The Ancient Paths - Path I

[Majin]

"Is that so?" Nae'talis says, asking no one in particular. He glances at Syrriel and holds his gaze with her for a few moments to test her reaction.

Turning to Harad, the Thayan makes a small dismissive gesture with his hand and answers, "That will be acceptable."

 

[hippocrachus]

~ Nae'talis ~

Syrriel is out of earshot by the time Wizzop points fun at her; otherwise he would be sure to earn a verbal reprimand.
Harad nods his head and goes back to reading, glad the wizard was so agreeable.

 

[ae1vart0n]

So silence could cause just as much trouble. Maybe he was doomed to begin with.

He decides to at least explain himself to Hrolf, as he goes for the door. "Wait,", he pauses for a half a second to collect himself. "Everything I say seems to cause more trouble. Telling you about the key, braggi about the attack, making an exception for Naetalis when I'm told to quit dealing with ..." Taking a second to look around, thinking he probably shouldn't mention the Red Wizards. ... his pursuers. It's just the more I try to do the right thing, the worse off we all seem to be. And now I'm being held hostage in this village, and I don't even really know why. What law have I broken?"

 

[hippocrachus]

[sblock]Conspiracy and Espionage are Hildor's crimes, if you're really wondering [/sblock]

 

[hippocrachus]

~ Dowkan ~

When Dowkan enters Silverdown by one of the partially constructed gates with his rescue party, he can tell immediately that the population as has thinned out considerably. Grogor informs Dowkan that Father Braggi took the better part of the Tyrran forces back to Silverymoon and that in two days time, Grogor would be leaving with any of the mercenaries that extended their contracts for Mithril Hall. Grogor doesn't bother asking Dowkan if he'd want to join him; whatever the wizard is paying the young mercenary is more than when the gruff old dwarven captain would be willing to dish out.
"Ye go find Mayor Syrriel and see tha she knows yer in one piece," Grogor says with a frown. "I got business to attend to, you see. I ain't rushin' off or nothin'. Ye know how it is..." Grogor looks a little forlorn at the parting, in the same way that a mountain looks a little flimsy.

 

[Legildur]

"If ya be needin' a hand with whatever it is Capn, then ya can call on me, as long it don't mean leaving Silverdown without the mage," Dowkan says.

If nothing eventuates, then Dowkan farewells Captain Grogor and goes to see Sunder the old dwarf before following Grgor's instructions to see Mayor? Syrriel.

 

[hippocrachus]

~ Dowkan ~

Grogor makes a show of waving Dowkan away. He snorts and waves his hands at the younger dwarf as if he said something funny.
"Git on wit ye!" he barks, turning from Dowkan to take his own advice.
When Dowkan enters Sunder's Smithy, Sunder literally drops what he's doing and rushes over to fuss over the mercenary.
"Ye fool dwarf! Whatta ye thinkin' runnin' off like tha? I didn't mean fer ye to go an do tha! I was only foolin'!" Sunder obviously thinks he scared Dowkan off when he left the shop yesterday ahead of Sunder's threats. "Ye whole then? Come an' have a quaff o' ale wit me. You! Git us some ale! The good stuff, not that piss water the Tyrrans're forcin' down me gullet!" he turns from Dowkan briefly to order one of the apprentices. "I knew I could trust Grogor t'find ye. I said: 'he may be a penny-pincher, but he's got a heart fer his fellow dwarf in need,' I said. Now. Wha happened then?"

 

[Dhes]

So silence could cause just as much trouble. Maybe he was doomed to begin with.

He decides to at least explain himself to Hrolf, as he goes for the door. "Wait,", he pauses for a half a second to collect himself. "Everything I say seems to cause more trouble. Telling you about the key, braggi about the attack, making an exception for Naetalis when I'm told to quit dealing with ..." Taking a second to look around, thinking he probably shouldn't mention the Red Wizards. ... his pursuers. It's just the more I try to do the right thing, the worse off we all seem to be. And now I'm being held hostage in this village, and I don't even really know why. What law have I broken?"

”Your troubles didn’t arise from what you sad, but what you didn’t say.” Turing back to the door, ”Don’t play dumb with me, if you don’t know what you are being accused of, you will be told at your trial.” With that Hrolf marches out of the inn’s common room.

 

[Legildur]

"I knew I could trust Grogor t'find ye. I said: 'he may be a penny-pincher, but he's got a heart fer his fellow dwarf in need,' I said. Now. Wha happened then?"

"I can't stay long," says Dowkan and he gladly sits down for some real beer. "Gotta go see the Mayor."

"Here's to ya ol' man," Dowkan toasts Sunder as he slugs down a healthy dose of the beer. "You won't believe me, and I'm not meant to say nuthin' to no one, so you keep it close ya hear."

"I spied me buddy Hrolf, you know the priestly one, walking off out of the city. I thinks to meself, 'This is odd', and decides to follow him like. And it's dark out there. Anyways, he moves like a horse, real odd from whats I know of him. It was all I could do to keep up with him as he made towards them caves we's were at. I decides ta call out to him, but he puts on a burst of speed like I never seen and disappears. I turns around to come back to Silverdown and then Hrolf, with these purple glowing eyes, has his hands on my throat, and I knows I'm done for as he's terribly strong. Next thing I know I'm in this room with magic doors and this sage type kicks me out through one of them. Then I'm in the caves again. I walk out to find it midday outside and the Tyrran soldiers left to guard it with their heads on spikes. I scamper out of there quick smart and soon enough find Cap'n Grogor with a platoon lookin' for me. And Cap'n tells me that Hrolf was in Silverdown the whole time!"

"I can't make sense of it, and not sure I want to!" he says as he finishes his beer.

 

[hippocrachus]

~ Dowkan ~

Sunder gladly meets the toast, happy to see the young dwarf doesn't hold any hard feelings towards him. As Dowkan goes on to explain what happened to him over the last few hours, Sunder's eyes grow wide in wonder. He gives the empty mug in Dowkan's hand a worried look.
"Ye've been sober too long, me thinks," he mumbles. "I'd say ye was crazy, but I heard from them that knows better that they saw ya walkin' outta town well after them on the wall saw ye leavin'. I tell ye, on me own mother's beard, this place is cursed. Whoev'r heard o' a bunch o' kobolds burnin' down a whole village? Tha don' sound right in me ears; hair, wax, and all..."