Will's AD&D 2nd Edition - Who knows where it will go!

[JharyOConnah]

Jhary looked to ragged Luis then back to Aego and Dorana. He tilted his head in such a way, toward the little mouse on his shoulder, that he seemed to confer with the creature.

The hobbit's expression flitted from anxiety to curiosity to something more...devious. The tiny rodent squeaked with something akin to delight.

"A contest you say? Well, it does seem a trifle irregular... But I suppose if'n we must... Although, I'm inclined to side with sir Luis here. My particular skills are with my instrument..."

The colorful halfling absently plucked a few chords out on his halfling-sized zither.

"And, although you'll find I can hold my own in a pinch, I'm more inclined to use this silver-tongue O mine."

He stuck his tongue out with a wink and a few more perfect notes. It was pink, though, not metallic at all.

"Perhaps a contest of oration or precise rythems? Not to mention, it is getting awfully dark out here and we know there be monsters about. I second that we should begin again at the morning's first light. What say you all?"

The little white mouse scurried from shoulder to shoulder, sniffing and looking about.

 

[Greenmtn]

Clalick looks up from the dead branches he has started collecting since the first time it was mentioned that night fall was coming. "Maybe I could work better with a good drinking song... That is if you think you are ready to deal with what ever nasties the noise draws near."

 

[jmucchiello]

"Let's get camp together before it gets dark," Dorana says. "We can discuss the contest in the morning. I'll take first watch."

 

[JustinCase]

Aego nods to both ideas.

"Contests in the morning, but a little music to welcome nightfall?" he offers as a compromise, looking forward to what Jhary has to offer in the way of entertainment.

 

[William Smith1]

Luis says, "Say, do any of you have an extra blanket, I seem to be missing all of my gear. And maybe a dagger to defend us during my turn at watch."

 

[JustinCase]

"Use my bedroll," says Aego with a warm smile. "I will sit in trance during the night, and do not need it. Get some sleep; you need not take watch."

OOC: Not sure if it's in the 2nd Ed rules, so am I correct in thinking that elves need only 4 hours of trance instead of 8 hours of sleep?

 

[JharyOConnah]

Jhary continued to play the zither, progressively softer and quieter as everyone bedded down in the make-shift campsite.

The little white mouse continued to nibble on a piece of cheese inside the hobbit's pocket.

The halfling musician glanced casually at ragged Luis, attempting to determine whether any real threat was present.

It's not like you've even anything to steal, Jhary, the treasure lies on the road ahead not in your trousers. And forget about all this contest business...this shabby elf...no competition at all...

He grinned to himself as the fire burned lower.

 

[jmucchiello]

Dorana sits on first watch as the halfling puts his noise maker away. "Sleep well, Jhary."

 

[JustinCase]

Aego needs 8 hours of meditative trance, but is fine with taking whatever watch during the night.

 

[Greenmtn]

Clalick has every intention of taking the second watch and sleeping in to make up for it.

 

[jmucchiello]

I always assume camping lasts 10-12 hours to make up for people needing 8 hours sleep and taking a watch, besides. Dorana will wake Clalick up when her watch ends. (We should have figured out watch order before bedding down. although we didn't really bed down so much as Jhary saying we did.)

 

[William Smith1]

Surprisingly, even though the group prepared for an attack, the night passes uneventfully. In the morning Luis is rebuilding the fire from the embers and asks, "Does anyone have anything we can cook for breakfast? I sure would rather not do this contest on an empty stomach, what say you hobbit?"

 

[Greenmtn]

Groggily sitting up with a bit of a chuckle. "Has any Hobbit ever done anything on an empty stomach?"

 

[JustinCase]

Aego opens one eye, then the other as he sits crosslegged near the campfire. He smiles as Luis appears reluctant to start the contests, the wizard growing more confident that Jhary will win the competition.

"Perhaps we should skip the otherworldly steaks," he jokes. "No rabbit hunting contest then? Your call."

 

[JharyOConnah]

Jhary yawned as he woke, stretching lazily, his tunic coming up and showing his hobbit-sized pot-belly. The little white mouse was already awake, observing the group from the tangled mess of Jhary's hair.

Without turning, Jhary patted said belly, which gurgled audibly. He nodded in agreement, though, mumbling: "Oh no! Breakfast first... Since you mention it..."

The halfling attempted to reshape his crumpled hat, plunking it down over mats of curly hair. The little white mouse scrambled away, narrowly avoiding being crushed, scampering onto Jhary's shoulder.

As he looked around at campfire and crew, Jhary absently plucked at his miniature zither again. He hummed a tune, familiar yet definitely not easily placed, chuckling to himself. He sang quietly: "Yo ho TOW-ah! Yo ho TOW-ah! Kill da wabbit...Kill da wabbit...Kill DA WABBIT!" He got louder at the end with emphasis.

Jhary couldn't place where he'd hard the song before. He had a vague memory from a land far, far away from the Citystate of the Invincible Overlord.

And then just like it came, the melody wafted away on the wind.

Jhary stood up, little mouse still sniffing about on his shoulder.

"Well... I'm no good at hunting wabbits...err...rabbits. No sirs and lady. Cooking one up though... I can make a mean stew! And if we do insist on this contest business, perhaps we could get out of this wilderness and nearer to our group-goal? I for one feel like Luis's skills could be useful IN ADDITION to my own..."

The halfling patted his grumbling belly again.

 

[JharyOConnah]

Without waiting for a reply, as if in answer to the group's stomaches, Jhary went into action. He stoked up there fire, digging in his rucksack for a tiny pan, some field rations, a crust of bread, and, remarkably, a small jar of preserves and two large-sized eggs.

After huffing and puffing, stirring and sizzling for a few minutes the hobbit pulled the pan off the fire with an "Ow! Hot!" dropping the concoction on a nearby stump.

He commenced to pile most of it into a wooden bowl he procured from his backpack, nibbling at it with a spoon.

After another moment, self-consciously Jhary peeked over his shoulder at Clalick, Dorana, Aego, and ragged Luis.

With a mouthful he mumbled "There's some breakfast here...if'n you're hungry..."

He tried to smile without opening his mouth to be polite.

 

[William Smith1]

Luis says, "You are an amazing little Hobbit Jhary. I'm not too proud to accept a little of your breakfast. Many thanks!"

 

[JustinCase]

Aego opens his eyes, not yet moving from the place where he spent the night crosslegged in trance.

"Smells good," the elf admits. "What's in it? No rabbits, I get that, but any other meat? I'm starving."

With that, the wizard gets up and holds his nose over the stew, sniffing with some delight.

"Looks like Jhary's taking the lead," he says, aiming his remark at Luis while helping himself to a portion of food.

 

[JharyOConnah]

"Hmm.."

Jhary sniffed at his dwindling pile of breakfast, taking another toasted chunk of bread with jam from the pan. The little white mouse scurried down his arm, also sniffing at said breakfast.

"Well it's got SOME kinda meat in it...salted and dried and not TOO recognizable, now that you mention it..."

The hobbit kept looking and poking at a bit before taking another bite. The mouse helped himself to a sample as well.

"Not a strange steak though! Sure it came from somewhere here abouts!"

He prodded a bit more, eyes widening.

"I'm fairly certain!"

 

[JharyOConnah]

After breakfast, Jhary collected his things, scraping every tiny last bit of food off the little pan with his spoon. The white mouse helped, nibbling another chunk here and there.

Once his pack was packed, Jhary looked to the others with eager eyes, refusing to say another word about that "contest" they all mentioned.

"Ready Luis? Everyone? Almost there, I think!"

The hobbit grinned and the little mouse squeaked as they started down the road.