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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Breakstone" data-source="post: 693500" data-attributes="member: 481">Chapter Two A Troubled TownThe trip to the village took two days. Arudan rode on his pony, while everyone else walked. During the days they traveled, and during the nights they ate Uel’s blessed berries, which his crows collected. Bryant played tunes to travel by as Kenzo filled them in on the village’s locale.When he finally reached the village, Arudan was quite surprised. “It’s… tiny,” he whispered.“Not all villages live up to your elven home, Sir Furivel,” said Keith. Arudan simply frowned, and urged his pony on.The town truly was tiny, only a quarter of a mile across, and consisting of a total of thirteen houses, one of which was a mill, and one of which was a stable. A river cut through the northern section of town, severing it cleanly into two parts. Fields of wheat danced in the breeze.As the five travelers journeyed into town, the villagers poured out of the wheat fields. A swarm of peasants soon surrounded the party, like a blizzard of moths drawn to a flame. There was an awkward silence, and then a scoff.“These are who we’re trusting to defend our town?” a man, hidden in the crowd, cried.A murmur spread through the villagers.“Please, let me explain-” Kenzo Otso was interrupted by a woman’s shrill voice.“Master Nivers has a point! I mean, look at this one!” Here she pointed to Arudan. “Skinny as a starving child!”Keith Goodfellow, armor shining in the sunlight, stepped forward. “Now listen, folks! This kind man Kenzo has collected the best warriors he could find! I mean, look, you’ve got two elves who have journeyed from far and wide-”Master Nivers again shouted, “Elves? He brought elves? Great Pelor, why not just hire a bunch of girls to protect us?”Arudan simply smirked. “You petty commoners ought to be honored to fight alongside the great race of elves, let alone a noble such as myself! Why, here we have not only a master of the wilds,” he gestured to Uel, silent amongst his crows, and then to his fellow adventurers one by one, “but also a traveling minstrel with enough sense to learn the high language of my people. Not to mention my servant; a once mighty general who, through unfortunate happenstance, wound up in a state of servitude to me! Finally, by the measure of the man who brought us here, I would say we have a complete fighting force capable of taking well over twenty bandits! This town may be yours, but because you are weak we are here to teach you how to protect it.”The silence was deafening.Keith cleared his throat. “Well then, we shall be required to speak with your town leader.”The crowd parted, and an old man, shakily clutching a warped cane, shambled forward. Kenzo introduced him as Grandfather Ash.After a brief introduction, the villagers returned to their work in the fields and farms, and Grandfather Ash sketched a map of the village into the dirt road. “How,” he whispered between ragged breaths, “can we defend an entire village with only five warriors?”“I shall train the men of the village how to use spears,” Kenzo announced.“We should raise four towers, at these points,” Arudan drew in four squares on the northern and eastern sides of town.“I can help with their creation,” spoke Bryant, pulling out his mandolin, “and my music will raise their spirits before the oncoming battle.”“Good idea,” Keith thought back on his days enlisted, “A catapult should help. Two, if we have time.”Uel cocked his head to the side, hooked nose pointing towards the northern forest. “Obad-Hai provides many defenses himself. I will search the forest with my brothers.”“Very well then,” sighed Grandfather Ash, “the bandits attack on Friday. The always have, in the years before…” The old man stared off with faded eyes for a moment, then pulled himself back to reality. “Good luck, my friends, and may we all survive this very last attack…”Kenzo, Keith, Arudan, Uel, and Bryant stood up, and glanced around the quiet village. A plum tree blossom floated down on a silent breeze to lay still at their feet. The peace would not last for long…</blockquote>

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