The Sojourning Six

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[This is a humanoids only RP! Per Felinoid's request, I am starting it.]


Avril's eyes grew glazed over as another vision unwound itself in her mind. The water in the scrying bowl shifted, shimmering with images. The clear liquid showed a forested area familiar to the young woman. Getting the overwhelming sense of someone watching her, Avril sank deeper into the image and watched the outline of a Voadkyn bleed against the foliage.

Satisfied that the message was delivered, the vision's power ebbed and sank back inside its vessel. The woman shook herself to clear her mind and eyes. The scrying water returned to normal and she carried the bowl outside to the pond near her lodge. As she walked to the water's edge, various water fowl opened a path to her destination. She gently gave back what she borrowed, whispering her appreciation to the water spirits.

Much to her dismay, Avril would have to leave the only home she'd known to fulfill her quest. She packed a small bag with essentials, dressed in supple leather and strapped her satchel to her waist. Reverently, she stroked the three feathers hanging from her throat. "For whatever reason, this Voadkyn must be found," she said to the birds. "I do not know when I will return, my family. Take care and be well."

Nerves taut, she walked into the woods and disappeared from sight.

 

Keimal had been following this group of kobolds for the better part of a day now. Normally he wouldn't have deviated so far from his patrol route, but the small axes and bows that the kobolds were carrying worried him. So far they hadn't done anything more alarming than bringing down a doe for food, but Keimal had a bad feeling about this, which only got worse when he recognized a dryad tree.

Sure enough, the kobolds set down their bows and surrounded the tree, brandishing their axes. Keimal sprung into action, crushing the bodies of two kobolds to the ground with his lunge. One other kobold suddenly turned on his comrades as the dryad who lived in the tree made an appearance with a Charm spell, but there were still six to contend with. Their axes bit deep into his legs, but Keimal kept swinging his maces, and eventually all but three lay scattered about the tree.

One tried to flank him and another followed, but Keimal recognized the kobold as the one who had turned and instead swung at the one in front of him, fainting and then swinging true, crushing the kobold's rat-like skull down into his torso. A satisfying *squelch* also sounded from behind him, and he turned to see the traitorous kobold removing his axe from his former companion's back.

Exhausted and bleeding, Keimal slumped against the nearest tree. A shadow fell over him, and he opened his eyes to see the smiling face of the dryad. "You have my thanks, good wood giant. I could not have taken them on alone. I will do what I can for your wounds. All I would ask is that you stop leaning against my tree so heavily, you seem to be making it bend."

Keimal looked back at the tree's new angle and chuckled. "Sorry about that. I need to get moving soon anyway; I have my own stretch of woods to protect. I just need to rest a moment." Closing his eyes, he settled into a less stressing position against the tree, but it wasn't too long before again a shadow fell over him.

"I told you, I just need to rest a mo..." he trailed off as he looked up into an unfamiliar face framed by loose golden brown hair and a necklace of feathers. "Who are you?"

 

Casting her eyes downward, she replied softly, "I am Avril, a protector of nature from another land. I have come here to answer the call of a vision, seeking the Voadkyn made known to me." She sensed no evil from this giant, only the hum of battle. "You are the one I seek." Avril met his stare bravely.

She carefully stepped around the fallen kobolds, walking to the tree beside the giant. She whispered sacred words and sent a bit of herself into the land to soothe it. Feeling the giant had had a good chance to look her over, Avril continued to speak. "I am an oracle of a different flavor. My visions come to me only when time is short and haste is required. They are limited somewhat in what is made known to me. Thusly, I was bidden to seek you out and, as I journeyed to you, ask that we join together to seek the others I am beholden to find.

"There are four more to add to our pairing and I am out of sorts with 'civilization'. Will you join with and aid me in finding the others?" Avril laced her fingers together, hoping the giant would respond to her quest favorably.

 

Keimal laughed boisterously for a moment, until a sharp pain reminded him of his injuries. "Little girl, if you're looking for someone to help you with civilization, you're barking up the wrong tree. Besides, I have my own tract of the forest to protect; I can't just leave it defenseless to go chasing off on whatever wild goose chase you've got in mind. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to feel the sun on my face while I rest," he said, waving Avril away, "It soothes me."

 

Convincing a stranger to help you is never easy. Shaking her long hair, she sighed. "If that is your answer, then I shall leave you be. Far be it from me to remind you that this dryad could watch your forest with the help of her charming ways, or that there will be much treasure found during my foray to the human lands." She gave him a gentle nod and walked away, picking a trail out from the leaf litter.

 

Keimal watched Avril walk away and shook his head. "Blasted oracles, always talking in riddles. The dryad couldn't possibly protect my forest; she's got to stay close to her tree. Hmm, charming wa...oh, the kobold. But how could a simple kobold-" He trailed off as the plan began to take shape in his mind. The only real reason he was needed was that they were short on manpower for the patrols at the moment. The kobold might be able to cover his tract, or perhaps a bit less if others could increase their patrols slightly. It's just crazy enough to work, he thought. And I like crazy enough to work.

But Avril had nearly vanished into the forest by this point, though she must have been walking rather slowly not to have done so already. Keimal called out, "Hold, oracle!" Avril hid the smile as she turned to the wood giant, who continued with a cross between a smile and a frown, "I believe I see the virtue of your words now. But the preparations for my leave will take a little time; meet me here tomorrow at daybreak and I will join you if I can."

 

She agreed with a murmur and walked some distance to find a place to bed down.

Pre-dawn rays filtered through the canopy. Avril dressed in her armor and waited for the giant to appear.

 

Keimal looked strangely at Avril as she laid down in the brush, but soon set about taking care of what he needed to do. With the dryad's permission and a few words from her to the the charmed kobold, he set off with the creature to find his people and introduce them to his temporary replacement.

When he returned to the dryad's tree at daybreak, Avril was still there, and Keimal shook his head again and mumbled, "Doesn't she have anything better to do?" Aloud, he said, "I am here, and ready to go. Where to now, seer?"

 

"Not far," she told him with a smile. "We are looking for a satyr, who should be reasonably close considering a lovely dryad resides in these woods. I feel going south is the proper direction to find him."

 

Burkey was merrily wending his way through the woods. It was early in the day but actually he had been up all night. There had been a fun get together the day before with some nymphs and centaurs that had lasted all night.

He was feeling restless and decided he might visit that friendly dryad he had met in the woods a little northward. Dryads being rather bound to their trees didn't get out much and enjoyed a friendly visit. He even had two bottles of very nice 12 yr old wine stashed away in his backpack.

He hummed a happy little tune then pulled out his pipes and began to play a 'I am friend to all and all love me' tune as he trotted along. Some song birds flew along with him for awhile adding their own song to his. He was as carefree and happy as any satyr could be.

 

The giant loomed over her as she lead him to the area of her sleep vision. Keeping one step ahead of a questioner would prove difficult, considering her visions came only when they felt like it.

A loud, but on key voice sang through the air, rifling the tiny leaves of the trees. Avril bit back a smug grin, saying, "There is the one we seek, my friend." She went ahead and stepped out from behind a thicket. The satyr sang at the top of his lungs, skipping along the soft grasses. Avril went still and felt a momentary tug at her heart. Her breathy sigh caused the satyr to turn towards her.

 

Burkey heard a sigh and turned, then stopped transfixed. "Oh, glorious vision of lovelyness have you sprung from my dreams or are you real?"

He began to prance towards the vision his eyes glittering with desire.

 

...And was stopped by a giant palm on his forehead.

"This is our next addition for your quest?" Keimal asked, disbelieving. "Of what use could this flighty satyr be to you?"

 

"Besides the obvious?" Avril retorted and winked at the satyr. "The gods have not given me insight as to *why* I should seek out five strangers, only that I *must*. Forgive me for not saying straight-forward what you wish to know. The why may become clearer when I have gathered everyone necessary."

She nodded and introduced herself. "I am called Avril, good sir, an oracle and I am on a quest. I saw you in a vision while I slept last eve and know with certainty that you must journey with us.

 

"Must, my Lady? It would be my joy and pleasure to accompany you. In fact just try and keep me from following you." Stepping back from the very large hand Burkey leered at Avril. Bowing, "My lady, I am Burkey, singer of songs and drinker of wines. I also have a few other little talents I'd be glad to show you."

 

"Handsome satyr, you make me blush," she replied saucily. An image flashed in her mind of a small creature fleeing towards her. She touched her forehead and whispered harshly, "Another is coming...from further south. He or she's running and frightened. We should go to him or her." Avril beckoned the pair of males to follow her lead as she showed them the way to their next companion.

 

<Oh ****, oh ****, I'm going to die> was the principle thought going through Zed's mind as he flew though the forest. He wasn't looking where he was going just trying to get away from his cousin. Why oh why had he listened to his sister telling him a stink bug in his bed would be funny. He flew round a tree and straight into a chest of something he started whining immediately "Don't hurt me, please don't hurt me" while thinking <Oh ****, oh ****, I'm going to die>.

He managed to land and found he'd crashed into some sort of giant and started complaining "Why are you just standing there? I could have hurt myself"

 

"Oh, don't tell me. This is another one of 'desparately needed companions'?" Keimal asked, rolling his eyes. Grumbling under his breath, he muttered, "Looks like I'm going to have to do everything."

 

"Yes, he is," she stated and turned to face the giant. "You had best remember that the gods are fickle with their favors, not to mention healers." She gave Keimal her back and gentled her tone as she spoke to the little Fremlin.

"Hello there. I am Avril. The giant is Keimal and the handsome fellow is Burkey. What has you in such a frenzy, dear?"

 

"Um, um well it all started with my sister thinking it would be ... but you probably don't want to hear that. Am I in trouble or something cos if not I really have to be going ... um somewhere, I'm sure I should be somewhere else" While he spoke Zed was looking every way he could to see which was going to be the quickest and easiest way out of here.