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Story Hour
Meepo's Story Hour [NEWS! 6-19-02]
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<blockquote data-quote="Samnell" data-source="post: 1212" data-attributes="member: 130"><p><strong>VI-Tails Between Their Legs</strong></p><p></p><p>Wherein Meepo demonstrates behavior entirely unbecoming a kobold.</p><p></p><p>The battle was over. The rats had been killed off or chased away. Sal had gone into some kind of berserk fury and Worthless Druid used some kind of magic, but Meepo didn't care. He was watching over Burble.</p><p></p><p>Fear writhed in Meepo's gut. What would he do if Burble died? Burble was the only one who protected Meepo and defended him from Worthless Druid and his wolf mate. Without him, Meepo was doomed. Sal had fallen in the battle, so even Burble's friend wasn't around. If the halfling didn't make it, Meepo was going to have to do what all smart kobolds did and run like hell.</p><p></p><p>With the end of the battle, Lorn spoke first. He was showing his customary insight. "So what now?"</p><p></p><p>Burble shivered and groaned as Lorn spoke and Meepo made sure his bandages were holding.</p><p></p><p>Embrill looked at Lorn as if he'd lost his mind. It was the first smart thing Meepo could remember the Worthless Druid doing. "What now? I'll tell you what now, Paladin....we get the HELL out of here. That's 'What now'. We'd be as insane as that damn halfling if we thought spending the night here would work. I don't know about you, but I've had my share of fending rats off his festering carcass while trying to keep myself alive in the process. If you want to come back once we're all healed and prepared, fine. But I'm not staying here one moment longer."</p><p></p><p>The boy smirked at the Worthless Druid and said something about Lorn not being a paladin, but Meepo was too engrossed in caring for Burble to note the exact words. He did hear what Bryant said afterwards, though. "We don't have the supplies with us to stay here long enough to heal, and going to the surface for supplies in smaller groups is just going to give these beasts weaker groups to attack. Now two of us are going to have to be carried, meaning that at least four of us won't be fully ready for the next attack if we try to move from here." He rubs at the back of his head, still wound up from the battle, and lets out a long sigh to try to calm himself, "I don't know. My vote is to get the hell out of here. How long would we have to wait till Sal and Burble can at least walk again?"</p><p></p><p>Rhea interjected, "Something tells me ol' blood n guts here isn't going to be walking anywhere for a long while..."</p><p></p><p>Rowland looked up from finishing off the few rats still gasping on the ground. "I agree. We should return to the village."</p><p></p><p>Lorn sighed in response. "I guess it is the only option we have." Meepo was starting to pay more attention now. He couldn't let them leave Burble behind. If they left Burble behind they'd leave him too. Sal wouldn't let them do that, but Sal was unconscious. Damn dwarves were never awake with all their blood inside them when you needed them.</p><p></p><p>"No idea. And frankly, I don't care if Burble ever walks again. But regardless, we can't afford to sit around and wait for the next wave of rats to come back and clean up the scraps. I'm too worn out to try and charm them again. My plan is to make straight for the ravine and get topside. Forget this crawling at a snails pace nonsense. If there were traps, we would have set them off by now." Worthless Druid answered Lorn. He examined Sal a bit before continuing. "There's more than enough of us to carry the wounded. I suppose we should be comforted by the fact that Burble's small if we do decide to bring him along. We make this quick. Either Rhea or Riki and I should take the lead to be on guard for things.</p><p>Anyone has a better idea, make it known."</p><p></p><p>"Fine by me..." Rhea responded. Reflexively Meepo noted her agreement with the druid.</p><p></p><p>Meepo thought it was an excellent idea. With the Worthless Druid in front, he'd surely die first. The rest of the group might not like Meepo, but they didn't hate him either. He would have a chance if Embrill died. The thought excited him. If Burble died, all was not lost. That very same thought left him feeling sick inside, though. He wondered if one of the rats bit him when he didn't notice and infected him with their disease.</p><p></p><p>"We really should help out Burble and Sal, and everyone else hurt." Jaryth said as though no one else had thought of it. If Meepo weren't busy tending Burble and calculating how he would survive if the halfling didn't he'd have noted the boy was as simple-minded as the rest of the humans.</p><p></p><p>"Here's what I suggest. Embrill and I will take point, drawing out any enemies that my be hiding along our paths. The rest of you will follow with Byrant and Rowland carrying Sal while Rhea and Meepo carry Burble. Jaryth should take the rear guard position. Now let's get moving." Lorn had a plan. Meepo was thrilled. Lorn's plan to camp in the citadel was what got them into this mess in the first place.</p><p></p><p>"If that's what you want..." Rhea agreed with Lorn. Wonderful. Meepo could feel death looming over him again and casting a cold shadow over his dreams of revenge. As Meepo carefully took up his end of Burble, he decided to make a gamble.</p><p></p><p>"We take Burble to Yusdrayl? She make nice Burble." Yusdrayl might kill them all, but it was a shorter trip than up to the surface world. That meant less time for rats or goblins to catch them holding two bodies and unable to fight. Meepo would feel bad about it if he had to drop Burble, the halfling's skull shattering on the stone and his brains leaking out, to run for his life. Afterward he'd feel bad, anyway.</p><p></p><p>"Take him wherever the hell you want. I'm going topside." Worthless Druid was never shy about sharing his opinion.</p><p></p><p>Meepo let out a hissing sigh and shook his head. "Meepo hate sun." Meepo hated lots of other things too. Druids, wolves, humans...but now was not the time to mention them.</p><p></p><p>"Wait... They might have some kind of healer or something that can heal them enough to make it easier to go topside. I'm not saying lets not go up, what I'm saying is let's stop there first to see if they can help...." "Or..... they might eat the wounded.... I'm not well versed in kobold customs..." Rhea came to Meepo's rescue. The fool actually thought Yusdrayl might help out of the kindness of her heart.</p><p></p><p>Lorn smirked like the idiot he was. "Maybe we could trade them for supplies."</p><p></p><p>"Knowing them, that sounds pretty likely." The Worthless Druid was right. It was likely. Halfling and dwarf weren't at all common dishes. Meepo had a taste for dwarf himself. "Well if we do, and anything else shows up, the kobolds can fight them. I'm done for today. But I'm not spending any more time down here than I have to. I want to rest and that's NOT happening in this deathtrap. Those spoiled brats are probably long dead by now anyway."</p><p></p><p>An added bonus. The goblins could follow the group and kill a few dozen kobolds for Meepo. Maybe they could kill the druid too. After he was dead Meepo would have to thank him for pointing out an unforeseen benefit of his plan. But Meepo had to dispel some of their fears or the humans might be too on guard.</p><p></p><p>"Meepo no eat Burble. Meepo good lackey!" Meepo said indignantly. "Kobolds only eat dead goblins...maybe worthless druid if he not make nice." Let them think he wasn't planning on drinking Rowland's blood and defiling the druid's corpse after politely thanking it for its insight. After all, Meepo was a civilized kobold.</p><p></p><p>"I suggest we ask the kobolds for shelter for a couple days, at least. If they say no, we can always head back to the village." Rowland was coming to Meepo's aid now. Maybe he could use the boy for something other than his blood. Meepo wouldn't discard his plan to drink Rowland's blood, but he might put it off if the sorcerer proved to have other uses.</p><p></p><p>Meepo nodded his head enthusiastically. "Kobolds make nice! We bring back Calcryx. Kobolds make nice. Yusdrayl help...maybe not make nice worthless druid and wolf lover, but kobolds make nice."</p><p></p><p>"ALL of us... or we're not finding a damned thing." So Rhea would stand with the Worthless Druid still. Meepo noted her as a devout anti-Burbleite.</p><p></p><p>Meepo grudgingly guaranteed Embrill's safety. "Kobolds make nice worthless druid and wolf mate."</p><p></p><p>"So off we go to Yusdrayl's house under the earth?" Rowland asked eagerly. Meepo retracted his previous doubts about the sorcerer's stupidity.</p><p></p><p>But Embrill wasn't satisfied with Meepo's word. The druid glared at Meepo and wheeled on him. His eyes narrowed into thin slits as he stalked up to the kobold. "Listen to me now and listen good, you scaly little waste" he hissed coldly. "I have no compunctions whatsoever about slitting your worthless throat right here and now and watching you bleed out right next to him." Embrill pointed at the unconscious Burble with his speartip and took another step forward. "In fact, I don't see why I don't just go ahead and do it. After all, you're not quite so brave of a 'lackey' without him around are you?"</p><p></p><p>Meepo got ready to run. Embrill's hand darted to the hilt of his skinning knife as he</p><p>spat the word 'lackey' out with as much venom as he could muster. "You're nothing but a whining, yapping, *stinking*, vile, filthy little coward who forgets that he's not boasting with his whole tribe here to back him up. After all, *you* were the one who lost the dragon. I'm sure Yusadryl would *thank* me for ending your miserable existance."</p><p></p><p>This was no good. The druid was realizing too much. Meepo surreptitiously looked for an escape route.</p><p></p><p>He stepped closer still and leaned down so as to be on eye level with Meepo. He punctuated his words with firm prods to the kobold's chest with his fingertip. "And if you *ever*(poke) refer to *me*(poke) as 'worthless druid or to *Riki*(poke) as my 'mate' again*(poke)...you'd best pray to your God that you never fall asleep, because if you do, you'll wake up choking on your own blood as you die."</p><p></p><p>If Meepo made it out of this alive, he was killing the druid. He didn't care how, or when, but it would happen.</p><p></p><p>Embrill stared hard into Meepo's red eyes for a long moment before slowly rising back to his full height. After a moment he turned to the group. "If we go visit them, we take only what we need. And once Sal is able to move, we head back up."</p><p></p><p>"Meepo call you Embrill. Wolf is Riki. Now make nice Burble?" His red eyes smoldered with determination. Let the idiots think he was set on helping Burble. Meepo was determined to get out with his skin. He'd miss Burble, but not more than he'd miss living. Rhea was barely containing her laughter.</p><p></p><p>"Don't druids usually preach kindnes and acceptance to all living things? Interesting..." Jaryth mused. No one answered him.</p><p></p><p>"My only promise is that I won't 'not make nice' with you....for now. Now let's get moving." That gave Meepo time to work at least. The group made it the rest of the way back to Yusdrayl without incident. But she wans't just going to let them rest and heal in her territory out of the goodness of her heart.</p><p></p><p>"I do not see Calcryx with you. Is he back in his cage? And why do you bring your dead here?" Yusdrayl demanded. Rowland stepped forward to talk.</p><p></p><p>Rowland bowed his head respectfully. That was a good start. Yusdrayl liked groveling. Then he spoke, "Your eminence, we simply have not yet completed the mission. We have struck a terrific blow against your goblin foes, but we have been grievously wounded ourselves, and we have spent our spells. We seek an opportunity to recover from our wounds and regain our spells, so that, in a few days' time, we may complete the mission and return Calcryx to you." He paused, then added, "And our two companions are not dead. However, they are grievously wounded."</p><p></p><p>"Dead or wounded is nothing to me. You ask another boon when you haven't completed your last task? Very well, but you shall bring me the head of Durnn, the goblin chief. That is my price for your shelter, no less." Yusdrayl sunk the group further into her debt. Meepo expected as much.</p><p></p><p>"Before we can accept your generous offer, your eminence, we must confer briefly among ourselves."</p><p></p><p>"Confer until your bones grow moss, but have an answer before you test my patience."</p><p></p><p>Rowland gathered the group close. "Well? Opinions, anyone?"</p><p></p><p>Bryant was the first to answer. "All choices I see I do not like at all, but at least these kobolds need something from us, those rats out there only see us as food."</p><p></p><p>"Burble and Sal are in bad condition. The less we move them the better." Lorn must have had to think hard to come up with that. He even scratched his chin before he said it.</p><p></p><p>"We probably should stay here. We can't get Calcryx if we're half-dead. Y'know?" Another cunning observation from Jaryth, complete with a grin.</p><p></p><p>"I don't think we need to be any further indebted to these vermin that we have to. "Can any of you say you honestly trust sleeping near them? If you do you're more insane that Burble was. I can do what I can to help get Sal back on his feet, but I'd be a lot more comfortable up in the open air. We're safer in the woods than here." Meepo hoped some wood monster would eat Embrill.</p><p></p><p>"Meepo say stay here." He wasn't giving up this fight just yet.</p><p></p><p>"But getting there is the real trick. I don't see all of us surviving another rat attack." Bryant was the voice of reason and in the end the group decided they'd listen to it. Meepo would keep an eye on this one. He was in Burble's faction and might make a suitable replacement dupe. Embrill wanted to run, Rhea didn't want to risk more time exposed to rats, but in the end the group opted to take Yusdrayl's offer and was shown to an empty room where they could rest and heal.</p><p></p><p>The night passed quietly. Embrill tended the wounded, except for Burble and Meepo. In a few hours, Burble woke with a start. "Meepo? Meepo, are you ok? What happened? Sal? Sal! Is he alive?"</p><p></p><p>"Meepo not hurt, Burble. Dwarf alive. He hurt bad. Rats not make nice him. But W-" Meepo stopped suddenly and his red eyes darted up to look at Embrill. He continued after a moment speaking more carefully. "Embrill make nice Dwarf and he look better now. Meepo make nice Burble. Meepo put Burble's insides back inside when they fall out." The kobold finished proudly. He started out just reporting facts, but on some level he was proud of how he'd put Burble back together. Meepo wondered if he had the rat sickness.</p><p></p><p>Burble was taken aback, "Meepo, you have done what I never thought possible or expected from you. You saved me? I am very, very proud of you. My thanks my friend. Yes, I think I can say with pride and true feelings Meepo, you are my friend. You saved me, you helped Sal, who has been my traveling companion and friend. You make me proud to have you at my side my friend and I give you my hand. " Burble held out his hand and Meepo shook it.</p><p></p><p>"No longer can you be my lackey. You are my companion in blood and I am in your debt. Your talents, my faith, and the blessings of the Gods have shined here. I swear to heal you when you are hurt to stand by you and your goals. I give you my blade to guide and fight with. You have my word my friend, that no matter what may happen, that I will be at your side for as long as you will have me. Olidamara rolled his dice of chance and graced me with life again. Lorn showed me this with his healing and care, but it would have been for naught without your binding my gut wound."</p><p></p><p>Meepo had hardly paid any mind when Lorn bound Burble's injuries after Embrill refused. He was worrying about his own life at the time</p><p></p><p>"Thank you Meepo, Mighty Kobold and descendant of Dragons." Meepo didn't know what to say or think. He was shocked at the halfling's words and he felt...he felt...warm and...happy... He nearly vomited.</p><p></p><p>"Meepo not Burble lackey?" Meepo mulled it over. That cloying, warm feeling grew inside him and he could feel it washing away all his sensible plans. Meepo actually liked Burble. "Meepo make nice Burble! Burble make nice Meepo!" He wheeled on Embrill. "Meepo not lackey now. Meepo Burble's companion. Burble make nice Meepo."</p><p></p><p>On some level, Meepo knew he was being stupid. He was trusting and caring about a halfling he'd known for all of a day...and he liked it. He wanted to do it more. He'd lost his mind, but Meepo couldn't help but feel happy inside. It was like when he was lost in bloodlust fighting the goblins, only better.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Samnell, post: 1212, member: 130"] [b]VI-Tails Between Their Legs[/b] Wherein Meepo demonstrates behavior entirely unbecoming a kobold. The battle was over. The rats had been killed off or chased away. Sal had gone into some kind of berserk fury and Worthless Druid used some kind of magic, but Meepo didn't care. He was watching over Burble. Fear writhed in Meepo's gut. What would he do if Burble died? Burble was the only one who protected Meepo and defended him from Worthless Druid and his wolf mate. Without him, Meepo was doomed. Sal had fallen in the battle, so even Burble's friend wasn't around. If the halfling didn't make it, Meepo was going to have to do what all smart kobolds did and run like hell. With the end of the battle, Lorn spoke first. He was showing his customary insight. "So what now?" Burble shivered and groaned as Lorn spoke and Meepo made sure his bandages were holding. Embrill looked at Lorn as if he'd lost his mind. It was the first smart thing Meepo could remember the Worthless Druid doing. "What now? I'll tell you what now, Paladin....we get the HELL out of here. That's 'What now'. We'd be as insane as that damn halfling if we thought spending the night here would work. I don't know about you, but I've had my share of fending rats off his festering carcass while trying to keep myself alive in the process. If you want to come back once we're all healed and prepared, fine. But I'm not staying here one moment longer." The boy smirked at the Worthless Druid and said something about Lorn not being a paladin, but Meepo was too engrossed in caring for Burble to note the exact words. He did hear what Bryant said afterwards, though. "We don't have the supplies with us to stay here long enough to heal, and going to the surface for supplies in smaller groups is just going to give these beasts weaker groups to attack. Now two of us are going to have to be carried, meaning that at least four of us won't be fully ready for the next attack if we try to move from here." He rubs at the back of his head, still wound up from the battle, and lets out a long sigh to try to calm himself, "I don't know. My vote is to get the hell out of here. How long would we have to wait till Sal and Burble can at least walk again?" Rhea interjected, "Something tells me ol' blood n guts here isn't going to be walking anywhere for a long while..." Rowland looked up from finishing off the few rats still gasping on the ground. "I agree. We should return to the village." Lorn sighed in response. "I guess it is the only option we have." Meepo was starting to pay more attention now. He couldn't let them leave Burble behind. If they left Burble behind they'd leave him too. Sal wouldn't let them do that, but Sal was unconscious. Damn dwarves were never awake with all their blood inside them when you needed them. "No idea. And frankly, I don't care if Burble ever walks again. But regardless, we can't afford to sit around and wait for the next wave of rats to come back and clean up the scraps. I'm too worn out to try and charm them again. My plan is to make straight for the ravine and get topside. Forget this crawling at a snails pace nonsense. If there were traps, we would have set them off by now." Worthless Druid answered Lorn. He examined Sal a bit before continuing. "There's more than enough of us to carry the wounded. I suppose we should be comforted by the fact that Burble's small if we do decide to bring him along. We make this quick. Either Rhea or Riki and I should take the lead to be on guard for things. Anyone has a better idea, make it known." "Fine by me..." Rhea responded. Reflexively Meepo noted her agreement with the druid. Meepo thought it was an excellent idea. With the Worthless Druid in front, he'd surely die first. The rest of the group might not like Meepo, but they didn't hate him either. He would have a chance if Embrill died. The thought excited him. If Burble died, all was not lost. That very same thought left him feeling sick inside, though. He wondered if one of the rats bit him when he didn't notice and infected him with their disease. "We really should help out Burble and Sal, and everyone else hurt." Jaryth said as though no one else had thought of it. If Meepo weren't busy tending Burble and calculating how he would survive if the halfling didn't he'd have noted the boy was as simple-minded as the rest of the humans. "Here's what I suggest. Embrill and I will take point, drawing out any enemies that my be hiding along our paths. The rest of you will follow with Byrant and Rowland carrying Sal while Rhea and Meepo carry Burble. Jaryth should take the rear guard position. Now let's get moving." Lorn had a plan. Meepo was thrilled. Lorn's plan to camp in the citadel was what got them into this mess in the first place. "If that's what you want..." Rhea agreed with Lorn. Wonderful. Meepo could feel death looming over him again and casting a cold shadow over his dreams of revenge. As Meepo carefully took up his end of Burble, he decided to make a gamble. "We take Burble to Yusdrayl? She make nice Burble." Yusdrayl might kill them all, but it was a shorter trip than up to the surface world. That meant less time for rats or goblins to catch them holding two bodies and unable to fight. Meepo would feel bad about it if he had to drop Burble, the halfling's skull shattering on the stone and his brains leaking out, to run for his life. Afterward he'd feel bad, anyway. "Take him wherever the hell you want. I'm going topside." Worthless Druid was never shy about sharing his opinion. Meepo let out a hissing sigh and shook his head. "Meepo hate sun." Meepo hated lots of other things too. Druids, wolves, humans...but now was not the time to mention them. "Wait... They might have some kind of healer or something that can heal them enough to make it easier to go topside. I'm not saying lets not go up, what I'm saying is let's stop there first to see if they can help...." "Or..... they might eat the wounded.... I'm not well versed in kobold customs..." Rhea came to Meepo's rescue. The fool actually thought Yusdrayl might help out of the kindness of her heart. Lorn smirked like the idiot he was. "Maybe we could trade them for supplies." "Knowing them, that sounds pretty likely." The Worthless Druid was right. It was likely. Halfling and dwarf weren't at all common dishes. Meepo had a taste for dwarf himself. "Well if we do, and anything else shows up, the kobolds can fight them. I'm done for today. But I'm not spending any more time down here than I have to. I want to rest and that's NOT happening in this deathtrap. Those spoiled brats are probably long dead by now anyway." An added bonus. The goblins could follow the group and kill a few dozen kobolds for Meepo. Maybe they could kill the druid too. After he was dead Meepo would have to thank him for pointing out an unforeseen benefit of his plan. But Meepo had to dispel some of their fears or the humans might be too on guard. "Meepo no eat Burble. Meepo good lackey!" Meepo said indignantly. "Kobolds only eat dead goblins...maybe worthless druid if he not make nice." Let them think he wasn't planning on drinking Rowland's blood and defiling the druid's corpse after politely thanking it for its insight. After all, Meepo was a civilized kobold. "I suggest we ask the kobolds for shelter for a couple days, at least. If they say no, we can always head back to the village." Rowland was coming to Meepo's aid now. Maybe he could use the boy for something other than his blood. Meepo wouldn't discard his plan to drink Rowland's blood, but he might put it off if the sorcerer proved to have other uses. Meepo nodded his head enthusiastically. "Kobolds make nice! We bring back Calcryx. Kobolds make nice. Yusdrayl help...maybe not make nice worthless druid and wolf lover, but kobolds make nice." "ALL of us... or we're not finding a damned thing." So Rhea would stand with the Worthless Druid still. Meepo noted her as a devout anti-Burbleite. Meepo grudgingly guaranteed Embrill's safety. "Kobolds make nice worthless druid and wolf mate." "So off we go to Yusdrayl's house under the earth?" Rowland asked eagerly. Meepo retracted his previous doubts about the sorcerer's stupidity. But Embrill wasn't satisfied with Meepo's word. The druid glared at Meepo and wheeled on him. His eyes narrowed into thin slits as he stalked up to the kobold. "Listen to me now and listen good, you scaly little waste" he hissed coldly. "I have no compunctions whatsoever about slitting your worthless throat right here and now and watching you bleed out right next to him." Embrill pointed at the unconscious Burble with his speartip and took another step forward. "In fact, I don't see why I don't just go ahead and do it. After all, you're not quite so brave of a 'lackey' without him around are you?" Meepo got ready to run. Embrill's hand darted to the hilt of his skinning knife as he spat the word 'lackey' out with as much venom as he could muster. "You're nothing but a whining, yapping, *stinking*, vile, filthy little coward who forgets that he's not boasting with his whole tribe here to back him up. After all, *you* were the one who lost the dragon. I'm sure Yusadryl would *thank* me for ending your miserable existance." This was no good. The druid was realizing too much. Meepo surreptitiously looked for an escape route. He stepped closer still and leaned down so as to be on eye level with Meepo. He punctuated his words with firm prods to the kobold's chest with his fingertip. "And if you *ever*(poke) refer to *me*(poke) as 'worthless druid or to *Riki*(poke) as my 'mate' again*(poke)...you'd best pray to your God that you never fall asleep, because if you do, you'll wake up choking on your own blood as you die." If Meepo made it out of this alive, he was killing the druid. He didn't care how, or when, but it would happen. Embrill stared hard into Meepo's red eyes for a long moment before slowly rising back to his full height. After a moment he turned to the group. "If we go visit them, we take only what we need. And once Sal is able to move, we head back up." "Meepo call you Embrill. Wolf is Riki. Now make nice Burble?" His red eyes smoldered with determination. Let the idiots think he was set on helping Burble. Meepo was determined to get out with his skin. He'd miss Burble, but not more than he'd miss living. Rhea was barely containing her laughter. "Don't druids usually preach kindnes and acceptance to all living things? Interesting..." Jaryth mused. No one answered him. "My only promise is that I won't 'not make nice' with you....for now. Now let's get moving." That gave Meepo time to work at least. The group made it the rest of the way back to Yusdrayl without incident. But she wans't just going to let them rest and heal in her territory out of the goodness of her heart. "I do not see Calcryx with you. Is he back in his cage? And why do you bring your dead here?" Yusdrayl demanded. Rowland stepped forward to talk. Rowland bowed his head respectfully. That was a good start. Yusdrayl liked groveling. Then he spoke, "Your eminence, we simply have not yet completed the mission. We have struck a terrific blow against your goblin foes, but we have been grievously wounded ourselves, and we have spent our spells. We seek an opportunity to recover from our wounds and regain our spells, so that, in a few days' time, we may complete the mission and return Calcryx to you." He paused, then added, "And our two companions are not dead. However, they are grievously wounded." "Dead or wounded is nothing to me. You ask another boon when you haven't completed your last task? Very well, but you shall bring me the head of Durnn, the goblin chief. That is my price for your shelter, no less." Yusdrayl sunk the group further into her debt. Meepo expected as much. "Before we can accept your generous offer, your eminence, we must confer briefly among ourselves." "Confer until your bones grow moss, but have an answer before you test my patience." Rowland gathered the group close. "Well? Opinions, anyone?" Bryant was the first to answer. "All choices I see I do not like at all, but at least these kobolds need something from us, those rats out there only see us as food." "Burble and Sal are in bad condition. The less we move them the better." Lorn must have had to think hard to come up with that. He even scratched his chin before he said it. "We probably should stay here. We can't get Calcryx if we're half-dead. Y'know?" Another cunning observation from Jaryth, complete with a grin. "I don't think we need to be any further indebted to these vermin that we have to. "Can any of you say you honestly trust sleeping near them? If you do you're more insane that Burble was. I can do what I can to help get Sal back on his feet, but I'd be a lot more comfortable up in the open air. We're safer in the woods than here." Meepo hoped some wood monster would eat Embrill. "Meepo say stay here." He wasn't giving up this fight just yet. "But getting there is the real trick. I don't see all of us surviving another rat attack." Bryant was the voice of reason and in the end the group decided they'd listen to it. Meepo would keep an eye on this one. He was in Burble's faction and might make a suitable replacement dupe. Embrill wanted to run, Rhea didn't want to risk more time exposed to rats, but in the end the group opted to take Yusdrayl's offer and was shown to an empty room where they could rest and heal. The night passed quietly. Embrill tended the wounded, except for Burble and Meepo. In a few hours, Burble woke with a start. "Meepo? Meepo, are you ok? What happened? Sal? Sal! Is he alive?" "Meepo not hurt, Burble. Dwarf alive. He hurt bad. Rats not make nice him. But W-" Meepo stopped suddenly and his red eyes darted up to look at Embrill. He continued after a moment speaking more carefully. "Embrill make nice Dwarf and he look better now. Meepo make nice Burble. Meepo put Burble's insides back inside when they fall out." The kobold finished proudly. He started out just reporting facts, but on some level he was proud of how he'd put Burble back together. Meepo wondered if he had the rat sickness. Burble was taken aback, "Meepo, you have done what I never thought possible or expected from you. You saved me? I am very, very proud of you. My thanks my friend. Yes, I think I can say with pride and true feelings Meepo, you are my friend. You saved me, you helped Sal, who has been my traveling companion and friend. You make me proud to have you at my side my friend and I give you my hand. " Burble held out his hand and Meepo shook it. "No longer can you be my lackey. You are my companion in blood and I am in your debt. Your talents, my faith, and the blessings of the Gods have shined here. I swear to heal you when you are hurt to stand by you and your goals. I give you my blade to guide and fight with. You have my word my friend, that no matter what may happen, that I will be at your side for as long as you will have me. Olidamara rolled his dice of chance and graced me with life again. Lorn showed me this with his healing and care, but it would have been for naught without your binding my gut wound." Meepo had hardly paid any mind when Lorn bound Burble's injuries after Embrill refused. He was worrying about his own life at the time "Thank you Meepo, Mighty Kobold and descendant of Dragons." Meepo didn't know what to say or think. He was shocked at the halfling's words and he felt...he felt...warm and...happy... He nearly vomited. "Meepo not Burble lackey?" Meepo mulled it over. That cloying, warm feeling grew inside him and he could feel it washing away all his sensible plans. Meepo actually liked Burble. "Meepo make nice Burble! Burble make nice Meepo!" He wheeled on Embrill. "Meepo not lackey now. Meepo Burble's companion. Burble make nice Meepo." On some level, Meepo knew he was being stupid. He was trusting and caring about a halfling he'd known for all of a day...and he liked it. He wanted to do it more. He'd lost his mind, but Meepo couldn't help but feel happy inside. It was like when he was lost in bloodlust fighting the goblins, only better. [/QUOTE]
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Meepo's Story Hour [NEWS! 6-19-02]
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