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Ceramic Dm (final judgement posted, New Champion announced!)
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<blockquote data-quote="orchid blossom" data-source="post: 1666671" data-attributes="member: 12815"><p>Round 2: Greywolf-ELM vs. orchid blossom</p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 15px">Birth Pangs</span></p><p></p><p>By: orchid blossom</p><p></p><p>Carowyn held the delicate fish in her hand. "It's not even struggling to breathe," she marveled.</p><p></p><p> "That's not all, watch this," Erica said as she flipped off the lights. <a href="http://www.enworld.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=15305" target="_blank">The already golden fish began to glow from deep within with a warm, orange light.</a> </p><p></p><p> "It's beautiful. This doesn't seem so bad. Not like what happened to Sheeva." Carowyn sniffled. The villagers had been too afraid to let the sweet brown bear stay after she mutated.</p><p></p><p> The old herbalist clicked her tongue. "I thought I chose my apprentices better. You're not thinking. A fish that glows like that is going to have a hard time avoiding predators. And what's the good of being able to breathe out of water if you can't move? This mutation is fairly benign, but others aren't. It has to be stopped. Yet the humans still want to wait. Fools, the lot of them."</p><p></p><p> Carowyn carefully lowered her hand and slipped the goldfish back into its bowl. "Can you really blame them? The farther apart our worlds grow, the more magic they lose."</p><p></p><p> "I understand it, but it doesn't make it any less stupid. For whatever reason the parts of this world that are touched with magic can no longer coexist with those that aren't. They're pushing against each other. It's amazing the world isn't just ripping itself apart. The magic in us is creating us a new world, but the birth pangs are doing terrible damage. We must sever ourselves or both worlds will be changed beyond recognition," Erica said, snapping the light back on.</p><p></p><p> Carowyn picked up her mortar and pestle and put them neatly away. "You think we shouldn't wait for the humans?" she finally asked.</p><p></p><p> "We can't," Erica sighed, her old bones slumping as she settled herself in a chair. "They are tenacious. They'll hold on as long as they can, and longer than they should. Bring me some tea, child."</p><p></p><p> Carowyn fetched the whistling teapot and dropped in a tea ball. "You have an idea?" she asked once it was finished steeping and they were both at their ease in Erica's soft chairs.</p><p></p><p> "Not an especially good one. Our mages are ready to work the spell that will close the last ways between the worlds. But there are still humans here guarding them. The spell will be long, and unfortunately flashy. We need them distracted, or better yet out of the way. There's only the one way nearby, so it shouldn't be too difficult. I've recruited Jacob to help us."</p><p></p><p> Carowyn laughed. "Jacob, the human mage? Never mind his mutation, but staying here is driving him insane. Can we trust him?"</p><p></p><p> "He has first hand knowledge of what's happening; more so than most humans. He understands why it has to be, and when it has to be. He can get the guards out of the way without hurting them, but I want you to go with him."</p><p></p><p> "Is that really necessary? I mean, if we can trust him, why send me?"</p><p></p><p> Erica flicked her fingernail against the rim of her teacup. "I trust his intentions. But he's on the edge of madness. He may not be able to deal with the unexpected. Someone should be with him, and I trust you. Once the spell is complete his mutation should disappear, and the mages think they'll be able to keep one human sane." The older woman reached over and patted the apprentice's shoulder. "Maybe Sheeva will even come back."</p><p></p><p>* * *</p><p></p><p> The watches had gotten increasingly dull. Steven paced back and forth in front of the broken down bit of wall to the side of the waypoint. He'd rather have had guard duty on the human side. These gnomes were far too quiet. At least on his world there was the occasional mage willing to risk mutation and madness to keep his magic. Here they were just waiting to close the gates.</p><p></p><p> The gnomes were so eager to be rid of the human world. Of course, they weren't losing anything. Everything in the original world was duplicated in this new one, but in his world everything touched with magic would disappear. He spat on the ground. Everyone said the drift was a mystery. No reason for it. But these small ones had magic. They could have started it. And there were rumors they wanted to finish it.</p><p></p><p> <a href="http://www.enworld.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=15307" target="_blank">Steven knelt down next to one of the many garden gnomes the soldiers had placed around the camp, painted like a soldier.</a> As if a gnome would pick up a weapon and fight. He ran his hand along the weapon in the gnome's hand, searching for the switch. There. He flipped it on and attuned his ears to the crackling reception. Those gnomes wouldn't get the jump on them. Humans just needed long enough to figure out how the they were doing it, and then it could be stopped. </p><p></p><p> The receiver crackled louder. The tired voice of an elder came over the airwaves. There were a couple of minutes of silence after the old biddy asked for tea. Steven was about to turn it back off when he heard a young voice say, "You have an idea?" What followed hardly surprised him. They would turn the tables on the gnomes, yes they would.</p><p></p><p>* * *</p><p></p><p>"So little girl, what are you wanting from me?" Jacob asked merrily.</p><p></p><p> <a href="http://www.enworld.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=15304" target="_blank">Carowyn watched as the human wizard sipped at the glass that held his own eye.</a> "Would you mind putting that in while we talk?" she asked. As the worlds had drifted farther apart the human wizard's eyes had mutated until they were bloodshot and far too large for his eyelids to close over them. Even stranger, he could pop them out, which he did frequently. He said keeping them in his drink kept them from getting dry. </p><p></p><p> Jacob fished his eye out of the liquid and popped it into his mouth for a moment as if it were an ice cube. "Shame to waste good liquor," he grinned as he popped it back in.</p><p></p><p> "Right."</p><p></p><p> "I suppose you're here for the old lady?"</p><p></p><p> Carowyn shifted her weight uncomfortably on the bench. "Yes. Are you ready?"</p><p></p><p> "Course I am. Them soldiers are smug little bastards, I enjoy the thought of sticking it to 'em."</p><p></p><p> She grinned. Those human soldiers had been getting rather arrogant lately. The gnome statues were just one example; they knew how offensive her people found them. "I like humans generally, but it does seem they're all going a little mad, doesn't it?"</p><p></p><p> Jacob nodded. "That they are, missy. Now, we should get moving. We got about an hour, yes? I'll take you out to see my car. You'll love the modifications. I'll have those soldiers sleeping before they can say 'I love my gun.'"</p><p></p><p> They stepped outside and Carowyn listened to the sounds of the gnomish village. It was quieter than it used to be. Many technologies, like cars, had never been of much use to the gnomes, so when the humans left much of the noise went with them. </p><p></p><p> A scream ripped through the quiet.</p><p></p><p> 'What the hell was that?" Carowyn asked sharply, her head swiveling to find the source. Jacob's eyes bulged for a moment as her muttered under his breath and made a flicking gesture with his fingers. If possible, his eyes got even wider. "They're bringing soldiers in through the ways. The must have figured it out. Get in the car!"</p><p></p><p> Carowyn ducked under the end of the strange wings he'd attached to the front doors and clambered into the too large vehicle. Jacob slammed his foot down on the gas. <a href="http://www.enworld.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=15306" target="_blank">They peeled off toward the waypoint, the black spheres he'd attached to the wings bouncing and swaying madly with each bump.</a></p><p></p><p> "Climb into the backseat," Jacob grunted. "There's more of those spheres back there. When you see the soldiers, start throwing them out, fast as you can."</p><p></p><p> "What do they do?" she shouted over the noise of the engine.</p><p></p><p> "They'll break when they hit the ground. There's a gas in there that'll knock 'em out. And even if the gas doesn't hit 'em, the shards'll make moving around hard. Hand me one of those masks, and put one on yourself. It's likely to get bad out there."</p><p></p><p> Carowyn barely had time to get the mask on before the waypoint came into view. She crouched down in the backseat and held on hard. The car filled with wind as Jacob rolled down the windows. "Now girl!" he shouted as he headed straight for the waypoint.</p><p></p><p> She stared for a minute when her head got high enough to see out the window. There were humans everywhere, swarming out of the waypoint. . "Throw 'em girl!" Jacob screamed again. She shook her head and started grabbing the black spheres and throwing them out to shatter against the ground. A green mist rose out of each one, causing the soldiers to choke and sputter.</p><p></p><p> "Down!" Jacob commanded as the soldiers raised their weapons to fire. A hail of bullets shattered the windshield and the gas spheres. Jacob kept plowing forward through them until he got to the waypoints entrance. The broken spheres were still oozing gas, and they both began throwing more out the windows. In a few moments the pile of passed out soldiers was so large that it blocked the way gate.</p><p></p><p> Jacob jumped out of the car and threw a few more of his gas bombs over the pile of men. "In case there are any behind there," he explained. "You go find a radio. Call Erica and tell her to start her spell. These guys should be out for a couple hours, but I can't be sure. Best to get started quick. I’ll make sure there’s no more."</p><p></p><p> Carowyn nodded and scanned the camp surrounding the waypoint. Those damn garden gnomes were all over. The path of destruction made by their crazed ride through the camp had left ceramic gnome shrapnel everywhere. She laughed at that. Garden gnomes were one thing about humans that she would not miss.</p><p></p><p> The waypoint had been set up at a ruined farmstead. Only one building was still intact. Most likely the radio would be in there. Carowyn set off over the sleeping bodies of the humans. It was a shame they would be trapped here. The intent had been to send the few soldiers back through the ways to their home before severing the worlds. That couldn't happen now. She reached the front door of the old farmhouse and turned the knob. </p><p></p><p> There was a click behind her.</p><p></p><p> "Just what do you think you're doing, Gnome?" a muted, scratching voice said behind her. She lifted her hands, palms open, and turned around. This man had managed to react and put on a gas mask during Jacob's mad rush through the camp. His weapon was trained square on her.</p><p></p><p> “I wanted to call for help,” she said carefully. “He finally snapped. An insane mage is a dangerous thing.”</p><p></p><p> The man narrowed his eyes. “You lie. I recognize your voice. You were with him. You want to take it from us.” He snapped the rifle to his shoulder. “I don’t think I really want you making a call.”</p><p></p><p> Carowyn kept very still. There was a movement just out of her vision. Another soldier? She took a slow, careful step forward. “Listen, I don’t know…”</p><p></p><p> The sound of the discharge echoed through camp. There was fire in her shoulder and she fell back, clutching her arm. She saw the movement again in her peripheral vision. The soldier was advancing, weapon still held at the ready. Carowyn’s head was spinning. “Enough talking,” the soldier said. “I think I’ll do this world a favor. One less gnome.”</p><p></p><p> This time Carowyn felt a rumbling through the ground just before she saw it. An enormous brown bear leapt from behind the building onto the soldier, tearing at him with claws. Carowyn shook her head. Enormous fangs protruded from its mouth, dripping venom as it ripped the man apart. Her stomach churned. Sheeva dragged the man into the brush behind the camp and pushed his remains into her large web. Quicker than Carowyn would have thought possible, Sheeva spun silky threads and wrapped the remains into a cocoon.</p><p></p><p> . “Thank you, Sheeva,” Carowyn said weakly as the bear creature lumbered back toward the farmhouse. <a href="http://www.enworld.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=15308" target="_blank">It stood looking at Carowyn for a moment before it moved back to its web.</a> A few moments later she heard shouting.</p><p></p><p> “Girl, where are you?”</p><p></p><p> The air must have cleared of the gas. Jacob’s voice was ringing clear. She pulled the gas mask off over her head. “Over by the farmhouse,” she shouted back. Her lungs spasmed and she coughed.</p><p></p><p> Jacob came around the corner. “Lord, girl, what happened to you?”</p><p></p><p> “Soldier had managed to get his mask on. Didn’t want me to go in there. You find a radio?”</p><p></p><p> “Yeah, I did. We should be seeing a show any minute.”</p><p></p><p> Carowyn nodded. “Good. Now, go in my bag and get some herbs and bandages. I’ll tell you how to dress this wound.”</p><p></p><p> Jacob was surprisingly quick and gentle as he applied the paste she instructed him to make and wrapped her shoulder up. Just as he finished, a swirling column of grays and blues crept into the sky from the village. It swirled like a tornado reaching up toward the clouds. One by one tendrils formed and snaked their way across the sky. They watched as one headed toward them. It reached the waypoint and split into even more tendrils. They began a complex weave into and out of the gate. Carowyn had through the spell would cut them off, but instead it was like tying off an umbilical cord. The tendrils were squeezing the way closed so the worlds would separate on their own.</p><p></p><p> Carowyn looked over toward Sheeva. The animal was shaking, as if something were trying to crawl out of her skin. Leg after leg a spider climbed out, shrinking with each step it took until it was no longer visible and only the bear remained. She turned to see Jacob’s eyes shrinking. His relief was almost palpable as for the first time in weeks he closed his eyes.</p><p></p><p> “Never realized what a blessing that was,” he muttered.</p><p></p><p> “We’re alone,” Carowyn said softly.</p><p></p><p> Jacob grunted, his eyes still closed. “Except for about twenty-five humans that’ll be stark raving loonies in a few days, yup, we are.”</p><p></p><p> “Maybe the mages can help them.”</p><p></p><p> He finally opened his eyes and looked at her. “Me first. I’ll give them a few more shots of the gas. It’ll keep them out long enough to get them disarmed and moved.”</p><p></p><p> Carowyn smiled. “Sheeva, come here,” she called. The large brown bear came over and nuzzled at her hand. “She’ll carry me. Let’s go home.”</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="orchid blossom, post: 1666671, member: 12815"] Round 2: Greywolf-ELM vs. orchid blossom [SIZE=4]Birth Pangs[/SIZE] By: orchid blossom Carowyn held the delicate fish in her hand. "It's not even struggling to breathe," she marveled. "That's not all, watch this," Erica said as she flipped off the lights. [url=http://www.enworld.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=15305]The already golden fish began to glow from deep within with a warm, orange light.[/url] "It's beautiful. This doesn't seem so bad. Not like what happened to Sheeva." Carowyn sniffled. The villagers had been too afraid to let the sweet brown bear stay after she mutated. The old herbalist clicked her tongue. "I thought I chose my apprentices better. You're not thinking. A fish that glows like that is going to have a hard time avoiding predators. And what's the good of being able to breathe out of water if you can't move? This mutation is fairly benign, but others aren't. It has to be stopped. Yet the humans still want to wait. Fools, the lot of them." Carowyn carefully lowered her hand and slipped the goldfish back into its bowl. "Can you really blame them? The farther apart our worlds grow, the more magic they lose." "I understand it, but it doesn't make it any less stupid. For whatever reason the parts of this world that are touched with magic can no longer coexist with those that aren't. They're pushing against each other. It's amazing the world isn't just ripping itself apart. The magic in us is creating us a new world, but the birth pangs are doing terrible damage. We must sever ourselves or both worlds will be changed beyond recognition," Erica said, snapping the light back on. Carowyn picked up her mortar and pestle and put them neatly away. "You think we shouldn't wait for the humans?" she finally asked. "We can't," Erica sighed, her old bones slumping as she settled herself in a chair. "They are tenacious. They'll hold on as long as they can, and longer than they should. Bring me some tea, child." Carowyn fetched the whistling teapot and dropped in a tea ball. "You have an idea?" she asked once it was finished steeping and they were both at their ease in Erica's soft chairs. "Not an especially good one. Our mages are ready to work the spell that will close the last ways between the worlds. But there are still humans here guarding them. The spell will be long, and unfortunately flashy. We need them distracted, or better yet out of the way. There's only the one way nearby, so it shouldn't be too difficult. I've recruited Jacob to help us." Carowyn laughed. "Jacob, the human mage? Never mind his mutation, but staying here is driving him insane. Can we trust him?" "He has first hand knowledge of what's happening; more so than most humans. He understands why it has to be, and when it has to be. He can get the guards out of the way without hurting them, but I want you to go with him." "Is that really necessary? I mean, if we can trust him, why send me?" Erica flicked her fingernail against the rim of her teacup. "I trust his intentions. But he's on the edge of madness. He may not be able to deal with the unexpected. Someone should be with him, and I trust you. Once the spell is complete his mutation should disappear, and the mages think they'll be able to keep one human sane." The older woman reached over and patted the apprentice's shoulder. "Maybe Sheeva will even come back." * * * The watches had gotten increasingly dull. Steven paced back and forth in front of the broken down bit of wall to the side of the waypoint. He'd rather have had guard duty on the human side. These gnomes were far too quiet. At least on his world there was the occasional mage willing to risk mutation and madness to keep his magic. Here they were just waiting to close the gates. The gnomes were so eager to be rid of the human world. Of course, they weren't losing anything. Everything in the original world was duplicated in this new one, but in his world everything touched with magic would disappear. He spat on the ground. Everyone said the drift was a mystery. No reason for it. But these small ones had magic. They could have started it. And there were rumors they wanted to finish it. [url=http://www.enworld.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=15307]Steven knelt down next to one of the many garden gnomes the soldiers had placed around the camp, painted like a soldier.[/url] As if a gnome would pick up a weapon and fight. He ran his hand along the weapon in the gnome's hand, searching for the switch. There. He flipped it on and attuned his ears to the crackling reception. Those gnomes wouldn't get the jump on them. Humans just needed long enough to figure out how the they were doing it, and then it could be stopped. The receiver crackled louder. The tired voice of an elder came over the airwaves. There were a couple of minutes of silence after the old biddy asked for tea. Steven was about to turn it back off when he heard a young voice say, "You have an idea?" What followed hardly surprised him. They would turn the tables on the gnomes, yes they would. * * * "So little girl, what are you wanting from me?" Jacob asked merrily. [url=http://www.enworld.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=15304]Carowyn watched as the human wizard sipped at the glass that held his own eye.[/url] "Would you mind putting that in while we talk?" she asked. As the worlds had drifted farther apart the human wizard's eyes had mutated until they were bloodshot and far too large for his eyelids to close over them. Even stranger, he could pop them out, which he did frequently. He said keeping them in his drink kept them from getting dry. Jacob fished his eye out of the liquid and popped it into his mouth for a moment as if it were an ice cube. "Shame to waste good liquor," he grinned as he popped it back in. "Right." "I suppose you're here for the old lady?" Carowyn shifted her weight uncomfortably on the bench. "Yes. Are you ready?" "Course I am. Them soldiers are smug little bastards, I enjoy the thought of sticking it to 'em." She grinned. Those human soldiers had been getting rather arrogant lately. The gnome statues were just one example; they knew how offensive her people found them. "I like humans generally, but it does seem they're all going a little mad, doesn't it?" Jacob nodded. "That they are, missy. Now, we should get moving. We got about an hour, yes? I'll take you out to see my car. You'll love the modifications. I'll have those soldiers sleeping before they can say 'I love my gun.'" They stepped outside and Carowyn listened to the sounds of the gnomish village. It was quieter than it used to be. Many technologies, like cars, had never been of much use to the gnomes, so when the humans left much of the noise went with them. A scream ripped through the quiet. 'What the hell was that?" Carowyn asked sharply, her head swiveling to find the source. Jacob's eyes bulged for a moment as her muttered under his breath and made a flicking gesture with his fingers. If possible, his eyes got even wider. "They're bringing soldiers in through the ways. The must have figured it out. Get in the car!" Carowyn ducked under the end of the strange wings he'd attached to the front doors and clambered into the too large vehicle. Jacob slammed his foot down on the gas. [url=http://www.enworld.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=15306]They peeled off toward the waypoint, the black spheres he'd attached to the wings bouncing and swaying madly with each bump.[/url] "Climb into the backseat," Jacob grunted. "There's more of those spheres back there. When you see the soldiers, start throwing them out, fast as you can." "What do they do?" she shouted over the noise of the engine. "They'll break when they hit the ground. There's a gas in there that'll knock 'em out. And even if the gas doesn't hit 'em, the shards'll make moving around hard. Hand me one of those masks, and put one on yourself. It's likely to get bad out there." Carowyn barely had time to get the mask on before the waypoint came into view. She crouched down in the backseat and held on hard. The car filled with wind as Jacob rolled down the windows. "Now girl!" he shouted as he headed straight for the waypoint. She stared for a minute when her head got high enough to see out the window. There were humans everywhere, swarming out of the waypoint. . "Throw 'em girl!" Jacob screamed again. She shook her head and started grabbing the black spheres and throwing them out to shatter against the ground. A green mist rose out of each one, causing the soldiers to choke and sputter. "Down!" Jacob commanded as the soldiers raised their weapons to fire. A hail of bullets shattered the windshield and the gas spheres. Jacob kept plowing forward through them until he got to the waypoints entrance. The broken spheres were still oozing gas, and they both began throwing more out the windows. In a few moments the pile of passed out soldiers was so large that it blocked the way gate. Jacob jumped out of the car and threw a few more of his gas bombs over the pile of men. "In case there are any behind there," he explained. "You go find a radio. Call Erica and tell her to start her spell. These guys should be out for a couple hours, but I can't be sure. Best to get started quick. I’ll make sure there’s no more." Carowyn nodded and scanned the camp surrounding the waypoint. Those damn garden gnomes were all over. The path of destruction made by their crazed ride through the camp had left ceramic gnome shrapnel everywhere. She laughed at that. Garden gnomes were one thing about humans that she would not miss. The waypoint had been set up at a ruined farmstead. Only one building was still intact. Most likely the radio would be in there. Carowyn set off over the sleeping bodies of the humans. It was a shame they would be trapped here. The intent had been to send the few soldiers back through the ways to their home before severing the worlds. That couldn't happen now. She reached the front door of the old farmhouse and turned the knob. There was a click behind her. "Just what do you think you're doing, Gnome?" a muted, scratching voice said behind her. She lifted her hands, palms open, and turned around. This man had managed to react and put on a gas mask during Jacob's mad rush through the camp. His weapon was trained square on her. “I wanted to call for help,” she said carefully. “He finally snapped. An insane mage is a dangerous thing.” The man narrowed his eyes. “You lie. I recognize your voice. You were with him. You want to take it from us.” He snapped the rifle to his shoulder. “I don’t think I really want you making a call.” Carowyn kept very still. There was a movement just out of her vision. Another soldier? She took a slow, careful step forward. “Listen, I don’t know…” The sound of the discharge echoed through camp. There was fire in her shoulder and she fell back, clutching her arm. She saw the movement again in her peripheral vision. The soldier was advancing, weapon still held at the ready. Carowyn’s head was spinning. “Enough talking,” the soldier said. “I think I’ll do this world a favor. One less gnome.” This time Carowyn felt a rumbling through the ground just before she saw it. An enormous brown bear leapt from behind the building onto the soldier, tearing at him with claws. Carowyn shook her head. Enormous fangs protruded from its mouth, dripping venom as it ripped the man apart. Her stomach churned. Sheeva dragged the man into the brush behind the camp and pushed his remains into her large web. Quicker than Carowyn would have thought possible, Sheeva spun silky threads and wrapped the remains into a cocoon. . “Thank you, Sheeva,” Carowyn said weakly as the bear creature lumbered back toward the farmhouse. [url=http://www.enworld.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=15308]It stood looking at Carowyn for a moment before it moved back to its web.[/url] A few moments later she heard shouting. “Girl, where are you?” The air must have cleared of the gas. Jacob’s voice was ringing clear. She pulled the gas mask off over her head. “Over by the farmhouse,” she shouted back. Her lungs spasmed and she coughed. Jacob came around the corner. “Lord, girl, what happened to you?” “Soldier had managed to get his mask on. Didn’t want me to go in there. You find a radio?” “Yeah, I did. We should be seeing a show any minute.” Carowyn nodded. “Good. Now, go in my bag and get some herbs and bandages. I’ll tell you how to dress this wound.” Jacob was surprisingly quick and gentle as he applied the paste she instructed him to make and wrapped her shoulder up. Just as he finished, a swirling column of grays and blues crept into the sky from the village. It swirled like a tornado reaching up toward the clouds. One by one tendrils formed and snaked their way across the sky. They watched as one headed toward them. It reached the waypoint and split into even more tendrils. They began a complex weave into and out of the gate. Carowyn had through the spell would cut them off, but instead it was like tying off an umbilical cord. The tendrils were squeezing the way closed so the worlds would separate on their own. Carowyn looked over toward Sheeva. The animal was shaking, as if something were trying to crawl out of her skin. Leg after leg a spider climbed out, shrinking with each step it took until it was no longer visible and only the bear remained. She turned to see Jacob’s eyes shrinking. His relief was almost palpable as for the first time in weeks he closed his eyes. “Never realized what a blessing that was,” he muttered. “We’re alone,” Carowyn said softly. Jacob grunted, his eyes still closed. “Except for about twenty-five humans that’ll be stark raving loonies in a few days, yup, we are.” “Maybe the mages can help them.” He finally opened his eyes and looked at her. “Me first. I’ll give them a few more shots of the gas. It’ll keep them out long enough to get them disarmed and moved.” Carowyn smiled. “Sheeva, come here,” she called. The large brown bear came over and nuzzled at her hand. “She’ll carry me. Let’s go home.” [/QUOTE]
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