Chapter 5: A Journey with Many Undead Ends

Danni responded to Tammi's question, "For the third time we are going to a friend of mine's cottage. Actually it is more of a retreat than a cottage. And before you ask, we're not there yet." If she asks one more time, only two of us will make it to the retreat.

Tammi stumbled on the uneven ground yet again. She caught herself on her hands preventing an injury, but her unwieldy tits popped out of her abbreviated top to hang swinging above the ground, the ground that went from scrub woods to plain and back again. None of it being smooth and level enough for heels. Tammi stuffed her swinging breasts back into her dress then kicked her heels off in disgust. I'm tired of these fancy shoes that are not steady enough and hurt to wear anyway. She strode to keep up with Danni, leaving her discarded heels.

No sign of pursuit was seen by Lori who was watching their back trail. She had long ago removed her dress shoes, counting instead on her forest-hardened feet to serve her as she walked. Lori picked up Tammi's heels and stuck them in her pack. You never know when we'll be called upon to dress up again.

The sun was lighting up the hills on the horizon allowing the surrounding area to come into focus. Of course, Lori was able to see clearly in night or day, such was the blessing granted by infravision. Although having the early morning sun directly in her face would affect her vision, as it would with any person.

Luckily for Tammi, Danni spotted the outline of her friend's retreat against the brightening sky. "Good, I was hoping to make it before the sun was full in the sky. Yes Tammi, we're here, just in time for us to break our fast." Danni smiled and started to run up the low hill that her friend's retreat sat atop. It was actually bigger than a cottage and had a few small out buildings clustered around the round hilltop. Danni threw open the door and rushed in shouting that she was there.

Tammi let out a sigh of relief, soon she would get to rest her tired feet. She looked back over her shoulder and said, "Hurry up slow one, we're finally here. I hope they have something good and filling to eat, I'm starving!" Lori was calmly walking up towards the building, looking for evidence of a trap.

Lori came abreast of Tammi and whispered, "Calm down. Danni has become our friend and proven herself by leading us out of the city, but we don't know if her friend will be happy to see us. Her friend may have an agenda of his own and we may not fit into it. Just be ready to run if I give you the sign." I'm reasonably sure that Danni wouldn't put us at risk, but it's better to be ready just in case.

A figure appeared in the open doorway and waved her arm. "C'mon in, the morning meal is ready. You must be hungry after that nature walk we just finished." Tammi rushed up, she could smell the cooked country breakfast. Lori followed a bit more slowly, her bow held ready scanning the area for any sign of a trap. "Hurry up girls; I want you to meet my friend, Clarence the Monk." Lori's beautiful face darkened as she heard that Danni's friend was a man, she really got tired of others talking for her. Danni saw Lori scowl and hastened to reassure her. "There is no restriction upon your speaking; Clarence is magically and physically dead to your charms." Danni felt kind of sad for Clarence. The sacrifices you have to make for some jobs.

Lori reached the open doorway and saw Tammi sitting at a rough hewn table taking to and smiling at a frumpy, balding man seated across from her. He was a little younger than middle aged and his eyes sparkled with good nature. Tammi was telling the story of meeting the dragon and Lori groaned as she heard it. She entered and sat next to Tammi, her bow never leaving her grasp. Danni shut the door behind her and sat next to Clarence waiting for a break in Tammi's tale of woe, so she could make introductions.

Tammi paused for a breath just finishing telling about her being kicked out of the village. Danni jumped right in, "Clarence this is Lori, you've already made Tammi's acquaintance. We became companions out of necessity but have the same enemies, so we became friends." Clarence gave her a knowing look. "Yes, the Elves and now the Society of Heroes. My sister Anna has been taken by Navaro and I stole this to rescue her." She brought the medallion from around her neck and laid it on the table. "But now, let's eat this wonderful food before it gets cold." The three ladies dug in and finished the meal in a hurry with no shame.

Their full bellies and the exhaustion from walking most of the night started their eyelids to drooping. "Ladies get some rest before you fall asleep at my table." Danni led Tammi and Lori down the hall to a room that had some pallets made up on the floor. Clarence had followed them and said, "I keep this room made up for visitors. Just lie down and rest. I'll awaken you in time for supper." He then whispered something to Danni and left the room with the gold medallion in his hand.

The smell of a hearty meal was in the air of the retreat as Clarence woke the three women. The medallion was in the center of the table. It was the centerpiece and the topic of discussion as the group ate and Clarence briefed the ladies on what he had found.

"I did some research while you were resting, the medallion will control the undead, I mean the wearer of the medallion can control the undead. The wearer uses their will to control them. The stronger the undead, the more will power is needed. Unfortunately, the medallion also attracts those unnatural creatures. So the closer you get to Navaro's lair the more undead you will have to deal with. There will be no sneaking in to grab your sister, Danni. It will be a fight going in and going out."

Danni looked worried. She met Lori's gaze and told her, "You don't have to help me. You didn't know it would be so bad when you volunteered." Danni looked crestfallen as she said that. I don't think that I can do this alone, but I won't force them to stick to what they promised.

"Of course we'll still help you, we said we would. Right Lori?" Lori felt pressured to answer Tammi, Danni had told her that she could speak in front of Clarence, but years of conditioning had to be overcome.

Lori was reluctant, but she answered Tammi. "Yes, we will stand by you, Danni." Her eyes were carefully watching Clarence's face for any sign of lust. Danni noticed that Lori was double-checking on what she had been told about the monk and her face sprouted a huge smile.

Clarence noticed the interplay on the faces of the women. "Danni told you correctly Lori; I am not affected by urges that normal men have. I have made a sacrifice in order to expand my knowledge; as a matter of fact I am getting messages from other planes. It is a lot different from life here, but I am making sense of it."

Clarence then took on the appearance of a wise man talking to the unenlightened. "I have learned that they have farms as we do. They talk about 'stock', which are the animals on a farm, cows, pigs, chickens. They also must have undead on their plane, but of a different form. I have heard of 'live stock', so they must have non-living stock also, undead farm animals. And they also have a special store to buy these animals. It is called a 'stock market'. It is confusing at first, but readily explainable."

As Clarence was talking, Tammi kept nodding her head. When he was finished Tammi addressed the other women. "It makes sense. Wow! Thanks Clarence, it makes me think of things differently." Lori and Danni gave each other looks like they had just found a worm in the apple they were eating. Neither one believed that Tammi actually understood what was going on in this world or any other.

Once they had eaten their fill, the companions readied themselves for the journey. Danni had some extra clothes and a pair of boots that fit Lori. Tammi would have been out of luck, but Clarence had an old pair of boots that fit her. Clarence was also happy to give them plenty of rations for their trip.

Navaro's stronghold was a few days travel to the north in a marshy area on a peninsula. Clarence reminded Danni of the powers of the medallion and wished them all God Speed. The ladies traveled in a tight group to the top of a knoll that marked the end of the retreat. Tammi started sniffing loud and said, "Ewwwww. What's that horrible smell?"

The answer was explained when they reached the apex of the knoll and saw a group of figures waiting for them. The figures were shadowy and weaving in place. The wind shifted and the ladies were engulfed within a slightly visible cloud that stunk of rotting flesh and decay. "Ewww, what's that awful stench." blurted Tammi while holding her nose.

Danni answered her as she walked closer to the shadowy group. "I believe that they are our soon to be escorts. They are attracted to the medallion, but they cannot enter the hallowed ground of the retreat." Danni stepped closer to them and concentrated on the presence of the zombies through the medallion. She could feel the energy; she couldn't call it life force, of the zombies. Danni used the medallion to twist the minor wills of the undead creatures to her will. The zombies turned around and moved into a protective wedge in front of the group. "Come on ladies, our escort is in position. Let's go rescue my sister."

Tammi glared at her and stomped her foot. "There is no way that I am going to traveling with that walking stink-cloud. I cut the bottom of my ball gown off so I wouldn't have the smell to live with and you want me to travel with this smelly, half-rotted group of dead bodies! Look at them, half her boob is gone! Not that they were as large as mine, but that's beside the point."

Danni turned and gave Lori a helpless look; she knew that they had to get moving. Lori walked up next to Tammi and whispered in her ear. Tammi nodded her head and started to walk, striding with a purpose and her head held high. She didn't look at the zombies, giving the impression that they were not traveling together, just going the same way.

Danni caught up with Lori and asked her in a low voice how she had got Tammi to go along. "Well, I told her two things. First, that we would probably not meet up with anyone who knew her and second, that if she didn't stop complaining about the smell that you would keep the zombies with us until they fell to pieces no matter where we went." Danni just burst out laughing. She then caught up with Tammi and walked arm-in-arm with her braving the stench. Actually, after a few minutes they became used to the smell.

And so it went the three women plodding along together with a silent advanced guard of zombies preceding them. The ground had begun to get marshy and the sun made its presence known by lighting up the predawn sky. Danni called for a halt and the women collapsed in a heap together they were too tired to eat or set-up a campsite. The ladies were exhausted and clung to each other as they slept leaving their safety and security in the hands of the rotting undead.

Hunger forced Lori awake. She tried to untangle herself from the other two women without waking them. She was only partially successful. Danni groaned as she stretched. She adopted a rueful smile as she looked up at Lori. "I'll never get used to sleeping on the ground. I think I hosted someone's elbow in my midriff last night. A little walking should work out all the kinks."