Soon the howls of pain subsided into the groans of self-pity as the horses were whipped back into motion, forcing the stiff wooden wheels of the cart to start squeaking once more. The clouds had withered enough by now to allow some welcomed sunlight grace the alleyway, illuminating the mouldy, crumbling alleyway walls as they walked along. Behind them cries of pain and anguish erupted as the sound of barking rabid dogs grew louder before the human cries cut of suddenly, leaving only a tense silence hanging around the group.
"Let's see if those horses can't go any faster, eh?" Garret asked, with a slight sadistic smirk touching his lips, towards the pale face driver.
"Yeah..." He replied nervously "Let's see..."
With another crack of the whip the horses broke into a brisk trot as the exited the alleyway into a wide open street.
The wind that they had been shielded from in the alleyway had returned as they stepped out into the wide road, howling around their ears as once more they struggled to be heard. Garret felt the familiar sensation of hail and rain splattering against him, though it lacked the painful sting that it once had as the cloud began to break up, though darker clouds loomed on the horizon which meant that this wouldn't let up till tomorrow at least.
"It's not far" The driver shouted at the top of his voice once more "We can make it."
"Do you think you had a choice in it?" Garret shouted back, raising his hand to protect his eyes against the hail since his shield was strapped to his back "Keep those horses moving!"
The driver did just that as he wrapped the thick woollen blanket back around his head while the runt sat defiantly next to him, refusing to flinch as she was pelted with hail. It wasn't long before they reached the storage houses, and a loud voice rang out into the courtyard "Delivery has arrived! Open the doors"
Almost immediately two large weather downs were yanked open, revealing a empty warehouse with a handful of thin, dirty workers flanked by stern, armoured guards.
"Took your sweet time" One of the guards said in a raspy voice with a smirk at the sight at the battered convoy "Had some trouble did we?"
"You don't know the half of it" The driver replied, exasperated with his trials "We have had to deal with hail, horses and even thieves" he listed, conveniently forgetting that failed to help one bit on the final point.
"Whatever" The guard dismissed doubtfully "Just bring 'er in, I'll deal with these thugs"
He turned back to Garret and his comrades, and raised a hand stopping them from coming into the warm and dry warehouse "I've got your pay here, no need to bring your stench in here sellswords." he spat as he pulled out three fairly small leather pouches "Your lucky to get this much, somehow you managed to screw up a simple escort job" He chucked the pouches to each of them "It was a small job so you'll get a small pay, no matter what tall tales you've conjured up, so get lost" he barked, shutting the doors on them.
Garret fondled the pouch in one hand as he turned away from the ominous wooden doors back into the bleak courtyard "I'm going for a drink" he declared looking at the others "Do me a favour and piss off."
"Let's see if those horses can't go any faster, eh?" Garret asked, with a slight sadistic smirk touching his lips, towards the pale face driver.
"Yeah..." He replied nervously "Let's see..."
With another crack of the whip the horses broke into a brisk trot as the exited the alleyway into a wide open street.
The wind that they had been shielded from in the alleyway had returned as they stepped out into the wide road, howling around their ears as once more they struggled to be heard. Garret felt the familiar sensation of hail and rain splattering against him, though it lacked the painful sting that it once had as the cloud began to break up, though darker clouds loomed on the horizon which meant that this wouldn't let up till tomorrow at least.
"It's not far" The driver shouted at the top of his voice once more "We can make it."
"Do you think you had a choice in it?" Garret shouted back, raising his hand to protect his eyes against the hail since his shield was strapped to his back "Keep those horses moving!"
The driver did just that as he wrapped the thick woollen blanket back around his head while the runt sat defiantly next to him, refusing to flinch as she was pelted with hail. It wasn't long before they reached the storage houses, and a loud voice rang out into the courtyard "Delivery has arrived! Open the doors"
Almost immediately two large weather downs were yanked open, revealing a empty warehouse with a handful of thin, dirty workers flanked by stern, armoured guards.
"Took your sweet time" One of the guards said in a raspy voice with a smirk at the sight at the battered convoy "Had some trouble did we?"
"You don't know the half of it" The driver replied, exasperated with his trials "We have had to deal with hail, horses and even thieves" he listed, conveniently forgetting that failed to help one bit on the final point.
"Whatever" The guard dismissed doubtfully "Just bring 'er in, I'll deal with these thugs"
He turned back to Garret and his comrades, and raised a hand stopping them from coming into the warm and dry warehouse "I've got your pay here, no need to bring your stench in here sellswords." he spat as he pulled out three fairly small leather pouches "Your lucky to get this much, somehow you managed to screw up a simple escort job" He chucked the pouches to each of them "It was a small job so you'll get a small pay, no matter what tall tales you've conjured up, so get lost" he barked, shutting the doors on them.
Garret fondled the pouch in one hand as he turned away from the ominous wooden doors back into the bleak courtyard "I'm going for a drink" he declared looking at the others "Do me a favour and piss off."
