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<blockquote data-quote="spyscribe" data-source="post: 808873" data-attributes="member: 5808">Part the Very SecondIn which: our heroes reach Dar Pykos and start to wish they hadn’t(recorded by Fajitas)&nbsp; &nbsp; It is dark now, and the smell of roasting bear meat emanates from Reyu and Thatch’s fire. Reyu tends it, while Thatch lies staring upward, deep in thought.&nbsp; They found the badly mauled body of the trapper that had injured the bear not too far from the bear trap. It is the first time Thatch has seen a body.&nbsp; At least, it’s the first time he’s seen the body of someone who died by violence.&nbsp; &nbsp; &quot;Dinner should be ready soon,&quot; Reyu informs him… and an unexpected voice answers:&nbsp; &nbsp; &quot;Great! It smells delicious! Can I have some too?&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; It is a high pitched voice filled with a nearly feverish excitement, and it comes from the bushes nearby.&nbsp; Thatch and Reyu whirl and see a strange little man.&nbsp; He is maybe three feet tall, with a large nose and a dark beard full of twigs. He has great big expressive eyes¾though what exactly they express is unclear. It might be &quot;Wow!&quot; or it might be &quot;Guess what the voices in my head are telling me!&quot; Possibly both.&nbsp; A ferret sits on the man’s shoulder, beady eyes darting back and forth.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Thatch would think he was a child but for the beard.&nbsp; Reyu assumes he is some sort of nature spirit. But neither has ever seen anything like him before.&nbsp; &nbsp; Reyu speaks first.&nbsp; &quot;I… believe we could offer you some food.&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; &quot;Gosh, thanks!&quot; he replies, and sits next to Thatch near the fire.&nbsp; He looks up at Thatch and smiles.&nbsp; &quot;Hi there!&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Thatch, unable to restrain himself, blurts out the obvious question.&nbsp; &quot;What are you?&quot; &nbsp; &nbsp; &quot;Me? I’m Hue,&quot; the little man replies. &quot;What are you?&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; &quot;Um. I’m Thatch?&quot; Thatch offers tentatively.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &quot;Great!&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; Reyu clarifies. &quot;I think what my colleague wants to know is how you came to be here.&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; &quot;Oh! Well, I was out in the woods and I saw your fire and smelled your bear meat, so I came over.&nbsp; It is bear meat, isn’t it?&quot; Hue sniffs the aroma, as if making sure. &quot;Yup, bear meat. Smells great!&nbsp; Anyway, I’m working on a book! On the mating habits of squirrels.&nbsp; I was out here doing research and…&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; At this, the ferret on his shoulder turns to glare sharply at Hue.&nbsp; It is a look that, were it accompanied by speech, might be coupled with the words, &quot;You fool! Don’t tell them everything!&quot;&nbsp; But the look is ignored by Hue, who genially blathers about squirrels for some time.&nbsp; &nbsp; Dinner is had, as well as a great deal of stirring conversation (assuming, of course, that squirrel mating habits stir you up).&nbsp; Thatch and Reyu hesitantly inform Hue that they are headed to Dar Pykos, and inquire if he is headed that direction.&nbsp; &nbsp; &quot;Oh, no. There’s still a lot to see out here.&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; Thatch, relieved, releases a breath he didn’t notice he’d been holding.&nbsp; &nbsp; &quot;I may come to town in a few days, though. Maybe I’ll see you there!&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; And with that comforting thought, they camp for the night.***************&nbsp; &nbsp; They rise early the next day. With a jovial wave, Hue wanders back off into the forest. Their last glimpse of him is the Ferret, watching them from Hue’s shoulder with narrowed eyes.&nbsp; Thatch and Reyu shrug, shoulder their packs, and continue their way to Dar Pykos.&nbsp; &nbsp; Before noon, they catch their first glimpse of the city.Neither has ever seen a city-state like Dar Pykos before, and it is a magnificent sight.&nbsp; The sky is clear, the sun is golden, and the morning light sparkles off the deep blue waters of the Halmae, the great sea.&nbsp; Stone buildings, three or four stories high, are far more impressive and solid looking than the farmhouse Thatch grew up in.&nbsp; And above them all rise the spires of the Great Library, taller than the tallest trees Reyu has ever seen.&nbsp; Dozens of wagons make their way towards the main gates, laden with food or goods, each one carrying enough to feed Reyu’s entire tribe for a week. Reyu and Thatch come to the main road and follow it to the gate.&nbsp; As Reyu passes the Watchmen, she gathers more than a few funny looks, some stopping in their work to openly point and stare.&nbsp; Wild elves don’t often make their way into the city.&nbsp; Reyu steadfastly ignores them, and without further impediment, they enter Dar Pykos.Reyu and Thatch follow the road to the central marketplace.&nbsp; People are everywhere, more people than either of them has ever seen in one place.&nbsp; Merchants hawk their wares.&nbsp; Vendors offer food.&nbsp; It is an elaborate cacophony of sight and sound and smell and hustling and bustling, and Thatch and Reyu observe it all in astonishment. &quot;Now what?&quot; Thatch asks.&quot;I suppose we should look for lodgings,&quot; Reyu replies.&quot;Right. Where do you think we find those?&quot;They are about to pick a random direction to start looking when a passer-by stops.&nbsp; He is a short man with a slight build and dark curly hair.&nbsp; His most salient feature is a large scar that runs down his cheek.&nbsp; He addresses them.&quot;I’m sorry, did I hear you say you were looking for lodgings?&quot;&quot;Um. Yes.&quot;&quot;If you’re interested, I know of an excellent Inn with quite reasonable rates.&nbsp; I could take you there.&quot;Reyu and Thatch exchange a quick look.&nbsp; There doesn’t seem to be any harm in looking at the place.&quot;Thank you.&nbsp; That is… most kind,&quot; Reyu says.&quot;Right this way, my friends&quot; their guide says, as he slaps Thatch on the back and leads them through the market.But at the far end of the market, their guide unexpectedly bolts away from them.&nbsp; He charges down an alley and around a corner before Thatch and Reyu have a chance to respond.&nbsp; They stare after him a moment.&quot;Why’d he do that?&quot; Thatch asks.&quot;I don’t--&quot; Reyu begins, but she is suddenly interrupted by a shout from the market.&quot;There! They’re the ones!&quot;They turn to find a man pointing directly at them.&nbsp; He has an imperious manner and wears fine blue and red robes.&nbsp; An ornamental medallion hangs from his neck.&nbsp; And he is flanked by six Watchmen, who quickly surround the stunned Thatch and Reyu.&quot;Um. Can we help you?&quot; Thatch offers, but the imperious man does not answer.&nbsp; He closes his eyes for a moment, as if concentrating, then points at Thatch’s pack. &quot;There. That’s where it is.&quot;The Watchmen remove Thatch’s pack and wrench it open.&nbsp; At the very top lies a somewhat erotic obsidian statue.&nbsp; Thatch’s eyes boggle.&quot;Um. Um. Um,&quot; he manages.&nbsp; &quot;That’s not mine.&quot;&quot;Of course not!&quot; says the imperious man.&nbsp; &quot;That is the property of my lord, his eminence Count Dain Missola, stolen from his estate last night.&nbsp; Guardsmen, I demand that these two be arrested and handed over for immediate judgment under the rightful law!&quot;To be continued...</blockquote>

[QUOTE="spyscribe, post: 808873, member: 5808"] [b]Part the Very Second[/b] [I]In which: our heroes reach Dar Pykos and start to wish they hadn’t (recorded by Fajitas)[/I] It is dark now, and the smell of roasting bear meat emanates from Reyu and Thatch’s fire. Reyu tends it, while Thatch lies staring upward, deep in thought. They found the badly mauled body of the trapper that had injured the bear not too far from the bear trap. It is the first time Thatch has seen a body. At least, it’s the first time he’s seen the body of someone who died by violence. "Dinner should be ready soon," Reyu informs him… and an unexpected voice answers: "Great! It smells delicious! Can I have some too?" It is a high pitched voice filled with a nearly feverish excitement, and it comes from the bushes nearby. Thatch and Reyu whirl and see a strange little man. He is maybe three feet tall, with a large nose and a dark beard full of twigs. He has great big expressive eyes¾though what exactly they express is unclear. It might be "Wow!" or it might be "Guess what the voices in my head are telling me!" Possibly both. A ferret sits on the man’s shoulder, beady eyes darting back and forth. Thatch would think he was a child but for the beard. Reyu assumes he is some sort of nature spirit. But neither has ever seen anything like him before. Reyu speaks first. "I… believe we could offer you some food." "Gosh, thanks!" he replies, and sits next to Thatch near the fire. He looks up at Thatch and smiles. "Hi there!" Thatch, unable to restrain himself, blurts out the obvious question. "What are you?" "Me? I’m Hue," the little man replies. "What are you?" "Um. I’m Thatch?" Thatch offers tentatively. "Great!" Reyu clarifies. "I think what my colleague wants to know is how you came to be here." "Oh! Well, I was out in the woods and I saw your fire and smelled your bear meat, so I came over. It is bear meat, isn’t it?" Hue sniffs the aroma, as if making sure. "Yup, bear meat. Smells great! Anyway, I’m working on a book! On the mating habits of squirrels. I was out here doing research and…" At this, the ferret on his shoulder turns to glare sharply at Hue. It is a look that, were it accompanied by speech, might be coupled with the words, "You fool! Don’t tell them everything!" But the look is ignored by Hue, who genially blathers about squirrels for some time. Dinner is had, as well as a great deal of stirring conversation (assuming, of course, that squirrel mating habits stir you up). Thatch and Reyu hesitantly inform Hue that they are headed to Dar Pykos, and inquire if he is headed that direction. "Oh, no. There’s still a lot to see out here." Thatch, relieved, releases a breath he didn’t notice he’d been holding. "I may come to town in a few days, though. Maybe I’ll see you there!" And with that comforting thought, they camp for the night. *************** They rise early the next day. With a jovial wave, Hue wanders back off into the forest. Their last glimpse of him is the Ferret, watching them from Hue’s shoulder with narrowed eyes. Thatch and Reyu shrug, shoulder their packs, and continue their way to Dar Pykos. Before noon, they catch their first glimpse of the city. Neither has ever seen a city-state like Dar Pykos before, and it is a magnificent sight. The sky is clear, the sun is golden, and the morning light sparkles off the deep blue waters of the Halmae, the great sea. Stone buildings, three or four stories high, are far more impressive and solid looking than the farmhouse Thatch grew up in. And above them all rise the spires of the Great Library, taller than the tallest trees Reyu has ever seen. Dozens of wagons make their way towards the main gates, laden with food or goods, each one carrying enough to feed Reyu’s entire tribe for a week. Reyu and Thatch come to the main road and follow it to the gate. As Reyu passes the Watchmen, she gathers more than a few funny looks, some stopping in their work to openly point and stare. Wild elves don’t often make their way into the city. Reyu steadfastly ignores them, and without further impediment, they enter Dar Pykos. Reyu and Thatch follow the road to the central marketplace. People are everywhere, more people than either of them has ever seen in one place. Merchants hawk their wares. Vendors offer food. It is an elaborate cacophony of sight and sound and smell and hustling and bustling, and Thatch and Reyu observe it all in astonishment. "Now what?" Thatch asks. "I suppose we should look for lodgings," Reyu replies. "Right. Where do you think we find those?" They are about to pick a random direction to start looking when a passer-by stops. He is a short man with a slight build and dark curly hair. His most salient feature is a large scar that runs down his cheek. He addresses them. "I’m sorry, did I hear you say you were looking for lodgings?" "Um. Yes." "If you’re interested, I know of an excellent Inn with quite reasonable rates. I could take you there." Reyu and Thatch exchange a quick look. There doesn’t seem to be any harm in looking at the place. "Thank you. That is… most kind," Reyu says. "Right this way, my friends" their guide says, as he slaps Thatch on the back and leads them through the market. But at the far end of the market, their guide unexpectedly bolts away from them. He charges down an alley and around a corner before Thatch and Reyu have a chance to respond. They stare after him a moment. "Why’d he do that?" Thatch asks. "I don’t--" Reyu begins, but she is suddenly interrupted by a shout from the market. "There! They’re the ones!" They turn to find a man pointing directly at them. He has an imperious manner and wears fine blue and red robes. An ornamental medallion hangs from his neck. And he is flanked by six Watchmen, who quickly surround the stunned Thatch and Reyu. "Um. Can we help you?" Thatch offers, but the imperious man does not answer. He closes his eyes for a moment, as if concentrating, then points at Thatch’s pack. "There. That’s where it is." The Watchmen remove Thatch’s pack and wrench it open. At the very top lies a somewhat erotic obsidian statue. Thatch’s eyes boggle. "Um. Um. Um," he manages. "That’s not mine." "Of course not!" says the imperious man. "That is the property of my lord, his eminence Count Dain Missola, stolen from his estate last night. Guardsmen, I demand that these two be arrested and handed over for immediate judgment under the rightful law!" To be continued... [/QUOTE]

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