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<blockquote data-quote="pathfinderq1" data-source="post: 4812482" data-attributes="member: 48394"><p><strong>Meanwhile-Elsewhere (in the mountains)</strong></p><p></p><p>'<em><span style="color: Magenta">The good part of being a bard is that you can curse the day away, and most folk still think it sounds as sweet as birdsong'</span></em>, Piper thought as she muttered curses under her breath. '<em><span style="color: Magenta">At least I hope it sounds like birdsong to those orcs</span></em>,' she added, still trying to think of a clever way out of this mess.</p><p></p><p>The lower slopes of the mountains were cut with narrow defiles from eons of water run-off, and between those slots, most of the ground was covered with loose rocks and gravel. She didn't have any trouble moving around, and Stonebear was at home anyplace where there was more rock than earth- but it provided very little useful cover, and the orcs were getting awfully close. She almost wished that she hadn't sent Iceclaw and Snarl off to look for help- but it was too late to change that. Almost as soon as the shifters had moved out, Piper had realized that some of the orc warband had looped around them, and she had to change course. Since then, she and Stonebear had been pushed back out of the forest and back up into the lower edges of the mountains- both out of cover and farther away from any elven patrols in the trees. It hadn't been pretty or easy- Stonebear's glaive had claimed a few more orcs in the process, but they kept being pushed. The shaman was still alive, and maybe a half-dozen orc warriors- too many to fight directly, even with all the tricks at her disposal. It didn't help that she and Stonebear were all but exhausted.</p><p></p><p>Piper poked her head very cautiously out of the narrow crevasse she was using for cover. No sign of the enemy- but they were out there somewhere. She gave a soft trilling call- birdsong to the untrained ear, but a clear signal to the massive goliath who was farther up the defile. A moment later she heard a soft click of stone on stone- all clear up there as well. She moved cautiously back into the cut, working her way uphill to join Stonebear- halfway there, though, she sensed something was wrong. On a hunch, she looked up- just in time to catch the edge of a moving shadow on the rim above. An orc, cloaked in the shaman's shadow magic, had actually free-climbed up the rocks, and he was making a move towards where Stonebear was waiting. Piper reached for her bow, but the orc had moved back- there was no clear shot. Instead she drew out the carved wood flute which gave her her nickname. In the space of a few breaths, the soft lilting notes filtered upwards- too soft to give away her position, but a warning as clear as a bell for the goliath.</p><p></p><p>Stonebear heard the sweet trill of the flute, and he knew that something was wrong- that wasn't part of the plan. The stone of these mountains wasn't like the sands and hills back home, but his folk had some ancient tie to the stone, and he drew upon that link for guidance. He felt his gaze drawn upwards, to the edge of the crevasse almost directly overhead. Even as he lifted the blackwood shaft of his glaive into a ready grip and shuffled his feet into a stance, the orc warrior vaulted over that edge and dropped towards him. While the sun-cursed 'tusk' had been screaming a bloody war cry, that turned to a squall of panic and pain as he found himself impaled on the glaive's point. Stonebear twisted the weapon free, the strength of his massive arms hurling the orc aside, then gave a roar of his own, a deep bawling cry like a dire bear which echoed through the rocks, and up the mountains towards the (all-too-distant) Thane's Hold. Above him he could see another orc peeking over the edge. Were they all up there, even the shaman?</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="pathfinderq1, post: 4812482, member: 48394"] [b]Meanwhile-Elsewhere (in the mountains)[/b] '[I][COLOR=Magenta]The good part of being a bard is that you can curse the day away, and most folk still think it sounds as sweet as birdsong'[/COLOR][/I], Piper thought as she muttered curses under her breath. '[I][COLOR=Magenta]At least I hope it sounds like birdsong to those orcs[/COLOR][/I],' she added, still trying to think of a clever way out of this mess. The lower slopes of the mountains were cut with narrow defiles from eons of water run-off, and between those slots, most of the ground was covered with loose rocks and gravel. She didn't have any trouble moving around, and Stonebear was at home anyplace where there was more rock than earth- but it provided very little useful cover, and the orcs were getting awfully close. She almost wished that she hadn't sent Iceclaw and Snarl off to look for help- but it was too late to change that. Almost as soon as the shifters had moved out, Piper had realized that some of the orc warband had looped around them, and she had to change course. Since then, she and Stonebear had been pushed back out of the forest and back up into the lower edges of the mountains- both out of cover and farther away from any elven patrols in the trees. It hadn't been pretty or easy- Stonebear's glaive had claimed a few more orcs in the process, but they kept being pushed. The shaman was still alive, and maybe a half-dozen orc warriors- too many to fight directly, even with all the tricks at her disposal. It didn't help that she and Stonebear were all but exhausted. Piper poked her head very cautiously out of the narrow crevasse she was using for cover. No sign of the enemy- but they were out there somewhere. She gave a soft trilling call- birdsong to the untrained ear, but a clear signal to the massive goliath who was farther up the defile. A moment later she heard a soft click of stone on stone- all clear up there as well. She moved cautiously back into the cut, working her way uphill to join Stonebear- halfway there, though, she sensed something was wrong. On a hunch, she looked up- just in time to catch the edge of a moving shadow on the rim above. An orc, cloaked in the shaman's shadow magic, had actually free-climbed up the rocks, and he was making a move towards where Stonebear was waiting. Piper reached for her bow, but the orc had moved back- there was no clear shot. Instead she drew out the carved wood flute which gave her her nickname. In the space of a few breaths, the soft lilting notes filtered upwards- too soft to give away her position, but a warning as clear as a bell for the goliath. Stonebear heard the sweet trill of the flute, and he knew that something was wrong- that wasn't part of the plan. The stone of these mountains wasn't like the sands and hills back home, but his folk had some ancient tie to the stone, and he drew upon that link for guidance. He felt his gaze drawn upwards, to the edge of the crevasse almost directly overhead. Even as he lifted the blackwood shaft of his glaive into a ready grip and shuffled his feet into a stance, the orc warrior vaulted over that edge and dropped towards him. While the sun-cursed 'tusk' had been screaming a bloody war cry, that turned to a squall of panic and pain as he found himself impaled on the glaive's point. Stonebear twisted the weapon free, the strength of his massive arms hurling the orc aside, then gave a roar of his own, a deep bawling cry like a dire bear which echoed through the rocks, and up the mountains towards the (all-too-distant) Thane's Hold. Above him he could see another orc peeking over the edge. Were they all up there, even the shaman? [/QUOTE]
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