Free The Companions of Tartiël by Jeff Wilcox Page A

any personal friends of the people he originally stole these rings from.”
    “I’m going to make that one of Wild’s vices,” Matt added. “I’m giving him an unhealthy fascination for rings.”
    I shrugged. “Dingo’s right, though. They’ll actually be really useful. Just don’t forget to only show the ring you intend to.”
    “Yeah,” Matt agreed. “It’d probably be a bad idea to be wearing rings saying I’m a priest of seven different gods and maybe the king of three countries.”
    “That’d be hilarious,” Dingo replied.
    “Okay,” I said. “So, about that D&D game we were playing…”
    “Right, back to the story,” Dingo agreed.
     
    *
     
    Astra’s frown turned into a smile at the sight of Wild taking the constable’s ring. “Great minds think alike,” she said, jingling a few small pouches of gold she’d taken from the bodies on the ground.
    “I’m just borrowing it until he wants it back,” Wild said innocently. “Got their equipment?”
    “Yep,” the woman replied with a chuckle. “Let’s go before anyone makes a stink.” On a higher floor, someone began ringing an alarm bell, and it tolled out frantically in the night. “That’d be our stink,” she said. “Let’s go.”
    Nymph and halfling darted out into the streets teeming with activity. Both of them scurried into the shadows and made their way to the northwest path leading out of Viel.
    Kaiyr stepped out from the bushes along the road. “You are here. Excellent. Let us away.”
    “Yeah,” Astra agreed, “I heard them calling for a manhunt. We’re going to be pursued. Let’s get into the woods.”
    The idea was a wise one, and it saved the group from an unnecessary—and potentially lethal—confrontation as a score of riders thundered by, mounted on deinonychus—
     
    *
     
    “Deinonychus?” Matt snorted. “Seriously? Dinosaurs ?”
    I couldn’t disagree. “Dude, dinosaurs in D&D? That’s probably the lamest thing I’ve ever heard.”
    Dingo threw up his arms. “What? Dinosaurs are cool!”
    “I’ll bet you wanted to be one when you grew up,” Xavier muttered.
    “He probably still does,” I said to him in a stage whisper, grinning.
    “Besides,” Dingo went on, ignoring us, “they’re in the Monster Manual , so they’re built into the game.”
    “That doesn’t change the fact that they’re lame,” I said, and Matt nodded his agreement. Then I sighed. “But whatever. So, about that D&D game we were playing.”
    Dingo just sighed. “They’re cool ,” he muttered.
     
    *
     
    The mounted soldiers stormed by in a swarm, and the party watched as they turned northward when the path split.
    “Strange,” Kaiyr remarked. “They already know of our involvement at the abbey. Why would they not search there first?”
    “And they’re not combing the woods,” Caineye added.
    “Do they think we’re dumb enough to stay on the path?” Wild chimed in.
    Astra shrugged her shapely shoulders. “They are a bunch of dumb shits, you know.”
    “Well, yeah,” Wild said, scratching his head, “but still, I kind of feel insulted.”
    The party traded shrugs with each other and slipped silently through the forest. They arrived at the abbey and were welcomed back in by the wererat acolytes. The men were relentless in assuring the returned trio and Astra that rooms were ready and chores were done for the day.
    Kaiyr waved them away. “Go. Get some rest,” he told them. “I, for one, am hungry despite the hour.”
    Caineye nodded, and Vinto gave a quiet whine. “Yeah, they weren’t exactly keen on feeding us. Probably had something to do with them wanting to kill us for doing the world a favor.”
    “The world lets no good deed go unpunished,” Kaiyr agreed gravely. Then he brightened. “I, on the other hand, reward good deeds with a hot meal. Let us dine. Lady Astra, you are welcome to join us at our table.”
    Astra pursed her lips, but her expression was otherwise unreadable. “All