Silver Insanity

The orc splutters into wakefulness, cursing (in orcish) and wiping snow off his face.

Smiling and revealing her canines (not that they really compare to an orcs, but still, creepy none the less), Maya says in common: "Bout time you woke up. Who are those serpent people? We can make things quick and easy if you cooperate. Fang translate if he doesn't understand."

She then walks over kneels in front of him, raises his head by sticking her forefinger claw under his chin then pressing upward and smiling sweetly. "Be nice and I may even allow you to live, or at least give you a real fighting chance. Dying in battle is so much better than like a pig lead to slaughter." She chuckles to herself. "Orc, pig, appropriate, don't you think?"

The orc, alas, demonstrates typical orcish stupidity; Fang is forced to translate.

"Serpents? Powerful new allies. Wield fire like mage, but not weak like mage; good allies. Say Valley of Death weak; champions gone. We go. Kill!"

Maya growls angrily and informs Fierce telepathically what the orc has said about the fire users. "Who leads your tribe?" She starts to ask, then mutters. "Ah forget it, we waste words. You orcs know less about magic than I do, you'll be useless for more talk." She tosses him his weapon. "Wake your friend, you have merely to get through an unarmed girl to fight your ways to freedom. A big strong orc like you can do that, right?" Her lips then parting in a predatory smile. She will then give the orcs a true warriors death in battle.

The orc takes his weapon, but then charges at you instead of trying to wake his comrade. Perhaps he thought to catch you off-guard. Perhaps he just wasn't thinking. It hardly matters; the results are the same either way.

After killing him, Maya sighs. "Well Fang, the other one is yours, don't be too long, we have some traveling to do. I've no desire to tangle with flying fire wielders tonight and I don't think you do either." In telepathy. "Fierce, tell me what/if anything you may or may not know of these fire shamans. We begin for civilization, these fire wielders don't bode well with me."

Fierce is unable to provide any further information - until the next morning, when she reports that she found a dragon spirit who claimed that the fire serpents are living nightmares, agents of some greater aspect of destruction.

Of course, Fierce cautions, dragon spirits are all too apt to lie in support their own goals - such as the elimination of a rival.

Great, spiritual politics... Replies Maya telepathically. Since this is your specialty I'll trust your opinion of the spirit's truthfulness. We need to hurry, whether rival or not, neither possibility bodes good. Fang, Fierce, make like the wind, I need to mix words with the armies target.

With that she enters wolf form and takes off for civilization. As she travels she uses her superior speed and athletic abilities to occasionally get to higher grounds to keep an eye on their surroundings. Besides it gives her something to do while waiting for Fierce.

A treck across the frozen tundra with no supplies would present a lethal obstacle to most adventurers; to you, it is routine. And so it is not long before you reach the mountain pass leading into Kurk Na'Rulth.

The pass is guarded by a simple fortification, a wall fifteen feet high set with a single tower. At the moment, a pair of lookouts stand watch.

You could easily take higher paths and bypass the outpost entirely.

Maya tells Fierce and Fang to patrol the area keeping track of any orcs or scouts that head this way. They are also told to howl three times if the orc army starts getting too close.

She then separates from them and heads to the guard out post and grabbing the attention of the first guard she sees.

"There is an army of about a hundred orcs heading this way. They have some kind of flying serpent like fire shamans leading them. If you hear three consecutive howls, they are getting close. Do not ignore this warning!" she snarls for emphasis. "I must inform your leaders so I will not waste any more words with you." With that she hops over the wall and heads further into civilization.