Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jairami" data-source="post: 108062" data-attributes="member: 1148">A few moments of thunderous silence among the party later, and Khuuld resumed striding forward again.  This time, with not a line of caution or worry on his face, and an intensity had entered his eyes.  He walked right past Frederick and the stunned pair of Collin and Tylette as Frederick whispered in a tight voice, hardly moving his head or lips what had happened to Byron.Byron knocked an arrow and Frederick hissed at him.That hadn't worked very well last time either.  With Khuuld moving and the rest of the party motionless, the true barrier of the ravens was painfully apparent, and shock and apprehention were no match for fear of the ravens closing in behind them.  As the ravens neared from the other side, everyone was quick to step to following their now dark-haired companion through the woods and back out onto the plains headed south.Absolute silence still held the group with the exception of Khuuld who would now and again wonder aloud.  Or perhaps talk to someone...At the end of the day, still surrounded on all sides by a now very blatant carpet of ravens all around them, the group tried to set up some kind of camp and at least pretend to sleep in preparation for their continued journey.  Darting glances and sideways looks at Khuuld all had sinister interpretations cries of warning from Khuuld's inner voice.  It also began speaking more eloquently, sometimes swaying Khuuld's opinion, using a more refined and less sporadic method of speech.  Perhaps stranger, it started whispering in a strange language Khuuld could not understand.  Almost chanting, the volume rising and falling rhythmically for hours at a time.  That night very little sleep was to be had as Collin tried to force unconsciousness on himself with eshti.In the morning the tense journey began again, this time with rigidly polite conversation going back and forth.  Hidden meanings were again pointed out by the voice in Khuuld's head as his eyes narrowed on Tylette especially.  She had always had a sharp tongue, and even as leashed as she held it this morning, some of the voice's wilder claims began to make more sense.One threat was enough to snap her mouth shut so hard her teeth clicked.  And it was also enough to gather every scrap of courage and conviction (and stupidity?) that Byron had as he strode up to Khuuld and called him down for his threat.Khuuld and Byron had always rubbed sparks off each other.  From the very first day they had stepped on each other's feet, challenged each other's authority and expertise, and been only slightly civil about it.  Any sign of that was gone now as they quickly degenerated into a shouting match.Khuuld's temper snapped and he sought to teach Byron a lesson for good at the voices's cheering suggestion and pulling a number from his head, sent 50 ravens flying at Byron.Tylette screamed a warning as Frederick felt his faith tested at its basest level.  Byron nocked and let fly, dropping a raven per shot but within seconds they were upon him.  Diving in, clawing and tearing in a frenzy of gory activity.  Byron spasmed and convulsed attacked at every angle from every direction and collapsed in a bloody heap before Khuuld could make out what was happening and frantically call off the ravens.  The voice cackled away in his head, "You're mine you're mine you're mine you're mine you're mine you're mine..."Frederick had gripped his mace hard enough to compress the wooden haft and strode towards Byron looking at Khuuld.  Inwardly Khuuld felt a little guilty and shocked at what he had done, but reminders of what Byron had done to him from the voice swiftly and ruthlessly quashed any regret.  Outwardly, Khuuld appeared utterly cold as he motioned for Frederick to do as he would.Frederick layed his hands upon the balled up twitching Byron who was well past feeling and on his way to greet Death.  Equitus's holy power bathed over him and washed some of the wounds away as a shaky breath was sucked in by Byron.  Collin and Tylette both stood in mute terror at the trauma of the sight.One can only imagine what Byron felt.His body mended, Byron stood up once more and faced Khuuld.  He told Khuuld in no uncertain terms that he was leaving.  Khuuld laughed and said he could go anytime he wanted, seeming to infer that the ravens would not hinder him.  Indeed, a swath opened in the ravens to the south at Khuuld's silent mental command.  Except, within it were still three ravens--each with red eyes.  Khuuld again commanded them to step aside and let Byron leave, but they did not budge.Frederick tersely told Byron what was happening and Byron nodded, wrapping himself in his tattered cloak before racing through the gap.  The three ravens and six more from within the pack alighted and chased after him, harrying him beyond the group's vision.Unsure of how to proceed, Khuuld assured the rest he had no intention of doing anything to harm them, and indeed that he would protect them.  When Frederick brought up Byron, Khuuld said it was less than he deserved.((In some of the story I have had to skip over in trying to catch up, Byron had twice lost his temper and put an arrow in Khuuld.  Both times, Khuuld was weak enough at the time that the arrow would have killed him without Frederick's quick intervention.  After almost singlehandedly saving the group from a night attack of driven wolves, Khuuld had the strong opinion that if anything his actions only made him and Byron even.))Setting out was difficult but it seemed the only thing they could do.</blockquote>

Verification