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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ExDis" data-source="post: 888691" data-attributes="member: 10799">Adventures Beyond the Edge - Marigold’s JournalMarigold’s Journal - Entry OneSo, how was I taken as a slave? Well, me gold were runnin low. I didn’t want to use me savings, so when one a the other thieves said he had a sweet deal down on the docks and did I want a part, I asked what the part would be. He said 300 gold at the least. Well, acourse I said yes; who wouldn’t? Twink had a good reputation for doin his groundwork, so I thought it would fly. But it didn’t.When we got on the ship that were the mark, they was waitin fer us. None a us got away I don’t think; I seen Twink and his partner, Jaffer, among the people chained in the hold. I made sure to get the name a the stinker as gave Twink the know about this ship. One day one a us will get home and the gang will take revenge.The human chained next ta me were nice. She gave me some food and water she had saved for me cause I were still sleepin off the sap ta the head I’d taken in the fight. I’d et worst, but that were a long time gone.She tole me her name were Mikayla, which were a right pretty name, an I tole her so. Then I tole her me name were Marigold, and we exchanged stories of how we came to be here in the ship, both proper edited acourse.We were in that stinkin boat a long time. When we was finally taken off, it were straight to a slave market, where Mikayla and I was sold together. I thought we might be, cause not many people think halflings is worth much. They thinks cause we’re small, they can’t get a full day’s work outta us. That may be true for some kinds a work, but there’s lotsa things we can do just as good as humans, and sometimes better. And we’re cheaper to clothe and feed, too. But most humans is stupid; don’t think much past their eyes.Before I had a chance to get us free, we was loaded onto a new ship, chained into a cramped space with two gnomes, two elves and five other humans. All the tall folk was pretty, cept for one a the men. Two a the humans was already been slaves; ya could tell straight off. But three a them was new-caught, and one a them, the not-pretty one, had real attitude. I knew there would be trouble aplenty ifn he got free, and decided to give him his chance when it would best suit me own purposes.We sailed for several days. Eventually the humans got to talkin like they allus do. They was wonderin what kind a master had bought em, and what they was meant for. Now, only the Gods and the master knew, but that answer wouldn’t serve me purposes none, sos I tole them that, since most all a them was pretty, we was probly gonna be headed fer a brothel. I says even the one with the attitude would be fer sale, even though he wouldn’t like it much, as there was plenty a men who liked to abuse strong, manly types as they was buggerin em. Then I says in a consoling voice that he weren’t to worry none; such slaves rarely lived long. I thought he were gonna take the ship apart right then and there, and were sure he would give Mikayla and me plenty a distraction to get away when the time were right.A coupla days later, the weather turned queer. At first I thoughts it were wizard weather and I panicked. A quick beatin brought me back to my senses, and we was all locked down right and tight in our pen. We waited tensely for what seemed like hours, and then heard cannons.I got outta my shackles right quick and helped Mikayla outta hers. Two a the humans were already free, and helpin the other humans, sos I freed the gnomes and the elves, warnin them all to stay low, though they didn’t all listen.While I were workin on freein the elves there were suddenly a screamin sound and two holes suddenly appeared in the ship, one on each side. I yelled at everyone ta stay down, cause I heared enough tales in dockside taverns to know we’d been blasted by cannonfire. Not ever one listened though and the next cannon ball took off one a the elves’ heads and put a hole clean through one a the humans’ chests on its way through the ship. Finally people listened to what I were yellin.Everyone was free from their chains now, but the door were bolted shut. The holes in the ship was big enough to squeeze through, and we was beginnin to take on water so we all went to the side where the pirates wasn’t and looked out. There were lots a wood floatin in the water; two a the masts, boxes and crates, bodies. Everyone started jumpin in, but I can’t swim, so I tried to climb up into one a the little boats. The ship was pitchin too hard and the ropes were too frayed fer me to manage though and I ended up in the water. Mikayla grabbed me and helped me up onto a barrel a water that one a the humans had thrown in.I looked around and saw the gnomes and two a the other humans clinging to a mast, tying the three barrels together. The elf and the other human weren’t nowheres in sight. After the barrels were tied together, everyone clung to em, and Mikayla noticed one a the little boats nearby. She called out to them and persuaded them to take her and me into the boat, and one a the humans in the little boat managed to tie the barrels to the back, sos the other humans and the gnomes would be safe, too. Two humans, which looked to be sailors, were rowing the boat away from the ship, hopefully to the nearest shore. Aside from the human who helped us and the two sailors there was two other humans who looked to be merchants.The sailors rowed for what seemed like forever, before the bottom of the little boat scraped against the shore. We all piled out and Mr. Attitude immediately attacked the sailors. Some a the others pulled him off, and Mikayla and the nice human from the little boat, who turned out to be some kind of cleric, persuaded him that the sailors had nothing to do with him being slaves, so he calmed down and stopped his attack.It weren’t too miserable a night. And in the morning there were lots a things washing up on the tide. We got some weapons from the bodies, as well as some decent clothing. At least, the humans did.We could see a road in the distance, but Mr. Attitude said it would be dangerous to take it; most likely we would find us slaves again. Sos we followed the shoreline. When it started to get dark we stopped and made a camp. Me and the gnomes collected some crabs and clams and such from the shore and the tidepools so I made a seafood stew with saltwater and some seaweed and such as we found. Never had anything so good and I can’t imagine how much that a meal would have cost back home.The next few days were all pretty much the same; just walkin and more walkin, and makin enough seafood stew each night to feed us again in the mornin. Humans bein what they be, it weren’t long afore I learnt their names and stories, most of which I think were actually true.The sailors were just your common seamen. The two merchants wasn’t quite as prosperous as they seemed, I think, but they was alright more or less. The nice human was called Ithian and was headed for some temple or other. He were a nobleborn and a high one too I’d bet what with the color of his hair and eyes and how tall he were and how nice his features. Then there were Azoi, some minor noble with magic who did something typically noble-stupid and got in trouble for it so ended up sold into slavery to pay the fine. Jaresh, like me, were taken by slavers, not legally sold into slavery. It happens, and much more often than common folk think. He had been in a monestary, whatever that is, and had left to spend some time wanderin the world. Sounds hair-brained to me, but he’s quiet and polite and seems nice enough. Then there’s Mikayla, who were runnin with some outlaw band I think, and someone sang a song so she were taken and sold, by the sound of it also illegally, though I’m not sure. Seems she coulda been sold legally, but someone didn’t bother with the formalities, if I’m readin between the lines right. The gnomes, Jorak and Darren, were sold for debts, cause of all the bad years Kalamar has seen lately. Damned Kalamaran nobles! They don’t want to hear it, just see their money. And hey, if everyone’s a slave, then they can collect all the profits, can’t they? The Gods should visit a plague on them!And then there’s Mr. Attitude. He’s a right dodgy one that Tyran. I believe his tale of treachery, for he tells it with a bitterness that speaks of truth. And though he doesn’t say it, I’ll bet he deserved what he got. He’s pure nasty, through and through, for all he smiles and jokes with the other humans. Want to know what a man is really like? Don’t watch how he treats his superiors or his equals. Watch how he treats those he considers his inferiors. He sneers at the merchants, makes the sailors carry the water all by themselves and he treats the gnomes and me like we ain’t people. He’ll have to be watched like a hawk, he will. Otherwise the gnomes and me, at least, is gonna find ourselves back in chains, as he walks away with his belt pouch jinglin.***************************************We saw a small village on the road today. The merchants and sailors want to go there but Tyran said it were too risky. So we’ll keep walkin, though he tole the merchants and sailors they could leave us midday tomorrow and head back. That night we was attacked by kobolds. We kilt a coupla the stinkin vermin, but they kilt Darren. Poor Jorak!Acourse the sailors and the merchants took the opportunity to run for it. Fools! They woulda been kobold bait for sure. Tyran stopped them, though I’m not exactly sure how. So he stripped them of their pretties and their money. He missed a fair amount a what they had hidden away. Lucky I looked in their clothes afore Tyran gave it back ta them. He wanted to keep their rings, but Mikayla protested. Loud and long. He put it up to a party vote. Me, I aint got nothin against them, sos I didn’t partickly want ta be the cause a them bein enslaved, so I voted to let em keep the rings. Aint like their value were gonna make never no mind a difference. Ithian said to let em keep the rings too, and so they gots ta keep em.We let em go halfway through the day, just like Tyran promised. He even let them have a little a their money. Ya could tell me thought it was a waste a money though. I think he thinks the kobolds are gonna get em, but I think they gots a chance to make it.We kept headin east and came to a drab little village on a bay that evenin. Had a dock and everythin, though we found out the bay were too shallow fer the ships to come in. Everythin were traded by longboat.We stayed the night, got us some clothes and good food as wasn’t from the sea. But we got to have us a bath, and oh! How good that were. They didn’t bring much water, sos Mikayla and I had ta share. Well, I wanted to be clean and enjoy a good long hot soak, sos I used a bit a magic to clean us up. Mikayla has promised not to tell no one just yet that I can do that. After all, it’s not like what I got’s worth gettin excited over. Not unless you’re a thief, anyways.Tomorrow we’ll head on out again. We’ll have better luck in a larger town, Tyran says.</blockquote>

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