As the group settled down, Celina sat staring out at the darkness, thinking over the events of the last few days... His grandparents had come into his dreams, the night before. Their words were dire, so were the words of the Dwarven prophecy, carved into the stone of the abandonned city before most of their makeshift party had been born! Both referred to deaths...
Whose? Brieanna's? "A Druid's quest will meet its end". Was that what it had said? Maybe... his death? He shivered, a little. But his grandfather had said that they'd meet again... He clung to that hope.
So who was going to die? There wasn't anyone in the party he was anxious to get rid of... Not even dour, glum old Drakhar!
And Gnorvald had taken off! Just abandoned them! He was always the one planning the route, and now he was gone, and Finn trying to lead them, although no one seemed to know where they were going!
It was enough to make a young Elf scream!
So who was it? Who was going to die? The thought kept coming back to him... By the time the second watch rolled around, he had no more answers than when he'd started. He was glad to get a few hour's trance. This time, his "sleep" was undisturbed.
The next morning, Finn was up bright and earlier. When Drakhar got up, he made the grumpy Dwarf show him how to use the two-handed sword. He'd finally managed to learn to draw it from the scabbard without tripping over it, but now he needed to learn how to swing it!
Oh... you didn't swing it. You held it, and moved the tip. He practiced the one move Drakhar showed him, while the Dwarf made some sourdough flapjacks for breakfast.
All too soon, it was time to leave. He took the roll of hot bread-like cakes the Dwarf handed him, and muched them as he slowly headed west. The others quickly gathered their gear and followed him. They were all unusually quiet, again, today.
Finn looked around him. There was absolutely nothing to indicate which way to go. The forest was behind them, now, they were in some low, scrubby hills. He picked a path between them, heading for some scraggly woods in the distance. At least they would provide shade!
He finished his pancakes, glancing behind him to make sure that the others were all there, but not too close, then he began to practice swinging the sword, again. He looked about as he did, but still saw nothing among the scrubby hills to determine a path by.
Around noon, Drakhar stopped him. "We need to stop for lunch." the Dwarf said.
"Okay, but show me another one of those moves," Finn answered. The rest of the party spread out, Brieanna going to look for water as they saw the pair begin "playing with the sword", again. Drakhar scowled. It irritated him to have a sword that he couldn't touch involved in the "lessons". He wanted to take it away from the skinny kid and show him what he was doing wrong. Instead, he just had to explain it to the young man 40 times, or so!
Celina warmed some food and sat, looking around, then smiled as he watched the pair. Drakhar's increasing annoyance was the most amusing thing he'd seen, in the last few days! Bless the sword!
When Brieanna came back, everyone facing her put down their food, and stood up. "I think you'd better come see this!" was all she said, then turned and galloped off.
She lead them down the side of a nearby hill, into the shade. There, on the banks of a small stream she paused.
"Are these Goblin tracks?" she asked, pointing to the muddy banks. Rix and Drakhar moved down to look, squatting on the bank.
"It could be..." ventured Rix.
"It is" said the Dwarf, "Or was. Old, but I can't tell how long. Brieanna, hold still. If there's any more tracks, don't stomp on'em. Rix, look around." The Dwarf pointed upstream, then turned to go down. Rix moved the opposite way, searching. Returning a few minutes later, the two exchanged shakes of the head.
"Well, a few old tracks, but nothin' I kin follow," said Drakhar. "Prob'ly means nuthin."
"I don't know," said Finn, "I think it means that we're on the right track! Let's get our gear, and move on!"
They quickly did, and headed deeper into the hills surrounding the Badlands. A few hours later and miles further, Finn stopped. Brieanna was the first to notice.
"What is it, Finn?'
"More Goblins?" he guessed, stooping to examine the ground. Drakhar hurried up, as Rix turned a slow circle, staring at the woods and scrub.
"Yup", confirmed the old Dwarf. "Gobblers. Old and dry. Too old to tell how old." Finn smiled.
"We're on the right track, then!'' He turned and headed off.
"We'd better watch where we make camp tonight, too!" muttered Celina. That turned out not to be a problem, though...
After about 45 minutes (and three miles) of walking, goblin tracks were found. More than one set, and plain to see. These lead to a dim trail. By this point, everyone had drawn weapons, and was warily on guard. Finn motioned for a halt, then for Rix to move up and join him. Celina took his place in the rear, with Brie.
"You scout ahead!" Finn told the older man. "We'll wait here, and try not to clank!" Rix smiled, and headed off. He was back all too soon.
"It's odd." he said, in a normal tone of voice. He motioned for them to follow, then lead them around a few turns, to where the trail ended.
It ended in a solid wall of woodsy plants... yet the Goblin tracks lead right into it. Rix motioned towards it with his longsword.
"It's solid. Watch this!" Thrusting forward, he stabbed at the tangled underbrush with his sword. It went in about two feet before being stopped by the choking plant matter. Grunting, he drew it back. Finn and Drakhar moved up to examine the woods. They couldn't see far into it.
"Well, we could hack our way through it, but that's a lotta cuttin'..." mused the Dwarf.
"Then how did the Goblins get through?" asked Rix. "Surely these tracks aren't so old that the plants have all grown up since they were made?"
"Plant Growth?" said Drakhar.
"Well, there's no way I can get through this tangle!" said Celina, looking at the mass of underbrush.
"I can!" said Brie.
[Edit: Typos!]
Whose? Brieanna's? "A Druid's quest will meet its end". Was that what it had said? Maybe... his death? He shivered, a little. But his grandfather had said that they'd meet again... He clung to that hope.
So who was going to die? There wasn't anyone in the party he was anxious to get rid of... Not even dour, glum old Drakhar!
And Gnorvald had taken off! Just abandoned them! He was always the one planning the route, and now he was gone, and Finn trying to lead them, although no one seemed to know where they were going!
It was enough to make a young Elf scream!
So who was it? Who was going to die? The thought kept coming back to him... By the time the second watch rolled around, he had no more answers than when he'd started. He was glad to get a few hour's trance. This time, his "sleep" was undisturbed.
The next morning, Finn was up bright and earlier. When Drakhar got up, he made the grumpy Dwarf show him how to use the two-handed sword. He'd finally managed to learn to draw it from the scabbard without tripping over it, but now he needed to learn how to swing it!
Oh... you didn't swing it. You held it, and moved the tip. He practiced the one move Drakhar showed him, while the Dwarf made some sourdough flapjacks for breakfast.
All too soon, it was time to leave. He took the roll of hot bread-like cakes the Dwarf handed him, and muched them as he slowly headed west. The others quickly gathered their gear and followed him. They were all unusually quiet, again, today.
Finn looked around him. There was absolutely nothing to indicate which way to go. The forest was behind them, now, they were in some low, scrubby hills. He picked a path between them, heading for some scraggly woods in the distance. At least they would provide shade!
He finished his pancakes, glancing behind him to make sure that the others were all there, but not too close, then he began to practice swinging the sword, again. He looked about as he did, but still saw nothing among the scrubby hills to determine a path by.
Around noon, Drakhar stopped him. "We need to stop for lunch." the Dwarf said.
"Okay, but show me another one of those moves," Finn answered. The rest of the party spread out, Brieanna going to look for water as they saw the pair begin "playing with the sword", again. Drakhar scowled. It irritated him to have a sword that he couldn't touch involved in the "lessons". He wanted to take it away from the skinny kid and show him what he was doing wrong. Instead, he just had to explain it to the young man 40 times, or so!
Celina warmed some food and sat, looking around, then smiled as he watched the pair. Drakhar's increasing annoyance was the most amusing thing he'd seen, in the last few days! Bless the sword!
When Brieanna came back, everyone facing her put down their food, and stood up. "I think you'd better come see this!" was all she said, then turned and galloped off.
She lead them down the side of a nearby hill, into the shade. There, on the banks of a small stream she paused.
"Are these Goblin tracks?" she asked, pointing to the muddy banks. Rix and Drakhar moved down to look, squatting on the bank.
"It could be..." ventured Rix.
"It is" said the Dwarf, "Or was. Old, but I can't tell how long. Brieanna, hold still. If there's any more tracks, don't stomp on'em. Rix, look around." The Dwarf pointed upstream, then turned to go down. Rix moved the opposite way, searching. Returning a few minutes later, the two exchanged shakes of the head.
"Well, a few old tracks, but nothin' I kin follow," said Drakhar. "Prob'ly means nuthin."
"I don't know," said Finn, "I think it means that we're on the right track! Let's get our gear, and move on!"
They quickly did, and headed deeper into the hills surrounding the Badlands. A few hours later and miles further, Finn stopped. Brieanna was the first to notice.
"What is it, Finn?'
"More Goblins?" he guessed, stooping to examine the ground. Drakhar hurried up, as Rix turned a slow circle, staring at the woods and scrub.
"Yup", confirmed the old Dwarf. "Gobblers. Old and dry. Too old to tell how old." Finn smiled.
"We're on the right track, then!'' He turned and headed off.
"We'd better watch where we make camp tonight, too!" muttered Celina. That turned out not to be a problem, though...
After about 45 minutes (and three miles) of walking, goblin tracks were found. More than one set, and plain to see. These lead to a dim trail. By this point, everyone had drawn weapons, and was warily on guard. Finn motioned for a halt, then for Rix to move up and join him. Celina took his place in the rear, with Brie.
"You scout ahead!" Finn told the older man. "We'll wait here, and try not to clank!" Rix smiled, and headed off. He was back all too soon.
"It's odd." he said, in a normal tone of voice. He motioned for them to follow, then lead them around a few turns, to where the trail ended.
It ended in a solid wall of woodsy plants... yet the Goblin tracks lead right into it. Rix motioned towards it with his longsword.
"It's solid. Watch this!" Thrusting forward, he stabbed at the tangled underbrush with his sword. It went in about two feet before being stopped by the choking plant matter. Grunting, he drew it back. Finn and Drakhar moved up to examine the woods. They couldn't see far into it.
"Well, we could hack our way through it, but that's a lotta cuttin'..." mused the Dwarf.
"Then how did the Goblins get through?" asked Rix. "Surely these tracks aren't so old that the plants have all grown up since they were made?"
"Plant Growth?" said Drakhar.
"Well, there's no way I can get through this tangle!" said Celina, looking at the mass of underbrush.
"I can!" said Brie.
[Edit: Typos!]
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