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<blockquote data-quote="Jon Potter" data-source="post: 511393" data-attributes="member: 2323"><p><strong>[PLAIN][Realms #200a] ...But With a Whimper[/PLAIN]</strong></p><p></p><p>Finian closed with the skaven from behind, his longsword and dagger flashing in the moonlight. Unfortunately, the glowing sword missed its mark and only his dagger found flesh. The non-magical blade sunk up to the hilt in Mom's shoulder; she hardly seemed to notice it and the wound promptly closed once Finian drew the dagger free. She half-turned and leered at him mockingly.</p><p></p><p>"I'laito naa manke?" the Archer called out to Kirnoth in elvish, hoping to learn the whereabouts of the baby without alerting Mom.</p><p></p><p>"Re na-aru i'eithel!" Kirnoth managed to gasp in rely. The well had seemed like a good spot at the time; now with his body growing cold from loss of blood, the elf thought it seemed too close to the melee. He collapsed onto the ground and played dead; it was his only defense.</p><p></p><p>Finian glanced to the side, making sure that he knew where the well was if he was forced to make a hasty retreat. Mom seized the momentary distraction and sank her teeth into the Archer's side. Finian grunted in pain and danced back a step even as the wererat swallowed a bloody mouthful of his flesh.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>"Oh dear!" Rherram said. He'd spotted Finian and Kirnoth's predicament despite his human lack of low-light vision. He pointed in that direction, quite unmindful of the armed aggressors nearby. Ledare glanced in the direction he'd indicated, scabbarded her longsword and drew her hand crossbow all in one elegant, lightning-quick motion. That's where her grace ended, however. Her quarrel sailed off into the night well away from her intended target.</p><p></p><p>Cursing, she slammed the nearest cultist with her shield. The woman, who had only just found her dropped dagger and moved to engage them again, was in mid-stride and caught the rim of the shield on her left knee. She cried out and fell to the ground, unconscious from the pain. Ledare stepped over her and set herself to charge across the courtyard at Mother Bromson.</p><p></p><p>"Kitten, stay closest to me," Ruze called out. "It seems my Queen grants me her strength this day." The scimitar in his left hand slashed outward and pierced the last remaining guard in the chest. The man gurgled and crumpled over backward. The last cultist stepped fearlessly in and thrust his dagger beneath Ruze's dancing blades. The knife caught the Battleguard in the right knee and sent him falling to the ground.</p><p></p><p>His scimitars clattered against the cobbles as they fell from his nerveless fingers and Ledare turned toward the sound. "Where the hell did Draelond go?!" she cursed, abandoning her plan to help Kirnoth and Finian in favor of keeping Ruze alive if she could. "Now would be a wonderful time to have his swordarm at our sides!"</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>But Draelond was far away - too far away to hear the clashing of steel on steel or the screams of the wounded and dying. In fact he couldn't hear much of anything except the pounding of his heart and a part of his own panicked brain urging him to run as far and as fast as he could. He tried to fight against the urge but was unable. For every rational argument toward valor that his mind made, his instincts screamed, "Get out of here! Now!"</p><p></p><p>He warred with himself as he staggered along the path that lead eventually out of the forest altogether. Now that he didn't have the benefit of guidance from those with elven blood in their veins, he realized how dark it was under the dense branches of Othelwood. His progress along the path was slow and painful; he stumbled into thorny brambles and yarpick trees over and over again, opening stinging welts on his hands and legs. It wasn't until he'd made it almost as far as the body of the mage that Finian had brought down that he was finally able to bring himself under control. He brought himself to a stop, hid behind the trunk of a bronzewood tree, clutched Ravager to his chest like a lover and shivered in the darkness.</p><p></p><p>As the knots of fear in his stomach slowly uncoiled themselves, he thought of the others. Had they all perished in the temple's collapse? Were they even now fighting for their lives? He wanted to find them and help them if he could, but every time he even looked in the direction of the ruined keep the need to run started to reassert itself. Instead he huddled in the dark beside the path with the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Finian slashed at the skaven with longsword and dagger, but she avoided his attacks with more agility than seemed possible for a woman of her size and age. She retaliated with her dagger and another snap of her yellowed fangs. Finian fended off both attacks with ease, but stepped in the path of her left fist. It thudded into his right thigh and nearly made him lose his footing. She chuckled at him and Finian thought that he could see where Nunzio had gotten his sparkling personality.</p><p></p><p>On the ground, Kirnoth peeked open an eye and it seemed to him that Mom had totally forgotten about him. He edged his hand to the hilt of his sword and waited for the proper moment to strike.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Rherram dropped the warhammer and bent down to attend Ruze, ignorant of the dagger-wielding assailant who took an opportunistic stab at him. Ledare made sure that he didn't need to worry about him any more. The Janissary spun her silver-iron longsword as she came at the cultist and the blade cleaved through the man's right shin, splintering bone and sending him to the ground, dead. "You can deal with Ruze," Ledare said. It bore little resemblance to a question.</p><p></p><p>"Yes! Yes!" the healer replied without looking up. "Go!"</p><p></p><p>She did.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Finian thrust outward with his longsword but Mom managed to twist away from the blade. She couldn't avoid his dagger too and it sank deeply - and ineffectually - into her abdomen. Again, Mom attacked Finian with wild abandon, stabbing with her dagger, gnashing with her teeth and madly pummeling with her fist. The Archer dodged and weaved expertly, avoiding her assault with ease.</p><p></p><p>Kirnoth seized Mom's preoccupation with Finian and sat up abruptly. His sword slashed upward through the air, but missed the wererat entirely. He did, however, succeed in alerting her to the fact that he was still alive.</p><p></p><p>Mom had other things to worry about, however. An instant later, Ledare came clanking out of the darkness at full speed with violence in her eyes and a battle cry she had learned at the academy on her lips. Her sword licked outward and opened a bloody slice in Mom's side. It was a minor wound, but it was also the first lasting damage that Mother Bromson had suffered. The wererat's demeanor changed instantly to one of defense rather than offense. She backed away from Ledare, her attention shifting warily between each of her three attackers.</p><p></p><p>Finian roared in anger and lashed out with his sword and dagger, but Mom deflected the longsword with her own dagger and dodged the knife blow with ease. Kirnoth slashed with his longsword, opening a gash on Mom's right shin that went all the way to the bone. Even as the wound began to knit itself closed, Ledare struck the same spot with her own blade. Mom cried out and this injury didn't heal.</p><p></p><p>"Fresh ingredients for the Mother of all meat pies!" Ledare bragged as the skaven turned to flee, dropping her defenses as she did so.</p><p></p><p>Finian seized the opportunity and stabbed her in the head with his longsword and sunk his dagger into her right knee for good measure. Kirnoth slashed his sword across the back of her right shin. And Ledare's sword sliced through her left shin. Mother Bromson fell ignominiously to the ground dead.</p><p></p><p>"Yes!" Finian hissed, raising his sword skyward in victory. Ledare clanked her own sword against his and smiled.</p><p></p><p>"The baby!" Kirnoth said quickly as he scrambled back to his feet. They found the unconscious infant without much trouble in the spot where Kirnoth had left her. He returned the Ring of Invisibility to Ledare and let out a weary sigh.</p><p></p><p>"Let's get back to Grey House," the mage said and Ledare nodded. Rherram, had other ideas, however. The old healer stumbled out of the darkness wiping Ruze's blood off his hands with a bit of cloth.</p><p></p><p>"I'd prefer it if you all accompanied me back to my compound," he said. "It's on this side of Strenchburg Junction. If we ride, we could be there just after first light."</p><p></p><p>"We have business with the King that can't-" Ledare started to say and the man held up his hand to silence her.</p><p></p><p>"It's not just for my own sake that I make this suggestion," he explained. "In checking your friend, the Shaharizod worshipper, I discovered that he's infected with bubbling pussties as well as the first stages of pudding lung. I daresay that we've all been exposed to some rather nasty diseases tonight, and are likely contagious. Walking into Barnacus like you are would be dangerous for the capital's entire population. But I've got the supplies and such necessary to treat every known disease back at my place." He put his hands on his hips and nodded. "I'm a fair healer, as Finian can attest, and I could likely have you all on your feet by Moonsday after next."</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Jon Potter, post: 511393, member: 2323"] [b][PLAIN][Realms #200a] ...But With a Whimper[/PLAIN][/b] Finian closed with the skaven from behind, his longsword and dagger flashing in the moonlight. Unfortunately, the glowing sword missed its mark and only his dagger found flesh. The non-magical blade sunk up to the hilt in Mom's shoulder; she hardly seemed to notice it and the wound promptly closed once Finian drew the dagger free. She half-turned and leered at him mockingly. "I'laito naa manke?" the Archer called out to Kirnoth in elvish, hoping to learn the whereabouts of the baby without alerting Mom. "Re na-aru i'eithel!" Kirnoth managed to gasp in rely. The well had seemed like a good spot at the time; now with his body growing cold from loss of blood, the elf thought it seemed too close to the melee. He collapsed onto the ground and played dead; it was his only defense. Finian glanced to the side, making sure that he knew where the well was if he was forced to make a hasty retreat. Mom seized the momentary distraction and sank her teeth into the Archer's side. Finian grunted in pain and danced back a step even as the wererat swallowed a bloody mouthful of his flesh. "Oh dear!" Rherram said. He'd spotted Finian and Kirnoth's predicament despite his human lack of low-light vision. He pointed in that direction, quite unmindful of the armed aggressors nearby. Ledare glanced in the direction he'd indicated, scabbarded her longsword and drew her hand crossbow all in one elegant, lightning-quick motion. That's where her grace ended, however. Her quarrel sailed off into the night well away from her intended target. Cursing, she slammed the nearest cultist with her shield. The woman, who had only just found her dropped dagger and moved to engage them again, was in mid-stride and caught the rim of the shield on her left knee. She cried out and fell to the ground, unconscious from the pain. Ledare stepped over her and set herself to charge across the courtyard at Mother Bromson. "Kitten, stay closest to me," Ruze called out. "It seems my Queen grants me her strength this day." The scimitar in his left hand slashed outward and pierced the last remaining guard in the chest. The man gurgled and crumpled over backward. The last cultist stepped fearlessly in and thrust his dagger beneath Ruze's dancing blades. The knife caught the Battleguard in the right knee and sent him falling to the ground. His scimitars clattered against the cobbles as they fell from his nerveless fingers and Ledare turned toward the sound. "Where the hell did Draelond go?!" she cursed, abandoning her plan to help Kirnoth and Finian in favor of keeping Ruze alive if she could. "Now would be a wonderful time to have his swordarm at our sides!" But Draelond was far away - too far away to hear the clashing of steel on steel or the screams of the wounded and dying. In fact he couldn't hear much of anything except the pounding of his heart and a part of his own panicked brain urging him to run as far and as fast as he could. He tried to fight against the urge but was unable. For every rational argument toward valor that his mind made, his instincts screamed, "Get out of here! Now!" He warred with himself as he staggered along the path that lead eventually out of the forest altogether. Now that he didn't have the benefit of guidance from those with elven blood in their veins, he realized how dark it was under the dense branches of Othelwood. His progress along the path was slow and painful; he stumbled into thorny brambles and yarpick trees over and over again, opening stinging welts on his hands and legs. It wasn't until he'd made it almost as far as the body of the mage that Finian had brought down that he was finally able to bring himself under control. He brought himself to a stop, hid behind the trunk of a bronzewood tree, clutched Ravager to his chest like a lover and shivered in the darkness. As the knots of fear in his stomach slowly uncoiled themselves, he thought of the others. Had they all perished in the temple's collapse? Were they even now fighting for their lives? He wanted to find them and help them if he could, but every time he even looked in the direction of the ruined keep the need to run started to reassert itself. Instead he huddled in the dark beside the path with the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. Finian slashed at the skaven with longsword and dagger, but she avoided his attacks with more agility than seemed possible for a woman of her size and age. She retaliated with her dagger and another snap of her yellowed fangs. Finian fended off both attacks with ease, but stepped in the path of her left fist. It thudded into his right thigh and nearly made him lose his footing. She chuckled at him and Finian thought that he could see where Nunzio had gotten his sparkling personality. On the ground, Kirnoth peeked open an eye and it seemed to him that Mom had totally forgotten about him. He edged his hand to the hilt of his sword and waited for the proper moment to strike. Rherram dropped the warhammer and bent down to attend Ruze, ignorant of the dagger-wielding assailant who took an opportunistic stab at him. Ledare made sure that he didn't need to worry about him any more. The Janissary spun her silver-iron longsword as she came at the cultist and the blade cleaved through the man's right shin, splintering bone and sending him to the ground, dead. "You can deal with Ruze," Ledare said. It bore little resemblance to a question. "Yes! Yes!" the healer replied without looking up. "Go!" She did. Finian thrust outward with his longsword but Mom managed to twist away from the blade. She couldn't avoid his dagger too and it sank deeply - and ineffectually - into her abdomen. Again, Mom attacked Finian with wild abandon, stabbing with her dagger, gnashing with her teeth and madly pummeling with her fist. The Archer dodged and weaved expertly, avoiding her assault with ease. Kirnoth seized Mom's preoccupation with Finian and sat up abruptly. His sword slashed upward through the air, but missed the wererat entirely. He did, however, succeed in alerting her to the fact that he was still alive. Mom had other things to worry about, however. An instant later, Ledare came clanking out of the darkness at full speed with violence in her eyes and a battle cry she had learned at the academy on her lips. Her sword licked outward and opened a bloody slice in Mom's side. It was a minor wound, but it was also the first lasting damage that Mother Bromson had suffered. The wererat's demeanor changed instantly to one of defense rather than offense. She backed away from Ledare, her attention shifting warily between each of her three attackers. Finian roared in anger and lashed out with his sword and dagger, but Mom deflected the longsword with her own dagger and dodged the knife blow with ease. Kirnoth slashed with his longsword, opening a gash on Mom's right shin that went all the way to the bone. Even as the wound began to knit itself closed, Ledare struck the same spot with her own blade. Mom cried out and this injury didn't heal. "Fresh ingredients for the Mother of all meat pies!" Ledare bragged as the skaven turned to flee, dropping her defenses as she did so. Finian seized the opportunity and stabbed her in the head with his longsword and sunk his dagger into her right knee for good measure. Kirnoth slashed his sword across the back of her right shin. And Ledare's sword sliced through her left shin. Mother Bromson fell ignominiously to the ground dead. "Yes!" Finian hissed, raising his sword skyward in victory. Ledare clanked her own sword against his and smiled. "The baby!" Kirnoth said quickly as he scrambled back to his feet. They found the unconscious infant without much trouble in the spot where Kirnoth had left her. He returned the Ring of Invisibility to Ledare and let out a weary sigh. "Let's get back to Grey House," the mage said and Ledare nodded. Rherram, had other ideas, however. The old healer stumbled out of the darkness wiping Ruze's blood off his hands with a bit of cloth. "I'd prefer it if you all accompanied me back to my compound," he said. "It's on this side of Strenchburg Junction. If we ride, we could be there just after first light." "We have business with the King that can't-" Ledare started to say and the man held up his hand to silence her. "It's not just for my own sake that I make this suggestion," he explained. "In checking your friend, the Shaharizod worshipper, I discovered that he's infected with bubbling pussties as well as the first stages of pudding lung. I daresay that we've all been exposed to some rather nasty diseases tonight, and are likely contagious. Walking into Barnacus like you are would be dangerous for the capital's entire population. But I've got the supplies and such necessary to treat every known disease back at my place." He put his hands on his hips and nodded. "I'm a fair healer, as Finian can attest, and I could likely have you all on your feet by Moonsday after next." [/QUOTE]
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