Chapter 15 - Part 15

Iron Orphan stood up from the mess that had been the giant spider and watched the crazy, filthy humans run. Half their people were dead, picked off by Delegado. Orphan inspected where the spider’s mandibles had cut him as he listened to Delegado make his way down the tree.

“I could have killed three more as they ran,” the half-orc boasted. “But every time I shoot someone in the back it seems to be a matter of blame for me.”

“You shot the shifter in the back,” Orphan said, stepping into the creek to wash the blood from his hands.

“Giving him a chance to use his magic would have been deadly,” Delegado said. “Unlike these posers, he had real magic, magic he could have used from far away.”

“Right,” Orphan said sarcastically. “You know best.”

“I’d have thought you liked me playing nice,” Delegado said. His tone was casual, but Orphan could tell it was affected. Delegado was genuinely hurt. The half-orc had expected to be noticed or complimented somehow for finally behaving in a moral fashion.

“Never said I didn’t,” Orphan said. “But don’t forget that you killed a man who was a brother of mine in the Balanced Palm, and you shot him in the back. It’s a sore subject.” Now why did I bring that up? Orphan wondered.

“What the f’test is your problem?” Delegado asked angrily. “I’m getting blamed for succeeding, is that it? It was some of yours that tried to kill my while they thought I was sleeping too, or did you forget that?"

“No, I didn’t,” Orphan said. “I’m sorry.”

“And it was your sensei that left me tied up as a test,” Delegado continued. “And you agreed to it. And I passed it, and incidentally saved your hide, her hide, and a bunch of Keeper-caring paper that you and yours loved so much!” Orphan could tell that Delegado was only warming up, and the situation had best be defused quickly, or else not at all.

“I said I was sorry,” Orphan said, walking out of the creek. “I’m just –” He tried to think of a good word.

“Tired?” Delegado said sarcastically. “Oh right, you don’t get tired.”

“Even warforged can only maintain concentration on a task for so long before getting mentally fatigued,” Orphan told him.

“Yeah, all that washing your blood off your hands must be real tiring,” Delegado said. “You’re a f’testing hypocrite, you know that? All you law-types are. Rules for you and rules for others.”

“What are you talking about?” Orphan demanded.

“I’m talking about how you could have knocked these people out instead of killing them, but you chose to go lethal,” Delegado said.

“They’re dangerous,” Orphan said. “We had to strike fear into them, especially if Kurse got away. They would have to be too afraid to attack again. We discussed this, and that was your idea.”

“Which you supported,” Delegado said. “Now, do you have a real beef with me or is it that warforged possess a menstrual cycle?”

“A what?”

“You’ve been angry with me since before we trashed the Valenar,” Delegado repeated. “Why?”

“I told you why!” Orphan snapped. “Is it my fault you won’t listen?”

“Raise your voice more, maybe you can attract Brogan’s pet ogre,” Delegado said sarcastically.

Orphan flexed his fingers and did a meditative exercise. “Let’s get back to the cottage,” he said. He focused his mind on his inner self, and his cuts and scrapes healed over.

“We have a date with the Thuranni agent,” Delegado reminded him.

“No, you have a date with the Thuranni agent,” Orphan said. “You made it very clear that I wasn’t to ask any of my ‘Khyber-stupid’ questions about Greoche. Since you clearly consider yourself to be in charge of questions, you can ask them.”

“I don’t have the money to pay for information we don’t need!” Delegado said. “How much do you think I carry around with me, anyway?”

“You have your House account,” Orphan pointed out.

“Which Greoche would find out about,” Delegado said. “And I don’t feel like insulting her, thank you.”

“You still don’t care about anything other than you,” Orphan said. “The mission is of no importance to you.”

“I care about my House, my responsibilities, and my friends,” Delegado said. “I had thought you’d be in that group somehow.” Orphan could tell Delegado was hurt. The half-orc had started to let the warforged in, and he wasn’t taking this well.

“I had thought so too,” Orphan said. “But you’re too blind to see that your blindness is endangering our quest.”

“I see better than you do,” Delegado said. “Especially at night.” It was a juvenile thing to say, and it was a typical comment from the half-orc. The bounty hunter’s response to criticism was usually to take an opportunity to boast, and Iron Orphan found himself sick of it.

“Hooray for you,” Orphan said. “Well, I can’t see in the dark, but I can see well enough to make my way back by myself.” With that he turned and walked away from the astonished half-orc.

“Hey!” Delegado called. Orphan ignored him, putting as much of a hustle into his movement as he could without tripping over anything as full night darkness came on. He should have taken one of the glowing shields or something, but he found stripping the dead to be distasteful. “Hey!” the half-orc called again. “Where the f’test are you going?”

Orphan did not bother to answer. For once he was not restrained. For once he was indulging his temper. It felt good.