Chapter 5 - The Search for Cadogan

[Black Plauge]

Smoke still rises from a rectangular pile of wood about half a mile outside the west gate of Krakas, though it has begun to thin and no longer carries the heavy stench it did earlier. The scent still lingers though, the faint wisp of burning flesh and hair.

Beside the pile of burning logs stands a solitary figure, head covered and bent down. Periodically the figure trembles almost as if with cold. Those who get close enough though can hear the sounds of sobbing making it obvious that cold is not the reason the figure trembles.


As the fire begins to die, Blarth raises his head and pushes back his hood. Looking about him, he tries to decide what to do next.

[Gralhruk]

A lone figure slides through the scrub on the wooded hillside, so unobtrusive and silent that even the squirrels do not flee her approach. Reaching a suitable vantage point, she stops and one leather wrapped arm reaches up to move a slim branch out of her line of sight. Somewhat far below the cloaked figure raises it's arms and a face appears as the half-orc lowers his hood and looks around.

Wrinkles appear at the edges of her grey eyes, though the lower half of her face is concealed by a midnight blue veil. She could smell charred flesh and she wondered who he was cremating. Not that it mattered.

Cadrius and Nicos were on the other side of the ridge waiting for her to scout out the source of the smoke; well, that was where she'd left them anyway. They may not have stayed there, knowing them. Either way, she had found out all she needed to know and now they could get on with this business of finding Cadogan. She turns to head back and after two steps she stops short as her vision blurs and her head suddenly aches. She presses her palms against her temples to dull the pain and squeezes her eyes shut - when she opens them again it is there. Like the afterimage of sun spots, a blood red hooded figure stands before her for a split second and then is gone.

Paladin.

She had pushed him and that damnable vision from her mind, but that poor sot standing so forlorn down there brought it all back. She looks down at Blarth and then her eyes tighten and she turns away, back toward Cadrius and Nicos.

Damn them both.

Once again, she only takes two steps before halting and looking down at the half-orc. Perhaps there was a way to rid herself of both of them. This fool was enamored with his friend Paladin, why not let him rescue the arrogant warrior? Pulling her veil down, she threads her way towards Blarth, forsaking all efforts at concealment. He looks up as she nears him, apparently having heard her approach. She smiles and raises one arm in greeting.

"Hello . . . Blarth, isn't it?"

He nods and she walks over, ignoring the painfully obvious funeral in progress. She made it a point not to delve too deeply into other people's business.

"Listen, I have some information on your friend Paladin you might be interested in. I think he needs your help - he sent me some sort of magical message, saying to investigate the Blood Magi on the west coast and break some sort of curse."

Blarth only looks more forlorn, clearly having no idea what she is talking about or how to go about finding his friend. He looks back to the pyre as she turns to leave once more. Well, she'd tried. A gust of wind brings smoke and the scent of charred flesh to her, along with the ghost of a dead aristocrat. Guilt swirls inside her like ashes on a hot wind and her feet drag as though weighted with lead.

I'm going to regret this.

A dozen paces away, she stops and turns toward him. He is still staring into the flames, lost in thought. She clears her throat.

"Look, I'm headed west anyway to find the wizard Cadogan. If you want to come along, maybe he knows something about these Blood Magi."

[Black Plauge]

Unsure of what else to do, Blarth grabs the bag of armor at his side and follows Shade away from the remants of the funeral pyre.

I don't know what else to do. I need to fulfill my brother's wishes, but I don't know where to find the men. Also if Sir Paladin is in trouble I should help him, he help me find my brother. May Gruumsh guide my steps so that in time all will be fulfilled.

[Cadrius]

Cadrius shifts from his left foot to his right causing his newly acquired armor to grate slightly. It feels good to be wearing steel again. He can hardly believe how easily they had escaped. The rats Nicos spoke of had failed to materialize, but he had seen more than one very large looking nest. He's unwilling to question his luck and is simply glad to be armed.

His sword, once broken, has been restored to its previous caliber. The blacksmith had truly done a remarkable job with both the blade and the suit of armor. The first thing he did when they left town was to test the weight and balance of his hand-and-a-half sword. It fit his grip and after a few practice swings the fallen paladin could not tell the difference between the old blade and the new.

The armor was also well made, perhaps not like the blade, but well enough. The metal plates shine slightly in the afternoon light. His stomach rumbles, reminding him that they had not yet eaten. Pulling a wedge of cheese and a piece of semi-stale bread from his backpack, Cadrius slices a thin piece and offers it to Nicos.

"Eat, if you feel you can," he says, "I do not think we will get much rest until we put a fair distance between us and the town."

Turning back to the ridge before them, Cadrius clenches his jaw. Shade had forced them to stay behind, claiming they'd create enough racket to wake the dead. After glancing at the bard, Cadrius realized he would be making the majority of the commotion.

If there is trouble he knows Shade can handle herself, in this terrain she could likely do it better than he. Still, the rising smoke sets him ill at ease. There's too much for it to be from a camp, but perhaps it's a bondfire. As to why they would be building it escapes him.

What else could it be? he wonders, Did a hut catch fire? Perhaps. What else? A funeral pyre? Maybe, but who would be burning a body in the woods? No, it is likely a bondfire. It must be close to the late autumn festival, if they have such things here.

[Gralhruk]

By the time the crest the ridge, Shade is beginning to have second thoughts about her decision. For one thing, the half-orc made an ungodly amount of noise lugging around that sack full of what could only be armor.

Why doesn't he just wear it?

Nicos and Cadrius hear them coming and both have weapons drawn when Shade steps into the clearing, irritibly waving their weapons down.

"It's just me. The fire was because of Blarth here -"

She jerks her head at the half-orc who is just now breaking free of the forest.

"- and I asked him to come along with us. I'll explain it some other time. Let's get the hell away from this place."

[Cadrius]

"What's that noise," Cadrius says more than asks Nicos. There is a slight scraping as he draws his hand-and-a-half sword from its sheath while unslinging his shield with the other.

Is she in danger? He asks himself, wondering for the first time if the fire had been some sort of trap designed to snare those foolish enough to investigate it. A slight chill runs through him as he remembers the ambush set by the gnolls. A woman screams and I rush in as blind as the mage.

Slipping his forearm through the leather loops, he firmly sets himself between the bard and the noise, keeping his shield in front of him and his sword raised to one side.

Yet his preparation turns to be unnecessary as Shade emerges from the forest, seeming to simply melt from the brush and into the clearing. She seems impatient, perhaps it is simply the eagerness to be away from Karkas.

He tilts his head slightly at the appearance of Blarth, but nods once, accepting him. He sheaths the bastard sword and sweeps one mailed arm outward, gesturing for Shade to lead the way.

[Black Plauge]

The armor on Blarth's back makes quite a bit of noise as he trudges after the woman, only half paying attention to what he is doing. His mind wanders back to the funeral pyre and then further back to the life he and Trak had shared. For as long as he could remeber Trak had been both bully and protector. A guardian from the outside world who extracted a price for his services. No matter what though, Blarth had loved his brother and his loss weighed heavily on his mind.

Blarth is so absorbed in his melancholy thoughts that he barely notices that the woman has stopped in front of him until he practically steps on her.

Her name is Shade. Blarth reminds himself as he mentally scolds himself for not paying more attention, Trak would have never tolerated this kind of distractedness.

His head hung low he only half hears what Shade tells the others and doesn't even spare an iquisitive glance up to see who they are.

[itches]

Looking steadily at the half-orc, Nicos keeps his swords out, not defisivly, but ready to bring it that way in a moments notice.

"What were you burning?"

I know that smell all too well ...

[Gralhruk]

She is already a few steps away, but her back stiffens at Nicos' question and she half turns in his direction. Her eyes flash above the dark veil and her voice snaps out like a whip.

"Later. I'll explain it later."

Blarth probably wasn't in any mood to answer questions and she doesn't want anything to disturb her poorly conceived half-plan. On top of that, she wanted to be as far from this town as time and sweat would allow. She stops short of saying anything else, hoping that nobody else questions the situation. The sinking feeling in her stomach, though, tells her that hope is probably futile.

[itches]

Nicos continues to talk in an almost conversational tone, still looking at Blarth.

"A few years ago, I spent some time in ... some tunnels. During my stay there, a fire broke out, and spread quickly. More then a few people were burned to death in that blaze. It was that fire that caused me to loose -"
Cutting himself off, Nicos grits his teeth.

"The smell of burning flesh isn't one you can forget easily. I took me a while to work out what that smoke smelt of, but it finally came to me."

Flicking his eyes to the other, Nicos repeats his question.

"What were you burning?"

[Black Plauge]

When Nicos repeats his question, Blarth looks up at him with an empty stare.

Akward minutes pass as Blarth stares at Nicos, saying nothing.

[Gralhruk]

"Yes, it is a distinctive smell. Your question doesn't really require an answer, then, does it?"

Doesn't look like you're going to get one in any case.

She holds the bard's gaze, waiting to see what he will do.

[Cadrius]

Moving behind the woman and standing well above her shoulder Cadrius interrupts the two, saying, "We can discuss this later. The more distance we put between us and the town the better I will feel."

As if emphasizing his point the fallen paladin shifts his gray-blue eyes back in the direction of Karkas before returning them to the group.

[itches]

Gritting his teeth Nicos looks at the other arrayed in frount of him.

Calm down you fool. They haven’t done anything wrong, he was only ... AREYG

Angrily shoving his sword back into its scabbard, Nicos pushes ahead of the others leading the way away from the border town.

Just don't think about it. Just don't think about it. Just don't think ...

[Gralhruk]

Shade's eyes narrow as she watches Nicos storm off, wondering what could be irritating the normally calm bard. She glances once at Cadrius and shrugs before following him into the wood.

Behind her, predictably, she can hear the clanks and cracks as Blarth and Cadrius make their way through the undergrowth. Other than the noise, there wasn't much in the way of chatter, everyone seeming occupied with their own thoughts.

Shade's were concerned mostly with the immediate past and the immediate future. Laronar, the elf, would be around here somewhere. He had a decent start on them, and was travelling alone. She wonders if they would be able to catch up to him even if they found his trail.

Not like this.

The road would be their best bet, although they needed to get away from the town before they attempted it. Doubtless they would be sending out patrols.

[itches]

It doesn't take long for shade to catch up to the slightly calmer bard. Walking along together, it takes Nicos a few moments to break the silence.

"I assume we are going after the wizard Cadogan. I was slightly out of it when he was taken. Do you know where he is?"

[Gralhruk]

She pauses to adjust the straps of her pack, her mind going back to the strange abduction of Cadogan. When she replies, her face is thoughtful.

"His captors said they'd be at a place called the Citadel, two days northwest of here, in the wastelands. It should be easy enough to find. If it's there."

She gives the bard a meaningful look; up until now she had assumed he knew something of these wizards and this place they had spoken of. Her pace, which had slowed, stops completely. Her eyes scan the northwest, even though it is impossible to see anything through the dense wood they were in.

"Either they mean him no harm or they are deliberately misleading us. I'm not the trusting type; have you ever heard of this place?"

[itches]

Turning to face Shade, Nicos makes a vague gesture in the direction.

"Tales, nothing more. In fact tales I never attributed any truth to. There is supposed to be a safe house in the wastelands. A place where practitioners of magic can hide, and be safe - as well teach each other and share knowledge."

Shaking his heads and looking behind the woman to where Blarth and Cadirus were approaching.

"I had always though tit just a legend. Wishful thinking on the part of those who practice the arcane arts."

[Cadrius]

Cadrius' eyes narrow, watching the bard stomps off, twigs cracking and snapping in the cool, autumn air. There are quite a few evergreens present, but brilliant shades of yellow, orange, and red can be seen where they do not hold sway. The leaves rustle slightly as a light breeze picks up.

He looks at Shade, shrugging at Nicos' actions before returning his eyes to the foliage.

"It is really quite beautiful," he says quietly but she's already gone, her form fast disappearing into the woods. Blarth, the half-orc, seems oblivious of both his surroundings and his company.

"Look lively, sir," he says, placing one mailed hand on Blarth's shoulder, before turning and following after Shade.

Perhaps I should have been a bard, he daydreams. Singing, telling epic tales of heroism and loss, making people laugh, making ladies swoon.

Another life, perhaps, he thinks, Things would be very different now. Better, perhaps. No, not for the better. I would look damn foolish in tights, he smiles wryly.

His alertness snaps back into him as he comes across the two, standing in the middle of the woods. He tenses before his eyes tell him that the two are not about to come to blows and the matter, whatever it was, has been resolved. Relaxing somewhat he approaches to two, catching only the last bit of their conversation.

"Wishful thinking? Are you speaking of this...place where Cadogan is being held prisoner? How many days travel do we have?"

[SponkleofInfini]

"Two..."

Before you, behind the thick trunk of an ancient tree you hear the familair voice of Laronar, although it is not in the most welcoming of tones.

"I thought I could smell you...it is very distinctive, you both reek of it, quite revolting. But I am forgetting Nicos aren't I...don't worry, you smell aswell."

You hear snickering from behind the tree, although, he has not revealed himself yet.

"Don't tell me...you now find it convinient to help me find Cadogan. How gracious of you all...how very gracious!!"

The tone in the elf's voice has turned from sarcastic to outright disdain. The form of the elf slowly edges out from the behind the tree, leaning upon it heavilly, moving rather slugishly. As a wind picks up, Laronars long silver hair flows over his shoulders, patches of blood are dotted about the areas of hair which can now be seen.

[Gralhruk]

"Two . . ."

The word still hangs in the air as Shade spins toward it's source, her hands reflexively dropping to the hilts of her weapons. Before the sound dies she recognizes Laronar's voice, and she listens to his mocking tones in silence until her reveals himself.

"My own plans have never been any different but I move in my own time, not yours. Gracious indeed; you lack the grace and wit to discern anything beyond yourself."

She purposely shifts her eyes to his bloodstained scalp for a moment before meeting his gaze once again.

"You seem to be having difficulty on your own. If you can swallow some of that pride, you might want to accompany us. If you can stand the smell, that is."

[SponkleofInfini]

"You're still armed with that forked tongue I see, a formidable weapon...none could withstand, but my mind has always been on Cadogan, do not mistake that."

Laronar winces as he relies more on the tree to remain standing.

"Your time!! YOUR TIME!! It may be to late by the time you deem it fit to pursue a course of action. If I had not been waylaid...your time..."

Laronar drops to his knees, spitting at Shades feet in disgust. A small line of blood runs down his chin from the corner of his mouth. As Laronar turns onto his side to better support himself you can see the true extent of his injuries. They look serious, from the large blood stain upon his upper back, although the wound, which has two arrows jutting out is covered by his earthen green cloak.

"Swallow my pride you say....you mean like him, follow you like a puppy wanting to please its master?"

Laronar's gaze turning upon Nicos.

[Gralhruk]

"Pride: it will not feed or clothe you, nor will it keep you safe."

Her eyes do not soften as the man drops to his knees, nor do they harden as he spits at her feet. He was gravely wounded; how typically arrogant for him to lash out at the very people that might help him. She had seen Nicos heal, and she wonders if Laronar's tirade will affect the bard's decision - to rescue Cadogan or to help Laronar.

"I have my own reasons for my actions, and I ask nobody to follow me."

She pauses, grey eyes unscrutable.

"If you are truly concerned about Cadogan, you should consider my offer."

[SponkleofInfini]

"Errgh."

Before Laronar can respond to Shade's statements he collapses into unconsciousness. Sliding off the trunk of the tree, onto the ground. Blood continues to seep through the back of the cloak, however Laronar is still breathing.

[Black Plauge]

Although the conversation going on around him passes Blarth by, leaving him in his mournful thoughts, the sight of Laronar slummping over unconcious does not.

"NO! Two deaths in one day is too much," Blarth shouts in anguish as he moves to Laronar's side, dropping the sack of armor as he does so. Throwing back the blood stained cloak, Blarth recklessly grabs and pulls the two arrows out of Laronar's back, doing more damage as he does so.

What Blarth does next though suprises everyone.

Pulling up his shirt sleeve, Blarth exposes one of the tattoos on his arm. Placing it next to Laronar's wounded back, the tattoo seems to move. At first it appears to be just a trick of the light, but then its movement becomes completely apparent as the tattoo transfers itself from Blarth's arm to Laronar's back. Once the transfer is complete, Blarth touches the tattoo with his and and closes his eyes in concentration. Before everyone's eyes the tattoo begins to fade and as it does so the wound on Laronar's back begins to heal. When the tattoo is gone the ugly ripped flesh has been replaced by new tender skin.

[Cadrius]

Cadrius' jaw clenches as the elven tirade begins. His shield rests easily over his lef hip, obscuring the hand gripping the hilt of his sword. Everything about him cries readiness. They have little time to meander about the woods of Karkas and none to banter wicked words with an elf.

Yet there's something wrong about him, something odd. Cadrius can just barely make out the dashes of red on the elf's face. His gait is a little too wide and his reflexes a little too dull. Clearly he's seen combat, but how much is unknown to Cadrius.

The fast collapsing elf, gives Cadrius his answer. He looks over at Shade, seeking a decision to help or leave the trouble-maker where he lies. But the decision is taken out of his hands by Blarth, who finally seems to become aware of his surroundings.

"NO! Two deaths in one day is too much."

Cadrius is surprised by the half-orc's actions, but does nothing to restrain him. The fallen paladin has little time for petty disputes, but he has little interest in unnecessary death. For a moment he wonders if other of his kind do.

"Well?" He asks, "Now what are we to do? I cannot carry him and he does not look fit to travel. We could leave him, obscured from any beasts or bandits."

[SponkleofInfini]

"You...shall...do no...such......thing!!"

Exclaims Laronar is a forced voice. Although some fo the damage has been healed, he is far from fit, laying face down in the shrubbery.

"My injuries came...not from...the first encounter...the Orcish tribe...responsible for....the failed...assault....on Karkas...thanks to Cadogan and myself. The....remainder of....the tribe....reside....in...these woods. I tried...but...I encount..ered...more....th..en expected. From...bell.......ow."

Laronar once again slips into unconsciousness, his speech proving to taxing. However, from Blarth's aid, Laronar looks to have stabilised somewhat, his injuries, nothing more then some rest could deal with.

[Cadrius]

Cadrius keeps his back to the elf during his struggle to speak. As Laronar collapses again, Cadrius sighs and looks at Shade. Folding his steel-clad arms over his similarly armored chest he looks first at her and then at Blarth and Nicos.

"He makes many demands for one who cannot stand on his own. We are to waste time creating a litter, a commodity that was so precious to him before. If he was truly concerned with Cadogan's safety he would not slow us down further."

It's the most Cadrius has said in hours. It feels like venting, but there's a ring of truth to it. While the elf had not made a favorable impression upon the Fallen Paladin, it would only hinder their already slow progress. Still, even if he was on the mend due to Blarth's efforts, the woods would not be safe, even for someone from a race that seems so at home in it.

His gaze returns to Shade. He trusts her decision, she's more pragmatic than he is when it comes to issues of life and death.

"However, if we are to take him with us, it will likely be my muscle doing it-" he looks at Blarth "- and I cannot guarantee a quick pace. If leaving him here is unacceptable, I will pull him, but I will need time to assemble a litter."

[Gralhruk]

Is there no end to male idiocy?

So he and Cadogan stir up an orc nest, cause an earthquake, and leave the whole mess unfinished. Cadogan is abducted and Laronar is left with more than he can handle. Or maybe they'd been over their heads from the start.

Not a terribly fair assessment, but it's what comes to her mind. Her gut reaction is to leave the arrogant fool where he is and let him reap the benefits of the crop he has so carelessly sown. Beneath the anger, though, she knows that her attitude is overly harsh.

Had she any healing draught available she'd force it down his throat, but she has none. Nicos has remained silent throughout the exchange and now she looks to him. He'd healed Maeko, after all; perhaps he could do the same here. Still, she'd be damned before she let Laronar think she did it out of any kindness.

"We need to move, and quickly. I'd leave him here but no doubt he'll be found, and finding him will mean finding us. Can you do for him what you did for Maeko? Make him fit enough to travel?"

[itches]

"I don't know," Nicos says after a moment of looking down at the elf. "I could make an effort, but it would be taxing on both myself and our time."

Glancing back in the direction of the town, and then up at Cadirus the bard continues.

"No doubt they have trackers after us, and we don't know how close behind. If we move him just off the road into a sheltered spot, he should be fine, and those who follow should find him. Also it will gain us a greater lead as they tend to him."

[Black Plauge]

While the others argue over what to do with Laronar, Blarth rolls up his other sleeve and procedes to transfer another tattoo to Laronar's body. This tattoo also fades and as it does the skin around the wound begins to loose some of its pinkish cast and take on a more healthy hue.

"We shall not leave him here." Blarth states emphatically.

[Gralhruk]

Shade eyes the half-orc studiously for a long moment. On the surface he seemed rather brutish, though probably the least imposing brute she had never met. There was definitely more to him than she had previously guessed. Laronar stirs, looking considerably better than he had a few moments ago.

"That should solve the physical problem. I'm in no mood to argue: we're going after Cadogan - are you coming, or not?"

[SponkleofInfini]

"I doubt I have the will to argue with you any longer."

Says Laronar as he stirs, he looks at Shade quite defeated.

"I shall go with you..."

Laronar returns to his feat, stretching his arms, leaning on the tree for support, more out of habbit rather then injury now.

"We cannot take the direct route through the woods I am affraid. The Orcs I have mentioned patrol the area regularly, and from what I have seen there are many and they're organised."

Laronar pauses briefly before continuing, he is unsure of the group, their abilities, however if they're to risk the quicker route, they may not leave the forrest alive.

"I suggest we edge out to the north east, the patrols aren't as frequent to the eastern parts of the woods."

Laronar shifts nervously after speaking, they're strangers, and not the most firendly of audiences after his prior actions recently.

[Gralhruk]

So it is that an unlikely group of adventurers spends the rest of the day marching northeast - in the end, they decided to skirt the orcs - somewhat more boring than it had started for most of them. There are times, however, when boredom is preferable to excitement. As it happens, this was one of those times.

The setting sun is invisible beneath the thick canopy of tall ironwoods; for those in the wood, darkness is already arrived. They push on until the humans are stumbling in the dark and even the stoutest among them are ready for rest. They camp in the lee of a small rise, sheltered from the west wind and well defensible. Laronar's tales of orcs make a fire seem less than wise, so two hasty shelters are constructed from the dead wood and leafy branches that abound in the area.

The evening meal is small and the group chews in silence for a short while, perhaps sizing one another up, perhaps thinking on the events of this day, or perhaps thinking about things to come.

Shade takes a moment to consider her companions, each in turn, wondering how she has managed to get involved once again. Cadrius was here because she'd helped him escape, and he hadn't had time to consider anything else; she tried not to think about what he'd do when he had some time to ponder his options. Nicos claimed to be along because he smelled a story; it seemed unlikely. Then again, she didn't know him very well - perhaps his motives were as he said, perhaps not. Laronar claimed to be along to rescue Cadogan, and him she believed. He didn't seem particularly good at hiding his feelings. Blarth she had convinced to join them, hoping to rid herself of the chore of rescuing Paladin - that is, if that message was truly from him and he really needed rescuing.

Like others she'd been around they had their strengths and their weaknesses. Like as not, those would be tested on this journey. She already had a bad feeling about it.

[Black Plauge]

As the party pushes on, Blarth's movements become almost mechanical, as if his mind was not really directing his body. Even when the party elects to stop for the night, Blarth seems only vaugly present. He doesn't help make the shelters, nor partake in the evening meal. Instead he sits himself down on the top of the rise and stares out at the forest in front of him. He seems lost in thought, and any attempts to interact with him are met without acknoledgement.

As the others bed down, Blarth continues his lonesome vigil. A solitary figure outlined against the night sky.

[SponkleofInfini]

Laronar makes his way to Blarths side, as he sits, gazing upon the forest. Laronar bows his head, as if reluctant to speak.

"I have not had a chance to thank you for helping me earlier. I may have well died today if it wasn't for your intervention..."

Laronar shifts unneasily to face Blarth, his eyes meeting Blarth's mid region before shifting to look upon his face.

"Why...did you help me?"

[itches]

As the camp is set, and the evening meal is eaten, Nicos sings softly to himself. His words barely able to be heard by the others sharing the camp, those who focus are able to tell it is a ballad depicting the tale of Tarinis and Garthinia.

Tarinis is a simple shepherd-boy, who one night while out guarding the flock of sheep under his protection, he caught sight on the celestial Garthinia bathing in a moonlit stream. Stunned by the sight of her unearthly beauty he could but gaze at her. Alerted by some sense that she was being observed, she turned and gazed upon the simple shepherd boy.

Instantly the shepherd boy fell in love with the heavenly lady, but Garthinia knew better then to give the longing of her heart any credence. She was betrothed to a mighty lord, who jealously guarded her visage from others, so that only he might cast his view upon it.

Fleeing upon a dancing moon-ray, she hoped that the boy of a simple life would forget about her - but this was not to be. Inspired by his one glimpse of her, Tarinis left behind his simple and safe lift, beginning a great quest for his mysterious love.


Long before the boy began to draw close to the knowledge of whom it was that he gazed upon, he came to the attention of Garthinia's betrothed. Great was his wrath, that some mortal dared to lay eyes upon that which he had claimed as his, and his alone. Sending out assassins, and those creatures that he controlled, the lord was determined to destroy the boy.

Time and time again, the lord attempted to slay him, his determination an equal for that of the love-stricken Tarinis. Time and time again, Tarinis avoided death through a mixture of courage, wits, and what seemed to be luck.

But all was not what it seemed. Struck with guilt that a boy should die because he merely caught a glimpse of her, Garthinia departed in secret, and unbeknownst to all involved The lady took to guarding Tarinis' steps when-ever she could. Sending him dreams filled with foreboding before her lord's assassins struck, and other small actions.

Slowly the continued struggles, and his own pure heart, forged Tarinis from the simple boy who first set out - into a mighty hero. Travelling always, he sought out news of his love with a fever that never dimmed, doing much good along the way.

One night while looking over the sleeping visage of the man, who was once a simple boy who gazed upon a goddess, Garthinia released that she no-longer looked over Tarinis due to a feeling of responsibility. During the countless nights she had watched over him, she had started to return his affections. His never-ending love sparked a like feeling in her heart.

Then Garthinia knew despair. Her love was not something she could freely give. Her betrothed was a mighty and tyrannical lord. To him she had given her pledge, and she was bound by it to him. There was only hope for the pair- and it was a dim and desperate one.

The years past and Tarinis continued to quest for his love, gaining in stature still. One fateful day he finally found the knowledge that he sought about the radiant being he had glimpsed long ago. She was the heavenly-lady Garthinia; and she was the bride of a devious and mighty celestial lord who held her in his jealous grasp.

If he was to set her free from her enslavement, and allow their love to be, he will have to find a way to challenge and defeat a god.

Halting his quiet singing, Nicos looks over to his companions.

”Who has first watch tonight?”

[Gralhruk]

The music is pleasant and relaxing, but Shade is neither pleased nor relaxed. The corners of her eyes tighten, just as her stomach does, and she stops chewing. She didn't have time for romantic fantasies; neither did those who traveled with her - hadn't that been proven only recently? She rises stiffly when he is finished, her eyes sweeping over Cadrius once.

"I'll take it. Who wants the second watch?"

She flips her cloak back and adjusts her weapons belt with a wrench as she waits for a response. Loosening her swords in their scabbards she strides outside their little circle, skirts the low hill and disappears into the wood.

[Black Plauge]

At first, Blarth doesn't even acknowledge Laronar's presence. He just sits there staring at the horizon. Silent seconds turn to minutes as Laronar waits for an answer. Finally, just as Laronar is about to get up and leave a small voice eminates from Blarth's throat.

"I'm sorry if my aid troubled you. I know I should not use the Mind Markings on the unawakened, but after watching my brother die today with the means to save him at my disposal, I could not bear to let that happen again. I swear, by the eye that your deity took from mine, that it will not happen again."

Blarth's voice breaks as he finishes, he is clearly on the verge of tears.

[SponkleofInfini]

Laronar nods and leaves the half-orc be, Laronar did not wish to upset Blarth and anymore then he had already done so. Hearing Shades offer at watch during Blarth's, Laronar returns to offer his services for the one after but she has dissappeared. Notifying the others of his intent Laronar begins to rest.

[Gralhruk]

The darkness of the trees swallows her and she pauses to let her eyes adjust. Behind her, she can hear Laronar announce his intent to take the next watch. It meant she would need to wake him.

Did he do that on purpose?

Probably. Most likely he wanted another chance to argue with her.

Whatever suits him.

The wind had picked up, making the treetops dance. Her cloak swirls and one hand darts out, grabbing the edge and pulling it around her. She buttons it down and adjusts her veil before starting a quick circuit of their site.

[itches]

"I'll take dawn watch them, if no one objects."

Pulling out his bedding, and peeling off his boots, Nicos attempts to find a comfortable position.

[Cadrius]

Cadrius remains quiet as he hauls pieces for the makeshift shelters. Rarely talkative, particularly around those he does not know, the fallen paladin keeps to himself. Occasionally he asks a question of Shade with regard to the camp. All squires receive basic wilderness survival, but she's had far more experience in the wild. He would have selected the same location for its defensive capabilities, and likewise would not have made a fire as common sense would dictate, but the shelters were beyond his ken.

As they eat, Cadrius slowly unbuckles and removes his armor. Piece by piece, strap by strap, he removes the steel shell. He rolls up the sleeve of his shirt, revealing part of an ugly, purple bruise on his shoulder. Wincing as if just noticing it, Cadrius works his arm in a slow circle, forcing it to move correctly. After a time he regains most of his mobility with it. The long hours stuck within his armor did not help matters.

However, despite his silence he is not oblivious to the outside world like their half-orc companion. He listens to the bard's tale as he stretches and works the rest of his muscles, all of which have been pushed to the point of exhaustion. From the brawl amidst the mob, to the escape through the sewers, and into the wilderness treck, Cadrius is tired.

He sits, back straight, pulling a rag from his backpack in one hand and continues to listen to the story. Eyes never leaving his armor, Cadrius polishes while Nicos spins his tale of lost love. Starting with the vambraces, and working his way across the greaves, breastplate, and gorget, the already bright plates now seem to take on a light of their own.

As the bard finishes, Cadrius at last looks up and his gaze is distant when he asks, "I believe I have heard a tragedy like that, although the names were different. Yet what is the moral? Do not challenge the will of the gods? Or do not love what you cannot obtain? I wonder what the creator of the tale intended."

Once the watches are divided up Cadrius shakes his head at the bard.

"I will take the last watch, or at least share it if you will not rest."

He watches Shade meld into the shadows, but does not have the energy to make certain she did not suffer any wounds during the day. His eyes are too heavy to remain open. At last succumbing to weariness, Cadrius lays upon his bedroll, and drifts down into darkness, trusting to Shade and later Laronar to watch over them.

[Gralhruk]

Shade completes her circuit of the camp, finding nothing unusual and starts her watch in earnest. For a while, she spends more time gazing at those in camp than the forest around her. Slowly, they each find a spot and begin their rest. All, that is, except for Blarth. Clearly he'd lost someone close to him. Beneath her callous exterior, in a place she didn't admit existed, she felt the half-orc's pain and loneliness. She pushed the feelings down deeper, buried them next to the multitude of their relatives, and tried not to think about them. There wasn't any room for those feelings, not if you wanted to live this kind of life and stay living.

She circles the camp at random intervals, practicing her stealth and choosing a few different watch points during her time. The moon is rising when she judges her time up. She is tired, muscle weary and slightly bruised from their episode but still awake. She creeps into camp; Laronar is in the reverie that passes for elven sleep. Reluctant to speak with him, she moves slowly. Cadrius is sprawled in the shelter she'd helped him build. He looks somehow different with his eyes closed, unarmored and unarmed. Stronger, somehow. Her hand reaches up and grasps the neck of her shirt, feeling the lump of a medallion beneath it.

She kneels beside him, studying his peaceful visage, so different than the consternation he normally wore. A slim hand reaches out and brushes a lock of dark hair away from those eyes; he stirs in his sleep and she hastily scrambles back a step, still crouched. His eyes open, piercingly blue, confused but alert and determined as well. She is caught off-guard, flustered. Pushing down her emotion she thinks quickly, and lies with the first thing that comes to mind.

"I thought I spotted something passing by. Get your sword and watch my back while I check it out."

[Cadrius]

Cadrius floats along in the darkness, his mind enveloped in the comforting dark. It's soothing, to be so surrounded while his tired body rests itself. So for a time, he is at peace, content to ride the currents of oblivion. No conscious thoughts pass here, he simply drifts.

Yet eventually he emerges from the shadow, taking a step into a bright meadow. The sunlight streams down, lighting the explosion of life present in the field. Long, gentle grasses spring up around dozens of species of flowers; roses, tulips, buttercups, even the frostwane, native to his homeland, resplendent with its delicate pale blue petals. Each flower pouring an separate fragrance into the air.

Birds fill the meadow with their songs, each one marking a territory or calling to a mate. They flit about, diving after chirping insects, or retrieving twigs to build a nest. It's a warm, late spirng day, and Cadrius feels alive. It's an unusual sensation for him, something that does not come over him often.

He turns around in a slow circle, stopping suddenly as he faces the direction that he had come from. The meadow suddenly ends, with a great wall of blackness. It hovers, not quite menacing, but it stands in sharp contrast to the field with its flowers and birds. By comparison it seem much less comforting than it was before.

"Cadrius."

The voice stops him from any further thought. He closes his eyes, and turns again, feeling the warmth of the sun shift from his back to his face. One eye opens, and then the other, his breath catching. She is here, yet unlike the nightmares he is usually plagued by, she isn't dying or betraying him in favor of his brother Ben.

Instead she wears a simple, yet elegant dress, cream in color. Jade earrings match her eyes, while honey-colored hair cascades around her shoulders, and around her neck is a locket. It is that which Cadrius focuses on the most. Trying to ignore her smile, or the way she tilts her head, or the aroma of her perfume.

"Well? Do you intend to stand there all day?" She says, her voice playful. A small basket is suddenly present in her hands and a blanket in the other.

Cadrius blinks and then looks down at himself. He's dressed well; soft riding boots, dark gray pants, and a blue tunic. Emblazoned on his left breast is his family's symbol, a hawk, wings spread, over a moon. On his right is the symbol of Heironeous, the lightning bolt held by a clenched fist.

"Come on then," she says, taking one of his hands, "we do not have much time. You must be back at the castle to meet the Baron in an hour."

Cadrius follows along numbly, caught in the thrall of the dream. As they approach a gently flowing brook she spreads the blanket out on the ground and sits. Offering a smile that would have normally dazzled him, she beings pulling food from the basket; bread, cheese, fruit, a bottle of wine, and more, creating a pleasant noontime feast.

"Sit down, Cadrius," she says, soothingly, reaching up and pulling on both his hands, "I honestly do not know what has got into today."

He sits, still caught within the dream's snare.

"Oh, these glasses are a little dirty. I'll wash them, be just a minute, love." She stands and briskly closes the distance to the stream.

Cadrius moves to slice the bread but recoils as soon as his hand touches the small knife. Something's wrong. He looks around them and sighs. The wall of blackness has moved. Once again it stands but a few feet behind him.

Turning from the stream, she begins walking back toward Cadrius, but a branch from a nearby bush catches on part of her dress, ripping a hole across the front of her stomach.

"Oh dear," she says, "I'll need to have Elayne fix that. Do you think this look is flattering on me?" She asks, giggling.

It is then, looking at the jagged rip, that Cadrius' mind finally begins to take hold. Past the torn cloth, there is a scar on her stomach, a neat two inch wide one.

He explodes into movement, leaping upward, sending the food and wine scattering. However one foot becomes entangled within the blanket and he falls backward, striking his head on a rock. Within an instant she is by his side.

"Are you all right?" She asks, brushing a lock of hair out of his face.

"No," he whispers, "anything but this."

"What?" She's confused, frightened. "How bad is it? Let me see."

He slowly, disengages his foot from the blanket, and with great effort pushes her away. He comes to his feet, arms and legs feeling heavier than if he had spent ten hours in the practice yard. Cadrius looks at her one last time, upset, on the verge of tears, but alive and he burns the image into his memory.

"I am sorry," he says, turning his back to her and facing the wall of shadow once more, "I am sorry I could not give you this."

He steps into the shadow

and

falls.

His eyes snap open, it's dark, less so than where he had just been, but dark all the same. A woman kneels by him and for a moment it's her. The same golden hair, only dulled by the lack of light, the same eyes, everything. Yet he blinks and it passes, the woman shifts into Shade.

"I thought I spotted something passing by. Get your sword and watch my back while I check it out."

Cadrius nods, grabbing the hilt of his sword he gets to his feet warily. If Shade suspected something was serious enough to wake him, it was likely dangerous. Holding the sword in both hands he nods to her, following as quickly and as quietly as he can.

[Gralhruk]

What was I thinking?

Shade pads off into the woods, Cadrius close behind her. He's unarmored and trying to be quiet but even so he's far from silent.

He's going to know something is up, you don't even have a weapon drawn.

Belatedly, she carefully draws her blades before turning to face him. At his glance she puts a finger to her lips. She points deeper into the wood and then mouths the words I'll be back. She slips off, leaving him standing on guard while she disappears into the now inky dark. Almost as soon as she is out of sight she sinks down, feeling the heat rising from her cheeks into the cool night air. She takes some deep breaths and waits while her heart settles.

After what seems like an appropriate amount of time, she returns to the spot where she'd left him. His breath is steaming in the moonlight, the muscles of his forearm rigid as he grips his blade. She shakes her head at his questioning look.

"Looks like I got you up for nothing. I think it was just a bear; whatever it was is gone now."

[itches]

Years of travelling through dangerous lands, less then reputable inns, and a health fear of angry fathers and Husbands had taught Nicos to sleep lightly when he was in an unsure environment.

From this shallow slumber the bard was woken by the sound of something moving heavily near the camp. Opening an eye to peer around, yet seeing nothing of immediate alarm, Nicos slowly sits up.

Well I don't think I’m hearing things, and I don't think that was a dream, so lets see what we can see.

Standing, and moving as stealthily as any thief - year of sneaking in and out of bedchambers unnoticed- he checks to see if any of his new companions were disturbed by the noise.

Well what do we have here, Both Shade and Cadirus are missing. Stealing a moment together in the starlight no doubt. Quite odd, I didn't think Cadirus was upto that sort of behaviour. It seems I have underestimated him. Still we can't leave the camp unguarded, I hate having to be the responsible one.

Finding a deep shadow in which to sit, The Bard patently watches the camp -awaiting the lovers' return.

[Cadrius]

The chill air washes over Cadrius as he does his best to creep along as stealthily as Shade. He fails at this, of course, but he is quieter than when fully armored. Breath turning to steam on contact with the air, he peers back and forth, the bastard sword held up in front of him. He's grateful for the waking. His body is still tired, but at least his mind is temporarily drawn away from the dream.

What frightens him the most is how real it felt. He can still feel the warmth from the sun, still hear the birds, and still smell her perfume. He's had dreams like that before, but never as strong. Most of all, he was frightened by how much he wanted to remain in that meadow.

I might have never awoke, he thinks, drawing to a halt as Shade sneaks off to get a better look at whatever it is that she's chasing. So wrapped up in his dream, he doesn't notice her lack of blades.

The next few minutes pass quietly with Cadrius straining his eyes, searching for danger. Yet he finds nothing, until a noise draws his full attention, muscles tense, and his hands grip the blade, ready for an orcish ambush, or worse.

Yet once again his vigil is for naught as Shade steps into the dim light.

"Perhaps it caught wind of our meal," he offers, speaking quietly, feeling as if a loud voice would violate the peace currently hanging over the woods.

Lowering the blade he turns and begins to walk back to camp, but after a couple paces he stops and turns back to the assassin, woodswoman, or whatever she is.

"I did not thank you for today," he says, the words feeling awkward, "you...did not have to do what you did. I...appreciate it. You and the others do not have to continue in my company. I will only endanger you all. Corrupt or not, word will spread to the other Temples. Things will get worse..."

Worse than being an escaped murderer from a border town? a dark part of his mind muses, Perhaps they will send the Trackers, but are you telling the truth or just trying to drive her off? Keep yourself safe, is what you're really worried about.

He looks away, into the woods, the trees twisted black shapes in the autumn night.

"I would not wish to see you harmed because of me," the words ring true in many ways, too many for his comfort.

[Gralhruk]

Shade frowns as Cadrius turns away from her, somehow wanting to say more. He doesn't give her the chance, though, and she's too proud to stop him. Yet her heart does not leap when he turns once more to face her. Deep down, she's afraid of what he might say, what he might think about her.

Would it matter if he knew the truth?

She shakes her head slowly as he offers to leave, and her face freezes at his final words. Did he care for her or despise her? She suddenly feels naked and she shivers. Moonlight through the trees casts dappled shadows across her face, highlights the silver line of the straight scar beneath her eyes. She tries but she can't keep the emotion out of her voice.

"Do you want me to go?"

[Cadrius]

"Do you want me to go?" The tone in her voice tears at him.

Do I? he wonders, uncertain as to what he truly meant.

When she shivers, Cadrius is suddenly reminded exactly how cold it has become at night. Perhaps dipping low enough for an early frost. In the distance an owl calls, Cadrius finds the haunting sound appropriate. Visions of his past dance before him; his brother, laughing, training with him, her, beautiful as the dawn, and Shade, rescuing him and the blind mage from capture. The three important people in his life, two dead and the other scarred. There were others, certainly, but none with quite the same lasting impact.

Turning back to Shade, he's grateful for the low visibility, it hides the pain on his face. He studies what he can see of her, what he cannot see he summons from his memory; gray eyes, the neat scar on her face, dark hair. They're drawn to each other like moths to a dark flame. Yet Cadrius wonders if their connection is only due to a desire for a shared misery. Perhaps she hasn't slain her brother and beloved, or three men in defense of another's honor, but she suffers all the same. Perhaps it's enough for a start.

"I have lost many that I have cared for," he says, beginning slowly, the words difficult to summon. And so he begins his tale, doing his best to tell it fairly; the love, the betrayal, the rage, the duel, the deaths, the flight. It is only through force of will that he prevents himself from beaking down. It is not a story that he has shared, and he does not tell it well. Fumbling words here and there, backtracking to add details, he does not speak like the bard he might have been in a different life.

Instead of coming to a definite conclusion, he merely trails off at the end of his story, when he ended up in the border town of Karkas. He kept his voice low so as to not draw attention, but once he stops speaking it feels like a great silence sweeps over the woods, as if even the trees had been listening. Cadrius lets Shade absorb the story for a few minutes before looking up at her dark form.

"After that I believe the question is not do I wish to you stay, but do you still want to?"

[Gralhruk]

She listens wordlessly to his story, hears the echoes of his pain. Those echoes resound within her, touching her own deep wounds. There is sometimes a sweetness to pain and so it is now, her aching soul finding a kindred spirit. Her hand reaches up to touch his rough cheek as a single tear slides from one of her grey eyes, frosty in the moonlight.

Instead of answering him she moves closer, arms sliding around his neck, and stands on her toes. Ignoring the chimes of the warning bells that ring in her head she listens to her heart, pulls him closer and their lips meet in the dark. Somewhere a moth makes a final, fated circuit before diving home into the flames.

[Cadrius]

He's surprised by her actions, at least consciously. After his tale he expected a wide variety of reactions; hatred, disgust, pity, anything but the single tear and the simple kiss. Cadrius almost pulls away in surprise, he's certainly strong enough to pry the lithe woman away. Yet the arms that initially move to restrain, merely embrace her. How long has it been since he was kissed? Years, years that seem like ages to the fallen paladin.

Confusion intermingled with the pain of telling his tale wash through him, but there's also another emotion; it's not happiness, he hasn't felt something like that in a long time, but somewher within the walls of his heart, a spark flickers into life. How long it will remain is unknown, but it's something. It reminds him of the man he used to be.

He knows this is wrong, that while part of him might want this, rationally it isn't a good idea. It certainly won't keep her safe from the dangers to come, nor will it make their present journey any easier. Yet none of these alarms are allowed to be acted upon. Instead he merely continues the embrace, pulling his head away at last and sharing warmth.

Looking down at the shadowy form in his arms Cadrius smiles, but it's tinged with sadness. Even now the bitterness and sorrow that stains his character creep back in. He wonders how long it will be until they are torn apart due to their pasts, or possibly their futures.

"Come, we must watch the camp and it sounds as if there will be many miles to travel tomorrow." He pulls away, reluctant but unwilling to become too ensnared within the moment.

The die is cast.

[Gralhruk]

Shade looks up into his eyes as Cadrius breaks their embrace. She can see the sadness that flickers there, at odds with his brave smile. She doesn't smile back, her eyes slowly turning inward, and she nods at his statement.

"You're right, we should go."

As they walk back to camp her thoughts are whirling with what just happened. Her long pent up emotion now swirls throughout her body like a windstorm. She wanted to say so much, to tell him that what happened wasn't his fault, to let him know that he was still the same person he'd been before that tragedy. She didn't know where to start, though, and he didn't give her the chance.

Her step slows imperceptibly as they walk. Maybe he hadn't given her the chance because he didn't want her opinion. Maybe he'd already made up his mind about who he was. Maybe he didn't want to hear what she'd have to say.

Like you?

She quickens her stride so that they enter the camp together; everything looked the same. Odd, because inside she felt like everything had changed.

"Laronar claimed the second watch, but you're up anyway . . . do you want me to wake him?"

[Black Plauge]

Atop the small rise near the campsite, a lonely vigil continues. To those with eyes to see and the will to do so, however, the nature of the vigil has changed. The quiet of the figure is now born of serenity, not sadness. Somewhere in the forest night, Blarth had found the strength to let his brother's death go. The feelings of loss remained, as they always would, but the pangs of guilt were gone. Like a fog they had lifted, revealing Blarth's true role in his brother's death, as comforter not killer. The fact that he had not saved his brother's life when he could have, was not a failing, but a strength. His brother knew the tribal law concerning the Mind Markings. To have used them on him would not only have been in violation of that law, but would also have stained his brother's honor. That would have been a fate far worse than death. A fate, for which his brother would have never forgiven him.

As it was, Blarth had tainted the honor of the elf in saving his life. The elf, however, was not of the tribe and did not seem to understand the offence Blarth had commited. It would be up to Blarth then, to redeem the elf's honor for him. How strange the world was, when an orc owed eren to an elf.

Down below, two figures make there way back to the camp. Above, however, Blarth continues his vigil, exploring his mind as his lerares had taught him.

[itches]

"Don't bother," Nicos speaks from the shadow in which he had hidden himself.

Rising he moves to stand before the newly returned pair, moving silently on bare feet.

"I'm awake now, so I might as well finish off the watch. You get some sleep."

Casting a knowing eye, on the pair, Nicos slowly forms a small knowing smirk.

"Next time the pair of you decide to sneak off for a midnight tryst, could you wake someone up to watch over the camp? If someone had happened upon it while you were out..."

Leaving the thought hanging, the bard looks at the couple.

[Cadrius]

Cadrius' face remains impassive despite the bard's jab. He hefts the bastard sword in one hand and speaks quietly. The blade flashes once as it passes through one of the few shafts of moonlight streaming into their little camp.

"If it was a tryst, I would not have needed this," he says, eyes narrowing as he sees the smirk and retort forming on Nicos' face. "Shade heard something, she decided to wake me, end of story." He is in little mood for further argument on this day. It had been long enough without the wounded elf demanding they take his unconscious form along.

The bard's remark does cause him to take in the camp though, eyes straining in the darkness. He counts the forms and comes up short.

"Where is the one that had taken to Paladin? Blarth," he says, suddenly remembering the conversation with the half-orc's brother. He looks again, double checking to make certain that the somber half-orc isn't curled up somewhere out of the way.

Turning to Shade he speaks again, his voice still hushed, "Let the elf take his watch, I have heard they do not need sleep like we do and I feel as if I just ran fifty leagues. There will be time to talk later."

The energy he had received from Shade begins to flag, leaving him more tired than when he had first stretched out upon his bedroll. He looks at her once more, attempting to say more with his eyes than he's willing to voice in front of the bard, before returning to his bedroll and carefully laying blade by his side. Within moments, he is asleep again, but for the first time since it all began, he is not tormented by his dreams.

[itches]

Nicos waves aside their plains again.

"I said I’d take next watch, I'm already awake."

Casting another knowing look at the two, Nicos retreats to his shady watch post, mutters just loud enough to be heard by those in the camp.

"You hear something approaching, so do you wake someone who can see at night? No. Do you wake someone who can move quietly? No. Could at least come up with a convincing lie."

[Gralhruk]

Shade's face darkens at the bard's accusation and she stares daggers at him while Cadrius responds. She recalls a time not very long ago at all when Itches had left his watch, left them unguarded - their words had been eerily similar to what Nicos said. Unsettled, she nods as Cadrius urges her to let Nicos take this watch. She catches his meaningful gaze and merely stares back, her gaze filled with things left unsaid.

He heads back to his shelter and the bard returns to his post. She looks up at the moon, her breath steaming, and she wonders what just happened. For a moment she enjoys the peace of the night and the beauty of the wilderness. When Nicos makes another comment, though, the moment shatters and her patience snaps.

"Indeed. Why wake the one person in this camp I can trust to watch my back?"

She turns her back on him and stalks past the twin shelters, settling in a small niche in the hillside about as far from the bard as she can be. She pulls her cloak about her and veils the lower half of her face. The chill was already seeping into her, but the confined space should trap some of her body heat. It would be enough.

[Gralhruk]

Between the cold and her churning emotions, she is a long time falling asleep. Indeed, she is still awake when Nicos finishes his watch and Laronar takes his place. Her body was tired but her mind was wide awake, a confusing swirl of wants and needs held in bitter check by reality and fear. Sometime during the elf's shift she dozes, shivering.

It seems she sleeps forever, though it is a dark slumber, feeling more like a struggle to escape the black than a peaceful rest. Before dawn has lightened the sky she wakes briefly, or perhaps it is only a dream. There is no light, an ebony so intense she thinks that perhaps she is blind. Gradually, she becomes aware of vague shapes around her and finally makes sense of those shapes. It is the campsite, but distorted and vague, as if she views it through an inky sea.

One shadow detaches itself from the negative world, and at first she assumes the indistinct form to be Cadrius. As it draws closer, though, it begins to become more detailed until it is real and actually bathed in it's own light. Gleaming blond hair frames a well chiseled face; a pointed ear pokes from beneath the falling mass, equisitely shaped. She judges him to be a half-elf, and exceedingly handsome at that. He is tall and lean, athletic and supple. The cold seems to emanate from him like a wave and she is engulfed as he closes the distance to in in two short strides. One well-shaped hand reaches out to caress her cheek. Unable to move, she watches with a mixture of horror and awe and as he touches her she shivers uncontrollably, the cold of his fingertips like razors on her skin and then the darkness drops once more.

****

Two hours later the first rays of light stab over the low rise. Shade's eyes snap open as dawn's fingers touch her; her teeth are chattering and she wills them to stop, hugging herself for warmth. After a few moments she is feeling good enough to stand and she does so, feeling suddenly dizzy, though the feeling quickly subsides. She surveys the camp, the others stirring as well, and notes nothing amiss.

What surprises will this day hold?

[Cadrius]

Cadrius wakes shortly before his watch and relieves Laronar early and passes his watch, contemplating the lands and stars. They seem particularly bright. But they always do, he reminds himself, when there is no light from the cities to block them.

Time rolls pleasantly by for the fallen paladin. The night air is cold, but the thick blanket keeps him warm. And so he spends the quiet hours before dawn, lost in thought, watching his breath create small puffs of steam.

The winter blanket and his own large body create a cocoon of warmth and so he sits, facing east, watching the first rays of light rise up over the horizon. His eyes shift from the horizon and onto his companions below. They're an unlikely group, certainly, and he isn't entirely sure how far he can trust most of them.

"Good morn," he says softly to Shade as she pokes her head up, coming out of what had looked to be a fitful sleep.

As the others begin to wake and move about, Cadrius stands and begins to prepare a meal. Keeping his blanket draped about him, he shuffles through the camp and to his backpack. In the relatively dim light, he looks different, as if he was an old man. While he had tried to keep warm, the chill air and the unchanging position that he had sat in, have stiffened his joints.

Within a few minutes he casts off his blanket, and begins to move freely, the image dispelled as his muscles warm up to the activity.

[Black Plauge]

The rising sun breaks Blarth's vigil as it breaks the horizon. Drawing on an inner reserve, Blarth strengthen's himself for the day ahead. It would be a long one after his sleepless night.

Unfolding his legs, Blarth rises to his feet and walks down the rise to where he had dropped his backpack the night before. Rooting around inside, Blarth pulls out a piece of jerky and takes a bite. Chewing out of habit, it is apparent that he isn't really hungry as he ignores the rest of it while taking in his companions, as if for the first time.

The one-armed bard from the inn, the elf to whom he owed eren, the woman who knew what had happened to Sir Paladin, and the man...

"You," Blarth calls out, rising to his feet and pointing at Cadrius with the jerky in his hand. "You were the lafhart who was willing to let my brother die to save your own skin. What kind of a man are you to hide from your own people?"

[SponkleofInfini]

Laronar rises fresh, his watch was not long, Cadrius had after all releaved him for watch earlly. The extra rest was welcomed, any chance to rest off the last tendrils of pain were not going to be passed up.

"You," Blarth calls out, rising to his feet and pointing at Cadrius with the jerky in his hand. "You were the lafhart who was willing to let my brother die to save your own skin. What kind of a man are you to hide from your own people?"

Laronar cannot help but nod at Blarth's remark, it had not been to long since he had spoken to Cadrius in a similar manner. Objecting to his escape, and to the aid he would recieve.

My Sentiments Exactly

Although Laronar is sure to stand back, he was already on thin ice with the group...and without them, he may not be able to find Cadogan. But he cannot help but wait for the forked tongue of Shade to come to his aid once more.

Why does she persist in fighting his battles?

[Cadrius]

You.

Cadrius neither needs to hear the rest of the sentence, nor turn and see the person addressing him to recognize an accusation. It oozes out of the voice of the speaker and shatters his brief period of tranquility. Turning around he continues to buckle and strap on the various layers of steel over his legs.

Blarth, the half-orc brother Trak, stands before him, the self-imposed silence now broken. He looks familiar, the face slowly clicks into place with a memory. Cadrius, shopping for supplies the day after the murders, and seeing a figure, orcish by heritage, fleeing an angry mob. It could have been someone else, but there would've seen more half-breeds in the jail.

Blarth's hand, once gentle, used for healing the elf yesterday, now jerks spasmatically as rage overloading his senses. Cadrius looks down for a moment, fixing one greave before straightening again and facing the tortured young-man. He regards him for a moment, seeing perhaps too much of himself there; rage, pain, regret, he even looks lost, although perhaps not now that he has a target to vent at.

"So," he says, his voice is quiet, but there is nothing else in the camp to drown it out, "you are Trak's brother. He spoke very fondly of you."

He continues to look at Blarth, to study him, wishing he had more of a way with words, or at least being able to think more quickly on his feet. Instead, he looks at the half-orc, thinking to buy some time.

The truth is all that matters here. The question becomes, which does he accept? His brother's truth, or my own?

"I am not certain what this lafhart is, but I do not think it is a compliment-" he readjusts one greave, sliding it into place "-and I did not send your brother to his death. Nor was I willing to let him take my punishment. I am not certain what he told you, or even what he was told by the priests, but he was taken before I turned myself in. After the Highpriest received my confession, he had Trak, turned loose."

He folds his arms over his chest, pausing again to look at Blarth. He can see the resemblence, the sight of the angry, well-muscled half-orc is intimidating and any sign of Blarth's gentle soul seems to be masked.

"I am sorry to hear he is dead. He was...a good man, though I do not think he would agree had he known it was I who shared the cell next to him. I almost believe he thought me to be like him," he continues quickly, hoping to avoid any outrage at comparing himself to the fallen Trak, "He felt sorry for me. I saw you and him during the...fight. I am sorry you were caught within it."

Feelings, old feelings, begin to well up within him. The old sensation of self-sacrifice begins to take hold, and he spreads his arms wide, palms open. His speech has been disjointed, his mind leaping about

"I do not know your customs, or if you desire revenge, but I am here and unarmed," he does not speak with an ounce of threat, he simply stands by the hastily erected shelter, arms dropping to his sides and waiting for the response.

[Black Plauge]

As Cadrius speaks Blarth's face goes from one of anger to one of confusion. He had been expecting a denial, a confession, or even an explanation, anything but what Cadrius actually gave him.

"He spoke of me? Whe...? Wha...?" Blarth blusters as Cadrius continues.

Finally he finds some words he can latch onto and grabs hold for dear life, "You shared the cell next to him? But Trak said it was one like us but raised by humans."

"Your lying! Trak would never make a mistake like that," Blarth shouts, his voice screaming denial. His face, however, shows a diffrent story as it still roils with confusion.

[Gralhruk]

She smiles at Cadrius when he greets her but quickly looks away as the others rise. She starts to climb to the summit of the small rise but stops when Blarth singles out Cadrius. The half-orc's demeanor is utterly different than the child like stupidity he normally displays. It surprises her, much as if a docile hound suddenly bares it's fangs with a growl.

Unconsciously, she shifts her weight to the balls of her feet, flexing her knees slightly to ensure balance and readiness. She notes Laronar's acid gaze and gives him a withering look in return, but otherwise she stays silent. More than anyone here, she wanted to see how Cadrius reacted, wanted to know if he was ready to pull himself from the pit of his self imposed despair.

When he speaks she lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding. He didn't lapse into the melancholy she hated, nor did he jump to rage, the other side of the dark coin of depression. Perhaps there was hope for him.

For us.

[Cadrius]

Cadrius gazes with pained eyes at Blarth's struggle. The sadness, as deep as any ravine, threatens to overwhelm him, but he gently pushes it away. The melancholy will always be there, but now is not the time for his self-pity. The half-orc fumbles for words, uncertain, confused; Cadrius understands far more than he'd think possible.

"Trak never saw me, not until the trial. He...he took pity on me, that I would be raised by humans. He never pressed me about why I was there, just content to talk with one of his own. Lesser men would have panicked, or raged, but he seemed...resigned to the treatment, used to being judged by his heritage. It takes a good deal of courage to accept such a fate."

He looks again at Blarth, trying to gauge how his words are received. The camp is still quiet, Laronar looks on with what could only be anticipation, but Cadrius doesn't have time to ponder why. Shade stands partway up the nearby hill, looking back at him.

"I know what it is like to lose a brother," he says, eyes still on Shade, "it is hard-" his voice drops to a whisper "-very hard."

He swallows once and returns his gaze to Blarth and when he speaks again his voice regains some strength.

"I did share the cell next to Trak, and I did confess, at least partially so that he might be set free. I do not know why as those of orcish blood are not well received in my homeland. Yet there was something about him, something proud, perhaps noble," he smiles, but there is no happiness in it. The thought of referring anything resembling an orc as noble would've never entered his mind, not in the past anyway.

Things change.

Once again he lets his arms drop to his side, palms open, awaiting a response.

[Black Plauge]

Cadrius' description of Trak rings true, and the resistance within Blarth begins to melt away, but like a child he clings to his denial, making one last vain effort to make it true.

"You can't be the man from the cell next to Trak. Your human, Trak would have never barred his heart to a human," he crys out.

His conviction shattered by the realization being forced on him, Blarth's hands drop to his side and he hangs his head. Staring down at the jerky in his hand, Blarth casts it aside, and looks back up at Cadrius, searching for the truth in the fallen paladin's face.

[Cadrius]

Blarth struggles between denial and acceptance. The emotions dance back and forth on his face, but denial is gradually losing out. For whatever reason, he believes the fallen paladin, perhaps he simply knows truth when he hears it. Yet whether or not the half-orc accepts his words doesn't matter to Cadrius, nor does the prospect of being killed in revenge bother him. Instead he's replaced by an emotion, another one he hasn't felt in a long time; it's not pity, he doesn't feel sorry for Blarth, no, he feels with him. A torrent of empathy rushes through him, battering the normally serene dam that tightly controls his emotions. Suddenly he becomes intensely concerned that Blarth not fall onto the same path of pain and anger that Cadrius had taken.

He moves across the camp, slowly, the half-orc watching his face for something. It might be too late for Cadrius, but he's determined to make sure he doesn't have another following him down the trail. Coming to a stop infront of Blarth, he stops looking the half-orc in the eye, his face blank except for the sorrow in his eyes.

"He did not know who I was, nor did I until after he had gone to bed," he speaks low enough so that only the half-orc can hear, "he did not speak it, but I could hear in his voice when he told me about seeing you help an old man down some stairs. He was gruff, but it sounded like he loved you, regardless of what you did."

Cadrius continues now in earnest for two reasons; he's uncertain of orcs and their feelings about love, but there's something else, something that Trak said to him, but he can't quite remember. His mind works through his memory, frantic for any phrase or word to aid the young half-orc.

"He has gone to Grummsh," Cadrius says, his voice still soft, "and I am certain he will make a fine addition."

Then it clicks, the phrase, it had sounded so odd when he first heard it, but Trak's violent death suddenly makes it fit. Perhaps it's why they used it as a greeting. As outcasts they lead dangerous lives, neither accepted by humans nor by the orc tribes. The phrase served as both a greeting to the living and a farewell to the dead.

"Honor to his blood."

[Black Plauge]

"Honor to his blood."

The tribal phrase sounded so strange coming from a human, especially bastardized as it was in the common tounge, but the words destroyed any last vestige of denial Blarth had. Trak had insisted on using it in his greetings and farewells, even in a time when most young orcs were forgetting the old ways.

"For in his blood lies honor," Blarth replies formally, using a similar bastardization to the one Cadrius had used.

Kneeling down, Blarth opens his backpack and pulls out Trak's silver Eye of Gruumsh.

Offering it to Cadrius, he says, "I know humans don't generally follow Gruumsh, but Trak wanted you to have this. He felt that you were troubled by human weaknesses and hoped you might find strength in Gruumsh."

[LonePaladin]

Blarth's closing statement is punctuated by a loud snap that makes everyone's head jerk toward the source, somewhere above the dying embers of the campfire. Several feet above, something metallic -- a weapon -- has materialized in midair. Spinning rapidly, it falls... landing point-first into the fire, sending sparks and embers flying in all directions.

As the firestorm settles, the weapon can clearly be seen. A claymore, easily six feet in length, with a distinctive hilt and handle: the steel wire wrapped in a way that conveys the impression of multiple bolts of lightning. Hanging from the hilt is a silver pendant, fashioned into a single lightning bolt.

The weapon looks quite familiar, even though it was shattered nearly a month ago.

As that realization sinks in, the blade snaps in two, spraying blood at the breaking-point. The handle and about two feet of the blade land near the campfire, while the pendant sails through the air, landing between the half-orc and the fallen paladin.

[itches]

Waking up with he others, Nicos moves slowly around the camp, trying to get the kinks out of his body. His night of broken sleep tells on him, and his movements reflect his lethargic feeling.

Once he had returned feeling to his limbs, washed his face, and woken up a little more, he sits back down and quietly begins to sing scales to himself, idling packing up his gear.

[Cadrius]

Cadrius reaches forward, his hand hesitating for a moment. Gruumsh, the evil god of the orcs, and here was a confused half-breed offering the deity's holy symbol to him. He looks at the eye made of silver, wondering for the first time, how different the their two races were. He had a similar code of honor, the same pride, the same sense of duty.

Cadrius reaches forward again, his fingertips brushing the cool metal, and that's when all hell breaks loose.

A spinning blade impacts within the campfire and Cadrius reflexively throws one arm in front of his face, protecting himself from the flying embers. He recognizes the weapon, he had wielded it for a time while battling against his own blade. Watching it, he sees it snap, blood oozing from the fracture.

He looks down, seeing the silver pendant on the ground. It glitters slightly, nearby a few scattered embers giving it a reddish hue. Cadrius knows this item as well. Slowly, ever so slowly, he kneels down and reaches one trembling hand toward the object. His hand grasps the pendant, and he gasps in pain. The metal feels as if on fire, but it suddenly becomes the least of his concern. Once more, all hell breaks loose, or perhaps it is all heaven that breaks loose. This time, however, it is completely contained within Cadrius.

For an instant, one brief flickering moment, he can feel the presence of Heironeous. He's filled with divine energy, feeling it course through him, lifting the worries from his shoulders, relieving the fatigue from his muscles. Mouth dropping open he freezes in place. The sensation of being part of a higher order envelopes him.

Then as quickly as it came, it goes, leaving him to draw a shuddering breath and close his eyes. When they open again, the pendant is gone. He flips his hand over, to examine the burn. Scalded within his palm is an angry, red lightning bolt. His fist closes over the burn, completing the symbol.

What is this? A warning? An offer?

Still kneeling, he looks over to the campfire. Paladin's broken claymore is still imbedded into the center of the campfire. His eyes shift back to Blarth, remembering the gift, he reaches forward with his other hand and takes the symbol of Gruumsh. He opens his other hand and examines them, the burn in his left, and the silver eye in his right.

"Thank you," he says quietly.

Moving back to his backpack he carefully removes what's left of a silk shirt, the rest having been sacrificed to bandage wounds, and carefully wraps the holy symbol with it. Gently placing it within his backpack, Cadrius resumes buckling on his armor, remaining silent throughout the process. A few minutes later he's ready to leave.

[Gralhruk]

Caught up in the scene between Cadrius and Blarth, Shade is as surprised as the rest when the mysterious sword seems to detonate their small campfire. Instinctively tucking her chin down into the hollow of her shoulder and turning her face away, she nevertheless keeps her eyes on the scene. Somehow, a blade has found it's way into her hand, though it remains hidden beneath the mantle of her cloak.

Paladin. Can't I just be rid of him?

Somehow, he'd attached himself to her. That was his sword, and she recognized the symbol now perched in front of Cadrius, like a tiny silver adder. Without thought, her free hand grasps at the silver locket she wears beneath her shirt. She knew that symbol. Cadrius stoops forward.

Don't touch it!

Too late. It disappears into his big fist and she sees him stiffen, sees the pain flash across his face and watches as his blue eyes go icy. Fear like she has seldom felt surges through her and before she can react it is over. His shoulders slump and he seems almost himself as he slowly flexes his hand, then retrieves Blarth's offering and stowes it in his pack. The remainder of Paladin's blade juts from the remnants of the fire, an arrow pointing the way to hell.

"What the devil just happened!?"

[itches]

During the confrontation Nicos stays well out of it, yet watches intently - any insight into his new companions would be welcome indeed.

As the sword appears, the bard rolls to his feet, glancing around the clearing for any mundane answer to where it came from, causing him to miss Cadirus pick up the fallen pendent.

"What the devil just happened!?"

"I don't know, but last time it was an axe," Nicos answers on instinct.

At the looks directed at him, Nicos attempts to explain.

"The last time I saw a weapon appear out of nowhere ... yeah, so anyone know what just happened?"

Eyeing the weapon fragment stuck into the soil, the bard continues.

"Better yet, why don't we get moving before we look for an answer, if there is anyone near by, they would of noticed our shiny friend’s dramatic arrival."

[Black Plauge]

The sound which accompanies the appearence of the sword startles Blarth so, that he almost drops the Eye in his hand. Quickly recovering, however, Blarth's eyes instinctively follow the pendant when the sword shatters and he watches as Cadrius picks it up. The shock and awe which are apparent on his face confuse Blarth as they have no apparent source, but leave as quickly as they came, leaving only a burnt scar in Cadrius' palm.

As Cadrius takes the Eye from him, Blarth eyes with trepedation, the burn before returning his gaze to the broken blade in the fire.

"What the devil just happened?"

For some reason the question seems strangely appropriate, but Blarth can only shake is head in reply, plainly unsure of what to make of all this.

[Cadrius]

Cadrius still remains silent as the others ask questions, content to finish donning his armor. He sighs as he fixes his vambraces and buckles his sword.

"It would appear Paladin is in some trouble," he says at last, an obvious statement but it was an answer to Shade's question.

He keeps his scalded hand tightly closed. Shouldering his backpack, he strides to the remains of their small campfire, the broken claymore still planted in the ground. Cadrius considers the sword for a moment, wondering if he'll receive the same burn as with the pendant. He reaches forward, this time with the unburned hand and grasps the hilt. Nothing happens. Cadrius exhales, not willing to admit he had been holding his breath, and pulls the blade free of the soil. It looks precisely as it had been when he last saw it, the blade broken under the impact of his own.

Cadrius holds it upright, the jagged edge of the sword pointing skyward and examines it. Perhaps it could be salvaged, or perhaps it would be useful in the days to come.

"Yet we have another obligation," he says hefting the sword with one hand.

"Now, let us continue before we bring a horde of orcs down upon us. No offense is intended Blarth, but I would prefer we do not meet any distant relatives of your's, not today."

[Black Plauge]

"Distant relatives? My tribe isn't..." Blarth begins before he realizes what Cadrius was refering too.

"OOOOH! No, I quite agree. Any meeting with orcs in this area is bound to be less than pleasent."

Hastily stuffing the piece of jerky he had thrown down earlier, back into his back pack, Blarth heafts it onto his back and makes his way over to the fire where the other half of the sword still sticks in the gournd.

"Do you think we should take this half too?" he asks.

[Cadrius]

Blarth's comment causes Cadrius looks at the blade in his hands as if he hadn't examined it just moments before. What morning light can break through the rather dense canopy plays off the fractured sword. He holds it before him, gripping it with both hands, testing what weight it has.

"Yes, we should," Cadrius says, still looking at the blade, "but I would like you to carry it Blarth, if you are able. I am afraid that I carry enough steel, any more and I might start rusting," he says, a feeble attempt at humor, but any attempt by the fallen paladin is unusual.

With one smooth gesture, Cadrius rotates his grip with one hand, letting the jagged edge drop until it points at the earth one more. Extending his hand, he offers it to Blarth.

He turns to the others, making certain that each of them are ready before his eyes at last fall on Shade. She will be concerned about what's happened, and she should be, Cadrius is almost terrified by what has happened this morning.

"After you, Lady Shade," he says, extending his arm and using the title she had rejected when they first met.

[Black Plauge]

Cadrius' feeble attempt at humor earns only a blank stare from Blarth, who clearly doesn't get the joke. However, he takes the broken blade from Cadrius and, pulling the other half from the remains of the fire, places both into his backpack without a word of protest.

Pulling a small dagger out of his belt pouch, Blarth begins to toy with the blade as he follows the others' lead.

[Gralhruk]

She stiffens at the mention of bringing the blade along with them. It was a bad omen if ever there was one - clearly Paladin was involved in something dark and evil, something she didn't want to get involved in. She grits her teeth and keeps her silence. Let the orc shoulder it's burden - that particular pain wasn't going to fall to her.

After you, Lady Shade

The words startle her and her gaze twitches over to Cadrius, not sure if he's joking or just being mean. By the look on his face, she thinks it is the former though her humour has gone the way of their campfire. His words remind her of their first meeting, the guesses she'd made then about him and the story he told her last night. Her detective work had been eerily close to the mark which was strange; in the past she had proven a poor judge of character where men were involved.

She opens her mouth to say something she'd probably regret later, then closes it. She swings her eyes back to the trail, giving Blarth a hard look along the way. Last night seemed already a world away, swept into the wind like a scattering of embers, slowly cooling. Without a word, she moves off.

[Cadrius]

Clearly that was not a good idea, he thinks, mentally wincing at the inappropriate name. As with Blarth he attempted it with humor, but much like the half-orc, it was not well-received. Yet there may have been something more to it, a degree of respect owed to someone who knows his secret. Instead it seemed to further darken her mood and judging by the look she gave Blarth, it's a black one indeed.

He keeps his mouth closed as his armor and equipment make enough noise for him, at least compared to the rest of his companions. So despite his silence, and the brand on his palm, and Shade's irritation, Cadrius still remains content. Not happy, no, that's something he's unsure of ever regaining. Walking through these woods, as dangerous as they might be, gives him that feeling. The company he keeps does as well, even if it's composed of an elf who bears an enmity toward him, a bard he's not sure he can trust, and a half-orc who just this morning accused Cadrius of betraying his brother.

And so the day passes, each of them keeping to themselves, attempting to make as little noise as possible. Orcs or no orcs, they do not wish to draw anyone's attention upon them. As sunlight begins to fade, they once more set up a modest camp. Once again no fire is made, but it isn't nearly as dark as last night. The canopy has thinned enough to make out a good number of stars.

"Perhaps we are getting close to the forest's edge," Cadrius says quietly, helping create a shetler once more.

[Gralhruk]

Shade spends the day working out her irritation by setting a difficult pace. If anyone minds, they don't complain about it which leads her to wonder exactly who it was she'd fallen in with. Cadrius, of course, wouldn't complain if he walked his feet off - he was far too stubborn for that. Blarth seemed resolved to do what everyone else did; she wasn't completely fooled by that, though. He had shown a good bit of initiative in dealing with Laronar and confronting Cadrius.

She'd pegged Laronar as a whiner early on, but he surprises her with the grim efficiency of his trek. Perhaps she had been wrong about him. Nicos wasn't quiet, but he didn't push her buttons either. That puzzled her a bit, but she wasn't about to question it.

When they finally stop for the evening, she is feeling considerably better. Paladin and his damned blade are still grating her nerves, but she has put them in the background. She eyes Cadrius' work as he attempts to build a shelter, smiling to herself at his inexpert construction, then follows his gaze as he looks to the stars.

"Perhaps you'll make a woodsman yet. I'd say you're right. We've risen quite a bit, too - did you notice how much rock was jutting from the ground today? We're nearly above the treeline, probably almost at the badlands those wizards spoke of. This Citadel isn't far off."

[Black Plauge]

"The ground is drying out as well," Blarth adds in a nearly offhand manner as he begins to help with the shelters. Proving himself remarkebly adept at this sort of thing (though not as good as Shade), the shelters go up much faster tonight with his help.

Suprisingly, Blarth is still not hungry despite not having eaten all day and contents himself scouting out the surrounding area while the others eat.

Returning as they are finishing up, Blarth makes his way over to Shade.

"I'm no tracker, but a group of somethings been through here lately. There are clear tracks about 200 paces east of us. I can't tell anything else, but you might want to check it out."

[Cadrius]

Rather than making something light, but protective, Cadrius tries to make a fortification. Indeed, the amount of sticks and branches he uses look like they could serve as a barricade in a pinch, although he does abstain from sharpening any sticks to use as spears. Shade seems to humor him for a bit before correcting him, removing over half of his material. Blarth makes quick use of the extra and creates a shelter.

He's surprised to find himself nodding at her words. He had noticed the rocks, although he wasn't certain what they meant. Truth be told, he recognized their ascent more by the change in air than by anything else. Thinking back once more to his times as a squire, he recalls spending time on Mount Castor. They had trained up there, learning survival and combat in the wilderness. It was a chore to move at a quick pace, let alone suit up and spar, or go through any of the other exercises. He recognized the air now; it was beginning to thin out.

I should have paid closer attention, he thinks wistfully.

He raises an eyebrow at the sign of clear tracks nearby. With any luck, it was nothing serious, but he doesn't feel entirely comfortable having something wandering so close to their campsite.

"Do you need assistance?" he asks, before scowling at Nicos. The bard looks on the verge of making another comment about a tryst so he continues on, not allowing him time to speak.

"How many tracks did you see, Blarth? And were they footprints, or something else?"

[Black Plauge]

"I don't know enough about tracks to tell where one began and another ended," replies Blarth, "They were some footprints, but they were mixed in with a bunch of other marks I don't recognize. I was hoping Shade here could read the tracks better than I since she seems to know her way around the woods."

"Do you want me to show them to you?"

[Gralhruk]

"Maybe I could; hard to say without seeing them, though."

She frowns, not at all happy about this. Any creature or group that would leave a large enough mess for Blarth to find was bound to be big enough not to care if anyone found it. Whatever it was, it would be bound to lead to speculation within the group and that would likely lead to differences of opinion over what they ought to do.

For the moment, they all had Cadogan as their first order of business and she'd like to keep it that way. Of course, if she didn't do anything the others were likely to take it upon themselves. She glances at Cadrius when he offers to accompany her, and she can see the wariness in his eyes - they seem to say it might be dangerous. She decides he's right, it needed to be checked out.

"No," she says to Cadrius, "stay here with the others."

She turns back to the half-orc, loosening her blades in their scabbards. A brief episode in town reminded her that Blarth could move pretty quickly when he wanted to, and speed might be more important than strength.

"Alright, let's see what you found."

[Black Plauge]

Without his backpack full of armor Blarth seems at least competant in the woods as he leads the way, making relatively little noise. Checking his pace every so often so that Shade can keep up, it takes the pair a couple of minutes to reach the spot Blarth had found earlier.

"There's an undergournd spring over there by those rocks," Blarth says pointing to a large pile just ahead. "The ground around it is softer as a result and holds a good impression. That's where I found the tracks."

[Gralhruk]

Shade gives the Blarth a critical look. Despite his attitude and generally simplistic nature, he wasn't a fool. Nor was he any stranger to the wild, not that she was too surprised about that - half-orcs tended to hail from less civilized locales.

"Wait here while I check it out. And watch my back."

Not bothering to draw a blade, she steals forward, eyes cast down. Rounding the rocks carefully she makes sure to step only on undisturbed, unreadable ground. She inhales sharply as the tracks come into view, and her frown deepens as she studies the area. She slowly moves forward then out from the spring and back into the woods, circling the area for clues on all sides.

When she returns to Blarth her face is grim and slightly puzzled. Wordlessly, she shakes her head at him and passes by, obviously headed back to camp. When he starts to follow, she increases her pace to a trot.

Never a dull moment.

[Gralhruk]

Her face is paler than normal when she makes it back to camp, her breathing perhaps slightly elevated. Above the line of her veil, her eyes give no sign of her inner consternation.

"It looks like orcs ambushed a small wagon and then headed north, deeper into the wood. They've taken the wagon . . . "

She pauses, cursing inwardly, before continuing.

". . . and captured those that were in it."

Shade folds her arms, not wanting to make the decision about what they should do. She had a feeling she already knew what that decision would be. Her grey eyes fasten on Cadrius' blue ones and she holds his gaze meaningfully.

There is more.

[Cadrius]

As the two return from scouting Cadrius rises to his feet, the makeshift fortifications temporarily forgotten. Shade's face is unreadable, as usual, but doubt nags at him. If it was nothing, why is she still wearing her veil?

"It looks like orcs ambushed a small wagon and then headed north, deeper into the wood. They've taken the wagon . . . "

Orcs, not surprising given what they've heard about their numbers in the woods. Although those could be exaggerated. If there were as many as some suggested, then they should've overrun Karkas long ago. Yet Shade is not done, there's something else.

". . . and captured those that were in it."

Cadrius locks eyes with Shade while his mind wars with the remnants of his conscience. He draws in a breath and exhales loudly, considering their options. The air is crisp as the day begins to wane.

They had a duty to perform, Cadogan needed their help and wasting time investigating the orcs would not help matters. Indeed, any survivors were likely dead by now, killed for sport or meat, depending on how sparse food was.

Yet if they lived, they would have no other hope. The chances were slim that any survived, but if there were any, they would need help. If they had information all the better.

"These tracks were made recently?" He asks, flexing his hand, feeling the brand despite the gauntlet shielding it from his eyes.

"We...I must see if any survive. If not, I will rejoin you shortly. If they do...well, I will do my best to catch up."

That will make some happy, he thinks, his eyes flicking to Laronar and Nicos before moving to Shade, and some not.

[Black Plauge]

"There were no bodies," Blarth remarks, "so they were taken easily. Such survivors have a chance to be rescued. If these orcs are anything like some of the other tribes I've met, they will try to savage the prisoners first to make the killing more fun."

Thinking of the suffering prisoners could endure at the hands of his father's kind, Blarth shivers once before stating resolutely, "If there are prisoners to be rescued, I will join in the attempt."

[Gralhruk]

Her lips compress into a thin line as she looks between Blarth and Cadrius; of completely different appearance yet resigned to the same purpose - truly, a mismatched pair of bookends. As is her habit when agitated she loosens her blades in their scabbards once again. Her gaze flicks over the rest of the group, now silent, before returning to those two who are already preparing to leave.

"Well you won't find them easily without me."

Shade purposely doesn't say whether she's going with them or staying here, hoping that they dislike their odds. She sits a moment longer on her other bad news before she decides they might as well know what they were up against. Maybe it would dissuade them from their course of action.

"I found something else. Back in the woods were the bodies of four guards and the horses that they must have used to pull the wagon. Judging by the tracks and the condition of the bodies our orcs have a hill giant with them."

She looks at the others now.

"If you ask me, it's foolish to split up. And I think it's a fool's hope that anyone is left alive even though -by all appearances- they took some prisoners. What course do you wish to follow?"

[Cadrius]

He raises an eyebrow at Blarth's courage but makes no move to dissuade him. Perhaps having one who understood their culture would prove useful. At the very least the burly half-orc looks capable of handling himself in a fight.

Are there any weak orcs? the thought brushes his consciousness. Likely not. A culture that brutal would probably kill those too weak to survive.

Cadrius allows himself an inward smile, as mysterious as Shade could be, sometimes her reactions were all too predictable. Of course the fact that his own behavior could be seen coming a mile away temporarily escapes the fallen paladin. Still, she doesn't offer to come with them and it troubles Cadrius. Clearly Shade isn't afraid of a few orcs; he wonders what could bother her so much. He doesn't have to wait long for an answer.

"I found something else. Back in the woods were the bodies of four guards and the horses that they must have used to pull the wagon. Judging by the tracks and the condition of the bodies our orcs have a hill giant with them."

The mention of the giant gives him pause. The orcs, depending on their number and training, could be manageable. The orcs plus a giant could prove difficult, perhaps even beyond their ability. Open combat, at least without some sort of plan, is now out of the question.

He is silent for a time before looking over at Blarth. If things go bad and they have to retreat the half-orc might be able to escape, but Cadrius in his plate mail will not. His best option would be to fight while the others get away. A noble, albeit foolish, sacrifice but a sacrifice nonetheless.

I shall deal with that foe when it comes, he thinks, unperturbed by the prospect. It wasn't death he had fought to escape back in Karkas, it was the manner in which he met it. The revelation gives him a strange sense of tranquility and he seizes it, holds it, grateful for the peace.

"If there are orcs, well trained ones at that, in these woods with one of the giant folk, then we would be well-advised to gather what information we can about them. They came within several hundred paces of our camp for tonight, they could easily come back. A giant and a party of orcs would be a tough fight even if we were well-rested and prepared, if they came across us in the middle of the night..." he trails off, not needing to finish the sentence.

"We do not need to fight them, merely to see what potential threat they are. If they look to be traveling back in this direction better to know now than when they are upon us."

[LonePaladin]

A bear walks into the clearing.

It's not overly large for a bear, maybe five or six feet tall. The bear doesn't give the adventurers a second glance, except perhaps to sniff in their direction. Its attention is elsewhere. It proves this by standing up and placing its paws on a tree and leaning into it. The tree bends a little under the weight. The bear lets the tree loose, and it springs upright again, leaves shaking and falling. An angry hum can be heard from atop the tree.

Just as the bear stands up again, a rock gnome comes rushing up to it, yelling, "Talon! Down! Down! I told you to leave those bees alone!" Almost as if it understood him, the bear drops back to all fours and gives the gnome a plaintive look.

"Yes, I know -- here." The gnome digs through a pocket, unearthing a sticky, gooey honeycomb, which he holds out. The bear grabs it greedily, and flops onto its back, munching happily on its prize. Shaking his head and grinning, the gnome reaches up and scratches the bear's belly.

Abruptly, he looks behind him and realizes they're not alone. One hand drops to the hilt of a small scimitar as he asks, "Who the hell are you guys?"

[Black Plauge]

I found something else. Back in the woods were the bodies of four guards and the horses that they must have used to pull the wagon. Judging by the tracks and the condition of the bodies our orcs have a hill giant with them.

Chidding himself for not finding the bodies, Blarth nevertheless looks undetered from his stated course of action. The appearence of the bear and the gnome with it in the clearing, however, gives him pause, and Blarth watches them in open curiosity.

[Cadrius]

Any response is cut short by the bear noisily entering the clearing. Cadrius' muscles tense and he slowly maneuvers his way around the others, placing himself between his companions and the bear. Carefully and as quietly as he can manage, he frees his bastard sword and sets his shield before him. He makes no threatening move, instead steeling himself for the possible encounter. A fight with a bear, no matter how quick, would arouse the interests of any nearby orcs, or giants.

Yet the bear seems either unconcerned with their presence, or oblivious. Likewise Cadrius doesn't care why the bear isn't confronting them.

"Let us leave," he whispers, craning his neck to see the others.

Just then a short figure enters the small clearing. For a brief instant Cadrius mistakes it for a child, and the urge to rush forward and pull it away from the bear is strong. Yet as the diminutive man fully emerges from the brush, Cadrius finds that he's mistaken. It's a gnome, a reasonably well-armed one at that.

He would have to be, traveling this woods alone, he chides himself.

Somehow though, he isn't surprised when the bear reacts calmly to the gnome presence. Clearly neither the bear nor the gnome are normal.

Perhaps he was raised by bears? he thinks, not quite convinced of the thought.

Any chance of the gnome being raised by the bear is dispelled, however, when he sees the group and is surprised.

"Who the hell are you guys?"

Cadrius remains, the steel shield set before him, and the bastard sword held out to the side.

"We might ask you same question, [i]sir[/]," he emphasizes the title, uncertain of what to call a forest-dwelling, bear-loving gnome, "given that you are in our camp site."

[Gralhruk]

There is a considerable amount of tension in the small clearing as the group sizes each other up. Strangely, most of that tension emanates from those that haven't volunteered for a fool's mission. Cadrius and Blarth seem unperturbed by her news of just how dangerous an opponent they might face. Silence from Nicos and Laronar prompts the former paladin to explain his reasoning to Shade.

He made sense; they should at least find out what intention the goblinoids had. She frowns behind her veil, mulling over her decision. Before she has a chance to respond, a large bear wanders in and she freezes, hoping the creature goes on it's way without taking an interest in them. She is ready to put on a bold show to the intruder, should the need arise, in hopes of convincing it that this would be a difficult fight.

"Let us leave"

At the harsh whisper from Cadrius she stares intently at the beast for another moment, then nods once. If they left quietly things might not escalate. Before they have a chance to leave, though, a gnome enters the clearing - a gnome apparently on good terms with the bear. Surprised by his statement, she lets her hands fall relaxed to her sides -within easy reach of her blades- as Cadrius answers him.

"Aye, we might ask you the same. Nonetheless, we are travellers out of Karkas, merely moving through this area and wishing nobody any harm."

[LonePaladin]

Once the initial shock is over, a closer look at the newcomer is easy -- once you can get your gaze away from the shock of bright-yellow hair on his head, which doesn't seem to have been combed in a decade. Below that, his sea-green eyes carry a look of perpetual amusement, and he can't seem to keep a smirk away from his face. His facial features seem somewhat muted, but that may be because of his nose, which is easily twice as large as a human's, and bright red, as if he's been drinking too much.

He's decked out in an outfit of pliable leather, loose-fitting even though it has straps and buckles all over the place. A knapsack is carried over one shoulder, though it hangs a little loosely.

The gnome looks at everyone tensing up and offering statements of courage. As his gaze wanders over the whole group, a smile fit to take his ears in crosses his face, and he starts laughing out loud.

Tossing his scimitar to the ground, he exclaims, "Well, you're all just fit to be tied, ain'tcha? You'd think you just ran afoul of an orc raiding party!" Abruptly, his laughter stops, as he sees the looks on everyone's faces. "Wait."

He lays a finger across his bulbous nose. "You did, didn'tcha?"

[Cadrius]

He is a gnome, an odd one, but does not seem to bear any ill-will, Cadrius thinks, attempting to will his distrust away.

Tossing his scimitar to the ground, he exclaims, "Well, you're all just fit to be tied, ain'tcha? You'd think you just ran afoul of an orc raiding party!"

Seeing the weapon tossed to the ground in such a haphazard manner offends the warrior within Cadrius. "Your arms and armor is all that keeps you from meeting a nasty end on an orcish blade," his Quartermaster used to say, punctuating his joke with a hearty guffaw; in retrospect Cadrius' feeble humor likely stems from him. Living in the dangerous wilds, even if it is no more than a day or two from Karkas, Cadrius assumes the gnome would be more cautious.

Abruptly, his laughter stops, as he sees the looks on everyone's faces. "Wait."

He lays a finger across his bulbous nose. "You did, didn'tcha?"

Cadrius relaxes a bit, as bizarre as he might be, the newcomer seems friendly at least. He relaxes his muscles, standing straight and letting his sword and shield drop to his sides. Looking once more at the gnome he frowns. Insane or drunk; either way something wasn't quite right. Cadrius hopes it's the latter, a drunk gnome would recover from his stupor, a crazy one would not.

"No--" he casts a glance over at Laronar "--we are trying to avoid meeting any. As a far as we can tell, one passed by recently, with a giant we believe," he pauses, gauging the gnome reaction before saying, "before you and...before you happened upon us, we were speaking of scouting them."

How could a gnome, even with a bear, survive out here? he wonders, but does not feel comfortable questioning that yet.

"Do you know these woods?"

[Gralhruk]

Behind the veil, Shade could be thinking anything or nothing. Her eyes tighten slightly at the gnome's observation about orcs but she gives no other sign, wondering at his purpose and waiting for his response.

[LonePaladin]

"Do you know these woods?"

The gnome holds his hand up, palm outward. "Like be back o' my hand, I do!" He glances up at his hand, realizes he's got it facing the wrong way, and hastily puts it away.

He takes a few steps closer to Cadrius, holding his hand out. "I'm Tiltowait. Trust me, that's the short version. And back there--" he jerks his thumb at the bear, who is surreptitiously advancing on the beehive-laden tree-- "is Talon. I'll shake hands with you; I wouldn't recommend letting him do it, though he'll wrestle you for a tidbit of food."

"Tryin' to avoid orcs, eh? Should be easy enough with my help; been doin' that for years. Want a hand?"

[Cadrius]

He gives Tiltowait another appraising look before sheathing the bastard sword and taking the gnome's hand in his own mailed one.

"A pleasure. I am Cadrius." He seems visibly relaxed after the introductions. "As to the orcs, we do not wish to fight them, but we believe they have taken some prisoners. I would like to assess if they still live, if not we leave, but if they do then it might change plans--" he looks at the rest of the group "--some plans anyway."

Looking back at the bear Cadrius smiles, asking, "He is your friend? Your pet? Your companion?" Indeed, the bear seems vastly less intimidating after being fed by the gnome.

[LonePaladin]

Originally posted by Cadrius
Looking back at the bear Cadrius smiles, asking, "He is your friend? Your pet? Your companion?" Indeed, the bear seems vastly less intimidating after being fed by the gnome.
Tiltowait shrugs. "That's a tough one to answer. He follows me around and generally does what I tell him. I don't own him though; if he ever decided to leave -- say, to chase after some she-bear -- I couldn't stop him. He'll probably want to go and hibernate once winter hits, but I don't know.

"Let me see if anyone around here's heard about orcs coming through. I can probably convince some of the birds to go take a look. Less risk for all involved, eh?"

[Black Plauge]

As the tension mounts in the clearing, Blarth looks fruitively around, trying to determine the source of the danger the others so obviously see. The bear and the gnome however seem to be the only things unusual in the clearing, so Blarth goes back to staring in curiosity at the odd couple.

The bear seemed ordinary enough, other than the fact the it ate from the hand of the gnome. Most bears that Blarth had seen in his lifetime would rather eat the gnome than be fed by him.

The gnome on the other hand was a sight to see. His hair was nearly as bright as the noonday sun; same color too. His clothing was well strapped on, but still managed to hang so loosely Blarth wondered the gnome didn't get caught up in it. His eyes danced as if laughing at some perpetual joke, and his nose was easily as long as the bear's snout. Well, okay, so maybe that was an exageration, but it seemed like an accurate enough description to Blarth.

At the mention of the orcs, Blarth attempts to focus on the conversation at hand, but the gnomes comment about the bear wrestleing for a bit of food keeps coming to his mind and he looks back at the bear time and again, sizing it up.

[Gralhruk]

Birds?

Trusting the scouting mission to birds seemed a bad idea in general. Coming from someone they just met and didn't know if they could trust, it seemed even more suspect. Yet, she really didn't care if there were orcs or not and the less they had to get involved the better. Instead of the stinging sarcasm that such a suggestion would normally bring, her voice is upbeat and approving.

"Yes, less risk is certainly better. Would you - could you - do this?"

[LonePaladin]

"Yes, less risk is certainly better. Would you - could you - do this?"

"Sure thing." Tiltowait suddenly lets out this warbling whistle that couldn't possibly come out of a humanoid mouth. In response, several birds fly near him and sit attentively while he chips at them. As one, they fly off in different directions.

Smiling -- as always -- he says, "I just asked them to go look around, see if they spot anyone else that looks a lot like that guy over there." He points at the half-orc nearby.

"Might take a few minutes, and no promises. But it's a lot harder for them grunts to notice birds than sneaking people, eh?"

[Cadrius]

"Might take a few minutes, and no promises. But it's a lot harder for them grunts to notice birds than sneaking people, eh?"

"Indeed," Cadrius says, uncertain how to take the gnome's ability to communicate with birds. Of course he'd heard stories of such things, but to meet one, and a gnome at that, who could do so is odd to say the least.

Watching the birds flutter off, each heading in a different direction, a stray thought enters his head. Why do they do it? Does Tiltowait provide them with some sort of service, some protection? Or could it be that he's a part of nature, and they recognize one of their own.

Cadrius glances back at his companions, trying to gauge their reactions to the newcomer. Shade apepars encouraging, a trait he isn't sure he's ever seen. The others range across the spectrum, from interested to apathetic.

Turning back to the gnome he asks, "How long have you lived here, Tiltowait?"

[Gralhruk]

Shade is surprised at the incredibly accurate birdsong the gnome sings, and shocked at the prompt response of the birds. It easily dispelled her doubts about the gnome's sanity. First the bear, now this - he seemed genuinely in tune with nature. She had heard stories of such people but had never really believed them.

"Might take a few minutes, and no promises. But it's a lot harder for them grunts to notice birds than sneaking people, eh?"

Cadrius utters a short response at almost the same time Shade speaks.

"Depends on who's doing the sneaking."

The former paladin gives her an appraising look, to which she merely raises her eyebrows, her wry smile hidden from view yet readily apparent nonetheless. She could tell he wasn't buying her easy acceptance. Inwardly, she hopes he doesn't bother sorting it out and instead just chalks it up to fickle women.

[LonePaladin]

"How long have you lived here, Tiltowait?"

The gnome shrugs. "Only a few years. Had to move a while back. It's a long story, even for me, and I doubt any of you would appreciate the finer points."

He glances back, just in time to see the bear give the poor tree a hearty shove. "Talon, no!" Too late, the tree gives a violent jerk, and a beehive falls from its branches, breaking apart on the ground with a wet splat. Almost immediately, a swarm of angry bees is buzzing over the ruin, as if daring anyone to come close.

Naturally, the bear ignores the threat.

Tiltowait shoos everyone away from the area, ducking his head. "Stupid bear!"

[Cadrius]

Cadrius shakes his head at Shade's behavior. Whatever her reasons, she remains just as enigmatic as the day he met her. A shadow flits behind his eyes. It conjures up a memory of a dwarf, slumping over, his throat slit and a veiled woman fleeing a tavern. He had judged her an assassin then, and treated her as such for a good deal of their journey. She's shared some of her tale with him since then and he's learned that the dwarf's death was a personal vendetta, and not a paid contract. Given his own past he has no right to judge anyone who has killed after being dishonored.

As quickly as the black mood comes it goes, being forced into the recesses of his mind. It's a topic he will deal with another time. Right now they have other matters to worry about.

"So you have always lived in the wilderness then?" He asks, suspecting the answer but unwilling to make any assumptions.

Just then the bear, Talon by name, knocks over the tree it had been manhandling earlier. Bees swarm out, protecting their hive. Reflexively he raises his shield, as if it would ward off a swarm of bees as well as a rain of arrows. He shakes his head ruefully and moves off to the other side of the small clearing.

"Stupid bear!"

Cadrius wonders why he doesn't speak to Talon in its own language. He certainly could with the birds, why not with a bear?

"How long should your...friends take?"

[LonePaladin]

Tiltowait snatches a bee out of the air. Holding it by its wings, he says, "Shoo!" and flings it away.

Looking back to the warrior, he says, "Sorry. I'd give 'em about an hour. And your other question -- yeah, I've always been out in the middle of nowhere. I had spent my time in a rather large forest south of here, until a certain mage tried to burn it down."

[Black Plauge]

Protected as he is by the invisible armor around him, Blarth barely notices the bees except for the buzzing. Indeed, finding the whole scene quite funny, especially the gnome actually telling one of the bees to "Shoo!" Blarth can't keep himself from laughing, and is soon chukling away, the current crisis with the orcs forgotten for the moment.

[Gralhruk]

Shade watches as the bear actually pushes the tree over, sending a swarm of bees around the clearing. She doesn't move, being far enough away to miss the worst of the swarm, and shifts her gaze to the gnome. The bear certainly made enough noise, and she doesn't relish the idea of travelling with this sort of confusion all the time.

"So, I guess we wait for your spies to return. I hope we are not delaying you from some other task . . . ?"

[LonePaladin]

"Was just making dinner, actually. You guys hungry?"

[Black Plauge]

"Making dinner?" Blarth replies incredulously between laughs, "But its already getting dark!"

[LonePaladin]

"I can see someone's never made a proper stew. You guys in a hurry or something?"

[Black Plauge]

"It takes that long to make?" Blarth asks, still unbeleiving that one would start making dinner so early in the day.

[Cadrius]

The next hour passes quietly for the most part, only interrupted by Blarth's chuckling and Tilowait's eccentric speaking. Cadrius contents himself to keep a vigil over the small clearing. They might be armed but there's no sense in letting whatever dangers catch them off-guard.

He finds himself absent-mindedly adjusting and readjusting his armor, making certain it fits properly. He still hasn't grown accustomed to it yet and doesn't want to find out the hard way if a plate or some chain aren't covering the right spot. The sword as well he checks over, making certain the balance is right and the blade straight. Satisfied that the blacksmith had done a good job, he takes a few practice swings to get a good feel for it. With all the events of the past couple days he hasn't had a real chance to test out his arms and armor.

Thinking of the night before his eyes stray over to Shade, still veiled, and still mysterious. He sighs, wondering what goes on in her head and why the slightest things can set her off into a mood black enough to frighten a well-seasoned warrior.

True to the gnome's word, one of the birds reappears, twittering. Cadrius can't tell if it's excited, nervous, or simply nonchalant.

"What does it have to say?"

[LonePaladin]

Tiltowait lets the bird perch on his hand, listening intently. Once it's had its say, the bird flies off again. The gnome addresses the warrior:

"A bunch of 'lumpy-big-things' -- that would be orcs. And two 'not-lumpy-things' -- I'd guess they have prisoners, or people controlling them. I wouldn't put it past Dothavaar to go this far north, recruiting as always."

[Gralhruk]

Her mood darkens considerably as they wait. Blarth might be content to discuss the finer points of camp cooking with the newcomer, but she certainly wasn't. Cadrius begins methodically adjusting his armor and testing his sword.

Expecting trouble?

He takes a few practice swings and then catches her eye with a wry look on his face. She returns the gaze expressionlessly, wondering if it's an invitation to spar with him. Truthfully, some exercise might take her mind off the wait, but in her present state of mind, she doesn't feel right drawing a blade on him. He shrugs and goes about his practice; she's left watching an opportunity depart for better pastures. They hadn't had any chance to talk or even share each other's company since last night.

As impressed as Shade is when the bird returns and reports to Tiltowait, the triumph is somewhat shattered by the lack of information. Avian spies, apparently, didn't know much about spying.

"Well, that tells us nothing we didn't already know."

In point of fact, it actually did. It told them the prisoners were likely still alive. She knows the outcome is inevitable, and so instead of waiting she meets it head on.

"We've wasted enough time; I'll check it out myself. I've never heard of this Dothavaar."

[LonePaladin]

"Dothavaar was just some little hedge-wizard in the town I used to live near, up until the place got attacked by orcs. Some adventurers went through the place, hunting greenies, and one of them lobbed a fireball that caught said wizard's home. He died in the blast, but was brought back by the same people who did him in.

"Something... snapped in him, after that. He went into hiding, in the forest. When I found him out, he tried to burn the place down to get away. Decided that was as good a reason as any to move."

As Shade makes her way out of the clearing, the gnome asks Cadrius, "Did I interrupt something important?"

[Cadrius]

Cadrius' mouth tightens as the gnome reveals the story of Dothavaar. Tampering with the dead is never a good idea, and this sounds as if it's no exception. Did they ask his spirit first? Or did they simply drag it back, feeling bad for their carelessness, their recklessness. Cadrius suddenly has the urge to spit. Killing without regard to innocents is unacceptable, regardless of how well-intentioned they might have been. Even restoring Dothavaar did not go as they had planned.

A hedge wizard is bad enough, an insane one can only bode more trouble.

So it is not surprising that he finds himself agreeing with Shade's sentiment, they had wasted too much time here.

"I agree, let us see what we can and then on."

[Gralhruk]

Shade notes the look of distaste on Cadrius' face at the mention of a crazed wizard. She wants to move on as well, just get this over with as quickly as possible - without getting involved, if possible.

If that's what you want, then just go. Don't ask questions you don't want the answers to.

Wise advice, because somehow she knows she isn't going to like the answers. Cadrius starts walking, but she stays still, crossing her arms and staring at the gnome. She didn't always listen to her head.

"Recruiting for what?"

[Black Plauge]

Used to having his question ignored, Blarth goes back to watching the bear as it makes short work of the honey contained within the bee hive. After that it ambles over to a large tree and begins rubbing itself against it, scratching the new stings it had just received in the pursuit of its breakfast.

[LonePaladin]

"Recruiting for what?"

"I don't know," Tiltowait replies. "It just seemed to me that he was trying to get a bunch of low-lifes together. Whatever it was, it wasn't good. Anyway, doesn't matter now. There's orcs out there, and I've never met an orc that wasn't doing something bad."

Knowing the reponse this statement will elicit, he addresses Blarth. "Now, don't take that to include you; you're only HALF orc. Way I see it, you get the best of both worlds -- big and strong and tough, but also smart and patient. S'long as you don't go sour, you could do a lot better than either pure-blood."

[Black Plauge]

Focused as his attention is on the bear, Blarth does not even notice Tiltowait's comments until they are addressed directly to him.

"Uh,... Thanks... I think," Blarth replies, unsure of whether he has just been insulted or complimented.

"Umm... Your bear, is he always this calm around people?" Blarth goes on to ask, gesturing at the bear who has now taken to sharpening his claws on the tree.

[Cadrius]

Cadrius raises his eyebrows at the gnome's statement, Blarth was certainly big and strong, indeed he eclipses Cadrius, but smart and patient, he isn't so sure about. Perhaps patient, but thus far Blarth hasn't impressed Cadrius as someone who would use his head over his fists.

Then again, I might seem the same, he thinks, looking down at the plates of steel covering his body and realizing exactly how martial his life has become. There had been a time where he only wore weapons and armor while training or on duty; now he lives with them and feels uncomfortable without the extra weight.

He admits the gnome is right about one thing, Blarth seems to have potential. The very fact that he had listened to Cadrius instead of simply slay him where he stood, proves he has a good heart, or is at least willing to listen. Patience. Had Cadrius been in the same situation he isn't sure if he would've been soothed by words.

"I am going to take a closer look. Light is running out," he says, stopping long enough to look at his companions, before continuing toward the part of the woods that Shade and Blarth had emerged from. The day is fading within the clearing, the canopy has thinned enough to reveal that.

[Gralhruk]

Well, that doesn't tell me anything. Perhaps the fault is with the master rather than the birds.

She takes a moment to adjust her weapons and armor, making sure that everything is as sleek as possible and that nothing will rub or otherwise make noise. She ignores the banter between gnome and half-orc, and when Cadrius prepares to leave she is right next to him. Her own gaze falls on Laronar, who is speaking quietly to Nicos; Cadrius was right - they were losing light and the elf could see better than either of them. They are pointedly ignoring the other goings-on, though, and so returns the favor.

Let them stay here, then.

Reaching down, she slides her weapons belt a half turn around her waist. Instead of hanging at each side, the blades now rest one in front and one behind. Her left hand stays beneath her cloak and ready to draw the hidden blade at a moment's notice. Her right stays visible, as does the forward blade. An enemy might focus his attention there and lose a split second when she drew the other blade.

"Let's go. Those birds were gone for a good bit of time. I'd say we've got at least a mile, probably more, until we are close to their camp."

[Cadrius]

Cadrius nods, a quick bow of his head, before he moves into the woods. While he understands he's dependent upon his armor to save him, for once he wishes he didn't need it. He doesn't mind having to take care of it every day, polishing the overlapping plates and chain links, or constantly adjusting and checking the leather straps. It's the noise that he doesn't like. He does attempt to move quietly, and for a large man in armor, he does all right. It isn't a cacaphony, but it's nothing compared to the rest of his companions. In the back of his mind he wonders if it will some day get him killed.

Perhaps tonight, he thinks, but as his eyes drift to Shade he hopes it wouldn't be today.

They make their way through the short spanse to where Shade had first found the tracks. Once pointed out even Cadrius can recognize the massive print of a giant. Yet if she hadn't, he might've dismissed it as a an irregularity in the ground. His face is grim, but he nods once more. Giant or not, the potential survivors must be seen to. If for no other reason than to let their families back home know that they died well.

And not in the belly of an orc, he thinks, remembering Blarth's remark.

They flit between the trees, Shade little more than a moving shadow in the dim light, Cadrius larger and louder, but managing the best that he can. The mile comes and goes quickly in the waning moments of the day. She raises her hand once, and he comes to a stop, breathing shallowly in an attempt to be silent.

Then he hears it, the roar laughter accompanied by yelling in a gutteral tongue. The orc camp is near.

[Black Plauge]

The declarations of Shade and Cadrius bring Blarth's attention back to the task at hand, and although he doesn't say anything, he follows them through the woods, making enough noise to wake the dead, even without the backpack of armor he had been carrying all day. Seemingly oblivious to the noise he's making it isn't until the third time that the others tell him to shush that the noise he's making seems to reduce, and then only by a little.

Hearing the laughter a good thirty seconds before Cadrius, Blarth at least has the sense to freeze at the sound to draw his club, momentarily silencing the racket that was accompanying him through the woods.

[Gralhruk]

Flanked by a somewhat brawny escort, Shade makes her way through the woods, eyes shifting left and right as she follows the trail. It was an easy trail to follow - the giant left marks that even a novice could read. She doesn't take anything for granted, though, carefully keeping track of the others in the party. Here and there, she can see what look like the prints of the prisoners - at least three of them.

Shade chafes at the noise emanating from both Cadrius and Blarth, but grits her teeth silently. There wasn't anything to be done about it. With luck, the orcs would be cocky - there looked to be at least a dozen of them and with a hill giant along they probably weren't too worried about being attacked. When Blarth is suddenly silent, Shade looks over to see what happened. He is still as a statue, head slightly cocked. She stops and listens, hearing the raucous noise of their quarry at about the same time as Cadrius.

She holds up her hand, indicating for the two of them to stay put, and then she slides forward using all of her stealth. She only spots one sentry, but there are probably more. Her own presence goes unnoticed and she can see the red light of flame up ahead. Guided by that bloody beacon, she creeps to the edge of a clearing. Limned against the glow are the blocks forms of orcs. Her quick count puts them at 11. Her eyes travel upward, above the flames, where a lone figure is tied to a spit above the fire. He twists in agony as the flames reach his feet, and harsh laughter spills from the orcs.

Her eyes catches a sudden movement, and she focuses her gaze there. It was the giant - she hadn't noticed him in the gloom, with him sitting so still. He was hunched over something but looking off to his right. She squints but is unable to see what he's looking at. Carefully, she makes her way back to the others and grimly describes the scene.

[Cadrius]

Cadrius listens attentively at Shade's account. One shy of a dozen, plus the giant, and one captive. If it was only the orcs, he would attack; after their victory they won't be expecting any trouble, and with a careless watch posted, the three of them could tear the orcs apart before they knew what happened. Yet the giant is the real concern. Cadrius had never fought one before. Indeed, the only training he had ever received was tactical in nature.

"Should the enemy ever use one or more giants against you," one of the instructors had said, "utilize the pikemen and archers to bring it down."

Useful advice, perhaps, but Cadrius has neither polearms nor a contingent of bowmen at his disposal. The giant could swiftly turn a quick strike into a deadly skirmish. Even without seeing it, he knows he can't handle the giant alone. Orcs and hobgoblins were one thing, they might be stronger, but not by much. A giant would dwarf his strength as surely as Cadrius would a child.

"Only one prisoner?" he asks, clarifying Shade's count. His mouth is a tight line across his face. He wants to leave, the orcs will likely not be coming back this way, but there's still a man. One who is likely terrified and will meet his end soon enough.

He sighs, keeping it quiet despite the din coming from the camp and looks from Shade to Blarth and back again.

"I cannot leave that man to die like that," he says, his voice steady, but his stomach flutters ever so slightly as his body begins to anticipate combat. "I will not ask you to join me, but I do request counsel. Even being killed by one of our arrows is better than being cooked alive by them."

[Black Plauge]

Blath shivers at the description of the scene in the orc camp. The brutalness of his northern cousins never ceased to amaze him, no matter how many times he encountered it. There was no honor in taking prisoners, much less torturing them. Those who fought and lost should be given the honorable death in battle that they deserved, not roasted over a fire like a slab of meat.

I will not ask you to join me, but I do request counsel. Even being killed by one of our arrows is better than being cooked alive by them.

"Neither is truly honorable," Blarth replies, "If we can, we must free the prisoners to restore their honor."

"This creature you call a 'giant'," Blarth continues, the word sounding strange on his tounge, "surely it cannot not be much worse than the orcs it travels with?"

[Gralhruk]

"Only one prisoner?"

She looks away from his question, not wanting to answer. The result was preordained from the moment she had mentioned even the possibility of prisoners, though. Cadrius had already made his mind up before they even started out.

"Only one that I saw."

Her steel grey eyes find Blarth, wondering how this unassuming if simple soul could be related to the brutes she'd just seen. It didn't make sense.

"There was something beyond the bonfire that I couldn't really see without circling around, and I didn't want to waste any time. The giant seemed interested in it, though. Could be other prisoners. From the tracks I think there might be two more."

Blarth's question catches her by surprise. She had never encountered a giant either, but she certainly had heard of them. She wonders how Blarth managed to travel alone yet still be so ignorant. Shaking her head, she answers him quietly.

"Much more dangerous. Twice as tall as you and probably twice as strong. Try and close with one and it will likely strike you before you move in far enough to take a swing."

[Black Plauge]

Incredulous that anything could be twice as strong as himself, Blarth nevertheless lets out a low whistle at Shade's description of the giant's size. A creature that large... maybe it is twice as strong as me.

Looking at the other two, Blarth comes to a quick, if rash, desision.

"I will handle the giant. Neither of you could hope to take on a creature of such size. I'll distract it while you take care of the orcs and free the prsoners."

[LonePaladin]

Meanwhile, back at the camp:

Tiltowait asks the elf, who hasn't spoken, much less given his name, "Didn't want to go along?"

[Cadrius]

Cadrius supresses a chuckle; paritally to spare the half-orc feelings, and partially to keep any half-alert sentries from hearing him. He shakes his head once, eyes watching the distant fires.

"Nor can you, Blarth," he says, glancing over at him. The half-orc's bigger than Cadrius, although not by all that much. Either way he understands that facing the giant alone is certain death. "Perhaps together we could do it, but I would not leave Shade to handle a dozen orcs."

He folds his arms over his chest, accompanied by the slight sound of metal scraping on metal. The odds are not good, three against twelve or more, plus a giant. Yet if Blarth really could distract the giant, lead it off into the woods, then maybe Shade could get to the prisoner while Cadrius dealt with the orcs.

"If you could lure it away, perhaps we would have a chance," he says, "but you would need to be swift, Blarth. Anything that large will have long strides."

[Gralhruk]

"Perhaps together we could do it, but I would not leave Shade to handle a dozen orcs."

Her face drops at his words. It was, of course, the right thing to do and in her heart she is not at all surprised at Cadrius' choice. It was, after all, what separated him from her. Yet to hear it spoken out loud made her wince. She told herself it was at the sheer stupidity of such a decision given the overwhelming odds. Deep down, something else twists in her heart something more and less than the odds. It is the overwhelming unfairness of it all - that she could be so close to this man and still so far away.

"You mean to go through with this?"

It comes out as a harsh whisper and she lays her hands on the pommels of her swords to steady them. The three of them against four times their number, not to mention the giant. The look he gives her says it all, not that she really expected him to change his mind. Her voice is angry now.

"So be it. I'll take the sentry out; you two follow 50 yards behind me. I'll meet you when it's done. Blarth will circle around to the south side where he can get a clean shot at the giant. If he can't get the thing to follow him we're doomed."

She looks at Cadrius, her tone less accusing but sharp, her face still showing signs of her wrath.

"Our best bet will be to try and take down as many orcs as we can with missile fire from the cover of the wood. The bonfire should make them easy targets, and make it more difficult for them to spot us. If it comes to melee, we need to work together."

[Cadrius]

His mouth once more becomes a tight line at the mention of her plan. Missile weapons; he has none. While he might have had a chance to purchase some back in Karkas, he had neglected to. Perhaps had there been more time he would've thought of it. Yet had there been more time he might not have killed those three men. Or perhaps he'd have killed more. Either way it is of little use to dwell on it now.

"I have none," he says simply. It is a tactical error on his part, and one he doesn't intend on repeating, provided he survives this skirmish.

Shade's anger is apparent, and he doesn't fault her for it. Her plan only makes due with what is undoubtedly a bad idea. Blarth's concept of honor does not help matters either. Dishonorable to grant the tortured prisoners a merciful release? He thinks not.

"A wise plan. We will not survive if we do not work together."

[Gralhruk]

Her eyes blaze angrily at his dispassionate response. She spins away from the two of them with the whisper of silk. Her head snaps back, raking the two of the with her gaze and she holds up a finger.

"Fifty yards."

And then she disappears in the undergrowth. The blood coursing through her is red-hot, chasing away the chill of her fear. She twists and slides through the foliage like a dark serpent: noiseless, fluid, deadly. The sentry never even knows there is any danger. Her blade takes him at the base of the skull, severing his spinal chord before driving upward into his brain. She wraps her arm around his neck as he begins to topple, breathing through her nose to avoid grunting with the strain. She unconsciously stays to his left side, deftly avoiding the river of blood pouring from his ruined neck, easing the limp form to the ground.

She pries an ugly javelin from his rigid fingers, then slices through his thick leather belt to retrieve the three others he has strapped to his back. Then she is slipping back along her trail, not bothering to wipe the blood from her drawn blade. She hears her partners before she sees them. She jams the bunch of javelins at Cadrius without a word, then slides her sword into it's sheath and stringing her bow.

"Anything else?"

[Black Plauge]

Blarth barely waits for Shade to reappear before he begins to slink around to the south end of the camp to play his role. Following the description given by Shade, Blarth gives the camp wide berth, hoping to avoid any additional sentries. A rustle in one bush causes him to pause for a minute or so, but, as it doesn't repeat itself, he is soon off again.

Once in position, it what he is pretty sure is south of the camp, Blarth pauses a moment to ready his defenses. Opening his eyes wide, Blarth stares wildley, extending his vision forward, not in space but in time. A flash of light surrounds him, at once all colors and none, and he sees that familiar double image, seeing everything happen twice. Then, closing his eyes, Blarth's nostrils are full of the familiar scent of burning fatlings as his skin grows hard an leathery. Under a nearby bush a snake slithers northward towards the camp, seemingly frightened by Blarth's display of power.

Prepared now, physically if not mentally, for challenging the giant. Blarth moves northward towards the camp, passing the frightened snake. Breaking into the clearing a little west of where he had planned, Blarth finds a strange ceremony going on in front of him. A long haired human holding a stragely curved knife chants as he walks among a grouping of large stones. In the center of the grouping, a man lies tied to the top of a flat slab of rock. The remains of his clothing lie scattered about the crude alter, obviously cut away in preperation for the ritual. A glint of fire light off a pendant still around the man's neck draws Blarth's attention to it and as he watches the metal of the pendant begins to glow, first a dull orange and then a bright yellow. The victim screams in pain as the pendant sears his flesh.

Caught in morbid fasination, Blarth just watches as the long haired human gestures again, his words drowned out by the screaming. Once again the metal begins to glow, but this time the glow is the sparkle of reflected light as ice crystals form on the pendant. The cold from the pendant is almost palatable to Blarth, even at a distance as the victim once again cries out in agony.

As Blarth stands there meekly a small snake come slithering out of the underbrush near the stones. Making its way unnoticed over to the man, it wraps itself around his leg. Pausing in his actions, the man looks down at the snake before bending down to place his arm near it, seemingly unconcerned. Uncoiling itself from the man's leg, the snake climbs is arm and places its head near the man's ear, its tounge flicking in and out rapidly.

Almost as if its talking to him, Blarth thinks as he watches.

The man's eyes flare wide and he turns to look directly at Blarth. Calling out to the orcs around the campfire and the giant behind the altar, the man make's a violent gesture at Blarth. The chill of offensive magic assult's Blarth's mind, breaking him out of his reverie. Shaking his head to clear it, Blarth looks back to see the man moving quickly towards the prisoner his knife held high.

"NO!" Blarth shouts in a voice that seems to echo not only through the air, but also through the minds of those who hear it. Grasping their heads in pain the orcs and the giant scream, echoing Blarth's cry. Wide-eyed the man turns to stare at Blarth, who now charges toward him, a look of pure rage on his face.

[Cadrius]

The javelin feels awkward in his hand. The weight is about right for him, but it still feels a bit off. Perhaps the orcs preferred thicker wood when constructing them. He hefts it once or twice, getting a feel for how it should throw. He's used them before, but only in training. Javelins were not a popular weapon where he was from.

His feet start carrying him more quickly through the woods, heedless of the noise he's making. It's dark, but fire grows larger as he draws closer to it. He can't see Blarth anymore, nor Shade for that matter; he's concerned.

Out of the shadows an orc looms, startled perhaps by Cadrius' presence but its eyes are far sharper in the dark. It's only through blind luck and trained reflexes that his shield snaps up to ward off a cleave from a wicked looking sword. Keeping his grip on the javelin, Cadrius uses it like a spear, plunging it into the orc's throat. It drops, teeth bared, attempting to snarl defiance, and gripping the javelin in one hand. Only two javelins remain and he pulls one from the makeshift holster at his belt.

The clearing is closer now and he's lost sight of Blarth, but last he saw, the young half-orc looked to have been headed right for the center of it. A moment later, he's almost rocked off his feet at the same time he hears Blarth yell. Cadrius' head hurts, badly, but his teeth grit and he pushes on, forcing his body to move. Why does his head ring so? It's a question for another time.

Stumbling into the clearing the scene is revealed; prisoners are being ready to sacrificed, Blarth looks to be squaring off with a man, and the orcs and giant seem to be down, unconscious somehow. Perhaps the man is a spellcaster of some sort. Once closed, Blarth should be able to deal with him.

What can he do? Cadrius' arms clench under the frustration. The prisoners could be saved, but something doesn't feel right about this situation. Why are the orcs down? Why is the giant down?

I cannot execute them, he thinks, even if it is the giant.

The giant. He looks back at the creature and his eyes widen, seeing it shake its head and attempting to push itself off the ground. The giant is getting up.

"No," he whispers, casting a glance at Blarth before dropping the javelin and charging the giant. He crosses the distance quickly, sword drawn in one fluid motion. Cadrius leaps upon the giant's chest, leading with his shield and striking the giant across the face with it.

Surprised, the beast falls back, crashing into the earth, but within a second Cadrius can feel the brute rising again. He's caught it off-guard, but already his advantage is waning. With each passing moment the it recovers more and more from whatever had knocked it out. Cadrius is strong for a man, and his equipment weighs a considerable amount, but what is this to someone over twice his height and at least thrice his weight, including armor? He's winning for now, but it won't last long.

[Gralhruk]

With Cadrius and Blarth plowing toward the clearing, Shade follows more carefully, anger coursing through her veins. As she approaches she can hear the roar of flame and above it the high pitched shriek of a human in dire pain. She pauses at the edge of the clearing as Blarth shouts and she reels, her head feeling as if someone just thrust a piece of white hot metal through her skull.

The clearing is still for a moment but for the writhing flames of the fire, and then Cadrius is lunging at the sluggish giant while Blarth charges forward. The orcs are down, not moving, and Shade pauses, still unable to see Blarth's foe. The giant begins to rise, towering over the much smaller human. Her decision is made. She drops her bow and charges forward, an incoherent howl coming from her lips as her blades suddenly flash in the red light.

***

The long haired human pays the enraged half orc no further heed, intent as he is on the helpless man atop the alter before him. Nevertheless, Blarth hears a deep growl as something big materializes from the shadows beyond the alter and lopes to intercept him. Smallish eyes blaze with ferocious intent from it's rounded, blunt skull. It moves with the dangerous ease of a predator, it's squarish body powerfully muscled, wicked looking claws gleaming ivory in the semi-dark. The markings and attitude are that of a wolverine, but one far larger than any imaginable. It growls again, the sound somewhere between the deep rumble of thunder and the shriek of steel on steel.

The wind whips up, fanning the wicked bonfire, the roar of flames finally drowning the screech of the man immersed therein. The stench of burning flesh hangs over the clearing like a shroud. Skin shrivels and cracks as his husk succumbs to the heat, bursting into flame.

The sudden increase in light flickers over the priest's dark features, leaving his eyes shadowed in wells of darkness. The edge of the knife is limned, a bright white crescent against the evening sky, and then it plunges into the victim's chest. The bound man arches, his back cracking like a sail catching the wind, a single bolt of lightning sizzling out of the sky to stike the amulet at his neck.

[Black Plauge]

Charging towards the priest, desperate to stop the sacrifice about to take place, Blarth doesn't notice the wolverine until its too late. The creature's teeth sink into Blarth's leg and, in a habit more common in its smaller cousins, lock on, dragging Blarth to the ground. As Blarth falls, he watches helplessly as the priest plunges the knife into the chest of his victim. Roaring in frustration, Blarth turns on the wolverine, slamming his club down on its head with all his might. The sound of the impact resounds through the clearing as the wolverine is knocked off of Blarth's leg, sprawling onto the ground. It doesn't take long to recover, however, and it is soon on its feet again, its own eyes a reflection of the anger filling Blarth's.

[Cadrius]

Snarls, roars, whimpers; these are all but lost on Cadrius, for the giant now stirs. It opens its eyes and tries to move, and despite the considerable weight on its chest, he is succeeding. The fallen paladin is awkwardly placed for an attack and rams his shield into his enemy's face once more, the metal colliding against skin thick enough to be armor. The giant turns his head with the blow, wincing and Cadrius finds himself with an opening to use his blade. He draws it back, attempting to get a killing stroke in. It never falls.

There's a loud slap as the giant's hand strikes platemail and Cadrius is sent hurtling away. He hits the ground and rolls, colliding with an oak tree. Pain errupts in his back and his vision is blurred, but he doggedly pushes himself to his feet, giving his head a good shake. The images of those surrounded by this copse of trees seem less foggy.

Across the clearly the giant has gained his feet, and spreads his arms wide, roaring in anger. Cadrius begins to charge again, but not as quickly this time.

[Gralhruk]

The flash of lightning leaves spots dancing in front of her eyes, the visual equivalent to the incessant ringing still echoing in her head. The images around her blend into a violent collage of pain and blood, her own headlong rush a feeble midnight streak on the canvas. Cadrius moves forward to strike the killing blow and for a moment she believes he will succeed. The moment is short lived and the blood drains from her face as a casual blow from the giant sends the valiant warrior flying, the cold worm of fear opening wide and feasting on the heat of her anger.

Her heart skips a beat as his limp form sails skyward, then slams against her sternum with a vengeance when the battered warrior struggles to his feat. The anger returns and fear shrivels beneath the white hot flood. She charges ferociously at her massive opponent, weapons aimed low, then leaps and spins as she comes within it's reach. She twists her hips and snaps her legs around, landing on her feet and then instantly tumbling past the pillar of it's leg, one blade slashing at the massive hamstring as she gains her feet, black blood arcing in it's wake.

[Black Plauge]

Laughing as the impact of Blarth's club on the wolverine's head serves only to enrage it, the druid chants something unitelligable and gestures at the wolverine, watching with amusement as the lack of any visible effect from the spell clearly confuses Blarth.

Full of unbridled ferocity the wolverine attacks Blarth again, leaving him little choice but to defend himself. Just barely dodging one of its forepaws at it swipes at him, Blarth moves right into the second swipe with the other paw which rakes along his arm. Gritting his teeth against the pain, Blarth swings his club upwards, trying to knock the creature's mouth away before it can bite him. He connects solidly, but still the creatures teeth manage to rake across the back of Blarth's hands on his club, opening new wounds. Recoiling from the strike the wolverine growls as it prepares to strike again.

***

The flying body of Cadrius, draws the druids attention away from the battle between Blarth and the wolverine. Turning just in time to see Shade duck past the giant's reach and hamstring the creature, the druid curses and grabs his dagger, yanking it violently from the chest of the corpse on the table, causing it to convulse as if still fighting for life. He then moves quickly towards one of the stones surrounding the altar.

[Cadrius]

Dead. Cadrius sees the blade yanked from the prisoner's chest. The reason they are here is now dying, undergoing his last convulsions as his soul flees this world. Despair wells within the fallen paladin and he opens his mouth to call a retreat. A giant, a spell-wielder, and his fearsome companion will be more than a match for the three of them. Yet his teeth click together as he snaps his jaw shut. Shade is charging the giant.

Her movements are fluid and graceful and the acrobatics she begins keep her easily away from the clumsy lunge the giant makes at her. She's set up, risking her life once more to aid him. The devotion, the willingness to put her life in their collective hands, touches the fallen paladin for the briefest moment. Yet this act also seals their fate. If things go badly Shade might be able to lose the giant in the woods, relying on her skill and cunning. Blarth, as well, might be able to do so. Cadrius will not. The longer they fight, the more time their foes will have to regroup.

The cup has rattled, the die has been cast. It is time to see what their gamble will lead them to. Cadrius roars, the emotions of the past week all flood through him and into his voice. The rage, the pain, the hope, they all fill him to the point of bursting and then press further. His yell almost matches the giant's for volume and easily surpasses it in raw emotion.

Barreling forward Cadrius makes a long sweeping cut with his blade, leaving an equally long laceration on the giant's midsection. The giant stumbles back and one hand grips a sapling for support.

That is no tree, he thinks, recognizing that what he had believed to be a young tree has neither leaves nor even branches. The giant hefts the oversized cudgel into his hands and grins wickedly.

[Gralhruk]

From the corner of her eye Shade sees Cadrius charge their immense adversary. She shifts her position, aiming to put the giant squarely between them as it hefts it's own weapon. It swings that huge club two handed, the wind in it's wake like a hurricane. Her world is blotted out as the gnarled surface of the cudgel swings toward her, moving far more quickly than something that size should be able to. Without thinking, she reverses course and springs back.

If it had hit her squarely, she would undoubtedly be dead. As it is, the rough surface only clips her and she is sent spinning away, wind knocked from her lungs as she hits the turf. She continues rolling, finally coming to rest on her hands and knees, blood running freely from her mouth and nose.

From somewhere behind her come enraged bellows that could be Blarth, the wolverine, or both. The only thought on her mind is Cadrius, alone and too stubborn to quit fighting. They can't win, and she knows it. A slender hand tightens on a leather wrapped hilt and, gasping for air, she focuses her will and starts to rise.

[Black Plauge]

Getting frustrated with the wolverine, Blarth watches it carefully.

If I time this just right... he thinks to himself, readying his club for the wolverine's next attack.

Swinging with all his might when the wolverine lunges forward to strike again, Blarth connects solidly with the wolverines midsection. Yelping in pain, the wolverine is knocked off its feet and tumbles away from Blarth. Coughing blood, it struggles to regain its feet and its breath.

Its still fighting!

***

Standing next to the stone, the druid places his hand on it, preparing to call upon the enhanced energies stored in the stone, when the yelp of the wolverine draws his attention. Seeing the wolverine's reaction to the blow it just received, he hesitates, unsure as to whether the two humans or the single half-orc present the bigger threat.

[Gralhruk]

Still on her knees, Shade lifts her head and finds herself locked eye to eye with the mysterious, dark haired druid. For a moment, she forgets the battle, the shrieks, the dying. Eyes like pitch threaten to overwhelm her, draw her deep into their depths and suffocate her. They glitter with a malice, a knowing, as if he can withdraw her very sould and pin it naked before him.

Child of my heart.

She isn't sure if the words are spoken, or if they simply ring in her skull, but she knows he is talking to her. The wind stirs his midnight hair, like in color unto her own, and he smiles. Her heart freezes, and the shadows around him seem to grow so black they are almost blue. The blood of the fallen of Hieroneous drips from his curved knife, to fall unheeded at his feet.

You serve me, whether you will it or no.

Her vision clouds, the shadows drawing inward on them, the cold intensifying until she is numbed. His eyes still pin her to the ground, so dark they are no longer simply black, now become voids into another world. He moves forward, still smiling, and the spell is broken along with her resolve. She tumbles backwards, gains her feet, and charges once more towards Cadrius - this time staying well out of the giant's reach.

"RUN! CADRIUS, BLARTH, RUN!"

[Cadrius]

It ignores me? he thinks, falling through confusion, trepidation, and then straight into righteous indignation. It ignores me! In favor of what? A lithe woman, lightly armored with a pair of small blades. Meanwhile Cadrius, easily bearing over fifty pounds of steel, and a blade that would fall somewhere between a short and longsword for the giant, is ignored.

The burn of his wounded pride is momentarily quenched as he watches the giant swing its club downward at Shade. Yet it flares again once he realizes she's relatively unharmed.

I shall teach it a lesson for turning its back on me. And he does.

The giant has its back turned to him, and while Cadrius might normally be loathe to strike a foe in such a manner, this is no ordinary enemy, and more importantly, it willfully turned its attention from him.

With a low growl that rapidly turns into a roar, he swings the bastard sword with all of his strength. Cutting through thick hide armor, and equally thick giant skin and right into muscle, the blade cleaves through the back of its thigh.

The giant arcs its back in pain, bellowing before turning its attention on Cadrius. Inside he feels the slightest glimmer of satisfaction. He has its attention. And then everything falls apart. Shade tumbles past him, yelling to flee. There's something in her voice too, an urgency, perhaps panic, that worries the fallen paladin.

Had he not struck, he might've been able to begin a retreat, Shade could evade the giant's arms while performing her acrobatics, but Cadrius would have to rely on his armor, like he always does. This time though, it might not be enough. He likely cannot best this enemy through strength of arms. Cautiously he takes a couple steps backward while the giant advances, towering over him.

[Black Plauge]

Desperately trying to dodge the persistant animal, Blarth shifts to the left as it lunges. The wolverine reacts however as if it had been anticipating this move and strikes home with both claws, tearing long gashes in Blarth's clothes and skin. Growling in frustration, Blarth takes another two handed swing at the wolverine with his club, once again knocking it off its feet. This time however, the wolverine does not get up, its form lies still in a bloody mess.

Panting heavily Blarth turns his attention back towards the druid when Shades yell cuts through his frenzy. There is panic clearly evident in her voice. Something has gone wrong! Blarth thinks looking towards the source of Shade's voice. The giant! I was supposed to distract it! Blarth thinks, belatedly remembering the plan. Trying to make up for the delay the wolverine cost him, Blarth rushes over to where Cadrius and the giant are, hoping he's not too late.

***

As the wolverine gives its dying yelp the druid looks over to see it loyal companion lying in a heap where Blarth left it. Moving to its side, he casts a spell over its still form, breathing life back into it. Then, instructing it to flee, the druid turns to exact his revenge on the half-orc.

[Gralhruk]

She stumbles once in her haste but continues driving forward. Peripherally, she is aware of Blarth's approach though the very air around her seems to have dimmed. Shade almost feels like she is submerged in the murky waters of a stagnant pond, cut off from the harsh light of the pyre. Cadrius seems unaffected by the haze, and his form is like a light in the darkness, the giant a vast pillar of smoke.

Seeing his hesitation, she angles toward him, seizing his cloak and pulling. He barely registers the gesture, his bulk and strength still directed at the giant. Her voice is lower now but more urgent, a harsh and grating sound that cuts through the din of battle.

"Leave it. There isn't anything left to fight for."

Oddly enough, the giant seems to hesitate for a moment. Shade is already backing away, not wanting to waste any time but afraid to leave lest the others ignore her plea. Her eyes shift, but the far end of the grove is inky, the blackness covering the altar and the druid. The mist seems to part and he strides forth, the darkness curling about him like smoke. His smile is bright, almost maniacal, as his eyes once again look for hers.

[Cadrius]

His vision dims, and Cadrius wonders if he hit the tree harder than initially thought. The far end of the clearing fades into shadow despite the nearby roaring fire. The blaze looks diminished, cowed somehow. Yet his gauntlets, his shield, looks the same. They don't shine, but they look as solid as they did minutes earlier.

Something pulls on him, speaking to him. Telling him to leave. It's over, nothing left to save. They've failed. It all washes over him and yet leaves him untouched. The well of despair does not open underneath his feet, nor does the rage. He feels cool, but detached, like he's dreaming or perhaps watching this fight rather than participating in it.

The giant, no more than a blurry shape before him hauls its club back for a crushing strike. There's an audible whoosh, as its drawn back, and a greater one as it sweeps downward.

At last connecting with the situation, Cadrius moves. Shoving Shade backward with his sword hand, careful to keep the edge parallel to her. He moves to the side, his other arm lifting his shield to deflect part of the impact. The massive cudgel skips off part of the shield and Cadrius' arm goes numb from the blow. Had he taken it head on, his arm likely would've broken.

He strikes, a quick, neat cut along the giant's meaty forearm and then springs backward, his cloak whipping around him as he plunges into the shadows. He cannot outrun the giant, but he hopes that he can buy Shade and Blarth time.

[Black Plauge]

For a moment the clearing seems to darken, to grow less substantial, but then Blarth feels the familiar tingle of magical influence on his mind and shakes it clear. Glancing over his shoulder at the druid, Blarth sees the look on his face and realizes that he has just been toying with them. It was easily within his power to destroy them all, even with all the orcs still rolling on the ground in agony.

"Leave it. There isn't anything left to fight for."

Shade's voice cuts through, bringing him back to the giant before him as its club rings off of Cadrius' sheild.

I can out run this oversized brute, and Shade could easily out fox him, but Cadrius will never get away with all that armor slowing him down. Besides, the giant was supposed to be my responsibility, Blarth thinks to himself.

"Cadrius, go with Shade. I'll catch up with the two of you later," Blarth says, echoing Shade's sentiment. Then, taking a step to place himself between Cadrius and the giant, Blarth brings his club down on the giant's foot with as much force as he can muster, hoping to draw its attention away from Cadrius and Shade.

[Gralhruk]

Though his back is turned, Shade can see the stubborn set of Cadrius' jaw by the tension in his back. Gritting her teeth, she makes ready to try again but he shoves her back and then takes a glancing blow from the Giant's club that would have surely dropped her. He reels with the impact, but steels himself enough to wound the brute in return.

Her world seems to be falling away with the realization that he isn't leaving. This thing was going to kill him and she had two choices: run and let him die, or stay and die with him. Her head is about to explode with the nonsensical stupidity of it all when Blarth appears out of the murk and distracts the giant.

He can outrun it.

Pushing aside her guilt at his selflessness, she grabs eagerly onto the way out that he has offered.

"He can outrun it! Remember the plan."

She tugs once again on his unyielding form, more insistent now. It could save all of them. Time was running out like water through her fingers.

"COME ON!"

She pulls with all her strength, succeeding in turning him halfway around. Deep down, she knows that she'd never have moved him even that far if some part of him didn't want to listen to her. She doesn't let go.

"Come on."

[Cadrius]

This is not right, not how it is supposed to be done, he thinks, letting Shade half-pull, half-coerce him away from the combat. He may not be able to lure it away. I am the most armed, most armored, and most experienced. If it needs to be fought, I should be the one.

Still, he knows he cannot best the giant. Despite solid swordsmanship he's hardly been able to put a dent in the beast's power. It limps, but only faintly, from the blow he delivered to its leg. The rest are merely minor cuts, injuries it could likely sustain by simply wrestling with one of its kin. Cadrius fervently hopes there aren't any more giants around.

I do not like this. Yet he turns all the same and plunges into the darkness once more with Shade. Heedless of noise Cadrius moves as fast as he is able. Nowhere near as quick as an unarmored man, he hopes that Blarth thinks to lead the giant in a different direction.

And throughout all of this there's the intangible caress of defeat. It was Cadrius' insistance that lead them here, to watch the man die, and to nearly add three more lives to the toll. Once more his sense of honor, valor, or simply his death wish, has risked the lives of others.

Eyes focused ahead, he stumbles through the woods.

[Black Plauge]

Unable to spare even a second glance at Cadrius and Shade, Blarth's only sign of their departure is the clatter of metal that accompanies Cadrius. His attention is devoted soley to the giant in front of him. The giant, for his part seems more angered than injured by Blarth's strike to his foot and tries to return the favor, swinging at Blarth with his own, much bigger club. Fortunately for Blarth, however, the giant is momentarily distracted by the noise of Cadrius' departure and doesn't follow through properly on his swing, enabling Blarth to get out of the way.

I've got to give Cadrius and Shade time to get away, Blarth thinks to himself, desperate to keep the giants attention. Swinging hard, Blarth tries to take out one of the giant's knees, but the giant moves at the last second and Blarth's swing goes well wide. With that miss the pent up anger which had been driving him forward drains out of Blarth, and the first signs of fear creep into his mind.

[Gralhruk]

Her relief is a tangible thing when Cadrius finally makes the decision to follow. The look on his face is almost enough to swamp this momentary assuagement. Gritting her teeth against the contrary feelings, she breaks for the woods. They would live, for now at least, and that's what was important. At least, that's what she told herself.

Once the forest closes around them she slows slightly, moving purposely and allowing Cadrius to keep pace with her. It wouldn't do to let him fall behind, where he might decide to change his mind about where they were going. For once, the noise of his passage is a comfort instead of an annoyance.

It will work out. It has to.

She let the thought run over and over in her head, for the moment not thinking about all the things that could go wrong. She angles back toward the spot where they had formed their plan, to get her bearings and take a slight rest. They would meet Blarth back where they'd left Laronar, Nicos and the druid. She stops, her grey eyes finally meeting Cadrius' blue. Her veil is down, torn by the giant's blow yet her lower face remains shrouded, dark with blood.

[LonePaladin]

Swinging hard, Blarth tries to take out one of the giant's knees, but the giant moves at the last second and Blarth's swing goes well wide.

A bear walks into the clearing.

It's not an overly large bear, really not much bigger than a human. Its shaggy brown fur bristles slightly when it sees the giant, and it lets out a low growl. Without hesitation, it runs forward, charging at the giant.

Bears can run. Fast. And disturbingly quiet, when they're of a mind to. The giant doesn't even notice until the bear rakes its claws across the back of its calf, scoring four gashes across the wound the fallen paladin had left.

Just as the giant starts to turn and appraise the new threat, there is a flash of light about five paces behind it. A glowing green radiance quickly spreads in a circle around the spot, like a strange flash-fire. When the glow has spread about a stone's throw across, the entire circle flashes brightly.

Almost instantly, all of the vegetation in the area -- grass, weeds, tree branches, even leaves -- grow to massive, unrealistic proportions, and begin writhing like a man in pain. Before it can react, the giant is caught within a grasping, constricting mass of plant life. Far behind it, the dead wolverine has been lifted off the ground by the mass, and even the dark druid finds himself being wrenched around, his ceremonial knife plucked out of his grasp.

As Blarth -- just at the edge of the chaotic tangle -- wonders about this new development, he hears a familiar voice. A curious, energetic gnome; the newcomer.

"Hey! Half-orc! Get out of there!"

[Cadrius]

He's not tired, and Shade looks ready to keep running, but they stop all the same. Perhaps he couldn't maintain the pace forever, but he could move at speed for a while yet, certainly long enough to get to their camp and perhaps beyond if need be. Yet he's grateful for the reprieve for another reason. The sky is cloudless, and the canopy thin, allowing a dim silver light to filter over them.

The veil that she so commonly wears before heading into battle is off. Strange, he thinks, perhaps she does not wear it while running for her life. Yet there's something odd about the way the shadow falls across her face. It looks like it doesn't quite belong. Almost a full minute after they've stopped, Cadrius realizes it's a bruise.

"You are injured," he says, stating the fact as if he might his own wounds; a simple assessment of the situation, yet he still takes a step forward, peering at her face with concern. It looks painful, and undoubtedly she carries more, but it will need to wait.

Once more his odd sense of humor springs up. "Come, let us reach camp so we can nurse my wounded pride."

[Gralhruk]

"You are injured"

Cadrius steps forward, concern in his eyes. Shade meets his gaze, her eyes curiously devoid of any emotion. One hand touches her mouth and comes away stained with blood. Her injuries went far deeper than the surface.

If you only knew.

Mechanically, she reaches for the veil but all she encounters are it's torn remnants. The slim hand drops to her sword hilt, resting comfortably on the worn handle. She studies the angle at which he holds his shield arm, notes the shine of a dark liquid smearing the joints of his armor on that limb.

"I'll live. You're not unscathed yourself."

Her eyes find his own when he jokes, and she stares at him searchingly. He had made light of painful situations before. She decides it is his way of defending himself against despair. That realization doesn't do anything for the way she is feeling, though. His good mood still grates, not the least of which because her own mood is so black. She shifts abruptly, adjusting the angle of her blade as she turns toward camp.

"We won't be staying long enough to nurse anything. We'll move as soon as Blarth arrives, and if I have my way, we'll keep moving until we reach that damned Citadel."

[Black Plauge]

The writhing vegitation startles Blarth more than the appearence of the bear and he instinctivly shies away from it.

Hey! Half-orc! Get out of there!

Blarth can't help but agree with the suggestion made by a somewhat familiar voice. Holding his club in one hand, Blarth grabs one of his biceps and wills the tatoo there into action. The momentary distraction, however, allows the giant, entagled though he is, to score one last hit on Blarth, knocking him back towards the edge of the clearing. When he hits the ground however, he doesn't come so an abrubt halt as one would normally expect. Instead he seems to slide over the ground as if he had landed on ice. Recovering his footing, Blarth skates towards the edge of the clearing, moving much faster than any would believe possible.


***

Back in the clearing, the druid, casts a spell and immediately all the writhing plants holding him and the giant begin to die. Released from their strangling hold, the giant makes to go after Blarth, but the druid restrains him with a gesture.

"Let them go. Those children are no threat to us," he says, looking around at the orcs who are just begining to shake their heads clear of the mental shock. "I doubt they even know what they have gotten themselves involved in. Come, we have more important matters to attend to. We will deal with those meddlers later." With that he sweeps into the forest near the altar, the giant and the orcs following meekly in his wake.

[LonePaladin]

Tiltowait winces when he sees the half-orc take a parting shot from the giant. His eyes widen when Blarth seems to slide across the ground. Shaking his head and saying, "Oooooookay," he trots back to the camp.

It doesn't take him long to return, since the undergrowth completely fails to hinder him -- it seems to move out of his way, in fact. As soon as he enters the clearing, he announces himself:

"Anyone miss me?"

[Gralhruk]

Their journey back to the camp is both short and quiet. Shade holds up one hand as they approach, peering carefully into the deserted glade. Everyone was gone. Prudence dictated she search the perimeter before entering.

What difference does it make?

Having just been used for target practice by a giant and grazed by the arcane power of a maniacal druid she is in no mood to sweat the little things. She steps boldly into the clearing, her body language daring something to attack her. Nothing happens, and her grey eyes scan the ground where her companions were last seen. The gnome's tracks went off towards their own. Laronar and Nicos, however, had taken a different route. Puzzled, she seats herself on a stump and pulls out her canteen, slowly pulling the stopper and raising it to her lips.

Anyone miss me?

The unexpected voice startles her enough that she chokes. Spitting water and coughing mightily, she spins towards it's source, one hand on her blade. When she sees the gnome she releases her blade and pushes a few words through the coughing.

"What . . . happened . . . to the others?"

[LonePaladin]

"What . . . happened . . . to the others?"

Tiltowait leans against a tree. "They decided to go on ahead of us. Said something about you having the situation in hand. I wasn't so sure myself, so I decided to follow. Found the half-orc -- what's his name? -- in a spot of trouble, so I covered his escape. He should be here in a second. Where's the other guy, the one with the sword? Is he hurt? I can heal one of you, but only a little."

[Cadrius]

"I will be fine," Cadrius says, emerging from the shadows. His hand releases the hilt of his sword. Nicos and Laronar gone are, perhaps it is for the best, after all they aren't exactly fond of Cadrius. "Please see to Shade first."

His arm hurts, but it's not so bad. Certainly he's had worse before. He made light of his pride earlier, but there is more than a single note of truth to it. They had failed to best the enemies in combat. The giant, the caster, and the orcs. Alone they might have taken any of them, but combined it was simply too much for the three would-be rescuers.

More importantly, they had failed to save another life. That man likely had a family somewhere, and they had been unable to keep him alive. The fact that he was useful as a sacrifice also troubles the fallen paladin. The only ones he'd ever heard of requird a virgin.

Or one that is devout...

[LonePaladin]

The gnome gives the warrior an appraising look, then shrugs, and approaches the woman. "If you want that fixed -- well, somewhat, enough to stop you from bleeding to death at least, 'cause you're not going to accomplish whatever it is if you end up dead in a gully somewhere, are you? Um, anyway, if you want me to heal you, could you please put your sword away?"

[Gralhruk]

The look she shoots at Cadrius is as sharp as the blade she holds before her. His stubborness stings her, as does his insistence on treating her as if she were fragile. After all they had been through, he still seemed to think she needed protection.

If he wants to walk around hurting, then let him.

Instead of doing as the gnome asks, she pulls off the remnants of her veil and uses them to wipe the blade carefully. It takes her a few moments - giant blood seemed a bit thicker than the human variety. Apparently satisfied, she sheathes it and then nods to the gnome.

"Sure thing."

[LonePaladin]

Tiltowait reaches up and puts his hand on Shade's chest. Before she can flinch away, he speaks a word of power, and a flash of green light erupts from his palm, diffusing into her. Almost immediately, her wounds accelerate their natural healing. There is a brief instant of pain, but it quickly subsides.

"There," he says. "That'll help you mend some. You might still get some scars, though -- all I can do is speed up the process, not the 'poof-you're-healed' type that the clerics use. Tomorrow, if you like, I can give both of you some more powerful healing. Now, where's that half-orc -- what's his name? -- he should've been here before me, the way he was sliding around."

[[ Tiltowait casts cure light wounds, healing 10 points of ouchies. ]]

[Cadrius]

"If Blarth was smart," Cadrius says, flexing and relaxing his injured arm, "he will have lead the giant in a different direction before trying to return. Give him some time to return."

He watches the gnome work his magic, healing some of Shade's injuries, and a twinge of guilt mingled with regret passes through the fallen paladin.

There was a time when I could have done that.

"Still, when Blarth returns I say we press on as far as we can given the night. We are still too close to the giant and his spell-casting comrade for my comfort."

[Gralhruk]

Shade flinches as the gnome touches her, more because of the invasion of her personal space than anything else, but the healing is painless and over almost before it begins. When he withdraws his gnarled hand and steps back, she is feeling considerably better. She touches her face tenatively, missing her veil, as he lectures about scars and skating half-breeds.

"Blarth will be back before too long. We should be ready to go, but it would be wise to get some rest now."

Instead of taking her own advice, though, she slinks towards the edge of the clearing. She pauses at the edge, wondering why the half-orc hadn't been right behind Tiltowait and not liking the possibilities. She had a feeling what Cadrius would want to do if he didn't show up. The thought of running across the druid again made her shudder.

"I'm going to scout around, see if I can hear him anywhere. I'll stay within shouting distance, though."

[LonePaladin]

"Okay. If you see a big, fuzzy bear, that'll be Talon. Just lead him back here, and don't take him up on an offer to wrestle. He cheats."

[Cadrius]

If he sits, even for a moment, it will be all the harder to stand back up. The night's events are finally catching up to his tired body, fatigue pulling ever-harder on his muscles. The battle, the flight, and now the stress of pursuit and missing comrades is almost too much for the fallen paladin to bear, almost.

His stubborness, more than any great reserve of strength, is the reason he stills stands, and it continues to remain so. Cadrius remains upright in the clearing, gently wiping his wide blade with a strip of cloth. The blood from the giant stains the blade, making it look almost black in the starlight.

The little ritual finished, he sheathes his blade and shoulders his backpack, making certain that Shade's equipment are similarly ready to go should she return in full flight.

Looking over at Tiltowait he nods once in appreciation, wordlessly thanking the gnome for his assistance.

[Gralhruk]

She stalks through the forest of night, the shadows dark enough to seem like living things, a viscous mist of ebony. They swallow her in a midnight maw and she surrenders to the embrace. It is her retreat, a place she goes where none can follow, where she can be safe.

The chill in the air is intense, frigid in the shadows, and she can feel the blood retreating from her limbs even as she retreats from her fears. She clenches her jaw when her teeth want to chatter and she slides to a halt, listening to the sounds of the night.

Despite the unnatural dark, the noises are predicatble - friendly even - but this does nothing to calm her raw nerves. A single night ago she had seen the possibilty for things she had never allowed herself to even hope for.

What did she have to offer someone like him? Nothing. Even now, she could feel the anger that he had risked so much for something that was finished before they ever got there, something that would have finished them all had they gotten there any sooner. And yet that sense of purpose, that stubborn refusal to put himself above his sense of what was right - wasn't that what she admired? Despite the cold she unclasps her cloak, seats herself on a rock, and drapes the garment across her knees.

What good was his love if he was dead? What good was anything if she ended up dead? A dagger appears in her hand, a white spark on it's edge a reflection of the moon. Carefully, she slits the lower hem of the silken cloak, separating a long swath of the deep grey lining from the heavy, midnight blue outer shell.

The ache in her heart goes beyond the failure, beyond the disappointment. It was the pain of seeing her hopes for what they were, for knowing she would have been better off never letting herself be so naive. Still sitting, she twists her wrists and flips the cloak about her shoulders, shivering as it traps the cold air against her like a heavy cloud. She fashions the strip of grey cloth into a veil, hiding the lower half of her face.

Her grey eyes are steely again and as she stands her body follows suit. Like a spring muscled feline, she sets off into the dark. Whatever happened, Shade would take care of herself.

[Black Plauge]

Where the hell am I?

As hard as it was, Blarth had to admit it; he was lost. Somehow in his rush to get away from the giant, Blarth had lost his bearings and was now clueless as to which way to head to rejoin the others. Ironically, thinking back on his flight, it hadn't sounded like the giant was following him, so in addition to being lost, he was lost for no good reason.

Trak would have never allowed this to happen to him, Blarth muses to himself as he looks around for clues about which way to head, Of course, he wouldn't have gotten involved in the first place. Two humans would have never been worth the risk for him.

Picking a direction at random, Blarth makes a quick prayer to Geluk that its the right direction and sets out.

As he travels the signs that of the lack of water change become apparent again, indicating that he is headed in the right general direction. However, the right general direction doesn't turn out to be right enough and Blarth comes to the edge of the forest before finding the others.

In front of him lies the vast wasteland of the Desolated Zone. Some where out there was the Citadel, to which his traveling companions had been headed. With no suplies, and no way of finding his companions, Blarth would have to face this wasteland alone if he hopes to find the Citadel and rejoin them.

Resting his head against a rock, Blarth cried himself to sleep as the sun rose.

[Cadrius]

"Half an hour and neither pursuit, nor Blarth," he says, "we cannot wait much longer, but I will not be able to go far while it is still dark."

His jaw clenches, disliking the taste this decision gives him. He turns his head to look at Shade and then Tiltowait. She hadn't found anything during her scouting; the gnome had been equally without luck with his animal friends. Cadrius wants to stay, wants to wait for Blarth; a hero deserves such things. That's what Blarth is, isn't he? A hero. He risked his neck so that Cadrius and Shade might escape. A half-orc who had been abused by humans, who had believed that Cadrius was responsible for Trak's imprisonment and subsequent death, ended up willing to sacrifice himself for two people he hardly knew. It's difficult to believe, but Cadrius finds himself admiring the simple man, and he wonders from which parent the bravery stemmed from.

Likely both, he thinks.

"I say we set out, a short distance, perhaps an hour at the most and make camp. If they were going to find us, they would have done so by now. Still, I will rest easier knowing we have put some distance between us."

More importantly the chill has already settled into his bones. His face has already numbed to the cold and he takes slow, deep breaths, letting the air be drawn in and warmed by his body before exhaling. It's yet another trick they were taught, but Cadrius isn't certain if it's working, he still feels quite cold.

He levels his gaze on Shade and receives nothing beyond her typical steely gaze. What had happened to the almost vulnerable kindred soul he had discovered in the woods just the other night? Gone, replaced with the survivor, the cold, calculating persona that's kept her alive. The fallen paladin understands, but wishes there was more time to be away from the ever-present danger that plagues them.

You don't deserve rest, a part of him, a very dark part, taunts, should've died back there in that god forsaken town. And you certainly don't deserve love, no matter how twisted it might be.

He mentally silences the voice, unwilling to deal with guilt, frustration, or pain. Instead he concentrates on staying warm, pacing back and forth, and taking deep, steady breaths.

[Gralhruk]

Shade watches Cadrius pace the length of their small grove, her eyes still as a predator's above her new grey veil. His suggestion is a sound one and yet she finds herself ready to disagree with him. It was an argument that she wanted, not sound council. The impulse passes and she nods at his enquiring look.

"Let's do that."

Her glance takes in the gnome, uncertain as to what part he was willing to play. His small face wrinkles into a familiar smile, the little man seemingly oblivious to the tension between Shade and Cadrius. The twinkle in his eye gives Shade some doubt - maybe he's just ignoring it. The gnome speaks up in answer to her unasked question.

"I won't be coming along - I have some things to see to now that the hornet's nest has been stirred up. My ears are open, though, and if I receive word of your friend I'll point him in the right direction."

Shade looks back to Cadrius, pulling her cloak close. It seemed she was always cold these days, fingers numb, teeth on the verge of chattering. Strange she didn't mind being cold, although she had always hated it in the past. Behind her the gnome clears his throat and she shifts without turning. His voice drifts across the two of them.

"You might see me again if you pass through on your way back. I have a sense of these things."

Shade turns around to respond, but aside from Cadrius, the clearing is empty. Tiltowait is nowhere to be seen. She adjusts the straps of her pack and loosens one blade in it's scabbard before folding her arms and shrugging.

"Looks like it's just me and you, then."

Without waiting for an answer, she sets off in the direction she judges the Citadel to be. Her pace, as usual, is difficult and she puts her anger into every step. Twice the time Cadrius has proposed passes before she starts looking for a suitable resting place, yet the former paladin says nothing, doggedly following her silhouette. A short while later and, with her chin, she gestures at a huge pine tree on a small rise.

"That looks like home for tonight."

On the lee side of the tree she mounds a thick layer of pine needles before proceeding to screen the windward side with the needle clad branches from some other neighboring firs. She doesn't bother explaining to Cadrius and he doesn't ask, simply helping her at each task in turn. The result is a small shelter on dry ground and screened from the wind - not the warmest place in the world, but they certainly won't freeze to death.

[Cadrius]

Weariness, pain, loss; they're all too familiar to Cadrius, and yet because of this, he's able to press on though his muscles have carried a dull ache for the past hour. He almost welcomes it, the fatigue, as it will guarantee that he won't see the crumpled form of a slain man in his dreams. Oblivion will claim his consciousness, and Cadrius is more than willing to surrender to it. So both his mind and body are grateful when Shade at last decides upon an area for rest.

It's a tree, a pine to boot, and Cadrius is reminded of spending a night underneath the great limbs of another such tree. Only before they weren't alone, a young nobleman and a woman with a shorn head had accompanied them. As Cadrius lays his possessions upon the ground, his thoughts turn to Maeko, wondering what became of her after Karkas. He hopes she didn't meet the same fate that the other one had. Cadrius draws in a deep breath and sighs, watching it fog in the chill autumn air, and wonders why it is he's lived so long, throwing his life into the fray while those more innocent, and less deserving, end up being slain.

The shelter is made easily enough, the two of them still remaining silent. He'd ask her what's wrong, but would likely only get an unreadable glare and the reply, "nothing."

"I will take the first watch of what time is left tonight," he offers, moving to place his back against the tree, hoping to draw a little strength from it. A few minutes pass before he speaks again.

"For what it is worth, I am sorry for tonight," he says, "it was foolish to attempt such a thing. I. . .was wrong, and should not have endangered you and Blarth."

[Gralhruk]

Shade glares at him anyway, his stubborn silence more irritating than anything he might say. Or at least, that's what she thinks until he speaks. Talking about who takes first watch was hardly what was on her mind. She ignores the comment and sets about wrapping herself tightly in her cloak as he leans against the tree. Finished with her effort to ward off the night chill, she rolls on her side, back to Cadrius. Her grey eyes are wide open, though, and her mouth is set in a tight line.

"For what it is worth, I am sorry for tonight," he says, "it was foolish to attempt such a thing. I. . .was wrong, and should not have endangered you and Blarth."

Anger flares once more, but in the white light of it's blaze she can see it's source all too clearly. Cadrius isn't the reason for her rage; no, that honor belonged to her alone. His selflessness only proved how selfish she was; how utterly unfit to even travel in his company. The realization buries her anger with a single, frigid breath; the white light flickers once and then dies, leaving her in darkness.

A time passes in silence and she hears him shift only once. Her voice comes out slowly, very small.

"You do what you think is right. I am not so strong."

More silence.

"The only wrong is for you to doubt your actions because of me."

[Black Plauge]

Grrrr....

The sun is already high in the sky when a growling noise awakens Blarth. Springing to his feet, Blarth reaches for his club and begins to search for the possible threat.

Grrrr....

There it is again. It sounded close, easily within striking distance, yet there is nothing there. No sign of any threat.

Grrrr....

Looking down at his stomoach, Blarth realizes what was making the noise and relaxes, embaresed at his own jumpiness.

"Well, looks like I better find something to eat," Blarth comments to no one in particular.

Setting out into the wasteland, Blarth looks for signs of water as his father had taught him.

"The one thing every living thing needs is water. Not only for drinking, but also for food. Where there is water there are plants, and where there are plants there is game. Always look for water first. Find it and the wilderness becomes a home. Fail and die."

[Cadrius]

"You do what you think is right. I am not so strong."

He almost laughs at the words, and would were the tone not so serious. The thought of Shade admitting a weakness of any sort of weakness is incomprehendable. So off-guard is he, that he merely leans against the tree, his mouth frozen in before it could reply. Time passes, the wind moves through the trees, shaking the few stubborn leaves from their perches to join their comrades below. Cadrius wonders when he was thrown from his branch.

"The only wrong is for you to doubt your actions because of me."

He lets the words wash over him. This isn't the Shade he was expecting. After perilous attempt to rescue a doomed man, he expected the survivor aspect of her to leap out and rend him with a few sharp words. Instead he sees something softer, a rare quality displayed and he isn't certain how to react to it, lest he push her back into her defensive nature.

"No," he replies at last, his voice soft, unwilling to shatter the quiet enveloping them, "it was wrong of me to doubt you. You knew what was set before us and counseled against it. I did not pay heed, I was too caught up in. . ." In what, exactly? In saving the man? In ridding this little section of the realm of the evil that dwels there? Or does part of him want to find a meaningful death, battling a giant and its dark master to save an innocent from sacrifice. The last one feels more true than he'd like to admit.

"Sometimes I only see the destination and not the path. I think. . .I believe, you are here to make certain I know where I walk. I would do well to listen to my guide."

[Gralhruk]

Shade listens in silence but as he finishes she rolls over and sits up, arms clasped around her knees. Her eyes slide over the silhouette of his form against the tree before turning to stare at the ground in front of her. A cloud slides over the moon, pushing the silver light from the scene like leaves before a gust of wind.

I am no fit guide for you.

That opinion stays in her head, though. Maybe she is afraid that giving it voice will make it real, or maybe her fear is that he might convince her otherwise. Sometimes it was better not to risk things if you feared the consequences.

"What is it we are doing? For a long time, my only goal was to escape the life I saw laid out for me. I did that, and found my new life just as uncertain as the old.

"I decided to leave it all behind, to live self sufficient and safe. It doesn't work like that, though. At least not for me."

[Cadrius]

"What is it we are doing? For a long time, my only goal was to escape the life I saw laid out for me. I did that, and found my new life just as uncertain as the old.

"I decided to leave it all behind, to live self sufficient and safe. It doesn't work like that, though. At least not for me."

He's not certain how to answer, and frowns at the question. Yet his inability to conjure up an answer doesn't make the question any less valid. Where were they going? The tower, certainly, but beyond that Cadrius isn't sure. Do they wander until they find another border town, one where he might not kill three men in a twisted attempt to avenge his blind companion's honor? He's not sure he could escape again, or would want to.

Cadrius finds himself balanced on a precipice and the slightest gust of wind or careless step will send him tumbling into an abyss. He doesn't like where he is, but the thought of falling seems worse. The thought surprises him. A few days ago he would have been hard pressed to resist the urge to tumble into the darkness.

"I. . .think I am in the same carriage as you," he says, "my life now is nothing like the past, and yet I would not name one better than the other. I think the more important question is this: what are we fleeing from? Going too close to the kingdoms and duchies means I risk being found by some of the Hunters. Regardless of how corrupt Kulper might have been, word will have been spread into the bureaucracy and they will move agents to the Karkas area."

He pauses, thinking about the situation he currently lives in. While he has yet to run afoul of any of the clergy's Inquisitors or their Hunter assistants, he will eventually, unless he lives his life on the move.

"My hope had been that after these years they would have forgotten. I am not their largest concern by any means. . .but the church looks to be relentless in pursuit of the former members. So my life is one of nights spent in the woods, in the cold, and always looking over my shoulder. I am tired of this, but what other choice do I have? What other path might I take?" He asks, the frustration clear in his voice, and clenches his gauntleted hands, metal and leather softly scuffing together.

He's quiet for a moment, exhaling a deep breath and letting the frustration roll out of him. Resisting the urge to wish he had been killed in Karkas, Cadrius looks over at Shade with a rueful smile.

"And yet, I am comforted by my companions in this leg of my journey. It is much better than walking alone." Looking around at the nearby trees he adds, "I fear I would have become lost by now."

Falling silent once more, he turns his eyes to the stars. The elevation and crisp autumn air make for a spectacular viewing. He thinks he can make out some of the constallations he learned as a boy; the dragon, the griffin, and the unicorn all twinkle above.

"It is late and we have much ground to cover on the morrow," he says, "please take some rest. Nothing will come near without my notice."

[Gralhruk]

"Two of a kind, are we? Maybe you're right. Maybe things will make more sense in the morning."

She lays down, on her back this time, staring at the stars above. The chill air made them so clean and clear; it dawns on her suddenly that the nights were most beautiful when it was cold. Maybe things would make more sense in the morning, but she didn't think so.

He is a hunted man.

She had never really looked at it that way, neither realizing the insult he'd caused or guessing the depths of his pursuers passion. Now, after the scene in Karkas, they would search harder than ever. He was ill-equipped to avoid them on his own. Like as not, he'd stand and fight when they found him, too stubborn to run, ready to just make an end of it. After all, isn't that what he had tried to do with Kulper?

He was too good for that. She knew it, and she hoped that before too long he'd know it as well. Her eyelids close, the seven pinpoints of the Dragon still burned in her mind's eye.

"Wake me in a few hours, so you can sleep too."

[Black Plauge]

Fail and Die!

The words of his father echoed through Blarth's head. They were comming true. It was now night fall and he had still not found any water. Certianly there had been signs of it. Dried stream beds that would have been overflowing after a sudden shower. But it had not rained in quite some time and all the streams beds ran back towards the forest. Following them to where they joined a more permanent waterway would have meant traveling away from his intended goal, a proposition Blarth was not willing to accept.

Of course Blarth had no real idea where his intended goal was. Only that it lie somewhere in the center of this wasteland. 'The Citadel' Shade had called it. While he had never heard of a place with such a name, translated to his native orcish that word meant 'stone/mountian fortress'. Such places were usually visible for miles around. Built on high cliffs with narrow approaches. Blarth hoped that was the case here. But then, he had nothing else to go on. And so, during the day, he had tried to move uphill as he searched for water, forgetting one of the basic lessons of outdoor survival.

But now it was nightfall, and without food or water, Blarth had little choice but to stop and rest; he was physically drained from the effort of traveling in the thin air without nourishment.

"I wish my lerares was hear," Blarth mutters to himself as he sits down on a stone. "He had a trick for going days without food or water."

Mopping a bit as the sky grows darker, Blarth rouses himself just before moonrise to find a proper shelter for the night.

[Gralhruk]

She is woken by the stirring of birds as they seek to warm their wings in the light of the sun, her grey eyes opening to the bright red orb still half-hidden by the mountains. She rolls over to see Cadrius staring at the dawn, his blue eyes settling on her own as he notes her movement.

"I told you to wake me. You haven't slept."

The last part isn't a question. Normally she'd be angry that he felt her too fragile to pull her own weight, but for some reason today she is thankful for the gesture. Her sleep had been uninterrupted by dreams last night; a pleasant change, since her dreams had been rather disturbing of late. She smiles at him quickly and then sets about making a fire and making them a hot meal - something they hadn't had in a while. She isn't the best cook, but the food is far better than trail rations.

They set out in short order, taking only a short time to break camp and disguise signs of their passage. Instead of the course they'd followed last night, Shade turns them south, parallel to the broken land they had been headed towards. She moves considerably slower than the rough pace of the previous evening, but they move continuously. Shortly after their midday break and some salted meat, she halts, pointing at a half-round depression in the ground.

"There. Humanoid, solitary, feet bigger than a human, probably weighing around the same as you. Less than a day old. I've had plenty of opportunity to study Blarth's tracks since we left Karkas, and I'll wager those are his."

[Cadrius]

Cadrius nods wearily, attempting to mask his fatigue but grateful for the rest nonetheless. Finding a nearby fallen tree, he sits down to eat. The warm breakfast had done wonders to return his waning strength, but he finds it leaving him again, dissipating as surely as morning mist beneath the warm, autumn sun. Still, he'll keep up the pace if needs be. The more distance they cover, the better he'll feel.

"Blarth?" he asks, his voice curious. It hasn't occurred to him that Shade would study the tracks of her own companions. It makes sense and is useful given the circumstances, but he never imagined it would be necessary to track their friends. Turns out he was wrong.

"Is he lost?"

Cadrius looks at the somewhat faint tracks. Judging by their direction Blarth had been forced to run to the opposite side of the giant, fleeing into the side of the woods where there was no one waiting to help him. It hadn't yet entered his mind that Blarth may not have escaped. Seeing the footprints drive home the fact that it was quite possible the giant could have caught and killed the simple half-orc. With the hard journey and subsequent conversation, Cadruis hasn't had the opportunity to wonder if Blarth was caught. He's surprised by his subconscious optimism.

The brief respite over, he pushes himself to his feet and trudges onward, following Shade.

[Gralhruk]

"Is he lost?"

Shade glances over at Cadrius skeptically, her forehead creasing as she notes his obvious fatigue. She had kept the pace slow intentionally, to make it easier to look for tracks and also to make it easier on her sleepless companion.

"I'm a tracker, not a mind reader."

Her face breaks into a wan smile as she says it, though, still touched by his gesture from the previous evening.

"If I had to guess, I'd probably say no. He's moving in a fairly straight line, not deviating aimlessly the way some folk do when they are lost. Then again, maybe he just thinks he's headed in the right direction."

The keep the same slow but steady pace, breaking clear of the forest after a few hours and continuing into what was steadily becoming a wasteland. As they progress, following the trail Blarth had left, Shade becomes more agiitated. For one thing, it was getting harder to follow his trail. The land was dry and hard, with little to mark the sign of his passage. Not only that, but his course had begun to wander, and she suspected more and more strongly that he was lost. Twice she bade Cadrius to wait after she lost the trail, and she could feel daylight slipping away each time she searched to find it again. Her intent had been to rest well before sundown so Cadrius might get some sleep, but the sun has already touched the western horizon by the time she throws her pack down in frustration.

"He's lost, I'm sure of it. And with the signs so poor, we'll lose his trail completely if we try to continue. Better we rest and start early. We have to move slow, but he's moving slow also. We're gaining on him."

[Black Plauge]

Morning once again finds Blarth awakening to the sounds of his growling stomach. This time, however, there is no mistaking the sound because he can feel it as well as hear it.

I have to find a source of water soon.

The aimless, though generally uphill wanderings of the day before had produced little result. In fact, it was fortunate darkness had forced Blarth to stop for the night, he realized now, because if he had continued like that the chances of him finding water, and therefore food, would have been only marginally better than if he had spent the time praying for rain. A good night's sleep, however, had allowed more of his father's survival teachings to worm there way back into his mind and this day's travel would not be quite so haphazard.

The first thing Blarth needed to do though, was get his bearings in this wasteland. The terain itself was so barren in its appearence, however, that it would not be easy. Certainly Blarth could determine which way was north at any given time, that was one of the first tricks his lerares had tought him, but what good was knowing north from south if you didn't know which way you wanted to go?

Which way to go? That was the first question Blarth had to answer. However, the rocky outcropping under which he had taken shelter the night before was not a good place to answer it. Much of the horizon was blocked by the outcropping, and what he could see of the horizon didn't tell him much. No, Blarth would need some fairly high lookout point from which to assess his situation, or at least as high a one as he could reach in a couple of hours walking. The highest vantage point in the wastes wouldn't help him if he couldn't reach it before he succombed to thirst and starvation.

Once clear of the outcropping it didn't take long to find a vantage point that would suit Blarth's needs. A mile, maybe two, to the west there was a hill that looked to rise a few hundred feet higher than the ground around it. A short half-an-hour later, Blarth was surveying the area around him.

To the southeast was the forest, Blarth had so recently exited. However, it seemed to be alot closer than yesterday's travel would have led Blarth to beleive. I must have gotten turned around at some point. Behind the trees Blarth can just make out a line of mountians through the morning haze. Must be the same mountians Krakas is in. So about two days normal travel from here.

Having established some sense of distance, Blarth turns to gaze the other way, his mouth dropping open in awe at the sight before him. Shooting out of the ground, maybe a day's travel from Blarth's vantage point, the Dragon's Teeth climb above the clouds. Nestled in the center of the Dragonfoot mountians, it was rumored that the palace of the gods was at the top of those peaks. It was also said, however, that to try and reach the peaks was down right folly. The desolated zone, the alpine wasteland in which Blarth now stood, sperated the Teeth from the more hospitable regions of the mountian range by at least two days travel on all sides. In some places it was as wide as five days travel. On top of that those few who had tried to climb the teeth claimed that the gods had conspired to remove the air from their peaks. They said that the higher you went the more difficult it became to breath and that not even magic could prevent it.

All the stories Blarth had heard as a child of the Dragon's Teeth had not prepared him for the sight of them, however. As hidden as the tops were by the clouds and as rough as the terain of the wasteland was, Blarth had not even realized he was so close to them. It was all Blarth could do to take his eyes off them after ten minutes of just staring and return to the task at hand.

To the northeast and the southwest the desolated zone stretched as far as Blarth could see. There was no sign of inhabitants, no sign of life, indeed no sign of water that Blarth could see in either direction. There was probably something out there, for indeed if the stories of the Dragon's Teeth had been true then surely the stories of the inhabitants of the desolated zone were true as well, but where ever it was, it was hidden by the vast cliffs and ravines that marked the wasteland.

So it boiled down to two choices, head back towards the forest, or head towrds the Dragon's Teeth. Either way it was at least a day's walk without food or water. In the forest, Blarth could easily find both, but he would not find The Citadel and his companions there. That was probably hidden near the Dragon's Teeth. If he found it he would have both food and water. If he didn't he'd be that much further from the forest.

Trusting his luck, Blarth climbed back down from his vantage point and headed towards the Dragon's Teeth.

[Cadrius]

He'd found a reserve of strength after their brief noontime meal and when they had started again, he was feeling better. Still, every time Shade had to stop and search for Blarth's tracks, Cadrius' body reminded him exactly how fatigued it was. He keept moving by means of willpower and momentum. He was grateful that it was Shade, and not him, that had to search for the trail.

"I'm a tracker, not a mind reader."

He smiled at this, faintly but smiled nonetheless, but it quickly faded. A memory was conjured, one of a mysterious man and his sisters and the dark realm that they lived next to. The nightmare filled forest still haunted Cadrius. He shook his head to clear it and was quite happy to start moving again once Shade indicated she found the half-orc's tracks.




"He's lost, I'm sure of it. And with the signs so poor, we'll lose his trail completely if we try to continue. Better we rest and start early. We have to move slow, but he's moving slow also. We're gaining on him."

"Rest, a good plan," he says, keeping his words brief. Sighing he watches Shade disappear to gather some kindling while he begins the process of unbuckling and removing his armor. Well-oiled leather creaks ever so slightly as buckles are unfastened and plates of metal laid gently on the ground. He smiles. It feels good to be out of that armor and let his body breathe.

The hard, rocky terrain never looked so comforting. Still, he keeps himself from it a while longer and attempts some sort of lean-to. He's still working at it by the time Shade returns and with her help, it's assembled quickly. Attempting to continue his help, Cadrius scrapes away at the ground, digging a pit for the fire. It's a slow, almost painful process to watch, but he manages.

"What would you do of watches tonight?" He asks, the task complete. A piece of bread and cheese is pulled from his backpack and he eats slowly, as if the action alone would keep him awake.

[Gralhruk]

"We are far enough into this wasteland that I doubt we need fear pursuit from the forest."

She trails off, searching through her pack briefly until she locates her own trail rations. Little enough remained, and she didn't relish the prospect of hunting for Blarth and food at the same time. With any luck they'd catch the half-orc tomorrow.

"Still, there's something fit enough to survive in any environment."

She pauses, eying the red-purple horizon as the sun departs for it's own slumber. Cadrius needed to sleep, but knowing him he'd be too stubborn to let her take the entire watch. She glances over at him; his jaw muscles bulge and relax as he chews mechanically, his eyes are clear but staring. He was exhausted; perhaps he wouldn't care to argue about it.

"You sleep after we eat, I'll take the first watch."

[Cadogan Trahem]

Groan.

"Is he coming to?"
"Let me check, Cadogan? Can you hear me?"

Urg.

***

"How is he doing?"
"Things could be worse, he has a fever - one unlike anything i've seen."
"Has he shown any signs of improving?"
"Yes, he seems to slip in and out of semi-con-"

***

"Cadogaaan? Cadogaaan? Its me, Lyria."

***

"Thluclides! I didn't expect you!"
"Its alright Marq, one of the students blew up my office, so I had some free time."
"Evocation?"
"Yes."
"So he passed his test then?"
"No."
"I don't understand.."
"He was trying to cast an illusion spell."
"Oh."

***

The, pain. Burning. Inside- pain. Uaagh! Burning!

***

"He seems to have had an episode, we found him clutching his head and calling out someones name."
"Anyone we know?"
"No one at the academy, maybe one of his companions from-"

***

"Cadogan? Can you hear me? ::sigh:: Its not the same without you. Sure I grow stroger - I can cast invisibility now! Thats.. kindof how I get in here. I get so worried, so I come and talk to you, No one understands me-"

[Cadrius]

He nods and their meal passes in silence. He's fatigued but not drowsy and it isn't until an hour after they first sat down that he settles into his bedroll.

"Please wake me when your watch is over," he says, eyes beginning to droop. The last sight he has is of Shade, half-melded into the shadows, dark eyes moving away from him and toward to the woods.

Cadrius falls into a deep, exhausted slumber. If he dreams, they do not rise into memory as he's gently awoken by Shade hours later. It's still night but he feels as if he slept for a day. Judging by the weariness in Shade's eyes, she let him sleep longer than their normal watch would've allowed.

"Take some rest," he says, stretching his arms over his head, "you have already been up too long."

Invigorated by his sleep Cadrius pulls a rag from his bag and begins the ritual of polishing his armor, piece by piece. By the time the sun rises, it shines dully, once more ready to be covered in the dirt of their road.

"Good morning," he says, quietly as Shade's form stirs. It fascinates him. She goes from being asleep to being awake, skipping the transitional phase of half-consciousness. She still looks tired, though, and had he thought it a wise idea, he would have allowed her a couple more hours of rest. Yet knowing her determination, it would have done more harm than good.

"We have a friend to find," he says, fixing them a cold meal of bread, cheese, and dried fruit.

Not an hour later, their camp is clear and they set off again, in search of a lost half-orc.

[Black Plauge]

Were it not for the gnawing hunger in his stomach and the dryness of his mouth, it would be possible to call Blarth's morning a productive one. He was making good time and each time he had paused to recheck his direction, he had only had to make a minor adjustment. If his estimate of the distance was right, he should reach the base of the Dragon's Teeth by night fall.

***

Unfortunately, fate and the denzies of the Desolated Zone had other plans. A small gang of grimlocks were conducting a surface raid, gathering meat and hopefully, a few prisoners for later consumption. Anxious for a fight, their confidence was high after a sucessfull raid on a small group of travellers a few days ago. They had suffered only minor injuries, but had feasted well that night, and their sacks were still full of the remains of their kill. Near midday, they stoped for lunch and were just preparing to get under way when a small rock slide in the distance caught their attention. Silently the grimlocks grabbed their battleaxes and moved towards the sound. The smell was unmistakably one of a humanoid, and a solitary one at that. As they moved closer they could here him scrabling to his feet. Apparently he had slipped on a loose stone, causing the small rock slide that had alerted them to his presence. Grinning with anticipation the grimlocks spread out, preparing to spring a trap on their unsuspectin prey.

***

"By all the elves in Fellwood," Blarth curses as he feels himself begin to fall. The ridge he had been walking along gave out under his weight and he part fell, part slipped a good twenty or so feet. Disoriented by the fall, Blarth climbs to his feet to find himself in a narrow ravine.

"Now which way," he mutters to himself before checking his internal compass, "Ah! There." Having determined the correct direction, Blarth begins to make his way through the ravine, looking for a way out so he can continue on his way.

With his eyes on the side of the ravine, Blarth doesn't notice the grimlocks until it is too late. The four of them rise up from their hiding places and quickly charge in to surround Blarth. The first three crash into him, landing heavy blows but the fourth stumbles slightly and his blow goes well wide.

Shocked at the ferocity of the attack, Blarth flinches at the blows and the first attacker manages to land another blow in that moment of hesitation. The second and third attacker trie to take advantage of Blarth's flinching too, but Blarth's invisible armor slows their blows and only the second manages to land a glancing blow to the shoulder.

Now recovered from his initial suprise, Blarth flies into a rage and grabs his greatclub from his belt. Swinging wildly, he pounds the grimlock who had attacked him first and steps away from the others at his back. The rage empowered blow is too much for the grimlock and he falls to the ground, bleeding profusly from his arm, a bone exposed where it broke through the surface. Trying to protect his injured comrade, the fourth grimlock steps over him, swinging at Blarth with his battleaxe. The uneven ground and his injured comrade disrupt his swing however, and the axe bounces harmlessly off of air.

Growling in anger, the other two grimlocks try to manouver to surround Blarth again. However, neither is able to land a blow against the alert half-orc. Their movements also leave one of them exposed, and Blarth quickly takes advantage by swinging hard and then steping over his fallen body to get away from the other two.

The two remaining grimlocks are begining to look nervous, what they had though would be easy prey had just downed two of their number in as many swings. It was still two against one, however, and Blarth was bleeding profusly from the injuries they had already inflicted. It would not take much to bring this half-orc down.

Pressing the attack, the two grimlock step forward and swing their axes hard. Fate, it seemed, had a diffrent idea however, as both swings went wide. Taking advantage of their wide swings, Blarth knocks another of the grimlocks off his feet with his greatclub. Still suffering injuries from their previous raid, the massive blow is too much for the grimlock, who drops dead on the spot, his chest caved in.

With all of his companions gone, the last grimlock is no longer inclinded to press his luck, even against a battered foe. Scampering back, the grimlock tries to retreat. Blarth however, in his rage induced state, is not inclined to let the creature go and chases it down, killing the last grimlock in one more mighty blow.

His adreniline still pumping, Blarth looks around frantically for more foes, shouting in anger to call them out, but if any had been hidden in the rocks, the sight of the battle that had just occured keeps them hidden, and Blarth is left alone on the battle field.

***

Drained by the fight, Blarth only cursorly examines the four grimlock corpses. Save for the battle axes they each still clutch in a death grip, Blarth finds neither water nor food. Knowing that they must have had some supplies somewhere, Blarth begins to make a slow circle of the battlefield, trying to find the supplies they must have left behind to engage in the fight. An hour's seraching, however, yields nothing, and Blarth makes ready to continue on his way.

[Gralhruk]

She catches a glimpse of something in Cadrius' eyes as she wakes, as if he is contemplating her, and her grey orbs go guarded. She can feel the weight of his silver amulet, worn at her neck beneath her shirt, beneath her cloak - hidden away, like a memory of springtime for one on the verge of winter. Inside it held a lock of golden hair, as light as her own was dark, a bright light held against the blackness of her soul. It was his memory. And it was something she could never be.

Being the man that he is, he doesn't register anything untoward in her face and good naturedly prepares them a cold breakfast. She chews in silence, standing halfway through to circle outward, locating the trail from last night. The strain of the past few days is like an itch she can't scratch, fatigue a heavy blanket draped over her shoulders, but her determination is strong and she sets out with fire in her eyes and purpose in her step.

Nearly eight dogged hours later and they are still at it. Cadrius waits for Shade's return, the latter having trotted off grimly to once again find the lost trail. Her mood has soured during the day, and more than once she curses the doggedness of men, the constitution of orcs, and the stupidity of their joint offspring. The trail has been growing colder by the hour, no doubt as much a part of her frustration as the difficult terrain and their limited intake of water. The look on her face when she appears from around a scrubby hillock is dangerous, and Cadrius immediately senses that something is wrong.

"He was attacked - some sort of cavern dwellers, by the look of them. It looks like Blarth killed the lot of them and then wandered about for a while, wounded, before moving on. Judging by the blood trail he's leaving, it looks like he's hurt pretty badly."

[Cadrius]

His jaw clenches whenever something upsets him, and this time is no exception. His face is a grim, iron mask covering the apprehension that pools beneath. Cavern dwellers, perhaps goblins, but at least Blarth won. Still, if the half-orc was mortally wounded then they might already be too late. He gives an inward shake of his head, it's no use to continue on that path. Still, the feeling of a failed duty looms over the fallen paladin and he has trouble shaking it.

"How old is the trail? And how long since the battle? If he is that badly hurt we will not have much time," he says, looking around at the already darkening sky. Each fleeting moment feels like grains of sand slipping through his hand, only Blarth's life is the one in the balance.

"If there is blood, it will be easy to follow, correct?" He asks, seeing Shade give him a quick nod in resposne. "Then let us press on. If he is...dying, I will not have him do it alone."

He's fiercely determined, and can only ruefully smile at Shade's dauntless stamina. She's kept up with Cadrius stride for stride and will go as long as he's able to walk.

She would walk right into the Abyss if you lead her there, he thinks, his thoughts darkening, how do you know you are not already there?

Through the fading light, two murky souls set off in search of their companion.

[Black Plauge]

Water!

It was the foremost thing on Blarth's mind. The Desolated Zone was not a hot place, but the high alpine air combined with the dryness were taking their toll, especially given the injuries he had sustained in the short battle earlier. He could stop to tend his battle injures, but Blarth wasn't sure he could force himself to go on if he stopped. Finally, a mere two hours after he had gotten underway again, Blarth collapsed in the shadow of a large boulder. He could go no further, and passed out.

Which was probalby the most fortunate thing he could have done, given the circumstances. For in that shadow, his body took back control from his concious mind and began using the abilities that he had held back for so long. Pathways of energy open within his mind, healing his injuries and restoring the necessary balance of fluids and nutrients. The mental energy could not cure everything though, and Blarth remainded spralled on the ground, his body healing what the mind could not.

[Gralhruk]

"The battle looks to have been fought shortly after high sun - perhaps four hours ago, perhaps as many as six. Blarth looks to have been in the area for some time after that - an hour, no longer."

Her keen eyes note the direction the grimlocks came from and - despite her curiousity about them - she ignores the trail. Blarth is too close for them to go running off to investigate something else. Besides, if there were more and the hapless half-orc ran into them . . .

She doesn't finish the thought. It's been a difficult day and she's tired, muscles aching from a day spent on hard march, senses dulled from sun and dust, mind weary from intense concentration. A clear trail and the renewed hope of finally catching their quarry, along with the look on Cadrius' face - the stubborn determination in the bulge of his jaw muscles - goads her into the same mindset. The fire that had been banked kindles once more in her belly. They would catch him tonight, if it meant she walked until her legs gave out and then crawled.

"He will be moving slowly now, injured as he is, and with a clear trail to follow we can hope to catch him well before midnight."

She didn't know if that last part was true or not, but hearing it out loud made it seem true, and that was enough to get her moving. Luck is finally with them - the sky is clear and the moon is bright; she has an easy time following his trail, though she hides her growing concern at the amount of blood Blarth must have lost. Her vision becomes almost tunnel like, unnaturally acute, and as she moves she begins to get a sense of her quarry.

The large, deep wound on her left shoulder makes the arm nearly useless. Blood still flows from it, hours after the battle. Hanging at her side, the blood flows down to her fingertips, dripping onto her leg, spraying droplets on the ground. Low on her right leg is a wound smaller but still deep, and though that one has stopped openly bleeding the pain it generates grows with each step, causing an increasing limp and an rising tendency to veer eastward. The sun is behind her now, casting long shadows and making her eyesight uncertain, causing her to stumble more frequently though she maintains still maintains her direction.

How he is still moving is beyond her, and she finally sees his path to falter as she knew it would - wandering steps that are indicative of imminent collapse. He is close, she can feel it, and she can almost see his wounded form as he leans on the large boulder up ahead. She increases her pace and nearly trips over his bulky form, sprawled as it is on the far side of that sizable rock.

[Cadrius]

No food, no rest, the two move through the night, adrenaline and concern fueling Cadrius' muscles. He still isn't sure how Shade keeps her pace, especially in the moonlight. She neither speaks nor pauses until an ubrupt halt reveals Blarth's body sprawled across a rock. The torch carried by Cadrius flickers, dimly lighting Blarth. Cadrius kneels by the body to catch his breath and to look over the half-orc for any wounds.

Disbelief runs across his face, there are still marks, still some faint wounds, but nothing that would explain the extreme amount of blood loss along the trail. Cadrius runs one gauntleted hand along a long, freshly-healed scar. He looks over to Shade, who fits her namesake in the dimness, and silently asks a question that her gray eyes decline to answer. How Blarth is not dead is beyond the fallen paladin. Cadrius grits his teeth, he's seen evidence of miracles before and doesn't like the implications.

"He is alive, at least," he says, getting back on his feet under legs shaky from hard work. Laying most of his equipment on the ground, he sets off looking for enough wood for a fire.

Fifteen minutes later he returns, a bundle of wood clutched to his chest with one arm. Dropping them nearby the rock, Cadrius goes about lighting a fire. He engrosses himself in the task, unwilling to think about who, or what, could have healed Blarth. These lands were not friendly, even to those with orcish blood, and it strikes him as unlikely that any would lend aid. With the wood and small kindling set, he sparks the fire with the torch, a faint crackle and gout of stream of smoke indicates to Shade that it's set.

He walks over to Blarth again and bends down, looping his arms underneath the half-orc's. He looks to Shade and tilts his head toward Blarth's legs.

"I do not know why he breathes, but he need not sleep on this rock."

Bending to the task the two pull their unconscious companion to the fire and lay him down within its growing warmth. Cadrius pulls a spare cloak from his bag and drapes it over Blarth. Bathed in the orange firelight, Cadrius shakes his head, half-bemused, half-worried, and removes his armor.

[Gralhruk]

Shade stares at Blarth incredulously. The half-orc ought to be at death's door, yet here he lay asleep and - of all things - uninjured. In the flickering torchlight her grey eyes seek out his left shoulder, fix on the ragged, bloody sleeve. One of her slim hands carefully peel it back, revealing a nasty white scar. The ground beneath his shoulder is dark with dried blood. When Cadrius gets up she indicates a small, flat clearing a few yards back in the direction they came from, screened from the wind by a clump of dry brush. He nods and heads over there to clear a spot for a fire before searching for wood.

Satisfied that he won't be marring any sign around the half-orc's body, she begins a slow spiral outward from the spot where Blarth lay. She has travelled quite a distance and is on her way back by the time Cadrius gets his fire going. She materializes out of the darkness as Cadrius approaches Blarth as of she'd never been gone.

As they haul the half-orc to the fire, she notes the marks on his clothing. It had been a vicious fight, yet here he lay unharmed. The scars said he had been healed, the ground said that nobody had come to do it for him.

"There are no tracks within 200 yards of where his body lay, except ours and his. He was wounded, that much is clear. From what I gather, nobody else was around to help him. If he had a way to heal himself, though, why did he wait so long to use it?"

[Cadrius]

"He would not have waited," Cadrius says, sitting opposite of the fire from Blarth, "he would have used it immediately, but it was no potion of poultice that did it. He left his belongings at camp before the battle with the giant--" he tilts his head to the backpack lying nearby "--and could not have carried much with him. This was not Blarth's doing."

He can't shake the feeling that there's some other force at work here, something beyond the veneer of the physical world. A foreboding hatches deep within him and begins to hungrily gnaw its way into his consciousness. Still, Blarth is alive, and it's something to be grateful for.

The two take watches as usual, Cadrius preferring to be awake in the predawn hours. Despite his weariness he lies awake for a long time, his back to the campfire, worrying about what would take an interest in a simple half-orc. These thoughts continue to plague him when he is gently awoken by Shade. Once more completing his ritual of polishing his weapons and armor, Cadrius keeps the fire burning until well after dawn. He lets Shade and Blarth sleep, one looked exhausted and the other catatonic. If a little extra sleep will help, then he's more than willing to give it to them.

Cadrius sits amidst the cold morning air and alternately studies Shade and Blarth. Both are mysterious, but he would be hard pressed to say which one is more enigmatic.

[Black Plauge]

The Baanrite was at hand. For seven years Karat had been Haardworden and the tribe had prospered, but now the tribe had earned the disfavor of Gruumsh and the proper recompense must be made. To fail in that obligation would have changed disfavor into wrath.

"Trak, my son," Karat said, removing the ring from his left hand, "You now keep the family honor. Meet all challenges with courage and you will preserve it for all time."

Placing the ring on Trak's left hand, Karat clasps his arm and nods once. Then, turning to face the council around the Baanrite fire, Karat recites the required formula, "I am the Haardworden. I tend the tribal fire. For seven years I have kept it burning by the favor of Gruumsh. Now that favor has been removed and the fire must be rekindled. As Haardworden it is my duty to see the old fire through to the heavenly altar where it can be offered in sacrifice to restore Gruumsh's favor to the tribe."

As he finished, Karat steps forward into the fire and begins his journey.

***

In the back of the crowd, a little boy, restrained by his elders crys out in despair...

***

"FATHER!" Blarth shouts, bolting awake. Disoriented he looks at the small fire before him, expecting to see his father being consumed in the flames, but the fire is too small and only the scent of wood reaches his nostrils.

Like a flood, Blarth's memory comes rushing back to him and he looks down at the ring on his left hand.

"Father." he whispers.

Looking around, Blarth sees the forms of Cadrius and Shade and confusion sets in again, "What happened?"

[Cadrius]

The sun crests the horizon, bathing the plateu in its fading autumnal strength. Cadrius closes his eyes and tries to take in what warmth he can gather. His nightly ritual of polishing his armor and honing his weapons long sine completed, the fallen paladin has had a long time to consider the path he currently finds himself on. He's detoured, taken the long way around what would have otherwise been a dead end, a fall into a crevasse. Instead he sits, somewhere near a wasteland and a wizard's tower, seeking first the simple half-orc and now the blind wizard. Shade, his faithful, or at least consistent, companion, has guided him this far and with any luck will take them directly to the tower. And then...what? They storm a magical fortress? They demand their blind friend back? Even when he was a knight Cadrius was leery of dealing with the arcane, and without the protection of Heironeous, he likes the idea even less.

Blarth tosses in his sleep, bringing Cadrius out of his reverie. He watches the half-orc for a moment, wondering if perhaps he caught a fever or some sickness. He kneels down by him and watches, concerned. Laying a hand across Blarth's broad forehead reveals it to be warm, but not hot. The half-orc begins to mutter in his sleep.

"Kalak, gran ourd Haardworden. Ile maf izol marugh!"

Cadrius raises his eyebrows and looks over to Shade, finding her already awakened by Blarth's muttering. Their eyes meet, mirroring confusion and concern. Blarth stirs more, muscles clenching and Cadrius places a hand on the half-orc's chest, growing more worried. Subsiding a bit, Blarth seems to relax before bolting upright, despite Cadrius' considerable weight leaning on him.

"PATROMN!"

"What happened?"

Cadrius looks over to Shade and then back at Blarth, studying him him for a moment before speaking.

"You were lost for several days. . .and we came in search. We found you yesterday, after dark. There was a good deal of blood. You should be dead," he says, reaching over to a waterskin and handing it to the half-orc, "but your wounds are fast on the mend with only a few scars and cuts to mark their passage. We should discuss what happened later, but I think some food and rest is in order."

But only briefly, he thinks, Cadogan has been in the tower for far too long. Who knows what foul things have been done to him.

[Gralhruk]

Shade stalks through the wilderness without a sound and it feels as though she is the only thing in the world that is moving. The forest is unnaturally still, the moonlight making it seem a frieze etched in black and silver. Up ahead, she knows there will be an orcish sentry. It makes sense, but she knows with a certainty beyond what common sense dictates. Odd, but no less odd than the feeling of moving through petrified wood composed of precious metals.

She sees it's squat form up ahead; ungainly, repulsive - but cunning for all that. One might not even notice him were they less wary. Her sword clears it's scabbard silently, one more silvered petal in this forest of her dreams, and her feet slide over blackened earth silently. Metallic grey eyes fixate on the slight hollow where neck joins skull, conveniently exposed despite the armor it wears. She raises the blade for the thrust as she comes into range and in the eternity it takes for her arm to move forward she contemplates the utter stillness of this place.

The shock of the impact travels up her arm and into her shoulder yet the noise she is expecting - something like a shovel driven into half frozen ground - never sounds. The body of the orc is simply gone and she is poised on the edge of a clearing, knowing - once more with unnatural certainty - that Blarth and Cadrius are poised to leap into action. A huge fire burns there, it's flames blood red, tinting silver darkness crimson, surrounded by a dozen orcs. Beyond the fire a man steps into view, shimmering faintly in the darkness that seems to blot out everything near him, and his eyes find hers. Her soul freezes and she finds herself stricken to immobility, just as everything else seemed to be. Her fear wells up, fanning the frigid flame in it's icy breeze. A black cavern in her mind yawns wide enough to swallow her whole and then Blarth's voice cuts through her like a butcher's knife.

"Kalak, gran ourd Haardworden. Ile maf izol marugh!"

She snaps awake, her sword snaking out as her eyes look for the danger, her mind still whirling with images from her dream.

"PATROMN!"

Cadrius is looking at Blarth with concern and, realizing the half-orc had cried out in his sleep, Shade breathes a sigh of relief that it isn't anything more serious. She wasn't the only one with bad dreams, it seemed. Sheathing her sword, she gauges the angle of the sun and thanks any gods who might be listening that the weather hasn't turned bad.

"Food, at least. Rest may have to wait. We shouldn't spend any more time out in the middle of nowhere than we have to."

[Black Plauge]

"Blood? Wounds?" Blarth asks in confusion.

I don't feel injured.

Looking down at his arms and legs Blarth notes the dried blood and tears in his clothing. Carefully probing on of the larger holes he finds the familiar fresh skin that comes along with his forced healing.

"It looks like I..." Blarth begins, before the memory of the fight with the grimlocks comes rushing back.

"Grotgewoner!" he exclaims, "Cave dwellers. Uhh... They're grey and have no eyes but see as well as any orc..." Blarth says, trying to explain, "I don't know what they are called in your tounge, but they ambushed me. Thought I'd make a fine meal I suppose."

Stopping to take a drink from the offered waterskin, Blarth thirstily drinks down a fair bit of it.

"I remember beating them and then trying to find their supplies. Food and water, they must have had some. After that though, it gets hazy. I'm not sure how I got from there to here," Blarth concludes, looking around at the area around them.

[Cadrius]

"Food, at least. Rest may have to wait. We shouldn't spend any more time out in the middle of nowhere than we have to."

"We three have pushed hard in the last several days," he says, turning his gaze to Blarth, "harder than I suspect we know. It would not due to be caught by more of these. . .Grotgewoners, and be too fatigued to challenge them. Still, we cannot delay for long. Shade, do you know how many more days until we reach the tower?"

He'd walk until blood filled his boots, but he's still concerned with Shade and Blarth. The two look hale enough, but he wonders how much longer Shade can go on sheer willpower. Blarth's miraculous recoverly couldn't have come without some sort of price, some depletion somewhere. Had the gnome, Tiltowait, come across the half-orc and healed him he would have been back by now. More importantly, there would have been something to mark the gnome's works. So Cadrius is back to where he began, worrying about a miracle and carrying the symbol of the patron deity of Blarth's fathers.

"Some time you will need to explain to me how this all happened."

He shakes his head and looks to Shade, gauging her reaction. In a pragmatic sense, she's right, they should already be up and gone, but a little rest now could save a headache down the road. Still, the less time he has to spend here the better. The elevation has thinned the trees, removing a good deal of their cover should a late autumn storm strike. The thought of truding through snow somehow makes this ill-fated journey just a little bit worse.

[itches]

Setting out once more, the trio wonder through the barren lands, driven by a purpose that is blunted by despair, pain and hunger. Eventually the environment seems to meld together, rock after rock after tree after rock merging, fatigue blunting the mind into seeing them all as one.

The sun rises in the sky above them, and the three unlikely companions continue to climb in a shallow mockery of the life-giving-light's majestic rise. Before long, the few trees that remained are stripped away leaving only the bare rocks on the ground and the sparse shadows that hide under them. Step after step the companions move, ever at a slower pace. The small flock of buzzing insects that plague all travellers grow ever larger, drawn by the sweat, blood, and an almost audible stench of desperation that emanates from the small group - yet they too are merely shunted into the background by the mind of the weary travellers.

Then a most unexpected thing is heard. A voice. Singing.

Halting in their tracks at the voice, Shade automatically moves forward to spy out the source of this singing voice in the wilderness, and possible source of danger to her companions.

All listening to the voice mark it as sounding familiar, but not being able to place where from. The voice doesn't sing a particularly good song, but by the same note it doesn't sing a particularly bad song. Nor does the voice appear to be singing for the entertainment of others, for it carries the quality of song, which only comes when one is singing for the pure joy of it.

As the scouting woman narrows down the location of the voice, slipping from shadow to shadow as her moniker suggests, the tale behind the song unfolds. It's an old story, told by old folk to children around the heath and campfires at night. Yet it is also a sad and profound one. It tells the tale of On Tittros, the morning star.

Sitting amongst his Brother and Sister stars in the night sky, under the watchful eyes of their Mother-Moon, Tittros was not content. Looking down of the night-clad world, Tittros would each night, linger longer and longer, reluctant to leave the sky and sleep like all good stars should do. For Tittros wanted more, yet he was unsure as to what it was that he wanted - so each night he lingered, and pondered, until it came to be that he was the last star of the night to retire. It was on one of these nights that Tittros lingered longer then he had ever lingered before, and in the distance he saw a majestic light arise. Bright enough to outshine ever his Mother-Moon. For an instant Tittros saw then sun, and knew that what he desired was to touch the face of such a thing.

His Brother-Stars and Sister-Stars shook their head when they saw of Tittros' longing, and Mother-Moon spoke to him gravely, warning him that such a desire could not come to pass. The sun leads a solitary life, full of sorrow. For so great was it's brightness that none could come near it. Turning a deaf ear to the misgivings of his Brother-Stars and Sister-Stars, and the warnings of Mother-Moon, Tittros began to linger in the day for as long as he could.

Each day Tittros would strain and concentrate and stay longer, and each day the sun would approach that little bit longer. Thus it went Tittros becoming so focused on touching the sun, that he left behind the night sky filled with his Brother and Sister starts, over looked by Mother-Moon, without even realising it. After many a day of stretching out to reach the face of the sun, Tittros realised the truth. He would never be able to reach far enough to touch it. For the closer that Tittros became, the brighter the sun shone, and the less that he was.

Despairing of fulfilling his desire, Tittros turned instead to the comfort of His Brother and Sister Stars, and the stern by wise words of Mother-Moon. Alas it was at this moment that Tittros realised the truth - in all his vain straining towards the sun, he had left behind the night sky. Now he was no longer a creature of the full and friendly night, nor was he a bright and radiant creature of the day. He was stuck in the middle, having forever left behind the night, and unable to enter the day.

And so it was that Tittros became the morning star.

As the song winds down to a finish, Shade finds the source of the music. Sitting with his back against a rock rests a familiar one-armed bard, so caught up in the song that he failed to notice any indication of the approaching woman.

[Gralhruk]

A long difficult day goes a long way towards pushing Shade from merely irritated to barely checked anger. Finding Blarth had been something of a relief, but starting the day off with orcish voices disturbing her nightmare had put her squarely on the wrong foot. She withdrew from the others mentally, and theirs was a mostly silent trek into the unknown. Throughout the day the images from the previous evening come back time and again to haunt her, like black and silver ghosts, until she can almost see the images overlaid upon the waking landscape.

Lost in dark thoughts, she is roused by a most unexpected sound: singing. It is out of place in this wasteland; beyond that, it is pure stupidity for one to attract attention to themselves that way. She is reminded of Itches, the naive youth who had died only a week past, and she beats the memory ruthlessly down. It wasn't her fault he was dead.

With only a look and a gesture to Cadrius and Blarth, she sets off toward the sound. Her meaning is nevertheless clear: wait here until I see what it is. The sun is starting it's descent in the western sky and any warmth from the copper disk has faded. She can fill the chill in her fingers as they wrap around the hilt of her blade to keep it from making any noise. The singing grows louder as she approaches, pointedly ignoring the lyrics lest it bring back memories best forgotten. She slows her pace and crouches down, moving with as much stealth as she can muster up a small rise.

There, below her, is the source of the singing. Crouched behind the scrub, her eyes narrow as the song ends and she contemplates the figure down below. Nicos, most certainly. Her hand doesn't leave her sword as she digests the information. They had left him three nights ago, time enough for him to get here if he hadn't delayed. They had wasted a bit of time searching for Blarth. She looks around for Laronar but he is nowhere to be seen.

Why didn't Nicos wait, if his intent was to come here anyway?

A valid question, and one that she didn't have an answer for. Was he playing some sort of game with them? The thought disturbs her, but the bard had put himself at odds with his own father to help them escape Karkas. She watches a little longer, waiting to see if some other companion appears, but there are none. Well, there was only one way to find out. She circles a bit wider, still hidden, and approaches him from his flank. Remembering how alert he is, she doesn't bother to get too close before revealing herself. She stands and addresses him from perhaps 40 feet away.

"An odd place for a lullaby, don't you think? You're lucky it's me that showed up and not a band of orcs. Or worse."

[itches]

Lost in a world of his own, Nicos fails to sense the approach of Shade. Jumping up in fright the bard spins, his sword out before he is fully standing. Seeing whom it is he relaxes.

"Damnit woman, is it your mission in life to always sneak up on me unnoticed?"

Putting his weapon up, Nicos ignores her question and looks around.

"Where are the rest of them?"

[Gralhruk]

She regards him somewhat cooly from behind her veil. Her arms are relaxed but nevertheless still not too far away from her blades.

"They're around. What are you doing out here? And why did you leave us back at the clearing?"

Shade can't quite decide if she is suspiscious of the bard or not. He might have sinister reasons for leaving them, or he might have just thought the rescue mission a fruitless endeavor. Which, of course, is what she had thought from the beginning.

[itches]

Looking over her dirt-ridden clothes, and fatigued marked face - which strikes quite a difference to his well clean figure he quips.

"A Lot better then you by the looks of it. I was waiting for you to arrive, and got bored so started to sing."

Going a little defensive.

"And look now, it wasn't my idea to leave you there back at the clearing, and it wasn't easy on me either. They kept me all night until they finally decided what to do, but this isn't a tale for here. I'll tell you when we get inside."

Looking down where he was watching he trail, and then the rocks that Shade had emerged from, Nicos hesitates.

"We had better get the others - uh which way are they?"

[Gralhruk]

She doesn't make any move, either forward or back toward the others. There was something decidely strange going on, and the bard's cryptic answers stirred the waters of distrust within her. His final question is enough to make her drop any thought of leading him to Cadrius. She folds her arms so that her hands lie within easy reach of her blades and she bends her knees the slightest bit, prepared to move at an instant's notice.

"Who are they and what did they want with you?"

[itches]

Noticing her movements into what is almost a battle stance, Nicos moves his hands well away from any of his blades - confident in his ability to defend himself without them, and confident of Shade's ignorance of that skill.

"The people from the Citadel. You know, brotherhood of mages. Live out in the wilderness. A blind mage is a member. Ringing any bells here? Look, I'll quickly tell you what happened, but details will have to wait until we get back there."

Taking a deep breathing, and noting to no small amount of relief that her blades are still sheathed, he begins.

"After you had left the clearing, the people from the Citadel came and got it. It seems that they were hesitant to allow non-mages to enter their sanction. They needed some information about you, and because I can cause some effects that they would call magic, they judged me a lesser risk. That said they took me there, questioned me, and debated through the night as to what to do. At some point this morning they came to the decision to let you in, and told me you were approaching along this trail."

Giving Shade an apprising look, Nicos adds.

"And now that I've had time to get a good look at you I would rather like to know what happened to you. Frankly you look as if you had spent all 36 odd hours, since we last saw each other, battling for every step you made."

[Gralhruk]

"Oh, bloody hell."

Her posture relaxes, though, and she suddenly feels every bit as tired as Nicos implies. Shade looks away from the one armed bard for a moment, studying the sky. Those arrogant mages and their incessant meddling; spiriting Cadogan off, then Nicos. Hadn't they been invited to this damned Citadel? Of course, if she had simply believed they meant no harm she never would have come out here to begin with. Now, though, it was becoming clear to her that the wizards were more than powerful enough to crush the likes of her, Cadrius and Blarth. Here they were, though. If Nicos' story was true, then chances were good the wizards meant no harm. Enough reason to go home, except the journey had been hell on all of them. They could use a chance to rest somewhere relatively safe - and they had come all this way, they might just as well see to Cadogan.

"Not every step, but damn near.

"The rescue attempt went as bad as I imagined it would. To make things worse, we got separated from Blarth and he got himself lost. Cadrius and I made it back to camp to find everyone gone; we waited for what seemed like a reasonable amount of time for anyone to show up. Nobody did. We decided to head towards the Citadel, in hopes we'd run across someone's trail. We found Blarth's, and we spent the rest of the time searching him out in the waste.

"We came across him last night, and were on our way to the Citadel when we heard you."

[itches]

"By Garthinia woman," Nicos exclaims softly as she quickly relates what happened.

"I would like to know more, but I would prefer to be while on a comfortable chair, with a full belly, a warm fire, and a mug of ale. Let's get the others and go on in. There is food, amenities for washing, and it's as safe as if you were under the constant watch of that dour lover of yours."

[Gralhruk]

With one last glance at the scrubby hills surrounding them, Shade nods to the bard and starts back towards Cadrius and Blarth. It doesn't take long to get back, and she never hears any sound save Nicos behind her. Hopefully it meant the bard was alone and they weren't being followed. Not that she didn't believe him, but she rarely let her guard down if it wasn't necessary. As they approach she waves, waiting to speak until they are close enough that she doesn't have to shout.

"Look what I found. It seems we have companions scattered all over these wastes. I wouldn't be surprised if Laronar fell from the sky and the gnome popped out of the ground."

[Cadrius]

Cadrius listens, curious if he can detect Shade approach. He should be worried, should be concerned with her safety, and yet the fallen paladin isn't. He trusts that if there's danger out in this land that she can avoid it better than he or Blarth ever could. He's confident in her skill and passes the time attempting to detect her return. A few birds sing here and there, but for the most part this stretch of landscape deserves the title "wasteland." The elevation coupled with a lack of moisture leaves the landscape half-barren. Here and there shrubs and the occassional scraggy tree cling to the loose soil with a tenacity that only nature can reach, but for the most part they are greeted by rock and dirt.

Crack. He hears something in the woods, footsteps moving across stone and soil. Cadrius frowns. It can't be Shade, she never makes noise like that, even when relaxed. Relaxed. The thought almost makes him chuckle. Has he ever seen the woman when she's at ease? Then again, has she ever seen the same from him?

And so he finds himself only half-surprised when Shade and Nicos emerge from the woods. The one-armed bard had not taken to him the last time they met, and Cadrius doubts that a day and a half in the woods will have changed much. Still, he will not be brusque with a companion, not when they'll need to trust each other for survival.

"I am glad you survived," he says. It's a simple almost off the cuff greeting, but then again the man isn't known for his compliments. "It would not be too much of a stretch to think we shall find that gnome under a rock somewhere, but I for one hope never to meet that foul-tempered elf again. I have only seen one before, and I was very small then. Are they all that. . .frustrating?"

[Gralhruk]

Shade just shrugs at the warrior's question, her eyes still scanning the horizon - though for what, even she has no idea. Her eyes finally land on Nicos, searching, measuring.

"It seems the wizards that spirited Cadogan away did the same for Nicos here. He has an interesting story to tell. It seems Cadogan is okay and our arrival is not unexpected."

She looks over to Cadrius to see how he reacts, wondering why she isn't relieved to hear those words herself. Maybe she didn't believe them just yet, or maybe she didn't want to believe them. That facade of a purpose had been holding them together since they had left Karkas. If it was gone, what did it mean?

"Nicos can give us the whole story, though."

[Cadrius]

"An interesting story? From a bard? I would have thought that impossible," he says dryly. Yet he still listens to the man's tale and frowns throughout most of it.

It's his way of coping with the sudden lack of purpose. The wizards knew they were coming, and even welcomed it. The heroic, albeit foolish, rescue of their friend from what? A bastion of civilization in the middle of a wasteland? He isn't certain who they'd be rescuing him from. Perhaps the blind man would be better off in the company of his peers. They might be able to teach him to cope with his lack of sight and still weave his spells. Cadrius might not like magic, but he doesn't want Cadogan setting himself on fire due to his blindness.

"I suggest we keep moving. Our supplies are not plentiful and it would be risky to turn around now. If these wizards will grant us hospitality for a day or two, I say we avail ourselves of it. He might be better for this change, but I would see Cadogan at least once."

So that this was not all in vain.