Well, here is the next one. I am very sorry for the delay, but there has been the usual medley of real-life problems, and I just haven't been inspired to write about a campaign that's defunct, and will never rise again.
It's short, and thrown together in a hurry. I'll try to get the next part written sometime. At least it's good to know there are people who like my writing...
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Two nights after, they camped off the road, under the boughs of the Reikwald Forest. They made a fire, ate, and went to sleep, leaving the first watch for Frederich.
The Nulnish warrior walked the woods around the camp at a leisurely pace, axe in hand. He seemed relaxed, but appearances could be deceiving. He was born in Nuln, and had heard stories of the horrors of Reikwald all his life.
An hour passed. Fisibbei snored like an Ostlander lumberjack, and the others were fast asleep as well. Frederich muttered something under his breath, when he heard a snap of a twig.
"Who's there?" he barked, his arm poised to throw the axe. There was no response but a nearly silent 'thwip' as a small dart flew from the darkness and embedded itself in the warrior's neck. His eyes rolled back, and slowly, he toppled down.
At the same time Ranland the elf abruptly awoke to the feeling of a two hundred-pound warrior falling on top of him. Letting out an inarticulate cry, the scrambled from under the large man. After regaining his wits, he quickly reached out to check the warrior's pulse while his other hand seeking out the longbow near his pack.
The elf's nimble fingers soon ascertained Frederich to be still alive, and brushed the dart. Picking it out, he examined it shortly.
"Blowgun," he muttered, poking Fisibbei awake with his bow.
A second dart flew out of the darkness, this one hitting Fisibbei's leather armour and sticking there. The halfling quickly jumped to his feet, grabbing for his sickle. After some nudging, Khaelas was also wide awake. Another dart sped from the shadows, missing Ranland's head by a hair's breadth.
"There!" Fisibbei pointed at a shadow-cloaked tree. Khaelas jumped up, shouting Fan-Elthárin words and pointing at the tree. His concentration was foiled, however, when yet another of the small darts hit him in the cheek. The elf reflexively brushed it off, saving himself from the sleeping venom, but the magic was lost.
At the same time, however, Ranland began pouring a steady stream of arrows at the tree. A high-pitched squeak was heard, and then, the thump of a body falling to the ground from high up.
"Go, get him!" Fisibbei shouted at his lion, pointing towards the direction of the tree. The great cat bounded across the clearing to the shadow-cloaked wood, roaring as it went. A short scream was heard, and then the sounds of pursuit. Glancing at each other, the three adventurers ran after.
The assassin had a head start and was a fast runner, but the mountain lion had a head start and smelled prey. The outcome of the chase had been decided before two steps had been taken, yet the prey fled with an endurance that only a man running for his life could muster. The inevitable happened only after the two had led the adventurers almost two miles deep into the forest, as the lion took one last great bound, landing squarely on the shoulders of the assassin with a sickening crunch as bones snapped. There was a whimper as the cat's jaws closed, and then silence.
The elves appeared to the scene a few minutes later, the halfling bounding after them with admirable tenacity.
"A skaven," Ranland remarked as he examined the chewed-up cadaver by torchlight.
"Indeed. We seem to be running into them a lot," Khaelas replied.
Ranland rummaged through the rat man's pouches, and soon came up with a blowgun, a dagger, and a folded piece of leather.
"It's a map of the Reikwald Forest, I think," he said after opening and examining it for a moment.
"Yes, it is… I think we are here, this here is the River Reik, that there is Altdorf… I think our camp site would be about here… but what is this?" Fisibbei pointed out several marks on the map, bringing his finger to rest upon a strange triangular design on the map, a short way north of where they estimated their campsite was.
"I think it might be a hideout," replied Ranland.
"Only one way to find out…" Khaelas said, with a grin.
