Bordell's Tales, Chapter 1 : Two faces.

[Jdvn1]

"Yes, we may defeat a small band of barbarians, but we would be foolish to pick a fight with barbarians--they would merely retreat to gain the help of more barbarians. We are not prepared for a war like that.

"I suppose I must talk with Leopol in private, then, as this is not a subject to be discussed in front of company. In this wild terrain, I had forgotten the secrecy of our mission. Then again, I wasn't sure what to tell Sylvain. I had hoped you would be our contact with the Rangers. Should I have told him that we were travelling to Theor and that there was no threat to Taran's lands?

Xavier helps with the stones and continues to prepare the camp.

 

[Velmont]

"Barbarians tribes are not as organized as Gaile is. Barbarians village wage war against each other some times. A raiding party may include most of the tribe warriors, and if that tribe have no support, they may just return home empty handed. They'll come back, but it may be the year after. The order have attempted to get rid of village some times, but it's just didn't seems to have any effect on the raids.

And it is normal to make mistakes, you're still a squire, and I'm sure you'll become a fine knight, give you time, and use both your head and arms."

You finish to raise the camp and wait a few minutes before Stone and Bellmon finally come back.

"Here the woods. I think there is games in the forest."

"We had the white stag here. Sylvain, the master ranger of Taran came to speak to us. He'll be back with some rabbits and we will have his company for supper."

"Rabbits? Have been some times we didn't eat your speciality... why our armors on the ground? Anyway, Xavier, take all that have fallen, we will clean it, we will have some time to wait before the supper is ready."

Leopol sits down on a large rock nor very far from the firepit. Bellmon is starting the fire and Kriegspire is searching his bags for some things to prepare the meal.

 

[Jdvn1]

<Hm, I still have a lot to learn about life outside of the Order> "Sir Leopol, may I speak with you as I clean the armor?"

Xavier walks toward the horses to pick up the fallen armor so that they may be cleaned. "While speaking with Sylvain, I forgot one the details of our orders--the secrecy of the mission. He was insistent to know what we were doing in the forest after noticing out heavy equipment and who we were, that I told him too much. I told him where we were going and why." Xavier pulls out some brushes and things to clean the armor with. "Maybe I should have had a coverstory? I am not good at lying, though."

 

[Velmont]

Leopol take the weapon and start to remove the earth who is on it. "I wanted Jasper to handle this exactly not to have such mistake done... I am not that familiar with Sylvain, but I suppose that he will keep that for himself. You could have told him that we were just going scouting the barbarian activities. It is not that usual to do it for us, and it is an half-truth. We will go scouting. But you disobey your orders, and that's will have to be punish. I won't give you any sanction for now, I need you at your best, but once we will be back to the Rock, I'll see something fit. From now on, keep your orders in your head at all time. Discretion is important. Finish both armor, I'll go speak with Jasper."

Stone stands up and go talking with Jasper. The speak whispers and you can't hear what they says, but Kriegspire give you a look before replying to Leopol.

A few moment later, Sylvain come back with three rabbits and a small bag.

"Here the supper." He gives the rabbit to Kriegspire and open the bags that contain roots.

An hour later, you are the five around the fire. Jasper and Sylvain talk about old time, when they were both rangers under the Duke Ironfist. You all listen to there stories about some bandits. At one moment, Sylvain suggest everyone to tells a story.

"Let's me start. This story is rarely told in Gaile as it come from the Elven lands of Faranor, north west of here. It is told that before the humans become a force on this continent, two glorious races were living on this continent. The silver elves were populating the forest and the golden dwarves were living in the mountain. After some forgotten reasons, the dwarves and the elves start a war. No one could beat the other race in there homeland, so the war was wage during over a century.

The dwarves decide to use there mining skills to end the war, and start to dig a tunnel under the ground up to the capital. They finally start the invasion of the capital. The take the palace under siege, but as the palace is build around a giant oak, they had difficulty to penetrate the defence. Dwarves aren't the best fighter in forest. But there number and the surprise attack had weaken the elves, and they were unable to push back the dwarves.

But the elves have always respected the nature, and one day, the spirit of the oak came to help, she show herself to the dwarves, but her beauty is so pure that the simple sight make you blind, as it is told you will never see nothing more beautifull. With blind oponent, the elves easily broke the siege and the war finally end another century later, after all attempt had failed on both side. It is the only war known among those two races, as the golden dwarves have never came back on the surface since that time. The reason of there dissapearance is unknown."

Sylvain pause a moment and then look at you.

"Let's here your story, sir Bordell. When you are ready."

 

[Velmont]

After a moment a silence, Jasper says "Let me tell you one. I've heard it two month ago, when I was at the King's court. It is a foreign bard that had come from the empire in the south. It is a story from his culture. I hope to tell it to you like he did.

Long time ago, while the genie was walking the dunes of the desert of El Jem, it is told that the emperor of Medina had a daugther. The emperor never give birth to any other children, and no one knew why. Even the seers was unable to tell why. And so the daugther was overly protected by his father. She was prisoner in her golden cage that was her father's palace.

She was looking at the city from her balcony, and to the desert from the highest tower of the palace. That was the only glimpse she had of the real world. She usually stares at that world that was her own a few hours a day, and the remaining, she was entertained by the bards of the court. But a flower cannot bloom in a pot too small for it. And so sadness start to fill the young princess heart.

During a full moon night that she was looking at the stars, an unfamiliar sound came to her hears. It was a bird. A beautifull and colorfull birds, one that you can meet in many jungle, but cannot survive in the heat of the desert. The small bird flew up to the balcony and rest a moment there. It was singing a beautifull song. After a moment, it left. The young princess felt his heart ligthen by the song. The night after, she came back to the balcony, in hope to see the bird again. The bird came back, and sang a new song for the girl. For a month, it has been like that.

When the moon was full again, the bird came back, but that time, it didn't sang to the girl. It spoke to her.

I am a djinn. I have been trading in your father's city for years now. I've seen you looking at the world from your balcony since you were a child. I can speak to the wind, and it carried me your tears and sorrows to me, and it sadden me. I came to you to fill your heart with joy, but it doesn't seem enough. I still feel despair in your heart. I am here to make you an offer. If you want, I can make you leave your home and free you from this existance, but be warned, what await you might not be like you think, and there is no coming back.

After a moment, she aggred to the offer. The djinn transformed her into a bird, and she flew away. Happy by her new freedom, she cry of joy, and one of her tear fall on the balcony and crystalize itself into a diamond. The day after, her father found his daugther's bedroom empty, and the tear on the balcony. As he took the diamond in his hand, he knew what happened to her child, and that she was happy where she was. He made a ring with the tear.

It is told that the ring is found at some moment by a person who see no more hope in his existance, and it brings him hope. And when the despair is gone from his life, the ring is lost again, to be found by someone who would need it."

 

[Jdvn1]

Very interesting stories, the both of you. I have a story that was told to me when I was a child, and has been passed through my family, and is a fairly common folktale in my family's lands." Xavier looks into the fire, imagining the story and recalling his childhood.

"There was a boy who grew up in a small village, the son of farmers. His life was a hard life and he learned to work hard. His family taught him to try to be a strong person, so that much would come from his efforts--good crops and good actions. To bad crops, deal with them quickly and efficiently, and make sure they never come back. The boy had a strange mark on his neck that made him look ugly, so he was sometimes treated badly. This was just another obstacle for the boy.

And so the boy was raised, always trying to better himself, to be strong, and to do good deeds. Eventually, his parents grew old and the boy had to work the field himself. It used to be the father's job to take the crops to the town to sell, but now the young man had to do it. He learned the way quickly and learned that he had to cover his neck in dealing with people.

After a month of this, he encountered a caravan on the road. Not taking notice of them, he tried to pass them on the road, but they got in his way. They asked for toll and the young man refused to pay it. When they insisted, he noticed there were some bodies behind some bushes--these men had killed others who had not paid the toll. He tried to get away, but was then engaged in combat and forced to kill all of those men in defense. Thank goodness he was able to survive and continue on to the town.

When he arrived in the town, the news had gotten there before he had. The men on the road was the king and his men. They were cruel men that tried to get every penny they could from thte people, but for killing the king, the young man was sentenced to death. It was unavoidable, the actions of the young man, but there judge had no choice in his sentence. The law was very clear.

Then came the day the young man was to be executed. He was led to the platform in the town square and knelt down before the executioner, who pulled back the young man's cloak to swing his axe--but he stopped. He raised the young man to his feet and knelt down before him. "Our true king has freed us!" In all the confusion, the young man had learned that the old king was killed a long time ago, and his first born son was sent off to safety. The king who took his place was a cruel king, but the old king was known for his distinguishing mark on the back of his neck, the same mark the young man has.

The young man was indeed the king. When he questioned his parents, the farmers said they had indeed adopted him, from a river a long time ago, but didn't know his ancestry. The young man had learned well from his farmer parents and became the strongest and kindest king in their history, respected by all."

 

[Velmont]

"Interesting moral" says Stone calmly, looking at the fire. "I don't want to cut the fun of the night, but tomorrow we will have a long ride. Thanks to our storytellers, but I'll have to order everyone to take a good night of sleep. Jasper, you take the first watch, I'll take the second, Xavier, you take the third and Bellmon take the last."

Stone stands up and walk up to his pack and get out his bedroll and blanket and take a place not too far of the fire and prepare himself for the night. Bellmon immitate him. Kriegspire and Sylvain both starts to whispers, and for what you overhear, they are talking about an old hunting they had made together.

 

[Jdvn1]

Nodding, "All right, then. Good night all." Xavier moves to his pack as well to unpack his bedroll. He looks for a softer place a little farther from the fire. Xavier isn't quite used to sleeping outdoors, yet, so he tries to shut out the thoughts of wild animals and trees, thinking about the night's stories. <Dwarves digging underground... djinn-birds... diamond tears... blinding lights...> Eventually, he falls asleep with the thought of strange stories.

 

[Velmont]

The night pas without events. In the morning, the air is fresh, and your blanket is wet, covered by the dew of the morning. You see Bellmon is already preparing the breakfast, and Leopol is already awake, and discuss with Bellmon. Jasper is still sleeping, but it doesn't take long before he wakes up. During the breakfast, you are all listening to Leopol who explain the plans of the day. You should arrive near the border this night. You will pass the night at a small town near the border, where Leopol knows a farmer who could offer you a roof over your head for the night.

You travel during the day without much problem. The blue sky slowly turn gray as cloud gather over your head. The wind carry hot air from the sea, charged with humidity. You feel lucky as Leopol announce you are almost at the town. The travel become more confortable as a small wood start to border the road on your right. You continue down the road and see the first field since the last village. Leopol tell you that he will go before you and see if his friend is there. He leaves you as you slowly going down the road.

After a moment, you see a man with a chariot on the side of the road. His wheal is broken and seems to be trying to repair it, but without much success. As he sees you coming at his height, he bows down and ask you. "Sorry, sirs. I would need some strong arms as yours to help, would you be willing to help a por farmer like me?"

Jasper stops, but doesn't answer and seems to look around, not taking care of the farmer.

 

[Jdvn1]

Xavier stops as well, looks at Jasper, and looks around himself. Eventually, he looks at the man, "I do not know much about fixing wheels; what is it you would hope for us to do?" Xavier looks at Jasper for some guidance.