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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="ellinor" data-source="post: 5905903" data-attributes="member: 14561"><p><strong>28x02</strong></p><p></p><p><span style="color: DarkOrange">Thanks, StevenAC!</span></p><p><span style="color: DarkOrange">Here we go...</span></p><p></p><p><strong>28x02</strong></p><p></p><p>“Do you hear that?” Rose asked.</p><p></p><p>Savina craned her ears. There was a noise, like the cheering crowd of a festival. Savina concentrated. There was a smell, too, like cooking. “Today’s a harvest festival here, too, right? I think I can smell the food.”</p><p></p><p>“We don’t cook outdoors,” Nyoko said. “That’s something else. Burning. Coming from across town.”</p><p></p><p>Across town, where they were going. </p><p></p><p>They broke into a run through the narrow, crowded streets, past residences, through alleys, past shops and inns.</p><p> </p><p>Savina reached the back of a crowd. Smoke billowed from somewhere, but there were too many people between her and the smoke. Unruly people. Savina put her hand on the shoulder of a young woman. “What’s happening?” she asked. </p><p></p><p>“Something about the Priesthood and the Inquisition,” the woman said. “I’m trying to find out myself.”</p><p></p><p><em>Not a good sign,</em> Savina thought. <em>The Priesthood shouldn’t know we’re coming.</em> </p><p></p><p>As they pushed through the crowd, dodging flailing arms and thrown bottles, Savina noticed that a lot of the people were wearing purple sashes. Sedellan colors—but surely, there weren’t so many Sedellans in Cauldron. “Those sashes, are they normal for this festival?” she asked Unsuku, who was just a few steps behind. </p><p></p><p>“No,” said Unsuku, ducking to avoid a thrown pot. </p><p></p><p><em>Another bad sign.</em> A few feet away, a woman was holding her own head, trying to staunch blood from a wound on her temple. Savina began to dash toward the woman, but stopped. <em>I can’t heal everyone,</em> she told herself. <em>And we have work to do.</em></p><p></p><p>Kormick grabbed the collar of one of the sash-wearers. “What’s this about?” he barked. </p><p></p><p>The sash-wearer spit at Kormick’s feet. “Inquisition dog. Everyone knows that you are conspiring with the Priesthood to destroy all Sedellans.”</p><p></p><p>“What are you talking about?” Kormick dragged the man’s face closer to his own. </p><p></p><p>“You arrested our leader, Sister Sweet Scent. Held her and tortured her without provocation! We’ve heard other Sedellan Synod members in other cities have been arrested as well! We know you’re trying to stamp out our beliefs, and we won’t let you get away with it!” </p><p></p><p>Savina stared at the man. She certainly hadn’t heard anything about arrests in other cities. The man seemed genuinely angry, and genuinely scared. But, as she quickly surveyed other nearby faces, she realized that wasn’t true for everyone here . . . some of them looked hard, determined, sly… they were here to foment unrest. </p><p></p><p>Kormick turned to Lord Ono, who had joined them to lead the Inquisition squad personally. “Tide propaganda. They started this riot. We’ll head to the Temple if you can deal with the hooligans.” </p><p></p><p>Lord Ono nodded. “Gather up!” he announced to the Inquisitors.</p><p></p><p>Kormick released the sash-wearer’s lapel and waved him away. “Go to your Sedellan friends. Tell all of them that Inquisitors let you go.” The man ran, but Savina could not see where he went.</p><p></p><p>Savina started running again up the narrow street toward the Temple of Kettenek – that is, she <em>tried</em> to – but suddenly she couldn’t move. A searing pain coursed from the back of her calf up her leg down her back – and then a second pain. Two arrows had hit her, as if from nowhere – and as she looked around, she saw she wasn’t the only one hit. Tavi was pulling an arrow from his thigh. Mena had been hit three times, and stumbled from the pain. </p><p></p><p>Arden reacted immediately, throwing a dagger at one of the rooftop snipers, and then clambering up a nearby scaffold and stabbing him. Savina shook off the shock and snapped into action. She knelt over Mena and said a prayer. Immediately, Mena staggered to her feet and chased after Arden. Kormick hurled himself through a tavern window and pushed past tables toward the stairway in the back. </p><p></p><p>Moments later, two snipers plummeted from the roof, landing on the street. Tavi knocked one of them out with a swift blow. The other sniper landed awkwardly Savina’s feet—but amazingly, he pushed at the ground as if to stand up. </p><p></p><p>Savina whacked the fallen sniper on the head with her staff, as hard as she could muster. He grabbed his head in pain. “Stay down!” she yelled. </p><p></p><p>“That’s this roof clear!” yelled Kormick. But there were more snipers. An arrow whizzed past Savina’s shoulder. More flew over the street from one roof to another. Savina heard Mena cry out again—she was hit, atop one of the roofs. <em>Too far away.[ /i] But Tavi had been fending off several attackers at ground level and was grabbing his shoulder in pain. Savina ran to him, reciting a prayer under her breath. <a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/story-hour/251423-rose-wind-saga-halmae-updated-may-2-2012-a-6.html#post4849689" target="_blank">“Not! The! Boots!”</a> she heard Arden yell, and in moments another sniper fell to the ground, blood streaming from his side, unconscious. </em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>Savina spotted Mena, by a second floor window, fending off one of the snipers—he’d dropped his bow, and was trying to shove Mena out the window. “Nice try, honey,” Mena said. “Now back yourself up and try again.” He took her advice, but Arden was right behind him, dagger in hand. <em>Shick,</em> he slumped over unconscious, his torso hanging out the window. Arden pulled him inside.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>Across the alley, Savina heard Unsuku’s voice. “Someone want to finish this guy off?” She was on a balcony, holding the last sniper in an exotic, but effective, grip. In a flash, one of Nyoko’s arrows flew past Unsuku and into the man’s shoulder. With an impressive burst of speed, Mena leapt the gap and, with a deft flick of the sword, incapacitated him.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>“Are we done?” Kormick asked. He appeared in the doorway of the building he’d crashed through, and picked up two of the fallen snipers by the backs of their jerkins. “Let’s take these miscreants in.” One by one, the party returned to ground level, carrying unconscious snipers. </em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>“One left,” Savina said, and ran toward the one she’d whacked with her staff, now a dozen yards away. He was staggering to his feet and yelling at the top of his lungs “Help! Help! I’m being attacked by the Inquisition! Help me, Sisters!” </em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>Then he looked at Savina with a nasty grin and winked.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>“That’s not true!” Savina yelled. “We’re on your side!” Her words were swallowed up in the din of the crowd. Nyoko caught him with an arrow, but he started running. Twiggy tried to cast something at him, but to no avail. Tavi dispersed the crowd a bit with a burst of flame, but people still closed behind the sniper in an instant, swallowing him up, almost blocking him from view.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>Kormick dropped the two unconscious snipers and chased the conscious one. “’Scuse me, pardon me,” he barked, pushing through the crowd, following the eddies where the man had been. “I need you to stop. Inciting. This. Crowd,” he bellowed as he caught up with the man, and swung his hammer sidelong at the man’s right knee. The man collapsed. Kormick dragged him, limping, back to where Savina and the others stood. </em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>“You’re not Sedellan, are you,” Savina asked him, through slivered eyes. “You’re Tide, here to cause trouble.” The man sneered. It was all the confirmation Savina needed. She pulled at his purple sash. “I’ll take that.” </em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>“What do we do with them?” Twiggy asked. “Do we really want to be dragging prisoners around on a mission to arrest the Mother Superior?” </em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>“We have no choice,” Mena answered, and slung one of them – stripped of his purple sash – over her slight shoulders in a fireman’s carry. The others did the same. Kormick took two, one over each shoulder. Unsuku pulled the limping one, gagged but defiant, along beside her. </em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>And they ran, carrying their burdens, through the crowd, toward the Temple.</em></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="ellinor, post: 5905903, member: 14561"] [b]28x02[/b] [COLOR="DarkOrange"]Thanks, StevenAC! Here we go...[/COLOR] [b]28x02[/b] “Do you hear that?” Rose asked. Savina craned her ears. There was a noise, like the cheering crowd of a festival. Savina concentrated. There was a smell, too, like cooking. “Today’s a harvest festival here, too, right? I think I can smell the food.” “We don’t cook outdoors,” Nyoko said. “That’s something else. Burning. Coming from across town.” Across town, where they were going. They broke into a run through the narrow, crowded streets, past residences, through alleys, past shops and inns. Savina reached the back of a crowd. Smoke billowed from somewhere, but there were too many people between her and the smoke. Unruly people. Savina put her hand on the shoulder of a young woman. “What’s happening?” she asked. “Something about the Priesthood and the Inquisition,” the woman said. “I’m trying to find out myself.” [i]Not a good sign,[/i] Savina thought. [i]The Priesthood shouldn’t know we’re coming.[/i] As they pushed through the crowd, dodging flailing arms and thrown bottles, Savina noticed that a lot of the people were wearing purple sashes. Sedellan colors—but surely, there weren’t so many Sedellans in Cauldron. “Those sashes, are they normal for this festival?” she asked Unsuku, who was just a few steps behind. “No,” said Unsuku, ducking to avoid a thrown pot. [i]Another bad sign.[/i] A few feet away, a woman was holding her own head, trying to staunch blood from a wound on her temple. Savina began to dash toward the woman, but stopped. [i]I can’t heal everyone,[/i] she told herself. [i]And we have work to do.[/i] Kormick grabbed the collar of one of the sash-wearers. “What’s this about?” he barked. The sash-wearer spit at Kormick’s feet. “Inquisition dog. Everyone knows that you are conspiring with the Priesthood to destroy all Sedellans.” “What are you talking about?” Kormick dragged the man’s face closer to his own. “You arrested our leader, Sister Sweet Scent. Held her and tortured her without provocation! We’ve heard other Sedellan Synod members in other cities have been arrested as well! We know you’re trying to stamp out our beliefs, and we won’t let you get away with it!” Savina stared at the man. She certainly hadn’t heard anything about arrests in other cities. The man seemed genuinely angry, and genuinely scared. But, as she quickly surveyed other nearby faces, she realized that wasn’t true for everyone here . . . some of them looked hard, determined, sly… they were here to foment unrest. Kormick turned to Lord Ono, who had joined them to lead the Inquisition squad personally. “Tide propaganda. They started this riot. We’ll head to the Temple if you can deal with the hooligans.” Lord Ono nodded. “Gather up!” he announced to the Inquisitors. Kormick released the sash-wearer’s lapel and waved him away. “Go to your Sedellan friends. Tell all of them that Inquisitors let you go.” The man ran, but Savina could not see where he went. Savina started running again up the narrow street toward the Temple of Kettenek – that is, she [i]tried[/i] to – but suddenly she couldn’t move. A searing pain coursed from the back of her calf up her leg down her back – and then a second pain. Two arrows had hit her, as if from nowhere – and as she looked around, she saw she wasn’t the only one hit. Tavi was pulling an arrow from his thigh. Mena had been hit three times, and stumbled from the pain. Arden reacted immediately, throwing a dagger at one of the rooftop snipers, and then clambering up a nearby scaffold and stabbing him. Savina shook off the shock and snapped into action. She knelt over Mena and said a prayer. Immediately, Mena staggered to her feet and chased after Arden. Kormick hurled himself through a tavern window and pushed past tables toward the stairway in the back. Moments later, two snipers plummeted from the roof, landing on the street. Tavi knocked one of them out with a swift blow. The other sniper landed awkwardly Savina’s feet—but amazingly, he pushed at the ground as if to stand up. Savina whacked the fallen sniper on the head with her staff, as hard as she could muster. He grabbed his head in pain. “Stay down!” she yelled. “That’s this roof clear!” yelled Kormick. But there were more snipers. An arrow whizzed past Savina’s shoulder. More flew over the street from one roof to another. Savina heard Mena cry out again—she was hit, atop one of the roofs. [i]Too far away.[ /i] But Tavi had been fending off several attackers at ground level and was grabbing his shoulder in pain. Savina ran to him, reciting a prayer under her breath. [URL="http://www.enworld.org/forum/story-hour/251423-rose-wind-saga-halmae-updated-may-2-2012-a-6.html#post4849689"]“Not! The! Boots!”[/URL] she heard Arden yell, and in moments another sniper fell to the ground, blood streaming from his side, unconscious. Savina spotted Mena, by a second floor window, fending off one of the snipers—he’d dropped his bow, and was trying to shove Mena out the window. “Nice try, honey,” Mena said. “Now back yourself up and try again.” He took her advice, but Arden was right behind him, dagger in hand. [i]Shick,[/i] he slumped over unconscious, his torso hanging out the window. Arden pulled him inside. Across the alley, Savina heard Unsuku’s voice. “Someone want to finish this guy off?” She was on a balcony, holding the last sniper in an exotic, but effective, grip. In a flash, one of Nyoko’s arrows flew past Unsuku and into the man’s shoulder. With an impressive burst of speed, Mena leapt the gap and, with a deft flick of the sword, incapacitated him. “Are we done?” Kormick asked. He appeared in the doorway of the building he’d crashed through, and picked up two of the fallen snipers by the backs of their jerkins. “Let’s take these miscreants in.” One by one, the party returned to ground level, carrying unconscious snipers. “One left,” Savina said, and ran toward the one she’d whacked with her staff, now a dozen yards away. He was staggering to his feet and yelling at the top of his lungs “Help! Help! I’m being attacked by the Inquisition! Help me, Sisters!” Then he looked at Savina with a nasty grin and winked. “That’s not true!” Savina yelled. “We’re on your side!” Her words were swallowed up in the din of the crowd. Nyoko caught him with an arrow, but he started running. Twiggy tried to cast something at him, but to no avail. Tavi dispersed the crowd a bit with a burst of flame, but people still closed behind the sniper in an instant, swallowing him up, almost blocking him from view. Kormick dropped the two unconscious snipers and chased the conscious one. “’Scuse me, pardon me,” he barked, pushing through the crowd, following the eddies where the man had been. “I need you to stop. Inciting. This. Crowd,” he bellowed as he caught up with the man, and swung his hammer sidelong at the man’s right knee. The man collapsed. Kormick dragged him, limping, back to where Savina and the others stood. “You’re not Sedellan, are you,” Savina asked him, through slivered eyes. “You’re Tide, here to cause trouble.” The man sneered. It was all the confirmation Savina needed. She pulled at his purple sash. “I’ll take that.” “What do we do with them?” Twiggy asked. “Do we really want to be dragging prisoners around on a mission to arrest the Mother Superior?” “We have no choice,” Mena answered, and slung one of them – stripped of his purple sash – over her slight shoulders in a fireman’s carry. The others did the same. Kormick took two, one over each shoulder. Unsuku pulled the limping one, gagged but defiant, along beside her. And they ran, carrying their burdens, through the crowd, toward the Temple.[/i] [/QUOTE]
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A Rose In The Wind: A Saga of the Halmae -- Updated June 19, 2014
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