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The Realms of Enlightenment: The Grey Companions
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<blockquote data-quote="Jon Potter" data-source="post: 529696" data-attributes="member: 2323"><p><strong>[PLAIN][Realms #201] More Bad News[/PLAIN]</strong></p><p></p><p>"He is a fine healer," Finian conceded. "And I don't want to spread a plague in Barnacus." He nonchalantly raised his sword and brought it down on Mom's neck, severing her rat-like head with one blow. Rherram jumped at the sudden burst of swordplay and gasped in horror when he saw what the Archer had done.</p><p></p><p>"Why did you do that?" the healer asked.</p><p></p><p>Finian shook his head and wiped his blade on what was left of Mom's robe. "The King sent us to kill her," Finian said, overstating the truth a bit. "She might have healed herself if we'd left her."</p><p></p><p>"B-but-" Rherram stammered. "I might have saved her."</p><p></p><p>"It seems to me that in war, you do not fell your enemies and then immediately heal them," Kirnoth interrupted. "That seems silly." He was somewhat surprised with the hard edge that had crept into him since he'd left his homeland to walk amongst the humans and he wasn't entirely sure that he liked it. He'd changed much in half-a-year.</p><p></p><p>"I-," Rherram seemed stunned.</p><p></p><p>"My vote is to leave this place immediately," the mage said and Ledare nodded.</p><p></p><p>"And I have no problem stopping off at your place for rest, Rherram. But I think we should still be vigilant," the Janissary explained as she cleaned her own sword and slipped it into its scabbard. "We may now be major targets for the forces of darkness, as we have managed to snarl at least one thread in their tapestry of doom."</p><p></p><p>"But what of these others?" Rherram asked as they walked back to where Ruze lay. The healer indicated the guardsmen and cultists that lay unmoving in the dark courtyard. "With some time and luck, I might be able to save them."</p><p></p><p>"I think you should consider what they may do if you do save them," Kirnoth asserted. "I vote for leaving them. If they recover, fine. If not, that's fine too."</p><p></p><p>"That is not the healer's code," the old man said, regarding Kirnoth as if the elf were slitting their throats where they lay. The elf sighed and looked to Finian and Ledare.</p><p></p><p>"Some of their cohorts ran away," he explained. "Maybe they'll come back and heal them when we leave. I think our first order of business should be to track Draeland."</p><p></p><p>"I imagine we will pick him up on the way back to the horses," Finian said with a snicker. "It should not be hard to track a big ox running through the woods. Boy, I cannot wait to see his face."</p><p></p><p>Kirnoth cut of the Archer's mocking litany with a raised hand. "Surely something in this place had an unnatural effect on his bravery and I will not fault him for that, nor will I tolerate anyone else doing so," he said, directing his comments to Finian especially. "We have all had our bad moments. He is part of our team and deserves our respect."</p><p></p><p>Finian sighed, thinking that perhaps wearing armor and swinging a sword had gone to the mage's head. Kirnoth's ego seemed to have grown quite healthy in the time since they'd been in one another's company. He seemed a far cry from the bumbling wizard who'd summoned mice rather than missiles on the Riverneck Path. Instead of telling the elf so and chancing a long argument, the ranger glanced over at some of the wooden beams that poked out of the rubble of the keep. "Ledare," he said, "help me rig up a travois from some of this timber and we'll get Ruze out of here."</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>As Finian had suspected, they found Draelond on the trail leading out of Othelwood. The big man was huddled beside the trail. Rherram checked him and attended to his wounds with the help of Finian's herb satchel. When he was done, he handed the bag to Finian and said, "You're nearly out of 'Old Man's Friend' and he's got the pussties too."</p><p></p><p>Draelond who was unconsciously scratching at the red bumps that had started to appear on his palms looked up at that and grimaced. "I've got what?" he groaned.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Only four of their mounts remained waiting for them in the field with the broken-down wagon. The other four horses that they had searched upon arriving on the scene were gone and one of the fleeing cultists had stolen Kirnoth's horse as well. After some deliberation they pressed on with Rherram riding Ruze's horse and dragging the Battleguard in his travois. Kirnoth rode behind Finian since they were the lightest armored.</p><p></p><p>They eased their mounts along the short trail that led from Othelwood to the caravan trail and pointed the horses southward, away from Barnacus. No one was more excited than Draelond to have the evil forest swallowed up by the night behind them.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>They were a few hours' journey along Merchant's Way, roughly half-way to Strenchburg Junction when both Ledare and Kirnoth began to complain about itchy eyes. Rherram examined them closely and shook his head. "They've got 'eye crust'," he announced. "Your eye lids are going to cover over with a thick growth that hardens quickly and itches like prickly nettles."</p><p></p><p>"Great!" Ledare huffed, grinding at her right eye with her fist.</p><p></p><p>"The truly awful part is the thin, viscous film that covers the eye itself," the healer said with his most compassionate tone. "Regardless of how much crust has developed on the outside, that film will effectively cause blindness in a few hours."</p><p></p><p>"What?" Ledare exclaimed.</p><p></p><p>"B-blind?" Kirnoth whimpered.</p><p></p><p>"Just until you're healed. Draelond, might I suggest that you take the reigns of the Janissary's horse. She won't be able to guide it for very much longer," Rherram said, turning to the blistered warrior. Draelond stopped scratching at the raised pustules long enough to urge his mount forward close enough for him to grab the lead from the Janissary's mare.</p><p></p><p>"How much farther is it to your place, Rherram?" Finian asked gruffly. He looked a little disgusted with having to ride so close to Kirnoth who was beginning to weep puss.</p><p></p><p>"Not much farther," the healer announced. "We should be there by dawn."</p><p></p><p>Finian looked eastward at the darkened sky and cursed to himself. It would be a while before Orin's Shield rose from the sea; the first lightening that heralded its coming had yet to touch the horizon.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Starday, the 3rd of Wealsun, 1269 AE</p><p></p><p></p><p>It was past dawn when they arrived at Rherram's home. It had taken slightly longer due mainly to the combination of Ruze's travois and the fact that Kirnoth and Ledare were both weakening from their illness. More than once, they almost toppled sightless from their saddles.</p><p></p><p>The healer's home was located at the wagon turn at the end of a narrow cart path that climbed a tree-cloaked hill on the northern outskirts of Strenchburg Junction. His ramshackle house was made of stone and was large for one man. A vast herb garden that showed hours of careful maintenance skirted the house on three sides. A small dirt yard abutted the wagon turn in front.</p><p></p><p>Rherram dismounted quickly and pointed to a wooden door set to the far left of the yard. The universal symbol for 'healer' painted on the door - a circle of white flowers. "Quickly, now," Rherram said as he hurriedly went to release Ruze from the travois. "Bring everyone into the hospital ward and let's get to the business of saving lives."</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Jon Potter, post: 529696, member: 2323"] [b][PLAIN][Realms #201] More Bad News[/PLAIN][/b] "He is a fine healer," Finian conceded. "And I don't want to spread a plague in Barnacus." He nonchalantly raised his sword and brought it down on Mom's neck, severing her rat-like head with one blow. Rherram jumped at the sudden burst of swordplay and gasped in horror when he saw what the Archer had done. "Why did you do that?" the healer asked. Finian shook his head and wiped his blade on what was left of Mom's robe. "The King sent us to kill her," Finian said, overstating the truth a bit. "She might have healed herself if we'd left her." "B-but-" Rherram stammered. "I might have saved her." "It seems to me that in war, you do not fell your enemies and then immediately heal them," Kirnoth interrupted. "That seems silly." He was somewhat surprised with the hard edge that had crept into him since he'd left his homeland to walk amongst the humans and he wasn't entirely sure that he liked it. He'd changed much in half-a-year. "I-," Rherram seemed stunned. "My vote is to leave this place immediately," the mage said and Ledare nodded. "And I have no problem stopping off at your place for rest, Rherram. But I think we should still be vigilant," the Janissary explained as she cleaned her own sword and slipped it into its scabbard. "We may now be major targets for the forces of darkness, as we have managed to snarl at least one thread in their tapestry of doom." "But what of these others?" Rherram asked as they walked back to where Ruze lay. The healer indicated the guardsmen and cultists that lay unmoving in the dark courtyard. "With some time and luck, I might be able to save them." "I think you should consider what they may do if you do save them," Kirnoth asserted. "I vote for leaving them. If they recover, fine. If not, that's fine too." "That is not the healer's code," the old man said, regarding Kirnoth as if the elf were slitting their throats where they lay. The elf sighed and looked to Finian and Ledare. "Some of their cohorts ran away," he explained. "Maybe they'll come back and heal them when we leave. I think our first order of business should be to track Draeland." "I imagine we will pick him up on the way back to the horses," Finian said with a snicker. "It should not be hard to track a big ox running through the woods. Boy, I cannot wait to see his face." Kirnoth cut of the Archer's mocking litany with a raised hand. "Surely something in this place had an unnatural effect on his bravery and I will not fault him for that, nor will I tolerate anyone else doing so," he said, directing his comments to Finian especially. "We have all had our bad moments. He is part of our team and deserves our respect." Finian sighed, thinking that perhaps wearing armor and swinging a sword had gone to the mage's head. Kirnoth's ego seemed to have grown quite healthy in the time since they'd been in one another's company. He seemed a far cry from the bumbling wizard who'd summoned mice rather than missiles on the Riverneck Path. Instead of telling the elf so and chancing a long argument, the ranger glanced over at some of the wooden beams that poked out of the rubble of the keep. "Ledare," he said, "help me rig up a travois from some of this timber and we'll get Ruze out of here." As Finian had suspected, they found Draelond on the trail leading out of Othelwood. The big man was huddled beside the trail. Rherram checked him and attended to his wounds with the help of Finian's herb satchel. When he was done, he handed the bag to Finian and said, "You're nearly out of 'Old Man's Friend' and he's got the pussties too." Draelond who was unconsciously scratching at the red bumps that had started to appear on his palms looked up at that and grimaced. "I've got what?" he groaned. Only four of their mounts remained waiting for them in the field with the broken-down wagon. The other four horses that they had searched upon arriving on the scene were gone and one of the fleeing cultists had stolen Kirnoth's horse as well. After some deliberation they pressed on with Rherram riding Ruze's horse and dragging the Battleguard in his travois. Kirnoth rode behind Finian since they were the lightest armored. They eased their mounts along the short trail that led from Othelwood to the caravan trail and pointed the horses southward, away from Barnacus. No one was more excited than Draelond to have the evil forest swallowed up by the night behind them. They were a few hours' journey along Merchant's Way, roughly half-way to Strenchburg Junction when both Ledare and Kirnoth began to complain about itchy eyes. Rherram examined them closely and shook his head. "They've got 'eye crust'," he announced. "Your eye lids are going to cover over with a thick growth that hardens quickly and itches like prickly nettles." "Great!" Ledare huffed, grinding at her right eye with her fist. "The truly awful part is the thin, viscous film that covers the eye itself," the healer said with his most compassionate tone. "Regardless of how much crust has developed on the outside, that film will effectively cause blindness in a few hours." "What?" Ledare exclaimed. "B-blind?" Kirnoth whimpered. "Just until you're healed. Draelond, might I suggest that you take the reigns of the Janissary's horse. She won't be able to guide it for very much longer," Rherram said, turning to the blistered warrior. Draelond stopped scratching at the raised pustules long enough to urge his mount forward close enough for him to grab the lead from the Janissary's mare. "How much farther is it to your place, Rherram?" Finian asked gruffly. He looked a little disgusted with having to ride so close to Kirnoth who was beginning to weep puss. "Not much farther," the healer announced. "We should be there by dawn." Finian looked eastward at the darkened sky and cursed to himself. It would be a while before Orin's Shield rose from the sea; the first lightening that heralded its coming had yet to touch the horizon. Starday, the 3rd of Wealsun, 1269 AE It was past dawn when they arrived at Rherram's home. It had taken slightly longer due mainly to the combination of Ruze's travois and the fact that Kirnoth and Ledare were both weakening from their illness. More than once, they almost toppled sightless from their saddles. The healer's home was located at the wagon turn at the end of a narrow cart path that climbed a tree-cloaked hill on the northern outskirts of Strenchburg Junction. His ramshackle house was made of stone and was large for one man. A vast herb garden that showed hours of careful maintenance skirted the house on three sides. A small dirt yard abutted the wagon turn in front. Rherram dismounted quickly and pointed to a wooden door set to the far left of the yard. The universal symbol for 'healer' painted on the door - a circle of white flowers. "Quickly, now," Rherram said as he hurriedly went to release Ruze from the travois. "Bring everyone into the hospital ward and let's get to the business of saving lives." [/QUOTE]
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