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seasong's Light Against The Dark (FEB 06)
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<blockquote data-quote="seasong" data-source="post: 601286" data-attributes="member: 5137"><p><span style="color: orange"><strong>Intermission</strong></span></p><p></p><p>After the orcs seemed to be gone for sure, Athan had a chat with the other two... "I need to visit my parents before we set out again."</p><p></p><p>Greppa nodded, "I could use a visit home, too. Heck, I don't think my family even knows I made it back from Eastpass yet."</p><p></p><p>Athan goggled, but Merideth just grinned, "I know mine don't. I suppose if you two are going to be responsible, I should be too."</p><p></p><p>And that was that. Greppa took an extra day to find a wine seller travelling north, and arrange a position as guards, but otherwise all three left the tower for their various homes. Greppa sent runners after each of the other two to let them know that the wine seller was leaving in three weeks, then headed home himself.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: orange"><strong>Greppa</strong></span></p><p></p><p>Seven older sisters can make for a mean childhood, but despite his grumbling, Greppa had grown up the pampered son of a wealthy and influential family, with a Tartwater vineyard that flowed in waves of leaf-covered walls over a sizable chunk of the mountainside and part of the river. The time among the orcs had exposed him to needs he'd never felt, hunger that wasn't sated at ease, and a lowly status to which he was not accustomed. And while these things did not impact him as severely as they might someone of less sterling character, he was very much looking forward to the luxury of home again.</p><p></p><p>When he arrived, however, two-thirds of the fields lay wild or rotting, while the remaining third looked understaffed. Worse, it was already midsummer, and the summer grapes were still not entirely picked. When Greppa had left, two summers before, the fields had been filled with workers and the poor who followed behind for their tithe. Now, the fields were over ripe and abandoned.</p><p></p><p>Kethos, a gentle bear of a man who had often stood watch over Greppa and his siblings when they raced through the vineyards, explained the sad situation as such:</p><p></p><p>"A lot of people went to fight the war last year, about half came back. Those that did, had to decide to work here, or work on keeping their family's fed by working farmland. The bachelors and old folk, like me, we're better at picking than farming, and it brings in some extra money, so here we are... but most of the young had to go to farm, likely will another year or two. Then it'll even out, and we'll be good again."</p><p></p><p>His heart heavier by each measured step, Greppa walked down the vine fenced road to his house. Once there, there were fierce hugs and joyous reunions... but Greppa had things to tell the family. They gathered around, broke bread and poured wine, and Greppa began to talk.</p><p></p><p>He told them of the capture, and why so few had returned from Eastpass a year ago. He told them of Hurath's disappearance, and how he'd come to claim the tower for his own. He told them of the dream from Allas, and his suspicions about the birthmark.</p><p></p><p>He told them of the visions of draconic rage brought by the kobold, and the most likely end of the slaves, many of them people of Tartwater. By the end, he was crying freely, but he spoke with a steady voice. After, his family, even his feared and hated sisters, embraced him and they wept together for the people lost to the dragon and the orcs.</p><p></p><p>He spent the next few days hard at work in the vineyard, using <em>shadow servants</em> and his own fingers to help the family get in as much as they could before the rot set in. Then he told them the other part of his story...</p><p></p><p>"I can't stay. I still think that Hurath is out there, and there's Tartwater people held by that other tribe of orcs. I have to figure out where they are. I'm going north with a wine seller, to see what I can find out."</p><p></p><p>They took it surprisingly well, and made an incredible fuss over the state of his clothes and equipment. Then, with a few more tearful goodbyes, Greppa got back on the road, and headed home... to Hurath's tower.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="seasong, post: 601286, member: 5137"] [color=orange][b]Intermission[/b][/color] After the orcs seemed to be gone for sure, Athan had a chat with the other two... "I need to visit my parents before we set out again." Greppa nodded, "I could use a visit home, too. Heck, I don't think my family even knows I made it back from Eastpass yet." Athan goggled, but Merideth just grinned, "I know mine don't. I suppose if you two are going to be responsible, I should be too." And that was that. Greppa took an extra day to find a wine seller travelling north, and arrange a position as guards, but otherwise all three left the tower for their various homes. Greppa sent runners after each of the other two to let them know that the wine seller was leaving in three weeks, then headed home himself. [color=orange][b]Greppa[/b][/color] Seven older sisters can make for a mean childhood, but despite his grumbling, Greppa had grown up the pampered son of a wealthy and influential family, with a Tartwater vineyard that flowed in waves of leaf-covered walls over a sizable chunk of the mountainside and part of the river. The time among the orcs had exposed him to needs he'd never felt, hunger that wasn't sated at ease, and a lowly status to which he was not accustomed. And while these things did not impact him as severely as they might someone of less sterling character, he was very much looking forward to the luxury of home again. When he arrived, however, two-thirds of the fields lay wild or rotting, while the remaining third looked understaffed. Worse, it was already midsummer, and the summer grapes were still not entirely picked. When Greppa had left, two summers before, the fields had been filled with workers and the poor who followed behind for their tithe. Now, the fields were over ripe and abandoned. Kethos, a gentle bear of a man who had often stood watch over Greppa and his siblings when they raced through the vineyards, explained the sad situation as such: "A lot of people went to fight the war last year, about half came back. Those that did, had to decide to work here, or work on keeping their family's fed by working farmland. The bachelors and old folk, like me, we're better at picking than farming, and it brings in some extra money, so here we are... but most of the young had to go to farm, likely will another year or two. Then it'll even out, and we'll be good again." His heart heavier by each measured step, Greppa walked down the vine fenced road to his house. Once there, there were fierce hugs and joyous reunions... but Greppa had things to tell the family. They gathered around, broke bread and poured wine, and Greppa began to talk. He told them of the capture, and why so few had returned from Eastpass a year ago. He told them of Hurath's disappearance, and how he'd come to claim the tower for his own. He told them of the dream from Allas, and his suspicions about the birthmark. He told them of the visions of draconic rage brought by the kobold, and the most likely end of the slaves, many of them people of Tartwater. By the end, he was crying freely, but he spoke with a steady voice. After, his family, even his feared and hated sisters, embraced him and they wept together for the people lost to the dragon and the orcs. He spent the next few days hard at work in the vineyard, using [i]shadow servants[/i] and his own fingers to help the family get in as much as they could before the rot set in. Then he told them the other part of his story... "I can't stay. I still think that Hurath is out there, and there's Tartwater people held by that other tribe of orcs. I have to figure out where they are. I'm going north with a wine seller, to see what I can find out." They took it surprisingly well, and made an incredible fuss over the state of his clothes and equipment. Then, with a few more tearful goodbyes, Greppa got back on the road, and headed home... to Hurath's tower. [/QUOTE]
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