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The Realms of Enlightenment: The Grey Companions
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<blockquote data-quote="Jon Potter" data-source="post: 429231" data-attributes="member: 2323"><p><strong>[PLAIN][Realms #191] The Smell of Fear[/PLAIN]</strong></p><p></p><p>It was Finian who broke the oppressive silence.</p><p></p><p>"I have come through here with Grmnmral on our way to Barnacus," he told the others in a hushed whisper. "I went out to hunt and I must have passed out somewhere and I woke up in the morning. I had weird dreams of sheep bleating and blood from one of my wounds opened up." He absently touched his forehead where he'd been cut by a thief's knife all those moonsdances ago. "It was spooky," he concluded.</p><p></p><p>Ledare looked around at the wood and the ruin before them. "That much has remained unchanged," she said. Then, looking at each of her companions in turn, she added, "Suggestions?"</p><p></p><p>Finian squinted at the keep and said, "They may not have heard us, but we should watch a little since I am sure they have look outs and traps set. They seem very concerned about hiding themselves. We should approach with caution."</p><p></p><p>Ledare nodded and Kirnoth added, "When we get closer, I will use Detect Magic to determine if there are spells around this place. I will also keep my bow ready and stay alert for 'snipers'."</p><p></p><p>"Good idea," the Janissary said and Draelond spoke.</p><p></p><p>"Perhaps, Kirnoth and Finian, while the two of you check out the keep below, I'll go with you to keep watch. I don't like the feel of this place a bit," Draelond whispered, hating the thought of what he was saying "but it may be the only hope we have of finding where we ought to go from here." He bared Ravager's hungry, saw-toothed blade and held the bastard sword in his grip so tightly his knuckles lost color immediately. "I'll be as quiet as I am able," he added, "but a bull doesn't tiptoe through a glassblower's shop without being noticed."</p><p></p><p>"Are you thinking it would be wise for Ruze and I to stay behind?" Ledare asked. "For what purpose?"</p><p></p><p>Draelond shrugged. "The noise of our armor..," he began, but a shake of Ledare's head cut him off.</p><p></p><p>"If, indeed you tiptoe like a bull, there seems to be no reason why we all shouldn't go," the Janissary contradicted. "It looks too quiet and still to let just the three of you go on ahead. We'll all go."</p><p></p><p>She looked at Ruze and said, "Unless you have another idea, Ruze."</p><p></p><p>The Battleguard shook his head. "You're the Janissary," he said again. "I follow your lead."</p><p></p><p>"Perhaps Finian can take the ring and slip slightly ahead to scout things out," Ledare suggested and the Archer was already nodding his assent.</p><p></p><p>"I will gladly go ahead," he said, fingering the Ring of Invisibility. "It may be a good idea to check for traps on the bridge. They seem to really want to guard this place, so it could be trapped. Give me time to go ahead and do that. Then follow."</p><p></p><p>"We'll let you give you until a count of fifty before we follow," Ledare told him. "I don't want us to get too separated."</p><p></p><p>Finian considered this before slipping on the Ring and vanishing. "Fair enough," his disembodied voice told them, "but do not be afraid when I whisper. I have been in this woods before and it is spooky."</p><p></p><p>The nearly prophetic irony of his words was, for the time being, lost on the Archer of the Green.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Invisibly, Finian moved diagonally down the gentle slope to the valley floor. The grass, painted silver in the radiant light of Meruna, was already slick with dew, and it made the footing somewhat less than steady. But he made it all the way to the remains of the rutted wagon track in front of the gatehouse without losing his footing, and he crept forward even as Ledare reached her mental count of fifty.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>"Let's go," she hissed to the others and they started down the bowl of the valley.</p><p></p><p>"Careful," Kirnoth muttered. "It's slippery here."</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>The bridge was made of weather-worn stone and covered with dead vines. It arched ten feet above the stagnant floor of the moat. Below, Finian could see the Handmaiden Moon reflected in the black mirrors of standing water. On the other side of the bridge yawned the open maw of the gatehouse. Two 10-foot-tall bronzewood doors once protected the gateway, but no more. One door hung precariously on a single rusted hinge and the other had fallen entirely to the ground and lay half-hidden amidst some high weeds. A shattered and collapsed wooden walkway hung uselessly over the doors. Years of apparent disuse had taken a heavy toll on the bridge itself, but it seemed sound.</p><p></p><p>Finian glanced back over his shoulder and saw the others moving inelegantly down the slope toward the bridge. Kirnoth was doing a good job of staying inconspicuous despite the open terrain. The others were having a harder time of it and Ledare's armor actually seemed to be sending back flashes of reflected moonlight as she moved.</p><p></p><p>The Archer gritted his teeth and began checking the bridge for any traps. He thought at first that perhaps the vine was some sort of living guardian for the keep. But it was just a thorny vine, long dead from the black rot that had stricken it. The lighting was poor, but he did his best to spot any tripwires or pressure plates. He completely missed the odd symbol drawn on the bridge stone in human feces until he discharged the Glyph of Warding.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>They had taken a little more time than was absolutely necessary in order to prevent each other from slipping in the wet grass and falling to the ground in a clattering, jangling pile. Consequently, the others had just reached the rutted trail when they heard the girl scream.</p><p></p><p>Only it wasn't a girl as they all thought. It was Finian and he ran passed them all, invisibly, gibbering in terror. They couldn't see him to stop him, but they all heard a loud crashing sound as he slammed into the thick brambles that choked the woods at the edge of the valley.</p><p></p><p>"Dammit," Ledare had time to say as she listened to the Archer smashing his way off randomly through the trees. Then the first volley of crossbow bolts whistled through the air around them. Three quarrels thudded into the weeds - one each, at Ledare's, Draelond's and Ruze's feet.</p><p></p><p>A quick glance across the bridge revealed movement in the courtyard beyond the partially collapsed curtain wall. Two men in chainmail were drawing longswords and moving out through the gateway. Behind them stood another fellow dressed in leathers who was cocking back the lever on his light crossbow.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Jon Potter, post: 429231, member: 2323"] [b][PLAIN][Realms #191] The Smell of Fear[/PLAIN][/b] It was Finian who broke the oppressive silence. "I have come through here with Grmnmral on our way to Barnacus," he told the others in a hushed whisper. "I went out to hunt and I must have passed out somewhere and I woke up in the morning. I had weird dreams of sheep bleating and blood from one of my wounds opened up." He absently touched his forehead where he'd been cut by a thief's knife all those moonsdances ago. "It was spooky," he concluded. Ledare looked around at the wood and the ruin before them. "That much has remained unchanged," she said. Then, looking at each of her companions in turn, she added, "Suggestions?" Finian squinted at the keep and said, "They may not have heard us, but we should watch a little since I am sure they have look outs and traps set. They seem very concerned about hiding themselves. We should approach with caution." Ledare nodded and Kirnoth added, "When we get closer, I will use Detect Magic to determine if there are spells around this place. I will also keep my bow ready and stay alert for 'snipers'." "Good idea," the Janissary said and Draelond spoke. "Perhaps, Kirnoth and Finian, while the two of you check out the keep below, I'll go with you to keep watch. I don't like the feel of this place a bit," Draelond whispered, hating the thought of what he was saying "but it may be the only hope we have of finding where we ought to go from here." He bared Ravager's hungry, saw-toothed blade and held the bastard sword in his grip so tightly his knuckles lost color immediately. "I'll be as quiet as I am able," he added, "but a bull doesn't tiptoe through a glassblower's shop without being noticed." "Are you thinking it would be wise for Ruze and I to stay behind?" Ledare asked. "For what purpose?" Draelond shrugged. "The noise of our armor..," he began, but a shake of Ledare's head cut him off. "If, indeed you tiptoe like a bull, there seems to be no reason why we all shouldn't go," the Janissary contradicted. "It looks too quiet and still to let just the three of you go on ahead. We'll all go." She looked at Ruze and said, "Unless you have another idea, Ruze." The Battleguard shook his head. "You're the Janissary," he said again. "I follow your lead." "Perhaps Finian can take the ring and slip slightly ahead to scout things out," Ledare suggested and the Archer was already nodding his assent. "I will gladly go ahead," he said, fingering the Ring of Invisibility. "It may be a good idea to check for traps on the bridge. They seem to really want to guard this place, so it could be trapped. Give me time to go ahead and do that. Then follow." "We'll let you give you until a count of fifty before we follow," Ledare told him. "I don't want us to get too separated." Finian considered this before slipping on the Ring and vanishing. "Fair enough," his disembodied voice told them, "but do not be afraid when I whisper. I have been in this woods before and it is spooky." The nearly prophetic irony of his words was, for the time being, lost on the Archer of the Green. Invisibly, Finian moved diagonally down the gentle slope to the valley floor. The grass, painted silver in the radiant light of Meruna, was already slick with dew, and it made the footing somewhat less than steady. But he made it all the way to the remains of the rutted wagon track in front of the gatehouse without losing his footing, and he crept forward even as Ledare reached her mental count of fifty. "Let's go," she hissed to the others and they started down the bowl of the valley. "Careful," Kirnoth muttered. "It's slippery here." The bridge was made of weather-worn stone and covered with dead vines. It arched ten feet above the stagnant floor of the moat. Below, Finian could see the Handmaiden Moon reflected in the black mirrors of standing water. On the other side of the bridge yawned the open maw of the gatehouse. Two 10-foot-tall bronzewood doors once protected the gateway, but no more. One door hung precariously on a single rusted hinge and the other had fallen entirely to the ground and lay half-hidden amidst some high weeds. A shattered and collapsed wooden walkway hung uselessly over the doors. Years of apparent disuse had taken a heavy toll on the bridge itself, but it seemed sound. Finian glanced back over his shoulder and saw the others moving inelegantly down the slope toward the bridge. Kirnoth was doing a good job of staying inconspicuous despite the open terrain. The others were having a harder time of it and Ledare's armor actually seemed to be sending back flashes of reflected moonlight as she moved. The Archer gritted his teeth and began checking the bridge for any traps. He thought at first that perhaps the vine was some sort of living guardian for the keep. But it was just a thorny vine, long dead from the black rot that had stricken it. The lighting was poor, but he did his best to spot any tripwires or pressure plates. He completely missed the odd symbol drawn on the bridge stone in human feces until he discharged the Glyph of Warding. They had taken a little more time than was absolutely necessary in order to prevent each other from slipping in the wet grass and falling to the ground in a clattering, jangling pile. Consequently, the others had just reached the rutted trail when they heard the girl scream. Only it wasn't a girl as they all thought. It was Finian and he ran passed them all, invisibly, gibbering in terror. They couldn't see him to stop him, but they all heard a loud crashing sound as he slammed into the thick brambles that choked the woods at the edge of the valley. "Dammit," Ledare had time to say as she listened to the Archer smashing his way off randomly through the trees. Then the first volley of crossbow bolts whistled through the air around them. Three quarrels thudded into the weeds - one each, at Ledare's, Draelond's and Ruze's feet. A quick glance across the bridge revealed movement in the courtyard beyond the partially collapsed curtain wall. Two men in chainmail were drawing longswords and moving out through the gateway. Behind them stood another fellow dressed in leathers who was cocking back the lever on his light crossbow. [/QUOTE]
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