Rashemen Book 2

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"Everythings. Fine, I just prefer to keep my heritidge hidden in a strange land." Jex said looking up, pulling his hood back he reaveled his greyish skin, red eyes and the white mohawks he'd been sporting since being at Sepps parents. "People have enough trouble accepting half elves. Never mind a half drow."

 

Ciana was jogging along smoothly when it occurred to her that Kelvados had been really ill only a short time before, she slowed to a fast walk looking back over her shoulder, she asked "Kelvados, I have no wish to be rude but, you were recently ill this pace isn't too much for you, is it?"

 

Kelvados had been experiencing some trouble in his breathing, "Nah, I'm fine, I have some healing potions to keep me going for a while."

 

Ciana pulled some waybread out of her bag and passed some to the brothers "Let's eat this and then run soem more then"

 

The brothers accepted the bread and hungrily ate, then got ready to run. Ciana beckoned for them when they were done and the troupe set into a run.

 

Atten was not really sure what to do. Everybody had charged off in different directions and he was not really sure what they were all trying to do. To him they seemed like scurrying ants, always looking for something to do.

Atten decided that he was not ready for more of the constant companionship that went along with hanging around with everyone else.

He decided to wander off in the same direction as Nakia, but made no effort to catch up. This way he could stop and smell the flowers along the way. And with any luck, whatever they were trying to do would be done by the time he caught up with them.

 

They'd bypassed the village where they'd stayed before, running on until the sun started sinking. Ciana slowed to a walk in a clearing and started gathering wood for a fire, she was grateful when the brothers helped; and whilst they lit the fire, she went through an elaborate ritual of warming down so her muscles wouldn't ache as much.

They ate a quiet meal, then one of them watched while the others slept rotating through the night, when dawn approached the brothers woke to a strange smell; they saw Ciana watching a wierd looking pot on the fire "You woke just in time, it's almost ready". She removed the pot from the fire and poured some into 3 cups each of which contained a small amount of honeycomb; handing one each to the brothers and a spoon she continued "In case you're wondering it's Barduskan Black Brew, it's best drunk while hot but I'd let it cool a little first and stir the honey in. It helps remove fatigue and stirs the senses, I thought we might need some this morning" And she sat back blowing on the top of the liquid in her cup.

 

Delphinae led the party along a wilderness path to the west, avoiding the main road. Her companions began to grow concerned with Del's increasingly erratic behavior, twitching at every sound of nature, and even firing her bow once at a chipmunk who was searching for fallen nuts. Delphinae reassured them that she was only being as careful as the dangerous entities involved necessitated, but the others could not help but watch her with growing unease.

 

Delinos smiled wearily and received the cup, stirring in the honey as directed. He sipped it slowly, feeling it invigorate his very being.

Kelvados accepted the mixture as well, and when he thought neither was looking, dropped in some extra herbs he picked up along the way. They added a certain something.

 

When they stopped for a rest Nakia made herself comfortable near Kongol and Maron. She watched Del with worried eyes and thoughts, looked at Sepp just sitting quietly lost in some other world and sighed. Jex was very quiet and she knew Atten was following them in the distance. Atten didn't worry her because she knew his link was to nature and people actually made him uncomfortable. But the others...now what was a poor little non-magical rogue halfling to do with these messed up persons? She found some confort in Kongol's straight forwardness and Maron's gentle healing presence.

 

Maron sighed to herself, and pushed her memories away again.

It was nice to air them every now and again, and truth be told she was becoming lonely, and missed her old friends, but she had new friends here, and there was no point worrying over what couldn't be changed.

She'd taken many painful months to teach Daie that fact, and she refused to succumb to what she'd taken so long to pull him from.

Maron raised her head, and shook it to remove the last trace of her previous melancholy mood, and turned to Nakia, the friendly halfling who led the group until Sepp recovered himself.

"Nakia, how far is your home? I understand it will take a long time, but how many leagues do you think it is?"

 

"Sorry Maron, I can't give the distance in leagues. I know we have to cross The Lake of Tears. We should reach that tomarrow. Shouldn't be a problem getting a boat to take us across. After that we have mountains to cross. Several ranges. If we don't get waylaid by bandits or monsters I figure 2 1/2 months to get to Seornube. Once at Seonube we can get horses." She looks at Korgol. "For some of us at least. Won't really be faster than walking but not as tiring. There's a highway from Soenube to Waterdeep so if we're lucky maybe two weeks. Me burrow is only a couple hours from Waterdeep."

She looks over at Del. "What worries me is that I'm sure there's more to this than we've been told."

 

Maron whistled. "So, there is not other way then? Fine, we must walk. Perhaps there is somewhere between here and Soenube to fetch horses. WHen we get to Waterdeep, might we stay for a day or night? I will need to go to the temple there."

 

Ciana beckoned for them to pack up their things and come. She led them deeper into the forest, and things quickly became dark.

 

DarkStrider posting for Felinoid

As other group headed east, following the inexplicable beacon Ciana felt that grew stronger with each step, their path wound around valleys and rushes in the dense forsted area. When finally Ciana could no longer discern a direction, so strong was the feeling, they stopped and waited. But they did not have to wait long.

The snap of a twig from behind her was all the warning the sorceress got before the splintered wood of a freshly made quarterstaff was laid along her cheek. "Who are you to track me so expertly?" a deep but still feminine voice rumbled. The drow brothers made to ready their weapons, but were instead surprised by nearby trees wrapping their limbs around the drow's, and further still by another woman's voice behind them, "Don't move and we won't have to hurt you."

But nearly overwhelming was the next revelation, as Delinos spied the hands holding the quarterstaff next to Ciana's head were pitch-black in color, and the face that turned to glance in their direction was strikingly familiar: the face of Delphinae...

 

Ciana tried to keep very still as she answered the two women that she couldn't see behind her. "I was at a temple of Corellon Larethian two days ago, hoping for a cure to an affliction I have. While dangling the cure in front of my face, the priest placed a geas on me to serve and protect one of the brothers companions. Once the geas was placed on me there were two pulls one me surprisingly. The first was that I come east for some reason before travelling back to the west and then helping Delphinae.

"This is as far as I have come I have no idea why I am tracking you or for what purpose I was brought to this place"

 

"You hear that Del? The priest put a geas on her to protect you." Elendia smiled grimly, "Why don't I believe her?" A flick of her wrist and the trees tightened their grasp, dangerously. "Do you know these people?" Elendia turned to Delphinae, not quite sure how to respond. She had just recently met this woman and was still not entirely sure she trusted her. Now she had two drow and a bard tracking her so easily. She began to wonder what she'd gotten herself into.

[ March 01, 2006, 15:06: Message edited by: Cirrus ]

 

Delphinae spoke over her shoulder to Elendia, "I know the drow brothers, but I'm not sure I'd trust them. This one, on the other hand, I've never seen before."

Pressing the quarterstaff harder against the sorceress's neck, Del's tone dropped dangerously. "You say you had two pulls, eh? You'd be rather stupid to lie so obviously about the effects of the geas unless either you knew the truth or you really were under a geas. So which one is it, hmm? Are you truly under a geas, or are you a trick of hers?"

[ March 02, 2006, 03:37: Message edited by: Felinoid ]

 

"I'm under a geas, truly" Ciana spoke fervently "if I don't complete it I will die or descend into madness, but I have no choice in this. If you wish to verify this then take us with you to the temple I have no qualms in submitting to you and your companion" as she said this Ciana once again took off her weapons and baldric dropping them on the floor.

 

"Ha! I know your kind; you don't need weapons to be dangerous."

Turning to Elendia, Del asked, "What do you think? Can she be trusted?"

[ March 02, 2006, 03:34: Message edited by: Felinoid ]