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Lucky Bubbles
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>>28417
>>28416
"Hey, Dustback," Goshen starts.
"Aphek," the Southerner corrects.
"Gesundheit," says Goshen. "Listen... You knew that Talyxian's name."
"Shadran," says Aphek. He sounds afraid even to speak it.
"How do you know her name?"
"I was part of a real caravan. Seven wagons, under a Northern driver... My owner. Two or so days ago, we were set on by a small band of foreign warriors. Two elves, an old southerner, a gnoll, and Shadran. The others seemed impressed by her, even though she didn't fight, then. The southerner wanted us all freed," Aphek says, clearly guarding his voice not to sound sympathetic.
"The southerner took six carts and headed to the east, towards ferals. The elves wanted the rest of the group to head north for some reason. Shadran had business to the southwest, she said. Only words I heard her say. She took me, I guess the idea was she needed my supplies, and headed off."
There's a pause.
"Uh huh?" Goshen asks.
Aphek continues.
"Not long after we were out of sight of the others, she killed my mule, pushed my cart over, beat the shit out of me, tied a a wire to my collar, and tied that to a stake she hammered under the sand, so I was stuck on my back. Then she rigged up the whiskey to dribble into the fire to make smoke, and hid. A pair of Northerners found me later that day. Shadran burst from the sand and cut them down in moments. I don't know where she dragged them off to. When I saw you, I thought you were about to die... I'm... so glad you didn't."
Aphek falls silent.
"Suck it up," Goshen says. "We're marching tonight."
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