[Lakelands] Six For Adventure

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

Horsom was as taken aback as Rogger appeared to be. He didn't know Fellan personally, but folks in Long Archer invariably spoke highly of the man's character, so maybe Horsom's surprise was misplaced. "Thanks Fellan", Horsom said after a moment. He repacked his mount as Fellan helped the goblin up. The gobiln seemed remarkably comfortable atop the horse.

"You're leaving, Fellan?", sputtered Rogger. "I can't believe I got out of bed for this!"

"Relax, Rogger, you'll be staring at the bottom of a bottle of Mary's Red soon enough. But not before you've run a circuit of the eastern farmlands. Tancred, you're in charge. Take care." Fellan turned his horse, and spoke to Horsom: "Let's go lad.".

 

[Toric_Arthendain]

Selanil made his way towards Selby-by-the-Water, passing outlying farms, fields and very few people. He was so lost in thought that he didn't see the little girl until she was standing three feet away from him at the edge of the trail he had been following.

"Hello mister," she said in a small but steady voice.

Selanil pulled his hood down further over his burned face. Without breaking stride, Selanil said, "Didn't your parents teach you not to talk to strangers?"

"Where are you headed?" she asked, trying to keep up with his long striding pace.

"Nosy, too. And answering a question with another question is rude," Selanil replied.

"Heading to Selby?" she guessed. "What for? And why do you hide inside a hood?"

"You must drive your parents nuts," Selanil answered, stopping in the middle of the trail. Overcome by a bit of mean-spiritedness, the elven ranger pulled his hood back exposing his face. Suprisingly, the little girl didn't even flinch at the sight of him.

"Its not so bad you know," the girl said.

"Most people wouldn't agree with that assessment," Selanil said and started walking again.

"Most people are stupid and mean," she stated as she started walking beside him again. "Would you like to come to my house for dinner?" she asked.

Selanil glanced at the girl as they walked and shook his head in amazement...

 

[wolfheart]

Dain's legs kept pumping until he heard the black-haired man say he was a cat. He couldn't have stopped quicker if he had run into a stone wall. Dain slowly turned to regard this fellow, it was then that he noticed the grace with which the man moved and the lean frame, all he needed was a tail.

"Good Morn, Moldorado, I am Dain Wonterforge and 'tis church business that has me out of sorts. Something you said struck me as queer, did you say yer a cat. Dain eyed him as if he expected this man to start laughing and walk away.

 

[Samuel Leming]

"Why, yes! I'm a cat that's been blessed by the Cat Lord with intelligence and the ability to assume human form. I'm cat-quick, cat-silent and can speak the languages of felines, canines & rodents. The name's Maldordo. Now, you may be confusing me with Moldorado the rat. He happens to be a rat blessed by the Mouse Lord with the ability to assume dwar, um, kobold form. Um, yes." Maldordo's smile changes to a smirky grin for only a moment before returning to it's warm friendliness. "I was just on my way down to the southern farms. People are saying they're having some difficulties with a large feline. I figured I'd head down there and see if I could help sort that out before anyone else got hurt."

 

[wolfheart]

"A thousand pardons, Maldordo, names have never been my strong suit." Dain gaives a slight apologetic bow, "But, it is funny you should mention this cat in the south, for that is the reason for my troubles at present. The Archdeacon has tasked me with assembling a team and investigating this beastie, which we have reason to believe is more than just a large cat."

"I think it was more than pure coincidence that we ran into each other on the avenue this morn," Dain said with a glint in his eye. "If you're up to it, I could use a man, er cat, of your skills to help me track this beastie down."

 

[Samuel Leming]

"More than just a large cat? I'd really like to see what this thing is. Count me in!" After a short pause Maldordo continues, "So, where to first? The southern farms or to see this Archdeacon?"

 

[wolfheart]

"I think first we should have a drink, there is a tavern nearby that often holds men for hire. I beleive the Archdeacon would be more comfortable with a larger group." Dain slaps Maldordo on the back and steers him in the desired direction. "And I'll be a bugbear's bridesmaid if I'm to be walking out of Selby without proper provisions."

Dain makes some small talk as they walk towards a tavern. As they are about to the door, a boy comes stampeding by and enters. Dain and Maldordo follow in behind the boy. Dain is almost horrorstruck when he sees the boy rushing towards a large half-orc. To Dain's further amazement, the boy sits with him and the Half-orc orders him some milk and sweetbread. Dain lazily marches about the room, always making for the boy and the half-orc.

As Dain pases the table where the two are seated, he hears the boy suggest the half-orc go after the cat creature. Dain lingers long enough to hear the half-orc give thanks to Gragnor for giving him the strength to heal the boy. Dain almost trips over his beard, his jaw has dropped so far. He is so stunned that he almost misses the large half-orc as he gets up to leave.

Dain mutter's a curse under his breath, and wonders aloud why Aedor is always testing the limits of his dwarvish goodwill. He motions for Maldordo and scampers after the half-orc. The half-orc is out the door by the time Dain gets there, so the dwarf does the only sensible thing and shouts to him. "Ho, half-breed, hold that I might have a word." Again, Dain"s dwarvish sensibilities reeled at the thought that he was about to parlay with an orc, even a half-orc, and something deep inside said to loose Tor-Angol and bash his skull. But, Dain took a deep breath and thought of the disapproval of the Archdeacon if he spilled the blood of another clergyman in the streets during broad daylight. He decided then and there he would take this half-breed on his own merits, not that of his ancestors. He just hoped his brothers never found out.

 

[maddmic]

Kregor stops in his tracks. He shakes his head and thinks to himself before acknowledging whomever called to him. Halfbreed? I guess it is good to be leaving this town. These people and their preconceived notions.... Turning to face the one who called out to him, he sees only a dwarf and smallish human looking creature. Ah yes, a dwarf. That would explain much. He turns his 5'10", 234# frame around and faces the one addressing him. His features can only be described as unpleasant. His skin is a faded sickly olive, while his hair only grows in patches. He has numerous scars, plenty of which travel across his face. This could be one of the reasons that his scraggly hair only grows in patches. About the only features that stand out other than his unpleasant looks are his buldging muscles protruding from underneath his half-plate armor.

"Dwarf, I would prefer it if you addressed me by my given name. I would show the same courtesy to you had you properly hailed. My name is Kregor, healer and devout follower of Gragnor, my ancestor. Why do you stop me?"

Knowing the hatred that many dwarves harbor toward his orcish kin, Kregor braces for any reaction that might come from the short bearded one.

 

[Samuel Leming]

Maldordo quickly addresses the agitated half-orc with his friendliest & widest smile, "Greetings Kregor! This is just a small misunderstanding. By coincidence, 'Ho, halfbreed' means 'Hello my new good friend' in dwarvish! You may want to cut Dain some slack on your name though. When he starts to pronounce names, that's when the real fun begins... He says it's not his strong suit."

 

[Raven Crowking]

"Relax, Rogger, you'll be staring at the bottom of a bottle of Mary's Red soon enough. But not before you've run a circuit of the eastern farmlands. Tancred, you're in charge. Take care." Fellan turned his horse, and spoke to Horsom: "Let's go lad.".

They missed Rogger's last cat-call -- whatever it had been. That was probably a good thing. Riding past farmhousese, they reached the areas orcs had sacked last autumn. Many were burned out shells, some still stood. Some would one day be rebuilt, or at least re-occupied. What he had took for Selby-by-the-Water, Glom realized, was not even the largest part of a smaller human settlement. Surely these people were greater builders than he had thought. He felt surprisingly relaxed on the horse, a huge animal by his standards. Fellan was an excellent rider.

Beyond the last of the farms, two great trees leaned together, as if to create an arch into the greater Weirwood. It felt rather like passing from one world into another, and Horsom could well believe stories about travellers who had accidently crossed into Faerieland in such places. Still, there were signs that humans had been here. Even this far into the Weirwood, there were a few trees marked with the arrowhead of Baron Archer; these tall, straight trees were reserved for the Baron's shipwrights. Many would become masts at some future date. Others might be forgotten, but to cut them was poaching of the highest order, and carried dire penalties.

"Now the real fun may begin," said Fellan, "if we are not careful, or if we are unlucky. It is spring. Many creatures that have slept, or have gone far in the winter, are sniffing about, looking for a quick meal to replace fat lost over the winter. Keep your eyes open!"

Although moving quickly, they could easily see signs of new life. Green shoots poked up from amid the carpet of leaves, and moss greened stones thrust up from the earth. Squirrels and chipmunks rooted through the undergrowth, looking for nuts and bulbs that had not yet sprouted, or were easily dug up. Once, Fellan stopped to examine some torn bark, which he said was done by a bear sharpening its claws. The group could see the earliest flowers of the year, and buds on some of the trees. Within two weeks, the whole world would be green again.

They reached the bridge over the Alder Stream by nightfall without mishap.