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Ptolus: Midwood - "The Dark Waters of Moss Pond"
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<blockquote data-quote="Whizbang Dustyboots" data-source="post: 3335360" data-attributes="member: 11760"><p>"And so then," Tock continued, laughing, "We were both singing along, dancing, over there at that booth, right at the top of our lungs."</p><p></p><p>Something had gotten Tock nostalgic and he was regaling them with story after story. Ragglus was laughing along and so was Ella.</p><p></p><p>"So who was this lady love?" Ragglus finally asks.</p><p></p><p>Tock sighs and comes back to earth.</p><p></p><p>"Some local tramp," he said. "It's a metaphor. A symbol. Don't worry about it, it's song stuff."</p><p></p><p>But Tock's mood has turned, and he glowers into his drink.</p><p></p><p>* * *</p><p></p><p>Hazel smiles, leading Bufer deeper into the barrow.</p><p></p><p>"You think Kat's started counting the links in Emmerson's chain shirt yet?" She slows just before where she'd expect to see bodies, and begins searching the area for any signs of disturbance. "Maybe something dragged 'em off? It's not like they could just up and walk away, is it?"</p><p></p><p>Bufer freezes and stares at Hazel.</p><p></p><p>"Not usually," he says hesitantly. "I think this has been a wild goose chase, lass. Unless you're able to find some sign of how them corpses done disappeared, we'd best get back to the others."</p><p></p><p>Hazel gestures for the cleric to lead the way out; she throws the occasional glance back over her shoulder as she trails after him, but the barrow is silent and still.</p><p></p><p>The sunlight stings her eyes as they exit, and Hazel blinks rapidly to dispel the spots in her vision. A bit dispirited by her lack of discovery, Hazel is nonetheless determined to wait all day if she must.</p><p></p><p>"So, you said you had some dice in your bag?"</p><p></p><p>Relieved to see some activity, Kat practically pounces on the pair.</p><p></p><p>"Well? Anything? Describe to me exactly what is inside. Was anything different? How did it smell? Did you locate what may have made the sound? Was there any indication of activity? And those mirrors! When do we go in? Perhaps another trip is in order, yes?"</p><p></p><p>Hazel stares at the wizard with a dumbfounded expression before replying.</p><p></p><p>"Er, no. Stone and dust." She ticks off her fingers with each answer, her eyes darting upward as she works to remember each question. "Yes. Musty. No. Yes and no. Didn't see 'em. You don't. No?"</p><p></p><p>Her lips move soundlessly as she reviews each answer, then nods firmly.</p><p></p><p>"Yup, that's about it."</p><p></p><p>But upon hearing the words "you don't," Katadid had turned around and sat down in the snow in the previous hiding spot staring ahead angrily.</p><p></p><p>Bufer sighs heavily and rubs the bridge of his nose to forestall the headache threatening to build behind it.</p><p></p><p>"Kat, be reasonable, all right? We don't want to get caught with our pants down in the barrow if and when these people show up, do we? Let's be patient for the time being. The barrow ain't goin' nowhere."</p><p></p><p>"THAT'S-" Katadid blinks. His next breath turns into a coughing fit, leaving him red-faced and breathless. "Actually, that's ... a reasonable point."</p><p></p><p>He begins clearing a circle of snow in front of him and then separate the rocks beneath into discrete piles.</p><p></p><p>"Indeed, our vigil has not even started," Emmerson says, sitting on the ground, placing his sword to the side and locking his eyes on the cairn's entrance. "Barely a full day in contemplation, nothing to it."</p><p></p><p>"Well," Bufer says to no one in particular, "it seems like all we've got left to do is wait."</p><p></p><p>With that, he opens up his pack and pulls out his holy Glittergoldian tome of proverbs, psalms and knock-knock jokes. Opening it to a dog-eared page, he settles it in his lap and begins to read, chuckling softly to himself almost immediately.</p><p></p><p>Hazel sweeps away any tracks she and Bufer made going to and from the barrow, then settles down with the others to wait.</p><p></p><p>And so the group waits. As the day wears on, they hear some of the trees in the Tulgey shrug off their winter's coat of ice, which comes crashing down through the underbrush in the distance.</p><p></p><p>* * *</p><p></p><p>Having grown up hearing his father's tales of adventure with the Imperial Army, Tucker has long dreamt of a more exciting life than the one he had in Maidensbridge. And truly, that's all they had been -- idle dreams -- until he ventured into the Tulgey Barrow and fought the creatures there. Now that he's experienced real excitement, the weight of his ordinary life rests heavily upon him. With nothing of interest or import going on in town, he heads to the small chapel for late afternoon prayer before Lothian's altar.</p><p></p><p>A hand drops on Tucker's shoulder as his foot is on the first step leading into Maidensbridge Chapel.</p><p></p><p>"Warm weather," Constable Ward Bridger says. "There are kobolds moving on Green Mountain, heading east towards the forest north of us. Do you have any friends capable of shadowing them without being heard?"</p><p></p><p>* * *</p><p></p><p>Katadid was up to eight piles, one coughing fit, and counting.</p><p></p><p>"And the one-legged paladin says," Bufer reads aloud to the others from his book, "'Do not despair for me, sirrah, for I dost ride side-saddle!'"</p><p></p><p>Emmerson puts closes the leather-bound book with St. Chausle's portrait on the cover around a finger to hold his place. He's about to ask a question when Renraw interjects.</p><p></p><p>"I never had much use for women, myself," Renraw expounds. "Of course, I could scarcely keep them away from me at university ..."</p><p></p><p>Hazel pulls a piece of jerky from her pack and chews silently. With some difficulty, she tunes out the constant jabbering of her companions and listens for the crunch of feet on snow or the rustle of movement against branch.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Whizbang Dustyboots, post: 3335360, member: 11760"] "And so then," Tock continued, laughing, "We were both singing along, dancing, over there at that booth, right at the top of our lungs." Something had gotten Tock nostalgic and he was regaling them with story after story. Ragglus was laughing along and so was Ella. "So who was this lady love?" Ragglus finally asks. Tock sighs and comes back to earth. "Some local tramp," he said. "It's a metaphor. A symbol. Don't worry about it, it's song stuff." But Tock's mood has turned, and he glowers into his drink. * * * Hazel smiles, leading Bufer deeper into the barrow. "You think Kat's started counting the links in Emmerson's chain shirt yet?" She slows just before where she'd expect to see bodies, and begins searching the area for any signs of disturbance. "Maybe something dragged 'em off? It's not like they could just up and walk away, is it?" Bufer freezes and stares at Hazel. "Not usually," he says hesitantly. "I think this has been a wild goose chase, lass. Unless you're able to find some sign of how them corpses done disappeared, we'd best get back to the others." Hazel gestures for the cleric to lead the way out; she throws the occasional glance back over her shoulder as she trails after him, but the barrow is silent and still. The sunlight stings her eyes as they exit, and Hazel blinks rapidly to dispel the spots in her vision. A bit dispirited by her lack of discovery, Hazel is nonetheless determined to wait all day if she must. "So, you said you had some dice in your bag?" Relieved to see some activity, Kat practically pounces on the pair. "Well? Anything? Describe to me exactly what is inside. Was anything different? How did it smell? Did you locate what may have made the sound? Was there any indication of activity? And those mirrors! When do we go in? Perhaps another trip is in order, yes?" Hazel stares at the wizard with a dumbfounded expression before replying. "Er, no. Stone and dust." She ticks off her fingers with each answer, her eyes darting upward as she works to remember each question. "Yes. Musty. No. Yes and no. Didn't see 'em. You don't. No?" Her lips move soundlessly as she reviews each answer, then nods firmly. "Yup, that's about it." But upon hearing the words "you don't," Katadid had turned around and sat down in the snow in the previous hiding spot staring ahead angrily. Bufer sighs heavily and rubs the bridge of his nose to forestall the headache threatening to build behind it. "Kat, be reasonable, all right? We don't want to get caught with our pants down in the barrow if and when these people show up, do we? Let's be patient for the time being. The barrow ain't goin' nowhere." "THAT'S-" Katadid blinks. His next breath turns into a coughing fit, leaving him red-faced and breathless. "Actually, that's ... a reasonable point." He begins clearing a circle of snow in front of him and then separate the rocks beneath into discrete piles. "Indeed, our vigil has not even started," Emmerson says, sitting on the ground, placing his sword to the side and locking his eyes on the cairn's entrance. "Barely a full day in contemplation, nothing to it." "Well," Bufer says to no one in particular, "it seems like all we've got left to do is wait." With that, he opens up his pack and pulls out his holy Glittergoldian tome of proverbs, psalms and knock-knock jokes. Opening it to a dog-eared page, he settles it in his lap and begins to read, chuckling softly to himself almost immediately. Hazel sweeps away any tracks she and Bufer made going to and from the barrow, then settles down with the others to wait. And so the group waits. As the day wears on, they hear some of the trees in the Tulgey shrug off their winter's coat of ice, which comes crashing down through the underbrush in the distance. * * * Having grown up hearing his father's tales of adventure with the Imperial Army, Tucker has long dreamt of a more exciting life than the one he had in Maidensbridge. And truly, that's all they had been -- idle dreams -- until he ventured into the Tulgey Barrow and fought the creatures there. Now that he's experienced real excitement, the weight of his ordinary life rests heavily upon him. With nothing of interest or import going on in town, he heads to the small chapel for late afternoon prayer before Lothian's altar. A hand drops on Tucker's shoulder as his foot is on the first step leading into Maidensbridge Chapel. "Warm weather," Constable Ward Bridger says. "There are kobolds moving on Green Mountain, heading east towards the forest north of us. Do you have any friends capable of shadowing them without being heard?" * * * Katadid was up to eight piles, one coughing fit, and counting. "And the one-legged paladin says," Bufer reads aloud to the others from his book, "'Do not despair for me, sirrah, for I dost ride side-saddle!'" Emmerson puts closes the leather-bound book with St. Chausle's portrait on the cover around a finger to hold his place. He's about to ask a question when Renraw interjects. "I never had much use for women, myself," Renraw expounds. "Of course, I could scarcely keep them away from me at university ..." Hazel pulls a piece of jerky from her pack and chews silently. With some difficulty, she tunes out the constant jabbering of her companions and listens for the crunch of feet on snow or the rustle of movement against branch. [/QUOTE]
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Ptolus: Midwood - "The Dark Waters of Moss Pond"
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