A World of Danger: Part One

[Lief Erikson]

*(Lief Erikson graciously refrains from commenting)*

Steward coughed as he fought his way through the brambles, the others following him. "There!" he gasped as a light began to filter through the smoke ahead. "Fire and smoke can be very disorienting in a strange wood, but I think that we're finally through."

He finished pushing through the bushes and staggered out of the brush, emerging on the top of a tall but gently sloping hill. The others followed quickly after him, wiping the soot from their faces.

"None of the wolves died in the fire," Irid reported with a smile.

"Which means there'll be more for you to use in hunting Arcon," Erenfor said calmly, receiving startled glances from a few of the others. "Certainly all the better for you."

Irid's face reddened slightly, but with anger, not embarrassment. "You think I'd use these wolves in that way? They want to destroy him every bit as much as I do, but I will not use them!"

Erenfor didn't appear to hear, although that might have been his madness settling back in again. He was staring out down the hill, towards the point where the forest started again.

"You'll have to lead us from here," Steward told him, but Erenfor still seemed to be lacking eardrums. "But we can take a little rest first, if you like," Steward continued. "I need one myself somewhat; these old bones don't get much the younger by running full tilt through the forest, cut up by brambles and expecting to be caught between either an arrow in the heart or a wall of fire in the back."

"All right," Irid said with a smile in his direction. "We can take a rest."

"Thank-you," Steward said with a flourish before seating himself on a dead log.






Shelina staggered through the forest, her eyes tearing as she wiped soot away from her face and coughed as more smoke came up to blind and choke her. The red glow of fire was closer behind her, but it was off to the right and left now too, and it constantly seemed to be growing brighter no matter how she fled it. Farther away, there seemed to be an opening. A point where light broke through the smoke and trees. She made for that, even though she could see Sandor and some kind of a beast nearby. Perhaps Sandor was still on her side, but everyone she'd allied with so far seemed to be operating for their own ends exclusively, not concerning themselves with anyone else. But right now she simply had to get out of this forest alive.

She choked another mouthful of dust and ash and spat it out, scrambling desperately out of the forest.

Although she'd known she'd been that she was in danger and possibly might die a firey death, little did she know how narrowly she'd avoided recieving it from the hands of someone else entirely.

[Mathron]

Tal slumped down on a rock, holding his heads in his hands. As the adrenaline drained out of him, weariness and a feeling of futility fell upon him, as much as he tried to throw them off. As the others talked around him, he sat by himself, and thought of happier times.

Dain glanced at the others, rubbing his beard, and said, gruffly, "Things keep looking darker, but you all seem to be good at handling yerselves. It won't get easier, but I think we can be pulling this off, if we keep strong." The others smiled at the compliment from the normally gruff dwarf, and gathered their strength to move on.


---

Sandor ran, and ran, and felt the flames licking behind him long after the fire had faded. Finally, he had stumbled by a tree, and brought himself to a stop. The camp was gone, burnt to the ground, and his men - loyal or not - dead or fled.

He'd known the drake, and had fled rather than deal with it or the fire any longer. It hadn't been after him. But someone surely was. If not the entirety of Melkor's servants, it must have been someone powerful and mighty nonetheless.

[Tessar]

OCC* well im leaving this rpg. it was fun but i know that im just being a big fat pain in the fanny. leif im very sorry for the nast post i made about you (i took it down). i hope that when the next rpg starts that i can join because this is so much fun! ummmmm im not shur how to get ridd of him so if someone wants to they can have him or you can drop him off some where or what ever.

[Selwythe]

*Don't leave! With me and Irid posting very little and you leaving, you'd leave poor Mathron and Lief squabbling in hell.

[Tessar]

*you guys really want me to stay?*

[Tessar]

welllllllllllllll ok i guess I'll stay.

[Mathron]

OOC: Sounds good to me! Everyone we have will help this keep going. Why don't we try and get some posting going, again?

[Tessar]

*ok heres my pathetic attempt to get the posting started again*

Sandor finaly made it out of the woods and stoped to rest. *I cant go on anyfurther now. I must rest*

"We need more wood" Tal said. "Who volenters to go get some?"

The elf boy had been feeling anctious and was glad for an excust to get away "I'll go!" he said quickly seeing Irid was abou to get up and go.

As he walked back twards the woods a bit, Tessar thought that he hurd hevy breathing. he froze for a moment and wonderd if he should just go back and get someone to go with him
*I'll go back and get Irid, she seems to be nice. or maybe Dain* the thought
"Oh get a grip" he wispered to himself "just go look"

The boy crept slowly towards the sound. he went over a small hill and saw Sandor lying on the ground asleep, and covered with brusses and cuts.

"It's that man i met who was with the lady" he shivered remembering the way the mad had looked at him.

he stood for a moment undesided, then he took a small case out off his belt and set about cleaning Sandors cuts and smering a hurb potion on them.

Sandor suddenly opened his eyes and saw a elf boy holding a small bottel filled with a purpul potion
*POISON!* he thought and before the elf boy knew what was happening the bottel had been kicked out of his hand. and he had been stabed in the shoulder with a small dagger.

the boy fell back with a look of surprise on his face. and before he could draw his short sword and defend him self he had been stabed again, this time in the ribs.

Sandor turned and ran. thinking that the elf migh thave freands somewhere weghting to jump him.

the elf fell to the ground, still bleeding.

OOC* ok im not trying to kill him off. im just trying to be dramatic and have an endding to my post that will (hopefuly) be easy to
reply to.

[Mathron]

Red flashed before Sandor's eyes as he ran, breathing heavily, finally almost slamming into a tree in his exhaustion. Normally he could push himself through will alone, but he had been driven to his limits, and had his world crumble about him in the last few days.

He glanced down at the small empty sheathe by his waist, the dagger he usually carried there left in the clearing with the elf boy. How had he lost control like that? He barely even registered the action until he was fleeing, the boy left behind him, bleeding. Nothing made sense anymore. All he knew was that, despite his weariness, he couldn't stop moving...

[Tessar]

OOC* yay! let the posting begin!!!

[Tessar]

OOC* oh c'mon you guys (mathron excluded) its not THAT hard a post to reply to.

[Tessar]

*c'mon....anyone please!!!!!!! I would do something but i cant. im lying on the ground stabed in the shoulder and in the ribs.

[Mathron]

OOC: Peace! Some people take a little while to post, and can spend time busy with other, more important things. Let a bit more time pass...

[Tessar]

Oh im sorry!
i didn't realise that it had only been 3 days!
I seem to be loosing all track of time. I'll think that something happened several days ago but then I'll realise that it was the other day.

[Lief Erikson]

*I'm terribly sorry, I believe that I'm responsible for slugging everything down. Much has been happening at my house though as I memorize lines to recite as we do a Shakespeare play, as I fight my way through swamps of school work miles high and help prepare the place for a grandparent who is coming to stay tomorrow! (Pauses to catch a breath but then decides to leave it at that) etc.

So anyway, I still haven't much time but I'll try not to abandon the place so entirely as I did just recently.

Oh, and Tessar, it's nice having you in the game, we're not trying to throw you out. You want a hint on how to stay on my good side? (Lowers his voice, not that that does much good) simply allow me to keep charge of my own characters. In other words, although I don't entirely mind what you make them do in really minor affairs, I really like to make up my own mind about what my people do or say.

Now! Back to the game. (Rubs his hands briskly before setting them down lightly upon the keyboard again)*




Quickly Steward and the others knelt down around the injured Tessar. "Unhappily none of us are healers," Steward said, "But we can do the best we can."

"Time runs out," Erenfor said impatiently from behind them. "It drains and seeps away. Every minute brings the likelihood of our discovery by the servants of the enemy closer. We must go to the castle. To the castle. To the castle. That is where Vardor is, where we can wreak our revenge."

The rest of the company meanwhile finished bandaging up Tessar.

"Well, we must leave this place in any case," Steward agreed as he glanced up at the sky, as if expecting to see the drake make another circuit. It was nowhere to be seen though. This appeared to be little comfort to him however, and Steward shivered.

Dain meanwhile had been preparing several poles. "These'll serve as a stretcher, with a cloak tied in between," he said as he laid his own between the poles and tied it down.

They glanced down the slope to see their guide had already started without them.

"Dratted elf," Steward snarled as they hurried quickly after him, catching up quickly.

"We can cover many leagues yet before (Dark or dawn? I forget what time it is)," Tal said, glancing up at the sky as the company pressed onward, leaving the wooded slopes behind and heading out over the plains.

[Selwythe]

*I must say I am out of ideas. Holidays now, though, maybe I'll think of something...been doing that since the last post and I have nothing to show for it.*

[Mathron]

The day passed quickly, and Tessar took the time to focus what he remembered of healing magic within himself. They saw no signs of pursuit, despite constantly tracking back to make sure.

The land they went through grew darker and dimmer with each step, and their spirits struggled to stay strong. Silence seemed to reign, as the road Erenfor led them upon grew ever shorter, and any words the spoke or songs they sang quickly faded, seeming leaden and unsure even when uttered.

Eventually the sky was once more dark, and they paused, weary and worn from their walking. Tal looked up into the sky, seeing a gleaming golden star burning bright upon the horizon. "An omen," he muttered to himself, "though for good or ill, I know not... I pray to any who will here, let my quest end at last!"

[Irid al'Menie]

*sorry for not posting, been to france for a week. Here goes!*

There seemed to be only one being in the group that didn't loose spirit. Flyer, though far from the pack, stayed as happy as ever, knowing he wasn't alone. Somewhere there were wolves like him, and he could talk to them. That was all he needed. From this mood, Irid and Runner got a little more comforted, though not much, seeing the dark sky with only that one bright star in it.

[Tessar]

*ooooooooo! lucky dog! (get it? wolf girl? dog?...nevermined)
my parents went once and they loved it. did you enjoy your stay?

[Tessar]

ummmm Mathron,
I want to make a post but I'm not sure how strong my guy is.
Is he still on the stretcher?
Or is he walking now?