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In the Valus - The Heroes of Marchford (Chapter 14 Continues - 12/24/08)
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<blockquote data-quote="Funeris" data-source="post: 1813936" data-attributes="member: 22792"><p><strong>Chapter 4 – Cont'd: No Love for Strange Help</strong></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">“Come again?” Eddam blurted.</span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">“Dwarves…with black skin. Hundreds of them. They were throwing themselves at the portcullis and the walls. Testing our defenses. When the sun broke the horizon, they were gone. I was…” the rider paused for breath. “I was sent to warn Dun Meggen and Dun Tullow.” He looked pleadingly to the mayor and the captain, begging for their dismissal.</span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">“Yes, yes go then. Warn them.” Eddam turned to Wallach as the rider thundered off in the opposite direction. “Captain round up our women and children. Send them to Dun Meggen. We’ll need the men to stay to hold the keep. Get them moving and lower the gates. Now!” Wallach pivoted and attended his duties.</span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">“Mayor?” Magnus stepped into his view. “Could I offer?”</span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">“Look we can’t pay you. You can go with the women or you can stay here with us.” Eddam interrupted.</span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">“Actually, I was thinking,” Magnus continued, “that we could travel to Dun Beric and warn the Duke. He needs the information we have. What if this is a war on two fronts? </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Also, we could return here to relay the information we gather.”</span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">“I couldn’t possibly pay you.” </span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">“Oh, well, I was thinking free of charge. As a courtesy.” Eddam had a highly skeptical look upon his brow. “You know, for your generous hospitality and fine ale.” Then Magnus smiled.</span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">“Very well. I will have a letter for you to deliver then. Give me leave for a few moments.” The party turned to gather their gear before leaving.</span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">******</span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">An hour later, the Heroes of Marchford traveled beside the well-trodden path east toward Dun Beric. Fully a quarter-of-a-mile ahead of the rest of the group, Motega crept like a shadow on the ridge of hills north of the road. The rest of the party had their eyes trained oh his silhouette; waiting for a signal of some kind.</span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">The Rornman did not speak often. And had not spoken for long lengths of time. He had interjected his own opinions on the group from time to time. But for the most part he was silent, just observing, resembling an animal stalking its prey. Probably, he preferred his own company. Or perhaps, people that hailed from the Rornlands reserved their words for times when they were necessary.</span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">The silhouette on the ridge, the hunter, paused and knelt. Then his arm waved the rest of the party onward to his position. Once they approached, they saw why he knelt. A dust cloud rose from the road, fleeing toward the heavens. A group approached and they were about a quarter of a mile away.</span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">“What do you think?” Funeris asked Motega. “Looks like, maybe twenty.”</span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Motega grunted his assent. </span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">“So, then. It can’t be the whole of the dark dwarven army. Not if there were hundreds. Who do you think?”</span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">At that Motega shrugged. “A division. Someone else. Time will tell.”</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">He stalked forward through the scrub, letting the rest of the party decide their tactics.</span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'">The party walked down onto the road; Funeris and Fitz in lead, with Magnus and Calyx trailing. Motega shadowed them from the hills until he found a suitable cranny to nock an arrow and wait. </span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">The dust cloud continued its course along the path oblivious of the heroes ahead. It traveled slowly, like a lumbering, wounded bear over rough terrain. Until the heroes were in its sights and screams echoed within the curl of dust. Ten dirt-laden creatures dove into the woods. As the air cleared, two men in leather armor stood, swords drawn facing the approaching heroes.</span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Funeris did not bother unsheathing his great sword; rather he opened his arms in a sign of peace and stopped twenty feet from the filthy soldiers. The men eyed him, then his companions. Their eyes lingered on the druid and they did not lower their weapons. Behind the men, in the edge of the forest, ten sets of scared eyes watched the confrontation.</span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">“We mean you no harm,” Fitz called out and took a step toward the men. But the men still would not lower their weapons, their eyes constantly trained on Calyx.</span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">“She is merely a traveling companion of ours. Tell me, where do you hail from?”</span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">One of the soldiers grunted, “Dun Beric.”</span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">“Oh wonderful. That is our destination.”</span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">“You don’t want to go there.” And the soldier paused, lowered his sword and pointed toward Calyx, “especially with strange company.” By this point Motega returned arrow to quiver and began the descent to the road. The sudden movement nearly caused the guards to jump. “And how many more of you are there?”</span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Magnus intervened, “Just us five. We have been sent with a message for the Duke, from the Mayor of Marchford. Tell us what happened.”</span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">The guards hesitated, deciding if there were a battle, they would easily be defeated by numbers alone. Then they sheathed their weapons and stepped toward the Rhelmsmen, Funeris, Fitz and Calyx, all the while wary of the Rornman and the Pagan.</span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">“The dwem or dark dwarves attacked last night. We’re not sure o’ the numbers. At least a hundred. Guards were wounded, but no deaths on our side. Maybe a score of ‘em died. I think they were testing our defenses. They charged the walls and gates. Maybe looking for weaknesses. At sun up, they were gone. The Duke ordered the women and children to leave. We’re escorting ‘em to Dun Meggen.”</span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">“When you pass through Marchford, would you tell them exactly what you told us?” Magnus questioned.</span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">“The Duke gave us specific orders and we’re not to stop.”</span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Funeris reached into his purse and pulled out ten silver pieces, tossing five to each soldier. “You will tell the mayor exactly what you told us. Exactly. And then you’ll get your women and children to Dun Meggen. The road ahead of you is clear. Travel well.” Funeris patted the soldiers on the shoulders and the dusty band of children and women reassembled.</span></span></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12px">As the Heroes headed off toward Dun Beric, a giant cloud of dust resumed its journey toward Marchford and Dun Meggen.</span></span></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Funeris, post: 1813936, member: 22792"] [b]Chapter 4 – Cont'd: No Love for Strange Help[/b] [font=Times New Roman][size=3]“Come again?” Eddam blurted.[/size][/font] [font=Times New Roman][size=3]“Dwarves…with black skin. Hundreds of them. They were throwing themselves at the portcullis and the walls. Testing our defenses. When the sun broke the horizon, they were gone. I was…” the rider paused for breath. “I was sent to warn Dun Meggen and Dun Tullow.” He looked pleadingly to the mayor and the captain, begging for their dismissal.[/size][/font] [font=Times New Roman][size=3]“Yes, yes go then. Warn them.” Eddam turned to Wallach as the rider thundered off in the opposite direction. “Captain round up our women and children. Send them to Dun Meggen. We’ll need the men to stay to hold the keep. Get them moving and lower the gates. Now!” Wallach pivoted and attended his duties.[/size][/font] [font=Times New Roman][size=3]“Mayor?” Magnus stepped into his view. “Could I offer?”[/size][/font] [font=Times New Roman][size=3]“Look we can’t pay you. You can go with the women or you can stay here with us.” Eddam interrupted.[/size][/font] [font=Times New Roman][size=3]“Actually, I was thinking,” Magnus continued, “that we could travel to Dun Beric and warn the Duke. He needs the information we have. What if this is a war on two fronts? [/size][/font][font=Times New Roman][size=3]Also, we could return here to relay the information we gather.”[/size][/font] [font=Times New Roman][size=3]“I couldn’t possibly pay you.” [/size][/font] [font=Times New Roman][size=3]“Oh, well, I was thinking free of charge. As a courtesy.” Eddam had a highly skeptical look upon his brow. “You know, for your generous hospitality and fine ale.” Then Magnus smiled.[/size][/font] [font=Times New Roman][size=3]“Very well. I will have a letter for you to deliver then. Give me leave for a few moments.” The party turned to gather their gear before leaving.[/size][/font] [font=Times New Roman][size=3]******[/size][/font] [font=Times New Roman][size=3]An hour later, the Heroes of Marchford traveled beside the well-trodden path east toward Dun Beric. Fully a quarter-of-a-mile ahead of the rest of the group, Motega crept like a shadow on the ridge of hills north of the road. The rest of the party had their eyes trained oh his silhouette; waiting for a signal of some kind.[/size][/font] [font=Times New Roman][size=3]The Rornman did not speak often. And had not spoken for long lengths of time. He had interjected his own opinions on the group from time to time. But for the most part he was silent, just observing, resembling an animal stalking its prey. Probably, he preferred his own company. Or perhaps, people that hailed from the Rornlands reserved their words for times when they were necessary.[/size][/font] [font=Times New Roman][size=3]The silhouette on the ridge, the hunter, paused and knelt. Then his arm waved the rest of the party onward to his position. Once they approached, they saw why he knelt. A dust cloud rose from the road, fleeing toward the heavens. A group approached and they were about a quarter of a mile away.[/size][/font] [font=Times New Roman][size=3]“What do you think?” Funeris asked Motega. “Looks like, maybe twenty.”[/size][/font] [font=Times New Roman][size=3]Motega grunted his assent. [/size][/font] [font=Times New Roman][size=3]“So, then. It can’t be the whole of the dark dwarven army. Not if there were hundreds. Who do you think?”[/size][/font] [font=Times New Roman][size=3]At that Motega shrugged. “A division. Someone else. Time will tell.”[/size][/font] [font=Times New Roman][size=3]He stalked forward through the scrub, letting the rest of the party decide their tactics.[/size][/font] [size=3][font=Times New Roman]The party walked down onto the road; Funeris and Fitz in lead, with Magnus and Calyx trailing. Motega shadowed them from the hills until he found a suitable cranny to nock an arrow and wait. [/font][/size] [font=Times New Roman][size=3]The dust cloud continued its course along the path oblivious of the heroes ahead. It traveled slowly, like a lumbering, wounded bear over rough terrain. Until the heroes were in its sights and screams echoed within the curl of dust. Ten dirt-laden creatures dove into the woods. As the air cleared, two men in leather armor stood, swords drawn facing the approaching heroes.[/size][/font] [font=Times New Roman][size=3]Funeris did not bother unsheathing his great sword; rather he opened his arms in a sign of peace and stopped twenty feet from the filthy soldiers. The men eyed him, then his companions. Their eyes lingered on the druid and they did not lower their weapons. Behind the men, in the edge of the forest, ten sets of scared eyes watched the confrontation.[/size][/font] [font=Times New Roman][size=3]“We mean you no harm,” Fitz called out and took a step toward the men. But the men still would not lower their weapons, their eyes constantly trained on Calyx.[/size][/font] [font=Times New Roman][size=3]“She is merely a traveling companion of ours. Tell me, where do you hail from?”[/size][/font] [font=Times New Roman][size=3]One of the soldiers grunted, “Dun Beric.”[/size][/font] [font=Times New Roman][size=3]“Oh wonderful. That is our destination.”[/size][/font] [font=Times New Roman][size=3]“You don’t want to go there.” And the soldier paused, lowered his sword and pointed toward Calyx, “especially with strange company.” By this point Motega returned arrow to quiver and began the descent to the road. The sudden movement nearly caused the guards to jump. “And how many more of you are there?”[/size][/font] [font=Times New Roman][size=3]Magnus intervened, “Just us five. We have been sent with a message for the Duke, from the Mayor of Marchford. Tell us what happened.”[/size][/font] [font=Times New Roman][size=3]The guards hesitated, deciding if there were a battle, they would easily be defeated by numbers alone. Then they sheathed their weapons and stepped toward the Rhelmsmen, Funeris, Fitz and Calyx, all the while wary of the Rornman and the Pagan.[/size][/font] [font=Times New Roman][size=3]“The dwem or dark dwarves attacked last night. We’re not sure o’ the numbers. At least a hundred. Guards were wounded, but no deaths on our side. Maybe a score of ‘em died. I think they were testing our defenses. They charged the walls and gates. Maybe looking for weaknesses. At sun up, they were gone. The Duke ordered the women and children to leave. We’re escorting ‘em to Dun Meggen.”[/size][/font] [font=Times New Roman][size=3]“When you pass through Marchford, would you tell them exactly what you told us?” Magnus questioned.[/size][/font] [font=Times New Roman][size=3]“The Duke gave us specific orders and we’re not to stop.”[/size][/font] [font=Times New Roman][size=3]Funeris reached into his purse and pulled out ten silver pieces, tossing five to each soldier. “You will tell the mayor exactly what you told us. Exactly. And then you’ll get your women and children to Dun Meggen. The road ahead of you is clear. Travel well.” Funeris patted the soldiers on the shoulders and the dusty band of children and women reassembled.[/size][/font] [font=Times New Roman][size=3]As the Heroes headed off toward Dun Beric, a giant cloud of dust resumed its journey toward Marchford and Dun Meggen.[/size][/font] [/QUOTE]
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In the Valus - The Heroes of Marchford (Chapter 14 Continues - 12/24/08)
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