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04.17.2132 - Worried About Friends

Started by Dray, April 16, 2008, 08:47:44 PM

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Dray

Leslie awoke before the sun in her little bedroom at her parents Inn, "Get There From Here". Her father had converted a large suite at the Inn into two private bedrooms. Hers was in the back corner, the her next oldest sibling, her sister Sarah was adjacent to her, and her two younger brothers still slept in a room adjacent to her parents room on the second floor.

She still remembered the surprise last graduation day, 1 year ago, when she came home and her father took her upstairs to the third floor.

"You're getting to be a big girl now and I am going to be expecting a lot more out of my eldest daughter," he had said.

"As long as I can keep performing for your customers Daddy I will do anything you want", she had said and she had meant it. She had started playing the flute and reciting poetry and tales the summer prior, and had attained enough of a following that customers wanted to see her return for another season.

So as the two of them approached the last suite in the corridor, she had every reason to believe he was just going to review all the cleaning duties she was expected to perform for the Inn during the summer.

What she got instead was the biggest surprise and show of love any daughter could ever want from her father.

Dray

She looked out her one small window, her escape hatch as she so often thought, and was glad to see that weather looked to be clear in the shadow of the morning dusk.

She quietly rushed to put some clothes on as she worked away around the obstacles and piles of clutter that was typical in her little world.

"Perhaps tomorrow I will start the summer off right by cleaning," she lied to herself.

Fully dressed with her short-sleeved peasant blouse, colorful arm warmers (long socks with the ends cut off), and cloth breeches, she slipped her soft leather slippers on and grabbed her flute. She was out the door in less than two turns.

She quietly made her way through the Inn and past her father working in the kitchen, passing right behind him without him knowing. She felt slightly guilty, but also realized she didn't have time to explain to him why she was up so early the day after graduation.

She headed out into the cool morning air and began to run to the South Gate.

Dray

"Wake up," whispered Leslie in his ear.

In one fluid quick motion River rolled out the way and went into a defensive stance despite not even being close to conscious. As his eyes focused on, and then recognized her, he let out a sigh of relief and became cross with her.

"I would really appreciate it if you would STOP doing that," he said as he rolled back onto his knapsack on the tent floor.

Leslie, kneeling beside the pillow, simply giggled.

"I should never have taught you how to sneak, I didn't think that you would master it so quickly," he said, closing his eyes as he put his head back down.

"I am a master then?" Leslie teased.

River lifted his head. "Don't be too proud, not hard for a ten-pound kid to be quiet on her feet eh?!" he laughed and then put his head back down.

"It's all in the slippers," Leslie explained for the thousandth time.

"No, you....are....TINY." River said back.

So Leslie licked her finger and gave his ear a wet-squiggly.

River, tired from under-aged drinking with his graduation buddies the previous night didn't flinch, but he did manage, "I am so going to kick your ass when I feel better."

"Got to catch me first Water-boy," Leslie said.

She pulled back her finger, wiped it on his knapsack and merely stared at him. After two or so turns he couldn't take it any longer.

"What do you want Tiny?"

"Z and Jared left last night to go hunt Karh'Thul," she exclaimed simply. River shot his head up as quick as he had when she surprised him.

"No WAY!" he almost yelled.

"Yes way, and you need to go stop them," she said, and he could see the sincere concern she had in her eyes.

River banged his head on the pillow repeatedly, as if beating himself up, as he did so, he spoke each word on each upswing.

"Why"

"do"

"I"

"always"

"have"

"to"

"baby"

"sit?!"

Dray

(OOC: Scene change)

He stood in the back of the Hall, the priest robes fully covering his identity, and watched the Deaconess Acolytes as they kneeled in prayer before the Altar of Kaine.

'What an incredible embarrassment all of this will be someday' he thought as he looked about the magnificent and grand Circle of the Flame Citadel.

He watched as the young girls stood, finally done with their long supplication, and slowly scattered in directions throughout the Hall. Their morning routine was over. His target who had been amongst them however, followed her steps he had so become familiar with, as she walked to the middle of the church and sat alone in the middle of a long line of pews.

'It is now or never,' he thought. He glided inconspicuously through the Hall like a ghost. His disguise unquestioned by any of the weak minds that were so ingrained on worrying about the Lord and his heaven above. So much so they couldn't grasp a thread of reality from what passed right by them, a man who could send them to that heaven with the quickest slice of a blade.

He quietly drifted behind the virgin maiden Kristen Penole, and sat down in the pew behind hers. He smelled the scent of lavender even from this distance, and was amazed on the power it held upon him, as if it actually contained black sorcery.

He inwardly smirked, 'No, not from this innocent one.'

He gave his head a quick shake, 'I must not think of such things right now, I have to focus on the mission!', he reprimanded himself.

Slowly, while he was sure that the few remaining in the Hall paid no heed, he reached forward and lightly tapped her shoulder with a touch that would start a chain of events that would bring only misery. He then pulled his hand back quickly to conceal it lest anyone suspect him.

For a click, Kristen's body stiffened in shock, but then it relaxed a bit and she slumped forward...

Dray


Dray

...and pulled the knee-bench from under the pew in front of her. She kneeled for the second time that morning towards Kaine's Altar and bowed her head. Her hands, although to a passerby would be thought to be under her robes, were actually stretched towards the floor with the fingers pointed back to him under the pew.

He in turn bowed in the same manner in the pew behind her, but instead pointed his fingers forward and towards her.

Thus it was in supplication to the almighty Lord Kaine that two young members of "the Rebellion" used outlawed magic to talk with one another in his very church.

'What are you doing here River?! I thought I was to meet you at your camp outside the gates this afternoon?' Kristen whispered to him through the spell. He could tell she was already nervous, for he took great risk in coming into the Citadel.

'Plan has changed Kristen, and I am so sorry for it. I must leave the city at once,' he whispered back to her, knowing the message[/b] would carry back to her through the spell. Under the line of Will's priest robe hood, he could see her visibly shake with disappointment.

'Why? We have been planning this for months?! she said, and he could hear the sadness in the whisper and it damn near broke his heart.

'Two foolish members have gone south to fight Karh'Thul, Xavier and Jared, and I am the only one who can catch up to them in time to stop them,' he whispered back.

There was a long silence. Kristen, his loving and incredibly intelligent girlfriend of the past year knew he spoke the truth. She also understood, better than even he did, where everyone in the guild was at that exact moment and what they were doing, she knew he wasn't breaking plans on a whim. Plans that they made that would have filled his heart with as much joy as hers.

'We had two weeks planned to be together, is there any way you can delay your parents arrival? I could be back in a week if I hurry....my love, he whispered, only hesitating for a tick, hoping the sincerity of the first-time-used sentiment would not be lost upon her. Yet he was incredibly nervous, fearing she may make a scene in the Citadel that would reveal them both. Fearing that she would think he considered others before her.

Her answer made him proud, and his heart pound more for her more than anything else she could have whispered, for this girl was truly selfless in every way. 'You have your unexpected mission, now I have mine. I will do what I must and we will have our time together...just go save the boys and leave our plans to me. Try to be back within a week.

'Thank you so much for understanding Kristen, I will return to you before you even think to miss me,' he whispered back.

'Be safe, my prayers to the True Gods will be with you,' she whispered and with that the spell ended.

Taking his queue, River slowly rose and left the citadel, bowing his head one last time towards the altar as he reached the end of the pew. The customary tradition lost on him so long ago.

To River and Kristen, Lord Kaine was but an honorable hero of the past, and nothing more.


Dray

River rode on the back of his friend Silvermane, but he doubted the huge mare even felt his weight as she charged across an open field at a full gallop.

At first it had been a challenge telling her that their plans had been postponed. It was hard to fool a horse, especially an intelligent one. Silver had been expecting to have her favorite maiden on her bare back for an almost endless trot through the woods. Kristen had spoiled her from day one on meeting, and now River knew she would easily trade him for the girl.

As he approached Silver with the riding saddle he had immediately regretted including her in all the plans for the two week camping trip.

Silver had been furious.

He had a thousand times more trouble convincing his horse, that the plans were only set-back a week, then he actual had with Kristen herself.

As he rode on her he noted that she didn't try to soften the ride as she usually did, and he laughed at her tenacity.

"I know your still mad at me girl, but I need to be able to walk when we catch up to the boys okay?" he told her over the rushing wind.

To his surprise she slowed a bit, smoothening the ride/

"Thank you girl," he said, and pet the side of her neck. "I know you are as anxious to return to Kristen as I am, we will ride as long as you are comfortable with the light and your strength. We will catch them girl, do not worry, we will catch them."

Dray

The boy named River and his dear companion, a large silver and gray warhorse named Silvermane, sped away from the capital city on a very clear and warm day of spring. They took the wooded trails through kingdom that River knew like the back of his hand, having taken them hundreds of times with his father in the past. It was only when the last ember of sunlight in the horizon cooled that the boy finally surrendered to the enveloping darkness.

He rarely spoke during these journeys, but as he sat by his small campfire that night, he said to her, "if the weather is kind to us tomorrow, we should make Southaven by nightfall."

And as he had expected, his gods had been kind, for the following day was another warm and sunny one. As he saddled Silver up he said, "it's a shame we can't simply intercept them on the road. Mr. Church's wagon is fast, but not half-as-fast as you my friend. Alas, a sixteen-year old riding a magnificent beast like you at unmatched speed along South Road would attract far too much attention." Silvermane neighed proudly at the compliments.

"Ah well, we will just have to wait for them in our hometown eh?" he asked her while patting her neck. He knew she would be thrilled at the thought of a day or so at home. Silver had a habit of gorging herself on apples in Southaven.

They raced along through another brilliant day, and River found himself less anxious about the delayed plans with Kristen, the glory of the ride easing his mind. As night came upon them once again, he knew it was only another mile or so before the Second Wall, so he and Silver kept pace through the thick woods that were north of his hometown.
He expertly guided her through the trees, clearing every known branch, root and uneven ground along their path.

Twilight was upon them and he could scarcely see ten paces ahead, but he knew these woods like no other, and galloping through them always brought sweet memories of he and his father doing the same many years ago.

At full gallop, Silver hit something and both her front legs collapsed mid-stride, sending him spiraling through the air. As river landed painfully in the underbrush, he heard a dull crack and his friend scream as she rolled out of control. In sudden despair he knew she had broken a leg.

He rushed out of the thicket which tore at his arms during his impatient dash towards his friend. In the little light that was left he could barely see her upright form on the trail behind him.

'Thank the gods, she is standing,' he thought with relief as he ran over to her. Before he could inspect her, he sensed the demons many paces back on the trail and at the edge of his ability. The pair of Karh'Thul exploded from their hiding spots in the thicket and charged towards him.

With a quick glance at the open claw wounds on Silver's chest he verified what he suddenly suspected. One of the demons had attacked him on the way bye, which had caused their tumble.

River quickly drew his blades and moved in front of Silver as two Karh'Thul made it to him at incredible speed from out of the darkness. Running on all fours, the two pair of glowing white eyes focused on him as they leapt during the last tick of their charge, flying through the air good fifteen paces. His heart raced as the lead demon came down on him at the height of his head, he noted Silver's blood on the claw reaching for his throat and he readied he raised his longsword to parry it, hoping for the chance to follow it with an upward thrust of his shortsword.

As claw and steel met he prayed 'Gods of my father, I beg you, deliver me safe passage back to my woman's arms...'