Bayan and Ginjo returned to Al-Fitar’s camp carrying (with the help of the rescued prisoners) a substantial bounty of diverted supplies and valuable trade goods. Al-Fitar was grateful also to receive the gnolls’ record book, which would prove useful in settling accounts-- both with those merchants who had been robbed and also those merchants who had purchased stolen goods from the gnolls. And Al-Fitar was especially grateful, after a couple weeks had passed, that the stream of needed supplies once again flowed without impediment from Salt Springs to his camp.
And then, about a week after this, Al-Fitar received a surprise visitor—Hiram Parth, the chief advisor to the Satrap of Salt Springs. Hiram had come to confirm the happy rumors that the savage gnolls had been destroyed and to reward the brave heroes for their victory. He congratulated Bayan and Ginjo and invited them to accompany him to Salt Springs. “His Wisdom would be most grateful also to receive any evidence you recovered that would document the full extent of the wicked crimes of these bestial creatures. And, I assure you, his gratitude would be expressed in form of great riches.”
Ginjo, always wary, agreed, but instead of sleeping that night, he re-copied the gnolls’ records and left the second copy with Al-Fitar for safekeeping.
And indeed, Ginjo’s wariness proved prescient. After several fine days of travel with Hiram and his guards, the travelers were ambushed in the Painted Canyon as they were crossing the ford. Groups of gnolls on either side of the canyon pelted the travelers with arrows and rocks while a group of hyenas blocked the way across the ford. Given that the attack started as soon as Hiram and his men crossed the river and the gnoll missiles only targeted Bayan, Ginjo, and their company, Bayan, fighting through the hyenas, loudly accused Hiram of betrayal.
Ginjo, however, ordered a full retreat. Bayan saw the wisdom of his counsel and turned her horse, seeking to defend the retreat of the rest of the party. These efforts were challenged by the appearance of the gnolls’ shaman, who used his witchcraft to transfix Phubi in her saddle, preventing her from calling on the divine powers which had previously served them so well in their battles against the gnolls. Irak and Saw rallied to protect her and Ginjo guided her horse with his away from the ford. Minh and her sohei initiates demonstrated the great strength of their qi, deflecting many of the arrows raining down on them as they followed closely behind. Finally, Bayan, killed the pursuing hyenas and repelled the attack of two gnoll warriors who had found their way to the canyon floor.
The party escaped the ambush point and the range of the gnoll archers; their horses easily outstripped the few gnolls warriors who dared pursue them. However, at this point, two of Hiram’s men galloped back across the ford, toward the party. Seeing them ride down and trample a gnoll warrior, they were allowed to reach Ginjo, whereupon they set upon him with their scimitars. Ginjo fought them off and with the help of Saw and Irak, killed the false allies. By this time, Hiram and his remaining guards had vanished, having dashed away in the direction of Salt Springs.
The party did not pursue, but continued their flight away from the ambush site and in the direction of Al Fitar’s camp. After a mile of riding, they paused to give Phubi the chance to recover the use of her limbs and the power of speech. The party continued their return ride at a fast trot, stopping to camp only when darkness made it dangerous to ride on the uneven ground.
Three days later, they reached Al-Fiter’s camp and shared the disappointing news.
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