Chapter 2 - Part 2

Word spread quickly, and wherever he went the gnolls seemed to watch Delegado curiously, although none bothered him in any way. Many of the workers took note of the well-armed, sharp-eyed half-orc as well. Delegado made no effort to be subtle, and often had Feather return to him in an open square before launching him off again. The half-orc wanted his quarry to know he was there. Making someone run was the easiest way to spot them.

“Go Tharashk!” cried a couple of orcs in a shaded alleyway, pumping their fists in the air. “Glory to the United House!” Delegado turned and waved to them, acknowledging his people. Some goblins and kobolds tried the same thing and he ignored them utterly.

Out of the corner of his eye he spotted her, floating down towards him. He quickly tapped two prepared pieces of gauze in his ears and gripped his sword as the harpy softly landed near him. She had a beautiful face, but an ugly, scabby, scaly chest and feathery body. A smell wafted from her, marking her as a carrion eater.

“Peace to Tharashk,” she said to him in passable orc. “Glory to the United House.” Her voice was distorted a bit by the specially treated gauze, but that was the point. Should she try to enchant him with her song it would be easier for him to resist. “I mean no harm to you, or to your hawk.”

Delegado gave her sight smile. “That hawk belongs to the orcs,” he said loudly for the benefit of those within earshot. “A hand that takes from an orc is soon dead.” At this the orc workers hooted and yelled again. Even some of the gnolls gave barking, appreciative laughter.

“My loft-mates want to help the United House,” she explained. “We too can search, aid your hawk.”

“And what if the one I seek is a harpy?” Delegado asked her in a lowered, serious voice. She blinked.

“Is it?” she asked, worried.

“No,” Delegado said, chuckling. He reached into a pocket and tossed his a coin bag. “Have your loft-mates fly over the east side of the city,” he said in a lowered voice “Pretend to be very interested.”

She caught the coin bag deftly and nodded, taking off as soon as he was done speaking. Delegado smiled to himself. Now he knew word would spread more, and his quarry would not flee east.

He turned to see expectant gazes on him. He had given coin to the hated harpies. Delegado grinned, proudly showing his tusks. He took out an even bigger coinpurse and bellowed at an ogre worker pulling a wagon. “Hey!”

The ogre picked up his smelly head, rattling the chains on his yoke. “Hunh?”

“You have ale there?” Delegado asked, again far more loudly than was necessary.

“Uh…yeah,” said the ogre, confused.

“This will pay for it?” he asked, tossing the coin purse to the ogre in a gentle arc.

The ogre caught it and looked at it. “Yeah!” he said, brightening.

“All of my people come and drink for this ale is now yours!” Delegado announced. The orcs hooted and hollered and ran forward, while the other races looked on enviously. Delegado got several pats on the back and even a few rib-creaking hugs from his ‘cousins.’ He politely extracted himself from the mob and moved on. He figured in another couple of hours he’d finally make his rabbit run, and then Feather and he were going to catch a fat rabbit indeed.