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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Medriev" data-source="post: 4767319" data-attributes="member: 21864">Chapter 3 - The Clearing in the Forest (Part 1)It was Greengrass, the first day of spring when Paldemar’s map finally led the companions to a clearing deep within the southern Hullack Forest. The dense forest had suddenly parted to reveal a large clearing, perhaps fifty feet across, with a small tumble of rocks at the centre. Something about the clearing did not feel right to the companions, as though the sounds of the forest refused to enter the clearing and the air around them felt strange and tingling. The companions surveyed the grove, seeking any sign of the great power that Paldemar had been seeking here. At the same time, the brooding silence oppressed them as though promising that something was about to happen. Suddenly, something did happen.From the trees around and across the grove, burst several figures, three men and two dwarves. One of the men crossed in front of the group and spun to hurl a dagger at Dulvarna that flew just past her head. The second man hurled a dagger at Enlishia that flew past her and struck the trunk of a tree behind her. A large red drake with a frill of spikes and skin around its neck surged forth from the far side of the clearing and rushed towards the companions. A hammer thudded against the back of Erlmoor’s shoulder and pitched him forward a step. Enlishia ducked as another dwarf hammer spun in from the right towards her head. It flew over her and behind Dulvarna to smash into a rock at the northern edge of the clearing. Another hammer was hurled in from the front and struck Dulvarna’s breastplate, slamming her back a step. She drew her sword and charged to meet the dwarf that had thrown the hammer at her. Her blade sang out and slashed a wound across the dwarf’s shoulder, spinning him away from her. A dagger thudded into her right leg, hurled by one of the men forcing Dulvarna to stagger back and drawing a curse from her lips.Erlmoor roared and turned to his right, charging at the nearest dwarf. He slashed out with his sword and nicked the dwarf’s forearm as he fell back before him. The dragonborn looked up as Dulvarna cried out again and saw that another dagger had nicked her cheek. He saw Enlishia raise her bow and knew that the attacks would be answered. Two arrows flew forth quickly and drove into the shoulder and leg of one of the men. Dulvarna rallied but then the drake surged into the battle and drove her back another two steps.Telkya raised her amulet and loosed a bolt of light into one of the dwarves in front of Erlmoor, wounding the stout warrior in the shoulder and halting his advance for a moment. Litiraan hurled a silver bolt into the same dwarf and then Lavren sent a blast of black energy past the dwarf’s head. Both dwarves roared fiercely and pulled larger warhammers from their belts. Erlmoor met them with his blade, parrying left and right to keep the metal-headed hammers at bay. He roared his defiance back at the dwarves and then, as each refused to give ground, a furious battle ensued.Dulvarna fell back before the fierce enemies she faced, keeping the drake at bay and stabbing her sword at the dwarf as the warrior reached for the hammer at his belt. The two men seemed to decide that she was already beaten and rushed past the drake to charge at Enlishia. The first reached the ranger quickly, drawing a mace from his belt as he ran. He lashed out with the weapon and struck Enlishia’s forearm as she tried to defend herself. The second man came in at Enlishia and lashed his mace into her side, sending her spinning away from him. Finally, Enlishia managed to leap back and raise her bow, loosing two arrows into one of the men and holding him at bay for a moment. The man looked down at the arrows protruding from his hip and arm alongside two others that the ranger had earlier driven into him.“You will die slowly,” the man snarled and started forward again.Telkya saw the drake seize Dulvarna’s left arm and tear at the flesh before the warrior woman broke free and knew that the battle was already becoming a desperate one. Hurriedly, she summoned a bolt of light from her amulet that lanced out towards the men facing Enlishia but the bolt flew wide and disappeared into the trees on the far side of the clearing. Litiraan retreated from the men to stand beside his sister and hurled a silver bolt into the side of the wounded man. He staggered and lurched to the left as Lavren raised his wand and sent a black bolt towards the dwarves that Erlmoor battled. Again the man snarled and came forward at Enlishia.Dulvarna parried desperately as the dwarf lashed his hammer in high towards her chest. She twisted the weapon away and then lashed out wildly, her sword passing over the dwarf’s head. The drake roared and snapped at Dulvarna’s right arm, seizing it in its terrible teeth and threatening to force her to drop her sword. Despite the pain of this second bite, she pulled her arm free in spray of blood and lashed out with her sword to keep her enemies at bay for a little longer.</blockquote>

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