Dragon's Egg - Act III

[Keitsumah]

Batos

I stir in my sleep, images of fire, water and leering jaws haunting me. Then my eyes snap open, but the sight of her lying beside me just manages to keep me from roaring in fury. Still, my heart pounds loudly in my chest, and my breath runs ragged.

I'd almost died, yet I feel an undeniable guilt for not being there to protect her. If i hadn't jumped... but then the mage might have summoned another of those foul creatures... I grit my teeth and stretch my forelegs in the weak sunlight. Keitsumah stirs as well, but soon buries her face in my side again and curls up closer. Just like before, we only had each other. Now we have a whole pack to help us. A faint smile tugs at my muzzle and i relax, staring up through the branches for a time.

Unbidden, an old lullaby rises in my chest and i tilt my head back, the notes rising soft and flowing -a complex melody that my mother had taught me long ago... when i still walked among the elves.

(just rp'ing. If Cadell or anyone else happens to hear it and recognize it -preferably an elf- that would be cool)

 

[Ireth]

((I would have Cadell or Liadan respond, but I think Keit and Batos are a little too far from the Spear to be heard, what with the noise inside the inn.))

 

[Keitsumah]

((hmm... maybe have Cadell walk outside at some point to get fresh air? lol and then there may not be so many people to overhear him and Aliron unless you guys are done with that.))

 

[Steerpike]

Even through the hair that falls down over her shoulders, Cadell can see Aga's ears redden as he deflects the conversation to talk of Gisla. "She seems to be doing well." The girl looks away from Cadell, scanning the crowd gathered in the common room. "I was so worried. I'm glad you and your friends saved her." She goes silent for a moment, then hefts the tray of food and drink. "I...uh...well, I'd better see that everyone is served." She wades out into the crowd of tables, muttering something that sound like self-admonition under her breath.

In Gisla's room, talk of the battle continues, with Baldhart relating stories of the battle, much to Gisla's delight. The other woman grows a bit serious when mention is made of Keitsumah's spell, but it lasts only a brief instant, as though some thought passed through her mind, then she is pulled back into the story of battle.

"That was bravely done by Nissa. Brynhild was right to send her to you, Baldhart. I've never heard of Brynhild doing such a thing, but with everything that has been happening...something is going on in the world. I can't believe Brynhild sent Nissa for no reason, or that she was sent to you by accident."

When Baldhart mentions Mauve, Gisla face softens, but takes on a sad expression. "I wish things had gone differently. If she is caught, we can intercede on her behalf. What you've just told me would certainly mitigate any charges against her. Not just for saving me, but for her role in saving the village. I just wish those two hadn't behaved in so rash a manner when you first got here. I had my days of rash, impetuous behavior in my youth, and I've since come to appreciate a cooler head."

Aliron is able to move quietly through town. There is little movement in the village, with most seemingly happy to stay in their homes for the moment, or to congregate in the Spear. From his perch, Aliron watched Ankari, Mauve, and Keitsumah leave the village, though they each soon disappeared from view into the trees. As he speaks to Cadell in the Spear, there is little sign of trouble. The boisterous conversation and cheering from earlier settles down and people concentrate on their breakfasts. Soon, talk turns to rebuilding the docks and even to erecting some sort of wall that could protect the city in the event of future attacks. A few people also note that the location of the village's underground caves has been compromised.

A few nod to Cadell and Aliron if they happen to be looking in their direction, but most mind their own business, lifting their heads from conversation only to signal Aga that they need more food or ale.

In the outskirts of Arendal, all remains quiet. If the gnolls lingered in the area, there is no sign of them. Those party members outside of town remain undisturbed.

 

[Ireth]

Cadell

As Aga serves the patrons of the Spear, I slip outside for a breath of fresh air. The morning air is warmer than before, though it would still be described as at least 'cool'. I breathe it in deeply, listening to the songs of birds waking in the trees.

And something else. I tilt my head. A howl comes from the forest, rising and falling in a tune I find I know. An old elven lullaby, one my parents used to sing. Did Keit teach it to Batos?

Overcome with curiosity, I head toward the sound.

 

[SeverinR]

Aliron moves back out the door as quietly as he entered.
Out into the darkness towards where the dock use to be.
He hears a wolf howling, not too unusual except not many wolves around.
Then he stops as he realizes it is not a normal howl but it is a song.
An elven lullaby? From a wolf?
Not the dark song his mother song to Aliron, but a much nicer one.
Only Baltos was in the area, an exceptional wolf, but was this him?

But he moves on towards his destination. He needed to get out of town, before anyone questioned him or some enemy returned.
If all was calm, he would seek out the wolf, and then he would find Mauve.
But he could not move any more freely then she could, if anyone knew he knew where the girls were, he would be
locked up until they could persuade him to tell them where they are.
So the other discussions would have to wait.

Aliron moves into the shadow of the last building in town. Hiding watching for anyone following him, anyone walking the town that might see him. He will wait a good while(10-15minutes) in the shadows, before he moves into the woods, following Bressel's path.

Not to far into the woods Aliron will slip off the path and move back to watch the clearing for any signs of someone following him. Or noise in the woods to alert him of someone searching the woods.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Baldhart

"It meas so much to me to hear this. I don't know the exact reason, but I know there is a child I need to protect." I offer a hug to Gisla, and head downstairs, offering to escort her down if the idea of bed rest bores her.

I see a large crowd downstairs. They speak of repairs, walls, and possible future attacks. Life in the north. Liadan's right. I picked the right Goddess.

I approach the bar. "Hi, Aga." I smile pleasantly. The poor girl looks a little overwhelmed. "When you have a moment, I would like to take an order. A large order." I take out 10 gold. "This should cover it. I'll need a picnic basket or two, and food for six."

I can see the crowd is... mostly men. Mostly? Or are there any women here at all?

 

[Steerpike]

Gisla decides to stay at rest a bit longer. "Unless the fish demons come back," she says. "Otherwise, I'll leave the Spear to Aga for a few more hours. She knows what to do."

Downstairs, the crowd is indeed comprises entirely of males. The women of Arendal must be attending to other business, not content to come and drink after such a close call for the village.

When Baldhart makes her order and pulls out the 10 gold, Aga shakes her head. "Oh, no...that's too much Baldhart. Let's see...for six people...I assume you want the rabbit and not the fish, right? So that's the meat, bread, and I know we've got some cheese back there..." she runs through the numbers in her head, moving her lips silently. "And then two baskets will do, I think. So that comes to 3 gold then. Although since you saved the village, I bet Gisla will let you have it free, or at the very least at the cost to the inn. I'll go ask her if you want."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

"Yes, rabbit. I've had eight helpings of fish already." I take back five gold, but push the other five closer to Aga. "Please, accept a tip, Aga. I take great joy in serving my Goddess."

 

[Keitsumah]

Batos

Keitsumah slips deeper into sleep beside me, and it is only then i allow the lullaby to change. It becomes no longer a soothing melody, but one of an old longing for something lost. The sunlight falls through the frozen branches and dapples my fur, turning the snow-white hairs gold. Yet there is no hope or ending to this tune, it goes on and on.

It is the song of a child who has lost his mother too soon- a child who had fled his home. Not one of the old ones. This was a tune that Batos had made of his own will.

"Mother... what's wrong?" Batos stared with wide eyes at his parent as she knelt on the ground, trembling. Thick, red drops trickled down her face and to the ground with soft plunking noises, and the child's nostrils flared in alarm.

"Mother...?"

I slip out from beside Keitsumah and pad out from under the bush to press my forehead against an oak, the howl lowering to a rumble. Scraping my head against the rough bark, I don't stop until I feel a sharp sting, and blood flows down my muzzle. A cut. Just a cut. Not the same pain she had felt, even after she had put the spell on me and sent me away.

Is she still alive? I wonder. Unconsciously, I rise up on my hind-legs and place a fore paw against the tree to look back at the place where Keitsumah lays. To another, the motion would have looked almost human.

Yet there I remain, watching over her while I contemplate my parent's actions.



Then the rustle of clothes hit my ears and I look up, nostrils widening to take in a familliar scent. Cadell. I wonder what he wants. Sighing, I remain where I am, deciding I may as well enjoy standing as tall as a man for the moment, even if he may deem it strange.

If only there was some way i could speak... if i could tell them what happened to me... He comes around the next tree and into my line of sight, and i give him a quiet bark in welcome, though i nod in Keitsumah's direction so he knows she is still asleep and needs quiet. A smile tugs at my muzzle then. I was the one who nearly died, and yet i am still the one who guards over her while she rests. Not that I am begrudging her for that.

 

[Steerpike]

Aga takes the tip from Baldhart, her eyes lighting up. "Thank you, Baldhart! That's so generous of you. I'll add this to my savings!" She beams at the coins in her hand for a moment longer, then says "Give me about half an hour to get the food ready. I'll have to cook the meat, but that shouldn't take long. The cheese won't take long either. We didn't make fresh bread this morning, of course, so will last night's loafs do? I know there are a few left back there, and they are still good. I can warm them up while the meat is cooking."

Outside Aliron makes his way out of town, checking to make sure he isn't followed into the woods. He sees no sign of anyone following him, and soon picks up Bressel's trail into the woods.

((SeverinR - you can RP Aliron finding Bressel however you like, whether Bressel hears him coming or Aliron surprises him.

I'll let Cadell and Keitsumah's RP continue as well, so please follow whatever path you like for that.

For those who haven't slept (which is almost all of the characters) you're going to be feeling quite weary in the next few hours)).

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

"A half hour? Yes, everything sounds fine." I'm tired, but I'll sleep when I find Burnbright. "Aga, please wake me if I doze off."

((Thud.))

Aga towers over me, bellowing a thank you as I lift a coin fifty times my weight overhead, offering it as a tip. Pumm! Pumm! Pumm! She stomps into the kitchen.

I see my reflection in a beer stein that I was bathing in moments ago. I adore my pixie wings. I hike up my cloverleaf skirt, and take to the air. But… my wings are wet. I cannot fly. I come crashing down from the bar, and even in my pixie form, I manage to topple dozens of barstools and mugs. Splinters of wood and shards of glass are everywhere, and more stools, tables, mugs, baskets and spoons rain down from the crumbling ceiling. Well, not all of the falling objects can be my fault.

I flap my wings and arms with all my might, but it does no good. I fall to the floor and, despite my tiny pixie form, the entire common room shakes from the force of my landing. I fall through the floor, through the ground, and into the stars. I look up at the bottom of the world. Worms and corpses fall from the loosened dirt. Nissa glides by gracefully, and says,

"There's a chance this dream isn't a result of you actually falling off of your barstool in front of all those people… right?"

"It's a flying dream," I tell her. "A flying dream with no fish demons in it. Let's not ruin it."

 

[SeverinR]

Aliron sitting quietly watching the clearing, his head drops several times as he fights sleep.
Finally he accepts no one is following him.
Fatigue has set in, the adrenalin has faded. he focuses on the shadows and moves quickly and silently through the woods.
The barbarians trail is easy to follow in places, other times it is difficult in the dark.
The trail is suddenly gone. Aliron kneels looking around the ground, then his nose tells him what his eyes missed. He looks up wind and sees a slight smoke trail above the bushes.
Aliron smiles, the barbarian had a good location for camp, even Aliron had walked past it. Only the camp fire smoke had given him away.
Aliron moves up until he finds the entrance that Bressel had followed.
Aliron moves in, but stops.
What if this was not Bressel's camp?
He slips out the scimitar and slips into camp.
Sees Bressel eating next to the small fire. The fire was in a small pit, to reduce the light given off by the fire.
"Bressel." Aliron whispers as he moves next to the fire to warm himself.
Bressel jerks the axe up then lets it drop from his hand.
"No matter how long we have traveled, I will never be use to you sneaking up on me." Bressel whispers with just a hint of irritation.
"Friends are irritated by me suprising them, enemies never get the chance." Aliron pulls out some food and begins eating.
"There is that." Bressel nods. "I'm glad your here. The night has been long, it is getting hard to stay awake."
"You sleep first. I'll tend the fire and keep watch." Aliron offers as he begins to eat. "Dogmen left with no signs of returning."
"When I wake you. Be alert. I heard a wolf howling, I may be extremely tired, but I swear it was howling an elven lullaby."
"Maybe you should sleep first. A wolf howling a song?" Bressel chuckles.
"I am tired, but I cannot sleep until I know no one followed me." Aliron smiles.
"When we have rested, we'll go check on the girls."
"These two girls are so much trouble." Bressel sighs leaning back against a rock to relax.
"We will need to hunt before we get to them. Branwen will be hungry."
"Maybe she will save everyone the trouble and she ate the burnbright and Masama, and wondered off."
Aliron glances at Bressel then still eating moves out to check the area around the hideout.

If no signs of anyone following. He moves out, looking for vines, long sticks, anything to make noise.
Small or fat sticks he would use for the fire, but long and thin he would use to pepper the trail. So if anyone approached the snap of the twig would alert them.
Just outside the hide out, he strings the rope across the most likely approach concealing it with leaves and snow. The rope is to make them stumble or trip, so as to make noise.
Aliron returns to the fire to warm up again. Placing a few more fat sticks on the fire. He sits so he faces the entrance the bow in hand arrow noched. He notices the arrow is one of the towns arrows he took to replace his. Not as nice as the ones he bought, but they would do for now.
What could he expect from a small town with no elven fletcher to create great arrows.
[if nothing happens Aliron will wake Bressel in 2-3 hours, then he will sleep.]

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Baldhart

I catch myself dozing off, and find I only dreamed of embarrassing myself. Yes, I'm drooling on my table, but I'm still seated properly.

It's possible you fell on the floor, and a bunch of guys hoisted you into a chair.

Why would it be a BUNCH of guys? Are men in the north so weak?

Umm…

And how long was I out, anyway? I decide to check on Aga, and see how the meal is coming. I tell her, "It smells so good." For all I know, she just started cooking. Or maybe my order has already cooled and this is a customer's lunch. I truly have no idea how much time has passed.

But as soon as I can, I will try to follow footprints in the snow. Surely Bressel or Alin—maybe both—went to check on the girls. I may not be a tracker like my old hunting friend Addison, but I'm smart. And how hard can it be to follow fresh footprints in the snow?

 

[Steerpike]

When Baldhart wakes, Aga has the baskets ready to go, and the enticing smell of warm meat and bread emanates from them. The food is wrapped in thick cloth and bundled carefully into each basket. Aga smiles at Baldhart when she wakes. "You must be exhausted. I hope you're going to be able to get some real sleep after all this."

The outside air bites when Baldhart emerges, the morning sun having warmed it only a little. The wind isn't terrible, but a breeze blows up the cliffs from the ocean, carrying with it the smell of salt as Baldhart makes her way through the snow. Immediately outside of town, the tracks of party members and fish demons make rather a mess of the snow, but not far beyond, as Baldhart makes it to the first stand of trees, she picks up at least two sets of tracks that appear to be human and move to the west.

Baldhart follows the tracks carefully, and after she travels for some minutes she catches a faint whiff of smoke from a fire, though it is impossible to tell the direction of it. Scanning the area provides no visual indication of a fire, at least not yet, but she's sure she smelled it.

A few more minutes, and she thinks maybe she does see a faint trail of smoke ahead, small enough to perhaps emanate from a campfire of some sort. As Baldhart notices the smoke, she also hears a rather loud snap as her foot sinks into the snow and snaps through a number of twigs buried beneath.

Aliron hears the tell-tale snap of the twigs, though he can't see who or what made the noise from his position by the fire. Bressel remains asleep.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

"Dammit..."

Aliron and his traps. At least I wasn't impaled in a pit of spikes. "Bressel? Alin?" I hold up the baskets. One of them must've seen me from his hidey-hole.

I look for him, or where to move on if he doesn't answer...

((INT non-prime - I certainly didn't expect two successful INT checks in a row!))

"I have food--hot, freshly cooked, and plenty of it!"

I'm pretty confident I'll find him just by following the tracks, but... "I'll be much quieter if you guide me around the noisy sticks."

...though if I have to follow the footprints myself, I should avoid places where something was buried. I move forward slowly, walking only in virgin snow, if that can be helped.

 

[SeverinR]

Aliron
With the snap of the branch, Aliron smacks Bressel and dances past the fire, bow at the ready.

As he peeks carefully out of the hideout, the familiar voice calls out.

"Were you followed?" Aliron asks as he steps out from the hideout, arrow still at the ready but not pointed at Baldhart.

Bressel

Bressel stumbles out behind Aliron still trying to wake up, axe in hand.
"It was a long night." He explains.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Followed?

"No."

I show Alin and Bressel the baskets.

"It was a very long night. I need rest, but I can't enjoy the comfort of bed and bath, knowing the children are in a cave. I mean to rest with them and see them well fed. There's plenty for both of you and Masama as well. Please take me to them, while the food is still warm."

 

[Ireth]

Cadell

I approach Batos with caution, knowing he clearly sensed my presence long before I saw him. A smile rises to my lips at the pose he takes to watch over Keitsumah. It's not very wolf-like at all.

"You're an odd one, that's for certain," I laugh softly, and reach over to let him sniff my hand before rubbing his ears. I begin to hum the melody he had been howling, then sing.

 

[Keitsumah]

I decide to tolerate him rubbing my ears and give him a little in turn by putting my own paw on his head, then put it back down. The song reminds me of the days when i was but an infant, and all i had known was the soft voice of my mother.

Cadell begins to sing the same lullaby i had only a minute before, and I can't help but join in again. It soothes me in ways I can't explain, and again i wish i were an elf. If only i could speak to him, tell him that he had not found one, but two lost children. That i could understand more than he thought...

An idea pops into my mind -the song of an elven festival that only comes around once every hundred years.