Newcomers

Arran's victory did much to lift the mercenaries' spirits. Though none had said it outright, many among them had not expected to leave the village alive.

But now, they knew they would live to fight another day.

Still, they did not celebrate. Their losses were too great for them to feel any joy. And even had they wanted to celebrate, the village's tall walls still needed defending. Because although Arran had slain the group of Blightspawn, other groups might yet be lurking out of sight.

Yet no attackers came that night. And when morning finally arrived, Kaleesh split the uninjured mercenaries into two groups, sending one to gather the Blightspawn's amulets and the other to retrieve their fallen allies' bodies.

They buried their dead in the small graveyard just outside the village walls. Kaleesh spoke some brief words for the fallen, but no more than that. Few of the mercenaries had a taste for sentimentality — they had seen too much battle for that.