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Lazybones's Keep on the Shadowfell/Thunderspire Labyrinth
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<blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 4417026" data-attributes="member: 143"><p>Having just finished my RA story, I had a burst of productivity and am currently on chapter 26 of this one. Thus next week I'll be moving to my usual daily updates. </p><p></p><p>LB</p><p></p><p>* * * * * </p><p></p><p>Chapter 8</p><p></p><p></p><p>It was a bright autumn morning, one of those days where the sky was so blue that it almost hurt to look at it. The town of Winterhaven was already well awake, and as he stepped out of the side door of Wrafton’s Inn, Jaron could hear the familiar noises of people at work. Noises not all that different from Fairhollow, when it came down to it. </p><p></p><p>Mara and Elevaren were right where the note had said they would be, standing in the deep shadow cast by the wall around the town’s main gate. Beetle had found it first, of course, and if he hadn’t left it carelessly on the side table near the water basin, then he probably never would have known that the pair had apparently changed their minds about helping them. He found that he was of mixed feelings on that; the impulse that had led him to make his offer to the woman fighter had seemed less sound once he’d had time to sleep on it. Or not sleep, as the case had been. Jaron hadn’t had a really good night’s sleep since Yarine had brought word of Jayse’s death, and tossed the quiet little world he’d made for himself into tumult. </p><p></p><p>“Good, you’re up,” Mara said, when he and Beetle approached the pair. Both were dressed for traveling. She tossed a small leather purse at him. “Your cut.”</p><p></p><p>“From what?”</p><p></p><p>The loot from those dead kobolds, of course. There wasn’t much to be had; apparently brigandage isn’t paying well this season. And the merchants ‘round here are damned stingy with their coin, as though they won’t turn around and sell the blasted weapons I offered at five times what I got for them.”</p><p></p><p>“Thanks,” Jaron said. He quickly put the purse away, aware that Beetle’s eyes lingered on it. He thought about Callen, and wondered if there was a way to leave some of the money for him. He hadn’t seen the trader since their arrival yesterday, and he didn’t appear to be staying at the inn. </p><p></p><p>Mara misinterpreted his hesitation. “Do you need time to get some supplies? We’ll wait, but don’t linger, I want to be back within these walls by nightfall.”</p><p></p><p>“No, we’re okay,” Jaron said. The old pack he’d bought on their way back from the temple last night had been too big and overly dear, but at least the innkeeper had been willing to fill it with leftovers from the night before for a relatively fair price. Jaron had spent nearly all of the money he’d brought with him from Fairhollow, and he felt reassured by the familiar weight of the purse against his thigh. </p><p></p><p>“What made you change your mind?” he asked them, as they headed through the gate and down the hill to the King’s Road. They would follow it a short ways east, and then strike south cross-country to follow Elevaren’s map. </p><p></p><p>“There is strength in numbers,” Elevaren said. Jaron looked up the eladrin; there was something just slightly <em>off</em> about the man, as though he didn’t fully belong here in the real world with everyone else. His long golden hair was tied back into a neat braid that ran down the center of his back, and his clothes had been neatly cleaned and repaired, as though he hadn’t fought in a desperate battle for his life the day before. </p><p></p><p>“So after we help you find your friend, you’ll help us track down those bandits?” Jaron asked. </p><p></p><p>“We gave our word,” Mara said, a bit testily. Jaron started to apologize, but got distracted as Beetle almost got trampled by a rider heading up toward the town. The nimble halfling was never in real danger, but the rider cursed back at them, only turning back when Mara let her hands drop to the hilt of her swords. </p><p></p><p>Jaron’s gaze lingered, and for a moment, he thought he saw something dark move in the shadow of the gate. He lifted a hand to shade his eyes, but whatever it had been, if it had been anything at all, it was gone now. It could have been the dark stranger...</p><p></p><p>“Anything wrong?” Mara asked. </p><p></p><p>“No... no, nothing.” </p><p></p><p>“Better keep your eyes on the road ahead. This whole area’s wild lands, and there are more than bandits in these woods.”</p><p></p><p>Jaron knew that, but he felt that Mara had a point; he’d allowed himself to get distracted. He would do what he could to look out for his cousin, but he couldn’t do that without looking out for himself as well. </p><p></p><p>“I’ll take point,” he offered. “Do you know the standard patrol signals?” he asked Mara. </p><p></p><p>The fighter nodded, giving up a grudging acknowledgement. It wasn’t respect; both knew that had to be earned. </p><p></p><p>They moved on, the cultivated ground near the town giving wall to untamed wilds with a suddenness that would have been surprising to anyone not familiar with life on the frontier. For the first hour they moved east along the King’s Road, then struck out south, leaving behind the last reminder of civilization and heading fully into the hazardous country beyond. All four of the adventurers, even Beetle, grew more serious, knowing that dark things lurked in the territory beyond the tentative sites established by civilized folk. All knew that if they simply vanished into these lands, there would be no one to come looking for them.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lazybones, post: 4417026, member: 143"] Having just finished my RA story, I had a burst of productivity and am currently on chapter 26 of this one. Thus next week I'll be moving to my usual daily updates. LB * * * * * Chapter 8 It was a bright autumn morning, one of those days where the sky was so blue that it almost hurt to look at it. The town of Winterhaven was already well awake, and as he stepped out of the side door of Wrafton’s Inn, Jaron could hear the familiar noises of people at work. Noises not all that different from Fairhollow, when it came down to it. Mara and Elevaren were right where the note had said they would be, standing in the deep shadow cast by the wall around the town’s main gate. Beetle had found it first, of course, and if he hadn’t left it carelessly on the side table near the water basin, then he probably never would have known that the pair had apparently changed their minds about helping them. He found that he was of mixed feelings on that; the impulse that had led him to make his offer to the woman fighter had seemed less sound once he’d had time to sleep on it. Or not sleep, as the case had been. Jaron hadn’t had a really good night’s sleep since Yarine had brought word of Jayse’s death, and tossed the quiet little world he’d made for himself into tumult. “Good, you’re up,” Mara said, when he and Beetle approached the pair. Both were dressed for traveling. She tossed a small leather purse at him. “Your cut.” “From what?” The loot from those dead kobolds, of course. There wasn’t much to be had; apparently brigandage isn’t paying well this season. And the merchants ‘round here are damned stingy with their coin, as though they won’t turn around and sell the blasted weapons I offered at five times what I got for them.” “Thanks,” Jaron said. He quickly put the purse away, aware that Beetle’s eyes lingered on it. He thought about Callen, and wondered if there was a way to leave some of the money for him. He hadn’t seen the trader since their arrival yesterday, and he didn’t appear to be staying at the inn. Mara misinterpreted his hesitation. “Do you need time to get some supplies? We’ll wait, but don’t linger, I want to be back within these walls by nightfall.” “No, we’re okay,” Jaron said. The old pack he’d bought on their way back from the temple last night had been too big and overly dear, but at least the innkeeper had been willing to fill it with leftovers from the night before for a relatively fair price. Jaron had spent nearly all of the money he’d brought with him from Fairhollow, and he felt reassured by the familiar weight of the purse against his thigh. “What made you change your mind?” he asked them, as they headed through the gate and down the hill to the King’s Road. They would follow it a short ways east, and then strike south cross-country to follow Elevaren’s map. “There is strength in numbers,” Elevaren said. Jaron looked up the eladrin; there was something just slightly [i]off[/i] about the man, as though he didn’t fully belong here in the real world with everyone else. His long golden hair was tied back into a neat braid that ran down the center of his back, and his clothes had been neatly cleaned and repaired, as though he hadn’t fought in a desperate battle for his life the day before. “So after we help you find your friend, you’ll help us track down those bandits?” Jaron asked. “We gave our word,” Mara said, a bit testily. Jaron started to apologize, but got distracted as Beetle almost got trampled by a rider heading up toward the town. The nimble halfling was never in real danger, but the rider cursed back at them, only turning back when Mara let her hands drop to the hilt of her swords. Jaron’s gaze lingered, and for a moment, he thought he saw something dark move in the shadow of the gate. He lifted a hand to shade his eyes, but whatever it had been, if it had been anything at all, it was gone now. It could have been the dark stranger... “Anything wrong?” Mara asked. “No... no, nothing.” “Better keep your eyes on the road ahead. This whole area’s wild lands, and there are more than bandits in these woods.” Jaron knew that, but he felt that Mara had a point; he’d allowed himself to get distracted. He would do what he could to look out for his cousin, but he couldn’t do that without looking out for himself as well. “I’ll take point,” he offered. “Do you know the standard patrol signals?” he asked Mara. The fighter nodded, giving up a grudging acknowledgement. It wasn’t respect; both knew that had to be earned. They moved on, the cultivated ground near the town giving wall to untamed wilds with a suddenness that would have been surprising to anyone not familiar with life on the frontier. For the first hour they moved east along the King’s Road, then struck out south, leaving behind the last reminder of civilization and heading fully into the hazardous country beyond. All four of the adventurers, even Beetle, grew more serious, knowing that dark things lurked in the territory beyond the tentative sites established by civilized folk. All knew that if they simply vanished into these lands, there would be no one to come looking for them. [/QUOTE]
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