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Lazybones's Keep on the Shadowfell/Thunderspire Labyrinth
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<blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 4442164" data-attributes="member: 143"><p>Chapter 20</p><p></p><p></p><p>Meepo liked the feeling of the water rushing past his ankles; it felt soothing. Some of the other kobolds liked hunting, or raiding, but for him, a quiet day in the shade, with cool water running over his feet, was ideal. </p><p></p><p>He was supposed to be keeping watch, and he was, scanning the surrounding area with his spear in one hand and a squat throwing javelin in the other. Two more javelins were stuck through the leather straps slung across his back. Keeping watch was easy, as long as there wasn’t anything to see. Today that wasn’t likely to be the case. From the way that Kurgus came rushing past—and Jakko, all but bent double with a huge burden slung over his shoulder—there was trouble, and one thing that Meepo knew was that trouble tended to come in groups. </p><p></p><p>So he watched, but the splashing a few feet away was getting real distracting. </p><p></p><p>“You need to watch, Deekin, not catch fish,” Meepo said, annoyance in his voice. </p><p></p><p>“Almost got it,” the other kobold said. He was thrusting his spear into a crevice in the rocks of the stream bed, in a way that Meepo knew was almost impossibly unlikely to result in a catch. The fish in the stream were tiny, anyway, and tasted nasty. All the good ones had been caught and eaten by the kobolds long ago. </p><p></p><p>“Kurgus see you, he’s going to be pissed off,” Meepo said, trying another tack. </p><p></p><p>“Nah, he go in to talk with Irontooth,” Deekin said, not looking up from his intense concentration on his task. “Hear if he come back. Besides, you keep watch good.”</p><p></p><p>Meepo shook his head, and turned for another scan of the area, as already had done a hundred times today. This time, however, he froze when he saw the halfling. The halfling was standing on a rock right at the edge of water, maybe sixty or seventy feet downstream. He had a bow, and had already lifted it to his cheek. </p><p></p><p>“Umm... Deekin,” Meepo hissed. </p><p></p><p>“I said I almost got—,” the other kobold started to say, but the end of its statement was cut off by the soft <em>thunk</em> as the halfling’s arrow buried itself to the feathers in Deekin’s chest. The kobold toppled over backwards into the stream, making a small splash. </p><p></p><p>Meepo felt a sudden chill as the halfling calmly reached for another arrow. </p><p></p><p>The kobold lifted its javelin, and hurled it. The halfling was pretty far away, and the hasty shot fell well short, but it hit a rock and skipped up, glancing off of the halfling’s shin. The halfling bit off a curse, but as he loaded his bow and raised it again, he said, quite clearly, “Not good enough, kobold.”</p><p></p><p>Meepo let out a bloodcurdling yell, and turned to run. The arrow caught him in the side, and then he was in the stream, the water that had seemed so refreshing just a few moments ago suddenly like a cloak of ice that folded over him, carrying him away. </p><p></p><p>Jaron fired a few more arrows, drawing, aiming, and releasing so fast that his hands barely seemed to feel the touch of the arrows. Another kobold, coming forward to investigate from the trees on the far side of the stream, went down with an arrow in its gut, but another shot went well wide, vanishing in the brush near the cave entrance.</p><p></p><p>Javelins were starting to fall around him, most well short, and none even remotely as effective as the lucky hit from the kobold guard. Jaron grimaced as he turned and darted back through the trees, moving parallel to the course of the stream. He’d chosen his path of retreat quickly, and didn’t encounter any obstacles that would slow him. </p><p></p><p>The kobolds came on quickly behind him, shouting out to each other as they formed a half-circle that slowly began to close as they pursued the halfling. A sling bullet whistled through the trees above him, but it was well off its target, and Jaron didn’t break his stride. </p><p></p><p>It took less than half a minute before he came to his destination. The stream bent back through the woods here, forming a shallow gully choked with brambles. The far bank rose up into a low, muddy embankment, woven through with the exposed roots of the trees closest to the water. Jaron leapt over the bushes on his side, splashed through the stream in three strides, and leapt up toward the far bank. He was well short of the crest, but a hand shot out and grasped him, pulling him over in a single heave. </p><p></p><p>“They’re right behind me,” he said to Mara, as she dropped him into the sheltered nook behind the embankment. Elevaren was beyond her, crouched down behind a tall arching root that made a viewing slit of sorts. Jaron saw that she’d gathered a small pile of disc-shaped rocks the size of his fist, likely gathered from the stream, in front of her. </p><p></p><p>“Go,” she said. “We’ll hold them here.”</p><p></p><p>Jaron looked doubtful. “There’s still almost a dozen of them. Maybe I’d better...”</p><p></p><p>Mara thrust him behind her, down the reverse slope behind the embankment. “No changing the plan. Now, go!” </p><p></p><p>He opened his mouth to respond, but she’d already turned back toward the stream and the woods on the far side. He did as she bid, rushing off deeper into the woods. As he left their position behind him, he could hear Elevaren saying, “There. They’re coming.”</p><p></p><p>Thinking of Beetle, and a promise made in Fairhollow, he didn’t look back.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lazybones, post: 4442164, member: 143"] Chapter 20 Meepo liked the feeling of the water rushing past his ankles; it felt soothing. Some of the other kobolds liked hunting, or raiding, but for him, a quiet day in the shade, with cool water running over his feet, was ideal. He was supposed to be keeping watch, and he was, scanning the surrounding area with his spear in one hand and a squat throwing javelin in the other. Two more javelins were stuck through the leather straps slung across his back. Keeping watch was easy, as long as there wasn’t anything to see. Today that wasn’t likely to be the case. From the way that Kurgus came rushing past—and Jakko, all but bent double with a huge burden slung over his shoulder—there was trouble, and one thing that Meepo knew was that trouble tended to come in groups. So he watched, but the splashing a few feet away was getting real distracting. “You need to watch, Deekin, not catch fish,” Meepo said, annoyance in his voice. “Almost got it,” the other kobold said. He was thrusting his spear into a crevice in the rocks of the stream bed, in a way that Meepo knew was almost impossibly unlikely to result in a catch. The fish in the stream were tiny, anyway, and tasted nasty. All the good ones had been caught and eaten by the kobolds long ago. “Kurgus see you, he’s going to be pissed off,” Meepo said, trying another tack. “Nah, he go in to talk with Irontooth,” Deekin said, not looking up from his intense concentration on his task. “Hear if he come back. Besides, you keep watch good.” Meepo shook his head, and turned for another scan of the area, as already had done a hundred times today. This time, however, he froze when he saw the halfling. The halfling was standing on a rock right at the edge of water, maybe sixty or seventy feet downstream. He had a bow, and had already lifted it to his cheek. “Umm... Deekin,” Meepo hissed. “I said I almost got—,” the other kobold started to say, but the end of its statement was cut off by the soft [i]thunk[/i] as the halfling’s arrow buried itself to the feathers in Deekin’s chest. The kobold toppled over backwards into the stream, making a small splash. Meepo felt a sudden chill as the halfling calmly reached for another arrow. The kobold lifted its javelin, and hurled it. The halfling was pretty far away, and the hasty shot fell well short, but it hit a rock and skipped up, glancing off of the halfling’s shin. The halfling bit off a curse, but as he loaded his bow and raised it again, he said, quite clearly, “Not good enough, kobold.” Meepo let out a bloodcurdling yell, and turned to run. The arrow caught him in the side, and then he was in the stream, the water that had seemed so refreshing just a few moments ago suddenly like a cloak of ice that folded over him, carrying him away. Jaron fired a few more arrows, drawing, aiming, and releasing so fast that his hands barely seemed to feel the touch of the arrows. Another kobold, coming forward to investigate from the trees on the far side of the stream, went down with an arrow in its gut, but another shot went well wide, vanishing in the brush near the cave entrance. Javelins were starting to fall around him, most well short, and none even remotely as effective as the lucky hit from the kobold guard. Jaron grimaced as he turned and darted back through the trees, moving parallel to the course of the stream. He’d chosen his path of retreat quickly, and didn’t encounter any obstacles that would slow him. The kobolds came on quickly behind him, shouting out to each other as they formed a half-circle that slowly began to close as they pursued the halfling. A sling bullet whistled through the trees above him, but it was well off its target, and Jaron didn’t break his stride. It took less than half a minute before he came to his destination. The stream bent back through the woods here, forming a shallow gully choked with brambles. The far bank rose up into a low, muddy embankment, woven through with the exposed roots of the trees closest to the water. Jaron leapt over the bushes on his side, splashed through the stream in three strides, and leapt up toward the far bank. He was well short of the crest, but a hand shot out and grasped him, pulling him over in a single heave. “They’re right behind me,” he said to Mara, as she dropped him into the sheltered nook behind the embankment. Elevaren was beyond her, crouched down behind a tall arching root that made a viewing slit of sorts. Jaron saw that she’d gathered a small pile of disc-shaped rocks the size of his fist, likely gathered from the stream, in front of her. “Go,” she said. “We’ll hold them here.” Jaron looked doubtful. “There’s still almost a dozen of them. Maybe I’d better...” Mara thrust him behind her, down the reverse slope behind the embankment. “No changing the plan. Now, go!” He opened his mouth to respond, but she’d already turned back toward the stream and the woods on the far side. He did as she bid, rushing off deeper into the woods. As he left their position behind him, he could hear Elevaren saying, “There. They’re coming.” Thinking of Beetle, and a promise made in Fairhollow, he didn’t look back. [/QUOTE]
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