The Heroes of Icemist (SmallBeginnings 2)- Interlude update 2/21/2008!
Enk&D'Shai
First Post
Cracker Jack.
Fiddle Faddle.
Cracker Jack!
Fiddle Faddle!
Toy surprise!
Bigger box!
Oh wait, how do the lyrics go? "Buy some peanuts and CRACKER JACK..."
You know, I don't care if you ever come back.
That's it, you forced me to do this. Cracker Jack never played a pivotal role in a movie featuring Mr. T as the bearded lady.
...
...
Damn, man, that's messed up.
Tip o' the day: Playing with the thesaurus and Babelfish can be fun!
*****
Interlude
Aurora grimaced as the parchment crumpled and creased, her trembling hands trying and failing to affix a proper seal on the missive. With a sigh, the sorceress unrolled the parchment and smoothed it flat on the stone bench. Before trying again, this time more calmly, her fingers brushed the folded letters in her pocket that she had just received from her winged companion; letters from steadfast friends that calmed her nerves as if their authors stood at her side. For a moment, she considered reading them a second time, but the looming shadows grew as the sun began setting, and Aurora feared that she would not be safe once day turned to night. Her nerves calmed, she quickly rolled the parchment, set a seal to it, and placed it in her feathered messenger’s letter harness.
“Athena,” the sorceress said as she stroked the snow bird’s plumage, “I know you are tired from your latest flight, but I need you to deliver this message to Ander quickly.”
The tilted head and long stare communicated the owl’s feeling as effectively as the arcane bond that connected the two.
“I will be fine,” Aurora protested as much for her own benefit as that of her familiar. “There hasn’t been a killing in the last week and I promise that I will head home as soon as the snow thaws. Til then my hiding place at the inn will have to do. Besides I don’t think whoever killed Highmaster Schok is coming back for me.” Aurora let the words hang in the air. This sounded more convincing when I said it to myself yesterday. “Look, Ander and the others need to know what’s going on. They need to know that I didn’t do it! So please…go.”
The sorceress watched the great owl ruffle its feathers with an accusing stare, and for a moment, she thought her familiar would disobey her. But the owl flexed its wings, and hopped off its perch, circling once in the cold breeze and then disappearing over the city walls leaving the red haired girl alone in the public gardens as the sun dipped below Tor’s building rich horizon. Pulling her cloak tighter about her shoulders, Aurora patted the letters once more for comfort and began the short trek back to the inn where she could settle into her room and read the winter news from her friends and pretend that she was safe at home in Icemist instead of hidden away in an increasingly unfriendly city.
It had been a dream made real that she had been offered a chance to return to the academy, made more miraculous that the offer came from Highmaster Schok himself, who had heard of her unique talents on his visit to Icemist during Festival. She could not have asked for a better life: she excelled at her studies by day and toured the city by night, enjoying both the grudging respect of her instructors and the revelry of big city life. Aside from the absence of her new friends, she could not have asked for anything more: until the day that she returned from her classes to find her Master brutally murdered.
The shock of his death was like a blow to her belly. In the short time since she had arrived in Tor, Master Schok had become like an uncle to her. And, when the lower Masters, who saw her gifts – not granted through study but from within - as little more than abomination, it had been his influence alone that had kept her safe within the Academy walls. Without his protection the lower Masters moved against her, stripping her of the rights of inheritance; soon after the Academy’s halls filled with whispers that Highmaster Schok had died at her tainted hand.
Fearing the worst, Aurora fled. Copying as best she could the lessons learned from Ashrem, the young scholar quickly disguised herself and drifted into the slums, finally coming to rest in a hovel of an inn. Since then, four more Highmasters had been murdered, each with links to Master Schok, sending the Academy into an uproar as new accusations led to other suspects. Yet, even with new suspects, she thought it best to continue her hiding, at least until the snows melted and she could make her way back to Icemist.
A hushed voice broke her reverie, “Aurora.”
The not quite but almost familiar tone of the voice startled the young sorceress sending tingles of energy racing through her hands in preparation for either fight or flight, but as she turned the sight of a olive skinned face caught her even more off guard.
“Ander!” Overjoyed, the sorceress’ feet flung her at toward the woodsman’s outstretched arms. “Thank the gods it’s you! I just sent Athena to find you! Are the others with you? And how did you ever make it through the snow?”
Aurora wrapped her arms around the young man’s trim waist and buried her face in his neck. The young maiden had so many more questions, but for the first time in a very long while she felt safe. For a long moment, she held him in near silence, the only sound a satisfied sigh that escaped the sorceress’ lips.
“You haven’t answered my question,” she finally asked as she lifted her head. The warrior’s coal black eyes, flinty and aloof, stared back at her.
In the growing darkness, the muffled cry went unnoticed.
End of Interlude
*****
Next time: "Wanted, Dead or Alive," or "How much is the reward again?"
Fiddle Faddle.
Cracker Jack!
Fiddle Faddle!
Toy surprise!
Bigger box!
Oh wait, how do the lyrics go? "Buy some peanuts and CRACKER JACK..."
You know, I don't care if you ever come back.
That's it, you forced me to do this. Cracker Jack never played a pivotal role in a movie featuring Mr. T as the bearded lady.
...
...
Damn, man, that's messed up.
Tip o' the day: Playing with the thesaurus and Babelfish can be fun!
*****
Interlude
Aurora grimaced as the parchment crumpled and creased, her trembling hands trying and failing to affix a proper seal on the missive. With a sigh, the sorceress unrolled the parchment and smoothed it flat on the stone bench. Before trying again, this time more calmly, her fingers brushed the folded letters in her pocket that she had just received from her winged companion; letters from steadfast friends that calmed her nerves as if their authors stood at her side. For a moment, she considered reading them a second time, but the looming shadows grew as the sun began setting, and Aurora feared that she would not be safe once day turned to night. Her nerves calmed, she quickly rolled the parchment, set a seal to it, and placed it in her feathered messenger’s letter harness.
“Athena,” the sorceress said as she stroked the snow bird’s plumage, “I know you are tired from your latest flight, but I need you to deliver this message to Ander quickly.”
The tilted head and long stare communicated the owl’s feeling as effectively as the arcane bond that connected the two.
“I will be fine,” Aurora protested as much for her own benefit as that of her familiar. “There hasn’t been a killing in the last week and I promise that I will head home as soon as the snow thaws. Til then my hiding place at the inn will have to do. Besides I don’t think whoever killed Highmaster Schok is coming back for me.” Aurora let the words hang in the air. This sounded more convincing when I said it to myself yesterday. “Look, Ander and the others need to know what’s going on. They need to know that I didn’t do it! So please…go.”
The sorceress watched the great owl ruffle its feathers with an accusing stare, and for a moment, she thought her familiar would disobey her. But the owl flexed its wings, and hopped off its perch, circling once in the cold breeze and then disappearing over the city walls leaving the red haired girl alone in the public gardens as the sun dipped below Tor’s building rich horizon. Pulling her cloak tighter about her shoulders, Aurora patted the letters once more for comfort and began the short trek back to the inn where she could settle into her room and read the winter news from her friends and pretend that she was safe at home in Icemist instead of hidden away in an increasingly unfriendly city.
It had been a dream made real that she had been offered a chance to return to the academy, made more miraculous that the offer came from Highmaster Schok himself, who had heard of her unique talents on his visit to Icemist during Festival. She could not have asked for a better life: she excelled at her studies by day and toured the city by night, enjoying both the grudging respect of her instructors and the revelry of big city life. Aside from the absence of her new friends, she could not have asked for anything more: until the day that she returned from her classes to find her Master brutally murdered.
The shock of his death was like a blow to her belly. In the short time since she had arrived in Tor, Master Schok had become like an uncle to her. And, when the lower Masters, who saw her gifts – not granted through study but from within - as little more than abomination, it had been his influence alone that had kept her safe within the Academy walls. Without his protection the lower Masters moved against her, stripping her of the rights of inheritance; soon after the Academy’s halls filled with whispers that Highmaster Schok had died at her tainted hand.
Fearing the worst, Aurora fled. Copying as best she could the lessons learned from Ashrem, the young scholar quickly disguised herself and drifted into the slums, finally coming to rest in a hovel of an inn. Since then, four more Highmasters had been murdered, each with links to Master Schok, sending the Academy into an uproar as new accusations led to other suspects. Yet, even with new suspects, she thought it best to continue her hiding, at least until the snows melted and she could make her way back to Icemist.
A hushed voice broke her reverie, “Aurora.”
The not quite but almost familiar tone of the voice startled the young sorceress sending tingles of energy racing through her hands in preparation for either fight or flight, but as she turned the sight of a olive skinned face caught her even more off guard.
“Ander!” Overjoyed, the sorceress’ feet flung her at toward the woodsman’s outstretched arms. “Thank the gods it’s you! I just sent Athena to find you! Are the others with you? And how did you ever make it through the snow?”
Aurora wrapped her arms around the young man’s trim waist and buried her face in his neck. The young maiden had so many more questions, but for the first time in a very long while she felt safe. For a long moment, she held him in near silence, the only sound a satisfied sigh that escaped the sorceress’ lips.
“You haven’t answered my question,” she finally asked as she lifted her head. The warrior’s coal black eyes, flinty and aloof, stared back at her.
In the growing darkness, the muffled cry went unnoticed.
End of Interlude
*****
Next time: "Wanted, Dead or Alive," or "How much is the reward again?"
Rel
Liquid Awesome
Dawn said:
Hey, it's Dawn!
Good to see you on the boards (though perhaps you've been here and I just haven't been hanging out in the right places) and I feel I'd be remiss if I didn't extend an invitation to the next NC Game Day coming up on April 23. If you can make it down from Charlotte we'd love to have you. The link's in my .sig.
