‘Hassletoff is a veteran adventurer himself,’ Sandon explained as they cut through the streets to the reeve’s office. Gurin walked with them, showing no signs of wishing to make a run for it, though Assata kept a hand near her sword hilt just in case. ‘Well respected by the community, we helped him to gain the office when he decided his adventuring days were done.’
Sandon knocked on the door of the reeve’s office and when it opened a halfling appeared. He appraised them coolly. Hassletoff was even smaller than Gurin, but he held himself with a relaxed kind of confidence. The sword at his belt gave him a serious look and his moustache made him look a little older than his boyish features would suggest by themselves.
‘I don’t like the look of this,’ he said at last.
‘Indeed, Hassletoff,’ said Sandon sadly. The wizard proceeded to tell the reeve all that Gurin was accused of. When he was done, the halfling led the dwarf into his office and secured him in a locked cell.
‘You can leave him with me,’ he told them when he returned. ‘The justice system will soon get to work, and he’ll be given a fair trial.’
‘He has five accomplices,’ Assata told him. ‘All dwarves. They’re probably still in The Squished Plums. If you go now, you can get them while they’re all together.’
The reeve stroked at his moustache as he considered her words. ‘Very well. I’m making you my deputies. You’re coming with me.’
‘Wait a minute,’ said Og. ‘I’m not comfortable working for the rozzers.’
‘It’s not a request,’ the reeve responded sharply, no sign of feeling intimidated by the bulk of the ogre. ‘I have the authority to make anyone my deputy. I suggest you co-operate, unless you want to join Gurin in my cell.’
‘Do we get a badge?’ asked Dog hopefully.
The reeve ordered Og-Grim-Dog into The Squished Plums. Alone. The others were positioned around the building, covering any possible exit. Og wasn’t happy that they were the ones sent in to do the dirty work. Dog was excited about seeing some action. Grim just wanted it over with. For while he supposed that the dwarves did deserve to be punished, he didn’t want to kill anyone.
Grim ran inside, heading for the table where he had met the dwarves the other day. He was lucky. All five were seated around the table, drinks in front of them. Although Gurin had introduced them to him, Grim had no idea which dwarf was which: he couldn’t even remember their names. One of them puffed on a pipe, while the others appeared to be in the midst of some complaint-filled conversation, their brows furrowed with discontent.
Grim didn’t slow, getting to the table before the dwarves realised what was happening. Dog reached over and grabbed one of them, lifting him into the air. Og picked up a second.
‘Help!’ shouted the dwarf who dangled in Dog’s grip. ‘Hurin, help me!’
The three remaining dwarves stared wide-eyed with shock for a split second, before they leapt from their chairs. One of them approached Grim and kicked him in the shins with his heavy boot.
‘Ow!’ Grim complained. It was painful and he was more than a little annoyed.
The dwarf kicked him again, in the same spot.
‘Look!’ Grim demanded. ‘Kicking me isn’t going to make Og or Dog release your friends, is it?’
The dwarf made a confused face.
‘Run away!’ shouted the dwarf that had been caught by Og. ‘Escape while you can!’
The three free dwarves all turned and ran, making for different exits from the inn. Grim followed one of them to the rear entrance.
‘Oi!’ Dog shouted at his captive. ‘Stop biting!’ He clunked the dwarf into the wall of the inn in an effort to make him stop.
Grim left the inn. Outside, Assata had wrestled one of the dwarves to the floor and locked its arm behind its back.
‘Up!’ she demanded, pulling on the arm, and the third dwarf reluctantly got to its feet.
They skirted around the building, looking for the others. Success. Hassletoff had a sword pointed at the fourth dwarf. Raya had an arrow fixed on the fifth. Sandon and Brother Kane stood with her, though it was unclear what help they had been.
‘The reeve nodded at them. ‘Well done, deputies. Come on, let’s go. I have enough room in my cells for them all.’
THE REEVE OF DORWICH CITY
They stood together outside the reeve’s office. Grim sensed the sadness in the group. Raya and Sandon had known Gurin and the other dwarves for a long time. It was a shame it had ended like this. But they had attacked innocents, and it was hard to argue that they didn’t deserve to be punished.
‘What will happen to them?’ he asked into the silence.
The others looked at one another, until their eyes rested on Hassletoff.
The reeve sighed. ‘If the court finds them guilty of murder, then it’s a death sentence.’
‘Anything less and it’s a fine,’ Sandon said, adding a note of optimism.
‘Well,’ said Grim, feeling a little awkward. ‘We came here to find out why our dungeon was being attacked so frequently. We’ve discovered the reason, and hopefully, put a stop to it. I guess it’s time for us to go back home.’
‘I’ll miss you,’ said Raya. Before the ogre realised what was happening, the elf was hugging them, Og and Dog gently patting her head and shoulders.
‘Here,’ said Dog, his voice sounding emotional. He held out Raya’s amulet.
‘You keep it,’ she said. ‘You might need it.’
Then the others said their farewells, too. Assata banged fists with Og.
‘Fight the power,’ he told her.
‘You know I will.’
Sandon and Hassletoff went for the more traditional shaking of hands, and finally Brother Kane sprinkled water into their faces in a goodbye blessing.
But as it turned out, it was not quite time for Og-Grim-Dog to leave.
A young man came running up the street towards the group. He stopped before them, red-faced and gasping.
‘Hassletoff, there’s a militia outside the city walls demanding entry. We said we’d fetch you.’
The reeve rolled his eyes. ‘Damn, it’s one of those days. How many, Oliver? Did you get a name?’
‘Must be about fifty. It’s Deston, from Dorwich City.’
Uh-oh, Grim said to himself.
‘Damn. What does he want?’
The young man raised a shaky arm and pointed it at Og-Grim-Dog. ‘They’ve come for him.’
The gossip had spread around Mer Khazer. A large crowd was gathered by the city gates. Grim sensed that the atmosphere was tense. Some of the citizens were clearly worried about letting Deston inside. Others were more pugnacious, ready to stand up to the outsiders.
As the six of them approached, the reeve was bombarded with questions. The citizenry demanded to know what he was going to do.
‘Alright, alright,’ he said, waving his hands irritably. ‘I will talk to them.’
‘Oh shit,’ said Raya.
A delegation of twenty individuals arrived at the scene. Grim recognised some of them as employees of the Bureau. There was the tall human woman who had originally prevented him from enrolling, and who had delighted in telling him when the constitution had been rewritten to exclude ogres. There was the ineffectual centaur from Non-Human Resources; the witch from Magical Items. These individuals waited in the background as two armour-clad warriors stepped forward, helmets hiding their features, on either side of a sorcerer. He was clad in a black robe, a wooden staff in his hand. He oozed power and authority.