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Turn 164.0: A Message

Posted: 10/12/01

(163.2)

            Emma rises from the snow, keeping her shield poised before her in case more arrows or unseen attackers emerge from the darkness.  She draws her broadsword with a ring of cold steel in the wintry night.  Approaching Skandor, she points the weapon at the fallen man and asks, "Is he dead?"

            "Better yet," Hannibal begins as he arrives at the dead soldier's body as well, "who is he?"

            Skandor kneels down in the darkness, reaching for the soldier's body to check for signs of life.  His cold hands reach the skin of the soldier, which feels as cold as the snow beneath the paladin's feet.

            Rising and turning toward Emma's voice, Skandor reports, "This one is definitely dead."

            Finally, Emma looks around the dark campsite.  Storm and Elloharin are nowhere to be seen.  She vaguely senses Canter off to her right.  And somewhere behind them, she can make out the whispered voices of Hannibal and Crayne.  "Storm?  El?" she asks into the quiet night, "Where'd they go?"  It's unclear if she means the attackers or her friends.  Most likely, she'd like answers to both questions.

            Crayne thanks Hannibal for his protection from the many flying arrows that had been shot at him.  He then mumbles under his breath a few curses.  He never liked being helpless in any situation.  He felt inadequate and knew that his one weakness was in the dark.  He knew now that the infravision spell was a must.  He looks about unable to see anything and then whispers, "What is happening?  Can I get up now!?  This snow is freezing my joints!"

            Hannibal slings his shield over his shoulder again.  "Pleasure is mine, Mage Crayne."  Helping the Mage to his feet Hannibal turns to join the others again.  He turns to Emma, "You ok?"

            "Yeah..." Emma says, her teeth chattering.  The sweat from the excitement of the short-lived battle was beginning to freeze, sending cold shivers through her body.  "Just cold..."

            Watching their respective enemies, Storm and El continue to track the targets.  They ride toward one another, with the enemy apparently in charge pointing first to the west, then a moment later, to the south.  Then, rejoined, the two groups appear to ride of together, southwest.  El narrows his eyes, turning around to scan the rest of the horizon for other remnants of the attacking party.  "Very strange," he mutters to himself.

            Storm growls as he perceives the enemies riding away.  "Cowards," he says aloud.  Then, he rises from the snow, brushing off the cold white flakes, and makes his way back to the camp.

            "They be gone," the dwarf reports as he arrives.  "I ain't seein' any others."

            "That's good," Hannibal says, his voice thin in the darkness.  The cold was taking its toll on everyone.

            "We ought to keep moving then.  Whoever they are might return with reinforcements," Skandor suggests.

            "Whoever they are..." Crayne repeats.  "Who are they?"  Crayne kneels in the snow next to the body of the dead enemy.  "I'm going to need some light if we're going to make any attempt to identify him!"

            "I'll rekindle the fire, Crayne.  But we're not going to stick around here much longer," Canter says, moving in the darkness to the burned out logs.  Within a few moments, a small fire is restarted, growing slowly in warmth and extending its weak orange light over the campsite.

 

(164.0)

            "Another one," Skandor says, looking down at the body near the fire.

            Just then, El returns, walking quietly in the snow.  He stops in his tracks as his eyes behold the body lying there by the fire.  He is, for the moment, speechless, eyes narrowed, visually inspecting.  The wind has picked up again, and the snow falling has become denser, covering bedrolls and packs in a thin layer of light white powder.

            "Drow." Emma states.  "That's never good."

            "Why don't we pursue them?  Track them?" Hannibal suggests.

            "Not in this storm," Canter says, warming his hands by the fire.  "The snow'll cover their tracks before we can even find 'em.  Besides, I don't want to be fighting the drow at night, under these conditions.  I want to get to Jilten as fast as we can."

            "Emma, do you think these drow are the ones making trouble in Jilten?" Hannibal asks.

            Emma thinks for a moment.  "Could be.  But what I haven't figured out yet is why."

            "There's time for thinking on the road ahead.  Now, we need to put some distance between this dead drow and us," El states strongly.

            "Agreed," Canter says, nodding to the elf.  "Let's pack up and move out for Jilten.  And be alert for other bandits like these.  El, why don't you ride in front with your good night eyes.  Storm, you can cover the rear guard, make sure we're not followed?"

            Storm nods and spits in reply.  It is frozen before it hits the snow.

            Soon the party is off and riding again, but the going is slow against the wind and snow falling.  They ride through the night, straining themselves and the horses.  But by dawn the temperature has risen enough for blood to once again reach hands and feet, and after a quick stop for rest and rations, the party continues on.  It is mid-afternoon when the city of Jilten once again looms on the horizon, and late-afternoon when Rinder's Six once again rides into town.  There is a pleasant scent in the air, the aroma of bread and cheese, and the street is littered with small crumbs of food, feathers, a few scraps of cloth.  Evidently there was a large event held in the square.

            They hitch their mounts outside the same tavern as before, walking in and seating themselves at a table near the fire.  The barkeep nods in Storm's direction as the dwarf walks in, last, and prepares a round of drink.  As he comes around the table to serve them, Emma reaches for his arm to keep him nearby for a moment.

            "Good sir," she begins kindly, "we thank you for your hospitality.  It is nice to know that there is a comfortable place for Rinder's Six to return to from the road."

            The barkeep smiles, but says nothing.

            "We've returned," Emma continues, "to investigate a little more closely the reports of elves causing trouble in these parts.  We've had a little trouble with certain elves ourselves, recently."  Emma watches the barkeep's eyes stray toward Elloharin.  "Not him, different elves.  So I was wondering if you could tell us a little bit more about the situation?"

            The barkeep exhales slowly, lowering his tray to the table.  He the grabs an empty chair and brings it near.  "That I can.  These elves that were causing the troubles, ransacking my brother's shop and the like, they aren't like his kind."  He motions toward El.  "They were different.  I hadn't seen 'em before.  And since that day, I've only seen 'em once since.  And that was last night."

            "Last night?" Crayne asks, surprised.

            "Here?" Hannibal asks, lowering his mug to the table.

            "Yes, here," the barkeep answers.  "Just one.  He rode in on horseback, very late in the night, as I was closin' up.  He walked in the door and I reached under the bar for my blade, but he quickly said he meant me no harm, and that he'd come alone.  He dropped his sword and a bow on the floor, then walked toward me.  He said he had a message...for you."

            There is a brief moment of silence as the barkeep's words sink in.  Then he continues.

            "He said they were onto ye, and knew where ye were going.  And that they'd be waiting for ye on the other side."

            Crayne narrows his eyes as he considers the cryptic message, swirling some red wine around in his mouth as if that will help decipher it.  "Are you sure that's what he said?"

            The barkeep nods gravely.

            "And that's it?  Nothing more?" Hannibal asks.

            The barkeep nods again.

            "You're sure it was meant for us?  For Rinder's Six?" Canter asks.

            "I'm sure," the barkeep replies.  "Today was the winter's first market day, and everyone in town was there.  I asked around, and nobody else has seen any of 'em.  We don't know where they went, but we don't mind that they're gone.  It seems they're your problem now.  I ain't envious of that."

1.  HP status: everyone is at full health except: Canter: 42/44, and Storm: 47/50

 

2.  EMMA's spells have been updated.  EMMA now has memorized:

            L1: Battlefate, Call Upon Faith, CLW (x2) Light

            L2: Aid, Augury, CMW, Hold Person, Silence 15' radius

            L3: Dictate, Dispel Magic, Summon Animal Spirit

            L4: Recitation

 

CRAYNE currently has memorized:

            L1: Sleep, Charm Person, Magic Missile (x2)

            L2: Invisibility, Darkness 15' radius

            L3: Spectral Force, Lightning Bolt

 

ELLOHARIN currently has memorized:

            L1: Feather Fall, Wall of Fog

           

3.  Responses to the barkeep's message?  Interpretations?  Questions for the barkeep?

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