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<blockquote data-quote="Jon Potter" data-source="post: 1096265" data-attributes="member: 2323">[PLAIN][Realms #234a] Interlude[/PLAIN]The dream that had intruded nightly on Windstryder's sleep was always the same. In it a child fell, plummeting from the night sky amidst a cascading explosion of feathers. The young girl's arms and legs flailed uselessly against the air, her beautiful face contorted into a rictus of fear. Below her, from the darkness, arose a malignant claw of enormous size that spread its taloned fingers to pluck the girl from the heavens. As the clutching hand neared the girl she opened her mouth to scream, but no sound issued forth. Her glittering green eyes pleaded for protection but, although Windstryder reached out her right hand to catch the girl, she quickly disappeared beneath a rising tide of darkness.Starday, the 10th of Wealsun, 1269 AEShe awoke suddenly to find the sky lightening with the dawn. Feln was already up, sitting cross-legged atop his sleeping mat, and the half-orc stared at her across the smoldering embers of their campfire. &quot;You're awake early,&quot; the ranger said as she forced her tired body to a sitting position. She knew that the dreams had started only nine nights previous, but it felt like a moonsdance since she'd had a good night's sleep.&quot;You were screaming,&quot; Feln replied simply and Windstryder found it difficult to meet his eye. The half-orc, oblivious to her embarrassment, continued to regard her with interest. &quot;Was it the dream again?&quot;&quot;Yes,&quot; the elf answered, rubbing sleep from her eyes with her left hand while she braced herself with her right fist.&quot;Then we should get ready to move,&quot; the monk observed and rose to his feet in one graceful motion. &quot;We are still many days away from the girl. If she is the right one.&quot;&quot;Not too many strange orphan girls fall from the sky, Feln,&quot; Windstryder said. A note of irritation had crept unbidden into her voice. &quot;She's the one.&quot;&quot;Some of the tales say she came up from the earth,&quot; the half-orc responded as he carefully tended to his minimal gear. &quot;The rumors are...&quot; He stopped in mid-sentence, struggling for the right word.&quot;Inconsistent?&quot; the elf offered and Feln nodded gratefully.&quot;Inconsistent,&quot; he repeated.&quot;She's the one,&quot; Windstryder assured him and looked at her right fist. It had remained tightly closed since her waking and she willed it open with some effort now. There, crushed from the force of her fingers, lay a feather. She recognized it immediately as one of the feathers she had seen raining down around the falling girl. It also matched the color and patterning of her hawk companion, Anta. &quot;She's the one,&quot; she said again.&quot;Some say her showing up is a sign of the end days,&quot; Feln cautioned. &quot;What if they are right and your dreams are wrong.&quot;&quot;Then we have failed,&quot; she said flatly as she got to her feet. &quot;Either she has the cure or our questing is for naught. The king will die and Barnacus will be reduced to a plague-haunted graveyard within a fortnight.&quot;The half-orc nodded. Without a hint of irony, he said, &quot;So long as you know where we stand, Windstryder.&quot;</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Jon Potter, post: 1096265, member: 2323"] [b][PLAIN][Realms #234a] Interlude[/PLAIN][/b] The dream that had intruded nightly on Windstryder's sleep was always the same. In it a child fell, plummeting from the night sky amidst a cascading explosion of feathers. The young girl's arms and legs flailed uselessly against the air, her beautiful face contorted into a rictus of fear. Below her, from the darkness, arose a malignant claw of enormous size that spread its taloned fingers to pluck the girl from the heavens. As the clutching hand neared the girl she opened her mouth to scream, but no sound issued forth. Her glittering green eyes pleaded for protection but, although Windstryder reached out her right hand to catch the girl, she quickly disappeared beneath a rising tide of darkness. [b][i]Starday, the 10th of Wealsun, 1269 AE[/i][/b][i][/i] She awoke suddenly to find the sky lightening with the dawn. Feln was already up, sitting cross-legged atop his sleeping mat, and the half-orc stared at her across the smoldering embers of their campfire. "You're awake early," the ranger said as she forced her tired body to a sitting position. She knew that the dreams had started only nine nights previous, but it felt like a moonsdance since she'd had a good night's sleep. "You were screaming," Feln replied simply and Windstryder found it difficult to meet his eye. The half-orc, oblivious to her embarrassment, continued to regard her with interest. "Was it the dream again?" "Yes," the elf answered, rubbing sleep from her eyes with her left hand while she braced herself with her right fist. "Then we should get ready to move," the monk observed and rose to his feet in one graceful motion. "We are still many days away from the girl. If she is the right one." "Not too many strange orphan girls fall from the sky, Feln," Windstryder said. A note of irritation had crept unbidden into her voice. "She's the one." "Some of the tales say she came up from the earth," the half-orc responded as he carefully tended to his minimal gear. "The rumors are..." He stopped in mid-sentence, struggling for the right word. "Inconsistent?" the elf offered and Feln nodded gratefully. "Inconsistent," he repeated. "She's the one," Windstryder assured him and looked at her right fist. It had remained tightly closed since her waking and she willed it open with some effort now. There, crushed from the force of her fingers, lay a feather. She recognized it immediately as one of the feathers she had seen raining down around the falling girl. It also matched the color and patterning of her hawk companion, Anta. "She's the one," she said again. "Some say her showing up is a sign of the end days," Feln cautioned. "What if they are right and your dreams are wrong." "Then we have failed," she said flatly as she got to her feet. "Either she has the cure or our questing is for naught. The king will die and Barnacus will be reduced to a plague-haunted graveyard within a fortnight." The half-orc nodded. Without a hint of irony, he said, "So long as you know where we stand, Windstryder." [/QUOTE]

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