Hooligans
As you leave the pub you can still hear them shouting at each other. You ask Grom why they got so angry.
"It's football," Grom says with a shrug. "It's a human thing. Us dwarves don't get involved. If we want to punch each other and kick a turnip around we'll just do it, no need for rules."
Grom does his best to resume the tour but the alcohol has left him a little forgetful and you soon get the feeling that he's lost but every time you ask him where you're going he tries to distract you by pointing at a wall or a floorboard and launching into his tour guide spiel. "And this is where King Terry lost a toe after playing a game of 'kiss my foot' with one of his subjects. And over there is where Gerty the witch turned Colin into a rat. Gerty's lovely but don't get on the wrong side of her. Gave me a wart once just because I said her soap smelled like cabbage. It wasn't a complain, I like cabbage but she took it the wrong way."
Just as you're about to ask who King Terry was Grom launches into a rambling story about a mage and a tribe of magical cats that hunt spiders, apparently the spiders were also magical and the mage trained the cats to bring them to him in a little boxes he hung from their knecks. This only raises more questions but Grom is saved as a horde of tiny barbarians launch themselves from their hiding places. Some of the dirtiest and most feral looking children you've ever seen jump from windows or drop from of hatches in the cieling and you quickly find yourself surrounded by scowling faces. Grom draws his axe and lets out a deep belch followed by a deeper growl.
"Stay back or I'll start clobbering." Grom makes a chopping motion with the flat side of his axe but the children refuse to be cowed. You go to interven but Grom holds a hand out to stop you. "They may look harmless but they'll steal everything you have and dump you in the sewer. Best let me handle this." Grom puffs his beard out and points at one of the smaller barbarians. The children part to let a girl step forward, bones dangle from her hair and she brandishes a club almost as tall as she is.
"I'm Midi and this is my street." As the girl speaks the bones in her hair jangle and out of the corner of your eye you see Grom recoil slightly before recovering. "Pay the toll or get rolled."
"We've met before, Midi, and I didn't pay you last time what makes you think I will now?"
"We've got sticks this time." The children brandish their sticks at you and Grom. They might be little more then twigs but they look perfect for poking someone's eye out. "This is our alley. Pay up or we'll clobber you."
"Don't do it," Grom says as he sees you thinking it over. "Pay them once and they'll think they can threaten everyone that comes this way. I can get rid of them."
Grom and Midi stare at you as you make your decision.
Let Grom scare them off
They're just children
You take your hand away from your purse and Grom takes it as a sign. He belches and then lets out a terrible cry that sends the children running. The leader stumbles and trips at Grom's feet. Holding her hands up she apologises and begs him to leave them alone.
"I wasn't going to hurt ya but you can't go around threatening folk, especially when they've paid the tax." Grom puts his axe away and helps the girl to her feet. "If you tell me the quickest way to the heart of the slab I'll forget about this and say no more."
"It's that way," the girl says pointing a shaking finger at a narrow gap between two shacks. The buildings crowd over and it's too dark to see further than a few yards.
"You're not tricking us?" Grom asks.
"I wouldn't trick someone as kind as you."
You think you see one of the children laughing but they duck out of sight before you can get a better look.
"See, better to be kind my ma always says." Grom strides towards the alleyway unbothered by the fetid air and the squelch under your boots.
They promise this is the best route to take
You get in front of Grom and offer a few coins from your purse.
"We keep our street clean and safe, but no one ever pays us. Until you that is," the girl says taking the coin. Grom makes a grumbling sound but the girl ignores him. "Do you want to see the pony?"
"It's a dog!" another of the children shouts and soon they're all arguing over what manner of beast it is.
The girl grins up at you and you soon find yourself being led by the hand along the street. A few of the other children follow but most return to their hiding places.
"I wouldn't have hurt you but we need the coin. Are you from the slab?" Midi asks but just as you're about to tell her where you're from a beast howls and Midi points at a door down a set of steps. The building shakes as something large bangs into the walls, and motes of dust fall from the floorboards over your head.
Dog or Pony?
Parent Plot
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