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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jon Potter" data-source="post: 1490264" data-attributes="member: 2323">[PLAIN][Realms #265] Hunting Party[/PLAIN]"These woods are full of trickery," Feln grumbled. "I have learned a bit of tracking from Windstryder but this damned forest has me turned all around.""We know," Ledare said and Vade piped up."The trees move around!" he said and Feln grunted in reply."There are creatures about as well," the half-orc added, holding up the torn remnants of his jacket as an example. "Watch out for spiders webs."At the mention os spiders, Ledare let out an audible gulp and Vade tightened his grip on her shield hand. She looked down at him and whispered, "Vade, do you remember what I told you about watching for spiders? Be vigilant.""It is okay, Kitten," the halfling replied, stroking her mailed gauntlet reassuringly. "I'll protect you."At that, Karak harrumphed and rolled his eyes - not that Vade could see him do so in the darkness. He turned and said in a conspiratorial whisper, "She is afraid of spiders, you know.""If we stay a bit apart we should be able to keep each other safe," Feln offered but Ledare cleared her throat."I-," she began, searching for an easy explanation for Vade's statement. "I had a bad experience once." Marier laid a hand on her shoulder and smiled at her comfortingly."No one faults you for your reluctance to relive past hurts," the albino said, and the tone of his voice reminded the Janissary that of all her companions only he truly knew what she meant when she said 'bad experience'.Karak spat into the bushes, tiring quickly of all the spider talk. He fixed his eye on Feln and pointed at the martial artist with a thick finger. "Oi, Orc-Blood! Where've you been at, eh?" he challenged. "It be seemin' tha' even tho we be lookin' for you, instead you be the one ta find us!""What's the matter, Karak?" Feln shot back. "Are you still sore that I beat you in that contest?""Beat me?!" the dwarf roared and raised his waraxe to chest level, his fingers white-knuckled upon its haft. "You beat me? Why you fungular, sliver-witted goblin-spawn! I'll show you who-" Karak's tirade was cut short by a calming word from Ledare and a plaintive look from the halfling.Vade stepped forward cautiously and looked up at Feln. "Are you okay?" he asked in a small voice."Would you like your sacred knife back?" the half-orc asked in reply, his eyes studying the little rogue's face intently."What do you mean 'my knife'?" Vade asked, patting himself down. "Do you mean the one that is really yours? 'Cause I didn't take it. I promised I wouldn't unless I asked first and you haven't been around to ask so-"Feln crouched down and opened the flap of his torn jerkin to show Vade the handle of the knife in question (although Vade had only the vaguest idea what what the half-orc was doing in the darkness). "I am just being paranoid, my friend," the martial artist explained and Vade sighed with relief and gave the half-orc a big hug. "It seemed a bit convenient just bumping into you all on the trail.""Convenient?" Ixin mused as she painfully worked burrs out of her hair. "Clearly you haven't been off the trail.""And had a tree fall on you," Morier added weakly."Well, I do be admittin' to you all tha' I nae be likin' these woods," Karak grumbled. "I feel like a youngun trapped in a bad dream in this 'ere forest.""A good analogy," Ledare said. "Karak found a secret tunnel back in those ruins. I suggest that we all stay together and return that way.""Our options are becoming more limited," Ixin announced, pointing in the direction that Feln had just come.The path was no longer there.Thanks to Ixin's familiar, they were able to find their way back to the portal without getting lost. The return trip took much longer than the trip out had since the path that they had followed had disappeared entirely now. Still they shouldered their way through brambles and undergrowth without suffering any lasting injuries although they were all - even Karak - tired by the time they spotted the clearing in the woods ahead."Mazkurbak murgelm hermotmararn || Larigrulnosnar," Karak said to each of them in dwarvish before they stepped back out into the crumbling ruin surrounding the portal. Only Vade, who spoke dwarfish, and Ixin, whose magical cutlass endowed her with a permanent Tongues spell, understood the meaning of the words: 'I promise you safety and peace against magic. We conquer fear with our courage.'Only Vade recognized the words for what they really were."Now!" the dwarf said, slipping once more into the common tongue. "All gather around. Remember those statues are set to have us run from this place. Keep your wits about you and dig down into your fortitude. If ye be gettin' funny thoughts to hurt yer companions, speak up first so's we don't be hurtin' ye."And with that, he turned and walked defiantly into the clearing. But nothing waited for him and the statues remained inert."Mayhaps the statues've run out o' power," Karak suggested, but Ledare pointed toward the rear of the ruin, urging him and the others toward that area."Just the same, I'll feel better once they're not staring at us," she said and the dwarf couldn't argue with the logic of her statement. He followed her, muttering under his breath."I do nae know how those elves can be likin' these parts," he groused. "Gives me the creepies. Give me a nice deep dark cave any day.""I did find tha tunnel but I do nae ken if there be any traps," the dwarf said, pointing at the smashed panel in the rear of the timeworn altar. Let's go down and out and find tha' Apprentice ye be after.""How about we get a little rest," Ixin suggested, rubbing her aching neck. She smirked, "I feel like a dwarf's been beating on me with his axe.""Oh ho!" Karak laughed. "An' well ye should, lassie! Well ye should!""I agree with Ixin," Vade said. "My feet hurt from all this walking.""I have several healing draughts that I purchased from Maerwynn back in town," Morier said releasing the clasps on his finely tooled potion belt. He held it up for them to see even as he eased his battered frame to the ground. "I'm not eager to be rid of them all in one night, but those that need magical curing to get out of danger should make use of them." Taking his own advice, the eldritch warrior pulled out a vial, but Vade stayed his hand."Save your potion," the halfling said, rummaging through his prodigious backpack. He pulled out a gnarled shaft of black wood tipped with a red gemstone and waved it in the air mysteriously. "Your dad told me this wand is supposed to heal people. But none of us can work it." He turned to Karak and thrust the wand at him. "But you can!""Me?!" the dwarf recoiled from the device like it was on fire and he was made of paper. "Are ye daft, wee one? I be nae wizard!""Nope," Vade stated with confidence, forcing the wand into the dwarf's hands. "You're a priest.""Ye're thinkin' o' me chalak," Karak asserted, thrusting the wand back at the halfling. "Malak be the one in The Queen's graces, nae me!""I saw you heal Morier," Vade accused and Karak harrumphed in reply."What of it?" the dwarf grumbled. "Did ye nae see the half-elf do the same thing to the wizard?"Ixin didn't bother correcting him."I also saw you cast another spell on us before we came into the clearing," the halfling persisted."What?! That?!" Karak was more amused than anything else by this. "Tha's nae magic! Tha' be an old dwarven blessin' the tunnel wardens taught me back when I was your size. 'Course I was already helpin' to defend the delve from gobbos by then.""Try the wand," Vade insisted."I do nae ken how to use this 'ere gnarled stick," the dwarf grumbled, swinging the wand around like a club. "It be nae big enough to hit someone with. Look 'ere, see." As an example, he tapped the halfling on the head with an audible thwap and the gemstone on the tip of the wand began to glow vermilion in the darkness. The ruined shrine was quickly filled with a ruddy glow.Vade yelped and clutched his scalp in mock pain, but it only lasted an instant. He could feel the magic working its way through his body, and although he had no injuries to be healed, he was sure that it was healing magic. "See! I told you!" Vade cried, pointing to the wand as the gem's glow began to fade. Karak looked at the wand too."Well, I'll be an elf's uncle," the dwarf muttered, shaking his head.The wand did indeed heal all those who needed healing, but it was of a slower sort that worked over the course of a minute rather than curing them all at once. All in all, they settled down feeling a good deal better than they had arrived in the clearing. It was, of course, short lived.Morier and Karak took the first watch and neither warrior saw or heard anything out of the ordinary. Feln and Vade were next up and after an hour, they were more or less at ease in their duties (although Vade still repeatedly cursed the fact that he was completely blind in the dark)."Use your ears, my friend," Feln told him, shifting his weight a little on the cold stone. The martial artist had opted for a bird's eye view of their campsite and the clearing as a whole, so he had scaled the remains of the rear wall and crouched there as still as a gargoyle. Vade didn't like being alone, and thanks to the Slippers of Spider Climbing had no fear of falling even though he couldn't see to climb. So he had joined the half-orc in a duty that was normally a solitary one for Feln. For some reason, he didn't mind as much as he thought he might."I'm glad I do not have to be on watch alone," Vade whispered loudly. "It is kind of scary.""Hmmm," Feln murmured in agreement. "In all my time with Windstryder I have never encountered a place like this. The forest itself seems to want us-"He was cut short by a jar of alchemist's fire shattering against the side of his head. The noxious goo inside burst into flames on contact with the air, peppering Vade with burning splatter. Not that either of them saw the second flask, but it arced up out of the trees and crashed squarely on Ixin's chest, splashing both Morier and Ledare with flaming syrup.Vade distinctly heard the tittering commands of someone speaking gobbledy out in the darkness, and the voice was telling their archers to spread out.</blockquote>

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