Session 9 - Bad Moon Rising

As
the fortifications began their construction the following day, our party awoke
with a considerable dread. Monty, up early as usual had to restart his morning bread twice due to hysterical sobbing which he feared tear drops may have fallen amongst the flour. The dawn had once again shared its advice with the
forthcoming day and lit new opportunity, adventure or in this case sorrow for
the forthcoming adventure.

A
sombre breakfast was shared amongst the party with very little to be said between the regularly cheerful and sometimes loquacious half-lings was simply met with a red eyed agreement and particularly audible chewing. There at the
breakfast table, neither Halfling daring to break the silence as to postpone
the reality only a few moments more, Dahlia stood and cleaned the table. The mere gesture was enough to send Monty’s hard gaze into his morning tea, a
studied glare to hold back the tears running down his cheek once more.

“I guess it’s time Monty...” Rudy said, standing and giving a comforting pat on
the shoulder of his grieving friend.

Monty
bit his lip with as much effort as he could muster and stood following Rudy as
he stuck his head out the window, compiled himself and shouted to the townsfolk. “Funeral time! Everyone at the make shift grave yard where we buried Gronhiem!” It wasn’t subtle, nothing Rudy does ever is, but that’s simply how Rudy conducts business... Not with subtlety.

Monty
and friends slowly, sorrowfully made their way down to the gravesite where Rudy
and Owen Lott’s son, the new stable master dug a hole the night previous.
Composure was the only thing he had focused on as he stepped near the bundled
cloth beside the plot, simply refusing to believe that it could be anything
more than that. Reality would once more emerge like a stab to the side as he glanced
out to look for Vall, as he usually did whenever he spoke. Something about
elves calmed him, usually because they were aloof to the goings-on of what was around
them and blissful ignorance can be calming to a man who thinks too much. But
there had been no Vall today, simply a pile of cloth awaiting burial.

“People
of New Pinefarrow, we are gathered here today to lay rest to another forefather
of this settlement. Vall Nailo was a great many things: kind, brave, really
strangely attracted to damp places. But above all else he was a friend, one of
the best you could ever ask for. I speak here today because I’m one of the
lucky ones to have known him since I was just a boy. Let me tell you that even
as children Vall would always be the first to dive into lakes, climb tall trees
or test the luck of all of life’s uncertainties. He was the first not to show
us all his bravery, but to look out for any forthcoming danger that may harm
the rest of us. We bury him here today, not as an end to anything, but... so
that he can scout the afterlife and ensure that we may follow him safely one
day. Thank you.”

And
with that Monty climbed down from his small mound and graced the ceremony with
a very tear-filled Halfling-highfive with Rudy, as the burial commenced. The
two Halflings excusing themselves early to gather what was left of their things
and compatriots to set out for the tower of the Witch King to ensure that
neither Gronheim nor Vall left this world without purpose.