Sallan convinced me, after three months of getting lost looking for backwater villages, to travel to a larger town to perform. Our idea of larger, at this point, was somewhere that had an Inn!
"I found it on the map," announced Sallan, I groaned inwardly last time he said that the map had been upside down. I was tired of walking in mud, it was winter, and being lost.
"There has to be an easier way to do this!"
"I need to know where we are before I can move us," protested Sallan, he had told me a month ago that he was, in fact, a Magician not just an illusionist.
"We're awfully close to the swamp," I noted nervously, not because Ogres bothered me but because explaining how I learned to speak their language would be rather awkward.
"And what do you suggest we do about it?" snapped Sallan, being used to living on an open plain meant that humidity made him irritable. he had become a good friend, but he was still a bad tempered excuse for a centaur!
I sat down on the ground, and suggested he stand guard.
"This is no time to rest!" he protested.
"Then it's a good thing I'm not resting," I replied, closing my eyes and stepping out of my body. I floated above the fog and 'looked' around, the swamp was west of us, so the city must be in the opposite direction. I continued east, following the strands until I found a large gathering of them, when I 'looked' at the world below me I saw a city.
Taking careful notice of the direction, I returned to my body to find Sallan and myself surrounded by Ogres.
"Don't move," I muttered at Sallan, he glanced at me in a way that suggested I was stating the obvious.
"What you here?" said one of them slowly, some Ogres can speak the Human language but not well.
"Lost walkers," I replied slowly, "leaving soon."
"Female not talk," growled the Ogre, I looked meaningfully at Sallan.
"I talk," he said slowly, "we lost leave now?"
"Horse man leave female stay."
"But..." Sallan began to protest. I nodded at him, hoping he'd get the message, I knew I could escape easily. He still looked undecided.
"I'll meet you at the city," I muttered, in Centaur, the Ogres were begining to look restless.
"Agreed," he pushed me, with what I felt was indecent haste, towards the Ogres. They moved aside, Sallan trotted quickly out of the circle, he looked back briefly and I pointed north east.
"You follow," said the Ogre who seemed to be the leader, I nodded and did as he asked. The Ogres made their way back to a small camp, the leader held a converstion with the others, I was too far away to hear it, and indicated I should sit down next to the remains of a campfire.
"Safe," said the leader, in what was probably a reassuring tone for an ogre, I stared at him in surprise.
"What?"
He muttered something, in his own languge, about stupid human females.
"I'm not," I exclaimed loudly, he looked startled as he realised I had understood him.
"You know words?"
"Yes."
"You can understand my language?" he repeated, in Ogre.
"Not well, but enough."
He laughed, I probably sounded to him as he sounded to me, consequently we ended speaking an odd mixture of Ogre and Human.
"Why did you bring me here?"
"We rescued you, from the horse man."
"Rescued me?" I replied incredulously, and laughed, "he is my friend, we got lost out here."
"Oh well," he replied philosophically, "you are free to go where you wish, but the sun goes soon, and the dark is not safe."
"True," I agreed cautiously, despite human beliefs, there was no proof that Ogres hurt people, but anyone who had been hurt wouldn't be in any position to talk about it.
"You will be safe, no males here."
I blinked in astonishment, this was a female ogre, then I laughed.
"What is amusing?" she asked.
"I have been around humans too long," I explained, "I assumed you were male."
" 'Around' humans?" she asked quizically, I cursed myself, as I do often, for speaking without thinking.
"I am not as human as I appear," I explained carefully.
"You smell like one," she replied with the Ogre equivalent of a shrug.
"Really?" My sarcastic reply was wasted on the Ogre who simply nodded in agreement.
"Food?" she offered, indicating a covered bowl.
"I don't eat meat."
"No meat," she agreed, handing me the bowl, I opened it dubiously.
"What is it?" I asked politely.
"Greens, good for humans."
"Thank you."
After the meal, I played my harp for the fascinated group. To my surprise - and I reminded myself, again, that it was because I had heard to many human stories abuout ogres - one of them joined in with a crude wooden drum, keeping perfect time.
When I woke the next morning the mist had cleared, and the Ogres had departed. Following our footprints back, I saw that Sallan and myself had been ony a half an hour from the road the day before.
With a slight smile, I started walking towards the city, I half-hoped that Sallan had not reached it yet, given that humans have a tendency to overreact to things, I didn't want to be the cause of an Ogre hunt.