the head. She laughed as well and set her plate aside before standing up and straddling Camryn where he sat.

"Faint praise, indeed," she said, staring into his eyes and brushing a lock of hair out of her face.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"They say the harpy venom contains an aphrodisiac, a side-effect that helps their attempts to breed. It fetches a fabulous price on the black market. I just want to make sure it's all out of you. Wouldn't want you to have any discomfort trying to sleep on this hard ground."

"You don't have to do that."

"Oh, I think I do."

"How do you know I want you to?"

The answer was a kiss as she pressed her lips to his own, hands on the side of his face. It was a different hunger that filled him now, and he returned the gesture with passionate desire and wrapped his arms around Corvinna, bringing her body in close. Their kissing became more frenzied and their hands started exploring each other, removing necessary bits of clothing to reveal more flesh to press their lips upon. It was a wordless dance they did, with Camryn lifting her up before bringing her gently to the ground. Corvinna rolled on top of him, naked and grinning like a madwoman as they celebrated a well fought victory, a mutual attraction, and life itself. In the cavern, the cries of intimacy were mixed with pain, but this was all pleasure.

When it was over, Corvinna lay in Camryn's arms, still smiling, hair-matted. It was the same condition he was in. They had pulled a cloak over to cover them from the cool of the night air that brought a shiver to their sweat covered bodies.

"We should post a watch," Camryn said, tracing a lazy path from her shoulder to her hips with his finger.

"I think my howls might have chased anything that meant us harm away," Corvinna replied. "Yours too, for that matter."

"There might be stragglers."

"Aye, so there might. I'll take the first watch. You're injured and could use the rest. I'll wake you in a few hours. If you're lucky, it'll be in the best way."

"I look forward to that."

"I'll bet you will."

"Get some sleep. It'll be your turn before you know it."

Corvinna kissed him on the cheek and then got up to get dressed. She tossed him his pants that he wiggled into and then a blanket to cover himself properly. Then, without any trouble, Camryn drifted off into a fitful sleep.

***

It was the sun, not Corvinna, that woke Camryn from his slumber. His muscled ached, and his wounds were bothering him. He'd have to dress them again. But first, he wanted to see why she didn't let him take watch. The barbarian looked around the cliff, but she was nowhere to be seen--nor was her equipment. The fire was a smolder now, with thin wisps of smoke that drifted lazily in the morning light.

He got up and strapped his armor on and then checked for footprints. A pair that looked to be made by her boots headed off down the way they came. There was no way to track them after that.
After lighting a torch, he entered the cave. The cooler temperature was keeping the rotting to a minimum but it still had that sick stench of death about it. Camryn had to step carefully over the bodies that littered the floor and made his way to the throne. Behind it was a chest that was unlocked. He lifted the lid and saw it was filled with valuables, no doubt taken from the harpies' victims. As far as he could tell, it was untouched. Such a haul was odd for a pirate to leave behind.

There was no way for him to bring it back on his own without a wagon, so Camryn picked out a few choice pieces and grabbed several handfuls of coins to refill his purse. Then he hid the chest deeper in the cavern to come back and retrieve if he needed it later. Unless someone else beat him to it.
On his way out, he noticed that the bodies of the harpies appeared to have been moved. It could have been death throes, but almost all of them had been turned onto their stomachs, heads to the side.

Using a dagger, he moved the lips to check the teeth. They had a sheen of dried venom on them, as if someone had drawn it all out. Camryn recalled the clinking in Corvinna's bag and had a hunch as to who that someone was.

With nothing left to do there, he headed back to Farhaven.

***

Back in town, Camryn headed straight for the docks to where Corvinna's boat would be. It didn't surprise him to see that the spot was empty. He saw the dockmaster heading in his direction and flagged the man down.

"What can I do for you?" the older gentleman asked, hair grey with age and thin face weathered from the sun. "Looking to book travel somewhere? Can't say I blame you with the cold setting in."

"No, I'm looking for The Dread Hag," Camryn replied, recalling the name from the night before. "She was docked here earlier. I have business with her captain, Corvinna Vanore."

"Oh, that purple-haired beauty? I'll bet you do. Lots of men want a piece of her. Trust me. She'll only break your heart and leave you penniless. Anyway, you're a little late. They left a few hours ago for the capital. Said she had a delivery for Thanatos, the Queen's Knight Commander and consort. Good riddance, too. Give me some honest traders instead of pirates any day."

"Wasn't some of her crew taken by the harpies?"

"Nay. They might have been the only ship that wasn't attacked, or at least they didn't have any losses. They're a formidable bunch. Heard they fought off a kraken once. Might have been a dragon turtle, though either way, you'd do best to steer clear of them."

"I'll do that. Thanks."

So Corvinna had lied to him, the barbarian thought as he walked away. She wasn't interested in vengeance at all, but profit. It was the reward in her mind for saving the town, no doubt. There was no need to deceive him in the process. Camryn had little use for black market goods like that. No, the warrens were more interested in food and supplies to help their survival. And if you had ever been in the caves next to goblins during their mating season, you would know that they had no need of an aphrodisiac to get things going.

However, knowing that Thanatos, the head of the Queen's Knights needed such a thing, that was news he could use. The rot in the hierarchy of the knights stemmed from the top down. That would explain why they were such a pain to deal with in his encountered to them above the Crack in the World. Indeed, the Goblin King would be interested to hear about that.

It would be a long road home, though, and for that Camryn would need sustenance. He headed towards the Salty Siren Inn and the reward of some ale and a bowl of stew that the innkeeper had promised for dealing with the harpies. It wasn't much, but it was all that he needed.

Corvinna by his side, celebrating with him would have been better. Camryn had a feeling he would see her again one day. Maybe then he would be able to take her up her offer of joining her crew. Until then, he had his own path to walk.