From: mcspikgfm@dct.ac.uk
Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
Subject: [ST] Death in the family
Date: 11 Jan 93 16:03:14 GMT
Organization: Dundee Institute of Technology


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         Keep walking, almost there. It looks like an archway but it looks
         like there's nothing beyond. Closer, quicker, through the archway.

         Pain. Where am I? Must still be at the Plaza. Its misty and
         raining. What happened? I remember the elementals, and that sylph.
         And I remember the pain. Why is everything hazy?

         I'm floating, no I'm being carried. Who? Don't recognise the face,
         maybe its one of the people from the Inn. Whoever it is he's being
         very gentle. I must have been hurt badly. I feel sore all over. My
         leg's totally numb, I can hardly feel it. Thats where the pain's
         coming from. I don't want to lose my leg! Why do I feel so tired?

         The eyes close on the injured figure as she is carried towards the
         Inn.

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         The group made its way through the tightly packed trees. The Elf
         led them onwards with fleeting movements that made no sound.
         Behind him came the others, dwarf in front, walking under the
         branches followed closely by the halfling and trailed by the pair
         of humans, one draped with silks and the other pounding a large
         club into his fist. They felt eyes all around but whenever they
         looked they found nothing. " Why won't they show themselves?
         I've never liked trees. It's not natural, where's the rock and
         boulders, where's the caverns".

         " Hush Kraglin," said the Elf," do you want to bring bad feeling
         to them as well as bad news. I think we should stay here. They
         know were here, we can be certain of that. I think it will only be
         a matter of time before they send someone to meet us. We'd be as
         well setting up camp here. We'll be safe until they want to talk
         to us".

         " How can you be so sure? " questioned Jarsa the mage. " Drantha
         never said anything to me about his home, and we knew each other
         very well as you know Athstan. Did he tell you something he didn't
         tell me or have you been holding out on us?"

         " No, my dear lady, I am sure his family didn't know Drantha as
         intimately as you did. The Vyali may not have much contact with
         anyone, but they are still elves, and these are their forests. We
         will not be harmed unless they want to hurt us, so I suggest we
         get some sleep. How about it Harmast? Agreeable to you".

         " Yes, might as well, we're getting nowhere fast here". Raising
         his voice he bellowed " Tell your chieftain we come with news for
         him that he would want to hear. Ok, we'll camp here tonight, I'll
         set up wards to protect us, just in case. I'm a light sleeper
         anyway, if anything happens I'll know it".

         The party unpacked their backpacks and settled down to sleep under
         their tarps and in their bedrolls. Within minutes, Jarsa slipped
         out of her comfortable fur roll, walked across the camp and
         slipped in beside Athstan.

         As the orange tips of dawn stretched through the camp, the heat of
         the sunlight roused Athstan and in turn Jarsa from their nocturnal
         slumber. Sitting at the far side of the camp sat a tall young elf
         in leather breaches and a beautiful green and brown blouse and
         jerkin. Her eyes glowed an emerald green as the dawn light bounced off
	 them. Before her lay a set of weapons and items that seemed very
         familiar to both of them. Jasra, gasped and clasped her hand to
         her belt looking for something. " Looking for this" the elf said
         holding up a short rod about a foot long. " I must say, I had a
         lot of fun trying to get hold of it". Their gaze wandered to their
         companions and then to each other. " You wanted to talk to the
         chieftain as you called him, well I'm sorry you'll have to make do
         with me. I'm his daughter, whatever you want to say to him you can
         say to me. Dont worry, your in no danger if you have important
         information for us. If not then I suggest you make piece with
         whatever gods you worship. As I am sure you know, the penalty for
         entering the forest without reason is death. Perhaps you want to
         wake up your companions. I'm sure they would like to know I am
         here".

         Both looked again at one another and then awoke their friends. All
         but the halfling roused peacefully. Hasty, however made an attempt
         to recover his roll as it was dragged off him but woke up fully
         when he was shaken awake.

         " Gentlemen and Good lady, perhaps you would now honour me with an
         explanation of what this information is you say you have. I'm
         always open to hearing a good tale. Don't try and make any moves
         without telling me first, my men wouldn't like it. Now, why are you
	 here and what would you have that we would want to know".

	 Jasra looked at Athstan and with only a seconds delay he started to
	 talk. " We have come here looking for the family of one of your elves
	 named Drantha. He was killed in Glantiri whilst we were".

	 " NO, impossible, you lie. Drantha is alive. He is, I would know.
	 How dare you come here and lie to me about my brother." Removing a 
	 small dagger from a side sheath she dove at Athstan. " You're dead, 
	 you Orc-kin".

	 Athstan managed to get his arm up in the way but the dagger bit deeply
	 into him. From the forest surrounding the glade came ten elves all
	 with bows drawn and pointing at the party whilst 3 young elves raced 
	 across the clearing to the fight. Jasra started an incanatation but 
	 within seconds her voice stopped whilst her mouth hesitated. All three
	 elves dragged Mel off Athstan and out of the clearing whilst she 
	 yelled " Your all dead, I'll kill you myself". 

	 A smaller but older Elf walked forward to the still party and sat down
	 in front of them. He signaled and the sounds of the forest returned
	 to their ears. " I am Emarath. Melandra is my sister. I hope you
	 will not take any aggressive action because of her action as you would
	 be dead before could do much harm. I apologise for Mel's actions but
 	 she loved Dran and she's a bit emotional at times". 

	 "Emotional, she tried to kill me" screamed Athstan as Harmast 
	 attempted to see to his arm that was dripping blood. " I hate to see
	 what she would be like when she got angry. As I was the one being 
	 attacked I'll accept the apology as I'm not in any position to do
	 otherwise but just dont let her out of your sight cause I have a 
	 feeling she meant it". 

	 " We'll give her a while to calm down and she'll be alright. She will
	 talk to you in a little time. Do not try to leave, it would be wise
	 to do as I say".

	 Emarath got up and walked out of the clearing and the Elves slowly 
	 drifted back into the trees. "Well Athstan, you were right. That one 
	 was more like Drantha than I'd like to think about. If she comes back
	 I suggest we have your weapons ready". With that, Harmast stood up and 
	 gathered the pile of weapons. 

	 They waited over an hour before Mel reappeared. She sat down and 
	 listened to them as they told her of Drantha's death and his life.
	 She said nothing all the time that they talked and just waved them on 
	 when they stopped. When they had finished, she looked up from her
	 hands and stared hard at all of them. " Thank you for coming here. Not
	 all would have done that and it says something about you. Dran
	 trusted you and I'd be doing his memory an injustice if I blacken it 
	 with your blood. You are free to leave these woods as you will but 
	 never let me catch you in MY woods again. You will have safe conduct 
	 out of the forest. I suggest you leave now, you have a long walk ahead
	 of you". 

	 They packed around her as she sat and gazed at the ground and left her 
	 sitting in the clearing where she felt she had died.

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	 Light. Its my room in the Inn. How did I get here? Where's Cutey??
	 I feel great. Best rest I've had in ages. Right better get up. Arghh.
	 my leg, thats sore. What's happened. I don't remember anything unusual.
	 Oh well, must have got drunk again. Its stinging like hell. I'll have 
	 to get some help. Maybe Kryalla or Kirkil has something that can cool
	 it down. I hope I didn't wreck anything last night. Oh no...not a 
	 headache as well. I think I'll just go back to sleep. 

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  Melandra Flametree, Lady Wizardess  * Internet: mcspikgfm@dct.ac.uk
  Pyrolator, Princess of Vyalia       * Janet   : mcspikgfm@uk.ac.Dundee-Tech
  & Slightly Insane Elf.."Boom..Fun!" * Dundee College of Technology, Scotland.
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