Griffin Rider: Planning an Ambush

“You are sure of this?” Sheera asked with a scowl as she sat atop the wagon.
“I'm standing here telling ye such aren't I?” Caleb replied gruffly.
Sheera frowned and pursed her lip in annoyance as she glanced at Nil. “I assume you saw them as well?”
Nil shifted uncomfortably under the wood elf's  scrutiny. Caleb felt bad putting the girl on the spot but there was nothing for it.
“I'm not sure, I've never seen a bandit camp before, but they were heavily armed and hidden within a dell so they couldn't be seen from the High Way.”
Ikras looked towards Sheera dubiously. “It is possible, reports of banditry upon the High Way are not uncommon.”
Sheera sighed and turned, pulling up the flap for the wagon. “Ra'ma. Come.”
The nidracaal flowed out of the wagon, dropping to the ground and looking up at Sheera curiously with her shimmering yellow eyes.
“Yes lady-elf?”
Sheera glanced at Caleb. “How far down the road are they?”
Caleb closed his eyes, retracing the flight path in his mind's eye for a moment before coming to his conclusion.
“Three leagues.”
“Very well.” Sheera looked to Ra'ma. “Three leagues distant and to the west of the High Way is a dell with a camp in it. Seek it out and discern the nature of its occupants.”
Ra'ma nodded her assent and wordlessly started down the road, running as only a nidracaal could. It was not long before her lithe form vanished from view entirely. Caleb had seen nidracaal run before and knew that they could cover the distance of three leagues far faster than anything save perhaps a centaur or other hoofed creature. He never wanted to have one in pursuit of him, not without Bracken beneath him at any rate. The cats couldn't fly at least.
“Now what?” Ikras inquired.
The Minotaur snorted and sat down, crossing his massive arms over his chest and closing his eyes.
“He is right.” Sheera said simply. “We must wait.”
“Waiting waiting for bandit baiting.” hummed Duulingknopf to himself.
For once Caleb didn't think the gnome was completely stark raving mad, there was nothing else to be done for it. They stepped off the High Way and set up a small campsite and enjoyed a small lunch.
“Can't we eat anymore?” inquired Nil, brushing her hand through her hair as she looked down at the simple biscuits in her
Caleb shook his head. “Not before a fight.”
Ikras nodded in agreement. “You do not want to cramp up during battle.”
Nil snorted as she reached for more food. “As if I would ever fight, that's why all of you are here after all.”
Caleb watched as the girl gorged herself. “How can a dancer eat so much?”
She shrugged indifferently. “I don't know, guess I'm still growing because I've never had a problem staying thin.” her eyes flickered mischievously. “It's why I've been able to keep the men coming back, I never get sick, and I never get overweight.”
Caleb felt his face heat slightly and he looked away, coughing to cover his embarassment at the girl's candor. Ikras merely chuckled to himself and shook his head.
They waited for a time as the sun climbed higher in the sky. Caleb wondered if Ra'ma was safe, not that he had any particular attachment to the nidracaal but she was a member of this company and much as he might hate the circumstances of his admission into it, he did have a job to complete. He glanced at Sheera as the wood elf sat on the wagon stroking her blasted pet's wings. If he ever had the chance after Bracken's spell was lifted, he'd wring her neck.
“Such thoughts do not suit your heart.” whispered a soothing voice from behind.
Caleb shouted in alarm and leapt to his feet, drawing his sword in the process as Ikras and the Minotaur looked on indifferently.
Ra'ma stared at him for a moment as she uncoiled herself and strode past him seemingly without any intention of apologizing or elaborating on her statement as Caleb sheathed his blade haughtily.
“Damned cat.” he grumbled to himself as Nil giggled.
“Well?” Sheera prompted from atop her bench.
Ra'ma inclined her head. “It is as he says, bandits stalk the road ahead.”
“We should rid the world of their filth.” Ikras snarled.
“How many?” Sheera pressed.
“A no more than a score.” Ra'ma stated simply with a sinuous shrug of her shoulders. “They will pose some nuisance.”
Sheera grew quiet as she considered. “If we try to go around them we will have to go many leagues to ensure we are not spotted and we are few enough in number that they may think us a target worth attacking.” she smiled slightly, glancing at Caleb. “I think you may earn your keep today rider.”
Caleb's eyes narrowed. What did the bitch have in mind now?
“If you were to attack from the air,” Sheera said simply, nodding towards Ikras and the Minotaur. “Then perhaps Ikras and—“
“Ghastly ghosts!” exclaimed Duulingknopf suddenly. “Honking hooters!”
They all stopped and looked at the gnome in bewilderment as he began giggling uncontrolably.
Sheera sighed and looked to Nil. “Perhaps you could get some sense out of him?”
Nil shrugged. “I think he wants to play a trick on them.”
Duulingknopf cackled madly and spun in a circle, seeming to blur for a moment before elongating and growing in height until he stood well over Ikras. He stopped spinning and Caleb was takenaback to see a massive ogre standing in the gnome's place. As if that wasn't enough, the ogre began to multiply until there were seven of them standing before the party.
A slow, cruel smile spread across Sheera's face. “Oh? Now this is entertaining.”
“Make them quake, make them shake, their flesh and bones for us to bake!” the lead ogre chortled as the rest laughed.
Caleb stared in a mixture of horror and wonder at what the gnome had wrought. Just how powerful was the little bastard? And did the guilds know that there was a gnome who could do something so dangerous?
“Very well, we'll let our gnome play with our bandits while the rest of us proceed along the High Way.” Sheera glanced at the lead ogre. “I presume you can catch up with us?”
The ogre leered. “Sticks and stones and broken bones, we'll make them sing in ugly tones.”
Caleb winced at the awful ryhme and shook his head. Apparently no one else in the group saw anything wrong with unleashing a pack of magic spawned ogres on a band of brigands as a foul deed. He himself would rather have fought them straight then rely on this sorcery.
“Rider.” Sheera said quietly. “I still have a task for you.”
Caleb turned and look at her balefully as she continued.
“I want you to watch over Duulingknopf as he goes about his business. If he requires any help you will give it to him. Do I make myself clear?”
Caleb nodded solemnly. “It will be done.”
“Good.” she replied. “Everyone else, lets ready ourselves to travel once more and leave the bandits behind us.”
As the others readied to move again, the seven ogres plodded off at a loping run in the direction of the bandit's camp. Caleb for his part headed for Bracken, the griffin chirped and warbled questioningly, his feathers ruffling in a rippling progression along his back.
“Aye lad, we're going ta cause some trouble.” Caleb said as he checked his weapons to be assured of their readiness.
So satisfied he climbed up onto the griffin's back and a moment later they were once again in the air, circling high overhead and following the trail of the romping ogres below.
“I pity the poor fool that marks upon that lot.” Caleb grumbled.
Bracken warbled as if in agreement, crooning thoughtfully as Caleb stroked his ruff. It seemed that this journey would be nothing if not interesting. He could only hope that at the end of it all the conclusion would be simple enough.