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A Rose In The Wind: A Saga of the Halmae -- Updated June 19, 2014
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<blockquote data-quote="Ilex" data-source="post: 4842269" data-attributes="member: 82687"><p><strong>3x02</strong></p><p></p><p>“She is able-bodied and skilled,” said Mena. “I don’t see why Arden should not take a guard shift.”</p><p></p><p>Twiggy nodded. “And she has as much incentive as the rest of us to stay safe. Getting attacked hurts her the same as it hurts anyone. Right?” Twiggy looked at Arden, who was cleaning the pot from dinner. Arden nodded, slightly, and looked down.</p><p></p><p>“Fine,” replied Kormick. “If you want her on guard, Dame Mena, you share her shift.”</p><p></p><p>Mena did not care for Kormick’s dictatorial tone, but she had no objection to sharing a guard shift with Arden. Arden was a member of their party, and her enslavement did not merit her special treatment any more than Rose’s wealth did for Rose. Despite a lifetime in elitist Pol Henna, Mena relied only on deeds, not money or blood, as evidence of personal worth. Good fortune, after all, could be a particularly clever way for the Fickle One to breed any number of evils. </p><p></p><p>One by one, the party fell asleep, leaving Mena and Arden to watch the camp by the light of the comforting moon. </p><p></p><p>They kept watch in silence for a time. An hour had passed, maybe more, when Arden spoke in a low voice, just barely loud enough for Mena to hear. “Dame Filomena, please you . . . When those rats attacked, even though your job is to look out for Signora Roseanna, you helped everyone. I mean – even <em>me</em>. I've been wanting to thank you for that." </p><p></p><p>Mena shrugged and replied, equally low, “I deserve no thanks for doing my duty.” She paused, then continued, "I have no love of slavery, nor any respect for it as an institution. You are no less deserving of protection than Rose or Savina.” Mena's gaze strayed to Rose, sleeping peacefully near the fire. </p><p></p><p>For her part, Arden stared at Mena for a time, an unreadable look. Then she followed Mena's gaze. “My will is not my own, Dame Filomena. I've learned not to make promises. But if I am allowed, I will help Signora Roseanna. She deserves to be free of this.”</p><p></p><p>Their conversation continued, quietly and guardedly, for several minutes before Mena spotted a faint and a flickering glow up ahead along the trail. Arden nodded that she saw it also. Was it some sort of signal-light? They saw no other lights. Could it be some sort of glowing bird? Such strange animals were unsettlingly common in the Ketkath, but it seemed to be floating, more than flying. Yes, perhaps a signal. What else <em>could</em> it be?</p><p></p><p>Arden gently woke Savina, and Mena rushed between the fires, waking the others. The rat battle was fresh in their minds, and they wanted to be ready. “It’s probably nothing,” Mena said as she woke Tavi, “but it’s better to be awake for nothing than asleep and dead.”</p><p></p><p>As the light floated closer, the group saw that it was actually two spherical objects, one white and one black. The two balls circled each other, like fish in a pond. As they approached, more orbs appeared behind them. A pair of much larger large orbs circled in the center of the group.</p><p></p><p>“I have read that sheep travel with a leader in the middle of the group, rather than the front,” Twiggy offered, whispering. “It is called a ‘bellwether.’” She paused, as the group looked at her quizzically. “Maybe this is a herd of black and white glowing balls, traveling between pastures—or whatever . . . and they will float right past us if we leave them alone.”</p><p></p><p>Kormick shook his head. “Adorable. She thinks they will float right past.”</p><p></p><p>“It could happen!” Twiggy protested.</p><p></p><p>As the group waited, hands on weapons, the orbs floated toward the camp, then into the camp, among the party . . . then slowed to a halt, a large orb hovering over each fire. </p><p></p><p>BAM! The black orb slammed itself down with a sudden force on the fire, extinguishing it. Moments later, the large white orb dove into the other fire, causing it to spark and burn with white-hot flame before running out of fuel with a sputter and pop. </p><p></p><p>As the two large orbs rose up again in the moonlit darkness, the little ones went crazy. First, the black orbs sped outward, concentrically. “Duck!” yelled Mena.</p><p></p><p>The group ducked and dodged as black orbs whizzed past their faces. “They’re sure not sheep!” yelled Tavi as he dodged one. </p><p></p><p>Kormick’s crossbows were up and his arms steady, as he held a pair in his sight. As the black orbs flew outward, he stood fast. The brief, casual tip of his head a few inches—then back upright, as a black orb whistled past his ear—betrayed a career spent dodging thrown objects. He let two arrows fly, penetrating two black orbs almost at once. They burst and disappeared. “Two down!” he yelled, readying his crossbows again.</p><p></p><p>All at once, the white orbs came to life, emitting bright, distinct beams of light in all directions. One beam hit Twiggy, who screamed as pain seared her shoulder. Rose screamed, too, as a beam seared her thigh. </p><p></p><p>Mena sprang into action, slashing at the large black ball. <em>We would have left you alone, whatever you are, if you hadn’t attacked us,</em> she thought. <em>Now you’ll know why that was a bad idea.</em> As her sword and Arden’s connected with the black ball, it shuddered, flickered, and fizzled to nothing. The large white ball jumped and whirled in what seemed to be a sympathetic reaction.</p><p></p><p>Tavi’s sword glowed green as he focused on the orb in front of him. “You want a fight? Come and get a fight.” He was ready when it charged him, blocking its rush with his sword. The black ball dissolved. But he was not ready for the next orb, or the one after. They bludgeoned his chest and arm. As Tavi checked the injury to his arm—blood seeped through his tunic—a beam of energy shot from Twiggy’s wand into the one of the orbs that had hit Tavi. It dissolved like the first. “That’ll show you,” he said.</p><p></p><p>When the large black orb came for him, Tavi held up his hand. “Not this time,” he barked, as fire burst from his palm, dissolving the attacking orb. </p><p></p><p>Savina mouthed a quiet “wow” as she finished a prayer, sending healing energy to all her allies. </p><p></p><p>But the spheres were taking their toll. Mena was surrounded; Kormick, his shoulder still bruised, was missing shots with his crossbow; and Twiggy was badly distracted by her burned arm. “Pull it together!” Mena urged, even as she fell back to avoid the spheres around her. </p><p></p><p>Tavi responded. He brandished his blade, flames dancing along its hilt, until two pairs of orbs were in range. Then, with a swift stroke, he sliced through them. Swirling fire engulfed the orbs, dissolving the black ones. The white ones, however, glowed brighter, swelled, and exploded, raining fired down on Mena and Arden. “Hey guys?” Tavi announced, “don’t use fire on the white ones!”</p><p></p><p>Tavi had destroyed the last of the black orbs; only white ones remained. <em>Fire,</em> Mena thought, as the falling flame seared the backs of her scarred hands. She gritted her teeth as its familiar pain caught her nerves and shot up her arms. <em>It had to be fire.</em></p><p></p><p>Arden’s blade needed no flame to hit its mark. But as she impaled a white orb, it exploded as the last ones did, spraying flame at Tavi and Kormick. The next one did the same as Tavi slashed it, bathing Tavi, Jan, and Mena in fire. Arden, with a look of resignation, dispatched another and felt the inevitable searing of its death burst. No one was spared. They could not take much more of this.</p><p></p><p>Mena watched as Savina gaped at the party’s injuries and prepared another healing spell. “We’re fine!” yelled Mena. “Just hit the darn things!” But a moment later, she felt a surge of healing course through her, and saw energy rise in Tavi’s eyes as well. <em>That girl may save our lives,</em> Mena thought, <em>or she may get us all killed.</em></p><p></p><p>The last white orb began to move away. Mena chased it. <em>Whatever it is, it’s not going back to tell its friends about us.</em> Slice. It exploded in a burst of white light and flame, burning Mena again. </p><p></p><p>And then it was dark. </p><p></p><p>The white orb of the moon hung above, now more ominous than comforting. They slept uneasily.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Ilex, post: 4842269, member: 82687"] [b]3x02[/b] “She is able-bodied and skilled,” said Mena. “I don’t see why Arden should not take a guard shift.” Twiggy nodded. “And she has as much incentive as the rest of us to stay safe. Getting attacked hurts her the same as it hurts anyone. Right?” Twiggy looked at Arden, who was cleaning the pot from dinner. Arden nodded, slightly, and looked down. “Fine,” replied Kormick. “If you want her on guard, Dame Mena, you share her shift.” Mena did not care for Kormick’s dictatorial tone, but she had no objection to sharing a guard shift with Arden. Arden was a member of their party, and her enslavement did not merit her special treatment any more than Rose’s wealth did for Rose. Despite a lifetime in elitist Pol Henna, Mena relied only on deeds, not money or blood, as evidence of personal worth. Good fortune, after all, could be a particularly clever way for the Fickle One to breed any number of evils. One by one, the party fell asleep, leaving Mena and Arden to watch the camp by the light of the comforting moon. They kept watch in silence for a time. An hour had passed, maybe more, when Arden spoke in a low voice, just barely loud enough for Mena to hear. “Dame Filomena, please you . . . When those rats attacked, even though your job is to look out for Signora Roseanna, you helped everyone. I mean – even [i]me[/i]. I've been wanting to thank you for that." Mena shrugged and replied, equally low, “I deserve no thanks for doing my duty.” She paused, then continued, "I have no love of slavery, nor any respect for it as an institution. You are no less deserving of protection than Rose or Savina.” Mena's gaze strayed to Rose, sleeping peacefully near the fire. For her part, Arden stared at Mena for a time, an unreadable look. Then she followed Mena's gaze. “My will is not my own, Dame Filomena. I've learned not to make promises. But if I am allowed, I will help Signora Roseanna. She deserves to be free of this.” Their conversation continued, quietly and guardedly, for several minutes before Mena spotted a faint and a flickering glow up ahead along the trail. Arden nodded that she saw it also. Was it some sort of signal-light? They saw no other lights. Could it be some sort of glowing bird? Such strange animals were unsettlingly common in the Ketkath, but it seemed to be floating, more than flying. Yes, perhaps a signal. What else [i]could[/i] it be? Arden gently woke Savina, and Mena rushed between the fires, waking the others. The rat battle was fresh in their minds, and they wanted to be ready. “It’s probably nothing,” Mena said as she woke Tavi, “but it’s better to be awake for nothing than asleep and dead.” As the light floated closer, the group saw that it was actually two spherical objects, one white and one black. The two balls circled each other, like fish in a pond. As they approached, more orbs appeared behind them. A pair of much larger large orbs circled in the center of the group. “I have read that sheep travel with a leader in the middle of the group, rather than the front,” Twiggy offered, whispering. “It is called a ‘bellwether.’” She paused, as the group looked at her quizzically. “Maybe this is a herd of black and white glowing balls, traveling between pastures—or whatever . . . and they will float right past us if we leave them alone.” Kormick shook his head. “Adorable. She thinks they will float right past.” “It could happen!” Twiggy protested. As the group waited, hands on weapons, the orbs floated toward the camp, then into the camp, among the party . . . then slowed to a halt, a large orb hovering over each fire. BAM! The black orb slammed itself down with a sudden force on the fire, extinguishing it. Moments later, the large white orb dove into the other fire, causing it to spark and burn with white-hot flame before running out of fuel with a sputter and pop. As the two large orbs rose up again in the moonlit darkness, the little ones went crazy. First, the black orbs sped outward, concentrically. “Duck!” yelled Mena. The group ducked and dodged as black orbs whizzed past their faces. “They’re sure not sheep!” yelled Tavi as he dodged one. Kormick’s crossbows were up and his arms steady, as he held a pair in his sight. As the black orbs flew outward, he stood fast. The brief, casual tip of his head a few inches—then back upright, as a black orb whistled past his ear—betrayed a career spent dodging thrown objects. He let two arrows fly, penetrating two black orbs almost at once. They burst and disappeared. “Two down!” he yelled, readying his crossbows again. All at once, the white orbs came to life, emitting bright, distinct beams of light in all directions. One beam hit Twiggy, who screamed as pain seared her shoulder. Rose screamed, too, as a beam seared her thigh. Mena sprang into action, slashing at the large black ball. [i]We would have left you alone, whatever you are, if you hadn’t attacked us,[/i] she thought. [i]Now you’ll know why that was a bad idea.[/i] As her sword and Arden’s connected with the black ball, it shuddered, flickered, and fizzled to nothing. The large white ball jumped and whirled in what seemed to be a sympathetic reaction. Tavi’s sword glowed green as he focused on the orb in front of him. “You want a fight? Come and get a fight.” He was ready when it charged him, blocking its rush with his sword. The black ball dissolved. But he was not ready for the next orb, or the one after. They bludgeoned his chest and arm. As Tavi checked the injury to his arm—blood seeped through his tunic—a beam of energy shot from Twiggy’s wand into the one of the orbs that had hit Tavi. It dissolved like the first. “That’ll show you,” he said. When the large black orb came for him, Tavi held up his hand. “Not this time,” he barked, as fire burst from his palm, dissolving the attacking orb. Savina mouthed a quiet “wow” as she finished a prayer, sending healing energy to all her allies. But the spheres were taking their toll. Mena was surrounded; Kormick, his shoulder still bruised, was missing shots with his crossbow; and Twiggy was badly distracted by her burned arm. “Pull it together!” Mena urged, even as she fell back to avoid the spheres around her. Tavi responded. He brandished his blade, flames dancing along its hilt, until two pairs of orbs were in range. Then, with a swift stroke, he sliced through them. Swirling fire engulfed the orbs, dissolving the black ones. The white ones, however, glowed brighter, swelled, and exploded, raining fired down on Mena and Arden. “Hey guys?” Tavi announced, “don’t use fire on the white ones!” Tavi had destroyed the last of the black orbs; only white ones remained. [i]Fire,[/i] Mena thought, as the falling flame seared the backs of her scarred hands. She gritted her teeth as its familiar pain caught her nerves and shot up her arms. [i]It had to be fire.[/i] Arden’s blade needed no flame to hit its mark. But as she impaled a white orb, it exploded as the last ones did, spraying flame at Tavi and Kormick. The next one did the same as Tavi slashed it, bathing Tavi, Jan, and Mena in fire. Arden, with a look of resignation, dispatched another and felt the inevitable searing of its death burst. No one was spared. They could not take much more of this. Mena watched as Savina gaped at the party’s injuries and prepared another healing spell. “We’re fine!” yelled Mena. “Just hit the darn things!” But a moment later, she felt a surge of healing course through her, and saw energy rise in Tavi’s eyes as well. [i]That girl may save our lives,[/i] Mena thought, [i]or she may get us all killed.[/i] The last white orb began to move away. Mena chased it. [i]Whatever it is, it’s not going back to tell its friends about us.[/i] Slice. It exploded in a burst of white light and flame, burning Mena again. And then it was dark. The white orb of the moon hung above, now more ominous than comforting. They slept uneasily. [/QUOTE]
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A Rose In The Wind: A Saga of the Halmae -- Updated June 19, 2014
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